Check this out. This photo is for real – absolutely no Photoshop involved here. You’re looking at the Kodak building to the right, and smack dab in the middle of the big bad City of Rochester… grazing deer. I’ve heard of Urban Greening before but come on.
Awe, Look Deer, A Kodak Moment
June 22nd, 2011Posted in Rochester Images, Rochester News | 1 Comment »
Tags: downtown Rochester, Kodak Tower, Rochester, Rochester NY, rochester photos
Caution: This McDonald’s Ad May Offend You If You’re From Far Rockaway
June 14th, 2011Posted in New York City Subway, Train/Railroad Stuff, Transit + Infrastructure | 3 Comments »
![McDonald's pulled this ad because it may have offended residents of Far Rockaway. [PHOTO: NY Daily News]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/mcdonalds-rockaway-ad.jpg)
This recent ad on the NYC Subway caught my attention. I grew up riding the L.I.R.R. between Manhattan and my home town of Valley Stream on the south shore. Far Rockaway is the eastern terminus of my line, and where I suspect many LIRR and Subway riders over the years have found themselves after a little in-transit catnap. So to me, this McDonald’s ad is pretty funny. Residents of Far Rockaway didn’t see the humor and demanded that the ad be pulled. Mickey D’s gave in. I still find the ad funny.
Hey, is it just me, or does anyone else think there are far too many McDonald’s ads on mass transit? I’ll have to do a post on that.
Tags: Far Rockaway, Long Island Railroad, McDonald's, New York City Subway, NYC Subway, Valley Stream
‘Dump the Pump Day’ Coming This Thursday
June 12th, 2011Posted in Events, Transit + Infrastructure | 9 Comments »
On Thursday, June 16 Reconnect Rochester 
and the people of Rochester NY, will join the rest of the country for National Dump the Pump Day. We will leave our cars in the driveway and instead use public transit. Share this on Facebook and let your family, friends, co-workers, and employers know.
Useful Information:
Use Google Transit to plan your trip.
Find RTS schedules & route maps .
RTS Fares:
Adults : $1.00
All-Day Unlimited Freedom Pass : $3.00
Adult 5–Day Unlimited Freedom Pass : $14.00
Adult 31-Day Unlimited Freedom Pass : $56
Children age 6-11 : $0.50
Children age 5 and under : FREE
Senior/Disabled : $0.50
Senior/Disabled 1-Day Unlimited Pass : $1.50
Senior/Disabled 5–Day Unlimited Pass : $7.00
Senior/Disabled 31-Day Unlimited Pass : $28
For more information: www.rgrta.org/CommuterResources
or leave a comment below with any question you might have about riding RTS. We will get you an answer.
Let’s ride!
Tags: National Dump the Pump Day, public transit, Regional Transit Service (RTS), Rochester, Rochester Genesee Regional Transportation Authority (RGRTA)
Join WCMF in Claiming Beach from Punk Asses
June 2nd, 2011Posted in Events, Rochester News | 5 Comments »
![Bill Moran of WCMF has set up a last minute family picnic and concert at Charlotte Beach to answer the beach park brawl that took place there last weekend on Memorial Day. We need all hands on deck to come out show support for one of Rochester's most well loved assets. [FLICKR PHOTO: jimmywayne]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/rochester-ontario-beach-park.jpg)
There are several insanely awesome events going on this weekend from the East End Fest to the Rally for Roc City Skate Park at High Falls. All very worthy and worthwhile. But there’s one that deserves a mention because of what it represents for our community.
Bill Moran of WCMF has set up a last minute family picnic and concert at Charlotte Beach to answer the beach park brawl that took place there last weekend on Memorial Day. The idea for Bill Moran came after the fights at Ontario Beach Park Monday night and the calls he got from his listeners. “One that stuck in my head is a guy that lives on Latta Road. This is his back yard and he said I’d rather drive 40 minutes to Sodus than come here. Let’s not be bullied out of here. The sum of our families is greater than the people who make bad decisions.”
He’s calling it “Rockin’ the Beach” — a park-wide picnic with lives bands and face painting for kids. See the event details on Facebook and RSVP to let your friends know you’ll be there.
