In an effort to promote literacy and the love of reading, two businessmen out of the Mid-West have been operating a grassroots, ground up neighborhood rallying effort to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to read. Since 2009 the group has been making available little wooden stands that at first glance look like large birdhouses, but are actually little, free libraries…
A couple of weeks ago photographer Clarke Conde shared some dirty photos of Rochester’s riverfront on Facebook. Those photos made me sad. Dead trees, algae and trash had been collecting in this section of the river for over well over year. Smelly algae and logs are one thing. But add piles of plastic bottles, clothing, styrofoam, truck tires, other undesirables, and let stew for a year or more? To me, that’s more than a cosmetic problem. If I’m from out of town, I’d probably think Rochesterians just don’t give a hoot.
Thankfully, we all know that isn’t true. We pulled together. And we made a difference…
If you’ve been following along, you know how we’ve been trying to apply a little design for the betterment of our transit system. First we took a shot at designing a better bus stop sign for Rochester. RGRTA is currently studying that concept in anticipation of one day replacing their existing signs. Next we designed a better bus pass for which RGRTA gave a nod of approval. The new passes will be rolled out very soon!
But wait, there’s more! RGRTA has now asked for help redesigning one of the most important transit tools of all; their big, bad, bus schedules…
WHOA! Not so fast.
It appears RocSubway jumped the gun and accidentally published some information that wasn’t ready for primetime. New bus schedule designs are being worked on, but it will be some time before they are finalized and ready to be shared. If you caught the sneak peek, congrats. And thanks for providing your feedback!
The City of Rochester recently put the finishing touches on some beautiful hardscaping and pathways connecting Mount Hope Avenue to the Genesee River Trail. Doesn’t a stroll along the river on a warm summer evening sound divine?
Umm, nah… I’ll take a rain check maybe. Have you seen our river lately?! LOOK at this…
Last winter the City of Rochester made a Hail Mary pass to save the historic Pulaski Library. They posted an offer to sell the vacant building for a thousand dollars to anyone with a serious plan to fix it up. I’m not sure how many proposals were submitted, but I’ve learned that Providence Housing Development Corporation has been given the green light.
Providence Housing has worked on similar adaptive reuse projects such as Paul Wolk Commons on State Street, and the Holy Rosary Apartments on Dewey. Although Pulaski may be smaller, it could prove to be a much bigger challenge…
New renderings were released this week of the proposed development called CityGate. Wow, look at all the fake pedestrians. Very exciting! Here’s my full analysis…
Can you believe it’s been two years since I tried to redesign Rochester’s bus stop signs? Everyone seemed to agree that a makeover was in order – even the folks at RTS who were nice enough to meet with me. But a year later there had been no serious progress on that front. At which point I turned my attention to something else I thought I could improve on; the fare cards. This time I was able to make some real progress…
The shuttered National Clothing building on East Main and Stone Streets will soon be seeing new life as a Hilton Garden Inn. After reading the original post here I wanted to take an opportunity to expand on the history of the building and offer a more in-depth idea of what the rehabilitation entails. The $16 million project is being completed by DHD Ventures and is utilizing historic tax credits. The RBA Group of North Carolina is the project architect and Preservation Studios is providing all services relating to the historic tax credit program.
David DiPonzio, a firefighter with the Lake Shore Fire District in Greece, sent me these photos (taken by friend Fred Amato) of a strange-looking crater in the middle of the parking lot at Ontario Beach Park. An asteroid? Uh, not quite. This may be the most interesting archeological find since RGRTA dug up the RKO Palace. That big rock you see in the center of the crater is actually a giant hunk of slag – left over from the iron or steel mill that once operated here…
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…
Rumors have been swirling around the internet that the famous Bull’s Head that marks the historic Bull’s Head section of Rochester has been lost in a recent demolition on West Main Street. It is true this landmark has recently lost several important neighbors, but for now, the Bull in Bull’s Head is still with us…
No, seriously – give CityGate to ME, because I want to redesign it. The current plan is not worthy of the name. I may be the only person in western NY who didn’t crap themselves when they learned Costco was coming to town. I mean, Costco? Really? We need another one of these discount warehouses? Ok fine, I’ll let you have your Costco. No complaints from me. On one condition: Re-do this idiotic site plan! Look at this…
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…
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.
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After the Erie Canal was rerouted south of downtown Rochester, the Rochester
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![The Little Free Libraries of Rochester, NY. [PHOTO: Chris Clemens]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/rochester-free-library-00.jpg)
![Local photographer Clarke Conde has been snapping photos of the Genesee River all year. This patch of trash had been growing slowly like a giant, smelly tumor. [PHOTO: Clarke Conde]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/genesee-river-garbage-clarke-conde-01.jpg)
![Rochester is trying to save the vacant Pulaski Library before it's too late. [IMAGE: RochesterSubway.com]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/rochester-pulaski-library-01b.jpg)
![The shuttered National Clothing building on East Main and Stone Streets will soon be seeing new life as a Hilton Garden Inn. [PHOTO: Preservation Studios]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/national-clothing-store-01.jpg)
![Did an asteroid land in the parking lot at Ontario Beach? Not quite. This 100 ton hunk of slag is a remnant from an old steel mill. [PHOTO: Fred Amato]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/slag-button-charlotte-beach-rochester-01.jpg)
![Rumors have been swirling around the internet that the famous Bull's Head that marks the historic Bull's Head section of Rochester has been lost in a recent demolition on West Main Street. [PHOTO: RochesterSubway.com]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/rochester-bullshead-stores-03.jpg)
![Plan view of proposed CityGate project. [IMAGE: AJ Costello & Son]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/city-gate-site-plan-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)
![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)
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