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Binghamton native Nate Levy plans to open a venue that will serve as a space for students and community members to enjoy live bands, DJs, comedy shows and dance parties, among other activities.<\/p>\n
A new live music venue may open up in Downtown Binghamton.<\/p>\n
Nate Levy, who plans to open the venue, grew up in Binghamton. He acquired a property on Court Street that was previously home to a CVS Pharmacy and plans to transform the property into an event space for the local community.<\/p>\n
\u201cI have a lot of good memories from growing up in Binghamton and a lot of friends I\u2019m still in touch with from growing up in Binghamton,\u201d Levy said in an interview with Pipe Dream. \u201cSo I guess I\u2019ve always had a soft spot in my heart for the town, the city. And I\u2019ve been fairly fortunate in my career and so, on my list of things I thought about doing was, \u2018What could I do to kind of help the city out at some point?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
Levy had been searching for the right property to pursue this project for about four to five years. He finally settled on the Court Street location for its proximity to both Binghamton University and much of the local community.<\/p>\n
Levy added that he plans to sell the building that is on the property and build the new venue on the parking lot portion of the site. In the future, he might partner with another developer to repurpose the former CVS building.<\/p>\n
The music venue, which has a working title of \u201cThe Jynx,\u201d will be an entertainment space that Levy hopes will be flexible to accommodate many different kinds of events, hosting everything from live bands and DJs to comedy shows and dance parties.<\/p>\n
\u201cI happen to have an interest in live music and I think live music and entertainment in general is something that can help stitch a community together and contribute to the cultural and economic wealth of an area,\u201d Levy said.<\/p>\n
He explained that he plans to turn the space into a location where touring bands will be interested in performing by installing a good sound and lighting system alongside other musical accommodations. Levy added that he wants the events to give people \u201cthings to do in town other than kind of hang out at the bars.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI read the different things that people post about the community and the University and stuff,\u201d Levy said. \u201cIt feels like a recurring theme is like, \u2018Yeah, it\u2019s a good school. Binghamton is okay, but there\u2019s not a lot to do.\u2019 So I\u2019m kind of hoping to work on the \u2018not a lot to do\u2019 problem.\u201d<\/p>\n
Levy plans to talk to the University eventually about the construction of his project, hoping that they will \u201cget excited about it.\u201d<\/p>\n
He said that the response from city and county officials has been optimistic and supportive, as they hope the venue will be a cultural center for the city. Even though some people are reportedly \u201ca little skeptical,\u201d Levy described the community\u2019s overall response as excited.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m super excited about the new downtown venue,\u201d wrote Ella Sperry, a junior majoring in economics. \u201cI love going to see live music!\u201d<\/p>\n
Among the things Levy wants to sort out are funding sources for the project. However, he plans to fund most of the project out of pocket and plans to have the venue open as early as 12 to 18 months from now.<\/p>\n
Levy\u2019s family has lived in Binghamton for at least three generations. He now lives in Boston and is retired after spending his career as an investor in fixed income for institutional clients.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think we want to develop a community around events that people are comfortable going to and enjoy and recur on a regular basis, that you can start to build a little bit of a community and connections to,\u201d Levy said.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n