A year and half ago I managed to convince RGRTA to try something new. I said, “let me give away free bus rides for one day.” I imagined most people would say “no thanks, the bus isn’t for me.” But I also knew my mom was right when she said, “try it, you might like it.” That year I think maybe 200 people participated and left their cars at home for the day.
What began as a fun little experiment, has turned into ROC Transit Day – a full blown Rochester holiday from our cars. This year ROC Transit Day will be on Thursday, June 20.
In this, its second year, the volunteers at Reconnect Rochester are giving away 1,000 special edition RTS fare cards – designed by yours truly. And we’re asking Rochester’s business community to get involved too…
Hey kids, you know what today is? That’s right, Fun Foto Friday! I know you’ve probably had your fill of spandex-wrapped web-slingers, street closures, and NYC squad cars blowing up everywhere. But I just wanted to post some of my pics from the last couple days of Spider-Man filming. And I’d like to see yours too. If you were able to slip past the barricades and snag a few good shots, go ahead and post a link in the comments section…
A recent story in the Rochester Business Journal had me pleasantly surprised to learn that the Hilton hotel chain is strongly considering adapting a five-story former clothing store at 155 E. Main Street into a Hilton Garden Inn. Around the corner at 25 Stone Street , a smaller two-story building (formerly the Stone Street Grill) would also be part of the 15 million dollar plan.
Normally I don’t get all revved up for national chains, but there are at least two REALLY good things happening here: Private interest/investment in Main Street (good), AND adaptive reuse of three or four old buildings (REALLY GOOD).
I also learned something very interesting about these buildings. What’s old may be new again…
Rochester admittedly has its share of problems: socioeconomic, educational, and transportation, among many others. Most problems will take a great amount of knowhow, community support, and time to correct. The problem of “junkyard” dogs—dogs used to guard, watch, or protect businesses such as car dealerships and metal recyclers while the property owners are absent—is potentially quickly solvable. Simple solutions would be beneficial to the animals that spend their lives lost on the lots of this city.
Sorry it’s been so quiet in the subway for the past week. It got crazy busy with many things happening on many different fronts, and I had to force myself into a self-imposed digital detox program. But here’s a quicky update…
I just got back from the Genesee-Finger Lakes Active Transportation Summit; a conference (held in downtown Rochester) where mobs of cycling and transit advocates gathered for a day of discussion about moving Rochester forward… literally. Believe me, Spiderman isn’t the only one sporting the spandex lately. There’s an undeniable groundswell of support for walkable, bike-friendly streets, and transit options in this town. Maybe you were following the tweets coming out of Reconnect Rochester throughout the day? But if you were at the conference, you understand what I mean. The excitement was palpable, and contagious.
Remember this portrait of Bob Ross we spotted on a rail bridge in Spencerport a while ago? Built in 1924, that bridge once carried freight trains over South Union Street . The Democrat & Chronicle tells us tractor trailers have been hitting the bridge repeatedly for years. So it’s time to come down. Sorry Bob.
Daniel Azzolina has sent in a few photos of the bridge being dismantled. Enjoy…
The GardenAerial project could one day transform High Falls – Rochester’s oldest neighborhood. A landscaped pedestrian trail is planned to be built all the way around the rim of the gorge. Pre-existing structures & trails would be converted into multi-use public green spaces. And if all goes according to the vision, the entire area (in and around the gorge) could become New York’s first EcoDistrict . But this is not an initiative led by City Hall. The idea was brought to the table by two Rochester residents, and is now being advanced by their non-profit, Friends of the GardenAerial.
The first phase of the GardenAerial project will be funded in part by this this online campaign . But there’s only one week left and $6,600 still to raise. In a recent comment to RochesterSubway.com, city resident Jim Fraser explains why crowdsourced projects like this are critical to the future of our city…
Last September the Bread and Water Theatre group expressed interest in purchasing the Westminster Presbyterian Church at 660 West Main Street after learning that its owner had asked the City for permission to demolish it. That demolition request has been denied (for now). Meanwhile, the same theatre group now has its eye on another historically significant church…
Okay, so I’m on the fence – sort of. Remember this proposed apartment complex at 933 University Avenue? After the Eastman House and other neighbors complained about the design, Morgan Management went back to the drawing board (or Photoshop or whatever) and they came back with this…
Last September I introduced you to Johnny Perotti , the local baseball fan who won Pepsi’s MLB Field of Dreams contest. Well, actually we all won, because the winner’s hometown (that’s you Rochester) will get to play host to a mock MLB all star game.
