![On this date five years ago today, the Popeyes chicken chain in Rochester NY made national headlines when it ran out of its featured product. [PHOTO: TripAdvisor.com]](http://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/popeyes-runs-out-of-chicken-01.jpg)
Many of you kids will be too young to remember this – thank heavens. But five years ago on this very day, Rochester NY made national headlines when it was slammed by one of the worst food shortages in our nation’s history—possibly the world. That’s right. Popeyes 
up on Lake Ave ran out of chicken…
5 Years Ago Today: A Major Food Crisis Strikes Rochester, NY
April 22nd, 2014Posted in Art + Culture, Rochester History | 1 Comment »
Tags: chain restaurant, drive-through, drive-thru, fast food restaurant, Food, Lake Avenue, Popeyes Chicken, Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, Rochester history, this date in Rochester history, urban agriculture, urban living
New Midtown Tower Renderings
April 18th, 2014Posted in Rochester News, Urban Development | 9 Comments »
![New rendering of Midtown Tower, Rochester NY. [IMAGE PROVIDED BY: Buckingham Properties]](http://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/rochester-midtown-tower-revised-rendering-01.jpg)
Last month we saw some pretty glitzy renderings of the Midtown Tower development with new retail stores included. Today the developer, Buckingham Properties, sent over some new renderings that show a more refined “skin” for the 17-story tower…
Tags: Buckingham Properties, CJS Architects, development, development plans, downtown Rochester, Ken Glazer, Midtown, Midtown Plaza, Midtown Tower, Phillip Michael Brown Studios, Rochester, Rochester NY, urban development
Clean Sweep is May 3
April 18th, 2014Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »
![Rochester Clean Sweep 2014 will be May 3. [PHOTO: City Hall Photo Lab]](http://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/rochester-clean-sweep-01.jpg)
After a long snowy winter Rochesterians like to get outside and enjoy the milder weather. But when that blanket of snow is finally gone, an ugly layer of trash is often revealed (much of it put there by people like this guy). Don’t stress. Do something about it!
This year, Rochester’s Clean Sweep will be a one-day, city-wide event starting at 8 a.m., Saturday, May 3 at Frontier Field. In addition to a cleaner neighborhood, you’ll also get a free t-shirt and breakfast, plus get to enjoy a Redwings game, hot dog, AND a drink. Get details after the jump…
NIMBY’s to left of me, NIMBY’s to the right
April 16th, 2014Posted in Reader Submitted Stories, Urban Development | 68 Comments »
The following is a guest post submitted by Matthew Denker.
Submit your story today.
Ok, so by now you’ve heard all the commotion happening up near the port at Charlotte. The City of Rochester has two development proposals – one with 200 rental apartments, and one with 120 for-sale condos and 50 townhomes. Both would have retail and other mixed use space. But the BIG difference, one looks like Cornhill Landing, while the other would have—deep breath—tall buildings…
Tags: brownfield development, Charlotte, Charlotte Beach, City of Rochester, development plans, Edgewater Resources, Lighthouse Landing, Matthew Denker, Morgan Development, Ontario Beach, Port of Rochester/Charlotte, Rochester, Rochester NY, urban development, Waterfront Rochester
Rochester’s Grand Bragdon Railroad Station: Returning Soon in 3D!
April 14th, 2014Posted in Art + Culture, Reader Submitted Stories, Rochester History, Rochester News, Train/Railroad Stuff, Transit + Infrastructure | 4 Comments »
The following is a guest post submitted by Emily Morry, PhD, Historical Researcher. Submit your story today.
The last remnants of Rochester’s third New York Central Railroad Station, designed by noted architect Claude Bragdon, were demolished almost forty years ago. Now a team of researchers at the University of Rochester is seeking assistance from the local community to help restore the station’s memory…
Tags: A. Joan Saab, Amtrak Station, Bragdon Station, Claude Bragdon, Claude Bragdon Digital Humanities Project, Joan Shelley Rubin, New York Central Railroad, railroad station, Rochester Amtrak Station, University of Rochester, UofR
Rochester Wins Parking Madness Tournament! Hooray for us?
April 9th, 2014Posted in Reader Submitted Stories, Rochester News, Transit + Infrastructure, Urban Development | 15 Comments »
Well, it’s time to celebrate. Rochester has just won the 2014 Streetsblog USA Parking Madness tournament . To outsiders, Rochester is a Cinderella story (who in the world would have picked us to beat out Detroit in the second round?). But anyone who reads this blog is probably not surprised. We’ve been fighting the parking madness mindset on these pages for years. It’s just that now, the national blogosphere knows about Rochester’s dirty little parking problems. Our asphalt is hanging out there for the world to see.
