Ithaca, NY Reviews

Acts of Racism and Discrimination allegations are - 1/12/2008
This is by far the most racist place I've ever lived... Both Cornell and the Ithaca School District are constantly being sued for their non-liberal behavior-This is definitely not a place for Asians, African Americans, Hispanics, Mixed Race families (w/adoptees)etc.
Dont put yourself in harms way here...
Call the Human Rights Office and get the statistics for Read More

New to NY - 12/11/2007
I have recently relocated from Cadillac, Michigan to Ithaca, New York. I'm really excited to learn more about the area. I've been here two months. The climate is very similar. Obviously, with Cornell U. and Ithaca College being in my back yard, there is a huge opportunity for culture here that I didn't have in northern Read More

Recent trip to Ithaca - 12/8/2007
Traveled to Ithaca over the Thanksgiving holiday to relive the sights and sounds after a ten year hiatus. I haven't been to Ithaca in ten years since my graduation from college. Ithaca has certainly changed, in some ways for the better and in some ways not.
Driving through the residential streets of south hill, it becomes apparent that nothing has really changed. The houses still look the same for the most part and in some cases much worse vs ten years earlier. The roads are much worse. I'm not sure if the City of Ithaca has paved a road in ten years or so.
The Commons aka the "main drag" is virtually unchanged except for some new businesses and restaurants. Ithaca is still its old hippy self and very "green". The Commons certainly does draw some interesting looking characters but you can find such people in almost any city or village. People here really care about the environment and especially what kind of food they put into their bodies. It was very cold as I strolled Read More

Yes its a paradise - 8/29/2007
Finding a place to live is virtually impossible if you aren't loaded to the gills with money! Rent is out of this world and buying a home is out of this universe. However if you have a good 1000 to blow per month on rent and dont mind that then its the town for you.

The county is very poverty loaded. Jobs are few and far between unless your a teacher or medical professional. It is well known to be a haven for the Hippy type however they must be yuppie hippies since a real hippy couldnt afford to live here. Its also a well know haven for upstate gay people they have domestic partnerships. They dont list the crime rate for the city here but it seems to me to be a high one compared to nearby towns.
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Attractive and Inviting - 8/15/2007
I moved to Ithaca from another part of upstate New York. The community has a strong college town vibe, since it is home to Cornell University and Ithaca College, each on opposite sides of the city.

Ithaca itself is really quite an interesting place. It's tucked away in the hills- the nearest interstate is 25 miles away, and the nearest major city is 60 miles (Syracuse). Weatherwise, the summers are warm to hot, but fairly pleasant, and fall and spring are mild. Winter is definitely a test for those from warmer or sunnier climes. Being on a lake, and close to the Great Lakes, Ithaca is often walloped by clouds and snow, and temperatures only average a high in the 30s in winter. If you can handle the clouds in the cooler months, and the rather gloomy winter, then you should be fine. The gorges and waterfalls are stunning, and there's quite a bit of natural beauty to the area.

The people of Ithaca are an odd bunch. You'll find hippies on the Commons, a Buddhist Read More

Some places are a little expensive, but some are p - 7/2/2007
Depending on what you are going to do in Ithaca, you can find it a little expensive. In my opinion, it is worth the price. The quality of life compensates. Literally you can breath peace in this town and it is priceless for raising children. If you are a student and are only planning to rent, then there are some options. There are plenty of apartments uptown (5 to 10 minutes driving from the commons). The average rent is 900 to 1,400 for two bedrooms apartments which it's quite reasonable if you have a roommate to share the costs. Most of them include some utilities such as heater and water. If you decide to rent some old house downtown, beware of the windows and doors insulation, as these houses' heating systems are usually linked to the electricity bill and you could feel the monthly impact on this one.

I lived 2 years in an old 3 room house downtown, and although I had 2 roommates and only paid 335 for rent, the electricity bill often came above 160 in total.  Read More

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, Read 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 Read 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.  Read 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 Read More