First off, congrats to Johnny! Good work man. And congrats to Pepsi; you’ve got me blogging about your product which I don’t even drink as caffeine gives me killer headaches. But I digress.
Let’s get to the details of this baseball game which have finally been released. Tickets are now on sale…
I get a ridiculous amount of email here in the Rochester Subway. Most of it isn’t really worth sharing but occasionally I get a diamond in the rough. So here’s one from the mailbag…
Al from Wolcott, NY sent me this great photograph today along with a question. He writes, “Someplace on the internet I recently ran across a comment that the Buffalo, Rochester & Pittsburg Railroad terminal was the place where people boarded a passenger train for Charlotte and then got on a boat for a trip to Cobourg, Ontario. Can you confirm this?” Yes. Yes I can. But first, let’s look closer at this photo…
Sally Wood Winslow has operated the High Falls Visitor Center , gift shop, and art gallery for 20 years. During that time she has personally greeted every single visitor with a boisterous “HELLO THERE! Welcome to the Visitor Center at High Falls!!” And, she has become a very good friend of mine, so this one hurts me personally. Today Sally announced the visitor center and gallery will be closing on June 30…
Al Schneider has been working for decades to bring some pretty major sporting institutions to Western NY. After the Olympic Summer Games in London, he requested a meeting with Governor Cuomo to discuss bringing the Olympic Games to Rochester. Six months later Rochester ended up on a list of cities who have expressed interest in bidding for the 2024 games. But local officials quickly passed on the idea. Fear not. Schneider’s got other irons in the fire…
A few months ago we interviewed the local artist known only as Spaceman. You’ve seen the iconic images on the streets of Rochester. Now you can own them (and contribute to two great causes). Proceeds gathered from the sale of these stickers, prints and t-shirts will go towards Spaceman’s efforts to clean up waterways in the Genesee Valley; including the Genesee River and surrounding tributaries. Spaceman also requests that a portion of the proceeds go to RocSubway for the upkeep of the site. Thanks Spaceman!
But don’t wait. Quantities are EXTREMELY limited so grab this stuff while it’s here.
Danielle Raymo and Stephanie Rankin, two recent college grads, have just opened a new and exciting business in Village Gate. Rochester Brainery brings fun and affordable learning experiences to the public with sort of a no-strings attached philosophy. They seek out people in the community to come in and run educational workshops on various topics of interest, and anyone can sign up to take a class…
It was 37 years ago today when the greatest photo in RPD history was taken. David Bowie was in town on his 1976 World Tour. After giving a performance at the War Memorial Arena on March 20, Bowie was arrested in a hotel suite in the early morning hours of March 21. Three others were also booked including James Osterberg, or Iggy Pop, the “godfather of punk rock.” This infamous mugshot was taken when the rockstar returned to Rochester and pleaded “not guilty” to the felony drug charge in Rochester City Court. This was the story printed in the Democrat and Chronicle the morning of March 22, 1976…
On Monday I wrote a post about a Zoning Board public hearing coming up on Thursday (tomorrow). Marvin Maye, owner of an old church building on West Main Street will be challenging that building’s status as a Designated Building of Historic Value. If the building is removed from that list of protected city properties, he plans to demolish the church and build a Dollar General store.
Craig Walker is a developer who has been working with Mr. Maye on this project. He tells us that while he would have liked to see the church converted into a jazz/blues club and dance hall, conversion of the church would be cost prohibitive. And while the building was on the market, “not one ‘preservationist’ stepped forward to advance any plan.”
Here are Mr. Walker’s comments in full, with a few follow-up questions afterwards…
She’s a thing of beauty, don’t you think? Hundreds of thousands of square feet packed with mind-strengthening knowledge, all wrapped in 16 stories of brick and limestone, and capped off with 6,668 pounds of bronze bells. It’s the largest musical instrument in the city of Rochester, and also one of the top 50 research libraries in North America.