How embarrassing. Right? Some people have asked, “Why would we want to win such a negative contest? Doesn’t this paint Rochester in a bad light?” Now the man who nominated Rochester, Matthew Denker, explains why he did…
Tags: downtown Rochester, Matthew Denker, parking, parking lots, parking madness, Rochester, Rochester NY, Streetsblog, urban planning
Vision Quest Community School may provide an answer to charters
April 7th, 2014Posted in Art + Culture, Rochester News | 5 Comments »
A group of concerned parents and teachers from the Rochester City School District is seeking to open a new kind of elementary school. Their idea is to build on the success of School Of The Arts (SOTA) by offering a similar interdisciplinary curriculum in the K–6 grade levels; a curriculum that is “rich in creative expression” and with a greater focus on the individual child.
Their proposal is being called Vision Quest Community School and the group will make a presentation to Superintendent Vargas on April 21…
Tags: Bolgen Vargas Ed.D., charter school, eduction, elementary school, Rochester, Rochester City School District (RCSD), Rochester NY, School Of The Arts (SOTA), Stacie Colaprete, Vision Quest Community School
Rochester Pulls Ahead of the Motor City in Parking Madness!
April 3rd, 2014Posted in Rochester History, Rochester News, Transit + Infrastructure, Urban Development | 2 Comments »
![Rochester faces off against Detroit today in Streetsblog's Parking Madness tourney. [IMAGE: usa.streetsblog.org]](http://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/parking_madness_2014_11.jpg)
It’s March madness, PARKING madness, or just plain MADNESS indeed. We’ve discussed Rochester’s parking problem at length here on RocSubway. Now, all of our hard work— demolishing our city and building parking lots—is paying off. Rochester has worked its way into Streetsblog’s nationwide Parking Madness tournament . Which of these 16 cities has the absolute worst urban parking crater? Readers from around the country will decide.
Take a look at what our downtown has become over the years. From a densely packed and vibrant town square, to the giant parking crater we have today.
Last week we annihilated Miami to earn a spot in the “elite eight.” In this latest round Rochester closed a sizable gap against Detroit, and it now looks like we may beat the Motor City. But there are still a few hours left, so vote now . And tell your buddies… We’re #1!
Tags: Detroit, Detroit MI, parking, parking madness, Rochester, Rochester NY, Streetsblog
You push the button… we do the rest.
March 31st, 2014Posted in Rochester History | 3 Comments »
![Picture taking with the Brownie camera no. 2. Published 1918 by Canadian Kodak Co. [SOURCE: OpenLibrary.org]](http://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/kodak-brownie-camera-manual-_Page_01.jpg)
The other day my three-year-old was shooting video of his stuffed animals with his big sister’s iPad, and a wave of nostalgia crashed over me. I suddenly realized my kids will probably never get to experience joy of film photography. They’ll never understand the thrill of loading a fresh roll into the back of a camera. They’ll never feel those mechanical clicks and vibrations of the film advancing to the next frame. And they’ll never know the excitement of getting a stack of pictures back from the developer.
How would I even explain this antique technology to them? I know, I’ll Google it. Hey what do you know, here’s an old manual for the Kodak Brownie Camera (No. 2)…
Tags: Brownie, Canadian Kodak Co., instruction manual, Kodak, Kodak Brownie Camera No. 2, Rochester history, Rochester NY
Filling In: 79 North Clinton
March 28th, 2014Posted in Uncategorized | 25 Comments »
![A building in Portland, Oregon. [IMAGE: Google Streetview]](http://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/79-north-clinton-01.jpg)
The following is a guest post submitted by Matthew Denker.
Submit your story today.
Fellow Rochesterians, lend me your ears. I recently visited the reasonably pleasant city of Portland, OR. While I was there, I couldn’t help but notice a rather cleverly decorated, midcentury modern building. It was this one, actually…
Tags: 79 North Clinton Avenue, downtown, downtown Rochester, Filling In, Matthew Denker, North Clinton Avenue, Portland, Rochester, Rochester NY
IRBIR the Alien says, “I’d Rather Be In Rochester”
March 25th, 2014Posted in Art + Culture, Rochester Gifts, Rochester History | 4 Comments »
![Wheeler Dealer board game, Rochester edition. c1980. [PHOTO: Laurie Dirkx]](http://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/rochester-wheeler-dealer-board-game-01.jpg)
A RocSubway reader is looking to sell this old Rochester “Wheeler Dealer” board game ($50). Wheeler Dealer is a game of two parts. First, players travel the world while buying, selling, bargaining and trading products. In part two those products are sold back to the bank or auctioned to the highest bidder. Licensed versions of the game were produced for many cities around the world in the 1980s, including this one for Rochester…
Tags: Brian Bram, I'd Rather Be In Rochester (IRBIR), IRBIR Alien, Laurie Dirkx, Michael Glenn Productions, Rochester board game, Rochester Chamber of Commerce, Wheeler Dealer
Honeoye Falls Community Will Appeal Drive-Thru Zoning Change
March 24th, 2014Posted in Rochester News, Urban Development | No Comments »
The Honeoye Falls Community Association says they have filed an Article 78 Petition to invalidate the February 17th code change allowing drive-through restaurants in the General Commercial District.
