“A great place for a college student to start a life.”
Name: Paul “King” Konye
Age Range: 20s
Location: Oneonta
Occupation: Social Media Manager/Recording Artist
Tell us about yourself! Who are you? I’m a local Recording artist and recent Hartwick College graduate. During my years at Hartwick, I would perform locally in Oneonta and I quickly recognized the overwhelming opportunity to start my adult life in a community that values staying connected to one another. The city of the Hills is a small city, in which we recognize and remember the people we live around.
Why should we feature you? I’m a recent local College graduate that decided to stay here. Most college students hate the idea of living in a small city or town, so much so, that many people told me that my music career was going to die if I chose to move to Oneonta. Although many friends gave me very convincing speeches and persuasive points about how unexciting life would be in the Otsego County and everything that I would lose, I still chose to step out in faith and move here. I chose Oneonta because I recognized how much value the is in being connected to the people around me. The idea of being connected to the people I cross paths with everyday is far more exciting than moving to a big city full of people I would never truly know.
What do you love about living in Otsego County?
This county values arts and creativity. In this county, I feel that my ideas are heard and considered. I’ve recognized that being in a small community means that everybody is seen and respected as a real human being, as opposed to being another number, in a sea of people that lack empathy.
I was scared of what life would look like in a small city when I moved here, because of the things my friends had told me. I was born and raised in the Saratoga county, close to Albany. However, the very day that I moved to Oneonta, I was walking on the street and ran into a member of the Oneonta teen center who then go me set up to perform at the Fireworks Festival in Newah park only 3 days later. I ended up performing at Ommegang a couple months after that along with building a name as a recording artist in Oneonta, all because my ideas are heard and the fact that this county values arts, entertainment and community
What is Upstate, NY to you? The authentic culture of NY. I say this because NYC has many different cultures, but Upstate Ny hold its own values, traditions, landscapes and features.
Are you originally from here? No
How long have you lived here? Less than a year
Why do YOU choose to live here? Because I felt seen, heard and acknowledged in the Otsego County
List some of your favorite, local “must-visit” hot spots: Tinos!
List some of your favorite, local “must-do” activities: Visit Neahwa Park and play basketball with some friends
Anything else you’d like to share? It’s a great place for a college student to start a life because you will not be overwhelmed. The small population, matches the style of environment as being on a bigger college campus.
