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Ithaca Urban Retreat I, Your family home in downtown Ithaca

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Welcome to our Ithaca Urban Retreat!
Comfortable living room with lots of natural light.
Entertainment center with "smart" tv.
A basket full of brochures to help you plan your day.
Lots of local attractions!

Reviews

10 out of 10
Exceptional
3 bedrooms1+ bathroomSleeps 692.9 sq m

Popular amenities

  • Parking available
  • Dryer
  • Washer
  • Pet-friendly
  • Kitchen
  • Barbecue grill

Explore the area

Map
Ithaca, NY
  • Ithaca Falls Natural Area
    ‪15 min walk‬
  • Ithaca Commons
    ‪15 min walk‬
  • Cornell University
    ‪6 min drive‬
  • Ithaca, NY (ITH-Tompkins Regional)
    ‪12 min drive‬

Rooms & beds

3 bedrooms (sleeps 6)

Bedroom 1

1 Queen Bed

Bedroom 2

1 Double Bed

Bedroom 3

1 Single Bed

Living Room 1

1 Double Sofa Bed

1 bathroom, 1 half bathroom

Bathroom 1

Soap · Towels provided · Bathtub or shower · Toilet · Shampoo · Hair dryer

Bathroom 2

Soap · Towels provided · Toilet · Hair dryer

Spaces

Deck or patio
Porch or lanai
Kitchen
Outdoor play area
Garden
Dining area

About this property

Ithaca Urban Retreat I, Your family home in downtown Ithaca

Convenient to everything! Our "Ithaca Urban Retreat I" is a first floor 3-bedroom, 1.5-bath home in a 2-family house located in a downtown neighborhood. Ideal for family visits to Cornell or to Ithaca College. A new sofa bed in the LR gives sleep space for 2 more family members if needed. Desk with a computer monitor in the back bedroom offers a quiet space for work or study. High speed internet offers 132 Mbps. Please inform us if you want to use the sofa bed. Well-behaved pets welcome; $100 pet fee required. Please ask. For large family groups rent the upstairs, too! (ithaca-urban-retreat-2)
The apartment reflects 19th-century country charm, while providing updated amenities of a modern city apartment! The "country" shows through in the wood floors, the newly-painted original wood floor in the front bedroom, the antique kitchen cupboard as well as other interesting 19th furniture pieces found in houses of this era in Central New York. These furnishings have been complemented tastefully with new ones and accented with loved items to help you feel at home. An antique quilt made by Chad's great-grandmother after the civil war is used as a wall hanging welcoming you to the home. Window AC units cool the bedrooms and dining area; a tower unit cools the living room. Please respect the guest staying in the upstairs apartment by observing quiet time after 11pm.
Entry to the apartment is presently through the back door. Walk along the left side of the house to the back porch. The entire first floor apartment with its front and back porches is yours alone. Professionally cleaned to help you be safe.
There is another apartment upstairs with its own outdoor deck. The back yard, play area, garden and laundry are shared spaces used by both units. We have cleaning wipes available to wipe down door knobs and the laundry area before & after use to help protect one-another.
We respect your privacy, but are available for questions and concerns.
* Easy walk to the Commons .7mi, Ithaca Falls .8mi, and local restaurants .3mi.
* Bike (jog, walk) to area parks and Cayuga Lake along Ithaca Waterfront trail via the nearby gateway .2mi
* Fill your shopping bag at the Ithaca Farmer's Market .4mi, or have lunch there on the dock overlooking Cayuga inlet
* Walk to Purity for its famous ice cream .3mi
* 1.5 miles to Cornell Arts Quad and 2.5 miles to Ithaca College
* Easy on/off access from Rt. 13.
The Northside neighborhood is a triangle defined be Gimme Coffee to the southeast, Purity Ice Cream to the southwest and the ScienCenter to the north. It is unique in a number of ways: Like the nearby Fall Creek neighborhood, it is conveniently close to many of the attractions of Ithaca and yet remains distinctly residential in flavor. The Northside typically has lower density per acre than the other downtown neighborhoods; which translates into more open space between houses and larger gardens surrounding them. Historically it was an entry point for many immigrant families moving into Ithaca and remains the most ethnically and economically diverse neighborhood in the city today. In the context of Ithaca's recently approved Comprehensive Plan, it anticipates many future-oriented goals; pedestrian-friendly, affordable housing, mixed use buildings, good bus service, neighborhood-oriented retail on its perimeter, good-access to parks and other recreational opportunities. Many young families are choosing to make the Northside their home.
Ithaca is very walkable and is the preferred way of getting around! Several bike shops and the Ithaca Youth Bureau offer reasonably-priced bike rental--another great option. There is plenty of parking available on the street if you have a car. T-CAT bus service is just a block away to take you up the hill to Cornell or downtown (& transfer to most anywhere.)
The new main entry is being completed little by little. Until it is done, entry is via the back door. The work will not affect your enjoyment of the home or porches.

