Ithaca, NY Road Trips

Ithaca is a town of contrasts, and it attracts many different types of visitors. The city is very much a college town, but is also home to a vibrant permanent community. Ithaca is compact yet surrounded by and filled with extensive outdoor attractions. Even Cornell University is a contrast, being the only Ivy League University that is also a Land Grant, state sponsored, University. Ithaca has a humid continental climate, and is markedly cooler than New York City. Winter is cold, sometimes bitterly so, with temperatures reaching 0 °F (−18 °C) or lower several times a year. There is also significantly more snow and more cloudy days than along most of the coast. The best time of year to visit is summer, as it is the sunniest and driest season; days are pleasantly warm but rarely too hot, and nights are crisp. Fall is also pretty—the fall foliage in the area, which peaks in early October, rivals that of anywhere in New England. Late May to early June and mid September to mid October see the least visitors while still having access to the area's natural amenities. Avoid the start and end of Cornell and Ithaca College semesters. The first snowfall can occur as early as around Halloween. Official website 1 Ithaca/Tompkins Convention and Visitor's Bureau, 904 E Shore Dr (Rt 34), ☏ +1 607 272-1313. Call, go online, or come into the Visitor's Center for maps, and help finding lodging, dining, events and attractions in Ithaca and Tompkins County. Visit the website for information on planning group accommodations including weddings, conferences, reunions, etc.

1 Ithaca College, 953 Danby Rd, ☏ +1 607 274-3011. Keep an eye out for the free concerts in particular. Worth stopping for the view of Cornell and Cayuga Lake without any events. 2 Ithaca Commons. is a section of State St. closed to vehicles with shops and restaurants. The Commons has weekly concerts in the summer and hosts numerous Ithaca festivals. 3 Cayuga Lake. is the largest of the Finger Lakes by surface area. Accessible at Stewart Park, Cass Park, and the Farmer's Market within Ithaca and at Taughannock State Park and Myers Park just outside of Ithaca. Popular activities include Swimming, Kayaking, and Paddleboarding. Waterfalls - many of the local waterfalls are located in state parks with hiking trails that were built (or rebuilt) by public works projects in the 1930s, often featuring stone staircases and bridges. The waterfalls are found along creeks that flow into Cayuga Lake. At parks with trails, you will typically find a "gorge trail" that follows the course of the creek, and a "rim trail" along the edge of the gorge, with overlooks to the falls underneath. 4 Taughannock Falls State Park. Home to the tallest waterfall in New York State. Taughannock Falls is visible at an overlook with no hiking or with 3/4 mile wide and flat trail (1.5 miles round trip). Taughannock Falls is located in Trumansburg. (updated Mar 2024) 5 Buttermilk Falls State Park (Route 13 S., King Road, and off Rt.96B in Danby). Swimming, hiking, picnicking, and camping.

1 Cayuga Nature Center, 1420 Taughannock Blvd, ☏ +1 607 273-6260. Cayuga Nature Center has over 5 miles (8 km) of trails and a lodge filled with indoor exhibits including a kids' activity room. TreeTops, their six-story tree house, and 5 miles of trails are open from dawn to dusk. They also offer a wide range of educational activities including environmental, an active outreach program and a "Team Challenge" ropes course. 2 Farmers' Market. You’ll find wines, and beautiful flowers, unique gifts and specialty foods, clothing and accessories, and an array of paintings, pottery, woodworking, and jewelry offered by fine artists and craftspeople from around the region. Listen to live music or enjoy a waterfront picnic- and don’t forget to sample the burritos, sushi, Sri Lankan cuisine and dozens of other choices from the international cafés. 3 Sciencenter, 601 First Street. Tu-Sa 10AM-5PM, Su noon-5PM. The Sciencenter is a hands-on science museum for people of all ages with over 250 fun exhibits, educational programs, an outdoor science park, a seasonal 18-hole miniature golf course, an animal room, and a gift shop. The museum's traveling exhibitions change seasonally and there is always something new to explore. The Sciencenter, named the “2006 Not-for-Profit Organization of the Year” by the Tompkins County Chamber of Commerce, welcomes more than 91,000 visitors per year. The Sciencenter is a proud member of Ithaca's Discovery Trail. $7 for adults, $6 for seniors, and $5 for children ages 3-17, free to members and children under the age of three.

Ithaca has some of the best and most diverse dining options in all of upstate New York. The areas with the highest concentration of restaurants are in Downtown and Collegetown. Downtown and The Commons has the most variety, ranging from Pizza, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Indian to fine-dining establishments. If you are uncertain about what you want to eat, a stroll along downtown's "Restaurant Row" on North Aurora Street should provide almost anything one is looking for. Collegetown also has a wide selection of dining, but has fewer fine dining options. Also notable is the area to the west of Downtown known as the West End, or The Inlet. Elmira Road, south of the downtown and Pyramid Mall, north of Ithaca in the Town of Lansing, have a selection of fast food and chain restaurants. Collegetown Bagels/Ithaca Bakery (Five location). The Brous & Mehaffey family operates five locations around Ithaca, so Collegetown Bagels is something of an Ithaca institution. They offer bagels, sandwiches, and coffee with a whimsical, new-agey feel at reasonable prices. Some of the best authentic bagels and fairly traded coffee, and definitely the most Ithacan. Great for breakfast or lunch. $5-10. 1 Ithaca Bakery (Downtown), 400 N. Meadow St., ☏ +1 607 273-7110. (updated Mar 2024) 2 Ithaca Bakery (Triphammer), 2255 N. Triphammer Rd. (Triphammer Mall), ☏ +1 607 257-2255. (updated Mar 2024) 3 Collegetown Bagels (Collegetown), 420 College Ave, ☏ +1 607 273-0982. (updated Mar 2024) 4 Collegetown Bagels (Commons), 301 E. State St., ☏ +1 607 273-2848.

