Hey Ya'll! I'm going to Cornell for a M.A. in the Human Development program in the fall! I live in Ithaca now/have been here since fall. Hit me up with questions on the area if ya got them.
Things I've learned so far:
Collegetown is where the undergrads live and supposedly has a party vibe at night - but it's lovely during the day. A couple good spots to get food/coffee (and a good ramen place as well as a good hot pot place).
Don't live in Varna, or really anywhere outside of Ithaca if you want it to be walkable. I currently live in Varna, which is quaint, but very quiet and not terribly walkable. Buses aren't as frequent as they are in other places (1 every hour or so, sometimes more during rush hours).
I hear very nice things about Fall Creek neighborhoods, supposedly a lot of the faculty and some of the grad students live there and love it.
Shopping/Groceries:
There's an Aldi, Wegman's, Wal-Mart, Target, BJ's, etc. so it's easy to get groceries.
There's a Farmer's market every saturday near the Aldi (but if you park at Stewart park, you can walk over and avoid the traffic).
Apple picking is a real thing up here, clutch way to get apples and other fresh produce in the fall.
It can be hard to find any pepper spicier than a serrano.
There's a reuse center in the Triphammer mall that has ~$3 clothes and a lot of other stuff. We stocked our kitchen cabinets on the cheap there.
Restaurants:
Hard to find really good mexican food.
Ciao is great budget friendly italian
Folks love College Town Bagels (CTB) and Ithaca Bakery (same owner). Good place for coffee, baked goods, and in some locations, beer.
Purity Ice Cream is great for ice cream and for brunch. Mix is also a good brunch place.
Otherwise, folks here are pretty dang friendly. Hit me up with any questions!