Google Maps updated their view of Rochester 
this week. Notice anything different? Let’s zoom in on that visual a bit…
Archive: ‘Rochester Images’...
See Ya Later Inner Loop. Hello, Inner Horseshoe?
Thursday, December 11th, 2014Tags: downtown Rochester, Google, Google Maps, I-490, Inner Horseshoe, Inner Loop, Inner Loop East Reconstruction Project, maps, Rochester, Rochester NY
Posted in Opinion, Rochester Images, Rochester News, Transit + Infrastructure, Urban Development | 22 Comments »
Canal Break!
Tuesday, December 9th, 2014![Looking north through the gap in the north wall of newly completed Barge Canal. A break occurred at Bushnell's Basin on May 19, 1911. [PHOTO: Perinton Municipal Historian collection]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/rochester-erie-canal-break-04.jpg)
On May 19, 1911, a 150 foot long break occurred in the wall of the New York State Barge Canal at Bushnell’s Basin. Construction on this section of canal had just been completed eight days earlier.
According to an article in the Monroe County Mail, it was a canal worker, John McCarthy, who at 4pm discovered water pouring through a narrow crack in the canal bank…
Tags: Brook Hollow Road, Bushnell's Basin, Erie Canal, history of Rochester, infrastructure, John McCarthy, Marsh Road bridge, New York State Barge Canal, old photos, old photos of Rochester, old photos of Rochester NY, Perinton, Rochester, Rochester history, Rochester NY
Posted in Rochester History, Rochester Images, Transit + Infrastructure | 6 Comments »
Wear to Where #1 . . . . . . The Inner Loop
Sunday, November 30th, 2014![Emma Rusa in the Inner Loop: outfit by Thread; handbag by Carrie George. [PHOTO: Clarke Condé]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/rochester-fashion-wear-to-where-inner-loop-01.jpg)
By Clarke Condé
Welcome to the first in a new series blending geography and fashion with a focus on this place we call Rochester. We are fortunate to have host of boutiques and makers that bring a homegrown sense of Rust Belt chic to the varied spaces here. This series is an exploration of those spaces, many of which would otherwise not even get a second glance…
Tags: Carrie George, Clarke Conde, clothing, Emma Rusa, fashion, Inner Loop, Rochester, Rochester fashion, Rochester NY, Rust Belt chic, Thread, urban exploration, Wear to Where
Posted in Art + Culture, Rochester Images, Transit + Infrastructure, Urban Exploration | 5 Comments »
50 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Rochester
Tuesday, November 11th, 2014Ok, here we go, from the real estate listing site Movoto.com comes the top 50 things you PROBABLY didn’t know about Rochester… or did you?
![50 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Rochester NY. [PHOTO: Flickr User Da Da Z]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/topics/wp-content/uploads/rochester-facts-40-1.jpg)
Tags: Brown Brothers nursery, Browncroft, Buffalo Bill, Buffalo Bills, calculating machine, Colonial Nathaniel Rochester, David Kendall, Dexter, eBaum's World, Eric Bauman, first gold tooth, Flour City, Flower City, Francis Bellamy, French's Mustard, Genesee Brewery, Genesee Brewing Company, George Baldwin Selden, George Taylor, graham crackers, Great Lakes, Guinness World Records, Gym Class Heroes, James Caleb Jackson, James Cutler, John Lithgow, Labatt, lake effect snow, Lake Ontario, Lilac Festival, longest string of edible tacos, Lord Farquaad, marshmallows, Mount Hope Cemetery, movoto.com, Mustard Street, National Technical Institute for the Deaf (NTID), New York Giants, Ontario Beach Park carousel, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Places Rated Almanac, RIT Tigers, Rochester, Rochester Fire Department, Rochester history, Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), Rochester NY, Rochester Red Wings, Ross Barnes, Shrek, Spirit the RIT Tiger, The Haloid Photographic Company, The Pledge of Allegiance, Tom Coughlin, Toner Tower, Trinity Killer, trivia, University of Rochester, white hot, world’s largest human flower, Xerox, Xerox Tower
Posted in Reader Submitted Stories, Rochester History, Rochester Images | 13 Comments »
Amazing! Virtual Tour of Rochester Subway on Google Street View
Friday, November 7th, 2014![A local photographer has begun capturing the abandoned Rochester subway for viewing on Google Street View. [PHOTO: Mark Goho]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/rochester-subway-virtual-tour-01.jpg)
Okay urban explorers and subway fans, lay down some newspaper and get ready to have your minds blown. A local photographer, Mark Goho, has made it his mission to capture 360º panoramas of Rochester parks to share with the world on Google Views. Mark’s latest project took him deep underground and, with a few clicks of a camera and mouse, he has given the general public unfettered access into the abandoned Rochester subway…
Tags: abandoned places, abandoned subway, Broad Street, Google, Graffiti, Mark Goho, Rochester, Rochester NY, Rochester panorama, rochester photos, Rochester Subway, Rochester Subway photos, Rochester Subway tunnel, street art, subway tunnel, urban exploration
Posted in Art + Culture, Rochester Destinations, Rochester Images, Rochester Subway, Train/Railroad Stuff, Transit + Infrastructure, Urban Exploration | 14 Comments »
Historic Cunningham Carriage Returns to Rochester
Monday, October 6th, 2014
The following post by Amy Cavalier was originally published at DePaul.org.
