I noticed grass growing on the piles of dirt in the Inner Loop construction project today. It’s as if nature can’t wait for the filling in of the Inner Loop to complete before reclaiming the land…
Here’s an interesting video we stumbled upon while diddling around on YouTube this weekend. This 7 and a half minute long interpretive dance exploration of the Rochester subway tunnel will totally blow your mind. Grab some popcorn and roll film…
Last year, as part of ROC Transit Day , we planned a city-wide treasure hunt where teams followed a series of clues (for over 19 miles) to be the first to find a $500 cash prize at the end. The only catch: No motor vehicles. All teams were required to use public transit, walk, or bike. (it’s in the rules!)
This year (Thursday, June 18) we’re doing it again. It’s completely free to enter, but you must pre-register here before June 17. Right now we only have 6 teams signed up, so your odds would be pretty good; as long as you have a good working knowledge of Rochester.
Still not sure if you’ve got the right stuff? Take a look at the clues from LAST year and see how well you’d fare…
We all love Rochester but sometimes you just need to get out of town for a day, right? That’s why Landmark Society’s Young Urban Preservationists and Slow Road Travel are bringing you Backroads & Byways: Medina , the first in a series of daytrips to check out the roads less traveled and to explore historic places and exciting projects in small towns throughout the region…
In 1870 Ellwanger & Barry (and other wealthy investors) owned a spot along the west bank of the Genesee River gorge known as Maple Grove. At the time, the Lake Avenue streetcar line stretched all the way to this point, and in an effort to stimulate traffic on the trolley line, they had built Rochester’s first water-side resort; the Glen House…
A few weeks ago we took you on a trip to Van Lare Wastewater Treatment Facility to see where Rochester’s dirty water goes to get cleaned up. It was there that we learned of an extensive deep rock tunnel system that that captures major storm runoff until it can be treated. Known as the Combined Sewer Overflow Abatement Program, or CSOAP, this system saves over 1 billion gallons of sewage from overflowing into the Genesee River and Irondequoit Bay each year.
More importantly, this means there are 30 miles of giant smelly tunnels beneath our city just waiting to be explored! Come on let’s go…
Joe Henderson (34) was an earth science teacher at Rush Henrietta Central School District before graduating last year from University of Rochester with a Ph.D. in Education – with a focus on environmental education. Joe has taken many 8th graders on field trips to Frank E. Van Lare Wastewater Treatment Facility . And today, he’s arranged to bring all of you, RocSubway friends…
About a year and a half ago we shared some photos from inside the abandoned Sykes Datatronics building on Orchard Street (south of Lyell Ave). That building was part of a complex that was home to many different companies from 1915 until Sykes Datatronics (a computer company) left in 1992. Demolition crews have been slowly deconstructing the property since the fall…
Last week, Carnegie Place was largely destroyed by fire. Its life spanned some of the most crucial and drastically changing times in Rochester’s history. I had a chance to stop by after the fire and take some photographs of a building I have always enjoyed; in a part of town that was vibrant and still is the heart of the arts movement in Rochester…
Last summer Rochester developer and restauranteur, John Tachin called up RocSubway with a history mystery for us to solve. After four months of digging, we came up empty. But here’s hoping maybe YOU can help us solve the case of the stone lions.
Sorry for the Tina Turner reference… it was all I could think of to describe the enormity of this big wheel. I’m talking 25 foot and 12 tons just under 20 ton*!! Um, ok so who are these hooded dudes, and just where do they think they’re going with our giant wheel? These strange photos were taken late Tuesday afternoon by Tom Dubois and Peter Simpson…
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…
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…
Have you ever wanted to DO something with all of that (generally) unused street parking in Rochester? Have you ever wanted to show people that we could have livelier streets with a few less cars and a few more amenities? If you answered yes to either of these questions, it’s time to learn about Park(ing) Day. The event’s website is at www.parkingday.org but in case you want the elevator pitch instead, Park(ing) Day is an event that has been going on for over a decade around the world to bring attention to the positive impact on livability that on-street parking can have when reimagined as something other than car storage. And this is where our story starts…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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 .
