Ithaca, New York 14973 226123395 2008-07-16T22:34:15Z Opus33 20726 Remove jokey and erroneous addition to the East Hill picture caption :''This article is about the City of Ithaca and the region. For the legally distinct town which itself is a part of the Ithaca metropolitan area, see [[Ithaca (town), New York]]''. {{dablink|For other places or objects named Ithaca, see [[Ithaca (disambiguation)]].}} {{Infobox Settlement |official_name = Ithaca, New York |nickname= |image_flag = |image_seal = |image_map = LocationOfIthacaNewYork.gif |mapsize = 150px |map_caption = Location in [[New York]] |subdivision_type = [[Countries of the world|Country]] |subdivision_type1 = [[Political divisions of the United States|State]] |subdivision_type2 = [[List of counties in New York|County]] |subdivision_name = [[United States]] |subdivision_name1 = [[New York]] |subdivision_name2 = [[Tompkins County, New York|Tompkins County]] |leader_title = [[Mayor]] |leader_name = [[Carolyn K. Peterson]] ([[Democratic Party (United States)|D]]) |established_title = [[Municipal corporation|Founded]] |established_title2 = [[Municipal corporation|Incorporated]] |established_date = 1790 |established_date2 = 1888 |area_magnitude = 1 E8 |area_total_km2 = 15.7 |area_total_sq_mi = 6.1 |area_land_km2 = 14.1 |area_land_sq_mi = 5.5 |area_water_km2 = 1.6 |area_water_sq_mi = 0.6 |population_as_of = 2000 |population_note = |population_total = 29287 (city proper) |population_metro = 100,018 |population_density_km2 = 2071.0 |population_blank1_title = [[Demonym]] |population_blank1 = Ithacan |timezone = [[North American Eastern Time Zone|EST]] |utc_offset = -5 |timezone_DST = [[Eastern Daylight Time|EDT]] |utc_offset_DST = -4 |area_code = [[Area code 607|607]] |latitude = 42° 26' 36'' N |longitude = 76° 30' 0'' W |latd=42 |latm=26 |lats=36 |latNS=N |longd=76 |longm=30 |longs=0 |longEW=W |elevation_m = |elevation_ft = |website = [http://www.cityofithaca.org www.cityofithaca.org] |footnotes = }} The City of '''Ithaca''' (named for the [[Greece|Greek]] island of ''[[Ithaca]]'')<ref>{{Cite web|url = http://www.ci.ithaca.ny.us/index.asp?Type=B_BASIC&SEC=%7B480C93FC-88B9-4C3D-811D-BD7EE0E3F926%7D&DE=%7B0F21E16C-E234-456D-8841-FF5C2F491300%7D|title = History of Ithaca and Tompkins County|publisher = City of Ithaca|accessdate = 2008-05-25}}</ref> sits on the southern shore of [[Cayuga Lake]], in [[Central New York|Central]] [[New York State]], USA. It is best known for being home to [[Cornell University]] — an [[Ivy League]] school with almost 20,000 students (most of them studying on Cornell’s Ithaca campus).<ref name='cunifactbook'>{{cite web |url = http://www.cornell.edu/about/facts/cornell_facts.pdf |title = 2007-08 facts |publisher = Cornell University |format = PDF |accessdate = 2007-08-16 }}</ref><ref name="hoiatc">{{Cite web |url=http://www.ci.ithaca.ny.us/index.asp?Type=B_BASIC&SEC={480C93FC-88B9-4C3D-811D-BD7EE0E3F926}&DE={0F21E16C-E234-456D-8841-FF5C2F491300} |title = History of Ithaca and Tompkins County |author = [[Carol Kammen]] |publisher = City of Ithaca |accessdate = 2007-08-16 }} </ref> [[Ithaca College]] is also located just south of the city in the Town of Ithaca. The college is strongly linked to the city, further adding to Ithaca’s strong “[[college town]]” focus and atmosphere. The City of Ithaca is the center of the Ithaca-Tompkins County [[metropolitan area]] (which also contains the separate municipalities of [[Ithaca (town), New York|Town of Ithaca]], [[Village of Cayuga Heights]], [[Lansing (village), New York|Village of Lansing]] and other towns and villages in [[Tompkins County, New York|Tompkins County]]). The city is the [[county seat]] of Tompkins County. In 2000, the city's population was 29,287, and the metropolitan area had a population of 100,135. 2004 estimates puts the city population at 29,952, an increase of 2.3%. The Namgyal Monastery in Ithaca is the North American seat of His Holiness [[Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama]].<ref> {{cite web | title = "Welcome to Namgyal! Namgyal Monastery in Ithaca, New York, is the North American Seat of His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama. Open to all, Namgyal offers authentic teachings of Tibetan Buddhism in a traditional monastic setting." | publisher = Namgyal Monastery | date = 2007 | url = http://www.namgyal.org/ | accessdate = 2007-08-16}} </ref> ==History== === Early history === The inhabitants of the Ithaca area at the time of European expansion were the [[Saponi]] and [[Tutelo]] Indians, dependent tribes of the [[Cayuga tribe|Cayuga Indians]] who formed part of the [[Iroquois|Iroquois confederation]]. These tribes had been allowed to settle on Cayuga-controlled hunting lands at the south end of [[Cayuga Lake]] as well as in Pony (originally Sapony) Hollow of [[Newfield|Newfield, New York]], after being forced from [[North Carolina]] by European expansion. They were driven from the area by the [[Sullivan Expedition]] which destroyed the Tutelo village of Coregonal, located near the junction of state routes [[New York State Highway 13|13]] and [[New York State Route 13A|13A]] just south of the Ithaca city limits. Indian presence in the current City of Ithaca was limited to a temporary hunting camp at the base of Cascadilla Gorge. The destruction of [[Iroquois|Iroquois confederation]] power opened the region to settlement by people of European origin, a process which began in 1789. In 