Ithaca, New York
SperlingViews

jamie's previous post - 4/13/2007

I lived in Ithaca for a bit a while back, so, it may have changed a bit since then (but, things in Ithaca probably do not change that much that fast - part of its charm, it seemed to me). I agree Ithaca can be a bit drab (lack of sunshine) - in the winter. In the spring and summer, it's arguably one of the most beautiful places I've seen. Ithaca did not seem politically correct for the sake of being politically correct, sort of like how Noam Chomsky is not politically correct for the sake of being politically correct. People there, as a result of the colleges and what they've attracted (people from all over the world that tend to be quite thoughtful) over the centuries, just tend to be a relatively very thoughtful, educated (formally or informally) group of people. That tends to translate to "progressive" or what might seem to someone from elsewhere in America as "politically correct". Small population with HUGE variety of backgrounds, generally, and with a HUGE variety of, e.g., cuisines at excellent restaurants, intellectual and outdoor opportunities, and a pretty "organic" feel (there's an ecovillage nearby, e.g.). But definitely a small place quite secluded from interstates and big cities - at least geographically if not in terms of where some of the people hale from - for sure. My $.02, anyhow.[more...]

center of the universe for many - 5/11/2006

a town full of people worth meeting, fun for the whole family 365 days of the year and love to walk it![more...]

There's some reality here and a nice quality of li - 3/30/2006

Ithaca can be all of the things described by Jamie in the previous post. It can be annoying and it's not perfect. If you are a youngish person (but not a college student) looking for night life and career opportunities, Ithaca is probably not the place for you. However, if you're looking for a good place to raise kids (or maybe retire or just slow down), Ithaca has great public schools, beautiful parks with waterfalls, Cayuga Lake for boating and swimming, wine trails, a nice farmer's market, and several annual festivals. It's very progressive and socially conscious. There are many transplants from urban areas (esp. NYC) as well as a diverse local population. It is very gay friendly. If you are a Republican, you will be outnumbered in Ithaca. Cornell has a lot to do with the intellectual feeling of the place. They are the employment mainstain in the county with about 9,000 workers. It makes for a stable economy in a rather depressed upstate NY. House prices have gone up a lot in the past few years. You do have to head to a bigger city for real shopping. For lots of people here, stuff and the acquistion of it is not that important. That can be refreshing. If you want to read a fairly accurate dissenting opinion on Ithaca, the 1997 Utne Reader cover story about most enlightened towns in America (of which Ithaca was ranked #1) included a sidebar piece by a local resident (maybe a demographer?) that pretty accurately sums it up. It's about the division of the classes here, among other things. It's not a side of Ithaca you would see on a casual visit, but it is part of the social landscape. The weather is not great - winters are long and gray. But people really come out of their shells in the warm weather. The population is somewhat transient but you can find the core. And finally, it really is the middle of nowhere. It's a haul to the nearest interstate. For some that's not such a big deal, for others it's a drag. It's all a matter of perspective, choices, and what's important to you, like most things in life I moved here from Boston about five years ago and I like it. A couple of years ago, I heard Ithaca described in the NY Times as a "liberal outpost" in upstate NY. That about sums it up.[more...]

Ten square miles surrounded by reality - 3/24/2006

Travel back in time to a simpler time, way back. There is definitely no reality here! Do you love being around people who do nothing but sit around acting intellectual, theorizing on everything from existentialism to why the sky is blue? This is definitely your kinda place. This town takes political correctness to the absolute extreme, leaving no room for free thinking, which is kind of ironic. Here are some things you should know... If you're looking for a place where there is absolutely NOTHING to do (especially after 4:30 pm), then this is the place for you! It's a couch potato's dream come true! I used to get out and do stuff before I moved here. Now I'm hooked on TV because there is absolutely NO night life, and for that matter, no afternoon life, because everything closes at 4:30 or 5pm. Love it when you can't find what you need in the store? We got that. Move here, and you will never again have to worry about being able to find those nice things you were used to buying, like clothes, shoes, coats, etc., 'cause we don't have them. No sirree. Do you hate having to make choices of what brand of an item to buy in a grocery store or drug store? No problem! We give you two choices, the most expensive brand, and the store brand! Easy, right? Oh, yeah, and we get the least amount of sun in the world it seems. We have more rain and clouds than you have ever seen in your life. The public library spent thousands on a solar panel system to reduce it's electrical expense...a move that put them in the hole so far that they had to reduce the number of hours a day the place is open. Kinda defeats the purpose of being a public resource. :-> Does any of this make sense? No? Well, that's because it's Ithaca, where reality dare not enter and common sense is unheard-of.[more...]

Ithaca is Gorges - 9/13/2005

As the saying goes in Ithaca, Ithaca is Gorges. Its a great town and has everything you would find in a big city minus the drive time. Its a very diverse town. You will see hippies walking past goths walking past 50cent all in a 30 sec span. Especialy if you are on the Commons. The state parks are beautiful!!! If you are into hiking, camping or just the outdoors in genral you will love it here. There is a strong presents of veagan, vegitarian, and all natural food eaters here. It is also growing. New buildings are going up all the time. On the down side. It is a college town. It wouldnt even be on the map if it wernt for Cornell and Ithaca College's. Population cuts in half when school is out. Jobs are limited. I have worked retail for many years and there isnt much else here to do unless you are working for Cornell. It has evertything a big city would but it is still a small town. If you end up going to the same places people will remember you like in a small town. Which can be nice but not if you are looking to live in a city. Ithaca is a nice place. If there were more opportunities I would probably be staying here rather than moving.[more...]

Distance to New York City - 9/3/2005

Your website shows the distance from Ithaca to NYC as 180, but it's closer to 250 miles.[more...]