A good friend of mine, Ander Kazmerski
, just posted some sweet drone footage of Rochester. The video focuses on two sites – the Rochester subway and the Carnegie building on Goodman Street just after its devastating fire. I don’t think I need to say much about it. These images speak for themselves. You’ll definitely want to go full-screen with this one…
Posts Tagged ‘abandoned subway’...
Aerial Drone Footage of Rochester Subway and Carnegie Building
Friday, July 3rd, 2015Tags: abandoned places, abandoned subway, abandoned subway tunnel, aerial photography, Ander Kazmerski, Carnegie building, Carnegie Place, drone, drone video, Rochester, Rochester NY, rochester photos, Rochester Subway, Rochester Subway photos, urban decay, urban exploration, urban ruins
Posted in Art + Culture, Rochester History, Rochester Subway, Train/Railroad Stuff, Transit + Infrastructure, Urban Exploration | No Comments »
Infiltration: a Dance Exploration of the Rochester Subway
Sunday, June 28th, 2015Here’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…
Tags: abandoned places, abandoned subway, abandoned subway tunnel, Atalee Judy, BONEdanse Productions, Breakbone Dance Co., Carl Wiedemann, dance, dance video, interpretive dance, Rochester, Rochester NY, Rochester Subway, Rochester Subway tunnel, urban exploration, video
Posted in Art + Culture, Transit + Infrastructure, Urban Exploration | 2 Comments »
Amazing! Virtual Tour of Rochester Subway on Google Street View
Friday, November 7th, 2014Okay 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…
Tags: abandoned places, abandoned subway, Broad Street, Google, Graffiti, Mark Goho, Rochester, Rochester NY, Rochester panorama, rochester photos, Rochester Subway, Rochester Subway photos, Rochester Subway tunnel, street art, subway tunnel, urban exploration
Posted in Art + Culture, Rochester Destinations, Rochester Images, Rochester Subway, Train/Railroad Stuff, Transit + Infrastructure, Urban Exploration | 14 Comments »
Reimagining Rochester’s Underground
Sunday, August 31st, 2014![Kenneth Martin chose to focus on Rochester's abandoned subway tunnel for his Master of Architecture Thesis. This is his concept for breathing new life into the space. [IMAGE: Kenneth Martin]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/ken-martin-aqueduct-concept.jpg)
The abandoned subway tunnel beneath Rochester’s Broad Street has become one of the most popular sites for students of architecture and design to test their creative chops. You may remember the ROC Low Line; an underground park designed by a team of RIT students. Soon after that we reviewed a more serious plan to install an underground shopping mall and entertainment venue called Broad Street Underground.
Yet another thought-provoking concept and set of renderings have been shared with us. This one elaborates on the idea of using the interior space as a nightclub, with various (wet and wild) public spaces…
Tags: abandoned subway, adaptive reuse, aqueduct, Aqueduct Bridge, architecture, Broad Street Corridor Master Plan, Broad Street Underground, development plans, downtown Rochester, Lewis Childs, Rochester, Rochester NY, Rochester Subway, Rochester Subway tunnel, underground mall, underground shopping, urban planning
Posted in Rochester Destinations, Rochester History, Rochester News, Rochester Subway, Transit + Infrastructure, Urban Development | 15 Comments »
Rochester Subway Tours This Weekend
Friday, October 4th, 2013![A tour of Rochester's abandoned subway tunnel. [PHOTO: RochesterSubway.com]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/abandoned_rochester_subway_05.jpg)
I often get asked if there are tours of the Rochester subway. The short answer is no. The longer answer is while there is no official tour of the “subway,” every October there is usually a tour of the “historic Erie Canal aqueduct.” And it’s coming up this weekend…
Tags: abandoned subway, abandoned subway tunnel, abandoned tunnel, Aqueduct Bridge, Broad Street Underground, Canal Society of New York State, downtown Rochester, Erie Canal Aqueduct, River Romance, Rochester, Rochester NY, Rochester Subway, Rochester Subway tunnel, subway tour, urban exploration
Posted in Events, Rochester Destinations, Rochester History, Rochester Subway, Train/Railroad Stuff, Transit + Infrastructure, Urban Exploration | 5 Comments »
Broad St. Underground: ANOTHER Proposal for the Abandoned Subway!
