Things to Do in Collegetown
Collegetown, Ithaca: A tight, walkable core of ideas and global street smells.
Collegetown in Ithaca is not a separate neighborhood. It is the caffeinated, book-scented spillover of Cornell University. The air smells of wet leaves and espresso. Skateboards clatter. Clock tower chimes drift in. Brick buildings wear ivy like old scarves. Glass boxes hold ramen bars and bookstores. Night light pools on brick. Student energy surges, then softens with the semester tide. Walk here and you trail a quantum debate, then hit a blast of Korean barbecue. A Nobel winner queues for pizza. A cappella chords bounce off walls. Potential hums. Relaxation too.
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Top Attractions in Collegetown
The Cornell Campus Gates
The wrought-iron gates mark the line where Collegetown ends and Cornell begins. Ivy curls through the iron. Beyond lies green quad and Gothic stone. Step through. Noise drops, calm rises.
Collegetown Terrace Steps
This stone staircase links upper and lower Collegetown and punishes calves. From the top, red roofs spread below. On clear days, Cayuga Lake glints. Students pound past in sneakers.
The Used Bookstore Crawl
The bookshops are narrow, paper-scented, floor-to-ceiling. Textbooks, obscure novels, vintage Cornell mugs cram shelves. Silence thuds when someone yanks a book free.
People-Watching on Dryden Road
Dryden Road is a runway of lecture-hoodies, lab coats, and multilingual chatter. When classes end, sidewalks increase like a broken dam.
Fall Foliage in the Neighborhood
October sets the maples on fire. Red, orange, gold leaves crunch under boots. Air bites. Sky sharpens.
Where to Eat in Collegetown
Ithaca Beer Company Taproom
American brewpub
Miyake
Japanese and Korean
Collegetown Bagels
New York-style deli and bagel shop
The Nines
Neapolitan pizza
Temple of Zeus
Coffeehouse and cafe
Collegetown After Dark
The Chapter House
Dark wood, long bar, worn rugs. Grad students, profs, locals trade theories over pints.
Level B
Basement club on Dryden. DJs spin. Undergrads pack the floor.
Ithaca Coffee Company
Lights stay on late. Laptops glow. Board games clack. Coffee steams.
Getting Around Collegetown
Walk; everything is five minutes away. TCAT Route 30 rolls Dryden Road to the Commons and Cornell libraries. One ride costs $1.50; pay as you board. Taxis and ride-shares wait but dent the wallet. Parking is scarce, metered, and vigilantly ticketed. Skip the car.
Where to Stay in Collegetown
Ithaca Marriott Downtown
Mid-range, mid-range for Ithaca
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