Downtown Ithaca Alliance Office — Attraction in City of Ithaca

Always love walking the commons. This weekend they’re having a festival celebrating authors & etc. I would give 5 stars, only downfall is the mass of confusing one-way streets and dead ends surrounding the commons. (Some people are not great at navigating such streets, therefore I am factoring that in). Great place for a stroll & having a look about any day. Very expensive, however, as many stores have items by artisans that are hand-crafted. There are also a fair share of shops that claim their items are handmade pieces of art, yet they fail to remove the “made in China” stickers from the bottom 😅! I personally got swindled by a shop owner, they assured me that something was a certain product. $50 and no refunds later, and it is NOT what I asked for at all. This shop keep also had a thick accent until the transaction was over, suddenly their accent was completely gone and they sounded like any other typical “American city boy”. (Was sold Delta gummies @ a smoke shop called “Xscapes”, I was clearly stating what I wanted & what I received was NOT it!).

All in all, check your purchases & labels BEFORE buying (great advice for any purchase 🤦🏼‍♀️).

If you are near the commons, be sure to check out all of the local gorges and waterfalls! “Ithaca is gorges”, after all!

TL;DR: nice walk, nice views, clean, …expensive! Can become over-crowded certain weekends. (& Beware pushy buskers, one way streets, & cheats)! Lastly, this IS a college town. Hippies, artisans, students and like-minded folk flock...

The Ithaca Commons is the heart of the city. Recently renovated and well appointed the space offers an excellent venue for the many festivals, concerts and gatherings the city is known for. Due to the infrastructure improvements below the Commons many new businesses have sprung up in close proximity which has increased the density of pedestrian traffic , housing and hotel options. Many of the historic legacy buildings that feature century old architecture were able to tap into the new utilities and so were able to improve and modernize. All together this has resulted in the space and buildings being well kept with a low vacancy rate. The Commons features lovely plantings, seating options, a clean and well lite environment. There are many specialty stores but this is not the place for grocery or home shopping, rather a place to buy gifts or incidental items. The Commons reflects the personality of the city and although it has gone through growing pains over the past few years the projects seem to be subsiding and hopefully will provide many years of enjoyment. Under the auspices of the Downtown Ithaca Alliance the space has an infusion of professional, monetary and custodial influence and direction. Come down and enjoy the art, shopping and festive atmosphere and venture into the nearby community that has much of the...

Gave it a two star rating only because there are about a half dozen brave shops and restaurants holding on that deserve your patronage. Most still remaining are exceptionally nice, unique places. Otherwise, the city of Ithaca should be ashamed! The majority of the shops/restaurants are closed - It looks like a disaster/war zone. And don't say parking is a main issue-the ramp is a couple of blocks away and is reasonable. But if people feel unsafe walking the area, that is certainly a drawback. I have felt nervous on the Commons in the middle of the afternoon for some time. It's obvious there's a problem, as security cameras are everywhere and even the mailbox is an especially secure model. Something is seriously wrong here. An unbelievable embarrassment; for the city, the state, our country - especially with a fine college and world famous university located here, bringing international students and their families to the area. This should be thriving and SAFE for business owners and...