Advice about Ithaca, NY
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Advice about Ithaca, NY
June 2007
Hi there, We are a young family (one kid, 1 year old) and we have two job offers: one
in Ithaca NY, and another one in Pasadena, CA. We are having a terrible time choosing.
Both places have their up- and down-sides. Anyone have any opinions or recs based on
concrete experience in either of these places? Things we care about are good food
(though restaraunts aren't critical), decent living on one income, friendly neighbors
and community, playing outside (kids on the street, good playgrounds and access to hikes
etc), public schools, not having to drive everywhere, and crafts community (I am an
artist; I work mostly with fiber). As a mostly at home mom, will I be able to find my
people in either place?? Many thanks.
Up in the air; hoping to land soon
I know next to nothing about Pasadena or Ithaca but I have a theory I wanted to pass on to you. I
think that the worse the winter is in a place, the higher the quality of life (other than the
winter weather, of course.) I think weather extremes bring out the best in people. So, if being
near family is not a consideration, I would vote for Ithaca. (I do know one Cal prof. who moved
from Berkeley to Cornell and he and his wife are very happy in Ithaca.) Anon
disclaimer - I don't know either. But, in the process of working on a project here in Oakland
(http://northoaklandcohousing.org/) came across lots of great info from this place and its amazing
resources. Sounds really neat. http://www.ecovillage.ithaca.ny.us/
best wishes to you and yours wherever you end up.
Penny
We lived in Ithaca for one year in 1998-99 (at the time, my kids were 5 and 9), so my info is a
little old, but here goes - FOOD - plenty of tasty restaurants (though not Chez Panisse); great
coop food store (http://www.greenstar.coop/), open to all, with a relative bounty of bulk and
organic foods, including in-house prepared items; terrific (though seasonal) farmers' market.
PUBLIC SCHOOLS - like most in NY State, well funded, relatively small classes, high test scores;
less racial diversity than here, but fairly socio-economically diverse; overall decent.
HIKING, PLAYING - absolutely gorgeous hiking in the vicinity (fingerlakes, gorges, state parks,
etc); can't remember playgrounds; some very family-friendly neighborhoods in town, with kids
outside, but lots of more spread-out housing, too, with less of that; some less pleasant
neighborhoods.
DRIVING - If you live right in town, you can walk to some things, but in practical terms, everyone
drives everywhere (one reason we came back here).
COST OF LIVING - quite moderate compared to here, but not as cheap as some. Plenty of
single-income families.
CRAFTS - Sorry, I can't comment on that,
OTHER - Great kids' museum (http://www.sciencenter.org/)
and nature center; airport just 10 minutes from town center (mostly service by US Air); to drive
anywhere else, count on it taking an hour, on windy two-lane roads, just to reach the freeway
(it's about 4 hours to NY City); ice hockey is very big among the youth; in addition to the
obvious winter cold and snow, it is VERY gray most of the year, so consider this if any of your
family is sensitive to this (another reason we returned); like all university towns, there is,
relatively, a lot going on during the academic year (theater, dance, music, etc.); the mall has
all the usual mall stores; downtown had some nice little shops, but I believe it's been
experiencing difficulties in recent years.
In general, we found the people very friendly and welcoming, and the nature really beautiful.
I've never been to Pasadena, so can't compare. Our overall impression was that Ithaca is ''pretty
nice for a town of 30,000 in the middle of nowhere, but it's still a town of 30,000 in the middle
of nowhere!''
R.K.
So I guess weather is not a consideration for you at all???
I'd go for the sun
I just came back from a trip to Pasadena-there are some nice areas, but the school system is not
good, and you definitely have to drive to go anywhere. People are friendly, but neighborhoods do
not feel cohesive-you hardly ever see a pedestrian. I have also spent time in Ithaca-it's
beautiful, nice college town with good restaurants (the Moosewood is there), gorgeous scenery.
It's got a long winter, and is remote-not near any big city. I personally would pick Ithaca over
Pasadena-it feels much more like a community.
My cousin now lives in Minneapolis, but while her husband was in grad school at Cornell they lived
in Ithaca. I forwarded your question to her, and here is her response:
Ithaca is an amazing place for families. I love Minneapolis, but if David's job and family weren't
here, we'd seriously consider Ithaca. Kids are welcome everywhere. There are tons of kid-oriented
activities, from children's theater, to the science museum, to activities in the park in the
middle of town every week during the Tuesday farmer's market. There is a commons in the middle of
town, with a fountain, surrounded by small shops and restaurants, where people hang out night and
day during the warm months. Various festivals, dances, protests and other community activities
take place here.
There are many good restaurants, in part because Cornell has a hotel school. I believe I once read
that Ithaca has the most restaurants per capita of any town in the US.
Ithaca is EXTREMELY liberal and green. There is a lot of community involvement, so it's not hard
to meet people by participating in the many community projects and groups. Home schooling, home
birthing, organic food, social justice, communes, trade issues, alternative medicine,
breastfeeding advocacy - whatever the cause, Ithaca probably has people who share it.
Whew, I really could gush on and on about how great Ithaca is.
Nicole R.
