A fun place, not too commercial
I disagree with the negative reviews about the Commons, but I suspect they did not like it because it is not a bustling, sanitized shopping place. It has a small playground my daughter loves, bookshops, eclectic stores with bizarre stuff, and some very nice restaurants. It was a bit down at the heel a few years ago, but it is not at all scary lately. Check out the Wikipedia entry on it. For touristy things, there's a scale model of the solar system that starts in the center of the Commons with a small Sun model and the closer planets, and it stretches out down Cayuga street 3/4 mile, planets appearing every few blocks, ending with Pluto at the ScienCenter. Dunno what they'll do with Pluto not a planet anymore LOL.