Ithaca, NY

Ithaca is located at the southern tip of Cayuga Lake in the scenic Finger Lakes region of Central New York. It is a quintessentially charming college town, with exceptional cultural opportunities for a community of its size. While the area is noted for its challenging winters, it is equally noted for its moderate summers, which are typically idyllic. Not only does this offer countless opportunities for outdoor recreation – there are 33 hiking trails with views and access to over 150 waterfalls and gorges — it is also an unusually convivial setting for both formal and informal scholarly interaction. Additionally, Ithaca is famously kid-friendly, with significant resources for participants with parenting responsibilities. There are multiple weekly outdoor concerts, museums, golf courses, summer camps, kayaking, swimming, fishing, and historic Stewart Park.

Ithaca is well-stocked with restaurants, having a large range of options from fast food to fine dining. The Aurora Street “strip,” not far from campus, has numerous appealing venues for socializing and eating out. Because many local restaurants cater to students, especially in the Collegetown business district abutting campus, there is no shortage of good “cheap eats.” For dining in, Ithaca has a fine range of grocery stores, including Wegman’s, Trader Joe’s, and a large locally owned food co-op. Participants preferring an on-campus option may use university dining services, where a 14-meal plan is currently around $225 a week.