Northeast Ithaca is a hub of education and convenience
Cornell University is a private institution and the largest employer in Tompkins County. When students and employees want to live close to campus, they look to the Northeast Ithaca community, which is filled with tall shade trees and surrounded by some of Cornell’s public attractions. “Northeast Ithaca is a highly desirable area,” says local Realtor Karen Eldredge of Howard Hanna Real Estate Services. “It’s a walkable, slightly more suburban community just north of Cornell’s campus that centers around the public school district.” The elementary and middle schools are at the heart of the community, and Northeast Ithaca is surrounded by stores and restaurants to the north and trails and woods to the east. Northeast Ithaca passes the grade for people looking for education opportunities and convenience to places like downtown.
Renters and homebuyers have options in Northeast Ithaca
Ranch-style homes in Northeast Ithaca often sell for about $300,000 to $480,000, while split-levels and Colonial Revivals range from nearly $520,000 to $700,000. Resident and Ithaca native Jamie Jensen, a licensed real estate salesperson and team lead with Howard Hanna Real Estate Services, says many homes sit on half-acre lots, which are bigger – and at times more desirable – than homes in neighboring Belle Sherman or in downtown. Cornell students live in Northeast Ithaca for its proximity to the university, though not every student rents a home. “The area has a large amount of apartments,” Jensen says. “Those apartment complexes are all really great. I’ve had clients stay there while they looked for a home in Lansing.”
Many homes in Northeast Ithaca sit on half-acre lots, which are bigger than typical for Ithaca.
Northeast Ithaca homes tend to be wooded and set farther back from the road.
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Cornell isn't the only highly rated school in the area
Being so close to Cornell, it’s no surprise that residents put a high importance on education. “Ithaca as a whole is desirable for being a vibrant college town, but Northeast Ithaca residents are a mix of people who want to be part of the public school district,” Eldredge says. Kids start at the A-rated Northeast Elementary. DeWitt Middle School earns an A-minus, while Ithaca High School receives an A. Ithaca High works with the Tompkins Cortland Community College to offer dual enrollment courses to students. The Tompkins-Seneca-Tioga Board of Cooperative Educational Services runs the vocational school campus across the street from DeWitt Middle.
Getting to downtown Ithaca and proximity to the airport
Depending on where people live, downtown Ithaca is about 4 miles away. It takes a 12-minute drive to reach downtown, but Tompkins Consolidated Area Transit buses also run to the city center. The bus trip can take closer to 50 minutes with stops. Campus buses pick up and drop off passengers at the stop in front of DeWitt Middle. The Park View Health Care Campus is minutes from Northeast Ithaca homes, with primary care services and specialist doctors’ offices. The nearest hospital with emergency services is the Cayuga Medical Center, about 8 miles away. Ithaca Tompkins International Airport is north of the area, but flights are limited, so Jensen says Syracuse Hancock International Airport tends to be more popular for residents here.
Convenient shopping centers in Lansing and closer to home
Northeast Ithaca is highly residential, but there are retail centers and restaurants in Lansing, just north of the area. “I chose Northeast because it has a true suburb feel, but it’s close to Target and Aldi,” Jensen says. “There are some great places in Lansing. There are all kinds of shopping because that’s where the mall is. Ciao’s is a great Italian place. If you're farther out, Salt Point Brewery Company is newer. It’s a great place to spend a Friday night outside.” Closer to home, though, the Triphammer Marketplace has popular locally owned restaurants like Ithaca Bakery and Ithaca Coffee Company. The marketplace also has the Finger Lakes ReUse thrift store and the Bev & Co clothing and accessory store.
Although Northeast Ithaca is home to many local shops, it also features big-box stores as well.
The Cayuga mall is one of three large shopping centers in Northeast Ithaca.
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Local parks and trails to Cornell Lab of Ornithology
Salem Park is hidden away in full, tall trees with a playground, a Little Free Library and picnic tables in the shade. Tareyton Park also has a Little Free Library, but the park’s wide-open field can be used for practicing soccer or following the paved trail through the woods, across Winston Square Apartments parking lot to Sapsucker Woods’ trails. “The eastern portion of the neighborhood butts against the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, which is a great asset to that area,” Eldredge says. Admission is free to visit the lab and explore interactive exhibits about bird flight patterns, calls and anatomy. Northeast Ithaca is in New York’s Finger Lakes area, and residents are about 5 miles from Stewart Park, which has kayak rentals and access to Cayuga Lake.
A good time can always be had outdoors at Tareyton Park in Northeast Ithaca.
Salem Park in Northeast Ithaca is a very secluded park in the middle of the woods.
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The annual Ithaca Festival and celebrating peace
In downtown Ithaca, anyone can attend the Ithaca Festival, a three-day community celebration. A parade on Thursday night kicks off the event, which has been a tradition since 1977. “We bring together local artists downtown, and you get amazing food, jewelry and art, and listen to great music,” Jensen says. St. Catherine of Siena Church is one of the churches in the community, and every September, St. Catherine’s hosts the Ithaca Peace Festival. Residents can sing along with bands performing songs lauding peace and purchase food to share.
Written By
Rylee Doyle
Photography Contributed By
Greg Dunbar
Video By
Edward Pokoj
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