Ithaca travel guide

This review is from a recently graduated students perspective. As far as manageable college towns go, they don't get much better than Ithaca, NY. With two colleges (one an Ivy League university) this small city is loaded with energy and youth and a liberal take on life. Set next to a beautiful finger lake (Cayuga) and countless gorges and waterfalls, the beauty of the surrounding nature is reflected in this cities progressive attitude. The people you see around are a happy mix of the local "townies," neo-hippies, hipsters, your Ivy League posh, and everyone in between. At times its a bit frustrating for those who enjoy a bigger city lifestyle, since its basically in the middle of nowhere, but its close enough for a weekend escape to New York City (4.5 hrs) or Philadelphia (4 hrs). I went to Cornell University but have been here for three summers and can say that it is a noticeably different city when school is in session and out, and the energy that is lost when the students leave is replaced by a more relaxed attitude and days full of swimming in the gorges and riding bikes and BBQ in the many State Parks.Negatives: We have famously cold winters; Nightlife is affected by the 1AM closing of all bars (county law), but any savvy socialite can easily find ways to keep the night going; the two colleges don't really interact much with each other or with the townies, though this is a generalization; this is an extremely liberal town, not a negative but something to keep in mind for people who aren't.Anyway, a lovely little city perfect for coffee-sipping, book-reading, trail-hiking, green-loving, music-grooving people of all ages. It is definitely worth a visit from anyone in the Upstate NY area.

2008-07-09 / follow thezoso11 / report abuse