Ithaca is gorges, and not entirely sober

[initiald]

A week ago I visited Ithaca and the Cayuga Lake area of upstate New York. Ithaca is mostly dense and walkable, and has decent bus service.

The area between downtown and the Cornell campus was covered in beer kegs and cans. Porch railings were covered in empty liquor bottles. Red plastic cups covered yards, tables, and even roofs. It wasn't one isolated frat house, but rather several blocks of three story houses which had been converted into smaller apartments. The Cornell students are some pretty hard drinking folk.



Heading up the hill towards Collegetown - a sort of second downtown of Ithaca, located adjacent to the Cornell Campus.







At one of the two Indian restaurants in Collegetown. I was told because the other place started serving goat, this one did as well. I went with the chicken biryani.



Still around the Collegetown area:





Looking back from an ivy covered entrance to the Cornell campus. So this is why they call it the Ivy League. Also, there is ivy on the gym. I don't have any photos from campus because when we toured the campus it was too rainy to take the camera.



Continuing up the Collegetown hill, you will see more of these 6 to 8 floor midrise buildings.





Coming back down the hill:



A short walk down the hill from Collegetown is downtown Ithaca. The Hilton Garden Inn (seen here) and the Holiday Inn appear to be the two tallest buildings in downtown. There are also several midrises on the Ithaca College and Cornell campuses.





Collegetown bagels, which has locations in Collegetown and here in downtown:



The start of Ithaca Common, several blocks of pedestrian-only street in downtown:



Pace the space, an exhibit throughout Ithaca, dedicated to Carl Sagan, designed to demonstrate the distances between planets of the solar system:











The edge of the Commons area of downtown:



Looking back towards the Commons:







Ithaca Beer Company on the edge of town:



Free samples!





A few photos around downtown:







Heading up Hwy 89 along Cayuga Lake:



Cayuga Ridge winery:



Wine tasting!





Thirsty Owl Wine Company:



Taughannock Falls State Park, looking across Lake Cayuga.



Post cards and sweatshirts for sell in town proclaim "Ithaca is gorges"






Taughannock Falls. Not a lot of water in late summer.

[OhioGuy]

Certainly looks like a good place to go to school!

[stepper77]

Looks like a nice city and beautiful scenery. Thanks!

[xzmattzx]

Nice pictures. Ithaca is one of the few Upstate cities that I have never been to (Ex-Ithacan lets me know that from time to time). I hope to see the place in the next couple of years.

I enjoyed your pictures of the Cayuga Lake scenery. The views of the lake and the Finger Lakes in general are spectacular. One of my favorite pictures that I've ever taken was of the view of nearby Seneca Lake from the other side, along NY 14.

[Ex-Ithacan]

Hey, I been there before.

It's definately a treat to see someone else's take on the old home town. I grew up in one of those little 3 story apartment buildings near Eddy & Buffalo street. Too bad you didn't get to see Taughannock Falls with more water flow. Maybe next time.

(and yes Matt, you better get there for a visit one of these days. )

Thanks for the tour initiald. (yeah, there's a lot of drinking in C-town neighborhood.)

[Kingofthehill]

Well done! Upstate NY never ceases to intrigue me.

[initiald]

Originally Posted by Ex-Ithacan

Hey, I been there before.

It's definately a treat to see someone else's take on the old home town.

Thanks. I was hoping you'd see this post. I didn't expect much going in, but Ithaca really surprised me. Being inclined to warm weather, I don't if I'd make it in the winter, but in the summer I loved it. Some great restaurants and bars. The huge houses-turned-apartments hold a lot of charm.

So now my plan is to retire to Ithaca in the summers, and Key West in the winters. Glad I have that all planned out.

[ColDayMan]

Beautiful!

[Austinlee]

Picturesque.

[Ex-Ithacan]

Originally Posted by initiald

Thanks. I was hoping you'd see this post. I didn't expect much going in, but Ithaca really surprised me. Being inclined to warm weather, I don't if I'd make it in the winter, but in the summer I loved it. Some great restaurants and bars. The huge houses-turned-apartments hold a lot of charm.

So now my plan is to retire to Ithaca in the summers, and Key West in the winters. Glad I have that all planned out.

Sounds like a workable plan to me.

[LSyd]

nice tour. is that MC Pee Pants on the side of that building?

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[pdxtex]

nice pics but dude, more beer cans!!!!