<p>So many people (usually from the Bo-Wash corridor) speak condescendingly about Ithaca as an isolated, small city in the middle of nowhere. </p>
<p>As demonstrated in this article about a proposed podcar system, it's quite an interesting place in its own right with a strong tradition of extremely progressive thinking:</p>
<p>City</a> hopes to shuttle people in futuristic 'podcars' - CNN.com</p>
<p>ok, so they're thinking of futuristic podcars - that doesn't make Ithaca any less isolated, it just means there's a fancy new way of getting around. </p>
<p>anyway Ithaca is not that isolated, cornell and ithaca college students have it better than most places. but I'm thinking of transferring from NYU to Cornell, and one of my biggest worries is adjusting from the hussle n bustle of NYC to Ithaca. I've visited Ithaca and it's a nice college town, but I'll miss NYC. It might be worth it though. My friends at Cornell say if I go there, I'll be so busy with an intense workload that I won't have time to get bored, hope that's true.</p>
<p>The Penn guy is wrong. I don't think he considers smaller cities like Ithaca.</p>
<p>Well, stargazer, I wasn't talking about physical isolation. I just meant that it has a culture of forward-thinking innovation and creativity that makes it a destination and place unto itself. A lot of people just dismiss it because it's not a megalopolis, and I was offering one of many reasons why its culture of progressive thinking (such as its own money system) has actually spearheaded a lot of innovation globally.</p>
<p>As for your debate over leaving New York, I understand your dilemma. It takes most people quite a while to detox from the constant sensory overload and often they look down upon places like Ithaca for not providing that. That was precisely why I posted. </p>
<p>My only point was that, sometimes, places a little off the beaten path and free from the extreme economic mechanisms of a place like New York cultivate cultures of people that think outside the box because their careers are not necessarily tied to the status quo. I've spent time in both big and small, and I've found the people creating the technologies and ideas to fundamentally redefine civilization are usually tucked away in smaller, more isolated places. Ithaca is one of those places. </p>
<p>If you go to Cornell, I'd recommend engaging with the town. You have your whole life to live in big cities when you're making enough money and old enough to really enjoy the nightlife, but you might find yourself enjoying swimming under waterfalls or catching the Dalai Llama (only seat in North America) or whatever else if you let your pretensions about NY go. </p>
<p>Good luck in your decision, whichever it is.</p>
<p>thanks for the advice. I'm not necessarily trying to discover people who are creating technologies and all that, but I do like Ithaca. It'll be hard to detox from NYC though, like you said. Anyway I'm not that concerned b/c I do live 30 mins from Manhattan in LI so it's not like I'll never see the city again.</p>
<p>
[quote]
The Penn guy is wrong. I don't think he considers smaller cities like Ithaca.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>What's he wrong about? While a cool concept, it is uneconomic. It would be much less costly to Ithaca taxpayers if they offered free bus service..</p>
<p>i dont think anyone argues that ithaca is a culturally isolated place. with one of the most prominent research institutions in the world, another college across the valley, and let's not forget the advent of the internet, ithaca is more or less as culturally in-the-know as anywhere else. </p>
<p>physical isolation is something that is tough to avoid, however. and this isn't just from the nyc-ers, the bostonians, other big city people. i'm from buffalo, as bland a city as they come, and i cant seem to feel trapped in this little oasis of mostly 18-25 year olds congregated in this tiny place called ithaca. this isn't necessarily bad; but i dont think im in the minority with this perspective.</p>
<p>essentially, what i'm saying is, people here are just as enlightened as to the cultural fashions as anyone anywhere else. they have a greater than or equal to level of creativity and modes with which to express and share ideas. but.. they can't help but travel a few miles to the town lines and find themselves in the middle of: nowhere. for endless expanses.</p>
<p>Wow, I'd read or watched a video about these things, they're doing it in Ithaca?! Makes sense for the huge space.</p>
<p>Edit: I'd wrote about new innovative clean transportation when applying for Engineering today. Woot!
Edit Dos: "suitable only for limited-area operations, such as airports, colleges and corporate campuses"
yeah I gathered that
Pretty costly and it would be a hassle to walk .25 miles to a station then .25 miles to a store when a car doesn't,
I don't disagree that something needs to change (just based on air pollution:disregard prices or 'climate change'), I just think it has to be a little more creative than a mini subway system</p>
<p>who else finds issue with this comment?
"We are introducing an alternative to the automobile for the first time in 100 years,"
This guy needs to do some research</p>