![The Port of Rochester shrouded in a thick orange haze. Smoke from an epic battle going on right now. [PHOTO: RochesterSubway.com]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/slag-button-charlotte-beach-rochester-07.jpg)
For the past few weeks workers have been attacking a 100 ton hunk of slag that was discovered at the Port of Rochester last spring. Yesterday I noticed the giant plume of smoke from the O’rorke Bridge and made my way down to the scene of this epic battle. When the dust settles, who will remain standing? Man? Or The Slag?
Archive: August, 2013...
Man vs. The 100 Ton Hunk of Slag
Friday, August 30th, 2013Tags: Bethlehem Steel, blast furnace, Charlotte Beach, City of Rochester, construction, iron button, iron mill, Ontario Beach Park, Port of Rochester/Charlotte, Quinnesee Iron Mining Co., Rochester, Rochester Gas & Electric (RG&E), Rochester NY, slag, steel mill
Posted in Rochester History, Rochester Images, Rochester News, Transit + Infrastructure, Urban Development | 5 Comments »
Inner Loop Informational Meeting Tonight
Wednesday, August 28th, 2013
Reconnect Rochester 
has alerted us to an important informational meeting tonight about the Inner Loop’s future (or lack thereof). As we wait to find out whether or not this project will be a recipient of a USDOT TIGER grant, the City is moving forward with plans to scale down a large portion the underutilized 12-lane highway. Ultimately that will mean greater connectivity between downtown and the neighborhoods to the east, and lower road maintenance costs in the long run. If there was ever a big road project to support, this is it.
Read what Reconnect Rochester has to say about the project and attend the meeting tonight to learn more… 6-8pm on the third floor of City Hall .
Tags: Anderson Park, City of Rochester, East Avenue, Inner Loop, Inner Loop East Reconstruction Project, Main Street, Reconnect Rochester, Rochester, Rochester NY, Union Street, USDOT TIGER grant
Posted in Events, Opinion, Rochester News, Transit + Infrastructure, Urban Development | 7 Comments »
Greentopia Film Festival Returns; Bigger & Better
Monday, August 26th, 2013![This year's Greentopia Film Festival will feature an array of unique films and equally unique screening locations; such as the roof of 1 Capron Street. [PHOTO: Jason Schwingle, TheRochesteriat.com]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/greentopia-2013-rooftop-screening.jpg)
In just its third year the Greentopia Film Festival (September 10-15th) has grown to become the second largest documentary film festival in New York State. Filmmakers’ submissions to the 2013 event were triple the number of those received in 2012, coming in from 31 countries on six continents. Of those films selected as features, four will have their New York State premieres at Greentopia – revealing themselves to Rochester audiences even before New York City moviegoers can see them…
Tags: A Will for the Woods, Dear Governor Cuomo, Green Visions, Greentopia Festival, Greentopia Film, Greentopia Urban Forest Cinema, Kidtopia, Maiden Trip, Manhattan Square Park, The Human Scale
Posted in Art + Culture, Events, Rochester Destinations, Rochester News | No Comments »
The Northeast Regional Beard and Moustache Championships
Wednesday, August 21st, 2013![On Saturday, August 17th the Rochester Beardsmen Society hosted the Northeast Regional Beard and Moustache Championships at Water Street Music Hall. [PHOTO: Chris Clemens]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/beard-and-moustache-championships-01.jpg)
The following is a guest post submitted by Chris Clemens.
Submit your story today.
On Saturday, August 17th the Rochester Beardsmen Society hosted the Northeast Regional Beard and Moustache Championships at Water Street Music Hall in downtown Rochester, NY. Competitors from the U.S. and Canada assembled to show off their facial hair and compete in 17 in different categories to determine who’s facial follicles could produce the top ranking tufts…
Tags: Austin Facial Hair Club, Beard and Moustache Championships, Chris Clemens, Growin’ A Beard, Jack Passion, Jack Schifano, Mo-vember Campaign, Rochester, Rochester NY, Water Street Music Hall, Whisker Wars
Posted in Art + Culture, Events, Reader Submitted Stories, Rochester News | No Comments »
Filling In: Old Sherwood Shoe Company Site
Tuesday, August 20th, 2013![A view of the Rochester Subway looking east from the Meigs Street bridge. A westbound car is shown approaching the Goodman-Meigs station. The Sherwood Shoe Company building on Goodman Street and Uhlen Place is seen in the right background. [PHOTO: Rochester Municipal Archives]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/rochester-subway-and-sherwood-shoe-company-1956.jpg)
The following is a guest post submitted by Matthew Denker.
Submit your story today.
