![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…
City Seeks New Name for Midtown Plaza and Street
March 11th, 2014Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »
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 | 6 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 | 7 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 | 20 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
Stadiumville
February 18th, 2014Posted in Rochester Destinations, Urban Development | 31 Comments »
The Rochesterian has blogged several times about the need to create a link between Frontier Field and Sahlen’s Stadium… and how Rochester needs someone like Buffalo Sabres owner Terry Pegula to invest in a Harbor Center type of development centered around Rochester’s sports arenas. I don’t disagree. Rochester’s stadiums (and the neighborhoods around them) could, and should be a much bigger draw.
Last April a local businessman named Jerry DeCarolis sent me a concept plan he put together called “Stadiumville.” I was impressed. But this plan was so ambitious, and so broad-sweeping, I wasn’t quite sure how seriously to take it. And so I ended up sitting on the document – until now…
Tags: Buckingham Properties, development plans, downtown Rochester, Frontier Field, infill development, Jerry DeCarolis, LeChase Construction, Mark IV Construction, Mayor Patrick Duffy, Rochester, Rochester NY, Sahlen’s Stadium, Stadiumville, urban development, Wilmorite
Dan “Donuts” Delite and the Milkmaid?
February 14th, 2014Posted in Rochester Destinations, Rochester History, Rochester Images | 3 Comments »
![An Art-Deco style milkmaid is depicted in the floor of Donuts Delite, Rochester NY. [PHOTO: RochesterSubway.com]](http://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/donuts-delite-milkmaid-rochester.jpg)
If you’re a true Rochesterian you’ve probably taken many trips to Donuts Delite. And if you’ve sat in the dining room (and looked down past your doughnut-filled belly) you may have noticed a cute little milkmaid hauling her yoke and buckets full of milk across the floor.
I was curious to know how she got there and what her significance was. Of course I know milk is an ingredient in doughnuts, but it just seemed like an odd symbol to be used to represent doughnuts. There must be a story behind it…
Tags: Donuts Delite, doughnut shop, Jim Malley, Salvatore's Old Fashioned Pizzeria
A Collection of Rochester Matchbooks for Sale
February 6th, 2014Posted in Art + Culture, Reader Submitted Stories, Rochester History | 2 Comments »
Here’s a neat little collection of Rochester memorabilia. Matchbooks! Remember when you could buy cigarettes out of a vending machine like soda pop, and just about every business had it’s own matchbooks? Ah, those were the days * COUGH * COUGH * WEEZE * EHK! EHK! HEM… HEEEM!
These were sent to me by a reader. He says he’s not a smoker, but he’s collected them since he was a kid. And now he’d like to sell them. So if you’re interested in local oddities like this, drop me an email and we’ll hook you up with one… or the entire set.
Some of the matchbooks date from the late 1950s and early 1960s. But we think most of them are 1970s & 80s. Check them out for yourself. If you’ve lived in Rochester for any length of time you’ll probably recognize most of these businesses…
Tags: 2 Vine, Aero Industries, Amsden Mitchell Insurance, Blossom Liquor Store, Burgundy Catering, California Brew Haus, Carusos Restaurant, Cdk Soda Fountain, Central Trust Company, Christopher Williams Agency, Don And Bob, Eddies Chop House, Edwards, Faris Beauty Studio, Filling Station, First Federal Savings And Loan, Flowers By Stephanie, Gallery Cafe, Gerber Rochester Federal Credit Union, Grill At Waterstreet, Hotel Cadillac, Howe And Bassett, Independent Gasoline And Oil, Jays Pastries, Jen And Joes Delicatessen, Jim Runds Seafood, Just For Laughs, Kodacolor Film, Kodak, Lincoln Trust Company, Marine Midland Trust Company, matchbook collection, matchbooks, Midtown Plaza Hotel, Milestones, Monroe County Savings Bank, Monroe Pharmacy, Niagara Restaurant, Oak Hill Country Club, Ontario Golf Club, Passport Restaurant Lounge, Pg Drug Store, Polish Falcons, Rio Bamba, Rochester, Rochester Asphalt Materials, Rochester NY, Rochester Savings Bank, Rocks Barber Shop, Security Trust Company, Shakeys Pizza, Sibley Tower Restaurant, Simplicity, South Pacific Restaurant, Specks Restaurant, St. John Fisher College, Steak Stockade, Strathallan, The Commons, The Dickens, University Club Of Rochester, Vince Armand, vintage, vintage matchbooks, Wegman's, WK, WRVM Radio
The VERY Tall Tale of Jack & His Beanstalk… Now at the Sibley Building
February 4th, 2014Posted in Art + Culture, Events, Rochester Destinations, Rochester News, Video | 2 Comments »
!['Balloon Manor: The Very Tall Tale of Jack & His Beanstalk' at the Sibley Building, Rochester, NY. [PHOTO: RochesterSubway.com]](http://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/jack-and-the-beanstalk-balloon-sculpture-00.jpg)
Local balloon artists Larry Moss and Kelly Cheatle are hard at work right now constructing an enormous, 5-story tall beanstalk entirely out of balloons in the atrium of Rochester’s landmark Sibley Building.
