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I am considering Cornell University for grad school, and everything I have seen about Ithaca so far (stats, pictures, etc) looks amazing. Is it really as gorgeous as all that? Is it surrounded by suburbs or any other kind of ugliness?
Aesthetic considerations are not my only reason for choosing Cornell, and I would go there even if it was in a dumpy town. But it would be nice to live somewhere beautiful with plenty of outdoor activities and a lively little downtown.
We are a young, down-to-earth family (ahem, hippies) with one son (he would be starting kindergarten right after we move there).
BTW, we live in Chicagoland right now, so we are well prepared for high costs of living, property taxes, etc. All that in Ithaca would be well worth it for someplace more peaceful than suburban hell.
Last edited by mrsgreeniemama; 05-06-2008 at 02:51 PM..
Sounds like you'll fit right in. No, there's little if any suburban ugliness. There's a nifty downtown, lots to do, especially outdoor stuff, beautiful state parks, a national forest nearby, boating, kayaking, hiking...A fantastic farmer's market, huge used book sales, a food co-op, lots of ethnic restaurants, and a liberal and progressive attitude. (It was the only area in NY state to go for Obama in the primary election.)
Our DD and SIL have lived in Ithaca for the past three years while at Cornell. DH and I have fallen in love with the area and now plan to retire there, or at least, nearby. One caveat: Property taxes are very high in Ithaca, so check that out.
Well, *I* think it's great. Ithaca isn't really "urb" enough for suburbs, which I would say should be the only thing to be prepared for if you're used to the area around Chicago--if there's something you want that isn't here, you'll probably be going to Syracuse (1 hr drive), Rochester (90 minutes), Buffalo (3 hours) or NYC (4 hours) to get it. It does have an amazing number of amenities for a town of its size, there's natural beauty all over the place, and it's a very hippie-friendly environment.
The cost of living is high relative to other areas in upstate NY, but it won't be too bad at ALL compared to what you're used to.
It's very nice. But let's not get carried away. The residential areas near the downtown are mostly developed with rundown 100-year-old houses. I wouldn't normally mention this, but the other posters have described some sort of nirvana. It's not.
I have been living in Ithaca for over 10 years and here is my opinion - it is just an opinion not meant to offend anyone:
GOOD:
Beautiful in the summer
Lots of outdoor activities
People are friendly (especially coming from a big city – I came from NYC)
Very cultural for such a small town
BAD:
Long cold winters (with terrible wind chills).
Sun doesn't shine much in the winter.
Roads are in horrible shape.
Gas prices are high.
Cost to heat a home is high.
Electricity is high.
Services are high (phone, cable). I pay the same price for these services as my friends who live near NYC.
Taxes are very high. I am a single person who makes OK money, but once my paycheck comes and it has taxes taken out, I am living on a MUCH smaller salary. Last year I had to move and have been struggling. I am not a person who lives above their means or own anything that anyone would consider nice, my furniture was cheap, my TV has a problem speaker, I shop for clothes at Walmart and second hand stores, and I bring my lunch to work everyday. I do not drive around unnecessarily, I live fairly close to work because I do not want to drive far in bad weather. Maybe I am paying a bit more for my rent, but heat is included and I like the security of the place I am living – which is the most important to me.
I have another year left before I can move out of here and am counting down the days. I can’t wait to go somewhere warm and somewhere that I am not going to be taxed to death for nothing in return.
As I said it is just my opinion - the older I get the more I hate cold weather and Ithaca is just too cold and expensive for me. I need sun and warm weather all year round.
Good luck with your move and grad school, I hope that you enjoy Ithaca. People should be happy where they live.
I grew up near Ithaca and went to college there. I visited a couple of years ago and was surprised at how much of the housing stock downtown had become "in need of attention"... perhaps a bit run down.
In the downtown residential area, most of the homes are of similar size, age and style. There's really no "grand old neighborhoods," with big houses on big lots.
All that being said. There *are* many homes that have been and are well cared for and are very nice.
Up in Cayuga Heights and outside of downtown-proper, you'll find some larger homes on larger lots.
There's not a lot of "suburbs," although, the shopping centers are the strip mall variety, if you consider that ugly.
I went to school there, married a townie and go back 3 times a year to visit family. We are not hippies, but I also love it (if you can handle to cold winters and no good suburaban shopping).
Ithaca is the most fantastic place I have ever lived. My husband and I will be sad to move at the end of this month, but plan to return over and over again. Cornell is also an excellent school -- you seriously can't go wrong.
I only visited Ithaca once from my native Scranton, PA to do my photo tour for City-Data, but I was completely blown away by its beauty. The downtown is very pedestrian-friendly with a few blocks even being closed as an inviting pedestrian plaza. The town is visibly liberal---a lot of hybrid vehicles have bumper stickers touting environmentalism, some front lawns were littered with "Plant a Bush Back in Texas" or "He's Not MY President", and there was plenty of tie-dye to be found. Ithaca is everything I hope Scranton, which is just starting its own cultural renaissance, can evolve into someday. It truly is a model for mid-sized Rust Belt cities. From what I've heard from others there are various waterfalls, gorges, and state parks littering the outskirts of town that most certainly should not be missed.
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with one son (he would be starting kindergarten right after we move there).
