Rochester, New York

Rochester
—  City  —
A portion of Rochester's skyline, looking north-northeast along the Genesee River from the Ford Street Bridge.
Flag Seal
Nickname(s): "The Flour City", "The Flower City", "The World's Image Centre"
Motto: Rochester: Made for Living
Location of Rochester in New York State
Coordinates:
Country	United States
State	New York
County	Monroe
Government[1]
- Type	Mayor-Council
- Mayor	Robert Duffy (D)
- City Council	Members' List At-Large Members • Carolee A. Conklin (D) • Dana K. Miller (D) • Jacklyn Ortiz (D) • Matt Haag (D) • Loretta C. Scott (D) Northeast District: • Lovely A. Warren (D) President East District: • Elaine G. Spaull (D) VP South District: • Adam McFadden (D) Northwest District: • Carla M. Palumbo (D)
Area
- City	37.1 sq mi (96.1 km2)
- Land	35.8 sq mi (92.8 km2)
- Water	1.3 sq mi (3.3 km2)
Elevation	505 ft (154 m)
Population (2000 Census)
- City	219,773
- Estimate (2009)	207,294
- Density	6,132.9/sq mi (2,368.3/km2)
- Metro	1,098,201
Demonym	Rochesterian
Time zone	EST (UTC-5)
- Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP code	146xx (14604=downtown)
Area code(s)	585
FIPS code	36-63000
GNIS feature ID	0962684
Website	www.cityofrochester.gov

Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. The Rochester metropolitan area is the second largest regional economy in all of New York State according to the U.S. Internal Revenue, after the New York City metropolitan area.^[2] Known as The World's Image Centre,^[3] it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City. It is the county seat for Monroe County.

Rochester's city population is approximately 219,773, making it New York's third most populous city after New York City and Buffalo. It is at the center of a larger Metropolitan Area which encompasses and extends beyond Monroe County and includes Genesee County, Livingston County, Ontario County, Orleans County and Wayne County. This area, which is part of the Western New York region, had a population of 1,037,831 people at the time of the 2000 Census. As of 1 July 2005, this population rose slightly, to 1,039,028.^[4]

Rochester was ranked as the sixth 'most livable city' among 379 U.S. metropolitan areas in the 25th edition (2007) of the Places Rated Almanac.^[5] The Rochester area also received the top ranking for overall quality of life among U.S. metros with populations of more than 1 million in a 2007 study by Expansion Management magazine.^[6][7] In the same study, Expansion Management rated the area's public schools as sixth best nationwide.^[8] In 2010 Forbes rated Rochester as the 3rd best place to raise a family.^[9]

The current mayor of Rochester is Robert Duffy, who was previously the city's police chief. On May 26, 2010, Attorney General Andrew Cuomo selected Duffy to be his running mate in his bid for the governor's office.

Founding and early history

An aerial view of downtown Rochester from 1938

On November 8, 1803, a 100 acre (ca. 40 ha) tract in Western New York along the Genesee River was purchased by Col. Nathaniel Rochester, Maj. Charles Carroll, and Col. William Fitzhugh, Jr. (1761–1839), all of Hagerstown, Maryland. The site was chosen because of three cataracts on the Genesee, offering great potential for water power. Beginning in 1811, and with a population of 15, the three founders surveyed the land and laid out streets and tracts. In 1817, the Brown brothers and other landowners joined their lands with the Hundred Acre Tract to form the village of Rochesterville.

Aqueduct of the Erie Canal as it was built in 1842, replacing the original construction from 1823. In the 1920s, the Broad Street Bridge was erected on top of it.

By 1821, Rochesterville was the seat of Monroe County. In 1823, Rochesterville consisted of 1,012 acres (4 km²) and 2,500 residents, and the Village of Rochesterville became known as Rochester. Also in 1823, the Erie Canal aqueduct over the Genesee River was completed, and the Erie Canal east to the Hudson River was opened. In the early 20th century, after the advent of railroads, the presence of the canal in the center city became bothersome, and it was re-routed south of Rochester. By 1830, Rochester's population was 9,200 and in 1834, it was re-chartered as a city.

Rochester was first known as "The Young Lion of the West", and then as the "Flour City". By 1838, Rochester was the largest flour-producing city in the United States. Having doubled its population in only ten years, Rochester became America's first "boomtown". By the mid-nineteenth century, as the center of the wheat-processing industry moved west, the city became home to a booming nursery business, giving rise to the city's second nickname, the "Flower City." Large and small nurseries ringed the city, the most famous of which was the one started by German immigrant George Ellwanger and Irish immigrant Patrick Barry in 1840.^[10]

In 1847, Frederick Douglass founded the abolitionist newspaper The North Star in Rochester. Douglass, a former slave and an antislavery speaker and writer, gained a circulation of over 4,000 readers in the United States, Europe and the Caribbean. The North Star served as a forum for abolitionist views. The Douglass home burnt down in 1872,^[11] but a marker for it can be found in Highland Park off South Avenue. The city was also home to abolitionist and women's rights leader Susan B. Anthony. Anarchist Emma Goldman also lived and worked in Rochester for several years, championing the cause of labor in Rochester sweatshops.

Rochester experienced another period of renewed industrial activity in the post-Civil War years. It is in these years that companies like Eastman Kodak and Bausch & Lomb were founded in the city. This boom continued into the early twentieth century, when Rochester became a center of the garment industry, particularly men's fashions. It was home of enterprises such as Bond Clothing Stores, Fashion Park Clothes, Hickey Freeman, and Stein-Bloch & Co.. It was home to the pioneer automobile company Cunningham, produced by carriage maker James Cunningham and Sons.^[12]

The population reached 62,386 in 1870, 162,608 in 1900 and 295,750 in 1920. By 1950, population had reached a high of 332,488. It declined to 219,773 by 2000.