Property manager

Ann and Chad Hoover
Premier Host

Languages

English

Add dates for prices

Amenities

Kitchen
Washer
Dryer
Pet-friendly
Free WiFi
Air conditioning

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House Rules

Check in after 4:00 PM
Minimum age to rent: 25
Check out before 11:00 AM
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Children

Children allowed: ages 0–17
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Events

No events allowed
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Pets

Pets allowed: dogs less than 9 kg per pet (limit one pet total)
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Smoking

Smoking is not permitted
Well behaved pets allowed ($100 fee)
Walk dog away from house--not in the back yard. Pick up after your pet. Dispose of waste in labeled container.

Important information

You need to know

Extra-person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy
Government-issued photo identification and a credit card, debit card or cash deposit may be required at check-in for incidental charges
Special requests are subject to availability upon check-in and may incur additional charges; special requests cannot be guaranteed
This property accepts cash
On-site parties or group events are strictly prohibited
Host has not indicated whether there is a carbon monoxide detector on the property; consider bringing a portable detector with you on the trip
Host has indicated that there is a smoke detector on the property
Safety features at this property include a fire extinguisher and a first aid kit

About the area

Ithaca

Located in Ithaca, this holiday home is in the city centre. Shoppers can check out Ithaca Commons, while everyone can enjoy the natural beauty of Buttermilk Falls State Park and Cayuga Lake. Looking to enjoy an event or a game while in town? See what's happening at Newman Arena or Robert J. Kane Sports Complex.
Map
Ithaca, NY

What's nearby

  • Ithaca Farmers Market - 7 min walk - 0.6 km
  • Ithaca Falls Natural Area - 15 min walk - 1.3 km
  • Ithaca Commons - 15 min walk - 1.3 km
  • Ithaca College - 4 min drive - 3.2 km
  • Cornell University - 6 min drive - 3.9 km

Getting around

  • Ithaca, NY (ITH-Tompkins Regional) - 12 min drive

Restaurants

  • ‪Purity Ice Cream Co. - ‬7 min walk
  • ‪Ithaca Bakery - ‬9 min walk
  • ‪The BoatYard Grill - ‬3 min drive
  • ‪Northstar House - ‬13 min walk
  • ‪Shortstop Deli - ‬10 min walk

Frequently asked questions

Is Ithaca Urban Retreat I, Your family home in downtown Ithaca pet-friendly?

Yes, this property allows dogs (limit 1 total) with a maximum weight of up to 9 kg per pet.

What time is check-in at Ithaca Urban Retreat I, Your family home in downtown Ithaca?

Check-in begins at 4:00 PM.

What time is check-out at Ithaca Urban Retreat I, Your family home in downtown Ithaca?

Checkout is at 11:00 AM.

Where is Ithaca Urban Retreat I, Your family home in downtown Ithaca located?

Located in North Side, this holiday home is within 1 mi (2 km) of Sciencenter and Ithaca Commons. Cornell University is 2.2 mi (3.5 km) away.

Reviews

10

Exceptional

Reviews are presented in chronological order, subject to a moderation process, and verified unless otherwise labelled.
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Rating 10 - Excellent. 38 out of 39 reviews
Rating 8 - Good. 0 out of 39 reviews
Rating 6 - Okay. 1 out of 39 reviews
Rating 4 - Poor. 0 out of 39 reviews
Rating 2 - Terrible. 0 out of 39 reviews

10/10

Cleanliness

9.8/10

Check-in

9.8/10

Communication

9.4/10

Location

10/10

Listing accuracy

Reviews

10/10 Excellent

Laura B.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Family weekend

We had a great stay in Ithaca and the house was perfect for us! The owners were accommodating and wonderful communicators. Super convenient to all that we needed to a college sports weekend. Thank you!
Stayed 4 nights in Feb 2025

10/10 Excellent

Arash G.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Cornell family Weekend

Super cute and clean. Also great location!
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2024

10/10 Excellent

Audra L.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Awesome

Ann was there if we needed her. You won’t be disappointed if you stay here. Again awesome.
Stayed 5 nights in Nov 2024

10/10 Excellent

Denise L.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great location and very comfortable home.

