Things To Do
For those of you who will be in Ithaca long enough to get to know our lovely little town here are a few things you might consider. They range from simple things you can do to fill a couple of hours to longer adventures that would fill a day.
Quick Character
If you're looking to fill a few hours by taking in some local sights here are some of our favorites.
Ithaca Farmers Market
One of our favorite weekend jaunts. Aside from great local produce (ranging from veggies to local cheese or meat producers) it's a fantastic place to have breakfast or lunch. There are a great variety of eateries and bakeries that set up each weekend so there's definitely something for everyone. September will be getting into apple season, which means cider, doughnuts, and a few new varieties of apples you never knew existed. Its also a good place to go if you like seeing wares from local artists and craftsman and there's usually live music.
The Ithaca Commons
If you're more into the shopping scene, check out the Ithaca Commons. It's modeled after Burlington's Church Street and is a lovely place to wander. It also contains a good variety of restaurants and eateries of just about every fare. It's located between Green and Seneca Street and Aurora and Cayuga Street. The Seneca Street parking garage is closed for construction, so your best bets are the Green Garage on Green Street just past Cayuga or the Cayuga Street parking garage across from the Holiday Inn.
Cornell University
Simply taking a walk around our unique campus can be a lovely way to spend an hour or so [MAP], but there's much more to Cornell than the varied and beautiful buildings, grassy quads, and little gardens tucked in here and there. Take a stroll through the Cornell Plantations and botanical gardens. Visit the Herbert. F. Johnson Museum of Fine Art (where we're hosting our reception). Admission is free and there's metered parking. Or visit the Cornell Orchards for some fruit, cider, local goodies, and free samples.
Ithaca Area Parks
Ithaca rests at the bottom of Cayuga Lake, one of the Finger Lakes carved by glaciers at the end of the last ice age. There are a number of local and state parks along the lake that can make for a lovely walk along the water. Check out: Stewart Park, Cass Park, Robert H Treman Park, or Buttermilk Falls. Ithaca has many spectacular waterfalls. See Falls and Gorges below for more information.
Winery and Brewery In Ithaca
Although the bulk of the Finger Lakes wineries are located along the neighboring lakes, Ithaca does have one winery of its own: Six Mile Creek Vineyard. It's conveniently located on Route 79, just a couple miles from campus. In addition to wines, they also make some very interesting spirits.
Ithaca is is home to its very own brewery, the Ithaca Beer Company (and they're great at what they do!). They are open for tastings and brewery tours and they also make excellent root beer and ginger beer sodas which are available at local supermarkets as well as at the brewery.
If you don't have time to visit the area wineries, you can sample and purchase a wide variety of Finger Lakes wines at the Finger Lakes Wine Center, located just off The Commons in downtown Ithaca. If you're just looking to stock up, Northside Wine & Spirits on Route 13 has a huge selection, but they are closed on Sundays.
Feeling Ambitious
If you're in town a little longer and are looking to really take advantage of what the area has to offer, here are some suggestions.
Falls and Gorges
The same glaciers that carved out the finger lakes left Ithaca with a variety of gorges and waterfalls which are not only lovely to see but offer a chance for some hiking if that's your thing.
For the locations and information on the waterfalls in the area check out these resources:
[LINK] [LINK]
Hiking and Trails
For other outdoor activities, check out these resources:
Cayuga Trails Club
Cayuga Waterfront Trail
New York Trails
Wineries, Breweries and Distilleries
The Finger Lakes region of New York is a great place to grow grapes and so we have a huge number of small wineries that produce very nice wines at affordable prices. The region is especially known for sparkling whites such as Rieslings, but our wineries produce a variety of both whites and reds. As an added bonus, to get to and around these wineries you get to drive through some truly beautiful, pastoral scenery. Since most of the wineries are small, you're unlikely to find their products outside of New York state.
For a start, Finger Lakes Wine Country is an excellent resource.