Geography and climate

Urban Rochester as seen from the air

Rochester is at (43.165496, -77.611504).^[13] The city is east of Buffalo, west of Syracuse and sits on the southern shore of Lake Ontario. The Genesee River bisects the city.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 37.1 square miles (96.1 km²), of which 35.8 square miles (92.7 km²) of it is land and 1.3 square miles (3.4 km²) of it (3.42%) is water.

Rochester's geography comes from the ice sheets during the Pleistocene epoch. The retreating ice sheets reached a standstill at what is now the southern border of the city, melting at the same rate as they were advancing, depositing sediment along the southern edge of the ice mass. This created a line of hills, including (from west to east) Mt. Hope, the hills of Highland Park, Pinnacle Hill, and Cobb's Hill. Because the sediment of these hills was deposited into a proglacial lake they are stratified and classified as a "kame delta". A brief retreat and readvance of the ice sheet onto the delta piled unstratified (moraine) material there, creating a rare hybrid structure called a "kame moraine".

The ice sheets also left behind Lake Ontario (one of the five fresh-water Great Lakes), the Genesee River with its waterfalls and gorges, Irondequoit Bay, Sodus Bay, Braddock Bay, Mendon Ponds, numerous local streams and ponds, the Ridge, and the nearby Finger Lakes.

According to the City of Rochester, the city has 537 miles (864 km) of public streets, 585 miles (941 km) of water mains, 44 vehicular and eight pedestrian bridges, 11 public libraries, two police stations (one for the east side, one for the west), and 15 firehouses. The principal source of water is Hemlock Lake, which, with its watershed, is owned by the city. Other water sources are Canadice Lake and Lake Ontario. The 30-year annual average snowfall is 95.0 inches (241 cm).^[14] The mean July temperature is 71.3 °F (21.8 °C) and the mean February temperature is 23.6 °F (−4.7 °C).

Rochester lies in the Humid continental climate zone, and has four distinct seasons, with often cold and snowy winters. Autumn features brilliant foliage colors, and summer sees generally comfortable temperatures that usually stay in the 80-85F (upper 20s Celsius) range accompanied by moderate to high humidity. Heatwaves are not uncommon during a typical summer. Precipitation is plentiful year round.

Demographics

According to the 2005-2007 American Community Survey 3-Year Estimates, the city's population was 50.3% White (41.0% non-Hispanic White alone), 43.2% Black or African American (39.9% non-Hispanic Black or African American alone), 0.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 3.3% Asian, 0.1% Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, 5.4% from some other race and 3.0% from two or more races. 13.6% of the total population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.^[20]

In the census^[21] of 2000, there were 219,773 people (206,759 estimated as of 2007),^[22] 88,999 households, and 47,169 families residing in the city. The population density was 6,132.9 people per square mile (2,368.3/km²). There were 99,789 housing units at an average density of 2,784.7/sq mi (1,075.3/km²). The racial makeup was 48.30% White, 38.55% African American, 0.47% Native American, 2.25% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 6.58% from other races, and 3.81% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 12.75% of the population. Ancestries include: German (10.9%), Italian (10.0%), Irish (9.6%), English (5.8%), and Polish (2.7%).^[23]

As of 1997, Rochester had the largest per capita deaf population in the United States.^[24]

There were 88,999 households of which 30.0% had children under 18 living with them, 25.1% were married couples living together, 23.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 47.0% were non-families. 37.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.2% had someone living alone 65 or older. The average household size was 2.36 and the average family size was 3.19.

Web site ePodunk estimates that Rochester has approximately 60% more gay males and lesbians per capita than the national average.^[25]

The city population was 28.1% under 18, 11.6% from 18 to 24, 32.2% from 25 to 44, 18.1% from 45 to 64, and 10.0% who were 65 or older. The median age was 31. For every 100 females there were 91.6 males. For every 100 females 18 and over, there were 87.3 males.

The median income for a city household was $27,123, and the median family income was $31,257. Males had a median income of $30,521, versus $25,139 for females. The per capita income for the city was $15,588. About 23.4% of families and 25.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 37.5% of those under age 18 and 15.4% of those age 65 or over.

Crime

In 2006 Rochester had 1259.6 reported violent crimes per 100,000 residents, compared to a national rate of 553.5.^[26] For 2006, Rochester had 827 personal crime incidents per 100,000 and 7,173 property crime incidents per 100,000.

With 100 being the national average, Rochester scores the following:

Personal Crime Risk - 170 Property Crime Risk - 134^[27]

In 2008, Rochester reported 42 murders (20.5 per 100,000 people), 98 sexual assaults, 1,059 robberies, 1,103 assaults, 2,808 burglaries, 7,060 larceny thefts, and 1,262 auto thefts.^[28]

Economy

Rochester is home to a number of international businesses, including Fortune 1000 company Eastman Kodak, as well as several national and regional companies. Xerox was founded in Rochester in 1906 as The Haloid Company,^[29] and retains a significant presence in Rochester, although its headquarters are now located in Norwalk, Connecticut. The Gannett newspaper company and Western Union were founded in the Rochester area by Frank Gannett and Hiram Sibley respectively but have since moved to other cities.

Because of the high prevalence of imaging and optical science among the industry and the universities, Rochester is known as the world capital of imaging. The Institute of Optics of the University of Rochester and the Rochester Institute of Technology in nearby Henrietta both have optics programs. In 2006, the University of Rochester became the largest employer in the Rochester area, surpassing Kodak.^[30]

Food and beverage

A white hot garbage plate.

