Writer: Ithaca is 'Berkeley of the East'

The Ithaca Independent. ^ | August 8, 2010 | Ed Sutherland

[Behind Liberal Lines]

Visitors to Ithaca come away with various impressions, focusing on the beautiful scenery, the liberal attitudes or our love of art. One theater reviewer from Washington, DC told readers Ithaca is a 'virtual Berkeley of the East.'

Washington Times entertainment blogger Terry Ponick made that comment and many more while in town to see "Penelope of Ithaca" at the Hanger Theater.

"It's like a trip back in time to the Woodstock Era here, with posters and adverts providing 'medical' marijuana even as the ubiquitous bikes seem at times to crowd out automobile and pedestrian traffic alike, writes Terry Ponick.

Along with noting Cornell University as Ithaca's "obvious growth machine," the writer also took in the Commons and our glasswork artisans.

"Rather than bowls or sculptures, this shop peddles hookahs and hash pipes fashioned from mouth-blown and/or hand-sculpted art glass." While a common-place site here, the writer says such items might be difficult to bring home to the security-conscious DC worker.

While giving the play a mixed review, Ponick raves about the new Hanger digs. "It's quite impressive, with nicely-raked rows of comfortable seats flanking a virtual just-stage configuration, which should provide ample possibilities for a variety of stage works now and in the future."

[Peet]

Writer: Ithaca is 'Berkeley[1] of the East'

Can't be true. Ithaca doesn't have an operating system[2] named after it.



[1] Two things of note have come from UCBerkeley; LSD and UNIX . This is not a coincidence.

[2] Don't be fooled by cheap Finnish imitations; BSD is the One True Code. - Jim Mercer -

[Jimmy Valentine's brother]

There is absolutely no industry other than the colleges to support a local economy.

Yes Ithaca Guns long gone as well as Morse Chain. BTW, Ithaca College and 3/4 of Cornell are New York State institutions so a lot Ithaca citizens are living on backs of taxpayers.

[McGruff]

My brother lives in the Penn Yan area and it's salt of the earth type people. We may be going up that way on vacation next week. Here in Connecticut the cities tend to be liberal havens but get outside them and you'll see more republican yard signs the democrat ones.