Proudly watching over the Eastman Quad , Rush Rhees Library at the University of Rochester seems to call out, “Come to me. Come to me and get your education on.” Personally, I’ve always wondered what the views are like from the top of that bell tower. What do you say we all climb up inside there and race to the top? Let’s go…
Two important cases will go before the Zoning Board this Thursday: the ongoing saga of one historic church on Main Street, and design concerns regarding the future College Town. Salvation for the church, as well as the promise of a pedestrian-friendly College Town, may hang in the balance.
First, if you’ve been following the story of the little white church at 660 W. Main Street, owner Marvin Maye will make one more appeal to challenge the building’s status as a Designated Building of Historic Value. If he succeeds, he could have a clear path forward to demolish the 140-something-year-old church.* And in its place would go a Dollar General store…
I’ve given myself a photo assignment for 2013. Pick 13 subjects, and take 13 snapshots of each. Simple. We started last month with 13 mailboxes. This month I turned my lens on what I thought were some of Rochester’s most intriguing storefronts. These images were taken on the city’s east side, from Monroe Ave up to East Ridge Road…
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After the Erie Canal was rerouted south of downtown Rochester, the Rochester
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– a full blown Rochester holiday from our cars. This year ROC Transit Day will be on Thursday, June 20.![Filming of Spider Man 2 in Rochester, NY. [PHOTO: RochesterSubway.com]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/spider-man-rochester-ny-01.jpg)
![The Hilton hotel chain is strongly considering adapting this five-story former National Clothing Store on Main Street into a Hilton Garden Inn. [PHOTO: Rochester Public Library]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/national-clothing-store-rochester-2013.jpg)
![Everyday, dogs like this one are used to guard, watch, or protect businesses such as car dealerships and metal recyclers while the property owners are absent. [PHOTO: Joel Helfrich]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/rochester-junkyard-dogs-01.jpg)
![The City just released a Request for Proposal to create a Bike Boulevard Plan. [PHOTO: Payton Chung]](http://rochestersubway.com/images/photos/bike-boulevard-PaytonChung-01.jpg)
![This old railroad bridge over S. Union Street in Spencerport was removed last week. [PHOTO: RochesterSubway.com]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/rochester-guerilla-art-bob-ross.jpg)
![The Greentopia Festival in High Falls, Rochester, NY. [PHOTO: Greentopia]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/rochester-greentopia-2011-1.jpg)
![The African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church at 42 Favor Street in the Cornhill Neighborhood. [PHOTO: J.R. Teeter]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/ame-zion-church-favor-street-rochester-01.jpg)
![Former Boston Red Sox third baseman Wade Boggs signs autographs before the start of the exhibition game, which was sponsored by Pepsi Max. [PHOTO: Chris Russell, Columbus Dispatch]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/pepsi-max-baseball-01.jpg)
![Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Station, Rochester, NY. [PHOTO: Provide by Al from Wolcott, NY]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/baltimore-and-ohio-railroad-station-rochester.jpg)
![High Falls Visitor Center will be closing at the end of June. [PHOTO: Wayne Senville, Flickr]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/center-at-high-falls-01.jpg)
![U.S. Soccer Hall of Fame [PHOTO: Steve Hutchinson, Flickr]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/us-soccer-hall-of-fame.jpg)
![Spaceman artwork now available for you to own. [IMAGE: SPACEMAN]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/rochester-spaceman-sticker.jpg)
![David Bowie's mugshot after being arrested in Rochester NY for possession of marijuana. [PHOTO: Provided by Todd Hess]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/david-bowie-mugshot-rochester-ny-01.jpg)
![The former Westminster Presbyterian Church at 660 West Main Street could become a Dollar General store. [PHOTO: RochesterSubway.com]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/rochester-westminster-church-660-west-main-01.jpg)
![University of Rochester's Rush Rhees Library, originally completed in 1930 and named for Rush Rhees, the university's first president (1900-1935). What do you say we climb up inside this? [PHOTO: RochesterSubway.com]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/university-of-rochester-rush-rhees-library-01.jpg)
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