A similar petition was submitted in November 2013 to invalidate an identical code change passed in October 2013. In response to the first petition, the Board of Trustees rescinded the code change in December 2013. The Board then passed the code change again on February 17th, 2014…
Tags: chain restaurant, city planning, drive-through, drive-thru, Dunkin Donuts, Honeoye Falls, zoning, zoning code
Was President Taft’s First Pitch Inspired by a Visit to Rochester?
March 21st, 2014Posted in Art + Culture, Reader Submitted Stories, Rochester History | 2 Comments »
![Rochester's Mayor Hiram Edgerton inspecting a baseball at the opening game, May 7, 1912. [PHOTO: Albert R. Stone]](http://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/history-of-the-first-pitch-rochester-01.jpg)
The following is a guest post submitted by Jimmy Combs.
Submit your story today.
Friday, March 18, 1910. 1:55 P.M. – President Taft, on his way to Rochester from Chicago, makes a quick stop in Buffalo. He steps off the train to greet an exclusive few; the leaders of Buffalo, including their recently elected mayor, Mr. Louis P. Fuhrmann (an avid baseball fan), some newspaper reporters, Mr. George Dietrich, the Chamber of Commerce President of Rochester, and last but not least, Rochester Mayor Hiram H. Edgerton. After a few minutes of smiles and handshakes, Taft who was reportedly exhausted from his stay in Chicago, is ready to get back on the train car where he can sit, and (hopefully leisurely) talk to some new faces, Mr. Dietrich and Mayor Edgerton…
Tags: baseball, Charles T. Chapin, first pitch, George Dietrich, history of Rochester, Jimmy Combs, Kid Mueller, Louis P. Fuhrmann, Mayor Hiram Edgerton, opening pitch, President Taft, Rochester, Rochester Hustlers, Rochester NY
Stroll Through North Winton Village: Come Home to 26 Marion St.
March 17th, 2014Posted in Reader Submitted Stories, Rochester Homes for Sale | 9 Comments »
![26 Marion Street in North Winton Village. 3 Bedroom, 1.5 Bathroom, Completely Updated Kitchen with tons of charm listed at $99,900. [IMAGE: Realty USA]](http://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/rochester-home-for-sale-26-marion-street-01.jpg)
The following home for sale was submitted by Rich Tyson.
Submit your story today.
Winter, spring, summer and fall, Rochester is loaded with fun things to do and see …festivals, shopping, entertainment, art and culture. Our city is consistently ranked highly on national “quality of life” lists. We’ve got exciting neighborhoods. Great people. And great old homes – at crazy affordable prices.
This is the first entry in a new series for anyone looking to move into the area, or anyone who may be growing tired of renting. RochesterSubway.com has teamed up with realtor Rich Tyson will happily team up with ANY realtor or homeowner to highlight home buying opportunities in the City of Rochester.
Let’s check out 26 Marion Street in the very walkable North Winton Village…
Tags: Balsam Bagels, Fahsye, Luvaboos, Marion Street, Mayer Hardware, North Winton Village, Paternico’s, real-estate, Remingtons, Rich Tyson, Rochester, Rochester home for sale, Rochester house for sale, Rochester NY, The Wintonaire, Tryon Bike
City Seeks New Name for Midtown Plaza and Street
March 11th, 2014Posted in Uncategorized | 16 Comments »
![The City of Rochester is asking the public to name the new street and plaza at the Midtown site. [PHOTO: Earthcam.com]](http://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/rochester-midtown-plaza-2014-03-11.jpg)
On Monday we had some fun climbing to the top of Midtown Tower. Today we can have some more fun with Midtown. The City of Rochester is asking the public to name the new street and plaza being built at the Midtown site…
Tags: Buckingham Properties, Christa Development, City of Rochester, development, downtown Rochester, Elm Street, Midtown open space, Midtown Plaza, Midtown public space, Midtown Rising, Midtown Tower, pedestrian mall, Rochester, Rochester NY, Windstream
Anonymous Photos: Inside Midtown Tower
March 9th, 2014Posted in Art + Culture, Reader Submitted Stories, Rochester Images, Urban Development, Urban Exploration | 7 Comments »
The latest Midtown renderings from Buckingham Properties are a promising sign of things to come. Still, it’s difficult to ignore this 18-story skeleton which has been looming over Rochester’s streets since 2011. When most people look up at this hulking mass of steel and concrete they see a blemish on the Rochester skyline. But for one urban explorer, this is a photo op.
