Over the last year or two the Commons has changed a lot, but it is still worth the visit. One of the most charming aspects of downtown Ithaca are the paintings, murals, sculptures, and architecture. You see art around every corner. It really speaks to the creativity and trendy attitude of Ithaca. The Commons specifically has a wide variety of restaurants and shops, and they even have a small playground right in the middle of the commons for the tiny ones! The entire street is blocked off as dedicated walking area, which is a nice change of pace from the usual crowded city streets (that being said, you'll need to walk from your parking spot to get there!). Definitely a must-visit for anyone new to the area, but it's a pretty small downtown area. So don't forget to check some of the great places outside of the Commons, as well. There's a lot to explore in Ithaca, such as the Cornell botanical gardens, ornithology observatory, and Buttermilk falls. read more

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Garbage on the ground - including banana peels!! Young men strung out on the pavement. The reek of pot everywhere. CBD dispensaries do not add to a good tourist experience. Many shut down store fronts. Graphitti next to murals. Overall a depressing visit. read more

Became a dump. Horrible. Pot stink everywhere. Loud music and homeless old man "playing" his guitar. The restaurants look tired and unsophisticated. Homeless with shopping carts comlpete the picture. No law enforcement visible. read more

The commons are a short walkthrough of shops and restaurants. It has bookshops, gifts and plenty of dining options. The landscape has beautiful plants & flowers surrounded by park benches and tables. On a Saturday afternoon you might find an event. We happen to walk into a book-fair. If you looking for a chill way to spend time, its a good fit. read more

What happened to Ithaca Commons? Depressed. Vacant storefronts. Homeless people. Nothing to bring in the tourists who visit the local colleges. Did not spend much time here after hearing from everyone we had to visit all the shops and walk around. It's nice there is no vehicular traffic in the pedestrian mall but there isn't much to see or go into. Ithaca Commons should be bustling with shops, clean, and a happening location. Hopefully, the Commons can turn around soon because it is an eye sore. We spent much more in Watkins Glen which was about 45 minutes to an hour away. Much more vibrant community with great views of Seneca Lake. read more

Some friends and I celebrated my birthday in Ithaca for a few days and we enjoyed this area a lot. We ate a few restaurants in this strip and did some light shopping. I liked that the area wasn't overly crowded (COVIC) and we were able social distance but still enjoy some sightseeing and checking out local businesses. They have some cute little art displays and a few locals putting on some street performances. It was like a tiny times square area, LOL. We actually used this area to figure out how to get back and forth to our cute Airbnb in the area. Definitely a place to check out if you're in the area. read more

I'm not a big shopper, but I am a huge advocate for pedestrian spaces and community hubs. Ithaca Commons has a ton of boutique shops, restaurants, and outdoor dining. Many common areas to sit and relax, people watch. Very walkable, with murals and street art, with some street vendors and playground spaces. Live music as well. We came here to dine, which is the main reason we would return, but most people would find plenty of reasons to return regularly. One note, parking isn't easy. There is at least one parking garage and some paid parking, but don't expect to snap up a spot *just like that* read more

When my husband and I decided to go to Ithaca for our BabyMoon he told me about Ithaca Commons and how it was the center of business in the area. It was like a big outdoor mall almost. Lots of shops and restaurants and people. There was artwork throughout the area. Very clean, which is nice. We didn't go to the shops or anything. Mostly passed through to get to different food places. Parking was a bit of a challenge but what city isn't! Maybe next time we will check out more in the commons. read more

We visited a friend's daughter who goes to Ithaca College the past weekend and had dinner to one of the restaurants located in this complex. We don't have much time to stroll around the whole vicinity but based on my observation, it is the university students from Cornell and Ithaca's favorite hang out place , tourists spot to go when in town and locals normal place. Lots of shopping stores, restaurants, markets, galleries, performers stand and communal benches are what you could see. It was quiet and peaceful during our visit ( it was past 8 pm and school not officially started yet). We had fun during a short walk. Parking definitely will be a killer during busy hours. There is a parking garage not far from the central location where we parked. That could be handy then during daylight. We will swing by again when given the chance. read more

