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.
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…
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…
ROC Transit Day is just a week away. About 85 local businesses and organizations have signed up to participate on June 20 – either encouraging their employees & members to leave their cars home, or by offering exclusive deals to transit riders .
Rex the Rhino is planning his bus ride as we speak. Music buskers are tuning up for their performances during the evening rush hour on Main Street. Murphy’s Law on East Avenue is priming the kegs for our happy hour celebration (RSVP here ). And our volunteers are wrapping up HUNDREDS of prizes to deliver to random transit riders.
Get Your Fare Card!
Best of all, we still have 300 limited edition ROC Transit Day fare cards left to give away before the 20th. And we’re making them available to you now – first come first serve. Send us your mailing address and let us know how many fare cards you’d like (no more than 5 per person please). Email your request to [email protected].
We can’t guarantee on time delivery for requests made after Sunday, June 16. So email us now!
A few short weeks ago I told you about ROC Transit Day 2013. The idea is simple… pedestrians make for a vibrant city. The more people Rochester has walking the streets instead of driving, the stronger our community will be; and the stronger our local economy will be. ROC Transit Day is a holiday from our cars. It’s a day to celebrate local businesses. And it’s a day to cast a symbolic vote for a stronger transit system…
The Landmark Society is partnering with the Park-Meigs Neighborhood Association to hold a public forum on the evening of Tuesday, May 21 at 597 East Avenue . Up for discussion: the timely and controversial topic of new development in preservation districts. This is a community conversation you will NOT want to miss.
A panel of speakers, representing developers, homeowners, business owners, urban planners, and The Landmark Society, will offer their perspective, followed by an open question and answer session. Speakers include Wayne Goodman, Executive Director of The Landmark Society; Glenn Kellogg, Urban Advisors; Joe Hanna, Hanna Properties; Steve Vogt, Rochester Young Professionals. RocSubway contributor, Matthew Denker will also weigh in. Can new development benefit preservation districts? How can the new co-exist with the old? What is “good” development? These are some of the questions this forum will attempt to address.
I haven’t been able to find anyone who knows exactly when this mural was painted, but it’s been a fixture in Manhattan Square Park for at least 30 years, says Charles Moreland, Executive Director of Rochester Parkour . The outdoor venue has been mostly abandoned for the past 10 years, but its concrete walls and irregular geometry make it ideal for practicing the fine art of Parkour. Charles’ group can often be found moving throughout the park. Yesterday Charles noticed the mural had been covered with a fresh coat of gray paint…
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…
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 took a few hours to have some fun this week at The Strong, National Museum of Play. They’ve got a killer exhibit going on right now, through May 12. A history of transportation built entirely out of LEGO! I haven’t geeked out this bad since Norm Abrams came to Chase-Pitkin for a “This Old House” book signing. Check this out…
This little tree caught my attention yesterday on State Street downtown. First of all, it’s wearing a totally rad sweater. But also, this tree has been buttoned up for a good cause. I totally dig stuff like this…
About a month ago, someone set up a petition in opposition to a plan to demolish 660 West Main Street (formerly Westminster Presbyterian Church) and to prevent the building of a Dollar General in its place. The owner of the petition is using “Susan B. Anthony” as an alias. And this week “Susan B. Anthony” sent me a plea for help via email…
Perhaps my favorite site on the great big internet (besides this one of course) is TED.com . Originally begun in California, TED is a not-for-profit foundation whose sole mission is simply to “Spread Good Ideas to the World.” Much of its content is offered free online, and every 18-minute TED talk is billed as an “idea worth spreading.” A few years ago, Tony Karakashian, Gary Jacobs, and Amanda Doherty began TEDx Rochester , a local offshoot of TED…
After being selected as the American League (AL) consumer winner of the Pepsi MAX MLB Field of Dreams program, Rochester resident Johnny Perotti edged out National League (NL) consumer winner Stephen Katchmark in the hometown voting competition to officially bring the Field of Dreams Game to Rochester…
I’ve been keeping a close eye on these people who call themselves “green.” My wife is one of them. She forces me to do things like wash poop-filled diapers and collect rainwater off the roof of my garage. Recently I even started carrying my nacho chips to work with me in a cloth/velcro baggie instead plastic. She sold me one of these sustainable lunch baggies for five bucks. What’s this world coming to?
Actually, I kind of like this green tidal wave of change. It’s certainly made me think about leaving the world a little better for my kids. But I also like it because it’s created a whole new economy in which our region is positioning itself to capitalize in a big way. That’s not just hype. Like Rochester’s great Industrial Expositions of the early 1900’s, the Greentopia Festival will give Rochesterians a unique look at our future; and some good reasons to celebrate.
It’s no secret. We all love a good implosion. So like any good citizen I woke up early (9:45am) and made my way over (and around police barricades) to the wrecking site so’s I could shoot some video of this one. I should apologize for the quality, however. With all the local streets closed off to traffic and officials encouraging people not to come out, this was the best location I could find. But you’ll get the idea. It’s an implosion. Wooo hoooo. Roll the video…
Maldives is a country like no other. A Shangri-la of breathtakingly beautiful turquoise reefs, beaches, and palm trees. It is composed of 1200 coral islands off of the Indian sub-continent, of which 200 are inhabited. But this amazing country is in danger of disappearing.
On July 19th at 7pm, Greentopia | FILM and The Little Theatre will be co-presenting the Rochester premiere of The Island President…
If you’re like most people, you’ve used public transit in other cities—maybe while sightseeing in NYC or backpacking through Europe—but then you come home to Rochester and you get right back in your car and drive everywhere you need to go. We may not even think about it. It’s just habit.
On those days when I do leave my car at home and take the bus to work, it’s like being on vacation; from my routine. I don’t have to hunt for a parking space and lock up my car, or hike thru a nasty parking lot or gloomy garage. I just step off the bus and I’ve arrived.
I still remember the way I felt the first time I used the bus in Rochester. It was almost euphoric, really. I felt like I was free. Exactly the opposite of the way this video makes me feel…
Community supported urban agriculture is an idea that’s been taking root in neighborhoods across Rochester for several years now. Brian Pettit and his partner Eugene are disabled veterans who have been working to convert empty lots near Rochester’s public market into community gardens. They dubbed their first garden lot “2nd Chance Central Park” because of its location (2nd Street & Central Park), its rejuvenating impact on the neighborhood, as well as the recycled materials in use.
This “2nd Chance” garden had been producing heirloom tomatoes, peppers and potatoes since 2009 until it was accidentally bulldozed by the City last Spring. And suddenly the name has taken on a whole new meaning…
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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.![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)
![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 City recently painted over this mural, a fixture in Manhattan Square Park for probably 30 years. [PHOTO: Kristen Cavanaugh]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/manhattan-square-park-mural.jpg)
![Filming of Spider Man 2 in Rochester, NY. [PHOTO: RochesterSubway.com]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/spider-man-rochester-ny-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)
![LEGO Travel Adventure exhibit at The Strong, National Museum of Play. Now thru May 12, 2013. [PHOTO: RochesterSubway.com]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/lego-travel-adventures-01.jpg)
![The Greentopia Festival is coming once again to High Falls. Greentopia reminds us that we've only got one planet, and we're all in this together. [PHOTO: Twitter.com/greentopiafest]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/rochester-high-falls-one-human-family.jpg)
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