Life in Ithaca
Ithaca is home to spectacular waterfalls and lakes, organic farms and wineries, a thriving music and arts community, and an invigorating climate year-round. Located at the southern tip of Cayuga Lake, the longest of the 11 Finger Lakes, Ithaca is consistently rated among the most livable cities and best college towns in the United States.
Cornell University is revered as one of the largest and most diverse of the Ivy League schools (in fact, Cornell University is the only Ivy League school with land-grant status), but the city of Ithaca, New York, where the campus is located, might be less familiar to you.
Here at the Brooks School, we know that considering where you’ll achieve your degree should also play a role in which program you choose. Let’s explore why Ithaca is the perfect place to earn your degree, as you prepare to build a career in public service in hopes of improving people’s lives.
Living in Ithaca, NY — It’s our saying for a reason: “Ithaca is gorges”
Located in the Finger Lakes Region of central New York State, the city of Ithaca is famous for its natural beauty — sitting at the southern tip of Cayuga Lake, the longest of the 11 Finger Lakes, Ithaca is known for its many waterfalls, gorges, and quiet spots to hike. Ithaca is also only four hours from New York City and Philadelphia, four and half hours to Toronto, five hours from Montreal, and six hours from Washington D.C. In short, Ithaca offers its students much in the way of a rich cultural life outside of class.
Ithaca is a unique community with “great taste”
Ithaca has been named one of the top 100 places to live, a top 10 recreation city, a best green place to live, and one of the “foodiest” towns in America (check out the the world-famous Moosewood Restaurant!). In fact, Ithaca has more restaurants per capita than New York City!
Ithaca’s opportunities for growth
Ithaca is a small but bustling city and offers many opportunities for Brooks School students to augment their academic and professional experience. In fact, Ithaca has one of the highest concentrations of nonprofits, per capita. For students focused on developing their skills in public policy Ithaca’s nonprofit community is a great benefit for networking and even post-graduate employment.
Cornell is surrounded by a wonderful community, one that also holds enormous benefits for those who are enrolled in the Brooks School. The culture and community are diverse, internationally focused, and very politically aware. Because of Cornell’s size, it also has attracted a variety of organizations to the location, organizations that also offer internships and many connection points for students to interact with in the local community.