CU’17: Let’s Talk Logistics
Ithaca is a new adventure for many of us. If this isn’t your first rodeo, chances are you had a routine down for getting in and out of Syracuse the past three years. However, Ithaca’s a bit off the beaten path when it comes to Upstate NY’s highway system, but totally worth the trek.
Here’s some tips for planning your trip to Create Upstate 2017:
Three Days Are Better Than One
In past years, our main Friday event has been by far the most valuable part of CU, and it showed from the amount of early morning commuters to Syracuse. This year, we’ve really stepped up the multi-day experience, and encourage you to make your way to Ithaca on Thursday, May 4th. We’ve even pushed back Upstate Discussions to start at 1:00PM, so there’s plenty of time to make the trip in the morning.
There’s also no need to fight Friday evening traffic trying to make it back home; stick around for SaturYay, a day of exploration and community building in Ithaca.
We’ve got some great options for staying in Ithaca:
- The brand new Marriott Downtown Ithaca is a top-notch hotel located right at the top of the Ithaca Commons. Reserve under Create Upstate
by calling 1–877–688–1914 or Book Now - The Hotel Ithaca has long been a staple of downtown. Reserve under Create Upstate by calling 607–272–1000
- Who doesn’t love AirBnb? There’s some availability in and around the Commons. Check out AirBnb for more.
Book your stay now while rooms last.
Coming from Upstate
Ithaca is still fairly centrally located. Syracuseans can take 81S and make their way towards Route 13 (~75 min). Cap Region folks can avoid the Thruway altogether by taking Route 88 to Route 79 (~3hrs). Those coming from Rochester can make it to Ithaca in under two hours by taking the Thruway East, then splitting between Seneca and Cayuga Lake on Route 96. Same goes for Buffalo, which is well under a three hour trip.
Coming from New York City
Unlike Syracuse, Ithaca is a viable car ride from the five boroughs. Well, *if* you keep a car on you, that is.
For those looking for other options, there’s more than a few.
Bus
You can take a bus from the Port Authority Bus Terminal in NYC to the Ithaca Bus Terminal from both Greyhound or ShortLine.
Train
Taking an Amtrak train could be a good fit for you, though the nearest train station to Ithaca is Syracuse, which is about 75 minutes north. If you decide this route, Ithaca Airline Limousine can provide shuttle transportation from the Syracuse train station to Ithaca.
Plane
This is perhaps the trickiest option, depending on your schedule. Ithaca does indeed have an airport (Ithaca Tompkins Regional Airport), although there are no direct flights from JFK to Ithaca. That leaves you with one of two options:
- Fly in to Syracuse from JFK and take a cab or Ithaca Airline Limousine to Ithaca
- Take a cab/shuttle from NYC to Newark, NJ, which has direct flights to Ithaca.
Coming from Anything Other Than New York
We love seeing attendees representing all parts of the US and beyond at Create Upstate. If air travel is your method of choice, Ithaca Tompkins Regional Airport has a decent amount of inbound flight options, depending on where you’re coming from. You may hit a connection or two on the way, but once you land, you’re only a 10 minute cab ride in to downtown.
If you’re making an epic road trip, parking is available at many of the area hotels.
We’ll be updating this in the coming weeks with more tips for making your way to Ithaca, which is something we hope you do this May. We guarantee the trip will be worth it.
Be sure to register for Create Upstate!
