In Ithaca, Downtown really is down town. Nestled at the bottom of 50 mile long Cayuga Lake and surrounded on three sides by hills, the city center looks up to Cornell University and Ithaca College and the older suburbs. There was a long-sustained rumor that the Little Rascals filmed their boxcar hill run on one of the tree-lined streets that heads straight into town, and when you visit you'll see why that was a hairy ride.
Craft drinks in an elegant setting.
Locally owned (by many - it's a cooperative after all) organic food market with fantastic ready to eat options.
Really good local beer and really good local food. Really good.
Wide selection of instruments and sheet music.
Historic theatre with a great calendar of events.
Second-hand duds. Good stuff.
Where locals go for coffee.
Hands-on science museum for all ages.
Farm to table butcher with fantastic meats and charcuterie.
Six miles of wide trails accessing the beautiful lake frontage and waterways.
Another waterfall among many...
Great take out for warm nights, eat in during the winter.
Eclectic collection of all things sewing and knitting.
New and used outdoor clothing and gear, information hub.
Groovy vibe, nice people, beautiful items. And yes, it's a barbershop.
Names one of the thirteen most influential restaurants of the 20th century by Bon Appetit magazine. Curious?
Resale shop for the little people in your life.
Local theater in an old hangar.
Blissful city escape in the heart of downtown.
Used books, open late.
Toys for all ages.
Tasty tapas and excellent wine.
Ithaca's independent, cooperatively-owned book store.
A slice of New York City nestled over on West State Street.
Elegant bar food, cocktails, and trivia.
Find a thoughtful gift in a curated collection of American Crafts.
A beautiful collection of artisan crafts.
A hip boutique specializing in vintage, indie, and modern clothing.
A Thoughtful Selection of Wine and Spirits
Everything you need to live green.
Get some delicious, locally-sourced ramen, dumplings, salads, and pho.
May & October weekends - locals plan their schedules around attending the book sale. The first weekend of the three weekend stretch is the most expensive, but aside from rarities and first editions, nothing is over $4. Go on the first day and you'll wait in the longest lines, but you'll also get a glimpse of the folks who camped overnight to be first inside. Ithaca is a town full of advanced degrees, so it makes sense that book sale patrons often behave like band groupies when confronted with such a literary mecca. Everything, and I mean EVERYTHING, can be found at the book sale. 1970's craft magazines? Oh yeah. Science textbooks, history, biographies, loads of scifi, mystery and trade paperbacks? Yup. A huge children's corner, board games, movies on VHS and DVD, comic books, record albums... you get the picture. If you're in town when the sale is on, just go. You won't be disappointed.
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