Tags: Bill Moran, event, Ontario Beach, Port of Rochester/Charlotte, Rochester, Rochester NY, The Breakroom, WCMF
Academy Building will get a Digital Makeover
June 1st, 2011Posted in Freebies, Rochester Images | 4 Comments »
![The Academy Building will get a virtual facelift thanks to Scott Wolf, winner of The Great ROC Digital Makeover Contest! [Photo: Scott Wolf]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/the-great-roc-digital-makeover.jpg)
The Great ROC Digital Makeover Contest has come to a close. Scott Wolf’s photo of the Academy Building on Fitzhugh Street collected the most thumbs-up from our Facebook fans. That means Scott will receive a free print of Rochester’s Old City Hall and the Academy Building will get spruced up with a little Photoshop magic. Stay locked in to RochesterSubway.com for the unveiling in a few weeks.
And thanks to all of you who participated by posting your pics to Facebook.com/RocSubway. All is not lost if you didn’t win. I just might get bored one day and give your photo a digital makeover anyway.
Tags: Academy Building, contest, Facebook, Fitzhugh Street, makeover, Photoshop, Rochester, Rochester City Hall, Rochester NY, rochester photos, Scott Wolf, vintage postcard of Rochester City Hall and Subway entrance
ROC Digital Makeover Contest… 1 Week to Go!
May 25th, 2011Posted in Freebies, Rochester Images | No Comments »
Post Your Photos to
Facebook Before June 1.
Given Rochester’s status as the “Image City” and our surplus of neglected real estate, I figured photos of Rochester would be raining down on the RocSubway Facebook page by now.
Here’s an opportunity to see what your city, town, or neighborhood could look like if given a little time and attention. And all you have to do is post a snapshot and get your Facebook pals to “like” it. RocSubway and Photoshop will do the rest.
Tags: bus-stop, Conkey Avenue, contest, Facebook, Kodak Tower, makeover, Photoshop, Rochester, Rochester City Hall, Rochester NY, rochester photos, vintage postcard of Rochester City Hall and Subway entrance
A New Intermodal Station For Rochester, New York.
May 16th, 2011Posted in Rochester News, Train/Railroad Stuff, Transit + Infrastructure, Urban Development | No Comments »
The folks at Reconnect Rochester have been busy. They’ve come up with a pretty nice concept for a new Amtrak/Greyhound/Trailways intermodal station. Share it around. Maybe we can get it built!
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The Great ROC City Digital Makeover
May 4th, 2011Posted in Freebies, Rochester Images | 2 Comments »
Now Accepting Your Photo
Submissions (via Facebook)
Former Mayor Robert Duffy once described Rochester as a gem that just needs to be dusted off. That may be over simplifying things just a bit, but I tend to agree. Look around this city and it’s easy to find great beauty in our natural landscape and our built environment – in the new, the old… and the rusted.
Have you ever caught yourself staring at an abandoned building or a grand old house that has seen better days? Is there a park or a public space that could use a few trees, flowers or a fountain? Maybe you squint your eyes to try and see what once was, or what could be? Whatever it is, take a snapshot.
Then head over to our Facebook page and post your pic on our wall. If your photo gets the most “Likes” by midnight May 31, 2011 we’ll give it a Photoshop makeover and you’ll win a FREE 16″x10″ print of this Rochester City Hall vintage postcard. Pretty cool.
Tags: bus-stop, Conkey Avenue, contest, Facebook, Kodak Tower, makeover, Photoshop, Rochester, Rochester City Hall, Rochester NY, rochester photos, vintage postcard of Rochester City Hall and Subway entrance
A Better Bus Stop Sign for Rochester
April 25th, 2011Posted in Opinion, Rochester News, Transit + Infrastructure | 46 Comments »
While visiting Seattle a few years ago something occurred to me. Here I was on the other side of the country in a city I had never been to before in my life, and I was navigating their bus system like seasoned Seattleite. There were no fancy digital real-time signs, I had no smart phone, no GPS anything… I didn’t even have a printed schedule. I didn’t need any of those things because I had this…
Tags: bus routes, bus-stop, design, George Salomon, graphic design, makeover, Massimo Vignelli, New York City Subway, New York City Transit Authority (NYCTA), Regional Transit Service (RTS), Rochester, Rochester Genesee Regional Transportation Authority (RGRTA), Rochester NY, Seattle, urban design
Put My Road on a Diet
April 20th, 2011Posted in Opinion, Transit + Infrastructure | 5 Comments »
![You probably don't even remember what University Avenue was like before it looked this. Four lanes curb-to-curb and certainly no room for those pretty daisies. [PHOTO: Google Streetview]!](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/university-avenue-rochester.jpg)
Over the past few years Rochester has seen several area roadways slimmed down. East and University Avenues in the City and route 590 and Saint Paul Boulevard heading up to the lake have all been reduced from 4 lanes to 2 (usually with a center turning lane). Dan Burden of the Walkable and Livable Communities Institute coined the phrase “road diet”. Basically, a road diet is when one or more auto lanes are removed and replaced with either a center turning lane, bike lanes, wider shoulders, wider sidewalks or any combination of those things.
