Nightlife

Ithaca has quite a lot of theater and music programs, especially in summer. The Kitchen Theater, 116 N. Cayuga St. (tel. 607/273-4497), in the historic Greek Revival Clinton House, is a top spot for year-round classic and contemporary theater. In summer, the Hangar Theatre, just north of downtown, on Taughannock Boulevard/Route 89 (tel. 607/273-8588), offers professional, children's, and experimental theater in a renovated municipal airport hangar near Lake Cayuga. The State Theatre, 111 W. State St. (tel. 607/277-6633; www.stateofithaca.com), a historic theater that had been condemned, is in the process of being fully refurbished; it hosts a wide array of programs from rock (Ani DiFranco) to plays like The Vagina Monologues. Summer outdoor concert series are held at The Commons, Taughannock Falls State Park, and the Cornell University quad. For more information on music and performing arts, see www.ithacaevents.com. The annual 4-day Ithaca Festival, held the first weekend after Memorial Day, features several stages and performances by musicians, painters, dance groups, and more. Visit www.ithacafestival.org for more information or call tel. 607/273-4646.

Just a Taste Wine & Tapas Bar makes a good stop for flights of wine and appetizers before moving on for dinner or a show. Another restaurant with a great bar and a late-night crowd is Maxie's Supper Club. Chanticleer, 101 W. State St. (tel. 607/272-9678) -- famous for its neon rooster sign on the corner -- is a low-key watering hole with a bit of a gritty feel to go with its pool tables and jukebox. Also near The Commons is Micawber's Tavern, 118 N. Aurora (tel. 607/273-9243), a lively bar with live pop and rock music and "Happy 15 Minutes" starting at 5:15pm. If it's a more relaxed drink you're after, The Baggage Room, 806 W. Buffalo St. (tel. 607/2721-2609), a small but atmospheric lounge set in the luggage room of Ithaca's former train station, is a real throwback. Up on the hill in Collegetown near Cornell, Stella's Martini Bar, 403 College Ave. (tel. 607/277-1490), is one of the coolest spots, with live music on weekends.

Ten miles north (on Rte. 96) of Ithaca, in Trumansburg ("T-Burg"), is a handful of bars, including the curiously named live-music pub Rongovian Embassy to the U.S. (known to local barflies as the Rongo). Find its stage featuring local rock bands and a good selection of beers at 1 Main St. (tel. 607/387-3334; www.rongo.com). It's open until 1am Tuesday to Sunday.