One food product that Rochester calls its own is the "white hot", a variant of the hot dog made by the local Zweigle's company. Another local specialty is the "garbage plate," first served at Nick Tahou Hots. Rochester was home to French's Mustard, whose address was 1 Mustard Street.

Genesee Brewing Company, maker of the Genesee beers and JW Dundee's brand (Honey Brown) also calls Rochester home.

The Ragú brand of pasta sauce was originally produced in Rochester.

Other local franchises include: Bill Gray's (a hamburger/hot dog joint that lays claim to having "The World's Greatest Cheeseburger"), Country Sweet (known for their chicken wings and BBQ sauce), Boss Sauce, described as a "tantalizing sweet, spicy-hot gourmet after-sauce," was born from the restaurant Eddie's Chicken Coop, Tom Wahl's, Dibella's, Amiel's the Original Submarine and Roast Beef, Great Northern Pizza Kitchen, John's Tex-Mex, Zebb's, Don's Original, and Abbott's Frozen Custard. Dinosaur Bar-b-que, which originated in Syracuse, also operates their second franchise downtown in the former Lehigh Valley Railroad station on the Genesee River.

Major shopping centers

• Rochester Public Market
• Village Gate Square

Former shopping centers

• Midtown Plaza (Closed as of July 29, 2008)

Tallest structures

As of February, 2008 the top ten tallest buildings in the city are:^[31]

Companies

The Bausch & Lomb Tower and the Xerox Tower in downtown Rochester

Several companies have corporate headquarters in Rochester.

• Ambrosia Software - Software firm
• Bausch & Lomb - Contact lens care & Eye health
• Carestream Health - Health equipment and technology
• Eastman Kodak - Photography and Printing
• eBaum's World - Internet humor website
• Genesee Brewing Company - Brewery
• Gleason Corporation - Gear equipment manufacturer
• Hickey Freeman - hand made suits and clothing, including the Bobby Jones line
• Home Properties - Apartment and Properties firm
• Monro Muffler and Brake - Auto care chain
• Rochester Midland Corporation - Chemical manufacturing
• Rohrbach's - Microbrewery

Locally founded corporations that have since moved their headquarters to other states include French's, Gannett, Western Union, Champion and Xerox. Companies that moved their headquarters from the city of Rochester to the suburbs include Wegmans (Gates)^[32][33].

Government

Rochester is governed by a mayor and city council consisting of 4 district members and 5 at-large members.^[34] The city's police department is the Rochester Police Department.

Neighborhood Empowerment Team

Enforcement of property code violations in Rochester is currently handled by the Neighborhood Empowerment Team, or NET. Rather than utilizing a centralized code enforcement office as most cities do, each neighborhood in Rochester is assigned its own NET office, leading to considerable discrepancies in the manner and severity of enforcement. On July 16, 2008, it was announced that two of the NET offices would be closed, and another one relocated, due to the high cost and low value of operating the decentralized network.^[35]

Cityscape

Principal suburbs

Suburbs of the city include:Brighton, Brockport, Chili, Churchville, East Rochester, Fairport, Gates, Greece, Hamlin, Henrietta, Hilton, Irondequoit, Mendon, Ogden, Penfield, Pittsford, Riga, Rush, Scottsville, Spencerport, Webster, Victor and Wheatland.

Neighborhoods

Rochester has a number of neighborhoods, as well as popular communities in the inner ring suburbs, Brighton, Irondequoit and Greece and Pittsford. 10th ward, 19th Ward [3], 14621 Community [4], Barnard, Beechwood [5], Browncroft [6], Cascade District, Cobbs Hill, Charlotte, Corn Hill [7], Dewey, Dutchtown, Edgerton, Ellwanger-Barry, German Village, Grove Place [8], High Falls District, Highland park [9], Lyell-Otis, Dutchtown Maplewood [10], Marketview Heights [11], Mt. Read, Northern edge [12], Otis-Lyell [13], Park Avenue, Plymouth-Exchange, Southwest, East End, South Wedge, Swillburg [14], Susan B. Anthony [15], University-Atlantic, Upper Monroe [16], and more are all recognized communities.

Browncroft

The Browncroft neighborhood is built on the former nursery grounds of the Brown Brothers nursery. The business district situated on Winton Rd has a mix of restaurants and shops. The neighborhood borders the nearby Tyron and Ellison Parks.

Joseph Avenue

Extending across much of the north-central cityscape of Rochester, now including parts of the old Hudson Avenue and North Clinton neighborhoods, is the Joseph Avenue community. Also known as Polish Town or simply Avenue D and today almost entirely African American, this community suffered being the center of the 1964 riots.^[36][37] The riots did produce some benefits in the long run: the north-central area has been the site of ongoing urban renewal projects since the late 1960s, and, as noted by "JULY ’64" filmmakers Carvin Eison and Chris Christopher, inspired the developent of such important African American organizations such as The Urban League of Rochester as well as Rochester’s first anti-poverty organization (Action for a Better Community), and black community activist organization Freedom, Integration, God, Honor, Today (F.I.G.H.T.). (F.I.G.H.T.) was founded by Rev. Franklin Florence and Deleon McEwen, who would become the first president of (F.I.G.H.T). The establishment of this program came the assistance of Saul Alinsky. However, the neighborhood is still considered the most dangerous part of Rochester and is blighted by crime, drugs and gang activity.^[38]

Lyell Avenue

Once an Italian-American neighborhood, now a rainbow of many ethnicities, there have been recent efforts by community organizations to improve the quality of life in this neighborhood. It is known largely for its crime rate, especially instances of prostitution and drug sales.

