collegetown

For C-Town Renters, N.Y. Times’ ‘Oasis’ is un-gorges unreality

Carolyn Byrne — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0500

The New York Times, the Richard Blackwell of New York dailies, has once again cast doting eyes on Ithaca. According to a November 13 article, the city possesses an “eclectic spirit,” exhibits “palpable energy,” and “has embraced the influence of its colleges to create a liberal, cultural and gastronomic oasis...” And the streets are paved with smiles and gum drops rain from the sky.

As I sat in my overpriced Collegetown hovel reading about Ithaca’s “Greek Revivals” and “Federal-style” farmhouses, I was riled by the utopian euphoria. Ithaca may be a lovely place for retirees, families, and people who use “summer” as a verb, but much as I enjoy the quirk, the food, and the vistas, I’ve hardly felt “embraced” by this city.

Council Listens to Concerns About Off-Campus Housing

Emily Dally — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0500

The hasty search for off-campus housing was among the various topics discussed by Kimberly Fezza of the Cornell University Off-Campus Housing Office at last night’s Collegetown Neighborhood Council meeting with Collegetown landlords, property owners and student renters.

OCHO, which opened its doors in last April, aims to provide off-campus housing information, resources and referrals to interested members of the Cornell community.

At this fall’s First-Year Parents’ Weekend, OCHO learned from concerned parents that a majority of parents and students alike already feel the pressure to sign a lease for the following year.

“Some first year students sign a lease within 30 days of their arrival on campus,” Fezza said.

Collegetown: Toward an Outstanding Urban Environment

Mary Tomlan — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 00:17:54 -0500

Collegetown, encompassing the City’s most densely populated and highly valued concentration of real estate, has seen dramatic change during the past twenty years, most of it without the benefit of an overarching vision and detailed plan. Over the course of the past two-and-a-half years, however, dozens of Ithaca residents have participated in coordinated efforts toward the realization of this neighborhood as “an outstanding urban environment,” according to the Collegetown Vision Statement.

Election Excitement Grips C.U., Ithaca

Venus Wu — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Obamania erupted in Collegetown just after 11 p.m. as Barack Obama was declared the next president of the United States. People poured out of bars and crowded the streets as they soaked in the historic moment.

“It’s crazy, oh my God,” Leslie Tseng ’10 said. “Everyone is running up and down Dryden Road, yelling ‘Barack Obama’ and setting off fireworks.”

It was a time of unbridled celebration across campus.

“After McCain conceded, everyone was on cell phones, smiling and screaming. Everyone was really happy and the atmosphere was great,” Claudia Mattos ’11 said.Obamania

Mix-Use Developments? Make Sure that Comes with Parking!

Alma Aldrich — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 23:48:13 -0400

This August, I joined in the tradition that so many Cornell undergraduates are fortunate enough to enjoy: living in Collegetown. Walking back and forth from my College Ave. apartment to my car moving all my things, I felt in many ways the same as I felt moving into Donlon Hall on North Campus my freshman year. Excitement for this new sense of freedom, some anxiety about the unknown and a little bit of awkwardness as I looked around and got the feeling that everyone could see I was an amateur in this atmosphere that was clearly “so college”.

Perps Sentenced In Ctown Robberies

Sun Staff — Thu, 18 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Two robbers who have been convicted of robbing students in and around Cornell received prison sentences on Sept. 9, according to The Ithaca Journal. Whitley “Cash” Taylor, 26, faces four years in prison, while Frisco C. Meeks, 20, faces three-and-a-half years in prison. Both felons will receive post-release supervision.

Taylor and Meeks arranged to meet their victims by telling them they were interested in purchasing marijuana. But when they met, the pair would pull out a weapon and robbed the victims. Some of those robbed were Cornell students.

Meeks was arrested on April 1 and Whitley was found in Washington D.C. two weeks the later.

Students Scramble to Sign Leases Early

Cara Sprunk — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0400

While college students across the country settle into their new apartments and dorms this fall, many Cornellians are scrambling to sign leases for the next academic year.

Many students feel pressure to sign leases for apartments in Collegetown early in the year, sometimes before being able to compare different properties.

Elizabeth Truax ’11 said she was concerned about signing her lease as early as September.

Collegetown Vision Committee Approves Master Plan

Ben Eisen — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0400

The Collegetown Vision Implementation Committee, in its final meeting before an indefinite hiatus, has begun to conclude a master plan that has been a year in the making. Since the moratorium on Collegetown construction went into effect last year to enable consultants to formulate the Collegetown Master Plan, the CVIC — under the direction of Mary Tomlan ’71 (D-3rd Ward) and Svante Myrick ’09 (D-4th Ward) — has been hard at work guiding the planning process.