1790, an official program began for distributing land in the area as a reward for service to the American soldiers of the Revolutionary War; most local land titles trace back to the Revolutionary war grants. Lots were drawn in 1791; informal settlement had already started. === Partition of the Military Tract === As part of this process, the [[Central New York Military Tract]], which included northern Tompkins County, was surveyed by Simeon DeWitt. His clerk [[Robert Harpur]] had a fondness for ancient Greek and Roman history as well as English authors and philosophers (as evidenced by the nearby townships of Dryden and Locke). The Commissioners of Lands of New York State (chairman Gov. [[George Clinton (British politician)|George Clinton]]) followed Harpur's recommendations at a meeting in 1790. The Military Tract township in which proto-Ithaca was located he named the [[Ulysses, New York|Town of Ulysses]], the Latin form of the Greek [[Odysseus]] from Homer's Odyssey. A few years later DeWitt moved to Ithaca, then called variously "The Flats," "The City," or "Sodom," and named it for the Greek island home of [[Odysseus|Ulysses]] (still the surrounding township at the time — nowadays Ulysses is just a town in Tompkins County). Contrary to popular myth, DeWitt did not name many of the classical references found in [[Upstate New York]] such as [[Syracuse, New York|Syracuse]] and [[Troy, New York|Troy]]; these were from the general classical fervor of the times. [[The Odyssey]] is routinely taught to elementary school students in the Ithaca area. === The growth of Ithaca, village and city === [[Image:Commons1.JPG|thumb|right|300px|A view of the shops and businesses on the [[Ithaca Commons]].]] In the 1820s and 1830, Ithaca held high hopes of becoming a major city when the primitive Ithaca and Owego Railway was completed in 1832 to connect the [[Erie Canal]] navigation with the Susquehanna River to the south. In 1821, the village set itself off by incorporation at the same time the Town of Ithaca parted with the parent town of Ulysses. These hopes survived the depression of 1837 when the railroad was re-organized as the Cayuga & Susquehanna and re-engineered with switchbacks in the late 1840s; much of this route is now used by the [[Trails in Ithaca, New York#South Hill Recreation Way|South Hill Recreation Way]]. However, easier routes soon became available, such as the Syracuse, Binghamton & New York (1854). In the decade following the Civil War railroads were built from Ithaca to all surrounding points ([[Geneva, New York]]; [[Cayuga, New York]]; [[Cortland, New York]]; [[Elmira, New York]]; [[Athens, Pennsylvania]]) mainly with financing from [[Ezra Cornell]]; however, the geography of the city has always prevented it from lying on a major transportation artery. Nevertheless, the village of Ithaca became a chartered city in 1887. When the [[Lehigh Valley Railroad]] built its main line from Pennsylvania to Buffalo in 1890 it bypassed Ithaca (running via eastern [[Schuyler County, New York|Schuyler County]] on easier grades), as the [[Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad]] had done in the 1850s. Ithaca became a city in 1888 and remained a small manufacturing and retail center until the recent education boom. In 1891, the Rev. John M. Scott and a local druggist, Chester Platt, invented the [[Sundae|ice cream sundae]] in Ithaca,<ref> http://www.theithacajournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070626/NEWS01/706260304/1002 ''The Ithaca Journal'' "New intel in the sundae wars: IHS grads scoop up ice cream facts" June 26, 2007, accessed June 26, 2007 </ref><ref>[http://www.icecreamsundae.com/ithacasgift.html The Official Website of the Ice Cream Sundae<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> though other cities, such as [[Two Rivers, WI|Two Rivers, Wisconsin]], make the same claim.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.tworiverseconomicdevelopment.org/relocation/history-sundae.htm |title= Two Rivers - The REAL Birthplace of the Ice Cream Sundae |publisher= Two Rivers Economic Development |accessdate=2007-06-26}}</ref> === Local Industry === Ithaca was nationally known for the [[Ithaca Gun Company]], makers of highly-valued shotguns, and [[Ithaca Calendar Clock]]s. The largest industry was the Morse Chain company, still active in [[Lansing, New York]], as [[Borg Warner Automotive]] and on South Hill as [[Emerson Electric Company|Emerson]] Power Transmission. In the post-World War II decades, [[National Cash Register]] and the [[Langmuir Research Lab]]s of [[General Electric]] were also major employers. === Higher education === [[Cornell University]] was founded by [[Ezra Cornell]] in 1865. It was opened as a [[coeducational]] institution, which was extremely unusual at the time; women first enrolled in 1870. Ezra Cornell also established a [[Cornell Public Library|public library]] for the city. [[Ithaca College]] was founded as the Ithaca Conservatory of Music in 1892. === The film industry === During the early 20th century, Ithaca was an important center in the [[silent film]] industry. The most common type of film produced was the [[cliffhanger]] [[Serial (film)|serial]]. These films often featured the local natural scenery. Many of these films were the work of [[Leopold Wharton]] and his brother [[Theodore Wharton]] in their [[The Whartons Studio|studio]] on the site of what is now [[Stewart Park]]. Eventually