![The Powers Building at Main & State Streets, 1968. [PHOTO: Winters, via Library of Congress]](https://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…
Archive: ‘Rochester Images’...
Powers Building, Main & State Streets, 1968
Friday, February 28th, 2014Tags: Crossroads Building, downtown Rochester, Elwood Building, First National Bank, Four Corners, Fun Foto Friday, 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
Posted in Rochester History, Rochester Images, Transit + Infrastructure, Urban Development | 8 Comments »
The Big Plans for RG&E Beebee Station
Monday, February 24th, 2014![RG&E Beebee Station [PHOTO: RochesterSubway.com]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/rge-beebee-station-rochester-00.jpg)
The following is a guest post submitted by Joel Helfrich.
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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
Posted in Reader Submitted Stories, Rochester Images, Transit + Infrastructure, Urban Development | 45 Comments »
Dan “Donuts” Delite and the Milkmaid?
Friday, February 14th, 2014![An Art-Deco style milkmaid is depicted in the floor of Donuts Delite, Rochester NY. [PHOTO: RochesterSubway.com]](https://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
Posted in Rochester Destinations, Rochester History, Rochester Images | 6 Comments »
Rochester’s Lakeshore Drive-in Theatre May Get New Life
Wednesday, January 15th, 2014![The marquee sign at the former Lakeshore Drive-in Theatre in Greece, NY. [PHOTO: NewYorkDriveIns.com]](https://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
Posted in Interviews, Rochester History, Rochester Images, Urban Development, Urban Exploration | 21 Comments »
13 Rochesterians
Monday, December 16th, 2013![13 Rochesterians [PHOTOS BY: Arlene Hodge]](https://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
Posted in Art + Culture, Reader Submitted Stories, Rochester Images, Urban Exploration | 7 Comments »
1920’s Photo of Rochester Subway Construction
Friday, December 6th, 2013![Rochester Subway, Broad Street tunnel construction. c.1925. [IMAGE: Rochester Municipal Archives]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/rochester-subway-broad-street-construction-01.jpg)
Today’s Fun Foto Friday is this 1920’s view of the Erie Canal aqueduct looking east. You’re looking at the covering over the old canal which would soon become Broad Street and the Rochester Subway beneath. In the background (center) is the Osburn House hotel. Eventually Broad Street would be extended eastward, right through that hotel. The stairwell to the City Hall subway station can be seen at the street corner. And next to the stairs, notice the construction site…
Tags: Broad Street, Exchange Boulevard, Exchange Street, Fun Foto Friday, Genesee Valley Trust, history of Rochester, James Field Company, Osburn House, Rochester history, Rochester Subway, Times Square Building
Posted in Rochester History, Rochester Images, Rochester Subway, Transit + Infrastructure, Urban Development | 2 Comments »
Historic Rochester in 3D Stereoscope
Monday, November 25th, 2013![3D Stereogram of High Falls (c.1885) [PHOTO: Rochester Public Library]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/high-falls-rochester-1885.gif)
From the 1850’s to the 1930’s stereograms were considered cutting edge home entertainment technology. Two photos taken at the same time from slightly different angles would be view together using a special set of lenses called a stereoscope. The result would be an ever so subtle (yet mind-tingling) simulated 3D view…
Tags: Academy Building, Athenaeum Library, Chapin's monument, CJ Hayden monument, High Falls, Lake Avenue, Lower Falls, Monroe County Court House, Mount Hope Cemetery, old photos, old photos of Rochester, old photos of Rochester NY, Pitkin monument, Pitkin vault, Powers Building, Rochester, Rochester City Hall, Rochester Free Academy, Rochester NY, Sibley Building, Sibley's, Sibley's Department Store, Sibly Lindsay & Curr Co., stereogram, stereoscope, stereoscopic views, vintage views, West Main Street
Posted in Rochester History, Rochester Images | 5 Comments »
Elusive Memories of Iola, Part 2
Friday, November 22nd, 2013![Children (patients) on the roof of Iola Tuberculosis Sanatorium (c.1939). That's Marilyn Casserino in the center. [PHOTO COURTESY OF: Marilyn Murphree]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/iola-tuberculosis-sanatorium-children-crop.jpg)
Here’s an update to last Friday’s story about Marilyn Casserino, 79. Marilyn is the girl in the dark dress in the center of the photo above. This picture was taken c.1939 on the roof of the Children’s Building at Iola Tuberculosis Sanitorium where Marilyn was a patient, along with her mother Vivian.
Unfortunately, Marilyn’s mom passed away while at the hospital. Marilyn was just 6 at the time. Looking back at those days, she now wishes she could remember more – about her mom, and about this place where they were treated for well over a year.
