If you’ve heard of Ithaca, chances are it’s because of the two big schools: Ithaca College and Ivy League giant Cornell University. If you think this means raucous nights filled with rowdy collegians running around town with fake IDs, then you are mistaken.

This is an extremely family-friendly place and one of the most beautiful spots in the northeast. People take advantage of the tree-lined streets, with more than 40% living in town and walking to work, passing great restaurants and shops along the way. Located right off of Cayuga Lake, Ithaca is also a perfect place for a hike or jog, notable for the more than 150 waterfalls in and around the city.

Here's a pov on living in Ithaca from a local:
*There is a large group of 20-somethings, blending into 30-somethings. You can find them! Looking into gym cultures, colleges admin related, post docs, and the service industry there are groups and very cool amazing folks. You may get a beer served by a PhD and fulbrighter who fell in love with the area or go biking with an entrepreneur who decided—after living all over the world—to open their own clothing line here. One of the best summers of my life was meeting a group like this—eclectic, brilliant transplants and locals—after moving back to this community. The group seemed to span a good 15 years, and we all sort of clicked.*


A Different Kind of College Town

The Best Thing About Ithaca?

Living in Ithaca is expensive. As is the winter coat you’ll need if you don’t have a good one. Many people working in town commute from outside due to housing and food prices. Most who live in town are educated, liberal, affluent and opinionated. If that’s not your scene, it might be difficult to make this your home.

Here's a local talking about the housing prices:
*Most areas of Upstate and especially central NY have low house prices and high taxes. Ithaca has fairly high real estate prices, much higher than the surrounding areas, AND silly high taxes. Kind of a lose lose. Look further out and you'll do much better. Some of the nicer surrounding towns actually have much lower taxes than the crappy towns and crossing county lines can make a huge difference.*

Price Tags

The Worst Thing About Ithaca? 

In town, East Hill is a family-friendly neighborhood close to great public schools, a big shopping center, and is only a 15 minute walk to Cornell if you’re moving into town to work at the school.

Cayuga Heights is a quiet residential neighborhood just outside campus, filled with larger and more expensive homes. Collegetown is, surprise surprise, primarily made up of college apartments filled with Cornell undergrads. South Hill is the neighborhood most Ithaca College folks live.

Lansing is less expensive than the neighborhoods near Cornell. It's on the border of the city and is close to a lot of shopping malls, grocery stores, and good public schools. A solid choice for families looking to live in the city but with a smaller price tag.

If you want to know what the locals do for fun and culture check out the calendar of events:
https://www.downtownithaca.com/events

Either Somewhere Expensive or Outside the City

Lifestyle of Ithaca

Ithaca is named for the city Odysseus seeks to get back to in The Odyssey.

You might find that this is the end of your home search odyssey as well. Anyone looking for a ridiculously walk-friendly city, with one of the best educational systems in the country, you can do no better than Ithaca.

The End (and the start) of your Odyssey

Why You Should Move Here Now? 

**The Best Thing About Ithaca?** A Different Kind of College Town

If you’ve heard of Ithaca, chances are it’s because of the two big schools: Ithaca College and Ivy League giant Cornell University. If you think this means raucous nights filled with rowdy collegians running around town with fake IDs, then you are mistaken. 

This is an extremely family-friendly place and one of the most beautiful spots in the northeast. People take advantage of the tree-lined streets, with more than 40% living in town and walking to work, passing great restaurants and shops along the way. Located right off of Cayuga Lake, Ithaca is also a perfect place for a hike or jog, notable for the more than 150 waterfalls in and around the city.

**The Worst Thing About Ithaca?** Price Tags 
	
Living in Ithaca is expensive. As is the winter coat you’ll need if you don’t have a good one. Many people working in town commute from outside due to housing and food prices. Most who live in town are educated, liberal, affluent and opinionated. If that’s not your scene, it might be difficult to make this your home. 

**How You Living?** Either Somewhere Expensive or Outside the City

In town, East Hill is a family-friendly neighborhood close to great public schools, a big shopping center, and is only a 15 minute walk to Cornell if you’re moving into town to work at the school. 

Cayuga Heights is a quiet residential neighborhood just outside campus, filled with larger and more expensive homes. Collegetown is, surprise surprise, primarily made up of college apartments filled with Cornell undergrads. South Hill is the neighborhood most Ithaca College folks live. 

Lansing is less expensive than the neighborhoods near Cornell. It's on the border of the city and is close to a lot of shopping malls, grocery stores, and good public schools. A solid choice for families looking to live in the city but with a smaller price tag. 

**Why You Should Move Here Now?** The End (and the start) of your Odyssey

Ithaca is named for the city Odysseus seeks to get back to in The Odyssey.
You might find that this is the end of your home search odyssey as well. Anyone looking for a ridiculously walk-friendly city, with one of the best educational systems in the country, you can do no better than Ithaca. 