Unlike previous haunted “Balloon Manors” you may remember at area shopping malls, admission is completely free for the public to come and enjoy this one. Balloon Manor: The VERY Tall Tale of Jack and his Beanstalk is due to be completed today, and open for viewing thru Sunday, February 9…
Tags: Airigami, art, Balloon Manor, balloon sculpture, downtown Rochester, Joseph Eddy, Kelly Cheatle, Larry Moss, Martha Stewart, Rochester, Rochester NY, Sibley Building, Sibley's, The Very Tall Tale of Jack & His Beanstalk, Winn Development
Meet Walter, Rochester’s Accordion Man
January 29th, 2014Posted in Art + Culture, Interviews, Rochester Destinations, Rochester History, Video | 10 Comments »
![Walter, Rochester's accordion man, performing underneath the Freddie-Sue bridge in Corn Hill as a crowd gathers for the Eddie Money 'Party in the Park' concert [PHOTO: Jeff Gerew, C7Photo.com]](http://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/rochester-accordion-man-walter-palmer-01.jpg)
Walter has been a fixture at local sporting events and concerts for decades. Known to most Rochesterians as “The Accordion Man,” Walter plays his squeezebox (and sings) outside most hockey, basketball and lacrosse games… at music events all around the city… and of course, a Redwings game would not be the same without Walter’s rendition of Take Me Out To The Ballgame playing in the background as fans line up at the turnstiles.
In a recent phone conversation with him, Walter told me he’s been playing around Rochester for three decades. He’s missed only one game in the past 15 years. And he’s gone through 83 accordions. His latest one is currently out of commission with broken keys and a worn strap…
Tags: accordion, Amerks, Billy Graham, busker, Kelly Keyes-Darcangelo, musician, Redwings, Rochester, Rochester Americans, Rochester Amerks, Rochester NY, Rochester Red Wings, Walter the accordion man
New Life for Holy Rosary Church & Neighborhood
January 26th, 2014Posted in Reader Submitted Stories, Rochester History, Rochester News, Urban Development | 8 Comments »
![Holy Rosary Church, Rochester NY. 1923. [PHOTO PROVIDED BY: Preservation Studios]](http://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/holy-rosary-church-rochester-07.jpg)
The following is a guest post submitted by Michael Puma.
Submit your story today.
Rochester’s landmark Holy Rosary Church and Catholic school complex at Lexington and Dewey Avenues has been rehabilitated for new residential units and a large community space in the former church. The $15 million project by Providence Housing Development and SWBR Architects was made possible with equity provided by Enterprise Community Partners, City home-renovation grants & loans, and a payment in lieu of taxes agreement.
At the time of the groundbreaking in August 2012, Congresswoman Louise Slaughter praised Providence Housing for bringing “affordable, attractive housing to a community that eagerly awaits such good news.” Well, wait no more. The ribbon was cut this past November, and the historic church buildings have emerged as 60 units of much needed affordable housing and community space…
Tags: adaptive reuse, architecture, development plans, Dewey Avenue, Enterprise Community Partners, Holy Rosary Church, Lexington Avenue, Mike Puma, Preservation Studios, Providence Housing Development Corporation, Rep. Louise Slaughter, Rochester, Rochester NY, SWBR Architects, urban development
It’s Dead
January 22nd, 2014Posted in Opinion, Rochester News, Transit + Infrastructure | 26 Comments »
Sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you with the alarming headline, but the traffic-calming project that was proposed for Lake Avenue (at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery) is dead. I received word yesterday from a friend in Charlotte that Mayor Lovely Warren has ordered City engineers to kill the planned lane reduction. Warren caved in to pressure from Charlotte residents & merchants who feared the lane reduction would cause traffic jams and hurt businesses in Charlotte.
