The Ithaca Commons is the heart of downtown — a two-block pedestrian zone of restored nineteenth-century buildings, independent shops, restaurants with patios, and a small open-air stage for buskers. On summer evenings the lights come on along the trees and the place feels like a slow, contented small city centre.
It also works as the city's main gathering ground: the GrassRoots and Apple Harvest festivals, the Ithaca Festival kickoff, and the weekly summer concert series all happen here. Start a visit at the corner of State and Tioga and walk the loop. Buffalo Street, Cayuga Street, and Aurora Street radiate out with more cafes and bookshops.