For starters, she wanted to try and find out who the other girls in the photo were. Would you believe in less than one week we’ve now identified two of those girls…
Tags: abandoned, abandoned places, AJ Costello & Son, Beverly Ferguson, Brighton, City Gate, CityGate, Costco, development, East Henrietta Road, historic preservation, Iola Campus, Iola Tuberculosis Sanatorium, Jean Bissiett, Marilyn Casserino, Monroe Community Hospital, Monroe County, preservation, Rochester, Rochester history, Rochester NY, rochester photos, Vivian Casserino, Westfall Road
Posted in Rochester History, Rochester Images | 19 Comments »
Deep Inside Rochester’s Big Old Sibley Building
Monday, November 18th, 2013![The Sibley Building, Rochester NY. [PHOTO: RochesterSubway.com]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/rochester-sibley-building-01.jpg)
This former department store (Sibley, Lindsay & Curr Company) is truly massive. Rochester’s Sibley Building weighs in at over 1.1 million square feet (23 acres of floorspace) – easily the largest building in Monroe County.
WinnCompanies out of Boston now owns the property and plans to spend up to $200 Million over the next five years to bring it back to life as mixed-use space. Holy smokes, do these guys have their work cut out for them. You may have noticed new windows and awnings along Main Street? Some 2,000 windows have yet to be replaced.
Last week the UofR Urban Explorers Club went on a tour through the maze of hallways and spaces, from the dark sub-basement all the way up to the two massive water tanks on the tower rooftop…
Tags: abandoned places, downtown Rochester, EZ-net, Main Street, Rochester, Rochester NY, Sibley Building, Sibley's, Sibley's Department Store, Sibly Lindsay & Curr Co., University of Rochester, urban exploration, urban explorers, UrbEx Club, Winn Development, WinnCompanies
Posted in Rochester Destinations, Rochester History, Rochester Images, Urban Development, Urban Exploration | 122 Comments »
Elusive Memories of Iola
Friday, November 15th, 2013
A couple months ago we took a look inside the Iola tuberculosis hospital on Westfall Road. The buildings have since been demolished. But for Marilyn Casserino, 79, those photos triggered memories, and questions that will linger on…
Tags: abandoned, abandoned places, AJ Costello & Son, Brighton, City Gate, CityGate, Costco, development, East Henrietta Road, historic preservation, Iola Campus, Iola Tuberculosis Sanatorium, Marilyn Casserino, Monroe Community Hospital, Monroe County, preservation, Rochester, Rochester history, Rochester NY, rochester photos, Vivian Casserino, Westfall Road
Posted in Rochester History, Rochester Images | 42 Comments »
University of Rochester’s Lost Swimming Pool Revisited
Tuesday, November 12th, 2013![The abandoned swimming pool at University of Rochester has been cleaned of its desk chairs. [PHOTO: RochesterSubway.com]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/university-of-rochester-abandoned-pool2-01.jpg)
Earlier this year we took a look at some amazing photos of this abandoned swimming pool on the University of Rochester campus. Within days of those photos being posted here, the university had cleaned up the scene. These new photos got lost in my computer which is why you’re just seeing them now. But I thought it was worth revisiting…
Tags: abandoned swimming pool, Merle Spurrier Gymnasium, Robert B. Goergen Athletic Center, Rochester, Rochester NY, rochester photos, U of R, University of Rochester
Posted in Rochester History, Rochester Images, Rochester News, Urban Exploration | 6 Comments »
Durand Eastman Park and the Lady In White
Friday, October 25th, 2013![Durand-Eastman Park, Rochester, NY. [PHOTO: RochesterSubway.com]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/rochester-durand-eastman-park-01.jpg)
Durand-Eastman Park. So peaceful and picturesque. This time of year the autumn colors are brilliant. And the water is so calm and reflective; the landscape seems to gently float up into the sky. This could be heaven.
On the edge of one great Lake Ontario, two much smaller lakes, Durand and Eastman are named for the two men who donated the land for this beautiful park. In the early 1900’s Dr. Henry S. Durand owned a summer camp here. He and his friend George Eastman saw a need for a public park with access to the beach. So they bought a number of farms around the Durand property, and in 1907 they offered the land to the City of Rochester.
But to willingly give away this place, I have to believe Dr. Durand knew contained something that was not quite right. Maybe something terrifying…
Tags: Durand Eastman Park, Durand Eastman Park refectory, Durand Lake, Eastman Lake, Eelissa, Frank LaLoggia, ghost, ghost story, Jenni Lynn, Lady In White, Lady of the Lake, Lake Ontario, Rochester, Rochester Candlelight Ghost Walks, Rochester NY, Three Lakes Pavilion
Posted in Art + Culture, Rochester Destinations, Rochester History, Rochester Images | 55 Comments »
Bike Rochester: El Camino and Route 390 Trails
Sunday, October 20th, 2013![The fifth and final part of Ryan Green's Bike Rochester Series... the El Camino and Route 390 Trails! [PHOTO: Ryan Green]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/rg-bike-rochester-el-camino-and-route-390-trails-014.jpg)
The following is a guest post submitted by Ryan Green.