We were in Ithaca for a wedding and enjoyed the Urban Retreat I as a fantastic home base. We walked to the farmers' market, coffee shops, restaurants, Ithaca Falls, and downtown Ithaca. The furniture was comfortable, kitchen was well setup, and the property had beautiful grounds, great outdoor spaces, window coverings for privacy, and abundant natural light. We had a wonderful stay. We did not receive check-in instructions prior to arrival, but fortunately Ann answered when we called and got us taken care of. We stayed nearly a week and there were some minor items that would be easy fixes by the owner that became a little irritating over time, which we have passed on to the owner. All in all, we couldn't have picked a better location or more comfortable home to stay on our trip to Ithaca. We would highly recommend it.
Stayed 5 nights in Oct 2024

10/10 Excellent

Eileen P.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Lovely Ithaca retreat

Very comfortable, quiet and perfect location for everywhere we needed to be.
Stayed 3 nights in Sep 2024

10/10 Excellent

Michele E.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Ithaca

A lovely place.This first floor of a two story house is well appointed, cozy, beds were comfortable and was convenient to everything.
Stayed 7 nights in Jul 2024

10/10 Excellent

Stewart O.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Comfortable retreat in Ithaca

Nicely renovated duplex. We were in the downstairs apartment. Easy street parking, walk-able to downtown, quiet street. Great kitchen for meal prep and hanging out. Easy connection to smart TV, good internet. We really enjoyed Ithaca in the summer. Owner very responsive to any issues.
Stayed 6 nights in Jul 2024

6/10 Okay

Adrienne S.

Liked: Cleanliness
Disliked: Check-in, communication, location

Difficult Check-In

I had to reach out twice to get entry instructions. When I got them, they were for the wrong unit. I had to ask again. I DID get an apology from the other host. Then I had to rea h out again to ask for wi-if info. Unit is very worn, and fittings and furnishings are dated. The back garden is fantastic. There are no blinds on kitchen double doors to the back deck (entry) so we were caught in our pj’s by the other guests (ok with me, uncomfortable for one of my guests). Floors are super creaky and not insulated, so the little kids running around upstairs were noisy. There was an attempted drive-by shooting two doors down, mid-day on Friday. It was loud and shocking but we were convinced it was firecrackers until the police were swarming the street.
Stayed 3 nights in Jun 2024

10/10 Excellent

david m.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Nice house

It was a nice house with a pretty back yard & nice front porch.
Stayed 4 nights in May 2024

10/10 Excellent

Alex B.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Quaint older home with an cozy interior

We experienced a great weekend stay in a quiet, cozy home. Loved the backyard, flowers in the garden, and everything you may need in the kitchen to be comfortable. Although we did not cook there, we were able to use the kitchen for 6 people comfortably when eating and reheating take out foods. Close to everything enjoyable in ithaca, including The Commons, Buttermilk Falls and both Cornell University and Ithaca College. We never had a hard time parking 2 cars right in front of the house. The front porch allowed our dog and us to hang out and enjoy the cool breeze in the afternoon. Covered when it drizzled. The house is a classical Ithaca older home renovated to keep the old charm of hard wood floors, lots of doors and windows, all with proper mosquito window screens. Comfortable bed mattresses with lots of blankets and pillows. Overall, charming, cozy and full of older home charm.
Stayed 2 nights in May 2024

10/10 Excellent

Steve G., Austin, Texas USA

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

perfect

Wonderful host, clean and terrific walkable location to commons
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2024

10/10 Excellent

Anne M.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Lovely weekend stay

This rental was the perfect size our family of four and 2 dogs. Home is very clean. Even though dogs are allowed… the home smells clean and I was not bothered by dander (I have a mild dog allergy even though we own 2 who not allowed on furniture because of it). The location is fabulous. Short drive or walk to everything in Ithaca. On a quiet street. The hosts are super responsive and helpful when needed. This is our second stay at one of their properties and would stay again.
Stayed 2 nights in Feb 2024

10/10 Excellent

Chris D.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Delightful stay at Urban Retreat 1

We absolutely loved this property! Beautiful and so much natural light coming in from multiple rooms made it a very warm place to relax. It was colder than we are used to being from Florida, but the house was cozy throughout. We loved walking into town, which was easy! We went to Gimme Coffee, the cat cafe, and a bookstore on Buffalo street to name a few. So well located! Hope we can stay again someday!
Stayed 3 nights in Nov 2023

10/10 Excellent

Lisa D.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

great retreat home

we loved at our time at The Urban Retreat. Looking forward to next year
Stayed 2 nights in Nov 2023

10/10 Excellent

Tania B.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great house!