the film industry centralized in [[Hollywood]], which offered the possibility of year-round filming, and film production in Ithaca effectively ceased. Few of the silent films made in Ithaca are preserved today. ==Geography and climate== [[Image:Ithaca Hemlock Gorge.JPG|thumb|300px|Hemlock Gorge along Fall Creek before emptying into Beebe Lake on Cornell's Campus.]] The valley in which Cayuga Lake is located is long and narrow with a north-south orientation. Ithaca is at the southern end (the "head") of the lake, but the valley continues to the southwest behind the city. Originally a river valley, it was deepened and widened by the action of Pleistocene ice sheets over the last several hundred thousand years. The lake, which drains to the north, formed behind a dam of glacial [[moraine]]. The rock is predominantly [[Devonian]] and, north of Ithaca, is relatively fossil rich. [[Glacial erratic]]s can be found in the area. The world renowned [[fossil]]s found in this area can be examined at the [[Museum of the Earth]]. Ithaca was founded on flat land just south of the lake — land that formed in fairly recent geological times when silt filled the southern end of the lake. The city ultimately spread to the adjacent hillsides, which rise several hundred feet above the central flats: East Hill, West Hill, and South Hill. Its sides are fairly steep, and a number of the streams that flow into the valley from east or west have cut deep [[gorge]]s, usually with several [[waterfall]]s. Ithaca experiences a moderate [[continental climate]], with cold, snowy winters and sometimes hot and humid summers. The valley flatland has slightly milder weather in winter, and occasionally Ithacans experience simultaneous snow on the hills and rain in the valley. The phenomenon of mixed precipitation (rain, wind, and snow), common in the late fall and early spring, is known [[tongue-in-cheek]] as ''ithacation'' to many of the local residents.[http://www.tompkinsready.org/disaster/winter.html] The natural vegetation of the Ithaca area, seen in areas unbuilt and unfarmed, is northern [[Temperate broadleaf and mixed forests|temperate broadleaf forest]], dominated by [[deciduous plant|deciduous trees]]. Due to the [[microclimate]]s created by the impact of the lakes, the region surrounding Ithaca ([[Finger Lakes]] [[American Viticultural Area]]) experiences a short but adequate growing season for winemaking. As such the region is home to many [[wine]]ries. ==Education== Ithaca is a major educational center in [[Central New York]]. The city is home to [[Ithaca College]], situated on South Hill, and [[Cornell University]] which overlooks the town from East Hill. The [[College town|student population]] is very high, as almost 20,000 students are enrolled at Cornell, with an additional 6,300 students at Ithaca College. [[Tompkins Cortland Community College]] is located in the neighboring town of [[Dryden, New York]], and has an extension center in downtown Ithaca. The [[Ithaca City School District]], which encompasses Ithaca and the surrounding area, enrolls about 5,500 K-12 students in eight elementary schools, two middle schools, [[Ithaca High School (Ithaca, New York)|Ithaca High School]], and the [[Lehman Alternative Community School]], which provides its students wide-ranging freedom to choose their own curriculum. There are also several private elementary and secondary schools in the Ithaca area, including [[Immaculate Conception School (Ithaca)|Immaculate Conception School]] and the [[Cascadilla School]]. ==Economy== The economy of Ithaca is based on education and manufacturing with high tech and tourism in strong supporting roles. As of 2006, Ithaca remains one of the few expanding economies in economically troubled New York State outside of New York City, and draws commuters from the neighboring rural counties of [[Cortland County, New York|Cortland]], [[Tioga County, New York|Tioga]], and [[Schuyler County, New York|Schuyler]], as well as from the more urbanized [[Chemung County, New York|Chemung County]]. With some level of success, Ithaca has tried to maintain a traditional downtown shopping area that includes the [[Ithaca Commons]] pedestrian mall and Center Ithaca, a small mixed-use complex built at the end of the urban renewal era. Some in the community regret that downtown has lost vitality to two expanding commercial zones to the northeast and southwest of the old city. These areas contain an increasing number of large retail stores and restaurants run by national chains. Others say the chain stores boost local shopping options for residents considerably, many of whom would have previously shopped elsewhere, while increasing sales tax revenue for the city and county. Still others note that the stores, restaurants, and businesses that remain in downtown are not necessarily in direct competition with the larger chain stores. The tradeoff between sprawl and economic development continues to be debated throughout the city and the surrounding area. (Another commercial center, Collegetown, is located next to the Cornell campus. It features a number of restaurants, shops, and bars, and an increasing number of high rise apartments and is primarily frequented by [[Cornell University]] students.) Ithaca has many of the businesses characteristic of small American university towns: used bookstores, art house cinemas, craft stores, and vegetarian restaurants. The collective [[Moosewood