The seat of Tompkins County, Ithaca was founded in 1804. Since then, Ithaca has grown from a small town to a mini-metropolis of sorts. Home to Cornell University as well as Ithaca College, Ithaca often receives national attention. Ithaca placed 4th on TravelersToday.com’s “Top 5 College Towns in the Country” in June 2014, 1st in Business Insider’s “Top 10 College Towns in America,” and a 2013 study conducted by Lumosity determined that Ithaca is “The Smartest City in America.” These accolades are just a few of many that our town receives almost yearly.
But in this time of year, when classes are winding down, students are reviewing for finals, and everyone is ready for summer, there lies the eternal question: “What should I do this summer?”
There’s always an option to take a trip somewhere else, but when you live in a city like Ithaca, there’s plenty to do right in our own backyard. So, if you’re sitting around this summer wondering what to do, it shouldn’t be hard to find something worth your while. Compiled below is a list of the five best things with which to fill your time while spending a summer in Ithaca, ensuring that you won’t be wasting your three months of freedom.
1. Swim.
When people come to Tompkins County, they often come for the Finger Lakes. Ithaca sits at the southern end of Cayuga Lake, which is the largest of the 11 Finger Lakes. Most obviously, Cayuga Lake offers a nice way to sit by the water, have a picnic, watch the sunset, eat and have fun with friends. When it’s not mobbed with a massive crowd of hipsters, East Shore is a great spot to swim. If the lake isn’t your thing, there are a hundred waterfalls within 10 miles from downtown, so a spot to cool off, enjoy nature, and have a little cliff-jumping fun (if you dare) shouldn’t be hard to find. When the temperatures start reaching the 90s, there is nothing better than taking a swim in these natural, beautiful bodies of water.
2. Eat.
According to the Downtown Ithaca Alliance website, Ithaca is home to more restaurants per capita than New York City. They are also all within walking distance of each other (granted, you’ll have a few hills to climb if you walk; it is Ithaca after all).
The great thing about food in Ithaca is the diversity. If you’re feeling pizza, in the Commons area alone you have five options all within a few blocks of each other. If you’re feeling like impressing a hot date, making visiting relatives envious, dressing up and sipping fine wine, or if you just enjoy dabbling in fine cuisine, John Thomas Steakhouse runs about $100 per entree and its steaks would make even the most devout vegetarians’ mouths water. Madeline’s is a fine choice as well, as is Mercato.
Either way, as a living, breathing Ithacan, you owe it to yourself to get out and enjoy all the great food you’re too busy to enjoy during the school year. Whether you want Mexican (Viva Taqueria), Italian (Gola Osteria), Vietnamese (Saigon Kitchen), or even Ethiopian (Hawi), you have no shortage of options. If you’re looking to make food at home, or want to experience the farmers’ side of Ithaca, stop by the Farmer’s Market on the weekend. With great food to snack on while you wander, there are also great local vendors. Plus, there are plenty of fresh fruits and veggies to make fantastic food at home.
Don’t forget to get some ice cream on your way home, too.
3. Party.
Ithaca Festival, Grassroots, and all the other festivals and events that seem to spring up in or around our town when the weather gets warm are all great outlets to express your inner party animal. The Summer Concert Series at Taughannock Park is an activity offered throughout the summer. This year the program offers a wide range of genres of music, including Thousands of One, Kevin Kinsella, and the ever-popular Gunpoets. There is a parking fee, but people are free to bring food, blankets and friends and enjoy the music. This starts in July, and runs on Saturday nights through August.
However, that doesn’t mean you can’t make the party happen on your own. Be “the man” (in the proverbial sense) and throw that party everyone will remember until their hair starts falling out. Take advantage of the great food and the beautiful landscapes and have a great time with your friends outdoors. And if it gets too hot, take the party to a gorge, dam, waterfall, or lakeside swimming hole.
4. Explore.
Walking through town, the ability of Ithaca’s surroundings to intrigue and fascinate is perpetually surprising. The abundant summer foliage that comes full-bloom is effortlessly inviting. Knowing there is a city beneath the miles of plush greenery makes the idea of exploring Ithaca even more enticing. Whether it be a creek, an old abandoned building, an underground hideout, or just a new view, each one is just as exciting as the next. During the summer, when Ithaca is at its finest, one would be making a grave mistake if they did not step outside at least once and explore the inviting mysteries that sit before them.
5. Fall in Love or Find a Date (or two).
The flowers bloom, the sun starts to shine, music plays almost nonstop with live performances in neighborhoods and parks, the waterfalls roar, and the smells of over 80 local restaurants unfurl in the air. Find someone in Ithaca’s 30,000, take them on a date, and see how it goes. If it doesn’t work out, find another date. No matter their GPA, anyone who passes up on these perfect conditions to have an archetypal summer fling would be a fool.
There will always be something new to do every day in our 10 square miles. This is just a place to get started, and you are truly only limited by your creativity. Anything can be fun in Ithaca, and there are so many more places to visit. Just remember to grab your friends on the way and make the most out of your summer before returning to school in September.