New York is full of plenty of quiet and peaceful places that are fantastic to visit, but you'll find that some of our small towns are a bit more laid back than others. When most New Yorkers hear the phrase "hippie town", they're minds instinctively think of destinations like Woodstock or even Bethel. But in the more recent past, sites like Thrillist have named another location in the Empire State as our most hippie town and we can't help but agree with them! Keep scrolling to see if you agree.
Situated along the southern shores of Cayuga Lake, Ithaca holds the record for creating the largest human peace sign.
I'm not sure what's more hippie than creating the world's largest human peace sign, but that's exactly what our local residents did back in 2008 at the Ithaca Festival! The small city of Ithaca is home to roughly 30,000 residents who happily live out in the heart of the Finger Lakes region.
In Ithaca happy hippies can enjoy attractions like the local Sciencenter, a hands-on museum that will get you in touch with Mother Nature.
Great for visitors of all ages, the Sciencenter is located right on 1st Street. Take an afternoon to explore this quaint attraction and you'll find it holds 250 exhibits, a gift shop and seasonal outdoor attractions that are great to check out during our warmer months. To plan your visit and to find out more information, click here.
Another reason you'll love the Sciencenter? They're behind the Sagan Planet Walk that will take you around town.
That's right! Ithaca features a walkable scale model of the solar system in town, known as the Sciencenter Sagan Planet Walk. The 3/4-mile long walk begins with the Sun Station in Ithaca Commons and ends at the Sciencenter with the planet Pluto! To find out more information about the Sagan Planet Walk, click here.
Like most hippie towns around America, you won't be too surprised to find that Ithaca has an amazing farmers market.
Unlike the majority of the farmers markets that you'll find in New York, the Ithaca Farmers Market stays open all throughout the year. From January through March you can pay a visit to the farmers market every Saturday from 10:30AM to 2PM, where you'll find a ton of local vendors all in one spot that are ready to give you a taste of Ithaca.
In Ithaca you'll find a lot of great places to go shopping, but if you want to do some treasure hunting you must visit Found In Ithaca.
Ready to spend the day looking through all that's hiding amongst the 7,000-square foot space that is Found In Ithaca? We are too! The one-of-a-kind vintage and antique marketplace is filled with hidden gems and treasures that are waiting to go home with you. The incredible store also hosts flea markets in their parking lot throughout the year, giving local hippies even more chances to decorate their homes in unique and funky decor.
In the heart of town you'll find even more places to check out when you visit Ithaca Commons.
The pedestrian mall covers several blocks of Downtown Ithaca, creating the perfect space to go shopping, mingle or grab a bite to eat. Ithaca Commons has over a hundred different shops to check out and is also where you'll find the majority of local Ithaca festivals being hosted.
In Ithaca Commons you'll find popular stores like T-Shirt Express, where you can get yourself one of those beauteous "Ithaca is GORGES" shirts that your heart has always longed for.
If you've never heard of the phrase "Ithaca is GORGES" then there's a good chance that you either aren't from New York or haven't lived here very long. The phrase is quite self explanatory, but to spell things out for you even further the shirts and merchandise pay homage to the city's natural beauty and abundance of gorges and waterfalls. To finally add one of these amazing shirts or other items to your wardrobe, you'll need to visit T-Shirt Express.
If you plan on taking the time to enjoy an outdoor adventure, places in Ithaca Commons like The Outdoor Store will set you up with all you need.
Everyone knows that a good hippie loves to spend some time outdoors, so there's no surprise that Ithaca is equipped with it's very own outdoors store. A family-owned business that's long been a part of Ithaca, The Outdoor Store has everything from warm jackets and backpacks to socks and a full-service bike shop!
Like we said, you'll also find places to eat in Ithaca Commons! The pedestrian mall is home to great-tasting spots like Waffle Frolic and many, many more restaurants.
If you're looking for a place with character that will give you a good start to your day, you'll love checking out Waffle Frolic. But this obviously isn't the only great place to grab something to eat in Ithaca. You'll also find delicious eateries like the Moosewood Restaurant, Collegetown Bagels, Ithaca Coffee Company, Carriage House Cafe, Just A Taste and The Boatyard Grill just to name a few!
During our colder months you'll love seeing the town come together with winter spirit, filling the commons with beautiful ice sculptures.
And during our warmer months you'll love strolling through town to find some of our favorite murals and pieces of wall art that will wow you and make for a great photo opportunity.
Proving to provide peaceful scenery for locals, we can't forget to mention the fact that Ithaca is also known as being New York's City of Waterfalls.
It's no secret to New Yorkers that our state is filled with gorgeous waterfalls, but something we often forget about is the fact that Ithaca has so many of these natural wonders packed into such a small diameter! Rightfully earning the name as our City of Waterfalls, if you click here you'll be able to check out a 30-minute road trip adventure that will take you to 6 different locations where you can find handfuls of waterfalls and jaw-dropping natural beauty. The relaxation that comes with living by the water is something that wins over the hearts of our great local hippies.
What's your favorite thing about Ithaca? Share with us in the comments what towns around New York you feel would qualify as being our "most hippie town"! To take a walk on the wild side while you're in town, check out The Stomach-Dropping Suspended Bridge Walk That You Can Only Find In Ithaca.
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