Ithaca Photo Tour (Lansing, Portland, Trumansburg: rental, how much, townhome)

[ScranBarre]

Originally Posted by vegaspilgrim

Wow, SWB went all the way to Ithaca, NY just for me! It looks like I'm the one pulling the strings-- I knew it all along!

Doesn't if feel good to be loved? (In a totally masculine, heterosexual way of course). LOL!

Originally Posted by vegaspilgrim

Looks like a beautiful town, and sorry to say this, SWB, but Ithaca blows away Scranton and Wilkes-Barre combined!

Don't be sorry to say it, as I agree with you 100%. I never said Scranton was the best place in America---it's just, in my opinion, one of the Rust-Belt cities with the most potential to make a rapid comeback. Ithaca is by and far the best small city I've ever been in (perhaps with the exception of Newport, RI).

Originally Posted by vegaspilgrim

The only big advantage I see to Scranton is that it is closer to NYC and Philadelphia, the big cities, whereas Ithaca's closest city is Syracuse, which isn't exactly on the national radar.

Well, being able to take a day-trip to see the King Tut exhibit in Philly or RENT on Broadway in Manhattan may be nice, but, in the long-run, I fear that we may be "annexed" as an exurb or "satellite" of either city and will lose our individual identity as an independently-functioning city. I wouldn't be so quick to judge Syracuse though---it has a lot of big-city amenities and offerings for being of such a small stature.

Originally Posted by vegaspilgrim

Ithaca looks like a fabulous place to go to college and discover the world on your own.

There were so many quirky, eccentric people running amok (or biking amok), and I felt right at home as a fellow liberal wack-job, tree-hugging pansy. Cornell University and Ithaca College both have stellar reputations.

Originally Posted by vegaspilgrim

It blows Tempe, AZ (supposedly a "college town") out of the water so much it's almost a joke.

Arizona is WAY overrated (No offense). People are moving there in droves, yet when the Colorado River is tapped dry, just how are these millions of new residents going to be able to quench their thirst?

Originally Posted by vegaspilgrim

The greenery there seems to be standard for the northeastern US, but it still looks impressive-- at least this time of year.

Ithaca was ESPECIALLY well-landscaped for an urban area. I've never been to a city with such lush greenery everywhere, even in the downtown.

Originally Posted by vegaspilgrim

Winter might be a different story.

Not at all. As evidenced by my past winter snapshots from here in Scranton, I'd imagine the snow can only enhance the natural beauty of Ithaca (especially with all of those gorges!)

Originally Posted by vegaspilgrim

If you do go back to Ithaca, maybe you could take some pictures of the two college campuses there.

They're both already on my to-do list. I'd hope to get back there this summer at some point before college goes back into session---I don't need a bunch of my peers thinking I'm snapping photos of their dorm rooms before shoving me into a locker. LOL!

Originally Posted by vegaspilgrim

Also, some of the "finger lakes" in the region would be interesting to see.

I was never as good at capturing rural landscapes as I was of shooting cities and towns, but I could most certainly give it a shot. Technically, Tompkins County (Ithaca) IS the "Finger Lakes," and the city serves as a Southern gateway to Cayuga Lake.

Originally Posted by vegaspilgrim

Not sure how far Syracuse is from Scranton, probably too far of a drive for you I'm assuming, but maybe some day...

Syracuse is only thirty minutes further away from me than Ithaca was. It took me about 90 minutes to get from my home near Wilkes-Barre, PA to the Whitney Point, NY exit. From there, it was another 30 minutes west to Ithaca. If I hadn't exited at Whitney Point, I'd continue for another hour or so north on I-81 into Syracuse. Then again, BellaFinzi has posted some great photos of Syracuse on this forum for you to scope out, so she's already saved me the hassle. Since I'm now expanding my radius, I might as well just do Rochester and Albany photo tours as well.

Originally Posted by vegaspilgrim

One really neat thing about you living in Scranton, PA, is just how many historic cities and towns you can drive to in just a couple of hours.

That's the reason I want to stay here. Within three hours I can be in Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York City, Syracuse, and a slew of other cities. Ithaca is convenient as well to Syracuse, Rochester, Buffalo, Albany, Binghamton, and Elmira.

Originally Posted by vegaspilgrim

When you live out here in the West, in Arizona, you can drive for hundreds of miles before you get to the next major town.

I couldn't even fathom how BORING that must be. I drove about 10 hours from my home to visit friends in Cincinnati, OH about three weeks ago, and I was DYING on the long, lonesome stretch of the PA Turnpike across the Appalachian Mountains.

Originally Posted by vegaspilgrim

Maybe you could start a tour guide company that takes people around on bus tours throughout your region???

That's a cute idea, but real estate is my true passion. I'm majoring in Accounting as a basis to help me launch a successful real estate firm in the future.

