This is definitely a college town, and life in Ithaca is richly textured.  Ivy League Cornell University provides opportunities to attend theater events (the Schwartz Center for the Performing Arts presents numerous plays each year), guest lecture series, workshops, museum exhibits and much more; many of these events are free to the public.  Ithaca is also home to the Cayuga Chamber Orchestra, the Ithaca Opera Association and the contemporary art Handwerker Gallery.  Smaller museums, art galleries, book stores, craft shops and antique shops also give seniors plenty to keep them busy.  The Ithaca Commons, the wonderful, funky, restored, downtown pedestrian marketplace, is full of one-of-a-kind shops and award-winning restaurants.   This is an enlightened place, and liberal intellectualism permeates every corner.

Ithaca is also known for its three gorgeous gorges within city limits.   Circle Greenway is a 10 mile walking path that winds from the Commons downtown to Cornell University and bypasses these gorges and some lovely waterfalls.  Two bird sanctuaries are located on the Cornell campus, and lovely parks are found throughout town.   Golfers will find four 18-hole courses and two 9-hole courses, and shoppers will be glad to know that two new commercial areas, one on the northeast side of town and one on the southwest side of town, are home to numerous chain stores and restaurants, although they tend to draw business from the Commons.  Lush, scenic countryside and farmland surround Ithaca, and vineyards with tempting aromas and year-round tasting events dot the Finger Lakes region making for great afternoon getaways, particularly in the fall when the hills sparkle with color.

Volunteerism is valued here, and CIVITAS (Cornell Ithaca Volunteers in Training and Service) is a group that connects volunteers of all ages together with opportunities for helping others in the community.   Ithaca's more than 60 churches and synagogues also provide avenues for volunteering.  

This is a walkable city, which is good because it has some traffic congestion problems; these will probably get worse.  Ithaca does have an extensive and popular bus system (TCAT) and runs nearly all routes seven days a week.  Seniors ride for half price (75 cents).  Monthly passes are $45 and allow for unlimited rides for 30 days at a time.  Gadabout is a door-to-door, demand-responsive service for people aged 60 and above.   The nearest major highway is 30 miles away, which is unusual for an urban area of this size.

205-bed Cayuga Medical Center is Ithaca's emergency, primary and acute care provider and offers a complete range of medical services.  More extensive medical care is available in Rochester (90 miles) and Syracuse (50 miles).  This is a safe city, with most crime categories below the national average, and it has a comfortable, civilized feel to it.   Urban sprawl and air pollution are minimal.

Ithaca experiences cold, snowy winters and occasional hot and humid summers.  July temperatures average in the 80s, and January temperatures average in the 30s.  The city receives 3-4 inches of precipitation per month (which translates into 2 or more feet of snow per month in the winter), and the sun shines 30% to 50% of the time, depending on the time of year.

A drawback to living here for some will be the sheer number of college students.  The combined student population of Cornell and Ithaca College is roughly 26,000 students, which is nearly the size of the permanent population.   The liberal tilt of the city may also not be everyone's cup of tea.   

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