The same anonymous photographer who took us inside Terrence Tower and the Sykes Datatronics building, climbed to the tippy top of midtown last week. He submitted this collection of photos and the following narrative…
Tags: abandoned, abandoned places, aerial photography, Buckingham Properties, construction, downtown, downtown Rochester, Midtown, Midtown Plaza, Midtown Tower, photo, photography, Rochester, Rochester NY, rochester photos, skyscraper, urban development, urban exploration
Into the Incinerator
March 3rd, 2014Posted in Reader Submitted Stories, Rochester History, Rochester Images, Transit + Infrastructure, Urban Exploration | 8 Comments »
![The Garbage Incinerator at High Falls, Rochester. [PHOTO: Robert Cunningham]](http://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/rochester-garbage-incinerator-plant-00.jpg)
Last week we looked at some photos of the Beebee Station power plant at High Falls. That post drew some comments about another interesting facility nearby which is sometimes confused with Beebee; the City’s old garbage incinerator plant on Falls Street .
Thanks to a group of intrepid urban explorers—Benjamin Colburn , Brandon Davis , Sean Galbraith , Andrew Hiltz , and Tom Maszerowski —we can take a look inside…
Tags: abandoned, abandoned places, Andrew Hiltz, Benjamin Colburn, Brandon Davis, Falls Street, garbage, garbage incinerator, Genesee River, Genesee River Gorge, High Falls, Rochester, Rochester NY, Sean Galbraith, smokestacks, Tom Maszerowski, trash, trash incinerator, urban exploration, urban explorers, waste disposal
Powers Building, Main & State Streets, 1968
February 28th, 2014Posted in Rochester History, Rochester Images, Transit + Infrastructure, Urban Development | 8 Comments »
![The Powers Building at Main & State Streets, 1968. [PHOTO: Winters, via Library of Congress]](http://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/powers-building-rochester-1968.jpg)
Check out this great photo of the Powers Building from 1968. Notice the workmen up on the ledge of the Mansard roof. Down at street level a shiny new, streamlined façade as been awkwardly forced on top of this 1869 building…
Tags: Crossroads Building, downtown Rochester, Elwood Building, First National Bank, Four Corners, Main Street, Main Street Four Corners, Monroe County Savings Bank, old photos, old photos of Rochester, old photos of Rochester NY, Powers Building, Powers Hotel, Rochester, Rochester NY, State Street
The Big Plans for RG&E Beebee Station
February 24th, 2014Posted in Reader Submitted Stories, Rochester Images, Transit + Infrastructure, Urban Development | 40 Comments »
![RG&E Beebee Station [PHOTO: RochesterSubway.com]](http://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/rge-beebee-station-rochester-00.jpg)
The following is a guest post submitted by Joel Helfrich last August.
Submit your story today.
I was saddened to learn last week about Rochester Gas and Electric Corp’s shortsighted proposal to demolish Beebee Station. If the plans are carried out, Rochester will have a tremendous hole at the center of the city: High Falls. What is most important to realize is that there is another, alternative way forward…
Tags: adaptive reuse, Bankside Power Station, Battersea Power Station, demolition, downtown Rochester, Gasometer City, High Falls, Joel Helfrich, RG&E Beebee Station, Rochester, Rochester Gas & Electric (RG&E), Rochester NY, rochester photos, Tate Modern art museum
Filling In: 93 Marsh Street
February 20th, 2014Posted in Opinion, Reader Submitted Stories, Urban Development | 11 Comments »
![Matthew Denker ponders the possibilities at his new property at 93 Marsh Street. [IMAGE: Google Streetview]](http://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/filling-in-marsh-street-01.jpg)
The following is a guest post submitted by Matthew Denker.
Submit your story today.
Imagine you are the new owner of a giant, underutilized parking lot*. What would you do with it? Would you leave it as is? Tear out the pavement and start a community garden? What if there was an apartment building next to it. Would you tear it down and build a skyscraper? These are all excellent ideas. We here at filling in solicited input from a variety of fellow RochesterSubway.com contributors, and it’s clear that we all have different ideas about what to do…
*Disclaimer – I am a new part owner of a giant, underutilized parking lot. This one, in fact.
Tags: City of Rochester, development plans, Filling In, Genesee Street, Matthew Denker, Rochester, Rochester NY, vacant lot
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