19th Ward

The 19th Ward is a southwest neighborhood bordered by Genesee Street, West Avenue, the Erie Canal, and is across the river from the University of Rochester.^[39] Now known by its slogan "Urban by Choice," in the early 1800s the area was known as Castle Town, after Castle Inn, a tavern run by Colonel Isaac Castle. By the early 1820s however, the area became overshadowed by developments in the north that would later become downtown Rochester. Due to a tumultuous bend in the Genesee river, the area was home to skilled boatsmen that assisted boats traveling north to Rochester and the area was consequently known during this time as "The Rapids". In the 1890s, as Rochester expanded, the area became a prosperous residential area that thrived as the city grew. By 1930 it was a booming residential area for doctors, lawyers, and skilled workers; it includes the still prestigious Sibley Tract development. Homes in the originally upper-class neighborhood typically have gumwood trim, leaded glass, fireplaces, hardwood floors, and open porches. In the 1960s, property values declined as the population of Rochester did, the area experienced white flight accelerated by school busing, blockbusting, and race riots downtown, and crime increased, with violence, drug use, and neglected property further diminishing property values.^[40]

The 19th Ward has had an active community association since 1965, and is known for its cultural diversity. The current "Brooks Landing" development is successfully bringing new economic development to the community including an 88-room hotel, 20,000 sq foot office building, 11,000 sq feet of new retail, and Boulder Coffee shop.^[41]

Charlotte

Charlotte (shar-LOT) is a lake front community in Rochester bordering Lake Ontario. It is home to Ontario Beach Park, commonly known as Charlotte Beach, which is a popular summer destination for Rochesterians. A new terminal was built in 2004 for the Rochester-to-Toronto ferry service and was later sold after the ferry ceased operations in 2005. The Port of Rochester terminal still exists and has since been completely revamped. It now houses a popular high-end restaurant and event facility—Pier 45 at The Port, the restaurant Cheeburger Cheeburger, the restaurant California Rollin', a coffee shop named The Nutty Bavarian, and an Abbott's Frozen Custard.

Corn Hill

The Corn Hill neighborhood near downtown is one of the nation's best preserved Victorian neighborhoods and a center for art. It is also home to Corn Hill Landing, a shopping and housing strip located on the Genesee River. The annual Corn Hill Art Festival, a two day event held the weekend after the 4th of July, is one of the city's most popular gatherings for art display.

Upper Monroe

Located less than one and one-half miles from downtown, Upper Monroe encompasses 17 streets with 1400 households and approximately 3300 residents. Cobbs Hill Park, with its beautiful reservoir, tennis courts and athletic fields, forms the southeastern boundary of this neighborhood. Highland Park, world renown for its annual Lilac Festival, also is within walking distance.^[42] The Upper Monroe Neighborhood Association (UMNA) is a not-for-profit advocacy group representing the residents and property owners of the Upper Monroe neighborhood. Their goals are to ascertain the needs and concerns of the neighborhood and take positive action to address those needs and concerns.^[43] The neighborhood is also home to a number of small, local businesses including: Hardpact, Huey's Hair Company, Monty's Krown, Jeremiah's Tavern, and Park Ave. Pets.^[44]

East End

The East End is a residential neighborhood in Downtown Rochester but also the main nightlife district. The Eastman Theatre and the Eastman School of Music are in the East End, along with the Little Theatre, an independent film theatre and many clubs, bars and high-end restaurants.

Maplewood

A portion of the skyline of Rochester from a northeast perspective along the Genesee River.

Maplewood is a northwest neighborhood located south of Eastman Business Park and between the Genesee River and Dewey Avenue. Much of the area's charm comes from the use of parkways as well as parks and greenspace bordering the river. These features are the result of plans designed by Frederick Law Olmsted. The Maplewood Rose Garden is the second largest Rose Test Garden in the United States.

Park Avenue and the Neighborhood of the Arts

Lining the streets of Park Avenue are cafes, shops, pubs and restaurants. In a broader view, the total area surrounding University Avenue—known as the Neighborhood of the Arts—is one of the most culture and art-rich sections of the city. Located here are the Village Gate, Memorial Art Gallery, Rochester Museum and Science Center, Rochester Public Market, ARTWalk, George Eastman House, and high-end residential streets such as Granger Drive, East Boulevard, Douglas Road, Westminster Road, and Berkeley Street.

Plymouth-Exchange

Also known by the abbreviation PLEX, the Plymouth-Exchange neighborhood provides affordable housing for lower income families. Also home to many University of Rochester students, both grad and undergrad, it has a richly knit community and an active neighborhood association.

South Wedge

The South Wedge neighborhood dates back to 1827, prior to the incorporation of Rochester as a city.^[45] The area is bordered by Byron street in the north, South Clinton avenue and Interstate 490 on its east, Highland Park on its south, and The Genesee River on the west. Construction of the Erie Canal (the old canal bed which went by the neighborhood is now used by Interstate 490) brought workers to the area, who set up camps for the months that it took to complete this section of the canal.^[46] This racially integrated neighborhood is one of the neighborhoods in Rochester currently undergoing the process of gentrification, partially due to a recent increase in homeownership in the area.^[47][48] A lot of young people live in this area.

Susan B. Anthony Neighborhood

This neighborhood is a Preservation District on the National Register of Historic Places. It encompasses a three-and-one-half block area within walking distance from downtown Rochester, and comprises residential, commercial and industrial buildings. The center of the residential area is Susan B. Anthony Square, a .84 acre park shown on city maps from 1839, which was designed by the famous Olmstead Brothers. Also within the neighborhood is the Susan B. Anthony House, which was the suffragist’s residence for the last decades of her life, now a museum, as well as the Cunningham Carriage factory built in 1848 on Canal Street. James Cunningham Son & Co. sold more carriages in the United States in the 1880s than all other manufacturers combined. The Canal Street property, which still stands, remained Cunningham's headquarters for more than 100 years.