Restaurant]], founded in 1973, was the wellspring for a number of vegetarian cookbooks; [[Bon Appetit]] magazine ranked it among the thirteen most influential restaurants of the twentieth century. [[Image:ClintonHouseInIthacaNY.jpg|thumb|300px|The [[Clinton House]], a 19th century building in downtown Ithaca]] ==Culture== Ithacans support the [[Ithaca Farmers Market]], professional theaters ([[Kitchen Theatre]], [[Hangar Theatre]], [[Icarus Theatre]]), a civic [[orchestra]], much parkland, the [[Sciencenter]], a hands-on science museum for people of all ages, and the [[Museum of the Earth]]. Ithaca is noted for its annual artistic celebration of community: The [[Ithaca Festival]] (and its parade), the [[Circus Eccentrithaca]]. Local live music is very prominent in the culture of Ithaca, the home of several nationally known acts such as [[Johnny Dowd]], [[John Brown's Body (band)|John Brown's Body]], [[Donna the Buffalo]],[[The Sim Redmond Band]], [[Who You Are]],[[Samite]],[[Thousands Of One]], The Horseflies, and [[The Burns Sisters]]. The [[Constance Saltonstall Foundation for the Arts]] provides grants and Summer Fellowships at the [[Saltonstall Arts Colony]] for New York State artists and writers. Ithaca also hosts what is described as the third-largest [[Friends of the Ithaca Library Booksale|used-book sale]] in the United States. Other festivals occur annually, with music and food. These include The Apple Festival in the fall, with many different varieties of apples and apple products; Chili Fest in February, a local contest involving many local restaurants who compete to make the best chili in several different categories. Many Ithaca-area musicians participate in the [[Grassroots Festival]], held in nearby Trumansburg. Ithaca has also pioneered the [[Ithaca Health Fund]], a popular cooperative health insurance. Ithaca is also home to one of the United States' first [[local currency]] systems, [[Ithaca Hours]], developed by [[Paul Glover]] (building on the pioneering work of [[Ralph Borsodi]] and [[Robert Swann]]). ===Media=== The dominant [[local newspaper]] in Ithaca is a morning daily, The ''[[Ithaca Journal]]'', founded 1815. The paper is owned by [[Gannett]], Inc., publishers of ''[[USA Today]]''. The [[Alternative newspaper|alternative weekly]] newspaper ''[[Ithaca Times]]'' has a larger circulation{{Fact|date=August 2007}}, though it should be noted that the Times is distributed free of charge. Other area publications include ''[[Tompkins Weekly]]'', the ''[[Ithaca Community News]]'' the ''[[Cornell Daily Sun]]'', the ''[[Ithacan]]'', and the ''[[Tattler (student newspaper)|Tattler]]''. (The latter three are run by student staffs at Cornell University, Ithaca College, and Ithaca High School, respectively.) Ithaca is also home to a wide variety of [[radio stations]]. [[WVBR]] is run by [[Cornell University]] students, but is an independent, commercial station in the [[Rock music|rock]] format, playing a mix of modern and classic rock during the week and specialty shows on the weekend. [[WICB]] is a non-commercial student-run station, run by communications students at [[Ithaca College]]. The Cayuga Radio Group, a subsidiary of [[Saga Communications, Inc.]], owns Q-Country and Lite Rock 97.3, a country and soft rock station, respectively. I-100 is a classic rock station owned by [[Citadel Broadcasting|Citadel]] and located in [[Cortland, New York|Cortland]], and The Wall, based in [[Auburn, New York|Auburn]], has a transmitter in Ithaca. ===Politics=== Politically, the city's population has a significant tilt towards [[American liberalism|liberalism]] and the [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]]. This contrasts with the more [[American conservatism|conservative]] leanings of the surrounding [[Upstate New York]] region, and is also somewhat more liberal than the rest of [[Tompkins County]]. In 1988 [[Jesse Jackson]] received the most votes in Ithaca in the Democratic Presidential primary. In 2000 [[Ralph Nader]] received more votes for President than [[George W. Bush]]. In 2008, [[Barack Obama]] won [[Tompkins County]] in the Democratic Presidential Primary, the only county that he won in New York State.{{fact|date=June 2008}} ==Local government== The name Ithaca designates two governmental entities in the area, the [[Ithaca (town), New York|Town of Ithaca]] and the [[Ithaca (city), New York|City of Ithaca]]. The Town of Ithaca is one of the nine towns comprised by [[Tompkins County]]. (Towns in New York are something like townships in other states; every county outside New York City is subdivided into towns.) The City of Ithaca is surrounded by, but legally independent of, the Town. The Town of Ithaca contains the [[Cayuga Heights|Village of Cayuga Heights]], a small incorporated upper-middle class suburb located to the northeast of the City of Ithaca. The City of Ithaca has a [[mayor-council government]]. The charter of the City of Ithaca provides for a full-time [[mayor]] and city judge, each independent and elected at large. Since 1995, the mayor has been elected to a four-year term, and since 1989, the city judge has been elected to a six-year term. Since 1983, the city has been divided into five wards, each electing two members to the [[city council]], known as the Common Council, for staggered four-year terms. The Town government consists of an executive, the Town Supervisor, elected to a four-year term, and a Town Council of