Ithaca Commons - Shopping Centers Near Me

It's a cute little strip kind of like boston common, bit much smaller and less interesting stores. Located on Martin Luther King Dr. in the center of the common there is a visitor's center, the second floor has public bathroom. No grass on the common. I see some stands here, of people selling stuff, even someone who brought puppies not sure if it's a petting thing to attract buyers. I met some weird people here, 1 person said no dogs allowed on the common which i did not not see signs. Another person with a dog asked if my dog was vaccinated before allowing her dog to greet mine. Other than weird folks, the common is fine and i think deserves a higher rather than what yelp currently has. read more

Ithaca Commons - Shopping Centers Near Me

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There are a bunch of stores that are now opened and many people enjoying the nice weather walking about the commons. Fair warning though, there are homeless people in Ithaca. My partner and I had an awkward experience where a drunk homeless lady sat with us and talked to us about her problems... Just keep your head high and keep walking if this happens! After this though, the town grew on me and I would consider returning again. read more

There is no place like The Commons! In fact there's no place as wonderful and beautiful as Ithaca! Its got so much charm, character, the university and college are great. Then with the lake and hills topped with THE COMMONS! I love it! Always went when in high school and now living out in AZ, I ALWAYS make it to Ithaca when home here in Syracuse! read more

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Not much to look at here, just some local shops & restaurants. I was expecting a much more lovely & unique area, but really not much. Even though people say Ithaca commons & Cornell are the most memorable parts of Ithaca, if you want to go serious shopping look elsewhere. Ithaca is better for hiking & appreciating water falls. read more

Ithaca Commons - Shopping Centers Near Me

I was expecting something hip and happening but Ithaca Commons is nothing more that an overpriced pedestrian strip with a few art shops thrown in; it's not unique or memorable in any way. There were also some seedy characters which added to my overall negative impression: two guys harassing folks to take flyers, an aimless women singing at the top of her voice and other miscellaneous panhandlers. Truth be told, I was underwhelmed with Ithaca in general. read more

Construction is complete, and the commons is bright, open, and walkable once again! Hooray! I'm holding out hope that the empty storefronts will be filled again with family-friendly shops now that it's easier to navigate! There is lots of seating, flowers, a groovy bandstand, and outdoor chess tables that are super awesome! The downsides... The new playground is cute but not as large as the previous one and seems to be geared mostly towards the youngest kiddos. The new trees are all very young and provide no shade, so it's hot out there on a sunny day. There are still an usual number of head shops. The Commons really would benefit from a sustainable/natural-minded anchor shop or two to bring tourists INTO Ithaca! Maybe Origins or BodyShop? How about a Trader Joe's?!? Come on, Ithaca, you know you want a TJs! I understand as a small town we want to support our local businesses, but I think a lot of folks bypass the Commons completely in favor of the Mega Mall in Syracuse. But if you build it, they will come (and stay to browse the local shops too!) An indoor play space of some kind would be a welcome addition. Candle pin bowling? A roller skating rink that's open year round? A trampoline arena? I also would love to see an all VEGAN restaurant on the commons to balance out the fois gras fanciness (nastiness) downtown. Star Truck... come on down! read more

Yay! I LOVE the commons. Sometimes I'd walk down from the Cornell campus, which was nice because it's all downhill but the walk back was pretty rough. This is where they host the Apple festival and the Chili festival, both are events I think of fondly. There are a few consignment shops as well as random stores that sell candles and jewelry and what have you. There are plenty of restaurants with all different cuisines, Thai, Korean, American, pizza, smoothies, etc. I think the Commons is really charming and cute, but that could be a biased view since I lived in Ithaca for 4 years. I don't know how charmed I would be if someone took me here on holiday. read more

