Downtown Ithaca Alliance (aka Ithaca Downtown Partnership) Review

A pedestrian only zone within a mile and a half of 2 colleges and the 35,000 or so students that come with it makes for a good social vibe. Lots of eateries, some which are truly stand out. Two of my favorites are Just a Taste, a tapas restaurant with a nice variety of dishes at reasonable prices and Waffle Frolic that serves a variety of waffle dishes (I highly recommend the Florentine) as well as grilled cheese sandwiches and other breakfast and lunch fare.

If I have a complaint it would be that most places close early, even on the weekends. Most eateries close at 10 and some shops much ealier than that. Certainly worth a visit!

It's always improving, I love the art that exists everywhere.

Wonderful pedestrian common great little Artisan shops mixture of France national franchise and independent restaurants great street life

The commons is full of empty buildings. Can't they do more to help businesses? I don't think they are doing enough to support local business owners.

It is a very nice place to walk around and have a drink or bite with your friends and family.

15 Degree Ice Cream offers very special desserts, all made in front of you. The flavor is so rich. Highly recommended.

This is a fun place to spend an afternoon. Lots of interesting shopping and food here. A good place for a date! There are playgrounds and other interactive things for kids to do in the middle of the commons, and there are no cars allowed, making it safer, too.

Pretty sweet place. Ran into a marching band and this lady with her awesome pet Guinea Pig

Great shopping and great places to eat, but traffic is like Los Angeles

Scenic outside shopping center great food and shopping selections!

Had a great time at the Wizarding Weekend 2017 held in the Commons. Can't wait to go again next year! <3

The shops are ok, not what it used to be. Peace officers are frequent and not very friendly.

Still covered with aggressive homeless people and empty headshops. Ithaca has now pretty much given up on developing its historic center.

I loved it because there are a variety of international restaurants

They are nicest people ever and services are wonderful for those with no insurance or for alternative medicine that insurance doesn't pay for

Awesome! So many places to go and beautiful views too! Totally going back

This is a wonderful district of local shops in the down town area. The streets are closed of to vehicle traffic for pedestrians only and has such a great selection of shops. I really enjoyed meandering through that area. there is a parking deck conveniently placed right next to it, that was easy to find and use. Mind you this was our first out of town visit. It reminds me alot of Asheville, NC.

So many people have opinions about the commons redesign, but whatever the opinion the fact is the space works well now and many more people are visiting it. Lots of eccentric shops which are almost all locally owned. Shopping on the commons helps keep the local economy and local community vibrant. Sadly, parking can be challenging and the pan handers and "unique" people can be a turn off for some.

Nice mix of entertainment places. Love to see even more..

Great for taking a break while shopping with children. Eat something and trim it.

beautiful just beautiful but product and price geared towards students not town folks

Great place for shopping, having lunch or dinner with friends and family.

The heart of Ithaca Downtown. Great fun things to do at every corner.

Stopped off at the Mahogany Bar & Grill & my wife & I were treated like VIPs! We loved the Commons areas! We wish more downtowns would embrace the "pedasrian mall"!

Kid friendly environment and tons of shops for a variety of things

I love it here! My favorite place to go is the Thai resteraunt!

The shops on downtown Ithaca are quite enjoyable, but I wish they wouldn't come up in Google maps as "Ithaca Downtown Alliance". A review of the whole alliance is meaningless and worthless to anyone reading.

Ah, Ithaca. My old stomping grounds. Things have changed so much, though since I walked the Commons. Now there are all kinds of bums, hobos, winos, indigents, and homeless. Don't get me wrong, I genuinely feel for them, but things crossed the line when a drug-fueled guy threatened to hit my wife. It makes me sad to see such a beautiful place held hostage.

The newly renovated commons is a great place to grab coffee, get lunch, window shop or even get a haircut. There is a more open feel to it now that loses a little bit of the charm of the old commons, but the changes are most welcome.

Outdoor mall. Good place for a stroll. Many food options.

Good variety of shops on the commons but they don't let dogs on the commons and that's too bad

The Commons are a great place to go with your family and friends! There's some really interesting shops, and there are always fun events happening!

The city needs to make it FREE PARKING with a valated parking ticket from a local business! (And dog friendly)

The commons used to be much nicer, Svante ruined it.

Beautiful car-free space with lots of seating, gardens and delicious food.

From what I have heard and the shopping I have done on the Commons, this organization helps shop owners stay in business and help customers.

Loved the theater, the movie we saw Judy and the Popcorn and pelligrino. Loved it! Very easy access from the parking garage. Definitely will come again! Reminded me of the Angelic Theater I visited in Greenwich village.

OMG I love , love, love this place! I'm from downstate close to NYC and my family went here a few months ago to see if my dad might start working at Cornell (awesome hip place!). Anyway, we visited the commons and I just felt enraptured with joy at this cool, sustainable pedestrian place. I much prefer this kind of open-air commons with unique shops and restaurants to your typical mall. I'm all for green and sustainable places, and Ithaca has got it right! I can't wait to move here as soon as I'm old enough to live on my own (I'm 14). Wow, Ithaca itself and this wholesome commons fills me with happiness that I got to experience this awesome place and makes me realize how this type of place should be installed in every small city. It could turn a lot of currently poverty stricken towns/cities into blossoming, hip cities like Ithaca.

Loved it!! lively place with a lot of options to eat.

Nice variety of shops. Open air pedestrian commons.

Nice cute shops on a pedestrian street and no chain to discover. Perfect.

If visiting Ithaca and want to walk around, window shop or find a place to eat - check out the "Commons" and adjacent downtown area.

We visited our granddaughter who rents a lovely apartment in a new building on Greene Street right where the bus stops. It's safe and there are some nice restaurants. I'm told that in the right kind of weather they have terrific street fairs. I'm told it's safe. What more can you ask

Be careful of the side in state street druggies hang out there!

The heart of Ithaca. Not much beyond some cutesy shops, coffee joints, college bars, and overpriced restaurants. But a must do in Ithaca anyway.

Very nice place to take a stroll at night... feels like Eastern Europe!

Mayor Draining Community to fund liberal agenda. Examples Heroin Clinic's where users can't come to a safe warm place to shoot illegal street drugs under supervision. Guess who's taxes pay for such nonsense? Mine and other City of Ithaca property owners. Already one of the highest taxes outside NYC

Very nice little village like in nyc. You can walk around at all the local stores and find something interesting for anyone. Foods also diverse and great. If you agree, please hit my like button!! Ty!

Nice downtown center with numerous shops and sometimes street performers.

Dogs are not allowed on the commons. A police officer kindly told me this rule today as I was walking my dog on leash. Is this not a public space?