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About Ithaca
Ithaca is Gorges
is seen on bumper stickers everywhere in Ithaca. Indeed,
the dramatic gorges and waterfalls carving their way through the
city to Cayuga Lake make Ithaca an unusually beautiful place.
A number of state and municipal parks, marinas and bicycle and
walking paths provide access for hiking, boating, birding, fishing,
skiing, photography, or just sitting.
Ithaca has received national recognition
as being an exceptional place to live. Such distinctions
as America's Most Enlightened City and being named fourth
in the list of 500 in Life in America's Small Cities have
made Ithaca a well-known destination.
There is good reason
for this. The downtown area of Ithaca has been made into
a pedestrian mall, lined with galleries, shops, offices, theaters,
and a variety of restaurants. On the shore of the lake is
the Ithaca Farmers' Market, which draws thousands each weekend.
People come from great distances to attend the annual fall Friends
of the Library Book Sale, one of the largest and best known in
the country. The only community built science museum in
the world, the Sciencenter, and the new Museum of the Earth attract
children and adults to their programs and exhibits. Several live
theater companies make Ithaca their home, as do art film theaters.
The Community School of Music and Arts offers instruction for
all ages. Throughout the Finger Lakes area are a large number
of estate wineries, all offering tours and tastings, and several
house fine restaurants.
Cornell University and
Ithaca College further add to the stimulating ambience of Ithaca.
The Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology is a world-renowned avian
research facility with an observatory and walking trails open
to the public. The Plantations, the Cornell arboretum and
horticultural research center, has hundreds of acres of gardens,
ponds, trails and programs available for the public's enjoyment.
Concerts, drama, and lecture series at both institutions bring
world-class events to Ithaca. Athletic meets of all kinds
are heavily attended by local residents.
It is easy to see why
we say that Ithaca is Gorges.
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