Monday, September 23rd, 2013![Lewis Childs, co-founder of Broad Street Underground, explains how Rochester's abandoned subway tunnel could be converted into commercial and retail space. [PHOTO: RochesterSubway.com]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/rochester-broad-street-underground-01.jpg)
Rochester’s old subway tunnel hasn’t seen a passenger car come through here in nearly sixty years. But lately, redevelopment ideas are arriving with unbelievable frequency. A few weeks ago we were talking about the ROC Low Line; an underground park designed by a team of RIT students. This week, another local group has come forward with a different plan. And these guys want to take theirs beyond just an academic study. Stand clear of the yellow line folks – here comes the “Broad Street Underground” concept…
Tags: abandoned subway, adaptive reuse, aqueduct, Aqueduct Bridge, architecture, Broad Street Corridor Master Plan, Broad Street Underground, development plans, downtown Rochester, Lewis Childs, Rochester, Rochester NY, Rochester Subway, Rochester Subway tunnel, underground mall, underground shopping, urban planning
Posted in Rochester Destinations, Rochester History, Rochester News, Rochester Subway, Rochester Subway Stories, Transit + Infrastructure, Urban Development, Video | 44 Comments »
ROC Low Line: A (new) Proposal for Rochester’s Abandoned Subway
Monday, August 12th, 2013![Nine RIT students collaborated to design a subterranean urban park inside the old Rochester subway called the ROC Low Line. [RENDERING: RocLowLine.com]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/rochester-lowline-aquaduct.jpg)
Over the years there have been many proposals for the reuse of Rochester’s abandoned subway tunnel. Some would like to see the tunnel preserved and turned into a living museum
open to the public. Others would like to turn back the hands of time even further, converting the tunnel back into a water canal
– as it was part of the Erie Canal pre-1920s.
Even today as the City continues to take steps towards the latter option, new ideas continue to surface. The most recent concept comes from RIT’s architectural program, and a very interesting student project being called the ROC Low Line…
Tags: abandoned subway, Alexandra Bush, Allison LaChance, aqueduct, Aqueduct Bridge, architecture, Bridget Carney, Broad Street Corridor Master Plan, development plans, downtown Rochester, Dr. Alex Bitterman, Jennifer Danielle Harper, Kate Krueger, Matt Burke, Priyanka Sondhi, Rochester, Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), Rochester Low Line, Rochester NY, Rochester Subway, Rochester Subway tunnel, S. Adam Stoker, Sergey Selyuzhitskiy, The Lowline, underground park, urban parks & trails, urban planning
Posted in Rochester Destinations, Rochester Subway, Rochester Subway Stories, Transit + Infrastructure, Urban Development | 17 Comments »
Summer Subway FREEBIES! Free Rochester Wallpapers
Saturday, July 31st, 2010
I’ve never shared this with anyone before… but I have a disorder. I’m an excessive wallpaper changer. I’m in therapy (and doing a little self-medicating) but still, I have a hard time keeping one background graphic on my computer desktop for more than a day or two (at most). Maybe I have ADHD? Or maybe I just need a life. I CAN’T HELP IT! I just get bored staring at the same image for too long. I tear through so many wallpapers I’ve had to start making my own…
Tags: abandoned subway, abandoned subway tunnel, abandoned tunnel, City of Rochester, desktop backgrounds, desktop wallpaper, downtown Rochester, Erie Canal Aqueduct, free stuff, Freebies, Genesee Aqueduct, Genesee River, Graffiti, history of Rochester, Main Street, New York, NY, old photos, old photos of Rochester, pc wallpaper, photo, photography, Rochester, Rochester history, rochester images, Rochester NY, Rochester panorama, rochester photos, Rochester Subway, subway tunnel, trolley, vintage postcard, vintage views
Posted in Freebies, Rochester Images | 11 Comments »
Subway Tunnel To Be Filled. This time they mean it. Probably.
Saturday, October 10th, 2009For decades it’s been an inconvenient truth for Rochester. The abandoned Erie Canal turned ghost subway tunnel has long been considered a ticking time-bomb. It’s widely known that the city has wanted to fill at least the west end of the tunnel for many years, citing critical safety deficiencies in the structure beneath the street surface. But, with Rochester’s ongoing economic struggles and estimates into the $10’s of millions, the project has been repeatedly delayed (or swept under the rug). Until now…
Tags: abandoned subway, ADROC, Advocates for the Development of Rochester's Canal, Broad Street, Broad Street Tunnel Improvement Project, Brown Street, Chill-the-Fill, City of Rochester, Denver, downtown Rochester, Erie Canal, federal stimulus money, Main Street, New York, Nick Tahou's, Rochester, Rochester NY, Rochester Regional Community Design Center, Rochester Subway, Roger Brown, RRCDC, RRTC, satellite image, subway tunnel, Tom Grasso, Tom Hack, trolley
Posted in Interviews, Rochester News, Rochester Subway | 30 Comments »
Broad Street Tunnel Improvement Project
Friday, October 9th, 2009
Interview with Tom Hack, P.E., Project Manager
ROCHESTERSUBWAY.COM: It was recently brought to our attention that the City of Rochester is taking bids from contractors to repair and/or fill the abandoned subway tunnel under Broad Street. Can you confirm this? If so, what are the details of the job?