three members also elected for terms of four years. The majority of local property taxes are actually assessed by an entirely independent agency with entirely different borders, the [[Ithaca City School District]]. ===City-Town consolidation=== In December 2005, the City and Town governments began discussing opportunities for increased government consolidation, including the possibility of joining the two into a single entity. This topic had been previously discussed in 1963 and 1969. The possibility of consolidation is controversial for Town residents who could be forced to pay higher taxes as they help shoulder the higher debt burden that the City has taken on. Some Town residents also worry that consolidation could lead to increased sprawl and traffic congestion. However, most of the Town's population is already concentrated in [[Hamlet (place)|hamlets]] in proximity to the City's borders and Town residents take advantage of City amenities. Mayor [[Walter Lynn]] of the Village of Cayuga Heights (a wealthy Ithaca suburb located in the Town) called consolidation discussion a "waste of time."<ref>[http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=15995648&BRD=1395&PAG=461&dept_id=216620&rfi=6 Ithaca Times - A Greater Ithaca?<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> ===Greater Ithaca=== The term "Greater Ithaca" encompasses both the City and Town of Ithaca, as well as several smaller settled places within the Town: {{MultiCol}} '''Municipalities''' *[[Lansing (village), New York|Village of Lansing]] *[[Cayuga Heights, New York|Village of Cayuga Heights]] *[[Forest Home, New York|Hamlet of Forest Home]] *[[South Hill, New York|Hamlet of South Hill]] {{ColBreak}} '''[[Census-designated place]]s''' *[[East Ithaca, New York|East Ithaca]] *[[Northeast Ithaca, New York|Northeast Ithaca]] *[[Northwest Ithaca, New York|Northwest Ithaca]] {{ColBreak}} {{EndMultiCol}} {{wide image|ViewOfEastHillIthacaNY.jpg|900px|The East Hill area of the city: Cornell University campus and Collegetown as seen from the Ithaca College campus}} ==Demographics== As of the [[census]]{{GR|2}} of 2000, there were 29,287 people, 10,287 households, and 2,962 families residing in the city. The [[population density]] was 5,360.9 people per square mile (2,071.0/km²). There were 10,736 housing units at an average density of 1,965.2/sq&nbsp;mi (759.2/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 73.97% [[White (U.S. Census)|White]], 6.71% [[African American (U.S. Census)|Black]] or [[Race (United States Census)|African American]], 0.39% [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]], 13.65% [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]], 0.05% [[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]], 1.86% from [[Race (United States Census)|other races]], and 3.36% from two or more races. [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]] of any race were 5.31% of the population. There were 10,287 households out of which 14.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 19.0% were [[Marriage|married couples]] living together, 7.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 71.2% were non-families. 43.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.13 and the average family size was 2.81. In the city the population was spread out with 9.2% under the age of 18, 53.8% from 18 to 24, 20.1% from 25 to 44, 10.6% from 45 to 64, and 6.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 22 years. For every 100 females there were 102.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 102.2 males. The median income for a household in the city was $21,441, and the median income for a family was $42,304. Males had a median income of $29,562 versus $27,828 for females. The [[per capita income]] for the city was $13,408. About 13.2% of individuals and 4.2% of families were below the [[poverty line]]. ==Infrastructure== ===Transportation=== [[Image:LocationOfIthacaNewYork.gif|right|300px|Location of Ithaca within New York State]] Ithaca is in the rural [[Finger Lakes]] region about 250 miles to the northwest of [[New York City]]; the nearest larger cities, [[Binghamton, New York|Binghamton]] and [[Syracuse, New York|Syracuse]], are an hour's drive away by car, while [[Rochester, New York|Rochester]] is about two hours away. Ithaca is served by [[Ithaca Tompkins Regional Airport]], located about three miles to the northeast of the city center. [[US Airways Express]] offers flights to [[LaGuardia Airport|New York LaGuardia]] and [[Philadelphia International Airport|Philadelphia]] using a mixture of small jets and propeller craft. [[Northwest Airlink]] provides twice-daily service to [[Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport|Detroit Metro]] airport. Many residents travel to [[Syracuse Hancock International Airport]], [[Greater Binghamton Airport]], [[Elmira-Corning Regional Airport]] or [[Greater Rochester International Airport]] for more service options. Ithaca lies at over a half hour's drive from any [[interstate highway]], and all car trips to Ithaca involve at least some driving on two-lane state rural highways. The city is at the convergence of many regional two-lane state highways: Routes [[New York State Route 13|13]], [[New York State Route 13A|13A]], [[New York State Route 34|34]], [[New York State Route 79|79]], [[New York State Route 89|89]], [[New York State Route 96|96]], [[New York State Route 96B|96B]], and [[New York State Route 366|366]]. These are usually not congested except in Ithaca proper. There is frequent intercity bus service by [[Greyhound Lines]], New York Trailways, and Shortline (Coach USA), particularly to [[Binghamton, New York|Binghamton]] and [[New York City]], with limited service to [[Rochester, New York|Rochester]], [[Buffalo, New York|Buffalo]] and [[Syracuse, New York|Syracuse]], and (via connections in [[Binghamton, New York|Binghamton]]) to Utica and Albany. The bus station serving all these companies <ref>[http://www.greyhound.com/home/TicketCenter/en/terminal.asp?city=150898 Ithaca Greyhound Station]</ref> is the former Delaware, Lackawanna & Western [[railway station]] on Meadow St. between W State and W Seneca streets, about a kilometer west of downtown Ithaca. Ithaca is the center of an extensive bus public transportation system — [[Tompkins Consolidated Area Transit]] (TCAT) — which carried 3.1 million passengers in 2005.<ref> [http://www.tcatbus.com/announce2.htm "3 Million Bus Passengers and Counting as TCAT Sets Record in 2005"], Tompkins Consolidated Area Transit (TCAT), December 19, 2005. Last Accessed on March 24, 2006. </ref> TCAT was reorganized as a non-profit corporation in 2004 and is primarily supported locally by Cornell University, the City of Ithaca and Tompkins County. TCAT operates 39 routes, many running seven days a week. It has frequent service to downtown, Cornell, Ithaca College, and the Pyramid Mall in the neighboring Town of [[Lansing, New York|Lansing]], but less frequent service to many residential and rural areas, including [[Trumansburg, New York|Trumansburg]] and [[Newfield, New York|Newfield]]. [[Chemung County Transit]] runs weekday commuter routes into [[Schuyler County, New York|Schuyler]] and [[Chemung County, New York|Chemung]] counties, and [[Tioga County Public Transit]] runs weekday routes into neighboring [[Tioga County, New York|Tioga]], primarily to serve Cornell employees who prefer to live in these rural counties, or are forced to because of the high house prices near Ithaca. GADABOUT Transportation Services, Inc. provides demand-response paratransit service for seniors over 60 and people with disabilities [http://www.ithacataxi.biz/ Ithaca Dispatch], and Finger Lakes Taxi provides local and regional taxi service. Ithaca Airline Limousine connects to the airport. Regional short haul freight trains reach Ithaca from [[Sayre, Pennsylvania]], mainly to deliver coal to the Milliken Power Station halfway up Cayuga Lake. There is no passenger rail service, although from the 1870s through the 1930s there was service to Buffalo via [[Geneva, New York]]; to New York City via [[Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania]] ([[Lehigh Valley Railroad]]) and [[Scranton, Pennsylvania]] ([[Delaware, Lackawanna and Western Railroad|DL&W]]); to [[Auburn, New York]]; and to the [[Northeastern United States|US northeast]] via [[Cortland, New York]]; service to Buffalo and New York City lasted until 1961. As a growing urban area, Ithaca is facing steady increases in levels of vehicular traffic on the city grid and on the state highways. Outlying areas have limited bus service, and many people consider a car essential. However, Ithaca is a walkable and bikeable community for others. One positive trend for the health of downtown Ithaca is the new wave of increasing urban density in and around the Ithaca Commons. Because the downtown area is the region's central business district, dense mixed-use development that includes housing may increase the proportion of people who can walk to work and recreation, and mitigate the likely increased pressure on already busy roads as Ithaca grows. The downtown area is also the area best served by frequent public transportation. Still, traffic congestion around the Commons is likely to progressively increase. Unlike most urbanized areas in the United States, Ithaca does not have direct access to the [[Interstate highway]] system. In 1968, it was proposed to convert Route 13 from Horseheads to Cortland through Ithaca into a limited access highway (it is currently such for three miles heading north from Ithaca), but the plan lost local and State support.{{Fact|date=February 2007}} ==Other recent changes and trends== [[Image:Cascadilla Gorge.jpg|thumb|200px|Cascadilla Creek gorge, just south of the Cornell campus.]] For decades, the [[Ithaca Gun Company]] tested their shotguns behind the plant on Lake St.; the shot fell into Fall Creek (a tributary of Cayuga Lake) right at the base of Ithaca Falls. A major clean-up effort sponsored by the United States [[Superfund (environmental law)|Superfund]] took place from 2002 to 2004.<ref> [http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/b1ab9f485b098972852562e7004dc686/1d33c848fd4ada78852571220072d73d!OpenDocument "EPA Finishes $4.8 Million Cleanup at Ithaca Gun"], United States Environmental Protection Agency, October 29, 2004. Last Accessed on March 25, 2006. </ref> The former Morse Chain company factory on South Hill, now owned by Emerson Power Transmission, was the site of extensive groundwater and soil contamination.<ref>[http://www.dec.state.ny.us/website/reg7/emersonfact.html "Public Meeting - Emerson Power Transmission Environmental Investigation"], New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. June 22, 2005.