Swillburg

This pie-shaped piece of the city is bordered by S. Clinton Avenue, Field St, and Interstate 490.^[49] The neighborhood received its moniker when a 19th century Rochester pig farmer utilized the area to collect swill for his swine. The neighborhood association humorously honors its roots by using street signs featuring the Swillburg Pig. The area has one of the highest rates of homeownership in the city and is currently undergoing gentrification as well.

The local elementary school is #35, Field Street, which often sponsors a community garden in its courtyard on Pinnacle Street.

Marketview Heights

Running east from Union Street just north of Main Street, Marketview Heights is best known as the location of the Public Market, which offers a variety of groceries and other goods from marketeers from farms and shops from surrounding areas, primarily on the week-ends.

Homestead Heights

Homestead Heights is located in north-east Rochester. It is bordered on the west by Goodman Street, on the north by Clifford Avenue, on the south by Bay Street, and on the east by Culver Road, which is also the border between the city and the town of Irondequoit. The neighborhood is a mix of residential and commercial. Real estate values are higher on the eastern end of the neighborhood near the Irondequoit border. The neighborhood is approximately 2-2 1/4 miles west of the Irondequoit Bay.

Education

The City of Rochester is served by the Rochester City School District which encompasses all public primary and secondary education. The district is governed by a popularly elected seven-member Board of Education. There are also parochial and private primary and secondary schools located within the city. Rochester City Schools consistently post below-average results when compared to the rest of New York State. ^[50]

Colleges and Universities

Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School

• Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School
• Monroe Community College Damon City Campus
• St. Bernard's School of Theology and Ministry
• University of Rochester (including the Eastman School of Music)

Note: The Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) was founded in 1829 in Rochester but moved to Henrietta in 1968.^[51]

River Campus of the University of Rochester

University of Rochester

The University of Rochester (U of R), ranked as the 35th best university in the nation by U.S. News & World Report^[52] and was deemed "one of the new Ivies."^[53] The nursing school has received many awards and honors^[54] and the Simon School of Business is also ranked in the top 30 in many categories.^[55]

The University of Rochester's Laboratory for Laser Energetics (LLE) is home to one of the highest power lasers in the world, the OMEGA EP laser.^[56]

The university is also home to the Eastman School of Music, which in 2004 was ranked the number one music school in America.^[57]

Culture and recreation

The Little Theatre on East Avenue

Rochester Contemporary Art Center

The city of Rochester is home to numerous cultural institutions. These include the world-renowned Garth Fagan Dance, the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, George Eastman House, Memorial Art Gallery, Rochester Contemporary Art Center, Rochester Museum & Science Center, Strong National Museum of Play, the Strasenburgh Planetarium, and numerous arts organizations. Geva Theatre Center is the city's largest professional theatre.

Nightlife

Rochester's East End, within downtown, is well known throughout the area for being a center of late-night activity. It gets its name for being the stopping point for East Avenue, and both East and the surrounding streets are crowded with bars, nightclubs, coffee shops and high-end restaurants. The Eastman School of Music, one of the top musical institutes in the nation, is also located within the neighborhood along with its auditorium. The Eastman Theatre now plays host to the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra and other musical/drama events. Scattered around the city are also pockets of restaurants, bars and nightclubs. Notable areas include the South Wedge, St. Paul Quarter and Monroe Avenue. The Village Gate is a well known multiuse building/plaza near University Avenue, within which several restaurants and bars are located. There are venues where music can be heard scattered all around the city. Live music is important to the nightlife.

Park lands

Lamberton Conservatory from 1911 in the Highland Park

The city's Victorian era Mt. Hope Cemetery includes the final resting place of Susan B. Anthony, Frederick Douglass, and George B. Selden. Other scenic cemeteries are Holy Sepulchre and its neighbor the Riverside Cemetery. Rochester is also known for its parks, including Highland Park, Cobb's Hill Park, Durand-Eastman Park, Genesee Valley Park, Maplewood Park, Edgerton Park, Seneca Park, and Ontario Beach Park; four of these were designed by famed landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted.

The city has 13 full-time recreation centers, 19 swimming programs, 3 artificial ice rinks, 66 softball/baseball fields, 47 tennis courts, 5 football fields, 7 soccer fields, and 43 outdoor basketball courts. As a legacy of its time as "The Flower City", Rochester hosts a Lilac Festival for ten days every May, when nearly 400 varieties of lilacs bloom, and 100,000 visitors arrive.

Festivals

The Lilac Festival

Rochester has many festivals in late spring and summer, including the Rochester International Jazz Festival established in 2002, the Corn Hill Festival^[58] (arts, crafts, and food in this Third Ward neighborhood), the Rochester-High Falls International Film Festival held at the George Eastman House's Dryden Theatre and the Little Theatre downtown), ImageOut, The Rochester Lesbian & Gay Film & Video Festival held at the Little Theatre, Clothesline Art Festival (artists from the region display their works on the grounds of the Memorial Art Gallery), Park Avenue Merchants Festival, Lilac Festival at Highland Park, St. Patrick's Day parade (March), Rose Festival at Maplewood Park, Irish festival (September), two Greek festivals - one on East Avenue (in June) and one on South Avenue (in September), Gay Pride Festival (July), Puerto Rican Festival(August), Rochester Music Festival, and the Cold Rush Winter Celebration (celebrating winter sports in the Rochester area). In the summer, especially on the Fourth of July, downtown after dark is lit with fireworks and a laser show at the High Falls venue. The most popular of these is undoubtably the Lilac festival, which attracts many from areas outside of Rochester and draws on average 500,000 people every year.

