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…
Welcome back to our three part series on Charlotte. We’ve arrived at part three. This is it, the omega. If you recall, all the way back in part one, we said this part would be broken up into three sections:
1. Residential and Commercial Development;
2. Transportation; and
3. Governance.
So without further adieu, let’s jump right in. Ok, one quick disclaimer, Charlotte as a whole is pretty big, too big for one little three part column. With that in mind, I’m cutting off Charlotte at Denise Road, similar to the other parts. Maybe someday I can write an addendum addressing the southern portion of the neighborhood. But enough of that – Onward!
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…
Dear readers, we interrupt our three part Charlotte series to give you a small morsel of something different before the grand finale. Consider this a palette cleanser, an intermezzo, if you will.
I looked up tired in the dictionary, and found this picture of 34 King Street in the Susan B. Anthony neighborhood. Seeing as the Carriage Factory lofts are being built immediately behind, I think it’s time for a major upgrade here. Allow me to present the all-new 34 King Street…
For ROC Transit Day 2013 we gave away nearly 1,000 transit fare cards and asked Rochesterians to ditch their cars for one day in support of a healthier community. 30 different forward-thinking organizations (and many intrepid individuals) pledged to ride public transit that day.
This year ROC Transit Day is Thursday, June 19, 2014. All kinds of free fun and great deals will be available for anyone who leaves their car at home and uses public transit for the day.
To request FREE all-day fare cards for your organization…
In part one of our three part Charlotte bonanza, we looked briefly at the history of Charlotte, from its formation in 1792, through its resort years and annexation in the early 20th century. In part two, we’ll look at Charlotte as it is today. Let’s start with the lay of the land. Shown above is the official definition of the city’s neighborhoods. As you know, Charlotte is the one at the top. Zooming in (and switching to Google maps) here’s what we see…
The days are getting longer, and (slowly) the air is getting warmer. Soon enough the sweet scent of Lilac will be in the air. This can only mean one thing… ROC Transit Day will soon be here!
If you drive in your car to work alone each day, you’re probably asking yourself, “Why would I want to ride public transit when I can just drive my Nissan Leaf (or whatever)?”
Well, I could list all the reasons why public transportation is healthier for our earth, healthier for our bodies, and healthier for our community. But that would be boring. Instead, watch this video and hear it straight from the mouths of your fellow Rochesterians…
First, a note from RochesterSubway.com…
A month or so ago, local realtor Rich Tyson submitted an article about Rochester’s active North Winton Village and showed a home-buying opportunity for anyone who might be looking for a great deal in a great city neighborhood.
Some people saw this as a cheap “knock-off” of what the Landmark Society does in the City Newspaper each week. To that I say, so what? This was not intended to be a knock-off. But if that’s how you feel, stop reading. On the other hand, if you’re interested in learning a bit about Rochester’s various neighborhoods and in seeing the full range of what Rochester’s real estate market has to offer, enjoy.
The homes featured by Landmark Society are fantastic architectural specimens. The homes featured by Rich Tyson are not perfect, but they are also great city homes that need good owners. And if you are a real estate agent or a homeowner looking to sell your city home, you are quite welcome to submit an article as well… [email protected]
Ok, enough of that. Let’s check out some other homes for sale. This time in the gorge-ous Maplewood neighborhood…
Urban greengrocers are making a comeback across the country – and in Rochester too! Late last year RocSubway was the first to tell you about a new, locally-owned grocer opening in downtown Rochester. Construction is now underway at Hart’s Local Grocers, a new independent grocery store in the East End. Founder, Glenn Kellogg announced today that Hart’s will open its doors this summer.
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…
Welcome, readers, to the first of a three part series on Charlotte. This first part will serve as an introduction to the series and a brief history of Charlotte. The second part will be a survey, in the engineering sense, of the current state of Charlotte. It will include the demographics of the neighborhood and the built environment, as they exist today. Finally, the third part will layout a vision for Charlotte that works to harness all of the potential of the neighborhood. This final part will be broken into recommendations for residential and commercial development, transportation, and governance.
The plans described here will be ambitious, but we shouldn’t let ourselves shy away from ambition – as you may know, Charlotte has recently been in the news over some redevelopment plans. While Filling-In believes both plans have virtues, they both have numerous weaknesses as well. Because we are unassociated with any of the plans currently in play, and will believe they are built when we see it, the plans presented here will assume they did not happen, and instead will show a different vision of Charlotte’s future.
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…
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!!
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…
Last month we saw some pretty glitzy renderings of the Midtown Tower development with new retail stores included. Today the developer, Buckingham Properties, sent over some new renderings that show a more refined “skin” for the 17-story tower…
After a long snowy winter Rochesterians like to get outside and enjoy the milder weather. But when that blanket of snow is finally gone, an ugly layer of trash is often revealed (much of it put there by people like this guy). Don’t stress. Do something about it!
This year, Rochester’s Clean Sweep will be a one-day, city-wide event starting at 8 a.m., Saturday, May 3 at Frontier Field. In addition to a cleaner neighborhood, you’ll also get a free t-shirt and breakfast, plus get to enjoy a Redwings game, hot dog, AND a drink. Get details after the jump…
Ok, so by now you’ve heard all the commotion happening up near the port at Charlotte. The City of Rochester has two development proposals – one with 200 rental apartments, and one with 120 for-sale condos and 50 townhomes. Both would have retail and other mixed use space. But the BIG difference, one looks like Cornhill Landing, while the other would have—deep breath—tall buildings…
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…
Well, it’s time to celebrate. Rochester has just won the . To outsiders, Rochester is a Cinderella story (who in the world would have picked us to beat out Detroit in the second round?). But anyone who reads this blog is probably not surprised. We’ve been fighting the parking madness mindset on these pages for years. It’s just that now, the national blogosphere knows about Rochester’s dirty little parking problems. Our asphalt is hanging out there for the world to see.
How embarrassing. Right? Some people have asked, “Why would we want to win such a negative contest? Doesn’t this paint Rochester in a bad light?” Now the man who nominated Rochester, Matthew Denker, explains why he did…
Get Email Updates...
Stay up-to-date on Rochester-related stories, artifacts, and ideas that you won't find in the mainstream news.
Totally free, never spammy, and you can unsubscribe at any time.
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.
![A Little Free Libraries at 226 Hudson Avenue. Rochester, NY. [PHOTO: Deanna Varble]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/rochester-free-library-10.jpg)
. Last week Deanna Varble and Ken Braley wrote in to RocSubway and asked me to share a few more they’ve been working on.
![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)
![Fountain at Maplewood Park. [IMAGE: Doug Kerr]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/rochester-homes-for-sale-maplewood-01.jpg)
![Hart's Local Grocers, Rochester NY. [IMAGE: Provided by Hart's Local Grocers]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/harts-local-grocers-rochester-01.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)
![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)
![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)
![New rendering of Midtown Tower, Rochester NY. [IMAGE PROVIDED BY: Buckingham Properties]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/rochester-midtown-tower-revised-rendering-01.jpg)
![Rochester Clean Sweep 2014 will be May 3. [PHOTO: City Hall Photo Lab]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/rochester-clean-sweep-01.jpg)
![\"RochesterSubway.com\"](\"https://rochestersubway.com/images/pixel_white.gif\"){kind=tracking}
