Ithaca Commons is a name given to the thriving downtown pedestrian mall that is covered like a Monopoly board with shops, restaurants, a mini-playground and people to watch.
Covering two blocks, this tree-covered area is the heart of the city of Ithaca and appears to have been lifted from Greenwich Village. Where else are you going to find a downtown with virtually no chain stores or chain restaurants? This downtown features not one, but two local bookstores, cuisine from no fewer than 10 countries and dozens of shops from a hemp clothing store to American crafts shop and a bike shop.
What's really nice is that if you have a non-shopper in your group, you can park him or her on one of the park benches and go your merry way. Ithaca is one of the best cities in the country for people-watching: its crazy-quilt collection of people represents snooty colleges (Cornell), local farmers (everybody outside of Ithaca), hippies (Cornell grads) and the growing population of vintners who have discovered the incredible grape-growing possibilities of New York's Finger Lakes. A mini-playground at the heart of The Commons offers a place for the kids to get out of their buggies and burn off energy between shopping expeditions.
Since it's a pedestrian mall, parking along the edge streets (Cayuga, Aurora, Green and Seneca) is at a premium. If you find a spot, prepare to feed coins: 2 hours will cost about $2.50. Downtown parking garages are your best bet. Leave your car and enjoy the scenery!
From journal Ithaca: Adventures in a