Media

The Democrat and Chronicle is Rochester's main daily newspaper. The Daily Record, a legal, real estate and business daily, has published Monday through Friday since 1908. Insider magazine (owned by the Democrat and Chronicle), "City" newspaper and the "Freetime" entertainment magazine are free, weekly publications. Rochester Business Journal is the weekly business paper of record. "The Good Life Magazine" is a free bi-monthly publication. There is also a grassroots, democratically-run, Independent Media Center called Rochester Indymedia. Media addressing the needs of Rochester's large African American population include "About... time",^[59] and "Minority Report",^[60] which has an associated news journal for the area's Latin American population, "La Voz".^[61]

Rochester has eight broadcast television stations:

• CBS: WROC 8 (cable 8)
• NBC: WHEC 10 (cable 10)
• ABC: WHAM 13 (cable 13)
• PBS: WXXI 21 (cable 11)
• Fox: WUHF 31 (cable 7)
• MyNetworkTV: WBGT 40/26 (cable 18)
• CW CW-WHAM (13-2) (cable 16)
• Rochester Community TV (RCTV cable 15)

Rochester has multiple AM and FM radio stations including WXXI (Public Radio), WCMF (Rock and Roll), WBEE (Country) WDKX (Urban Contemporary Radio), and WHAM (News and Talk Radio).

Time Warner Cable provides Rochester with cable-fed internet service, digital and standard cable television, and YNN Rochester, a 24-hour local news channel.

Points of interest

High Falls during the summer

The George Eastman House International Museum of Photography and Film, the World's oldest photography museum

The Eastman Theatre

Strasenburgh Planetarium, Rochester Museum & Science Center

• Blue Cross Arena at the War Memorial
• Cobbs Hill Park and Reservoir
• Eastman Business Park
• Ellwanger Garden
• Frontier Field
• George Eastman House
• Geva Theatre Center
• High Falls and the High Falls Entertainment District
• Highland Park
• Liberty Pole
• Little Theatre, one of the oldest art-house movie theaters in the country
• Maplewood Park Rose Garden
• Midtown Plaza, the nation's first downtown shopping mall
• Mount Hope Cemetery, Rochester, the nation's first Victorian cemetery
• Nick Tahou Hots featuring the Garbage Plate and a charity run in its name
• Ontario Beach Park and the Port of Rochester at Charlotte
• The Public Market
• The Rochester Auditorium
• Rochester Contemporary Art Center
• Rochester Riverside Convention Center
• Seneca Park Zoo, one of the top three family attractions in the area
• Strong National Museum of Play, nation's second-largest children's museum housing the National Toy Hall of Fame
• Strasenburgh Planetarium, part of the Rochester Museum & Science Center
• Susan B. Anthony House
• Times Square Building, noted for its "Wings of Victory" statue.
• University Avenue and Park Avenue Artistic Districts
• University of Rochester
• University of Rochester Arboretum
• University of Rochester's Eastman School of Music and Eastman Theatre
• Water Street Music Hall

Sports

Rochester was named the top minor league sports market in the country by Street & Smith's Sports Business Journal in July 2005, the number 10 "best golf city" in America by Golf Magazine in 2007,^[62] and the fifth-best "sports town" in the country by Scarborough Research in September 2008.^[63]

Professional sports

Although Rochester is home territory to the Buffalo Bills and the Buffalo Sabres (and the Sabres are further tied to Rochester through their owner, Rochester billionaire Tom Golisano), Rochester has several professional sports teams of its own:^[64]

Among cities in North America with at least seven current professional teams, Rochester was determined in 2007 to be the only one whose teams all had cumulative winning regular season records.^[65]

The Rochester Red Wings baseball club, the AAA affiliate of the Minnesota Twins, play in the International League. The Rochester Americans ice hockey team, the AHL affiliate for the NHL Florida Panthers, are known as the "Amerks". The Rochester Rhinos soccer club play in the USL First Division, which is the second-highest level American soccer league.

Frontier Field, including the Rochester skyline to the southeast.

Lacrosse has seen some popularity in Rochester. The Rochester Knighthawks play box lacrosse in the National Lacrosse League during winter and spring. In outdoor lacrosse, the Rochester Rattlers were a charter member of Major League Lacrosse, but the franchise was transferred to the new Toronto Nationals (MLL) in 2009; the owner of the Rhinos is looking into starting a new MLL team soon. Also during the summer months, the Rochester Greywolves, comprising mostly local talent, play box lacrosse in the semi-pro CanAm Lacrosse League.

Marina Auto Stadium

Two newer but very successful teams are the Rochester Razorsharks (of the Premier Basketball League) and Rochester Raiders (Indoor Football League); both have dominated their competition, despite some instability in their leagues, and both have championship trophies already. There is also an ownership group looking into bringing indoor soccer to Rochester starting in 2011.

The Rochester Americans

In women's sports, Rochester is home to the Empire State Roar, a semi-pro team in the league known as the Women's Professional Football League. The fully professional Western New York FC Pride were to begin play in 2009 in soccer's W-League, replacing the amateur Rochester Rhinos Women, but instead they will be the amateur Rochester Ravens, as they once were. The Filarets was a notable women's basketball team that played in the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s.

Professional golf regularly comes to Rochester. The PGA Championship and the US Open have been held at Oak Hill Country Club, as was the 1995 Ryder Cup. The Xerox Classic Tournament on the Nationwide Tour comes every August. The Wegmans LPGA tournament is yearly in June at Locust Hill Country Club.