In addition to reconstructing the 1 mile section of Lake Avenue, the plan would have reduced the lanes from four to three – with one lane in each direction plus a center turn lane. Why would the City take away traffic lanes?! Relax, you don’t have to worry about it anymore…
Tags: Charlotte, City of Rochester, Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, Joe Robach, Lake Avenue, Lake Avenue Improvement Project, petition, Rich Koss, Riverside Cemetery, Senator Joseph Robach, St. Bernard's Park
Rochester’s Lakeshore Drive-in Theatre May Get New Life
January 15th, 2014Posted in Interviews, Rochester History, Rochester Images, Urban Development, Urban Exploration | 9 Comments »
![The marquee sign at the former Lakeshore Drive-in Theatre in Greece, NY. [PHOTO: NewYorkDriveIns.com]](http://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/rochester-lakeshore-drive-in-movie-theater-marquee.jpg)
Last month RocSubway Facebook fans brought us rumors of a new grocery store for downtown Rochester (those rumors turned out to be true). Now comes an equally exciting rumor from RocSubway that has also checked out. John Tachin, owner of Mr. Dominic’s restaurant in Charlotte has purchased the former Lakeshore Drive-In site and is considering plans to reopen it as a drive in movie theater…
Tags: Avon NY, Charlotte, Dominic Pane, Greece, Jetset Development Inc., John Tachin, Lakeshore Drive-in Theatre, Ling Road, Mr. Dominic's, Mr. Dominic's at the Lake, old movie theater, Port of Rochester/Charlotte, Rochester, Rochester NY, Vintage Drive In
RGRTA Digs Up More Buried Treasure: Seven Masonic Stone Carvings
January 9th, 2014Posted in Art + Culture, Rochester History, Rochester News, Transit + Infrastructure, Urban Development | 9 Comments »
![A stone from the Masonic Temple that once stood at Clinton Avenue and Mortimer Street. [IMAGE: RGRTA via Democrat & Chronicle]](http://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/stone-from-masonic-temple-rochester.jpg)
In 2012 we were surprised to learn that RGRTA had dug up the foundation of the RKO Palace Theater while excavating for the new transit terminal. This week, Jim Memmott reported on some more fantastic treasures that were unearthed at the same site. Some time last year seven heavy stones (some weighing a ton) were pulled up from depths of up to 30 feet below street level. Each stone bore a symbol of the Freemasons…
Tags: Clinton Avenue, construction, downtown Rochester, excavation, Freemasons, Jim Memmott, Masonic Temple, Mortimer Street, RKO Palace Theater, Rochester, Rochester Genesee Regional Transportation Authority (RGRTA), Rochester NY, RTS Transit Terminal
1964 Rochester Transit Terminal Concept
January 6th, 2014Posted in Rochester History, Transit + Infrastructure, Urban Development | 5 Comments »
![A concept by RTC president William Lang for a central transit terminal at Main & Clinton, Rochester NY. [IMAGE: Democrat & Chronicle, January 29, 1967]](http://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/rochester-central-transit-terminal-concept-1964.jpg)
Like, WOW! I stumbled upon this concept for an elevated transit terminal in a 1967 D&C article. The drawing shows how Rochester Transit Corporation president William Lang envisioned passengers would wait for their bus – suspended above the intersection of Main & Clinton. This view is looking east toward Clinton Avenue with Sibley’s in the background…
Tags: bus station, bus terminal, bus-stop, Civic Development Council, downtown Rochester, Main & Clinton, Main Street, mass transit, mass transportation, Mortimer Street, public transit, public transportation, Regional Transit Service (RTS), Rochester, Rochester NY, Rochester Transit Corporation, RTS Transit Terminal, transit, William Lang
Tell Senator Robach We Actually WANT Safer Streets…
January 2nd, 2014Posted in Rochester News, Transit + Infrastructure | 19 Comments »
Drivers who like to speed their cars down Lake Avenue between Charlotte and the city have found a new enemy in the Lake Avenue Improvement Project . The plan aims to reduce automobile speeds to better match the posted speed limit of 35 mph by reducing the number lanes. It would also add safety features for pedestrians, cyclists and transit users. But some drivers in the Charlotte neighborhood say the plan will only serve to cause traffic jams and they’ve called on Senator Joe Robach to block it.