Thousands of miles, several movie appearances and more than 140 years after leaving the Cunningham Carriage Factory on Litchfield Street in Rochester NY, a late-19th century brougham-style carriage returned home on Tuesday, September 30…
Tags: adaptive reuse, affordable housing, Carriage Factory, Cunningham Automobile Factory, Cunningham car, Cunningham Carriage Factory, DePaul, DePaul Properties, Gillian Conde, historic preservation, Inc., John Greenall, Litchfield Street, Rochester, Rochester New York, Rochester NY
Posted in Rochester Destinations, Rochester History, Rochester Images, Rochester News, Transit + Infrastructure, Urban Development | 3 Comments »
New at Parkleigh, a Bright Piece of Rochester Retail History?
Tuesday, August 26th, 2014![This chandelier at Parkleigh once hung inside B. Forman Co. in downtown Rochester, NY. [PHOTO: RochesterSubway.com]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/parkleigh-chandelier-b-forman-company-01.jpg)
Here’s a fun little history mystery that I could use your help with. Jeannine Klee, owner of Parkleigh on Park Avenue recently acquired this Venetian glass chandelier from a friend who claims it once hung inside the original B. Forman Co. department store in downtown Rochester. The fixture, now on display above the candy counter at Parkleigh, is quite beautiful. But, could it really be from B. Forman Co.?
Tags: B. Forman Co. Department Store, chandelier, Jeannine Klee, McCurdy & Co., McCurdy & Co. Department Store, Park Avenue, Parkleigh, Rochester history
Posted in Art + Culture, Rochester Destinations, Rochester Images, Rochester News | 10 Comments »
The Bath House at Durand Eastman Beach
Wednesday, July 30th, 2014![This was the bath house at Durand Eastman Beach. It opened in 1916 and by 1949 was closed due to high water. [PHOTO: Rochester Municipal Archives]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/rochester-durand-eastman-beach-bath-house-01.jpg)
Durand Eastman Park has long been a popular recreational destination for Rochesterians. Last year while digging into the legend of the Lady in White I came across some old photos of the park’s construction, as well as some interesting old structures. The stone foundation of the old refectory is still there (often mistaken for a fort or castle ruins). But there was another interesting feature of the park which has long vanished. The bath house…
Tags: bath house, Bud Martin, Durand Beach, Durand Eastman Beach, Durand Eastman Park, Durand Lake, Frank Warren, Lake Ontario, Rochester, Rochester NY, Roy Ackerman
Posted in Rochester History, Rochester Images, Transit + Infrastructure, Urban Development | 10 Comments »
‘Some Boy Causing Fuss’ First Warning Of Trouble in Rochester Riot Area
Thursday, July 24th, 2014![Scene from the Rochester riots, July 24-26, 1964. [PHOTO: Rochester Municipal Archives]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/rochester-riots-1964-02.jpg)
On July 24, 1964 a series of events took place which led to three of the darkest days in Rochester’s history. They had come to Rochester seeking a better life, yet African Americans in Rochester at that time still had to fight for jobs, fight for education, fight for housing… even for the simple right to stand on the sidewalk in their own neighborhood and not be questioned by police. By the 1960s the mistreatment of black people in this country—over the course of centuries—finally reached a boiling point. And Rochester was in the eye of the storm…
Tags: 1964, Anthony Cerretto, Bernard Gayzer, Carrie Stevens, Dan Funk, Gene Stevens, Helen Myricks, race in Rochester NY, riot, Rochester, Rochester NY, Roger Bacon, Sal Arnone
Posted in Rochester History, Rochester Images | 3 Comments »
Abandoned Girl Scout Camp Beech-Wood
Monday, July 21st, 2014![Beechwood Park in Sodus, NY is a former Girl Scouts of America summer camp. The property has been left as it was abandoned in 1996. [PHOTO: Chris Clemens and Luke Myer]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/rochester-abandoned-camp-beechwood-01.jpg)
My buddies Chris Clemens and Luke Myer (from the Burned Over District blog) recently shared these photos with me. Chris and Luke were on their way to Sodus on an unrelated exploration trip when they recalled stories of a nearby abandoned Girl Scout camp and decided to stop and check it out [map ].
