SYRACUSE, N.Y. (NCC News) – Just a short walk from the Syracuse University campus lies Marshall Street—a brick road filled with shops and restaurants for all to enjoy. The street is always buzzing during the fall and spring semesters as students trickle down from the hill to buy a coffee or a new Syracuse t-shirt.
Manny’s, a Syracuse University spirit store, is one of the most popular locations. Co-owner Bill Nestor says he’s always happy to see students come in to buy new gear.
“We love the students. They bring their parents in, and they usually spend a lot more money than the students do,” Nestor said with a laugh.
When there’s no students in sight, Manny’s gets to be a little more quiet than normal. The summertime is a particularly tough season to sell gear.
“June’s our slowest month, and that’s probably the month that the least amount of students are up here,” Nestor said.
Syracuse University is made up of over 22,000 students. This might only be four percent of the city’s population, but it’s a bulk of the neighborhood where Marshall Street is located.
Varsity Pizza is another hot spot on Marshall Street that is constantly booming with students. Food service manager Diana Heston says that while they don’t just cater to students, that’s who brings in most of their business.
“I can’t say how much exactly, but a lot of our customers are Syracuse students,” Heston says.
Marshall Street may look quiet this summer, but come August, it’ll be a whole different world. And the businesses will be booming once again.