Born from a new age of information sharing, as well as a recognized need for communal spaces where people can “imagine, innovate, and inspire” come makerspaces. Makerspaces (and hackerspaces) are not a new idea. However, they are fairly new in the United States. But as one makerspace/hackerspace proclaimed, these “spaces” are catching on – and there are more being established on a regular basis. Including a few right here in Rochester…
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.?
Last week I grabbed lunch at Pizza Stop – one of my absolute, hands down, favorite food joints in Rochester. After placing my order and (stepping promptly to the right) I noticed a petition* taped to the countertop. It was asking the City of Rochester to provide compensation to downtown merchants who lost business during a lunchtime food truck/cart event the week before. The petition argued that the City’s promotion of the food trucks caused nearby brick & mortar shops to lose money…
The 7th “6×6” art exhibition is going on right now at Rochester Contemporary Art Center (RoCo) . This exhibit began as a one-time fundraiser in 2008 but has returned every year since then due to its incredible success. 6×6 is RoCo’s only major fundraiser. All artworks are offered for sale—anonymously—to the public for $20, with all proceeds going to support the Art Center. The artist’s names are revealed to the buyer upon purchase.
In 2014 the show has grown to include over 6,700 artworks from all 50 states and 65 countries.
Here are a few of the top picks from this year’s show sent to us by Bleu Cease, Executive Director and curator of the gallery…
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…
A year ago RochesterSubway.com took you UP inside Rush Rhees Library at the University of Rochester. The views from that tower are spectacular – but it’s the 6,668 pounds of bronze bells inside that are truly awe inspiring.
The bells are actually part of a massive musical instrument called a Carillon. And now, if you’ve got experience playing a keyboard, you may have a shot to go to the top of Rush Rhees and play the carillon yourself. Doris Aman of the University of Rochester Carillon Society sent in the following one-time offer…
Rochester has long been home to a vibrant and diverse music scene. Original music has always had room to find an audience here, a luxury most cities cannot claim, but we support our own. Even in the pre-punk days local bands like The Invictas , Soul Brothers Six and Duke Jupiter were able to make a name on a national level. But beyond those lucky few lie the stories of dozens of bands who achieved their own form of greatness. With an array of clubs and bars encouraging original voices there has never been a lack of up-and-comers (and should-have-made-its) hitting the stage on any given night.
A little over twenty years ago David Baumgartner, Sean Leahy, Will Veeder and Kris Durso joined those ranks as Muler . During their two decade career, Muler has embodied everything that makes this scene unique. They were just four guys who made loud tuneful rock and roll in the least pretentious way possible…
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…
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…
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…
Who doesn’t find dimples irresistible? In 1936 Isabella Gilbert of Rochester NY invented a spring-loaded contraption that promised to “make a fine set” by pressing a pair of knobs into the cheeks.
Well I’d say that’s another one for the long list of groundbreaking innovations at Rochester Made . Thanks to Vicki Robinson for posting this fun fact to the RocSubway wall
Many of you kids will be too young to remember this – thank heavens. But five years ago on this very day, Rochester NY made national headlines when it was slammed by one of the worst food shortages in our nation’s history—possibly the world. That’s right. Popeyes up on Lake Ave ran out of chicken…
The last remnants of Rochester’s third New York Central Railroad Station, designed by noted architect Claude Bragdon, were demolished almost forty years ago. Now a team of researchers at the University of Rochester is seeking assistance from the local community to help restore the station’s memory…
A group of concerned parents and teachers from the Rochester City School District is seeking to open a new kind of elementary school. Their idea is to build on the success of School Of The Arts (SOTA) by offering a similar interdisciplinary curriculum in the K–6 grade levels; a curriculum that is “rich in creative expression” and with a greater focus on the individual child.