Luke says his mother camped here when she was a little girl. In fact, many Girl Scouts earned a badge or two here over its 60+ year history. This was camp Beech-Wood and the following is an excerpt from NYfalls.com about its history…
Tags: abandoned, abandoned places, abandoned swimming pool, Beechwood State Park, camp site, Chris Clemens, Girl Scouts camp, Girl Scouts of America, Luke Myer, photography, Rochester, Rochester NY, rochester photos, Sodus, urban exploration
Posted in Rochester Destinations, Rochester History, Rochester Images, Urban Exploration | 29 Comments »
High Falls Repaints Old “Ghost Signs”
Tuesday, July 1st, 2014![The High Falls Business Association has been repainting some of the old 'ghost' advertising signs on buildings along Mill Street. [PHOTO: RochesterSubway.com]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/rochester-high-falls-ghost-advertising-signs-repainted-03.jpg)
You know those faded advertisements on the sides of old brick buildings? You may have heard them referred to as ghost signs because they’re usually just barely there, hanging on like spirits of a bygone era. Yeah, I love those things. Probably because they combine my two favorite hobbies: graphic design and local history.
The building I work in (in the High Falls neighborhood) has one of these signs on it. So naturally I took notice when someone began painting over it…
Tags: ads, advertising, Brett Steeves, brickads, Button Factory, fading ads, ghost signs, High Falls, High Falls Business Improvement District, John August, Mill Street, mural, Parazin Building, Partners Building
Posted in Art + Culture, Rochester History, Rochester Images, Rochester News | 19 Comments »
Construction Update: University of Rochester
Monday, June 30th, 2014![Construction on College Town, at University of Rochester. June 2014. [PHOTO: Jimmy Combs]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/rochester-college-town-01.jpg)
The following is a guest post submitted by Jimmy Combs.
Submit your story today.
The area around University of Rochester—both east and west of the river—has seen an explosion of new construction. RocSubway contributor Jimmy Combs ventured out this weekend to get a snapshot of the progress of three of these developments; College Town, The Flats at Brooks Crossing, and the new Golisano Children’s Hospital. All are due to open by 2015…
Tags: Brooks Avenue, Brooks Landing, College Town, Collegetown, construction, Elmwood Avenue, Genesee Street, Golisano Children's Hospital, Jimmy Combs, Mount Hope, Mount Hope Cemetery, rochester photos, The Flats at Brooks Crossing, University of Rochester, University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC), urban development
Posted in Reader Submitted Stories, Rochester Images, Rochester News, Urban Development | 3 Comments »
Rochester’s Mercury Statue, Up Close and Personal
Thursday, May 29th, 2014![Statue of Mercury. Rochester, NY. [PHOTO: Wes Plant]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/rochester-mercury-statue-renovation-2011-40.jpg)
On Facebook last week I shared an old photo of Rochester’s iconic Mercury statue as it was being removed from its original perch atop the Kimball Tobacco Factory in 1951. The factory was demolished to make way for the War Memorial and the statue sat in storage until the Lawyers Cooperative (Aqueduct Building) became his new home in 1973.