Great house! Have stayed multiple times and loved it!
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2023

10/10 Excellent

Russel H.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great time in Ithaca

This was our third time staying here. We love it! Great location, very clean and love the layout of the rooms. We'll be back!
Stayed 4 nights in Oct 2023

10/10 Excellent

Tania B.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Great house

Nice place, great location and very nice and responsive owners. Will be back.
Stayed 2 nights in Oct 2023

10/10 Excellent

Dylan F.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Pleasant Stay in Downtown Ithaca

Had a wonderful time with my wife and some friends of ours while we stayed at this property, just a short walking distance from Ithaca Farmers market where we attended a wedding. The property is well maintained with comfortable sleeping arrangements, a open kitchen and plenty of seating / lounge space. There is also a lot of natural light and a covered deck space out front (accessible from within the home only). Thanks Ann!
Stayed 4 nights in Aug 2023

10/10 Excellent

Topher H.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Beautiful cozy house with charm and plenty in walking distance

We had a great stay and loved hanging out on the porch. A cozy, clean house with everything you need and plenty of charm. We had a brief problem with the fire alarms all going off when we first got there, but the hosts were extremely responsive and came over within minutes to resolve it. Would gladly stay again (and hope that we do someday!).
Stayed 5 nights in Jul 2023

10/10 Excellent

Lisa C.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Girls trip

Awesome amenities, clean, comfortable and well appointed. Walking distance to farmers market and downtown, easy driving distance to parks, waterfalls and wineries. Great trip!
Stayed 3 nights in Jun 2023

10/10 Excellent

charlene c.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Would recommend

The property was just as advertised - clean and the layout was perfect for us (three "old" college friends). The host was helpful with suggestions. We spent time in the evenings sitting on the front porch and enjoyed the back patio and garden one afternoon. The living room was also very comfortable and the neighborhood is quiet. The walk to Ithaca Commons was a bit farther than we realized - maybe 15/20 minutes total, but it's through a pleasant residential section. And parking was really easy which was a plus.
Stayed 3 nights in Jun 2023

10/10 Excellent

Amy N.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Ithaca graduation weekend

The property was neat, tidy clean, well, decorated uncomfortable for our family of four adults. It was easy, walking distance to the farmers market and Ithaca, bakery and purity ice cream. It made an excellent homebase for graduation weekend. The garden was very attractive. I would stay there again.
Stayed 3 nights in May 2023

10/10 Excellent

Lynn M.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Beautiful home!

The home is lovely and well-cared for. One of the nicest places I’ve rented through VRBO.
Stayed 3 nights in May 2023

10/10 Excellent

Suzanne M.

Liked: Cleanliness, communication, location, listing accuracy

Pleasant and Clean

Home was appointed with all we needed. Ann was very responsive and helpful the whole time. The place looks even cuter in person. Conveniently located - my daughter and I walked to the commons for dinner and went for a run around Ithaca one morning. A bit of a glitch getting in but it was resolved quickly which is a plus! Current entry path to backyard doesn't work very well especially with the wet conditions we had but sounds like that is temporary. Would def stay again.
Stayed 2 nights in Apr 2023

10/10 Excellent

Nanne O.

Liked: Cleanliness, check-in, communication, location, listing accuracy

Lovely house and great location

We greatly enjoyed our stay at this property! The house was clean, is filled with light, and has a great floor plan. The kitchen is wonderful: lots of counter space, plenty of dishes, nice appliances, and a lovely place to eat. The living room is a great place to relax. The beds are very comfortable, and the bathrooms are nice. Being older, we greatly appreciated the grab bars in the tub/shower. The porches in front and back provide great added space! The back porch looks out onto a nice backyard that also includes swings for those who have children. The host is extremely responsive and answered questions incredibly quickly. I highly recommend this rental! We will definitely rent this property again when we are again visiting Ithaca.
Stayed 2 nights in Nov 2022

About the host

Hosted by Ann and Chad Hoover

Host profile image
While Chad completed grad school at Cornell, Ann discovered that Ithaca was the ideal place to raise a family---so we stayed, bought this house, and lovingly renovated both the upstairs and downstairs. Our family grew in and out of it, and we have many fond memories of our time here.

Why they chose this property

Being new empty-nesters, we realized we have the opportunity to downsize and live in half the house...When the kids and grandchildren visit, we can expand into the upstairs apartment, but rent it for short-term vacations when not occupied. The unit has been renovated and furnished with the intent to make it our home. But, we aren't quite ready to downsize, so, for the time-being, we are offering this downstairs unit as a short term rental. Check out the upstairs at "Ithaca Urban Retreat II" property #836842. We hope you enjoy this space and the care we have put into it.

What makes this property unique

Ithaca is a unique city with a small-town feel to it. We have loved the Northside, our neighbors here, the variety and diversity. We value the ability to walk-to-everything. I got my exercise for years walking up Cascadilla Gorge to Cornell (one of the best commutes in the world!) At the same time shopping, parks and cultural events are an easy walk/bicycle ride/drive away. Ithaca is amazing, and this apartment is in the heart of it all!

Languages:

English

Premier Host

They consistently provide great experiences for their guests