BY KEGAN MCCALLUM, CONTRIBUTING WRITER
The college experience is more than just the campus and the school. For many, the surrounding towns or cities are at the heart of the university experience. It is arguable that more college memories are made off campus as opposed to on campus.
If given an option between going into a city or town, most would pick the city. Ironically, St. Bonaventure University students do the exact opposite: they rarely head into the City of Olean and instead spend their time in the much smaller Town of Allegany. Students are ignorant to attractions that lay in the City of Olean and its Union Street. An off campus trip for a St. Bonaventure student typically involves visiting stores in Allegany. Allegany is a walkable distance from the school compared to the hike it would take to travel to Olean; a trip into Olean requires some form of motor vehicle, which many students do not have.
It has become a secret that the best places to shop and eat off campus are not in Allegany, but in Olean. Due to Olean’s distance to the university, students are unaware of the unique shops hidden under their noses. By adding a Bona Bus stop on Union Street, students would be more likely to visit these stores and experience the charm of Olean.
Many students rely on the Bona Bus to travel to stores off campus. On St. Bonaventure’s website, the University claims: “Free transportation during most weekdays and on Saturdays is provided by the Bona Bus. The bus makes numerous stops on campus as well as in the neighboring communities of Olean and Allegany.” However, when looking at the Bus’s stops, the furthest into the city of Olean the bus goes is Tops Super Market.
“Bonaventure students do not travel past Tops,” said Tammy Gardner’s daughter, who helps run 2 Sweet Desserts, a bakery on Union Street. The majority of stops on the Bona Bus are in Allegany, but Tops is already over half of the short drive to Olean’s Union Street from campus. Dropping students off on Union Street would only take three minutes after the stop at Tops. The Bona-Bus takes routine trips to Allegany’s Main Street, while ignoring Olean’s Union Street.
According to Union Street shop owners, their stores do not get many students coming in. “Maybe a couple a week,” said Gardner. Caroline Austin, owner of Color it Creative, a modern boutique on Union, has a daughter who attends St. Bonaventure University. “She tells her friends and they come in,” said Austin.
“We all want Bona students,” said Gardner. The wide variety of stores is what gives Union Street its charm. Though a majority are boutiques, they each have their own unique identity.
No store is more unique than The Paper Factory, selling a variety of goods from rentable Santa Claus costumes to office supplies. The Paper Factory feels more like Wonka’s Chocolate Factory than a normal store. Even then, student patronage is low. “Out of twenty customers, maybe three are Bona students,” said Judy Perry, a longtime cashier for The Paper Factory. “We see some art students, but that is about it.”
Allegany has some of the most iconic restaurants and bars for Bonaventure students and alumni. If one were to ask for a dinner recommendation from long-time Bonaventure faculty member, they will tell you to head over to the Beef-N-Barrell, which is found on Olean’s Union Street. Beef-N-Barrell is only one of the many great shops on Union Street.
Nearly all of these shops are widely unknown to Bonaventure students. “We’re trying to get the students to know, because they don’t,” said Lisa Kendrick, owner of the Kaleidoscope Boutique and Gallery, one of the very first stores you see when entering Union Street. “No Bona kids at all.”
Many of the businesses have joined together creating a group called “Shops on Union.” A main priority of this group is breaking through to Bonaventure students. The “Shops on Union” work with Alderwoman Sonya McCall, Alderwoman for Ward 4 of Cattaraugus County.
“One of the first things the shop owners identified was that very few St. Bonaventure students venture downtown,” said McCall. “We began discussing what our local businesses have to offer and how we could partner with Bonaventure to provide valuable experiences and shopping opportunities for students.”
The “Shops on Union” and McCall are trying a new strategy to attract more students; many of the stores have begun to offer student discounts. “We are working on a discount structure for students,” said Kendrick, owner of the Kaleidoscope Boutique and Gallery. Kendrick also floated the idea of a coupon brochure to hand out to students.
“Last summer, I spoke with Jenna Keppel, assistant director for student activities, programming and engagement,” said McCall. “She forwarded my information and ideas to Tom Missel, chief communication officer. Both have been supportive in finding ways to inform students about the resources and businesses Olean has to offer. Missel suggested adding a link to Olean stores within the Student Life section of the university website, which is currently a work in progress.”
Links on the website are frankly not enough; the solution is as simple as adding a single stop on Union Street. As previously stated, adding a stop on Union Street would only add six minutes to the overall route. Almost all stores and restaurants on Union Street are small businesses. When checking out at a shop on Union Street, it is very likely the person checking you out is the owner or a longtime worker. Those human connections and variety of shops makes each experience unique and each store their own little universe. Boutique shopping with an inexpensive coffee during a crisp spring morning full of smiles and conversations is what Union Street in Olean offers. Sadly, most Bonaventure students will never get to experience this due to the nonexistent free transportation. Without the Bona Bus, very few will get to feel the heart of these shops and the heart of the city of Olean.