Fast forward to June 2011; the 21 foot tall, 700 pound statue gets a thorough inspection for signs of wear and a good restoration. The following photos were taken by Wes Plant during that checkup. And they show Mercury in detail you’ve probably never seen before…
Tags: aerial photography, Aqueduct Building, Blue Cross Arena, Cluett-Peabody & Company, downtown Rochester, J. Guernsey Mitchell, John Siddons Co., Kimball Tobacco Factory, Lawyers Cooperative Publishing Company, Mercury statue, public art, Rochester, Rochester NY, rochester photos, Statue of Mercury, War Memorial, War Memorial Arena, William Kimball
Posted in Art + Culture, Reader Submitted Stories, Rochester Images, Urban Exploration | 22 Comments »
More Little Free Libraries
Tuesday, May 27th, 2014![A Little Free Libraries at 226 Hudson Avenue. Rochester, NY. [PHOTO: Deanna Varble]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/rochester-free-library-10.jpg)
A while back, Chris Clemens called attention to Rochester’s growing collection of Little Free Libraries . Last week Deanna Varble and Ken Braley wrote in to RocSubway and asked me to share a few more they’ve been working on.
I love this grassroots effort to encourage reading. And I’m happy to share these newest additions to the greater Rochester neighborhood…
Tags: books, Caroline Street, Chris Clemens, Deanna Varble, free stuff, Freebies, Gregory Street, Hudson Avenue, Ken Braley, library, little free libraries, little free library, Rochester, Rochester NY, The Curious and Uncommon
Posted in Art + Culture, Reader Submitted Stories, Rochester Images, Rochester News | 2 Comments »
Rochester’s Great Flood(s)
Monday, May 19th, 2014![A large crowd is gathered on Front Street to look at the flood at the other end of the street. Varlan's Hotel, Rosenberg's Pawnshop, Charles Adam's Sons Grinding, J.G. Zweigle's Sons, W.T. Bridle Furniture, William Pigeon Shoes, Hyman Davis Shoes, Genesee Provision Company, Myers Department Store, and the F.H. Loeffler Company are visible in the photo. March, 1913. [IMAGE: Albert R. Stone]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/rochester-ny-flood-march-1913-01.jpg)
With all of the recent flooding in our area, RocSubway reader Michael Delaney wrote in and suggested, “a great idea for an article would be about the history of flooding in Rochester and the civil engineering that has gone into solving the issue. Beyond the dams, I’ve heard that there are huge storm sewer tunnels underneath the city. It would be very interesting to know more about it.”
Situated at the intersection of the Genesee River and Erie Canal, Rochester’s geography has blessed—or cursed—us with a long long history of great floods. Before the construction of the Mount Morris Dam (1948-1952) records indicate the City of Rochester had experienced severe flooding about every seven years between 1865 and 1950. Talk about a pesky problem.
Digging into all of the engineering marvels that have spared modern Rochesterians from most of these high waters could easily span many pages. And I promise to dedicate future posts on the subject. But for now, I want to show just how bad this problem was by highlighting just one flooding disaster that occurred in late March, 1913…
Tags: Aqueduct Bridge, Atlantic Supply House, Bartholomay Beer, Black Creek, Brown Street, C.P. Ford & Company, Central Avenue, Charles Adam's Sons Grinding, Court Street, Dave Solomon, downtown Rochester, Erie Canal, Erie Canal Aqueduct, F.A. Sherwood Company, F.H. Loeffler Company, F.P. Van Hoesen Company, Fahy Market, Fifth Avenue Clothes Shop, flood, Front Street, Genesee Aqueduct, Genesee Provision Company, Genesee River, Gorsline Building, history of Rochester, Hotel Richmond, Hyman Davis Shoes, J.C. Vine's Columbia Hotel, J.C. Wilson Company, J.G. Zweigle's, J.G. Zweigle's Sons, Jacob Goldstein's Lodging House, John M. Forster Company, local history, Market Streets, Mill Street, Mount Morris Dam, Myer's Department Store, old photos, old photos of Rochester, old photos of Rochester NY, People's Rescue Mission, Plymouth Avenue, Postal Telegraph Cable Company, Powers Building, Rienzi, Rochester, Rochester history, Rochester NY, Rochester Poultry & Commission Company, Rochester Thread Company, Rosenberg's Pawnshop, Scottsville, South Avenue, Varlan's Hotel, W.T. Bridle Furniture, Weis & Fisher Company, West Shore railroad bridge, William H. Larkin Hotel, William Pigeon Shoes, Zweigle's
Posted in Rochester History, Rochester Images | 12 Comments »
Rochester (& Other) Landmarks
Thursday, May 1st, 2014![Rochester (& Other) Landmarks' is a collaboration between local photographer Jonathan White, and NYC graffiti artist Antonio 'Chico' Garcia. [IMAGE: Used with permission from the artists]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/rochester-other-landmarks-by-chico-and-white-04.jpg)
A new collaborative art exhibit will open Sunday, May 11, at ARTISANworks . “Rochester (& Other) Landmarks” features the work of local photographer, Jonathan White, and graffiti artist, Antonio “Chico” Garcia.
