Pedestrian mall in downtown Ithaca, filled with restaurants and shops, public art, and frequent community festivals. A few favorites include: Mahogany Grill (where Maggie worked as a hostess), Kilpatrick's, Viva Taqueria, Ithaca Ale House and Asia Cuisine. Petrune is an awesome vintage clothing store. The Commons tend to be busier in the evening than during the daytime.
Ithaca is known for its "gorges" nature and trails. Here are a few highlights outside of the ones listed further down on this page. You can also click View below for more information. Ithaca Falls: Right in town and not really a hike. Accessible by walking trail, this 150-ft. cascade has a natural pool. It’s a pretty place to relax and eat lunch. Cascadilla Gorge: Right in town. It goes from Collegetown down to Ithaca. Very pretty and somewhat paved for an easy-ish hike. Doesn’t really loop, but it’s nice to go up and back down (or vice versa), or just end up at the top and then walk around Collegetown by Cornell. Wells Falls: Just outside of town off of Giles Road. It’s not a hike, you just walk down a hill and it’s easy access to falls where you can hang out and go swimming. We came here a lot in college when it was nice out!
There are a bunch of wineries along the west side of Cayuga Lake. Two roads (Rt. 96 and Rt. 89) run parallel to the lake, starting from Ithaca and heading northwest. You could drive 20 minutes out that way and stop at multiple wineries along the way. Click View for more information.
You can drive right up to the impressive falls here. There are a few diverging trails to explore. Swimming is allowed in the natural pool at the bottom.
Multiple trails and a swimming area with a diving board and a lifeguard at the base of the Lower Falls. Easy to find something that works for everyone, including an awesome hike - The Gorge Trail - that goes up and around to Lucifer Falls.
This is 15-20 minutes outside of Ithaca, but is probably the most iconic view in the area. This park has a 215-foot waterfall, the tallest falls in NY State. There’s a relatively easy, flat 2-mile hike from Taughannock Falls State Park to the base of the falls. You could also go up or down the side along the falls, which is more strenuous. Or you could drive to the top of the falls and just observe from the overlook. Across the street is also a large state park on the edge of Cayuga Lake where you can rent kayaks and go swimming in the lake.
On a weekend morning, it's hard to beat the Ithaca Farmers Market. There are lots of vendors selling so many different things: produce, flowers, meat, wine, art, cider, delicious food. The market is right on the lake, so you can buy something to eat and picnic on the dock with your toes dipped in the lake. Open 9am - 3pm on Saturdays and 10am - 3pm on Sundays.
Located just outside of town, this is a great family friendly brewery with locally-sourced food. It's a great place to chill on a sunny afternoon. Ithaca Beer makes lots of different brews, so try a flight to see what you like best. Maggie likes the Apricot Wheat and Danny likes Flower Power.
CTB, as it is known here, is the ultimate bagel destination. Just about every possible way to eat a bagel is available here. The Collegetown location is across the gorge from Cornell's campus. There is also a downtown location much closer to the Commons (301 East State St. Ithaca, NY), but the Collegetown location is classic and worth the hike if you are planning to see Cornell's campus anyway.
AKA Heaven. Great breakfast or lunch spot. Affiliated with Collegetown Bakery but in a larger location.
This burger joint pretty much only does burgers AKA “Pinesburgers” and they are amazing. 15-20 minutes out of town.
The famous Moosewood vegetarian restaurant. It is located a block away from the Commons and features a menu that changes every day based on what is local, fresh and in season.
Louisiana inspired dishes - Po’ boys, seafood and fried chicken. Tasty cocktails as well. Located in a neighborhood just outside of the Commons.
Opened in 2000, this is the original Gimme! Coffee. If you're really into coffee, you should buy a bag of beans; you get a free cup of coffee with each purchase of a bag.
Purity Ice Cream - birthplace of the ice cream sundae. They also serve breakfast and lunch food.
Where we went to college! We met as freshmen in 2006. Danny lived in the East Tower and Maggie lived in the West Tower.
Located adjacent to the Cornell University campus, the Botanic Gardens are free and open daily. It's well worth a visit for garden lovers.
Ithaca's oldest winery and distillery, located close to downtown Ithaca in a 19th Century restored Dutch Colonial barn.
Sheldrake Point has some of the best wine on Cayuga Lake. Their dry rosé is a hit. The winery also has its own dock and picnic area on Cayuga Lake, so if you're up to it, feel free to bring a bathing suit, a towel, and some cheese & crackers for a waterfront picnic and lake swim. (The water temperature is usually chilly, so swim at your own risk!) About 30 minutes from Ithaca. There are also wine cruises that stop here on their route, so you may want to look into that if you want to combine boating and wine.
This is a nice and easily accessible park on the southern end of the lake, right outside of Ithaca.
A day trip idea, Watkins Glen State Park features a series of waterfalls and gorges that are sure to amaze anyone. An almost two mile hike will take you past 19 waterfalls and up over 800 stone steps.
If you are flying in or out of Syracuse, you may want to stop at Dinosaur BBQ, which is a BBQ destination for good reason. About an hour and 15 minutes from Ithaca.
The Corning Museum of Glass is one of the coolest, most unique museums. Kids and adults will both enjoy the artistic and scientific uses of glass on display. There is also a glass-blowing demonstration or you can blow your own glass creation. About an hour from Ithaca.
If you really want to make an adventure out of your trip to upstate New York, Niagara Falls is a classic bucket list item. It's about 3 hours from Ithaca. If you go, bring your passport because the Canadian side has a better view (you can park on the New York side and walk across the bridge).