</ref> Emerson Power Transmission has been working with the state and South Hill residents to determine the extent and danger of the contamination and aid in cleanup. ==Reputation== Ithaca is commonly listed among the most culturally liberal of American small cities. The ''[[Utne Reader]]'' named Ithaca "America's most enlightened town" in 1997.<ref> Jay Walljasper, Jon Spayde, [http://cafeutne.org/towns/ithaca.html ''Ithaca, New York: A Gritty upstate City Where the Grassroots are Green'', "America's 10 Most Enlightened Towns (and we don't mean Santa Fe)"], May/June 1997 Issue, UTNE Reader </ref> According to ePodunk's Gay Index, Ithaca has a score of 231, versus a national average score of 100.<ref> [http://www.epodunk.com/cgi-bin/genInfo.php?locIndex=922 "Ithaca Community Profile"] Gays & Lesbians local index</ref> Like many small college towns, Ithaca has also received accolades for having a high overall quality of life. In 2004, ''Cities Ranked and Rated'' named Ithaca the best "emerging city" to live in the United States. In 2006, the Internet realty website "Relocate America" named Ithaca the fourth best city in the country to relocate to.<ref>Relocate-America.com, "Relocate-America.com's 2006 list of America's TOP 100 Places to Live." Available online [http://www.relocate-america.com/townvote.htm]. Last accessed 4 April 2006.</ref> In July 2006, Ithaca was listed as one of the "12 Hippest Hometowns for Vegetarians" by ''[[VegNews Magazine]]'' and chosen by ''[[Mother Earth News]]'' as one of the "12 Great Places You've Never Heard Of."<ref> Katherine Graham [http://www.theithacajournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060728/NEWS01/607280330/1002 "Ithaca gets high marks from two earthy publications"], July 28, 2006, The Ithaca Journal </ref> These designations have at times polarized some local residents: some note the recognition with pride, some see it as an indication of decadence, and others feel that it is a narrow view of the community. Some, particularly conservatives, note that the positive press often appears in left-leaning publications, or have more general questions about the methodologies used in determining the designations. In its earliest years during frontier days, what is now Ithaca was briefly known by the names "The Flats" and "Sodom,"<ref> Dr. James Sullivan, [http://www.usgennet.org/usa/ny/state/his/bk7/ch7.html "The History of New York State"], ''Book VII: [http://www.usgennet.org/usa/ny/state/his/bk7/index.html "The Finger Lakes Region"], Chapter VII: Tompkins County''. Lewis Historical Publishing Company, Inc. (1927) Last Accessed on March 25, 2006. </ref><ref name="hoiatc" /> the name of the Biblical city of sin, due to its reputation as a town of "notorious immorality",<ref>See, e.g., 1811 article in local paper, at [http://freepages.history.rootsweb.com/~townofithaca/maps/1866atlas/_P9D9571small.jpg] or Town of Ithaca History project, available [http://www.town.ithaca.ny.us/|online] (click on "History Project", then "Historical maps..." and finally "famous for its notorious immorality").</ref> because of its reputation as a place of horse racing, gambling, profanity, Sabbath breaking, and readily available liquor. These names did not last long; [[Simeon DeWitt]] renamed the town Ithaca in the early 1800s, though nearby [[Robert H. Treman State Park]] still contains Lucifer Falls. That early reputation for immorality, together with its more recent reputation as having a left-leaning population, has once again made Ithaca mildly infamous in some circles as the "City of Evil," due to a satirical campaign by members of a politically conservative online discussion board. Some Ithacans have embraced the label.<ref>"Evil City Trio," and the label is sometimes referenced in the local press, including the Ithaca Journal [http://64.233.161.104/search?q=cache:Isv6OksqvnoJ:www.theithacajournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article%3FAID%3D/20060627/OPINION01/606270310/0/NEWS01+site:www.theithacajournal.com+%22city+of+evil%22&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=2] and Cornell Daily Sun [http://www.cornellsun.com/node/10109]. Last Accessed 2 April 2006.</ref> This idea is further buoyed by Cornell University's early nickname, "the godless university" which came about due to their lack of affiliation with any organized religion.<ref>[http://www.eric.ed.gov:80/ERICWebPortal/custom/portlets/recordDetails/detailmini.jsp?_nfpb=true&_&ERICExtSearch_SearchValue_0=EJ535975&ERICExtSearch_SearchType_0=no&accno=EJ535975 The Godless University by Kramnick, Isaac; Moore, R. Lawrence] ERIC [[United States Department of Education|Department of Education]] accessed 01.10.2008</ref> ==Points of interest== [[Image:WaterfallIthacaNY.jpg|thumb|200px|The falls of Buttermilk Falls State Park]] * Collegetown * [[Cornell University]] :* [[Cornell Plantations]] :* [[Cornell Dairy Bar]] :* [[Llenroc]] House :* [[F.R. Newman Arboretum]] :* [[Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology]] * [[Ithaca College]] * [[Ithaca Commons]] * [[Moosewood Restaurant]] * [http://www.sciencenter.org/ Sciencenter] * [http://www.museumoftheearth.org Paleontological Research Institution's Museum of the Earth] * [[Stewart Park]] * [[Buttermilk Falls State Park]] * [[Robert H. Treman State Park]] * [[Finger Lakes Trail]] For additional information about recreational trails see: [[Trails in Ithaca, New York]]. == Books set (at least partially) in Ithaca == *''[[Lolita]]'' by [[Vladimir Nabokov]] (schoolgirl