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Rochester, NY

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I'm a 26 year old Rochester native. I have an MBA and a B.S. in marketing with a minor in political science from the Rochester Institute of Technology...  (more...)

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Rochester, NY: An Overview

 

This lens serves as an online guide to Rochester, NY.

Introduction to Rochester 

Rochester is New York State's third largest city. The City of Rochester has approximately 219,000 residents, while Rochester's metropolitan population exceeds one million.

What to do in Rochester 

Arts, sports, festivals, and more

Festivals are popular in Rochester. The Corn Hill Arts Festival and the Lilac Festival are the two biggest draws. The Rochester International Jazz Festival has turned into a internationally acclaimed event that has a few free stages and numerous club stages throughout the city, while its biggest acts are hosted in the Eastman Theatre. Finally, virtually every town has a festival, with the canal celebrations being the bigger draws.

The University of Rochester's Eastman School of Music makes the East End a haven for musicians. The Little Theatre is an independent movie theatre that's also in the East End. Major plays can be seen at the Auditorium Theatre, while smaller theatres like Geva, the Downstairs Cabaret, and Blackfriars host plays and musicals throughout the year. Art is also prominent thanks to small galleries and artistic outlets such as Village Gate, Artisan Works, and Gallery R, among others.

Rochester boasts seven professional sports teams. The Rochester Americans (hockey), Knighthawks (indoor lacrosse), and Razorsharks (basketball) call the Blue Cross Arena home. The Rochester Red Wings (baseball) play at Frontier Field. The Rochester Rhinos (soccer) and Rattlers (outdoor lacrosse) play at new PAETEC Park. Finally, the Rochester Raiders, who won the 2007 CIFL championship, play in the recently renovated Armory and there's talk of a move to the Blue Cross Arena. Also, the RIT Tigers moved to division one in hockey and won the Atlantic Hockey Association regular season title in their first season.

Museums are also a significant local asset. The Strong Museum of Play is the most noteworthy, as it's one of the largest children's museums in the world. The Memorial Art Gallery, Rochester Museum and Science Center, and the George Eastman House are particularly strong draws. The Susan B. Anthony House is a great small museum to visit.

Finally, for those looking to shop, Eastview Mall is the region's fastest growing center. However, the Greece Ridge Mall and Marketplace Mall are also successful. Irondequoit's Medley Centre was recently purchased and there are claims that it'll be reinvigorated. Independent shops can be found in many villages and on Park and Monroe Avenue in the city. Finally, Wegmans is a unique local supermarket chain that's enjoying significant growth.

Where to eat in Rochester 

A quick overview of downtown's options

I'm going to keep this one brief. Rocwiki.org is a great resource for restaurant reviews. However, I'll post some noteworthy ones for those who may be planning to visit downtown. The Dinosaur Barbecue is a renowned BBQ joint. It's busy seven days a week, but they tend to overstate the waiting time. If they say an hour, expect 30-45 minutes. If you don't want to wait quite that long, Sticky Lips BBQ on Culver and Beale Street in the South Wedge are very competitive.

Corn Hill also has a handful of good restaurant options. Nathaniel's caters to the arena crowd and they let people park free in their lot as long as you eat there before the event. Panzari's Italian Bistro is also very good. Virtu and Siam have also received positive reviews.

Tijuana Tokyo's is a fast casual restaurant on State Street that is open for lunch and there's talk of expanding to a new location. There is also a Subway that Main Street that maintains fairly broad hours. A significant number of additional unique restaurants can be found in the East End, South Wedge, Monroe Avenue, Park Avenue, and the St. Paul Quarter. That's just a quick overview of what can be found in and around downtown.

Living in Rochester 

A wide array of options

Monroe County has a wide variety of different living options. Rochester is an area with very affordable homes, as most range from $80,000 to $250,000. The City of Rochester has some outstanding values in areas that are enjoying a resurgence, including downtown, the South Wedge, Corn Hill, Park Avenue, and the Winton Neighborhood, to name a few.

The suburbs range significantly in size. Greece has nearly 100,000 residents, while towns like Pittsford, Brockport, and Fairport have a small "main street" that residents continue to patronize. Along with modest home prices, short commutes are another great asset. While it has enabled some suburban sprawl, most residents can get almost anywhere within metropolitan Rochester in 15 minutes.

Business in Rochester 

A changing landscape

Rochester's economy used to be driven by the "big three" companies: Kodak, Xerox, and Bausch & Lomb. While those three companies maintain a strong presence, and Bausch & Lomb recently expanded its manufacturing facility, Rochester's economy has diversified significantly. The University of Rochester is the area's largest employer, while companies like PAETEC, Paychex, and a host of smaller companies have emerged as significant players in the local employment scene.

Rochester has a wealth of universities, including the U of R and Rochester Institute of Technology, and they've been key players in driving new entrepreneurial activity. While New York State's tax burden can be challenging to businesses, the county, state, and city have incentives that have leveled the playing field. Carestream, formerly Kodak Health Imaging, has announced hundreds of new jobs due to the strength of the local work force and tax incentives provided by the government.

Looking forward, optics and imaging, printing & publishing, alternative energy, biotechnology, and telecommunications are among Rochester's strongest clusters. Greater Rochester Enterprise is working to capitalize on those strengths by attracting additional new companies. While Kodak's transition to digital has strained the local economy in recent years, the economy has shown consecutive months of growth and the future looks bright.

Rochester D&C Headlines 

The latest local news from Rochester's primary newspaper

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Photos of Rochester 

Rochester at Night by bjd8135

This is a picture from NYE 2006.

High Falls by bjd8135

A picture of High Falls at night.

St. Patrick's Day Parade by bjd8135

A picture of the annual parade in Rochester, NY.

Corn Hill by bjd8135

A downtown Rochester neighborhood.

Rochester International Jazz Festival by bjd8135

A picture of the crowd at one venue.

Saturn Rochester Twilight Criterium by bjd8135

A photo from an afternoon race in 2006.

PAETEC Park by bjd8135

This is from the first ever game at PAETEC Park.

Frontier Field by bjd8135

The home of the Rochester Red Wings.

Rochester Razorsharks by bjd8135

A Pro basketball team in Rochester.

RIT Hockey by bjd8135

A picture of the Frank Ritter Arena.

Rochester, NY Videos 


Air Force v. RIT

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Rochester Rhinos: Goal, Greg Howes 2006-09-22

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Liberty Pole Lighting 2006 (Rochester, NY)

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Jack Rabbit Coaster at Seabreeze Park

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Spikes Rochester Red Wings Take Me Out To The Ballgame

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Books with Rochester Ties 

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Rochester Links 

Greater Rochester Visitors Association

Learn more about what to see and do in Rochester, more...1 point

Rochester Downtown

A great resource for learning more about downtown more...1 point

Greater Rochester Enterprise

Rochester's economic development organization.1 point

Rochester Wiki - The People's Guide to Rochester

There are lots of reviews of different places in R more...1 point

Brett J. Daly's Blog

This is my blog. It's just a little shameless prom more...0 points

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Hi, I'm BrettD

BrettD

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I'm a 26 year old Rochester native. I have an MBA and a B.S. in marketing with a minor in political science from the Rochester Institute of Technology. While working on my MBA, I helped conduct research in RIT's Print Industry Center. I'm currently engaged and working in a marketing role for a small software company. My interests include business, sports, and Rochester.

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