Ithacans do things differently.
On Cayuga Lake in the heart of New York’s Finger Lakes, Ithaca is the home to Cornell University and Ithaca College and is also affectionately known as “Ten Square Miles Surrounded by Reality.”
Gorges.
Enlightened.
Quirky.
In this inspiring, innovative guidebook, Ithaca insider Laurel Guy weaves 10,000 details into a portrait of the town, its people and yes, the weather. Recording her thoughts over the course of a year, she takes readers on a one-of-a-kind exploration of the city and its surroundings, delving into both history and what’s new.
Whether you’re new to Ithaca, dreaming of Ithaca or just visiting, you’ll learn why true Ithacans love where they live. Follow the original Yellow Brick Road. Hunt for the stone VW. Go rutabaga curling. Find Carl Sagan’s house and more.
“Laurel Guy’s book is true to the spirit of Ithaca – beautiful and brilliant. Lifelong Ithacans will be reminded of the things they love about our City. Newcomers will be inspired to learn more about this magical place. There’s a smile on every page.”
– Svante Myrick, Mayor of Ithaca“Laurel Guy’s celebration of Ithaca is, of course, generous, expansive, and lyrical. 365 gifts. Truthfully, Laurel Guy is Ithaca’s Walt Whitman, a lover of its people, its fern and fauna, its irreducibilities – a lover, most importantly, of how a “small town’ can hold all of the world’s magic. Many of us think of Ithaca as a wondrous place, full of inspirations, dalliances, the bedazzlements that humans can imagine, but Guy’s Ithaca shows how little we’ve seen, entertained, or surmised. This is a book by a seer – a book of irreducible wonder.”
– Kenneth McClane, author of the book Color
“Laurel Guy captures the essence of Ithaca and the communities that surround it. Sometimes it’s quirky, other times it’s tasty. Every day is an adventure. And her really amazing days often include a hike in a park with a hidden waterfall gem to be discovered!”
– Fred Bonn, Finger Lakes State Parks Regional Director
The Author: Laurel Guy
Laurel Guy knows Ithaca – its people, landscape, architecture, history, and spirit. She arrived in January 1981, terrified of driving in snow. Once she discovered Smartwool socks, Sorel boots, and all-wheel drive, she never looked back. A founder of the Ithaca Artists Market and Circus Eccentrithaca, she served as director of the Ithaca Festival and the Saltonstall Foundation for the Arts. Guy is a 35-year resident and one of the most successful Realtors in the region. You might find her downtown walking her dog Hugo, or out in the field making plein-air pastels.