Personally, I LOVE this. Not only do less auto lanes make me feel more at ease as a pedestrian or riding my bike… but as a driver, I’ve found that I’m much more relaxed when I’m not thinking about the speedy jackass who’s trying to pass me from the righthand lane. And what’s good for my blood pressure is good for everyone. Believe me.
But before you make up your mind, take a look at this video from Streetfilms…
Tags: Dan Burden, East Avenue, road diet, Rochester, Rochester NY, University Avenue, video, Walkable and Livable Communities Institute
Extreme Makeover: Skyscraper Edition
April 12th, 2011Posted in Opinion, Rochester Images | 8 Comments »
If you didn’t already know I have severe OCD, this post is surely going to tip my hand. But here goes.
I LOVE Kodak. I own 3 Kodak cameras (one on me at all times) and countless “Kodak moments” hanging on my walls. In fact the very first thing my children saw after the nurses wiped the goop out of their eyes was—you guessed it—a Kodak camera. But there’s one itty bitty thing that bugs me about Kodak… their 19 story office tower. It looks like it was blown up and patched back together with superglue (which by the way was invented by a Kodak chemist).
I pass by Kodak tower everyday on my to and from work; and everyday I cringe a little bit. Don’t misunderstand me, it’s a gorgeous building with great bones. I just think it needs the 1970’s dusted off. And by George, with a little Photoshop magic I’m going give it my best shot. First a bit of history…
Tags: Eastman Kodak, Genesee Valley Trust, George Eastman, J. Foster Warner, Kodak, Kodak Tower, Photoshop, Times Square Building, vintage postcard, vintage views
Johnny Knoxville Uncovers Detroit’s Beautiful Ugly Side
March 23rd, 2011Posted in Transit + Infrastructure, Urban Development, Urban Exploration | 6 Comments »
Johnny Knoxville may be a jackass but today he shows us that even ugly can be beautiful. In what is actually a 30 minute advertisement for Palladium Boots, Knoxville turns urban explorer and takes for an eye-opening ride through some of the hardest hit areas of Detroit…
Tags: Detroit MI, Eastown Theater, Heidelberg Project, Jackass, Johnny Knoxville, urban, urban explorers, urban revitalization
New Circulator Would Connect the Dots for Downtown Rochester
March 20th, 2011Posted in Events, Rochester News, Transit + Infrastructure, Video | 4 Comments »
![The Circulator bus in Washington D.C. [PHOTO: afagen's Flickr Stream]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/washington-circulator.jpg)
The City of Rochester has been busy busy busy. Last week we took a look at our new Bike Master Plan. This week we’ll get a chance to review and ask questions about the proposed Center City Circulator. What? You have no idea what a “circulator” is? No worries. Watch the video clip below and learn about Washington D.C.’s new-ish circulator system with Gabe Klein, Director of Washington D.C.’s Department of Transportation (DDOT).
Tags: Center City Circulator Study, circulator, City of Rochester, commuter survey, Erik Frisch, public input, public meeting, Rochester, Rochester NY, RTS, shuttle bus, streetcar, transit, transportation, Washington D.C.
Vintage Views of Rochester; 178 and counting…
March 13th, 2011Posted in Rochester History, Rochester Images | 3 Comments »
Greetings from Rochester! Lately you may have noticed lots of old images stuck to the sides of the buildings downtown. The images are actually larger reproductions of old postcards—some a century old—and they pay homage to the gorgeous buildings that once lined Rochester’s streets. For the past two years I’ve been collecting a lot of these same vintage postcards. I like to say “vintage” instead of “old” because most of them are new to me – plus I can’t imagine these incredible images ever getting old in the other sense of the word.