To the average viewer the work may come across as a bit of a train wreck; seemingly random doodles, awkwardly juxtaposed against a familiar urban landscape. But like any good wreck, once it catches your eye, you’ll find it impossible to look away…
Tags: abandoned subway tunnel, Alphabet City, Antonio ‘Chico’ Garcia, art, ARTISANworks, Donuts Delite, Eastman Theater, Genesee Brewery, Genesee Valley Trust, Graffiti, Jonathan White, Louis Perticone, Lower East Side, New York City, photography, rochester photos, Rundel Library, Sea Breeze, St. Michael’s Church, Strong National Museum of Play, The Bug Jar, Times Square Building, Village Gate
Posted in Art + Culture, Rochester Destinations, Rochester Images, Rochester News | No Comments »
New Exhibit Honors the Hojack Swing Bridge
Monday, April 28th, 2014![The control room of the Hojack Swing Bridge has been recreated at the NY Museum of Transportation. [PHOTO: Flickr, M J M]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/hojack-swing-bridge-mjm.jpg)
Rochester’s beloved Hojack Swing Bridge has been gone for more than a year, but now a new exhibit at the New York Museum of Transportation will honor the history of the former Rochester landmark. The exhibit is a re-creation of the bridge’s control cabin and contains the original steam engine, control devices, and a working model of the bridge…
Tags: Charlotte, demolition, Genesee River, Hojack Railroad Line, Hojack Swing Bridge, New York Museum of Transportation (NYMT), Port of Rochester, Rochester, Rochester NY, rochester photos
Posted in Rochester History, Rochester Images, Rochester News, Train/Railroad Stuff, Transit + Infrastructure | 3 Comments »
Fighting the Flames at Ontario Beach Park
Monday, April 28th, 2014
No, the headline isn’t in reference to the recent controversy surrounding the port development. I wanted to take a look back, at the “good ole days,” when Ontario Beach was known as the Coney Island of central and western New York. Here’s a birds eye of view of all the shiny happy fun… The Dentzel carousel. The L.A. Thompson’s Scenic Railway. The Auditorium (a.k.a. the House of Hilarity). Such good times.
Then I noticed the peculiar site of smoke and flames in the background (click the image for a larger view). Holy smokes! Charlotte is burning! Somebody call 9-1-1!!
Tags: carousel, Charlotte, Charlotte Beach, Donovan A. Shilling, Livingston Hotel, Messmore's Fighting the Flames, Ontario Beach, Ontario Beach Park, Ontario Hotel, Port of Rochester/Charlotte, Rochester, Rochester history, Rochester NY, The House That Jack Built crazy house
Posted in Rochester Destinations, Rochester History, Rochester Images | 1 Comment »
Anonymous Photos: Inside Midtown Tower
Sunday, March 9th, 2014
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
Posted in Art + Culture, Reader Submitted Stories, Rochester Images, Urban Development, Urban Exploration | 7 Comments »
Into the Incinerator
Monday, March 3rd, 2014![The Garbage Incinerator at High Falls, Rochester. [PHOTO: Robert Cunningham]](https://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
Posted in Reader Submitted Stories, Rochester History, Rochester Images, Transit + Infrastructure, Urban Exploration | 16 Comments »
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