I have no experience with Pasadena, except for visiting the Rose Bowl, and
what I know of So Cal weather. And It has been a long time for me as
well, but I think Ithaca is a fabulous place in part because it is
''remote''. During the school year the universities do a lot to bring in
''culture,'' many of which are fun for kids. Mostly, though, the
Ithacans, are the main draw...they are a bastion of liberalism in a sea of
more conservative views. In addition to the environmental consciousness,
(and access to great hikes, etc), my favorite part of Ithaca is the barter
system or Ithaca Bucks...an alternative currency based on one hour of
labour. I love that they have put it into practice, and are actually using
it! When I was there, the mayor was a socialist, and he was great, often
visible in local restauraunts or sledding down the hills with locals. The
schools are good, and at least the high school I know has some ties to
Cornell, for certain programs. I think Ithaca would be a great place to live.
Shahana
I've been enjoying life in California for 5 years, but I grew up in the
Northeast in the New York metropolitan area and and then attended Cornell
University in Ithaca, NY. Ithaca was a change from the NYC area, but I
grew to love it. I had a moped and a car and enjoyed driving around to
explore the natural beauty of upstate New York. I have never seen as many
stars at night as I did then. I still have some of the best memories from
those days on my moped, especially in fall. I also heard from various
people that it is a great place to raise a family. Now that I have a
family, I can understand. I think it would be idyllic. My older cousins
raised their children in Ithaca while completing grad school and they were
all very happy there. Even though it is isolated, it does have some
cosmopolitan touches, which I experienced mostly through the campus--art,
music, theater, visiting speakers. I also had a favorite cinema in
downtown Ithaca that was like something you'd find in Gree!
nwich Village, NYC. (Don't know if it's still there.) I lived off campus
in Collegetown, which was changing a lot with many new restaurants and
updated stores. I visited it in '98 and it had changed a little, but I
imagine that by now there have been even more changes. As for the snow,
you just can't be afraid of snow, but if you're coming from California,
it's understandable. Just remember humans are very adaptable and you'll
get used to it. You will have appropriate clothing and hats and gloves and
you will be fine along with everyone else who lives in Ithaca. I love snow
and winter and had the best snowball fights under the stars with friends.
Would I want to live there now? No, I prefer to live near a big city and
near family, but if I HAD to live there, I wouldn't be unhappy. (I don't
know if this helps, but when I visited UMichigan Ann Arbor, it felt a lot
like Ithaca but without the beautiful hills and gorges.)
NY State of Mind
(for more responses to this question, see Pasadena)
Feb 2007
This summer we are traveling to Ithaca for my brother's
wedding. I know it is beautiful, and I am trying to figure out
what will be fun with two little ones? Any ideas? Where are
some good places to eat? Thanks!
Laura
We lived in Ithaca for a year (several years ago) when our kids were 5 and 9. It's a fun
place to visit. You don't say how old your ''little ones'' are, but for almost every age, I
highly recommend the Sciencenter, which is a kids' science/exploration museum. Similar in
many ways to the Exploratorium, but way more low key and manageable
http://www.sciencenter.org/ Check out the Sagan Planetwalk - or part of it - if your kids are
at all into space and planets. http://www.sciencenter.org/saganpw/
We haven't been there in a while, but we used to like ''Just a Taste'', which is a nice
little tapas place downtown. The small plates were great for kids and adults alike, and if
you go early-ish, it's fine to have kids there.
And if you are the outdoorsy type, don't miss Buttermilk Falls State Park (or one of the
others) - it's gorges!
For ice cream (and in the summer, you're gonna want it), you can't beat the Cornell Dairy
Store, on Cornell's campus.
http://www.dairystore.cornell.edu/ They experiment with new flavors regularly, as well as old
standards.
R.K.
July 2001
We will be traveling to New York this summer, specifically to Ithaca and
the upper Hudson Valley River (near Kingston). With a 2 year old and 6
year old, I am looking for fun activities like parks, casual dining,
swimming, places to go on rainy days, in these areas. Any suggestions?
Jennifer
Ithaca NY is a great town for kids in the summer. First of all there are the
Gorges: Buttermilk and Treman have good swimming areas; Upper Treman has the
most beautiful trail for hiking (lots of stairs, but you can stop along the
way and play in the creek); at Taughannock, you can walk along a trail or
the creek bed all the way to the falls (both are flat walks, wear water
shoes for the creek). Across the street at Taughannock is a lakeside park,
with a rocky beach and swimming in the lake. Cass Park has a big pool, a
great wading pool with sprinklers, and lots of plastic playhouses. Stewart
Park is at the bottom of the lake and has a big sprinkler, lots of
playground equipment and a merry-go-round. On weekends check-out the Farmers
Market, quite a scene, often with entertainment. On rainy days, The
Sciencenter, a hands-on science museum is the place to be (worthwhile even
if it's not raining). Sapsucker Woods is a great bird sanctuary, with a
beautiful little nature center and boardwalk trails. Cornell Plantations is
fun if you like gardens. Pick up the free Ithaca Times paper for local
events. There are lots of free outdoor concerts, like every Saturday night
at Taughannock Park. Have Fun!
Daryl
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