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…
In 2013 I gave myself a photo assignment: Take 13 snapshots of 13 different subjects. Early on, someone suggested I do a series of traffic signal boxes – you know, the ones with the murals painted on them? At first I thought the idea was a little too obvious. I also thought many of the murals to be a little cliché. But soon I began to notice these things everywhere I looked. And then I felt like I couldn’t not do it.
While they may not be master works of art, these murals are definitely a unique part of our landscape. Some of them are kind of folksy; some are tongue-in-cheek; and many tell a story about the neighborhood. So, with the help of my friend Nicholas Swann , here are 13 of our favorite murals on traffic signal boxes…
Oh, and you’ll notice an extra one at the end. I’ve decided to paint one in my own neighborhood. You can tell me what you think…
Welcome back dear readers. Today we’re going to try something a little different at Filling In. Let’s actually walk through a lightweight proposal in response to the city’s RFP for 19 and 21-23 Berlin St (due by 4pm this Friday, 7/19). Just as a disclaimer; I do not intend to submit this proposal. Additionally, you are welcome to take it and submit it, but I am not to be held liable for any damages should you do so.
I have been arguing about CityGate for some time, but have come to the realization that this project appears mostly a “done deal” and that it appears to have community support, which is unfortunate given the atrocious new Site Plans and Renderings.
What I hope to show in this post is that although the project appears to be moving forward and that Anthony J. Costello and Son appear to be “listening” to the community, I beg to differ. Here are some of the fallacies, as I see them and as have been reported on this blog, as well as my responses. Let us call them the “seven myths” of CityGate…
Wow it’s been a while! This week, Let us take a look at Rochester’s best shot at an iconic piece of post-modern architecture downtown. No, not Midtown Tower. I’m talking about Midtown Plaza’s undeveloped “site 6”. As a quick refresher, here are the current plans:
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…
This is probably the most intimidating building in all of Rochester. The 16-story Terrence Building was once heralded as a “tower of hope” for the mentally ill (see this blog post ). Today the vacant structure looms over Elmwood Avenue and the Rochester Psychiatric Center campus like a nightmare. The Elmwood psych center campus was originally constructed as the Rochester State Hospital. This state-run mental hospital took over responsibilities from the Monroe County Insane Asylum in 1891. The Terrence Building was opened in 1959 and housed over 1,000 beds until 1995 when the last patients were moved to newer facilities elsewhere on the campus.
If you’ve ever wondered what’s inside, you’d not be alone. One RocSubway reader (who wishes to remain anonymous) found a way into the secured building. He submitted several photos, along with this written account of his expedition. Be sure to watch the related video at the end of this post to learn more about the Terrence Building…
How’s this for a summertime Fun Foto Friday? This is Robert Pernell. He’s a sand artist. Or was. This photo was printed in the Rochester Herald on August 6, 1922. Robert used to entertain the crowds at Charlotte Beach with his larger-than-life creations…
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…
In 2013 I gave myself a photo assignment. Pick 13 subjects, and take 13 snapshots of each. Simple. Right? I thought so. I started in February with 13 mailboxes and followed up with 13 storefronts. And that’s where I left off. Sometimes I just can’t keep up with my own crazy ideas. Luckily, my good friend Chris Clemens from The Burned Over District blog has stepped in to help me out with 13 houses of worship. The following images (in no particular order) are from all over the Rochester region. They add yet another dimension to this portrait of us…
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…
It is through the process of defining what we want as a town that we are becoming a real community. It is through the act of participation that we change.
This is not simply a story of not-in-my-backyard. It is the unfolding tale of how a small community … is rising to its own defense, saying, we believe we have a stake in the future of our own community, which we choose to define beyond our own boundaries of time and space and species…
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!
RocSubway fans, This past Sunday morning (6/2/13), I went with a friend of mine to check out the Iola Campus site . I have lived in Rochester all my life and I have always been intrigued by those buildings (my aunt actually used to live in the apartments across the street). About 6 months ago, I started a little urban exploring group with some friends and coworkers; Iola was one of the first places of interest. With the CityGate project fast approaching, I knew I had to take the risk and visit Iola while I still could. Rather than taking a big group, just two of us went since we were not sure what the security situation would be like. The whole campus was great. A lot of the buildings had pretty easy access points, but there were a couple we could not get in to, due to time constraints (and proximity to the main road!). I hope that you all enjoy the shots! – Sarah Barnes
The photo above was taken in January, 2011. Late last year we looked at the plans for the new public spaces at Midtown Plaza. Work on the site is now progressing quickly – and those plan drawings are becoming reality. The old Midtown buildings are gone. The new Windstream building is mostly complete. And this week, the first street curbs have been installed giving shape to the new Cortland Street. Here’s a birds-eye view of the past 30 months progress…
In 1970 a Lincoln Rochester Trust Co. advertisement in the Daily Record hailed, “Lincoln Tower… a tangible expression of our belief in the growth of Upstate New York… Through 1970 and beyond.”
The Lincoln First Tower, now called Chase Tower was completed in the summer of 1972 at a cost of $20 million. It is 398 feet tall. It contains about 356,000 square feet of office space. It is a big building. Just like the Xerox Tower, Chase Tower has roots in Seattle. John Graham and Company is an architecture firm based in Seattle…
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…
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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.
![Local photographer Clarke Conde has been snapping photos of the Genesee River all year. This patch of trash has 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)
![19-23 Berlin Street [IMAGE: Google Maps]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/19-23-berlin-street-rochester.jpg)
![Iola Building 1 with copper wire removed and other trash. [PHOTO: Joel Helfrich]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/iola-building-1-with-copper-wire-removed-and-other-trash-01.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)
![Monroe County Tuberculosis Sanatorium, Children's Building. To be demolished. [PHOTO: Albert R. Stone, 1911.]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/iola-tuberculosis-sanatorium-1911.jpg)
![The abandoned Iola Tuberculosis Sanatorium. [PHOTO: Sarah Barnes]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/iola-tuberculosis-sanatorium-001.jpg)
![Midtown Plaza site, Rochester, NY. [PHOTO: Earthcam.com Archives]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/rochester-midtown-plaza-01.jpg)
![The Lincoln First Tower, now called Chase Tower was completed in the summer of 1972 at a cost of $20 million. It is 398 feet tall. [Looking North. Stone St. is on the left, and Broad St. on the bottom]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/rochester-chase-tower-04.jpg)
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