One of the sites that the city has, let’s say aspirationally, earmarked for development is the site of the former Sherwood Shoe Company. The shoe company itself was incorporated in 1905 by Frederick A. Sherwood, and the factory for it was built on this site at roughly the same time. I’m less sure when it was torn down, but it is on the 1935 plat maps, so it was certainly there through the depression. (UPDATE: the photo above is from 1956)
As for what to do here, I think there are a million great ideas, and I am hoping that we are able to get a good conversation of the various uses: lofts where the factory used to be? More houses? All of these things and more? All great ideas, and I’m not one to come to the table empty handed, so let’s take a look at what I think should go here.
Tags: cargo container architecture, City of Rochester, development plans, Filling In, Goodman Street, I-490, Matthew Denker, Rochester, Rochester NY, Sherwood Shoe Company, South Clinton Avenue, Tumbleweed Homes, Uhlen Place, vacant lot
Posted in Opinion, Reader Submitted Stories, Urban Development | 17 Comments »
The Rochester African-American Landmarks Project Needs Your Help
Monday, August 19th, 2013![African-American dancers among the performers at Bardos' Inn in Gates, N.Y. c1930-1935 [PHOTO: Albert R. Stone Collection]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/african-american-dancers-rochester-1930s.jpg)
The Landmark Society is reaching out to the Rochester community to gather facts, events, places, and stories that have been important in the lives of ordinary African-Americans in Rochester. We need your help with this important project…
Tags: African-American history, African-American landmarks, Austin Seward, Landmark Society of Western New York, Rochester, Rochester NY
Posted in Art + Culture, Rochester History, Rochester News | 1 Comment »
A Minute with Rochester Ukulele Orchestra (and SpongeBob)
Friday, August 16th, 2013![Sponge Bob at High Falls? [PHOTO: RochesterSubway.com]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/sponge-bob-at-high-falls.jpg)
Every Thursday during the summer months, Hochstein Music School puts on a free concert at High Falls’ Granite Mills Park. Can you believe yesterday was the last concert for 2013?! CURSE YOU, SUMMER! YOU’RE TOO SHORT!
Anyway, as a fun Friday diversion, I thought I’d share just a minute of video from this final performance with the Rochester Ukulele Orchestra. (co-starring: Old Man SpongeBob, Dancing Elvis Kid, and Jumpy Jumping Guy)…
Tags: Granite Mills Park, High Falls, Hochstein at High Falls, Hochstein Music School, music, Rochester Ukulele Orchestra, SpongeBob SquarePants, ukulele, video
Posted in Art + Culture, Rochester Destinations, Rochester Images | 3 Comments »
The Little Free Libraries of Rochester, NY
Wednesday, August 14th, 2013![The Little Free Libraries of Rochester, NY. [PHOTO: Chris Clemens]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/rochester-free-library-00.jpg)
The following is a guest post submitted by Chris Clemens.
Submit your story today.
In an effort to promote literacy and the love of reading, two businessmen out of the Mid-West have been operating a grassroots, ground up neighborhood rallying effort to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to read. Since 2009 the group has been making available little wooden stands that at first glance look like large birdhouses, but are actually little, free libraries…
Tags: Arbor Drive, books, Chestnut Hill Road, Chris Clemens, free stuff, Freebies, Hartsville Lane, library, little free libraries, little free library, Newcrest Drive, Rochester, Rochester NY, The Curious and Uncommon, Whitlock Road
Posted in Art + Culture, Reader Submitted Stories, Rochester Destinations, Rochester News | 5 Comments »
River Clean Up Makes Some Progress
Wednesday, August 14th, 2013![Local photographer Clarke Conde has been snapping photos of the Genesee River all year. This patch of trash had been growing slowly like a giant, smelly tumor. [PHOTO: Clarke Conde]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/genesee-river-garbage-clarke-conde-01.jpg)
A couple of weeks ago photographer Clarke Conde shared some dirty photos of Rochester’s riverfront on Facebook. Those photos made me sad. Dead trees, algae and trash had been collecting in this section of the river for over well over year. Smelly algae and logs are one thing. But add piles of plastic bottles, clothing, styrofoam, truck tires, other undesirables, and let stew for a year or more? To me, that’s more than a cosmetic problem. If I’m from out of town, I’d probably think Rochesterians just don’t give a hoot.
Thankfully, we all know that isn’t true. We pulled together. And we made a difference…
Tags: City of Rochester, Clarke Conde, Clean Sweep, garbage, Genesee River, John Callaghan, New York State Canal Corporation, pollution, rochester photos, trash, William Sweitzer
Posted in Opinion, Rochester Images, Rochester News | 6 Comments »
ROC Low Line: A (new) Proposal for Rochester’s Abandoned Subway
Monday, August 12th, 2013![Nine RIT students collaborated to design a subterranean urban park inside the old Rochester subway called the ROC Low Line. [RENDERING: RocLowLine.com]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/rochester-lowline-aquaduct.jpg)
Over the years there have been many proposals for the reuse of Rochester’s abandoned subway tunnel. Some would like to see the tunnel preserved and turned into a living museum open to the public. Others would like to turn back the hands of time even further, converting the tunnel back into a water canal – as it was part of the Erie Canal pre-1920s.