Submit your story today.
This is the final part of my series on Rochester’s plethora of trails! However, there are still many which I haven’t covered. For a more complete list and description of trails in the region, check out Rochester Trails . If you haven’t, check out the past segments we have covered: Downtown to Fairport , Lake Ontario , Brockport , and the Genesee Valley Greenway and Lehigh Valley Trail loop .
This final part serves to tie up some loose ends, and to showcase additional trail options and connections in the region. Here, we will go on an alternative route North to the lake, this time on the east side of the river gorge, and check out the parkway and Route 390 trails, which provide us with additional connections. [View this route in Google Earth using this .KMZ file]
Tags: Basil Marella Park, bicycle path, bike path, Butterhole Seneca Park Trail, City of Rochester, Colonel Patrick O'Rorke Memorial Bridge, downtown Rochester, El Camino Trail, Erie Canal, Erie Canalway Trail, Genesee Greenway Trail, Genesee River, Genesee Riverway Trail, Genesee Valley Park, Greece, Greece Canal Landing Business Park, I-390, Irondequoit, Island Cottage Road, Janes Road, Lake Avenue, Lake Ontario State Parkway, Lake Ontario State Parkway Trail, Latta Road, Long Pond Road, Rochester, Rochester NY, Route 390 Trail, Ryan Green, Saint Joseph Street, Saint Paul Boulevard, Saint Paul Street, Scrantom Street, Seneca Park, Seneca Park Avenue, Stutson Street, The Flats, Thomas Avenue, Van Voorhis Avenue, West Ridge Road
Posted in Reader Submitted Stories, Rochester Destinations, Rochester Images, Transit + Infrastructure, Urban Exploration | 5 Comments »
A Cinderella Story
Friday, October 18th, 2013![Meet Victor Jackson. October, 1918. [PHOTO: Albert R. Stone]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/rochester-dorsey-home-orphans-pumpkins-01.jpg)
Meet Victor Jackson. The year is 1918 and Victor has no family. He’s an orphan at the Dorsey Home for Dependent Colored Children. You might say the cards are stacked against Victor. But he doesn’t mind…
Tags: African-American history, Brighton, Charlie Davis, Dorsey Home for Dependent Colored Children, Dr. Samuel McCree Way, Eddie Goode, Elizabeth, Halloween, Isabella Dorsey, jack-o-lanterns, McQuaid Jesuit High School, orphans, pumpkin carving, Reynolds Street, Rochester, Rochester NY, Seabreeze, Thomas Dorsey, Victor Jackson
Posted in Rochester History, Rochester Images | 25 Comments »
Confessions of an Urban Explorer: “Damn Conscience”
Wednesday, October 9th, 2013![The abandoned Iola Tuberculosis Sanatorium. [PHOTO: Matt Rieck]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/iola-tuberculosis-sanatorium-matt-rieck-01.jpg)
The following story and photos were submitted by Matt Rieck.
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I stopped by Iola on Sunday to check on what’s left, and I snapped these pics. In front of the main building there was once a circle with concrete benches and lamp posts. To be perfectly honest I coveted the abandoned lamp posts and thought of ways I could possibly “reclaim” them, but my conscience always prevented me from doing so. Well, I should have because the picture above shows the careful attention the deconstruction crew is taking to features that could be re-used. That’s the base and the flattened steel post is above it. I think my reclamation would have been better than this treatment. Damn conscience.
Tags: abandoned, abandoned places, AJ Costello & Son, Brighton, City Gate, CityGate, Costco, development, East Henrietta Road, historic preservation, Iola Campus, Iola Tuberculosis Sanatorium, Matt Rieck, Monroe Community Hospital, Monroe County, preservation, Rochester, Rochester history, Rochester NY, rochester photos, urban development, urban exploration, urban explorers, Westfall Road
Posted in Opinion, Reader Submitted Stories, Rochester History, Rochester Images, Urban Exploration | 17 Comments »
Bike Rochester: Genesee Valley Greenway, Lehigh Valley Trail Loop
Monday, October 7th, 2013![The fourth part of the Bike Rochester Series... let's hit the Genesee Greenway and Lehigh Valley Trails! [PHOTO: Ryan Green]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/rgbike-rochester-genesee-valley-greenway-lehigh-valley-trail-LV101.jpg)
The following is a guest post submitted by Ryan Green.
Submit your story today.
