Focus on Ithaca

McGraw Tower on the campus of Cornell University. (All pictures in the article courtesy of Cornell)

America's Top Small City in the East according to the Rating Guide to Life in America's Small Cities, the City of Ithaca sits on the southern end of Cayuga Lake and ajoins the campuses of Cornell University and Ithaca College.

On the northern-most edge of the Appalachian Region, Ithaca is a facinating place in both reality and cyberspace. It is a place where the rustic beauty of the mountain region meets Ivy League education and international flair. Water falls and river valleys serve as the physical backdrop from what may be the richest cultural landscape in Appalachia.

Te web site Ithaca Downtown gives glimpse of the economic vitality of the city. Ithaca is home to the Commons, which is billed as New York State's premier pedestrian mall. And the web site also introduces surfers to a unique aspect of cyber-Ithaca: interactive maps.

Finger Lakes

One of Ithaca's biggest assets is its location in the Finger Lakes region of New York.

Sailboarding on Cayuga Lake

The Finger Lakes Association is the oldest and largest regional tourism organization in America, reflecting both the importance of tourism to the region and the attractiveness of the region. The region's 9 million of so visitors each year pour about $1.5 billion into the economy.

Finger Lakes has been recognized by the National Geographic Society, which called the area one of "America's Great Hideaways" in a recent book. According to the FLA, the region is one of the top 30 vacation destinations in the United States among 107 ranked by Rand McNally and Co.

A dam on Beebe Lake generates some of the electric power for Cornell. Trails around the lake provide a scenic setting for exercise or romance...

The Biking in the Finger Lakes area map is a good example of the use of interactive maps at Ithaca web sites. Click on the bike trail on the map and you get taken to a page on that trail. The map on Hiking in the Finger Lakes area works the same way.

While they are not as interactive, there are also good maps on Parks in the Finger Lakes area and on the region's Golf Courses.

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