August 1st is a date known around town for the shifting tectonic plates of renters vacating apartments and claiming new spaces, perhaps leaving spaces in the market for the area’s newcomers. July’s lead up to the August move-out is almost more recognizable for the free piles littering curbs …
Ithaca holds a strong, albeit unexpected, place in the nascent days of America’s cinematic history, one that can be seen in either formal or informal treks around the greater Ithaca area.
Ever since it was founded on April 17, 1817, Tompkins County has developed a innovative reputation for itself that far exceeds its relatively small size. Institutions such as Cornell University and Ithaca College, and a destination in the Finger Lakes, attract creative minds from around the …
Moving begins the process of making a house, or living space, a home. Home can be more than feeling at ease within a set of rooms though, and the feeling of home can come with a sense of belonging within a community. For Kerry Barnes, Tompkins County Public Library Foundation assistant direc…
On a mid-summer Friday afternoon, a small group of adults, both locals and tourists, gathers at the heart of the Ithaca Commons, outside Center Ithaca.
It can be stressful coming to a new place and learning your way around. Way2Go, a local transportation education program, in partnership with 211 provides 24/7 easy access to transportation information to help you find your way.
As the other, smaller school in Ithaca, Ithaca College has the tendency to get overlooked. That school on East Hill is quite good at tooting its own horn, while Ithaca College toils quietly along, doing what it is good at and not saying a lot about it.
[The following is reprint for Charley’s story in the 2012 Newcomers Guide. Since this writing the Commons has been entirely renovated.]
Change: It’s an unavoidable and constant part of the human condition, and that applies to parking in Ithaca.
Sometime in December of this year, the City of Ithaca will complete the largest public-works undertaking in its history: major renovations to the city’s water supply infrastructure. The $37.5 million water supply project is the result of a years-long debate about whether to rebuild the exist…
Middle school is a big feat for many for many pre-teens. It calls for braces, awkward growth spurts and the hardest feat of all: making new friends.
Arguably Ithaca’s most famous institution, Cornell University is 151 years old this year. With more than 260 major buildings on 2,300 acres housing over 100 academic departments, Cornell’s campus is loaded with traditions and personality. As the pace of Ithaca life quickens with the start of…
Town/gown relations in college towns are often discussed in terms of what kind of a voluntary contribution the institutions of higher learning give to the municipality to offset the effect of their property tax-exempt status. Cornell is on record as making the point that in addition to its a…
Try this one simple trick, new Ithacans, to find out what goods and services are offered by locally owned businesses: Pick up The Guide to Being Local, produced by Local First Ithaca, and find in that $15 booklet lots of stories about local ventures, and lots of savings.
There’s a whole lot of jackhammering going on in downtown Ithaca these days. The three-year Commons project is all-but-complete. There’s likely going to be a fountain going in where there’s still a blank space in Bank Alley, but lots of new buildings are going up all around the pedestrian mall.
So you just moved to the greater Ithaca area, and you might have some questions: “Where do I pay my parking ticket?” “When is trash day?” “Where can I renew my car registration?” “Where can I get a passport?” “Where can I get a judgment on my credit report?”.
In July the city of Ithaca began the process of replacing the familiar “lollypop” coin-fed parking meters with digitally-capable pay stations. Right now, there are 23 stations set up in downtown and Collegetown; the plan is to replace a total of 900 coin meters with 60 of these pay stations …
Nestled at the bottom of Cayuga Lake, Ithaca is a city of water. Without leaving the boundaries of the city, you can sightsee along Cascadilla and Fall Creeks as they rush between the steep walls of gorges, explore the milder grade of the trails along Six Mile Creek, or amble along the wide …
Historic districts are geographically distinct concentrations of buildings, structures, sites, objects, and landscapes that collectively share some historic distinction.
Until November, fresh produce is available straight from the farmer within walking distance of downtown Ithaca five days a week, although downtowners are probably better off driving or taking a bus to the Wednesday market at East Hill Plaza. Alongside food you’ll find arts and other crafts, …
If you want to learning something about a new place often a good starting point is to learn its history. For anyone interested in investigating or even just browsing the history of Ithaca, there is a very accessible resource just a couple of minutes walk from the Commons. The History Center …
Ithaca—justly celebrated for its natural beauty, cultural resources and general liveability— has been the home of a surprising number of notable and eminent people. At various times, members of the glitterati have trod the streets of our fair city, all to the greater glory of Ithaca.
What makes a restaurant a “family restaurant”? You are looking for a separate kids’ menu somewhere in the clutter of the full raft of offerings. There ought to be something for kids to do during that period when you are simply waiting for your food to be cooked (which kids don’t understand a…
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