The result is a master plan that will likely steer the future development of Collegetown. Residents hope that it will improve issues of pedestrian transportation, add mixed-use developments, provide for student parking and open up public spaces.

Ithacans’ Visit to Charlottesville Puts City in Context of Other College Towns

Ben Eisen — Sun, 27 Jul 2008 23:37:08 -0400

Correction Appended

From Ithaca Hours to the Ithaca Commons, no one can deny that the city Cornell calls home has its fair share of quirks. But the question of how unique Ithaca really is has surfaced recently with the city’s comparison to other college towns.

Last month, a delegation from the Ithaca Downtown Partnership took a trip to Charlottesville, where they observed the town, met with public officials and brought back a wealth of information on how the two cities compare. The trip was part of an effort to develop a 10-year master plan for downtown Ithaca.

Collegetown Creeper Identified

Sat, 31 May 2008 14:23:23 -0400

D.A. Drops Charges Against 'Collegetown Creeper'

Emily Cohn — Thu, 29 May 2008 16:21:51 -0400

Abraham Shorey, the man suspected to be the “Collegetown Creeper,” will not stand trial for charges of burglary and sexual abuse, Tompkins County District Attorney Gwen Wilkinson said on May 9. Shorey, who is allegedly responsible for a string of more than 20 break-ins and assaults that victimized Cornell women in 2003 and 2004, is currently serving a six-year prison sentence in California.

Consultants Gather Input For a New C-Town Vision

Ben Eisen — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Residents of Collegetown may be glad to know that a facelift for the neighborhood is in the works. Four consultants from Goody Clancy Architects have spent an intensive two days meeting with students, permanent residents of Collegetown, merchants, property owners, Cornell administrators, trustees and the City of Ithaca planning officials. Their visit — the initial phase of a process that will continue through October — was arranged to gather the community's ideas for the neighborhood.

New Vision to Improve C-Town Cohesion and Business

Michelle Sun — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 00:00:00 -0500

Amidst the controversial moratorium on Collegetown development, the Collegetown Vision Implementation Committee is moving forward to create a plan for future growth in the area. On Feb. 18, the CVIC will meet with Goody Clancy, the recently selected architecture firm that will be working on the project.

Last October, the Ithaca Common Council voted to halt approval of further development proposals in Collegetown in an effort to create a more cohesive design plan for the area. Since then, the CVIC has been collaborating with Goody Clancy, in addition to the real estate company WZHA and traffic firm Nelson Nygaard. Additionally, the University and the City each have donated $75,000 towards the planning process.

City Blocks New C-Town Construction Projects

Nathan Sermonis — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0400

After heated debate last night at City Hall, the Ithaca Common Council passed a motion to impose a 12-month moratorium in Collegetown — putting a halt on development proposals and proceedings in the community.

By a vote of 7-3, the Council resolved to suspend approval of new development proposals in Collegetown. This suspension aims to provide urban planners ample time to create a coherent design plan for the community without disruption from new projects.

Tradition Members Band Together to Clean C-Town

Sam Cross — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 00:00:00 -0400

While the majority of Cornell students were asleep this past Saturday morning, 150 members of the Cornell Tradition and a handful of staff and faculty helped take part in a Community Clean-up in Collegetown.

Although the hour was early, members of The Cornell Tradition had good things to say about the program.

“I’m really happy to be a part of such a great organization as The Cornell Tradition,” Lauren Cohan ’11 said. “Not only do I receive scholarship money, but I also take part in some wonderful activities with some wonderful people.”

C-Town Lacks 24-Hour Dining Establishments

Noah Grynberg — Thu, 26 Oct 2006 02:04:48 -0400

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It’s 3 a.m. on a Saturday in Collegetown. After a night of debauchery, Cornell students flood the area streets, staggering toward home up the Ithaca hills. Suddenly, a student turns to his friend. “Are you hungry, man?” he asks. Lo and behold, his friend is famished. Unfortunately for the pair, late-night food is tough to come by in the Collegetown neighborhood. With no all-night eateries and only a handful of restaurants open past three, students in C-Town are often left hungry at the end of the night.

What would you change about Collegetown?

Diane Wu — Sun, 17 Sep 2006 22:56:14 -0400

* Expand the variety of restaurants\n* Develop more retail\n* Lower the rent\n* Build a grocery store\n