You guys need to get in front of a map, for real.
First, St. Bonaventure is straight west of Binghamton, just over the NY/ Penn border. South of Syracuse but also far, far west.
That's no short trip.
That said, I think Rochacha is kind of ugly as a whole - I have been three times, I think - and the U of Rochester campus is one of the most depressing places I have been to. But there are neighborhoods in that city that are kind of cool and pleasant. It's a giant former company town - used to be all Eastman Kodak jobs. And a part of the Underground Railroad/ abolitionist history. Kind of a cool part of upstate, to me.
And it's better than Buffalo. Probably better than Syracuse. Certainly better than Olean. And Binghamton should be destroyed. That place is a hole.