Tom Hack: The fill is going to take place from Brown Street to the RR portal next to Nick Tahoe’s (it involves about 1900 lf out of 4600 lf total). We are maintaining the RR portal behind Nick Tahoe’s as that will serve as a new access/maintenance road into the remaining sections of the tunnel.
ROCHESTERSUBWAY.COM: When are you hoping to start the work?
Tom Hack: We are scheduled to open bids on October 19, 2009. We hope to have “actual” construction operations underway in early December 2009, however the bulk of the tasks won’t hit their stride until April-May 2010.
ROCHESTERSUBWAY.COM: What range do you expect the bids to come in at? (in $$)
Tom Hack: We anticipate that bids for the work will be in the range of $14-16 Million (+/-).
ROCHESTERSUBWAY.COM: Is this project part of a larger initiative? i.e. Is this just Phase 1 in filling the rest of the tunnel, or maybe prep work for some larger project involving Broad Street?
Tom Hack: This project is a standalone project but obviously it does has ramifications toward other city proposed initiatives. Four issues that come into play are:
- Parking within the confines of the remaining rehabilitated sections of the Tunnel
- Phase III and IV of Rochester’s Historic Canal District Initiative does envision partial use of this space for the creation of the West end Basin, however the timing of this phase is 15-20 years out and obviously the dynamics and market conditions may dictate other uses.
- Stabilization and general enhancement of the corridor. This project does strengthen, link and unify the visual attributes of the surrounding land uses and neighborhoods. This is an overall initiative of the City and indirectly the streetscape amenities that we will be installing does add value in that regard.
- The project does advance the Rochester Heritage Trail. The Rochester Heritage trail is a designated walkway linking the City’s multitude of historic feature, dating when downtown was a port on the Erie Canal and the burgeoning center of commerce, industry and social activism. This is a self guided walk that identifies historic sites and tells the stories of Rochester’s people, places, and cultures as they impacted development of our nation. (Think Boston’s Freedom Trial)
Tags: abandoned subway, Boston's Freedom Trail, Broad Street, Brown Street, City of Rochester, downtown Rochester, Erie Canal, fill, interview, New York, Nick Tahoe's, Rochester, Rochester Heritage Trail, Rochester NY, Rochester's Historic Canal District, subway tunnel
Posted in Interviews, Rochester Subway | No Comments »
Rochester and Cincinnati transit maps shine in Monocle Magazine
Friday, September 18th, 2009No it’s not for people with one eye. Monocle is a global current affairs magazine (published in the U.K.) with a sharp aesthetic and an editorial tone that suggests we can build a better world if we just think creatively about global problems. And wouldn’t you know, they took notice of our little Rochester Subway map in their September issue. Brilliant!
Tags: abandoned subway, article, Cincinnati, Cincinnati Subway, Cincinnati Transit Map for Optimists t-shirt, Dream Machines, Monocle Magazine, New York, NY, OH, Ohio, Rochester, Rochester Subway, Rochester Subway map, Rochester Subway Poster, Sasha Issenberg
Posted in Rochester Gifts, Rochester News, Rochester Subway | No Comments »
A Timeline History of the Rochester Subway
Friday, January 2nd, 20091825, Erie Canal completed
By 1900 the canal is antiquated; too narrow for modern barges, many lift-bridges downtown tie up traffic, and many consider it an eyesore
1905, funding approved to widen the Erie Canal and reroute it south of the city
Tags: abandoned subway, Rochester, Rochester history, Rochester NY, Rochester Rapid Transit and Industrial Railroad, Rochester Subway, Rochester subway car 60
Posted in Rochester History, Rochester Subway, Train/Railroad Stuff, Transit + Infrastructure | No Comments »



![Aerial drone footage of Rochester; the subway and Carnegie Place after fire. [IMAGE: Ander Kazmerski]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/rochester-carnegie-building-drone-video-01.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)
![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)