Their proposal is being called Vision Quest Community School and the group will make a presentation to Superintendent Vargas on April 21…
A RocSubway reader is looking to sell this old Rochester “Wheeler Dealer” board game ($50)*. Wheeler Dealer is a game of two parts. First, players travel the world while buying, selling, bargaining and trading products. In part two those products are sold back to the bank or auctioned to the highest bidder. Licensed versions of the game were produced for many cities around the world in the 1980s, including this one for Rochester…
Friday, March 18, 1910. 1:55 P.M. – President Taft, on his way to Rochester from Chicago, makes a quick stop in Buffalo. He steps off the train to greet an exclusive few; the leaders of Buffalo, including their recently elected mayor, Mr. Louis P. Fuhrmann (an avid baseball fan), some newspaper reporters, Mr. George Dietrich, the Chamber of Commerce President of Rochester, and last but not least, Rochester Mayor Hiram H. Edgerton. After a few minutes of smiles and handshakes, Taft who was reportedly exhausted from his stay in Chicago, is ready to get back on the train car where he can sit, and (hopefully leisurely) talk to some new faces, Mr. Dietrich and Mayor Edgerton…
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…
Here’s a neat little collection of Rochester memorabilia. Matchbooks! Remember when you could buy cigarettes out of a vending machine like soda pop, and just about every business had it’s own matchbooks? Ah, those were the days * COUGH * COUGH * WEEZE * EHK! EHK! HEM… HEEEM!
These were sent to me by a reader. He says he’s not a smoker, but he’s collected them since he was a kid. And now he’d like to sell them. So if you’re interested in local oddities like this, drop me an email and we’ll hook you up with one… or the entire set.
Some of the matchbooks date from the late 1950s and early 1960s. But we think most of them are 1970s & 80s. Check them out for yourself. If you’ve lived in Rochester for any length of time you’ll probably recognize most of these businesses…
Local balloon artists Larry Moss and Kelly Cheatle are hard at work right now constructing an enormous, 5-story tall beanstalk entirely out of balloons in the atrium of Rochester’s landmark Sibley Building.
Unlike previous haunted “Balloon Manors” you may remember at area shopping malls, admission is completely free for the public to come and enjoy this one. Balloon Manor: The VERY Tall Tale of Jack and his Beanstalk is due to be completed today, and open for viewing thru Sunday, February 9…
Walter has been a fixture at local sporting events and concerts for decades. Known to most Rochesterians as “The Accordion Man,” Walter plays his squeezebox (and sings) outside most hockey, basketball and lacrosse games… at music events all around the city… and of course, a Redwings game would not be the same without Walter’s rendition of Take Me Out To The Ballgame playing in the background as fans line up at the turnstiles.
In a recent phone conversation with him, Walter told me he’s been playing around Rochester for three decades. He’s missed only one game in the past 15 years. And he’s gone through 83 accordions. His latest one is currently out of commission with broken keys and a worn strap…
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After the Erie Canal was rerouted south of downtown Rochester, the Rochester
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![Community 'makerspaces' are popping up all over the country with two right here in Rochester; Makerspace and Interlock. [PHOTO: Brian Boucheron, Flickr]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/hackerspaces-makerspaces-01.jpg)
![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)
![Pizza Stop. State State, Rochester. [PHOTO: non-euclidean photography, Flickr]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/rochester-pizza-stop.jpg)
![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)
![The carillon inside University of Rochester's Rush Rhees Library tower. [PHOTO: University of Rochester Carillon Society]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/university-of-rochester-rush-rhees-carillon-01.jpg)
![Muler. April 2012. [PHOTO: Facebook]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/muler-band-2012-04.jpg)
![Statue of Mercury. Rochester, NY. [PHOTO: Wes Plant]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/rochester-mercury-statue-renovation-2011-40.jpg)
![A Little Free Libraries at 226 Hudson Avenue. Rochester, NY. [PHOTO: Deanna Varble]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/rochester-free-library-10.jpg)
![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)
![On this date five years ago today, the Popeyes chicken chain in Rochester NY made national headlines when it ran out of its featured product. [PHOTO: TripAdvisor.com]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/popeyes-runs-out-of-chicken-01.jpg)
![Wheeler Dealer board game, Rochester edition. c1980. [PHOTO: Laurie Dirkx]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/rochester-wheeler-dealer-board-game-01.jpg)
![Rochester's Mayor Hiram Edgerton inspecting a baseball at the opening game, May 7, 1912. [PHOTO: Albert R. Stone]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/history-of-the-first-pitch-rochester-01.jpg)
!['Balloon Manor: The Very Tall Tale of Jack & His Beanstalk' at the Sibley Building, Rochester, NY. [PHOTO: RochesterSubway.com]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/jack-and-the-beanstalk-balloon-sculpture-00.jpg)
![Walter, Rochester's accordion man, performing underneath the Freddie-Sue bridge in Corn Hill as a crowd gathers for the Eddie Money 'Party in the Park' concert [PHOTO: Jeff Gerew, C7Photo.com]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/rochester-accordion-man-walter-palmer-01.jpg)
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