Why Ithaca looks the way it does

Today at the weekly Rose cafe I have to admit I was more distracted than ever.  This was simply because the Guiding Eyes dog that I am a sitter for was there and was very energetic today.  My attention was split between paying attention to the speaker and making sure she didn’t get up and walk around or bark in the middle of the talk.  Her presence was known by everyone there as when our house dog Pepper walked in and walked around, my dog got up to go play with her.  Unfortunately for Pepper she started barking and had to leave.

While I was more distracted the talk was incredibly interesting.  The speaker was talking about the planning of Ithaca and why spaces were the way they were.  It was interesting to hear about the expansion of the city outside of Cornell and the many opportunities and different spaces we have here.  It also made me think of how Cornell was expanding and what our school would do to expand, how it would look, and how it would affect Ithaca.  It was also interesting to hear about the events that happen in Ithaca Commons and how special the layout of the commons is.  I really enjoy spending time in the Commons because of its unique design and was also impressed with the video of the concerts held there.

It was also interesting that the area where Wegmans is, is something that the people of Ithaca were against.  When I am up here at Cornell I go to that area to get a lot of the things I need or want.  I go shopping at Wegmans, pick up pet supplies at Pet Smart, and grab lunch at one of the many food places available.  I will run over to Barnes and Nobles to grab a book or go to Walmart for things I need.  It surprised me that Ithaca doesn’t want a commercial place like this in their city.

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