Ithaca: Little Apple (nickname)

Ithaca, New York, has called itself the “Little Apple,” in contrast to New York City, the “Big Apple.” The “Little Apple” nickname was coined and promoted in 1981 by David Lytel, Ithaca Festival coordinator.
   
“The ‘Little Apple’ designation was suggested by Lytel (David Lytel, Ithaca Festival coordinator—ed.) this week as a means of promoting Ithaca city tourism. The city’s Common Council is considering an advertising campaign, and Lytel offered the Festival’s services to design the ads” was printed in the Ithaca (NY) Journal on March 6, 1981. “Ithaca, The Little Apple” is an ad that was printed in The Evening Press (Binghamton, NY) on May 28, 1981.
   
“Little Apple” is also used as a nickname for Manhattan (Kansas), Yonkers (New York) and Toronto (Canada). Roosevelt Island (New York City) used the “Little Apple” nickname in the 1970s.
   
     
Wikipedia: Ithaca, New York
Ithaca /ˈɪθəkə/ is a city and college town in the Finger Lakes region of New York, United States. It is the seat of Tompkins County and the largest community in the Ithaca–Tompkins County metropolitan area. Ithaca is situated on the southern shore of Cayuga Lake, in Central New York. It is named after the Greek island of Ithaca.
 
Ithaca is home to Cornell University and Ithaca College.
             
Newspapers.com
6 March 1981, Ithaca (NY) Journal, “Ithaca Festival awaits word on federal cutbacks” by Jane Marcham, pg. 3, col. 4:
If New York City is the Big Apple, can Ithaca call itself the Little Apple for purposes of tourism promotion?
(...)
The “Little Apple” designation was suggested by Lytel (David Lytel, Ithaca Festival coordinator—ed.) this week as a means of promoting Ithaca city tourism. The city’s Common Council is considering an advertising campaign, and Lytel offered the Festival’s services to design the ads.
 
They could say, “The Little Apple is a mythical place—Ithaca is the Little Apple,’” Lytle told the Common Council, while describing a possible ad in the New York Times. Lytel said the point is that New York City dwellers “can leave the city behind, and still find cultural attractions in Upstate New York.”
   
Newspapers.com
15 May 1981, Ithaca (NY) Journal, “Festival sells 2,000 buttons,” pg.3, col. 5:
A fund-raising preview party will take place from 7 to 10 tonight at the Clinton House, when a 30-minute documentary on Ithaca and the annual arts festivals will be shown.
   
“Ithaca: The Little Apple,” with Barbara Mink of WHCU radio as narrator, will be telecast by 15 public broadcasting and cable television channels in the state this month, including New York, Albany, Syracuse, Buffalo and Binghamton channels.
 
Newspapers.com
28 May 1981, The Evening Press (Binghamton, NY), pg. 4-B, col. 1 ad:
Ithaca, The Little Apple
(Ithaca Festival 1981.—ed.)
 
Newspapers.com
30 May 1981, Ithaca (NY) Journal, “Ithaca Festival sets sites for all over town” by Jane Marcham, pg. 3, cols. 3-4:
An advertisement in a New York Times Sunday supplement also was a bit controversial. The ad, bought with city funds, invited readers to partake of the festival and other local attractions and highlighted Ithaca as “The Little Apple.”
 
That appellation was not universally admired. Remarking that Ithaca “lacks the dirt, crime, humidity and overpricing of the metropolis which goes by the silly title of The Big Apple, Ricahrd L. Greene of New Haven wrote, “Ithaca is in no sense a smaller New York City and should not try to be one.”
     
Google Books 
Farmsteads & Market Towns:
A Handbook for Preserving the Cultural Landscape
By the Preservation League of New York State
Albany, NY: The League
1982
Pg. 25:
We now call Ithaca “the little apple.”
 
Newspapers.com
7 June 1983, Ithaca (NY) Journal, “Letters to the Journal,” pg. 10, col. 3:
A past festival celebration referred to us as “The Little Apple.”
(...)
Nancy B. Schuler
Fourth Ward Alderman
Ithaca
 
Google Groups: alt.culture.ny-upstate
Mitch Collinsworth
Jun 4, 1993, 12:05:23 PM
(...)
Such a high percentage of Ithaca people are from elsewhere that the culture is imported, rather than locally defined. In fact so many of the people come from one area in particular that one of Ithaca’s nicknames is the little apple. Of course there is no distinct boundary between Ithaca and surrounding areas. What do you suggest, a wall? That’s been tried elsewhere, but it didn’t last. 😊
 
-Mitch Collinsworth
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
   
Google Books
Inn Spots and Special Places: Mid-Atlantic
By Nancy Woodworth
West Hartford, CT: Wood Pond Press
1995
Pg. 464:
Ithaca, N.Y.
The Little Apple
 
Google Groups: alt.culture.ny-upstate
Upstate Independence (was: When the hell…)
Raphael Copeland
Dec 6, 1996, 3:00:00 AM
(...)
As I went to Binghsmton University, I know that Binghamton is the “Carousel City”. I have also heard Ithaca referred to as the “Little Apple” because of the large number of boutiques and such.
 
Twitter 
San Dimas Rotary
@SanDimasRotary
Rotary Club of Ithaca and the Savage Club will host the “Little Apple http://bit.ly/drwRYF
12:47 PM · Sep 16, 2010·TweetDeck
   
Twitter
Lynn Hayes
@LHayes1098
“Little Apple” event returns to State Theatre | The Ithaca Journal ...: Ithaca—The second annual ‘Little Appl… http://bit.ly/pTFyVB
6:18 PM · Aug 29, 2011·twitterfeed
   
Twitter
John
@usmleschool
Benefits seen coming to the Little Apple, too - Ithaca Journal http://sgoti.ws/tbbPhE #usmle
10:35 PM · Dec 20, 2011·SuiteBird
   
Twitter
IthacaEvents.com
@IthacaEvents
LAFF (Little Apple Fall Follies): Oct 5th, 2013The 4th annual LAFF (Little Apple Fall Follies) Ithaca’s Talent… http://bit.ly/13RxT95
11:42 AM · Sep 12, 2013·twitterfeed
   
Twitter
JS_During_The_Pandemic
@DuringJs
Replying to @addie_1122 @RoArquette and @marceelias
Yes, unless you’re talking about Tompkins County by Cayuga Lake which is dark blue. Ithaca, NY prides itself as the Little Apple as opposed to the Big Apple (NYC) which is also majority blue.
8:02 PM · Nov 13, 2021·Twitter Web App
   
Twitter
JS_During_The_Pandemic
@DuringJs
Replying to @Pamilia02281
Ithaca, NY attracts a lot of people from NYC and it’s expensive because of it. The first person whom I had a meaningful conversation in Ithaca turned out to be a NYC transplant. Its nickname is the Little Apple because there are many restaurants like the Big Apple.
4:39 PM · Nov 17, 2021·Twitter Web App
 
Twitter
JS_During_The_Pandemic
@DuringJs
Replying to @DuringJs @RidleyDM and 5 others
Nickname for Ithaca is the Little Apple vs the Big Apple for NYC.
5:47 PM · Mar 5, 2022·Twitter Web App
 
Twitter
Butler’s Ride
@butlersride1
Replying to @WaterflowerM
That’s why Ithaca is often called “the little apple.”  💙💙
11:36 AM · Mar 8, 2022·Twitter for iPhone