Beautiful location and a great place to walk around on a warm fall afternoon. A great city overall to visit and hike around but these Commons is a place to relax and grab a bite to eat or shop. It's closed off to traffic and is a safe place to stroll and window shop. There are little playgrounds for kids and different sculptures and art to look at. Overall, highly recommend if you're in the area and have some time to kill whether you're visiting Cornell or Ithaca College or there for the lake and parks. read more

It's OK. But it really is terrible planning from the 1970's, when downtowns were losing business to malls, so in reponse they created pedestrian malls. But people now like downtowns and dislike malls. And in cold-weather Ithaca, instead of sinking millions into rebuilding this dinosaur, they should have opened the street to one-way traffic, with diagonal parking on one side. The bottom line is people don't want to park far away and pay a meter, just to get a bagel and coffee. The vacancy rate would have dropped signficantly. And on the late spring, summer and early fall weekends (Friday evening through Sunday evening), when the whether is glorious, they could have simply closed down State Street to traffic to create a festival feeling. They really blew it. read more

I don't really understand the negative reviews I'm seeing. I had a lot of fun walking through and browsing the commons. I love shops that sell unique gifts, knick-knacks, and art, so really got my fill on this street! There was at least 4 or 5 different shops that fit this description. Things are pretty pricey though. read more

Blah, not much to do here. Everything is over priced ... there's a few good places to eat but that's that. Maybe one or two stores I actually shop at... read more

A stop at the Commons in a must for visitors to Ithaca. It's the perfect place to stroll and take in all the wonderful creativity, freedom, and fun that is this great little town. Boutiques, book store, eco-shops, health-conscious eateries, and more ring the pedestrian-only plaza. On the benches, you're likely to see poets, musicians, and general characters hanging out. It's a colorful neighborhood and a great place to spend a couple hours meandering. read more

This pedestrian section of downtown is the heartbeat of our city! Extremely fun festivals many times per year, great shopping in unique/attractive shops (check out F. Oliver's, the cellar d'ore, and Sunny Days on Green Street), good eats (Mate Factor, Gorgers and Viva will knock your socks off!), and easy parking thanks to the new machines that take credit cards and text you to ask if you want to extend your parking by phone. Thank god the construction is done! Now every restaurant has great outdoor seating :) read more

Who doesn't like the commons...even just a little bit. I grew up here and haven't been back in years as I live out of state. Stopped back in with my daughter as she wanted to shop and I needed a new 'Ithaca is Gorges' sticker for the ride. Pretty much the same as it ever was, with a mix of shops, a couple restaurants, and bars sprinkled in. Add in the eclectic mix of people and it was like I never left. While we weren't there for an outdoor concert or anything cool, it was nice to walk around and show my daughter around. read more

A good place to check out for a stroll. A must wander for Ithaca visitors. Lots of food/ shopping options in a cute college town. This area definitely caters to the college students. read more

I just took a walk on the new Ithaca Commons and it looks great! There still is work to be done but there are some flowers and trees and new seating. They say the work will be finished at the end of July. read more

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What the heck is happening to this place? I don't live in Ithaca but have been visiting regularly for years and this area used to be so lively and great....now it seems a lot of business have changed or left probably due to the construction which seems to have made zero progress since I visited last year. Total bummer. read more

Having graduated from Cornell many years ago, I remember the Commons area as upscale and attractive. Sad to see that it has become a bombed out mess. For Rent signs abound as do hippie remnants from days gone by. City planners wake up.. read more

This is a difficult review to write, because I have always loved the Ithaca Commons. However, the Ithaca Commons has been under construction for almost three years, turning it into a desolate commercial wasteland. Many of my favorite shops are closed, and cheap alternatives have taken their place. I understand that the construction was necessary, but three years?!? I love the idea of placing hand-painted messages around the construction site, but the cuteness of that has long-since worn off. I am very much looking forward to an end to construction, but when will that ever come??? read more

Would of been nice with all the money spent on this place if they would of put a roof over it to keep shoppers dry when raining or snowing