The 2010 LPGA Championship will be played at Locust Hill.^[66]

The city also has two independent pro-wrestling leagues: Next Era Wrestling and NWA Upstate.

USA Cycling has an annual tour stop in Rochester; the Rochester Omnium is newly expanded to a three-day professional cycling event featuring the Rochester Twilight Criterium.

While Rochester currently has no teams at the top level of the major American sports, the city does host training camp for the NFL's Buffalo Bills each summer since 2000 at St. John Fisher College in the suburban of Pittsford. The absence of a major pro sports team has not always been the case. From 1920–1925, Rochester was home to the Rochester Jeffersons, a charter member of the National Football League. From 1948–1957, the Rochester Royals played in the National Basketball Association, winning the NBA championship in 1951. In soccer, the Rochester Lancers played from 1970–1980 in the top-level North American Soccer League.

Since 1877, 29 teams in eight professional sports have represented Rochester, according to The Rochester Sports Project by local sports historian Douglas Brei. In spring 2006, Brei showed that Rochester's professional sports teams were collectively approaching 25,000 games played. That game was played on June 16, 2006, when Red Wings hosted the Indianapolis Indians at Frontier Field. He also reports that only six active franchises in the history of North American professional sports have played in the same city and same league continuously and uninterrupted since the 1800s: Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds, Philadelphia Phillies, Pittsburgh Pirates, St. Louis Cardinals, and Rochester Red Wings.

College sports

Almost all area college sports are played at the NCAA Division III level. The exception is the RIT men's ice hockey team, which moved up to the Division I level in 2005, and made it to the NCAA Frozen Four in 2010.

Among junior colleges, MCC is dominant in NJCAA Division II sports. They are also a D-III golf powerhouse.

Rochester is the largest Metropolitan Statistical Area in the U.S. which does not include at least one college or university participating at the NCAA Division I level in all sports.

Club Sports

Rochester is home to two men's rugby teams, the Rochester Aardvarks and the Rochester Colonials. Both have long histories, with the Aardvarks celebrating their 40th anniversary in 2006, and the Rochester Colonials celebrating 30 years upcoming in 2010. The Aardvarks are one of the few rugby teams in the country to own its own pitch: Aardvark Park in Henrietta, New York, while the Colonials play their matches in the downtown located soccer stadium. The Aardvarks and the Colonials both have hosted local and state-wide tournaments and the Rochester Colonials hosted the 2007 USA Rugby National Collegiate All-Star Championships, Rochester's first national tournament, as well as the 2009 NYS Rugby Upstates Tournament and the 2009 New York State High School Rugby Championships. Both teams participate in the annual Saranac CAN-AM rugby tournament in Saranac NY in early August. Rochester also has a Women's Rugby club, the Rochester Renegades, who celebrated their 20th anniversary in 2008. The Renegades started the New York State Rugby Women's Division. ^[67]

The Rochester Bicycling Club is a social and fitness bicycling club.^[68]

Rochester is also home to Rochester Rhythm the three time champions of the American Extreme Paintball League or AXBL.

The Rochester, NY Region EWGA chapter, homepage [17], organizes leagues, golf training, and golf events and networking for the area's amateur women golfers.

Transportation

Barges on the Genesee River

Maritime transport

There is marine freight service at the Port of Rochester on Lake Ontario, which is connected to the Atlantic Ocean via the Saint Lawrence Seaway.

A short-lived, high-speed passenger/vehicle ferry Spirit of Ontario I, nicknamed The Breeze or The Fast Ferry, linked Rochester to Toronto, Ontario across Lake Ontario. It operated between June 17, 2004, and December 12, 2005, and cost the city $42.5 million. It was sold to Förde Reederei Seetouristik, a German company, for $30 million.

Air transport

Rochester is served by the Greater Rochester International Airport. Daily scheduled air service is provided by Air Canada, AirTran, American, Continental, Delta, JetBlue, United, and US Airways. Many of these airlines do not operate mainline service to Rochester; rather, they contract regional airlines to operate flights on their own, smaller aircraft.

In 2010, the GRIA was ranked the 14th-least expensive airport in the United States by Cheapflights.^[69] This was considered a major achievement for the county and the airport authority; as recently as 2003, Rochester's ticket prices were among the highest in the country, ranking as high as fourth in 1999.^[70][71]

Mass transit

Amtrak (passenger) and freight lines provide rail service to Rochester. Rochester has intercity and transcontinental bus service via Greyhound and Trailways.

Local bus service in Rochester and its county suburbs is provided by the Rochester-Genesee Regional Transportation Authority (RGRTA) via its Regional Transit Service (RTS) subsidiary. RTS also provides suburban service outside the immediate Rochester area and runs smaller transportation systems in outlying counties, such as WATS (Wayne Area Transportation System).

From 1927 to 1957, Rochester had a light rail underground transit system called the Rochester Subway. It was the smallest city in the world to have one. There are proposals to put in a new system, possibly using some of the old tunnels. One includes converting the Broad Street bridge tunnel—the former canal aqueduct—into an underground pedestrian walkway, which would also include a Rochester Transportation Museum, and a tram system.

The Broad Street Aqueduct was used as a subway tunnel

The former canal and subway tunnels have become a source of controversy. Many city homeless use the tunnels for shelter, and a few areas near tunnel entrances have gained the reputation as being dangerous. The city has considered multiple solutions for the space including recreating a canal way, putting the subway system back in or filling the tunnels entirely. The plan to fill the tunnels in has generated criticism as the cost of filling would be comparable to restoring the subway.

The Broad Street bridge over the Genesee that the subway used still retains the lower track level.

