somehow I feel like this post is about rent prices and yet nobody's mentioned rent prices so far.

If you're looking for a 1br or a studio you're paying upwards of $800 a month because Ithaca is a college town with prices determined by student demand. Pet-friendly places may be harder to find/cost more.

Roommates are necessary if you want to pay less than that. Hope you find something that suits you, I agree that it's a fantastic place to live but so do landlords and most of them are not as flexible as they should be when lots of rooms are vacant.

That said, lots of rooms are currently vacant (many more signs in collegetown than usual) so it's certainly worth contacting as many as you can looking for a great deal.

Best of luck!