You unpacked the boxes — now here is where students at Union College (Schenectady, NY) actually eat, shop, bank, and hang out. Bookmark this for your first month.
Peter Pause Restaurant Breakfast/Italian
Family-run diner on Nott St directly across from campus; cheap homemade breakfast
Perreca's Bakery Italian bakery
1913 landmark in Little Italy, ~1 mi; coal-oven bread, plus More Perreca's next door
Cornell's in Little Italy Italian
Old-school red-sauce institution on N Jay St in Little Italy, ~1 mi from campus
Mike's (First Prize) Hot Dogs Hot dogs
Longtime Erie Blvd stand; cheap mini dogs with meat sauce, ~5 min drive
Homestyle Pizza Pizza
Upper Union St slice-and-delivery standby at 1720 Union St, walkable from dorms
Pizza King Pizza/subs
Decades-old Jay St spot downtown; big cheap slices near Proctors, ~1 mi
Market 32 by Price Chopper Grocery
Nearest full supermarket, 1640 Eastern Pkwy, ~5 min drive; hometown NY chain
CVS Pharmacy Pharmacy
Closest full pharmacies in Niskayuna on Balltown Rd ~5 min; Market 32 has one too
Target (Mohawk Commons) Big-box
Closest big-box, ~5-7 min drive in Niskayuna; plaza also has Lowe's and Marshalls
Walmart Supercenter Big-box
Full supercenter in Glenville across the river, ~10-12 min drive
Open Door Bookstore Bookstore/gifts
Independent bookstore on Jay St downtown since 1971; gifts and course-break browsing
Trustco Bank Bank
Hometown Schenectady bank; branch at 1620 Union St, ~1 mi walk up Union St
KeyBank Bank
Branch and ATM at 1742 Union St on Upper Union, short walk or bus from campus
Bank of America Bank
Branch/ATM at 1757 Union St; national network handy for out-of-state students
Ellis Hospital / WellNow Urgent Care Medical
Ellis ER borders campus on Nott St; WellNow on Altamont Ave for minor walk-ins
US Post Office, Jay St Post office
Historic downtown main branch on Jay St, ~1 mi; packages and passport services
Schenectady County Public Library Study spot
Central Library at 99 Clinton St downtown; free Wi-Fi and quiet study floors
Union Street Barbershop Barber
Cuts at 1609 Union St, walkable; Union Laundromat at 1707 Union St nearby
Proctors Theatre Shows
Restored 1926 vaudeville palace on State St; touring Broadway, ~1 mi from campus
Jay Street Marketplace Downtown
Pedestrian block of cafes, Bud's arcade coffeehouse, and shops off State St
Central Park Outdoors
Rose garden, Iroquois Lake trails, free Music Haven summer concerts, ~5 min away
Mohawk Harbor & bike trail Riverfront
Rivers Casino, Druthers brewery, Mohawk-Hudson trail rides, ~1.5 mi from campus
Nott Memorial & painting the Idol Tradition
16-sided campus landmark; students repaint the Idol statue in Jackson's Garden
Hand-checked August 2026. Hours and locations change — give places a quick look before you head out. Some links on this site earn us a commission at no cost to you.