Main Street looking east

Major highways and roads that serve the Greater Rochester Area

There are three exits off the New York State Thruway (Interstate 90) that serve Rochester. Rochester has an extensive freeway (expressway) system which connects all parts of the city and the city with the Thruway. During the Thruway's construction, a disagreement between the governor of New York and mayor of Rochester resulted in a bypass of downtown Rochester, leaving the city struggling for growth.

Rochester's expressway system, conceived in the 1950s, was designed as two concentric circles with feeder expressways from the west, south and east. The system allows for quick travel within the metropolitan area and a lack of the traffic gridlock typically found in cities of comparable size; in part this is because the system was designed to accommodate an anticipated year-2000 metro population of 5 million, whereas the present-day population is just over one million.

The Outer Loop circles just outside the city limits while the Inner Loop circles around the immediate downtown area within the city proper. From the west are Lake Ontario State Parkway, NY-531 and I-490; Interstate 390 feeds from the south; and NY-104, NY-441, and I-490 approach from the east.

Four Interstate Highways run through the Greater Rochester area:

Interstate 90 (New York State Thruway)

• I-90 runs from Seattle to Boston. I-90 connects to I-390 and I-490 to serve the Greater Rochester Area.

Interstate 390 (Genesee Expressway)

• I-390 runs south-north, crossing I-90 (exit 46) and routing north through Rochester's western suburbs. Its northern end is at I-490, however it continues north as NY-390 until it merges into the Lake Ontario State Parkway. South of I-90, I-390 runs to Avoca, New York, where it meets up with U.S. Route 15 and the Southern Tier Expressway, I-86.

Interstate 490 (Western/Eastern Expressway)

• I-490 runs west-east through Rochester, starting at Le Roy, New York and ending in Victor, New York. It interchanges with the two other Interstates in Rochester: I-390 at the western city limit and I-590 at the eastern limit, as well as connecting at both ends with the Thruway, I-90 (exits 47 and 45). In July 2007, a new bridge over the Genesee River was completed and named the Frederick Douglass-Susan B. Anthony Memorial Bridge.

Interstate 590

• I-590 runs south-north through Rochester's eastern suburbs. Its southern end is at I-390, while the northern end is at I-490; the highway continues north to the shore of Lake Ontario as NY-590.

• In decreasing usage is the term "Can of Worms", referring to the previously dangerous at-grade intersection of Interstate 490 and expressway NY-590 on the eastern edge of the Rochester city limits, bordering the suburb of Brighton. In the 1980s, a multimillion dollar project created a system of overpasses and ramps that reduced the danger but resulted in the loss of certain exits.

New York State Route Expressways:

New York State Route 104 (Irondequoit-Wayne County Expressway, West Ridge Road)

• NY 104 - Just east of the NY 590 interchange, NY 104 becomes the Irondequoit-Wayne County Expressway and crosses the Irondequoit Bay Bridge. On the other side of the Bay Bridge, in the town of Webster, NY 104 has exits before returning to an at-grade highway at Basket Road.

New York State Route 390

• NY 390 is an extension of Interstate 390 from the I-390/I-490 interchange in Gates. The northern terminus is at the Lake Ontario State Parkway in Greece, less than a mile from the Lake Ontario shoreline.

New York State Route 531 (Spencerport Expressway)

• NY 531 serves as a connector between the northwestern suburbs of Rochester and Interstate 490.

New York State Route 590

• NY 590 is a limited-access extension of Interstate 590 at runs from an interchange between Interstate 490 and I-590 on the Brighton/Rochester border. The northern terminus is at Culver Road in Irondequoit, near Sea Breeze (the western shore of Irondequoit Bay at Lake Ontario).

New York State Parkways:

Lake Ontario State Parkway

• Lake Ontario State Parkway travels from Lakeside Beach State Park in Carlton, Orleans County. The eastern end is at Lake Avenue in the city of Rochester in Monroe County.

Notable residents

See List of people from Rochester, New York

Sister cities

Rochester has eleven sister cities,^[72] as designated by Sister Cities International. They are all dedicated by a branched concrete walkway over the Genesee River, dubbed the Sister Cities Bridge (known as the Frank and Janet Lamb Bridge since October 2006):^[73]

Country City County / District / Region / State Date France Rennes Brittany 1958[74] Germany Würzburg Bavaria 1964[74] Italy Caltanissetta Sicily 1965[74] Israel Rehovot Center District 1972[74] Poland Kraków Małopolskie 1973[74]

Country City County / District / Region / State Date Mali Bamako Capital District 1975[74] Ireland Waterford County Waterford 1983[74] Russia Novgorod Novgorod Oblast 1990[74] Japan Hamamatsu Shizuoka Prefecture 1996[74] Dominican Republic Puerto Plata Puerto Plata Province 1997[74] China Xianyang Shaanxi 2008[75]

References

External links

• Rochester (New York) travel guide from Wikitravel
• City of Rochester
• Greater Rochester Visitors Association
• Rochester Wiki

• Rochester at the Open Directory Project

Municipalities and communities of Monroe County, New York County seat: Rochester City Rochester Towns Brighton | Chili | Clarkson | East Rochester | Gates | Greece | Hamlin | Henrietta | Irondequoit | Mendon | Ogden | Parma | Penfield | Perinton | Pittsford | Riga | Rush | Sweden | Webster | Wheatland Villages Brockport | Churchville | East Rochester | Fairport | Hilton | Honeoye Falls | Pittsford | Scottsville | Spencerport | Webster CDPs Brighton | Gates-North Gates | Greece | Irondequoit Other hamlets Adams Basin | Garbutt | Gates Center | Mumford

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