If you are a pedestrian… a cyclist… someone who’s ever walked to a bus stop… or a driver who likes the idea of making our streets safer for everyone, you might want to sign this petition in support of the project. And please go ahead and share the link with a few friends.
Tags: Charlotte, City of Rochester, Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, Joe Robach, Lake Avenue, Lake Avenue Improvement Project, petition, Rich Koss, Riverside Cemetery, Senator Joseph Robach, St. Bernard's Park
ROC City Skatepark Has New Location(s)
December 26th, 2013Posted in Rochester News, Urban Development | 8 Comments »
![The Roc City Skatepark was planned to be built under the I-490 Freddie-Sue Bridge. [PHOTO: RocCitySkatepark.org]](http://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/roc-city-skatepark.jpg)
Roc City Skatepark, originally planned to be built under the interstate 490 Frederick Douglass–Susan B. Anthony Memorial Bridge, now has a new location… maybe even several new locationS…
Tags: downtown Rochester, Freddie-Sue Bridge, Frederick Douglass–Susan B. Anthony Memorial Bridge, Genesee Crossroads Park, I-490, Jim Maddison, park, Roc City Skatepark, Rochester, Rochester NY, urban development
New Grocery Store Rumored for Downtown
December 22nd, 2013Posted in Rochester News, Urban Development | 43 Comments »
![A new independent grocer may be coming to downtown in 2014. [PHOTO: benchilada, Flickr]](http://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/grocery-produce.jpg)
RocSubway was informed over the weekend by two separate and anonymous sources that a new independent grocer may be coming to downtown Rochester in 2014. Admittedly, this may be unsubstantiated and premature. But these sources have been very reliable in the past. And if true, this would be wildly good news for downtown.
And what the hell, this is a blog, not the Associate Press. I think I have the right to circulate some juicy gossip once in a while…
Tags: 10 Winthrop Street, downtown Rochester, grocery store, Rochester, Rochester NY, The Little Theatre, urban development, Winthrop Street
13 Rochesterians
December 16th, 2013Posted in Art + Culture, Reader Submitted Stories, Rochester Images, Urban Exploration | 6 Comments »
![13 Rochesterians [PHOTOS BY: Arlene Hodge]](http://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/13-homeless-rochesterians.jpg)
In 2013 I gave myself a photo assignment. Pick 13 subjects, and take 13 snapshots of each… 13x13x13. At some point during the project I decided it’d be much more interesting to open this assignment to anyone who wants to participate. I’m glad I did. The following series of 13 comes from local photographer Arleen Hodge . These are portraits of 13 Rochesterians she’s met on the streets. Arleen says she is grateful to call these people her “friends.”
“They all have stories and they are truly a great bunch of men who are suffering another facet of the human condition,” Arleen reasons. “When I’m shooting underground for a night, these guys look out for me. There are those who are quick to judge… but these would be the guys to jump in and save your life.”
I can think of no better subject for this merry time of year – and less than a week after we were forced to face the facts; that Rochester stands as the fifth poorest city in the United States. It’s not just a city problem. According to that report by The Rochester Area Community Foundation, 160,000 people living within the nine-county region are living in poverty. These are our neighbors. Our friends. These could easily be portraits of you or me…
Tags: 13, 13 Rochesterians, 13x13x13, Arleen Hodge, homeless, House of Mercy, Hudson Avenue, Joseph Avenue, photographer, photography, poverty, Rochester, Rochester charities, Rochester NY, rochester photos, Saint Joe's House of Hospitality, South Avenue
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Rochester Business News
