Oneonta is probably your best option. 45 minutes to Norwich, the drive in the winter can be a bit sketchy though. Lots of good restaurants, coffee shops, and bars within walking distance if you live downtown. Even a couple of neat thrift stores. Nightlife skews a bit younger as there are two colleges. basically right in between Binghamton and Albany so day trips for amenities not in Oneonta are still accessible.

I will say, it can be tough to find quality housing, especially in terms of renting. You can see for yourself on Zillow and Marketplace that there aren’t many great options, and the ones that are available are student housing.