<p>the public bus service, called TCAT, is great in my opinion. the buses run regularly and on schedule, and they have as pleasant and clean of an atmosphere as I’ve seen on any public transportation. (granted I’ve only ever used public transit in the US and Canada).</p>
<p>there is a small 7/11 shop in collegetown (<5 minute walk from campus) where you can buy the basics of groceries, but if you are stocking up for the week you should go to a regular store. there’s a P&C, two Tops, and a Wegmans that are all accessible by various bus routes, none of which require any transfers or hassle.</p>
<p>I should also say that besides the buses, it’s quite easy to walk around Cornell and Ithaca. there are adequate sidewalks all over, and they provide a very easy connection between downtown (Ithaca Commons area) and Cornell itself. I have walked up and down that hill many times, at all times of day, carrying stuff, whatever. maybe it’s a little tiring, but it’s definitely safe and feasible for the average person.</p>
<p>I am not sure what I famous retailer is, but we have an urban outfitters downtown. we also have a mall with a BonTon, a Sears, a Target and a Best Buy, plus mall staples like Aeropostale, American Eagle, GAP, and a few more. that’s the Shops at Ithaca Mall btw if you want to search for more info about it.</p>
<p>it is hard to say much about the Ithaca airport right now because due to the sequester (federal government cutting spending with plenty of political drama), the control tower for the Ithaca airport is supposed to shut down. (this aspect of the cut was supposed to have already taken affect but I believe it may have been slightly delayed.) either way, the airport itself will stay open and the tower control duties will be filled by a neighboring airport, but that could affect the timing/quality of flights available. we will all have to wait and see how airport service works out though. I’ve never taken the shuttle up to the relatively much larger Syracuse airport, so someone else will need to comment about that.</p>
<p>one aspect of living in Ithaca that I would like to promote is the interesting people you’ll find here from around the world. with the university, you get people here from all over the world, with all sorts of backgrounds. I guess you will get that in any university, but I think the Cornell setting, with a strong college town feel and no over-emphasis on intercollegiate sports, is really nice.</p>