1 Level-B, 410 Eddy St (Collegetown), ☏ +1 607-272-3888. Often with live DJs. Top shelf liquor - although drinks are expensive. It is the only decently clubby place in Ithaca. (updated Mar 2024) 2 Loco, ​308-310 Stewart Ave (Next to East Buffalo Street), ☏ +1 607-273-5626. Small low key bar with a Mexican theme. Provides nightly specials. More on the pricey side compared to other bars in Ithaca, but is often the least crowded or noisy. Has an upscale, hip atmosphere. (updated Mar 2024) 3 Chanticleer, 101 W State St, ☏ +1 607-272-9678. Local hangout on corner of Cayuga and State Street marked by a neon rooster. Downmarket, excellent jukebox. (updated Mar 2024) 4 Pete's Cayuga Bar, 116 S Cayuga St. Popular with both locals and students who enjoy sports and a quiet atmosphere. (updated Mar 2024) 5 Simeon's, 224 E State St (At the Commons), ☏ +1 607-272-2212. Restaurant with great food also has a large selection of microbrew and imported beer on tap and bottle, as well as wine. (updated Mar 2024) Viva! Taqueria & Cantina, 215 E State St.. Mexican restaurant that serves Margaritas and has a large selection of Tequila. (updated Mar 2024) 6 Uncle Joe's Sports Bar, 302 W Green St.. Roomy sports bar on Green Street separated into a bar area with flat-screen TVs, main dining area for watching sports, and a gaming room with pool table and darts. Also serves American style food. (updated Mar 2024) 7 Fall Creek House, 302 Lake St.. Dive bar where you can sit next to Grad students and Vietnam Vets at the same time. Just steps from Ithaca Falls.

Ithaca is not a large city, but between Cornell and Ithaca College, about 25,000 students attend school here, with thousands more people visiting daily for conferences, sporting events, and other university functions. On normal days, Hotel and motel rooms can be surprisingly hard to find and expensive when compared to the surrounding area. Finding lodging during major school events, like freshman move-in, parents' weekend, and graduation, is difficult bordering on impossible at the last minute. If you find yourself in Ithaca during those times, you may have to go as far as Cortland (20 mi (32 km) away) or Elmira (30 mi (48 km) away). In a real pinch, it is not inconceivable to stay as far away as Syracuse, NY. It is only about 60 minutes away, depending on weather conditions. Elmira and Watkins Glen are decent options, and lodging will likely be quite a bit cheaper there. As a general rule, lodging that is downtown or close to campus will start at $150/night, while the downscale motel chains that are out of town start upwards of $100/night. Rooms for less than $75/night can be had at some of the locally owned (and decidedly not 5-star) establishments that are outside of town. Rates during major school events can more than triple. 1 Statler Hotel, 130 Statler Drive, ☏ +1 607 254-2500, toll-free: +1 800-541-2501, [email protected]. Cornell campus (circle driveway straight ahead from campus entrance on Hoy Road), ([email protected]).

The 1 Ithaca Tompkins International Airport (ITH IATA), northeast of the city, has flights on Delta Air Lines to and from New York City (JFK) and on United Airlines to and from Newark (EWR). Hourly bus service to the Ithaca Commons and Cornell University are available on TCAT Route 32 (weekdays) and 72 (weekends), until around 11PM each night (4PM on Sunday) for $1.50. Taxi service is also available, although you may have to wait for a cab to arrive, especially during peak hours. It's a good idea to call as soon as your plane lands and the crew notifies you that use of mobile phones is permitted. Ride hailing services such as Uber and Lyft are also available to transport you from the airport upon arrival. Airports in Syracuse, Elmira, and most other cities in Upstate NY offer additional departures and sometimes cheaper fares, although Ithaca's fares have become much more competitive since the addition of United. By car, Ithaca is about 1 hour south of Syracuse, 1 hour north of Binghamton, 2 hours southeast of Rochester, 4 hours north of Philadelphia, and 4 hours northwest of New York City. The main routes into the city are New York highways 13, 79, 89, and 96. Interstate 86 (formerly NY State Route 17) intersects NY State Rt 13 in Elmira, about 45 minutes southwest of Ithaca. Interstate 81 connects with NY State Rt 79 half an hour from Ithaca at Whitney Point, and with NY State Rt 13 about 20 minutes from Ithaca in Cortland.

As Ithaca is a college town, bus service by TCAT (Tompkins County Area Transit) is frequent and runs late into the night. Taxi service is an inexpensive way to get around the small city, and it is available by phone, but expect to wait an hour or more on busy or cold nights. Avis & Hertz Rental cars are available at Ithaca Tompkins County Regional Airport, and Enterprise-Rent-A-Car and National Car Rental, in Ithaca. Uber and Lyft are widely available. Ithaca has a car share program that offers instant access to a network of cars throughout the city, 24 hours-a-day. Many Ithacans walk and cycle between central neighborhoods, Cornell, and Ithaca College. The City has a rentable e-bike program, but note elevation changes on proposed routes. Parking is easy in most parts of Ithaca. However, there are some parts of Ithaca where it can be tricky. Metered parking is not charged before 9AM or after 6PM in most of Ithaca. It is also illegal to leave your car in the same non-metered, street adjacent, space for more than 24 hours. Parking in both downtown and Cornell is payable by app. Many individual meters have been replaced by automatic stands. Street parking is metered and more difficult to come by (in some areas a 15 minute maximum on the meters), although there are always spots available if you're willing to walk. There are three municipal parking structures, one on Green Street just east of Cayuga Street, one at the corner of Tioga and Seneca Streets and the other on Cayuga Street to the south of the Commons. All three garages are free on evenings and weekends.