Originally Posted by vegaspilgrim

What do call the part of the country you live in-- including northeast Pennsylvannia and Upstate NY? Is it just the northeast? Is is the "inland" East coast? Appalachians? or what?

Upstate New York is definitely considered the "Interior Northeast." PA has been harder to identify. We're often considered "Mid-Atlantic," but I take exception to that, as I live much further north than NYC and Long Island, which are considered the "Northeast." Then there are those out near the Ohio border who can be mistaken for the Midwest.

[SuperKitten]

Great photo tour! I really appreciate the time you (and everyone else who is nice enough to do this) take in making these photo tours, they are really helpful to those of us who are looking at New York but live far away Ithaca looks really nice, I look forward to your next journey there

[citychik]

I was in Ithaca only briefly. The place did seem over-run with hippies (or hippie wannabes)! Hubby and I were on a Finger Lakes vacation that year - but we were staying on Seneca lake, not Cayuga. Not bad of a drive. I love Seneca Lake. Watkins Glen is over that way (home of the eponymous speedway), we stayed in a B&B in a small town nearby and attended the Toga Party at the Finger Lakes Wine Festival. Yes, we wore very elaborate togas I had made out of silver lame' fabric. You gotta see the pics on their website to believe some of the togas!

You know what you can study at Cornell? Viticulture! They love their wine over there - can someone pass the Pink Catawba, please? Here are some images of Cornell for you. And here is a link to some images from Ithaca Colege:

Campus Scenics - Ithaca in Photos - Ithaca College

[Tinman313]

Stewart Park. I remember as a kid in the winter time feeding the water foul and going over too see "Larry the Lama" he must have been 20 years old,his coat was dirty and he would spit if you got too close.That was in the late 50's early 60's and If memory serves me they all so had a "Black Bear" their all so.................

[geos]

Hey, SWB. Welcome to NY. Great photos. I enjoyed your contributions on the PA forum.

[JWKessler]

The next time you go take the time to visit some of the nearby state parks. Buttermilk Falls is just outside town between 96 and 96B, Taughannock Falls with its 215 foot drop is a few miles north of town along the lake shore on Route 89, Ithaca Falls is basically right in town (the late Carl Sagen's house overlooks the top of the falls), and Robert H. Treman park has miles of beautiful hiking trails. Of course there is also the long time skinny dippers paradise of Six Mile Creek gorge between Giles street and Ithaca Reservoir.

As for Winter - the lake has a moderating influence so cold weather tends to arrive a few weeks later and the trees and flowers start popping out a few weeks sooner than it does away from the lake. We will often drive North to Ithaca (from the Binghamton area) early in the spring when it's still icy at home and get an early taste of spring.

[Ellie C.]

SWB, the "bustling cafe" pic is the coffee shop on my corner!! You were about 25 feet from my from door!!

[ScranBarre]

Originally Posted by Ellie C.

SWB, the "bustling cafe" pic is the coffee shop on my corner!! You were about 25 feet from my from door!!

I get that a lot on my photo tours. When I did my photo tour of Scranton's Hyde Park neighborhood, one member commented that I was on his street but missed his house. Another said that he was near his son's school helping out for their end-of-the-year "Fun Day," and we must have just missed each other. When I did my photo tour of Moscow, PA, I highlighted one home in particular that was for sale and struck me as being very nice, and the homeowner came onto this forum to thank me for the positive publicity I had given his/her home. When I did my photo tour of Lewisburg, PA, I had an individual come online to thank me for not only photographing his/her Celtic gift shop, but also for photographing his/her Mini Cooper! LOL! I've also had many people comment "Hey! I used to live in that apartment building in picture #35!"

Then again, it can always backfire on me as well. When I did my photo tour of West Pittston, PA, I had one town resident come onto the thread and BLAST me for pretty much "making fun of the town." He/she couldn't tell the difference between my sense of humor and belligerence and got quite nasty with me as we argued for a while. He/she then went on to criticize me for photographing people's homes without their prior consent. Well, duh! Did Google Earth ask everyone for permission to allow someone in Winona, MN to zoom into someone's backyard in Clearwater, FL while wearing their boxer shorts and eating pork rinds? I think not.

You should have come out and said Hello! I don't bite (unless I'm hungry! LOL!) Speaking of hunger, I'm tempted to drive the 2.5 hours again just to gobble down another meal at Ragmann's. I could treat you to lunch!

[Ellie C.]

You should have come out and said Hello! I don't bite (unless I'm hungry! LOL!) Speaking of hunger, I'm tempted to drive the 2.5 hours again just to gobble down another meal at Ragmann's. I could treat you to lunch!

Let us know ahead of time - maybe we can have an "Ithaca Meet-up"!!!

[summers19]

Great photos of the town. Thanks for sharing. I love the VW bug police car!