Even today as the City continues to take steps towards the latter option, new ideas continue to surface. The most recent concept comes from RIT’s architectural program, and a very interesting student project being called the ROC Low Line…
Tags: abandoned subway, Alexandra Bush, Allison LaChance, aqueduct, Aqueduct Bridge, architecture, Bridget Carney, Broad Street Corridor Master Plan, development plans, downtown Rochester, Dr. Alex Bitterman, Jennifer Danielle Harper, Kate Krueger, Matt Burke, Priyanka Sondhi, Rochester, Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), Rochester Low Line, Rochester NY, Rochester Subway, Rochester Subway tunnel, S. Adam Stoker, Sergey Selyuzhitskiy, The Lowline, underground park, urban parks & trails, urban planning
Posted in Rochester Destinations, Rochester Subway, Rochester Subway Stories, Transit + Infrastructure, Urban Development | 17 Comments »
The Walls of El Camino
Friday, August 9th, 2013![Art from the Wall Therapy project along Rochester's El Camino Trail. [PHOTO: RochesterSubway.com]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/wall-therapy-el-camino-trail-rochester.jpg)
I went to a big expensive university to study art for four years. I’ve traveled to Italy and marveled at the work of the great masters. I’ve gone out of my way to tip-toe through all the fancy art museums and galleries in New York and Toronto.
Earlier in the week I rode my bike down Rochester’s El Camino Trail. I’m not sure why, but art has never taken my breath away quite like this…
Tags: art, El Camino Trail, Graffiti, mural, Rochester, Rochester NY, street art, urban parks & trails, Wall-Therapy
Posted in Art + Culture, Opinion, Rochester Images, Urban Development | 11 Comments »
Rochester’s Park System: a model for the world
Wednesday, August 7th, 2013![One of the pedestrian bridges in Genesee Valley Park. This was not originally part of Olmsted's plan. [PHOTO: Rochester Public Library, Local History Division]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/genesee-valley-park-bridge.jpg)
If you’re a RocSubway reader and you love learning about Rochester as much as I do, you might want to check out 585 Magazine. It’s a pretty slick new bimonthly packed with tasty local bits on every topic imaginable. Plus, you might catch an occasional story on local places & history written by yours truly. In the current issue I attempt explore Rochester’s incredible, Olmsted-designed park system – in 800 words or less! Completely impossible, but I tried.
First, head over to 585 Mag and check out the story . Then come back here for fun extras, including Olmsted’s original plan drawings of Highland, Seneca, and Genesee Valley Parks, AND audio from my interview with JoAnn Beck, cochair of the Landmark Society’s Olmsted subcommittee…
Tags: 585 Magazine, Frederick Law Olmsted, Genesee Valley Park, Highland Park, JoAnn Beck, Landmark Society of Western New York, Rochester, Rochester NY, Seneca Park, urban parks & trails
Posted in Interviews, Rochester Destinations, Rochester History, Rochester Images, Transit + Infrastructure, Urban Development | 7 Comments »
A Better Bus Schedule for Rochester
Saturday, August 3rd, 2013
If you’ve been following along, you know how we’ve been trying to apply a little design for the betterment of our transit system. First we took a shot at designing a better bus stop sign for Rochester. RGRTA is currently studying that concept in anticipation of one day replacing their existing signs. Next we designed a better bus pass for which RGRTA gave a nod of approval. The new passes will be rolled out very soon!
But wait, there’s more! RGRTA has now asked for help redesigning one of the most important transit tools of all; their big, bad, bus schedules…
WHOA! Not so fast.
It appears RocSubway jumped the gun and accidentally published some information that wasn’t ready for primetime. New bus schedule designs are being worked on, but it will be some time before they are finalized and ready to be shared. If you caught the sneak peek, congrats. And thanks for providing your feedback!
To be continued…
Tags: bus, bus schedule, design, graphic design, Livingston Area Transportation Service (LATS), mass transit, mass transportation, public transit, public transportation, Reconnect Rochester, Regional Transit Service (RTS), Rochester Genesee Regional Transportation Authority (RGRTA), RTS, timetable, transit
Posted in Opinion, Rochester News, Transit + Infrastructure | 9 Comments »
![\"RochesterSubway.com\"](\"https://rochestersubway.com/images/pixel_white.gif\"){kind=tracking}