dialog captured on Ithaca city buses) *''[[Pnin]]'' by [[Vladimir Nabokov]] ('Waindell University' a portrait of Cornell) *''[[War Between the Tates]]'' by [[Alison Lurie]] ('Corinth University', a thinly-disguised portrait of Cornell) *''[[Been Down So Long It Looks Like Up to Me]]'' by [[Richard Fariña]] ('Mentor University', same as above) *''[[The Widening Stain]]'' by [[Morris Bishop]] *''[[The Names of the Dead]]'' by [[Stewart O'Nan]] *''[[Enchantment (novel)|Enchantment]]'' by [[Orson Scott Card]] (partially set in Ithaca and fictional nearby towns) *Various [[Kurt Vonnegut]] books have Ithaca references, most notably ''[[Player Piano]]'', ''[[Slaughterhouse-Five]]'', and ''[[Cat's Cradle]]'' *''[[Fool on the Hill (novel)|Fool on the Hill]]'' by [[Matt Ruff]] *''[[The Emigrants (book)|The Emigrants]]'' by [[W.G. Sebald]] *''[[The Alex Bernier Mysteries]]'' by [[Beth Saulnier]] takes place in a fictionalized Ithaca known as Gabriel *''[[We Were the Mulvaneys]]'' by [[Joyce Carol Oates]] *''[[Triphammer (novel)|Triphammer]]'' by [[Dan McCall]] *''[[Mailman]]'' by [[J. Robert Lennon]] takes place in a fictionalized Ithaca known as Nestor *''[[Z For Zachariah]] by [[Robert C. O'Brien]] *''[[Between Two Fires]]'' by [[Nicholas Nicastro]] describes scenes in and around the site of Ithaca during the Revolutionary War *''[[Water for Elephants]]'' by [[Sara Gruen]] (the main character, Jacob, was a Cornell University veterinary student) == Movies set or filmed (at least partially) in Ithaca == *''[[Green Lights (film)|Green Lights]]'' (2002) — dir. [[Robert H. Lieberman]] *''[[Manhattan Project (film)|The Manhattan Project]]'' — dir. [[Marshall Brickman]] *''[[Road Trip]]'' (2000) — dir. [[Todd Phillips]] *''[[The Sure Thing]]'' (1985) — dir. [[Rob Reiner]] *''[[Waiting on Alphie]]'' (2005) — dir. [[Kevin Hicks]] See also [[The Whartons Studio]] for films shot in Ithaca prior to 1920. == Notable residents and natives == <!--Numerous people listed here are solely for the purpose of vanity and don't belong in this list.--> This list is abridged from {{main|List of people from Ithaca, New York}} *[[Hans Bethe]], resident, [[physicist]], Nobel Prize winner, Cornell Professor, head of theoretical division of the [[Manhattan Project]] *[[Roald Hoffmann]], Nobel Prize winner, American theoretical chemist *[[Alex Haley]], native, author of ''[[Roots: The Saga of an American Family]]'' and the ''[[Autobiography of Malcolm X]]'' *[[Mary McDonnell]], native, actor in ''[[Dances with Wolves]]'', ''[[Independence Day]]'', ''[[Battlestar Galactica (2004 TV series)|Battlestar Galactica]]'', and others *[[Vladimir Nabokov]], resident, Cornell Professor, author (most famously of ''[[Lolita]]'') *[[Roy H. Park]], resident, media executive, founder of Park Communications and the Park Foundation *[[Carl Sagan]], resident, astronomer, Cornell Professor, popularizer of science, and author and host of ''[[Cosmos: A Personal Voyage|Cosmos]]'' *[[Rod Serling]], resident (of nearby [[Interlaken, New York|Interlaken, NY]]), [[Ithaca College]] Professor, screenwriter, creator and host of ''[[The Twilight Zone (1959 TV series)|The Twilight Zone]]'' *[[Steve Squyres]], resident, [[astronomer]], Cornell Professor, Principal Investigator of the [[Mars Exploration Rover Mission]] *[[E.B. White]], resident, [[novelist]], author of ''[[Charlotte's Web]]'' and co-author of ''[[The Elements of Style]]'' *[[Paul Wolfowitz]], native, academic, [[Deputy Secretary of Defense]] (2001-2005), former President of the [[World Bank]] (2005-2007) *[[Dustin Brown]], NHL player for the Los Angeles Kings *[[Josh Bard]]. MLB baseball catcher for the San Diego Padres * [[Greg Graffin]], resident, lead singer of the seminal punk band [[Bad Religion]] and holds a Ph.D from [[Cornell University]] in [[Zoology]]. == See also == {{Commons|Ithaca, New York}} * [[List of Registered Historic Places in New York]] ==References== {{reflist}} == External links == {{Geolinks-US-cityscale|42.443603|-76.500093}} * [http://www.cityofithaca.org/ Official City Website] * {{wikitravelpar|Ithaca (New York)}} * [http://www.ithacadirectory.com/ Ithaca Business and Website Directory] * [http://ithaca.wikispot.org/ Ithaca Wiki @ Wikispot] * [http://www.birds.cornell.edu/ Cornell Lab of Ornithology] * [http://newweb.erh.noaa.gov/ahps2/hydrograph.php?wfo=bgm&gage=icyn6&view=1,1,1,1,1,1 Cayuga Lake level] <!-- Supplementary specialist information supporting the article --> *[http://home.hetnet.nl/~fatcat/railways.htm History of Ithaca railways] *[http://home.hetnet.nl/~fatcat/street.htm History and Remnants of the Ithaca trolley system] <!--Wikipedia isn't a web directory, we don't need websites for every company, organisation or individual living in Ithaca--> {{Tompkins County, New York}} {{New York}} {{Ithaca, New York}} [[Category:Settlements established in 1790]] [[Category:Ithaca, New York| ]] [[Category:Tompkins County, New York]] [[Category:County seats in New York]] [[Category:Cities in New York]] [[Category:University towns in the United States]] [[bn:ইথাকা, নিউইয়র্ক]] [[bg:Итака (Ню Йорк)]] [[da:Ithaca (New York)]] [[de:Ithaca (New York)]] [[es:Ithaca (Nueva York)]] [[eo:Ithaca (Nov-Jorkio)]] [[fr:Ithaca (New York)]] [[id:Ithaca, New York]] [[nl:Ithaca (New York)]] [[ja:イサカ (ニューヨーク州)]] [[pl:Ithaca (Nowy Jork)]] [[pt:Ithaca]] [[ru:Итака (Нью-Йорк)]] [[sv:Ithaca]] [[uk:Ітака (Нью-Йорк)]] [[vo:Ithaca (New York)]] [[zh:伊萨卡 (纽约州)]]