Well, I finally did it. It was a monumental task but now you can flip thru my entire collection of vintage Rochester postcard images right from your computer. All 178 views – scanned, uploaded, and labeled for your viewing pleasure…
Tags: Erie Canal Aqueduct, Flickr, Four Corners, Genesee Aqueduct, Genesee River, history of Rochester, Main Street, old photos of Rochester, Ontario Beach, Rochester, Rochester history, rochester images, Rochester Trust & Safe Deposit Company, vintage postcard, vintage views
Rochester, You Have a Bike Plan. Now What?
March 7th, 2011Posted in Rochester News, Transit + Infrastructure | No Comments »
![The first marked bike lanes and shared use lanes will begin to appear this construction season across the city. [PHOTO: Phillip Barron]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/bike-lane.jpg)
Last summer I posted a progress report on Rochester’s Bike Master Plan and I commented on the importance of such planning—even if you don’t own a bike. Well, I’m all giddy with excitement to report… Rochester has a bike plan! Officially.
Tags: bike lanes, bike plan, city planning, Erik Frisch, infrastructure, New York, Rochester, Rochester Bicycle Master Plan Project, Rochester NY, transit, transportation
Today, February 26, in Rochester History: Rochester Swept by Great Fire
February 26th, 2011Posted in Rochester History, Rochester Images | 4 Comments »
On February 26, 1904 a fire leveled 1¾ acres of the Main Street shopping district. The fire started in the Rochester Dry Goods Company and the flames quickly spread west to Saint Paul Street and north across Division Street via a footbridge. Faulty electrical wires in an elevator shaft were to blame. More photos after the jump…
Tags: Granite Building, history of Rochester, Main Street, Rochester, Rochester fire, Rochester history, Saint Paul Street, Sibley Fire, Sibley's, Sibly Lindsay & Curr Co., this date in Rochester history
Reconnect Rochester Takes Transportation Issues to the Candidates
February 21st, 2011Posted in Events, Rochester News, Transit + Infrastructure | No Comments »
While Rochester searches for its next mayor to take office and begin the arduous task of planning the City’s future, Reconnect Rochester is taking the issues to the candidates and the candidates to the people.
Tags: Alex White, American Planning Association (APA), American Society of Landscape Architects (ASLA), Ann Lewis, Gleason Works, Harry Davis, Joni Monroe, Landmark Society of Western New York, Reconnect Rochester, Rochester, Rochester chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA), Rochester Regional Community Design Center, Thomas Richards, transportation policy, William A. Johnson
Today, February 18, in Rochester History: Abraham Lincoln’s 10 Minute Pop-in
February 18th, 2011Posted in Rochester History, Rochester Images, Train/Railroad Stuff | 4 Comments »
![On February 18, 1861, Abraham Lincoln addressed over 8,000 Rochesterians from his train's observation platform. He was traveling thru to Washington D.C. for his inauguration. [Cartoon from 'Mr. Lincoln and New York' © 2002-2011 The Lincoln Institute.]](http://rochestersubway.com/images/photos/abraham-lincoln-train.jpg)
Here’s a fun fact you can impress your friends with on this glorious Friday in Rochester… Today is the 150th anniversary of perhaps the most famous tour stops in Rochester’s history. On February 18, 1861 good ole’ Abe Lincoln popped in to say ‘Hey dudes!’.
Tags: Abraham Lincoln, Rochester, Rochester history, Savoy Hotel, this date in Rochester history
Transportation & Infrastructure Chairman John L. Mica (R-FL) in Rochester This Week. Don’t Miss This!
February 12th, 2011Posted in Events, Rochester News, Transit + Infrastructure | No Comments »
This month Congress will begin reauthorizing federal highway and transit dollars. To kick things off, the U.S. Congressional Transportation & Infrastructure Committee will hold a series of field hearings around the country, including a February 18th stop in Rochester.
Tags: Accountable, Efficient Transportation Equity Act (SAFETEA-LU), Empire State Future, Flexible, New York State Transportation Equity Alliance (NYSTEA), Reconnect Rochester, Rep. John Mica, Safe, U.S. House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee
BBoy BBQ 2011
January 13th, 2011Posted in Art + Culture, Events, Rochester News, Rochester Subway | 5 Comments »
Every year the BBoy BBQ
showcases some of the best graffiti crews anywhere in the world—right here in Rochester NY. Live graffiti art, live music, DJs, breakdancing artists, food, etc etc… all free and open to the public. This year rumors are swirling around the Rochester Subway that something big may be brewing…
Tags: BBoy BBQ, Facebook, FUA, Graffiti, Graffiti Convention, Rochester, Rochester NY
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