The fourth part of the Bike Rochester Series differs quite a bit from the previous ones. We will be venturing on old railroad rights of way (train tracks converted to trails via Rails to Trails Programs). The biggest difference here is that these trails are not paved; they are packed dirt/grass and crushed stone (similar to parts of the unpaved canal trail). So a road bike is not recommended, however a hybrid bike will be more than comfortable and safe. This is the perfect ride to do during the Fall!
Tags: bicycle path, bike path, downtown Rochester, Erie Canal, Genesee Greenway Trail, Genesee River, Genesee Riverway Trail, Genesee Valley Park, Lehigh Valley Trail, Ryan Green
Posted in Reader Submitted Stories, Rochester Destinations, Rochester Images, Transit + Infrastructure, Urban Exploration | 8 Comments »
Bike Rochester: Downtown to Brockport
Sunday, September 29th, 2013![In this third piece exhibiting Rochester's bicycle trails, we will be returning to the Erie Canal Heritage Trail to visit Brockport, NY. [PHOTO: Ryan Green]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/rgbike-rochester-to-brockport-B102.jpg)
The following is a guest post submitted by Ryan Green.
Submit your story today.
In this third piece exhibiting Rochester’s bicycle trails, we will be returning to the Erie Canal Heritage Trail. Click HERE and HERE to see parts one and two, respectively. This time, we will be heading westbound towards Brockport. Although there is not much of a net elevation change between downtown and Brockport, it feels a bit more hilly than the eastbound trail. As we will see, the towns and hamlets we will encounter on this western route have a different character to them than the ones on the eastern trail…
Tags: bicycle path, bike path, Brockport, downtown Rochester, Erie Canal, Erie Canal Path, Erie Harbor Apartments, Genesee River, Genesee Riverway Trail, Genesee Valley Park, Ryan Green, Spencerport, SUNY Brockport, The College at Brockport: State University of New York
Posted in Reader Submitted Stories, Rochester Destinations, Rochester Images, Transit + Infrastructure, Urban Exploration | No Comments »
Inside the Abandoned Sykes Datatronics Building
Wednesday, September 25th, 2013
The following is a guest post submitted by an anonymous reader.
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If you’ve ever driven down the eastern end of Lyell Ave., or been to a soccer game at Sahlen’s Stadium, you’ve probably seen an enormous old shell of a building looming in the distance. Many times I had seen it’s old edifice sitting silent and, as I usually do, I wondered what the walls contained, what stories it could tell, and what it once was. That’s why one cool September morning I went to meet with the building and see what it could tell me…
Tags: abandoned, abandoned places, City of Rochester, Delco Appliance, demolition, Lyell Avenue, Northeast Electric Company, Orchard Street, Rochester, Rochester NY, rochester photos, Sahlen’s Stadium, Sykes Datatronics, Whitney Street
Posted in Reader Submitted Stories, Rochester History, Rochester Images, Urban Exploration | 69 Comments »
FUN FOTO FRIDAY: RachBarnhart Makes the Men’s Room Wall
Friday, September 20th, 2013![Writing on the wall of the men's room at the Rochester Public Market. [PHOTO: RocPX.com]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/rachbarnhart-gives-good-tweet-censored.jpg)
My friend over at RocPX.com snapped this photo in the men’s room at the Rochester Public Market. Now, I know Rachel Barnhart and I consider her a good friend. So I really don’t want to spread rumors… NAAAH! That’s what the internet is for. Here’s what it says..
Tags: @RachBarnhart, Fun Foto Friday, Graffiti, Rachel Barnhart, Rochester Public Market, Twitter
Posted in Art + Culture, Rochester Images | No Comments »
Ehrmentraut Farm Bridge in the Town of Riga, NY
Wednesday, September 18th, 2013![The Ehrmentraut Farm Bridge is easily one of the oldest and most unique bridges in the entire United States. [PHOTO: Chris Clemens]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/ehrmentraut-farm-bridge-01.jpg)
The following is a guest post submitted by Chris Clemens.
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The Ehrmentraut Farm Bridge is easily one of the oldest and most unique bridges in the entire United States, and that kind of distinction is something that piques my interest. There isn’t exactly a ton of information out there on the internet about old bridges on private property, but I’ve managed to piece together its pretty cool history, and then went to check it out myself…
Tags: architecture, bridge, bridges, Brockport, Chris Clemens, Ehrmentraut Farm Bridge, Erie Canal, history of Rochester, New York State Barge Canal, Riga, Rochester, Rochester history, Rochester NY, Squire Whipple, The Curious and Uncommon, Whipple Arch
Posted in Reader Submitted Stories, Rochester Destinations, Rochester History, Rochester Images, Transit + Infrastructure | No Comments »
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