Collegetown is the greatest concentration of students off-campus in Ithaca. It’s filled with mostly undergrads but very popular due to the apartment options and also the tons of restaurants, bars and shopping in the area. It’s also right next to the Cornell campus so a short walk gets you to classes. Fall Creek is preferred by graduate students who also want a walk to school but want the quiet of subdivided homes and single-unit houses over the noisy big apartment buildings of Collegetown. 
- Collegetown
- Fall Creek
- East Hill
- Downtown


College Students

Collegetown

Downtown is the most common landing place for young professionals who’ve just graduated from Cornell or Ithaca, or who’ve just moved to the city. It’s the most energetic neighborhood in the city with great living options and more importantly (for some) plenty of restaurants, bars and a great pedestrian shopping center all a short walk from “home”. It’s also the area where most businesses are located so those who are fortunate can walk to work and then walk home from the pub after happy hour. 
- Downtown


Young Professionals

Downtown

Cornell Heights Historic District was built for Cornell faculty between the years of 1898 and 1942 and many of these historic homes still remain. In addition to beautiful homes and streets Cornell Heights also offers access to walking trails, waterfalls and plenty of outdoor recreation areas for parents and the kiddos. Belle Sherman is another great option due to its peaceful streets, beautiful but affordable homes, tons of public parks and excellent schools. 
- Cornell Heights
- Belle Sherman
- Fall Creek


Families

Cornell Heights

Ithaca

**What is Ithaca like for non-college students?**

There are plenty of people your age in this town- lots of graduate students, post-docs, and young professionals. You'll be fine. I moved here when I was 25 and had a great time.

One thing to keep in mind is that people move to this town/ Cornell temporarily- there is a big turnover in the population. People come for training/ jobs then move on to the next thing elsewhere. I've had several friends move away during my time here- it sucks but its just part of it.

There is a ton of great outdoorsy things here- and a wonderful freshwater lake that provides lot of entertainment in the summer. Great swimming holes, a ton of great restaurants for such a small town, lots of great music comes through as well. COVID has shaken things up, but it is slowly returning back to "normal"



**What is Ithaca like for non-college students?**

I stuck around town after college to keep playing in some local bands until my girlfriend-now-wife and I could get it together to move to a bigger city.

And we never did.

Through the music scene, we built a little extended family of musicians and creative people. I got a job at Cornell about four years ago that sealed the deal — enough stability to actually go to the doctor, get married, buy a house — but we just came to love the town and the community and the life we built. Lots of interesting, smart, fun people, and it’s a small town, so you get to know em. Lots of the downsides of a small town apply, too, and people will get on your nerves, and lord knows I was never a city boy to begin with, but Ithaca is home now and I love it. Just my two cents!

**What is Ithaca like for non-college students?**

Ithaca has a lot of great aspects but it can be hard to be in the mid 20’s here. But it all depends! We welcome you though with open arms!! There is a large group of 20-somethings, blending into 30-somethings. You can find them! Looking into gym cultures, colleges admin related, post docs, and the service industry there are groups and very cool amazing folks. You may get a beer served by a PhD and fulbrighter who fell in love with the area or go biking with an entrepreneur who decided—after living all over the world—to open their own clothing line here. One of the best summers of my life was meeting a group like this—eclectic, brilliant transplants and locals—after moving back to this community. The group seemed to span a good 15 years, and we all sort of clicked. It can happen! This too can be you!

On the other hand—what u/gogogergie mentioned, is that it can be quite transient. That can be hard, I suspect part of the reason locals are sometimes hard to get to know, is because of this reason as many do not know if the person who moves here will be here for a season only. I have had to say goodbye to lots of folks, it is difficult but part of life, no? The other hard thing is whether you are looking for a partner and how tied you are to dating and a “social” culture? This can be a refrain about Ithaca as they begin looking elsewhere to fill that void.

Your tastes are though definitely up your alley. This is an amazing place to live and be in the world. Namaste.

**How do you like living in Ithaca?**

Ithaca is one of the most beautiful “cities” you can find. I love it here. the beauty of campus and the waterfalls and gorges is amazing, while The sunsets are the best I’ve seen anywhere. As an undergrad, I’m kept busy, but I find that when I need it, there’s always something to do somewhere. That being said, I personally would not want to go to grad school here. I think it’s probably harder to meet and date people in Ithaca than in a big city, and, well, there’s just less to do than in a big city, even if, as I mentioned, I’ve personally never found that to be an issue. I’ve also never lived in a big city tho, so that’s part of the reason I wouldn’t want to live here in my mid 20s; if you’ve lived your whole life in the city, it might not be too bad, esp. since it’ll just be three years of your life.

Ithaca, New York