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…
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After the Erie Canal was rerouted south of downtown Rochester, the Rochester
Industrial & Rapid Transit Railway (the “subway”) was built in
its place as a link between the five different railroads and interurban trolley
lines that served the Rochester area. As the industrial landscape of Rochester
changed, and highways replaced the railroads, the Rochester subway gradually
became a relic of a bygone era. In 1956 the subway was abandoned and much of
its route was converted into Interstate 490 — built to connect Rochester
with the New York State Thruway (I-90). Read more about the history of the Rochester Subway.
RochesterSubway.com exists to help spark
public dialogue around how we can better connect the neighborhoods of Rochester
NY, surrounding communities, and their cultural offerings. Rochester’s
future is written in her past. Let's rediscover it.
![I noticed grass growing on the piles of dirt in the Inner Loop construction project today. It’s as if nature can’t wait for the filling in of the Inner Loop to complete before reclaiming the land. [PHOTO: Matthew Ehlers]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/rochester-innerloop-fill-grass.jpg)
![Scene from 'Infiltration'. An interpretive dance film shot in the abandoned Rochester subway tunnel. [IMAGE: Breakbone DanceCo.]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/rochester-subway-dance-video-01.jpg)
![ROC Transit Day Treasure Hunt [PHOTO: John Derycke, Derycke Motorsports Photography]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/roc-transit-day-treasure-hunt-2014-01.jpg)
![Landmark Society's Young Urban Preservationists and Slow Road Travel are bringing you Backroads & Byways: Medina, the first in a series of daytrips to check out the roads less traveled and to explore historic places and exciting projects in small towns throughout the region. [PHOTO: Landmark Society of WNY]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/backroads-and-byways-medina-01.jpg)
![In 1870 Ellwanger & Barry (and other wealthy investors) owned a spot along the west bank of the Genesee River gorge known as Maple Grove. At the time, the Lake Avenue streetcar line stretched all the way to this point, and in an effort to stimulate traffic on the trolley line, they had built Rochester's first water-side resort; the Glen House. [PHOTO: 'Rochester's Lakeside Resorts and Amusement Parks' by Donovan Schilling]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/glen-house-rochester-ny-01.jpg)
![Let's explore Rochester's deep rock sewer tunnels! [PHOTO: RochesterSubway.com]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/csoap-deep-rock-sewer-tunnel-rochester-00.jpg)
![Grab your nose plugs. Today we're going inside Frank E. Van Lare Wastewater Treatment Facility. [PHOTO: RochesterSubway.com]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/van-lare-water-treatment-plant-rochester-00.jpg)
![Abandoned Sykes Datatronics building on Orchard Street. Demolition work has been going on since the fall. [PHOTO: Anonymous]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/return-to-abandoned-sykes-datatronics-building-04.jpg)
![Last week, Carnegie Place was largely destroyed by fire. [PHOTO: PuddleJumper Photography]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/rochester-carnegie-building-fire-01.jpg)
![Here's hoping maybe YOU can help us solve the case of the stone lions. [PHOTO: RochesterSubway.com]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/benvenuto-stone-lions-rochester-ny-01.jpg)
![The triphammer water wheel in High Falls, Rochester NY being removed from its housing so it can be restored. [PHOTO: Tom Dubois]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/rochester-high-falls-triphammer-water-wheel-01.jpg)
![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)
![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)
![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)
![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)
![Statue of Mercury. Rochester, NY. [PHOTO: Wes Plant]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/rochester-mercury-statue-renovation-2011-40.jpg)
![The Garbage Incinerator at High Falls, Rochester. [PHOTO: Robert Cunningham]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/rochester-garbage-incinerator-plant-00.jpg)
![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)
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