If you're overwhelmed by the choices, we recommend heading up either side of Seneca Lake. It's about a 40-minute drive on Route 79 west to Watkins Glen at the bottom of the lake and you can take Route 14 up the west side or Route 414 up the east side. You will find wineries all along each road, so it might be helpful to pick out the ones you'd like to visit beforehand. If you try the east side, be sure to visit Lamoreaux Landing and Red Newt. On the west side, check out Hermann J. Weimer and Glenora.
In addition to wines and beer we have a distillery nearby! Finger Lakes Distilling has been open for about 3 years and now offers, vodka, whiskey, gin, liqueurs, brandy, and grappa. They're located just a few miles up the east side of Seneca Lake, an easy stop whichever side you choose.
Dining
Ithaca has a surprising number and variety of restaurants to suit any taste you can imagine. Here is a list of some of our favorites.
Agava
Southwest-inspired (but not spicy) restaurant located on East Hill Plaza within walking distance of the Best Western University Inn. Locally sourced, fresh, tasty and reasonably priced. Try the burger, or any of their tacos, but they also have a good variety of flatbread pizzas from their wood-fired oven.
Maxie's Supper Club
Ithaca's own honest-to-goodness Cajun restaurant and oyster bar is located on Route 13 South in downtown Ithaca. Even friends from New Orleans say it's good!
Thai Cuisine
Ithaca has more Thai restaurants than you can shake a rice noodle at, and all of them are really good. However, this is our favorite. It's located on Route 13 and offers a wide selection of excellent food, but is also a bit more expensive than the others.
Taste Of Thai
The food here is also excellent but a little less expensive. It is located on The Commons and definitely worth a stop if you happen to be in the area.Saigon Kitchen
Vietnamese cuisine that's fresh and delicious. Try the Pho (noodle soups) or the vermicelli bowls, but really everything is good and very reasonably priced. Don't forget the Banh Me for dessert!
Sushi O Sake
If you're in the mood for Sushi or Japanese cuisine, this is the best in town. It's conveniently located on Aurora Street on The Commons.
Ithaca Ale House
The best burgers in town! They also have a variety of other bar & grill foods and flatbread pizzas. Located on The Commons.
Just a Taste Wine and Tapas Bar
A lovely tapas restaurant on The Commons, it's great for a small bite, but prices can add up if you're really hungry.
ZaZa's Cucina
There are several Italian restaurants in Ithaca, but this is one of the best. Located on Route 13, it has a traditional Italian menu featuring home-made pasta and generally excellent fare, but it is also one of the most expensive eateries in town.
Mercato Bar & Kitchen
This is the other high-end, Italian-inspired option in Ithaca. It's located on The Commons and has a fairly small menu, but everything is excellent.
Ciao!
Located on Triphammer Road just past the mall, Ciao! has reasonable Italian-inspired cuisine at reasonable prices and features a wood-fired oven with decent flatbread pizzas. The flatbread pizzas at Agava (above) are generally better, though their toppings are a bit more adventurous.
Taverna Banfi
One more Italian restaurant worth mentioning is Taverna Banfi, which is part of the Statler Hotel on campus. The food is excellent and there are wonderful lunch and Sunday brunch buffets. If you're staying in the Statler or are looking for a good meal on campus, you won't go wrong here.
Mia
A new pan-Asian restaurant on The Commons, it offers excellent food (try the pork buns) that runs the gamut of Asian fare with well-balanced flavors. It is on the expensive side, but worth it.
The BoatYard Grill
The BoatYard boasts a lovely waterfront setting with good food, specializing in seafood, at moderate prices.
John Thomas Steakhouse
A high-end steakhouse located at the top of the hill on Route 96B, their prices are also on the high end. While there's certainly nothing wrong with their fare, unless you really want a steak, you're probably better off trying out Ithaca's other dining options.
Gimme! Coffee
If you're looking for coffee, look no further than Gimme! Coffee for some of the finest brew you'll find anywhere. With three locations in downtown Ithaca, you're never too far from one.
For a more complete list of dining options, have a look at 14850 Dining. Check with your hotel before you head out for help with driving directions and parking suggestions. Reservations or call-ahead seating is highly-recommended for most of Ithaca's restaurants.