![Fast ferry on it's way to Rochester from New York Harbor, 2004. [IMAGE: RochesterSubway.com]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/rochester-fast-ferry-in-new-york-harbor-07.jpg)
There’s no real reason for this post. I was going through old family photos this weekend and stumbled upon these ones from a boat tour around Manhattan island my wife and I took in 2004. By complete coincidence we sailed directly in front of the infamous Spirit of Ontario I 
(a.k.a. Fast Ferry) on her maiden voyage to Rochester…
Posts Tagged ‘New York City’...
Old Family Photos
Sunday, April 3rd, 2016Tags: architecture, Fast Ferry, Manhattan, New York City, NYC, Rochester, transportation
Posted in Rochester History, Rochester Images, Transit + Infrastructure | 4 Comments »
“Gridlock” Sam Schwartz at The Little Theatre, 2/24
Thursday, February 18th, 2016
When the world’s first elevated highway was completed in 1936 along Manhattan’s west side, the New York Times marveled that “the gleaming new concrete ribbon” would let drivers travel from lower Manhattan “nearly to Poughkeepsie without having to stop for a traffic light or slow up for an intersection.” Legendary city planner and master highway builder, Robert Moses promised the new highway would “eliminate” traffic jams on the city’s west side…
Tags: Ed Koch, event, Gridlock Sam Schwartz, infrastructure, lecture, New York City, NYC, Reconnect Rochester, Robert Moses, Sam Schwartz, Samuel Schwartz, Street Smart: The Rise of Cities and the Fall of Cars, The Little Theatre, traffic, traffic planning, transportation, transportation planning, urban planning, West Side Highway
Posted in Events, Rochester News, Subways Around the Globe, Transit + Infrastructure, Urban Development | 1 Comment »
Filling In: Zoning Part 1, Introduction
Thursday, September 10th, 2015![Current Rochester Zoning Map [IMAGE: City of Rochester]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/denker/zoning/Rochester_Zoning_Map.jpg)
Well readers, this is it. The series of articles you’ve been waiting for your entire life without even knowing it. That’s right, we’re going to talk about zoning, and more specifically, zoning in Rochester. I’ve been known to refer to zoning as the last bastion for the wicked, and over the next few weeks, I look forward to pleading my case.
Tags: City of Rochester, Edward Bassett, Filling In, form-based code, Matt Denker, Matthew Denker, New York City, Rochester, Rochester NY, Village of Euclid (Ohio) v. Ambler Realty Co., West Palm Beach FL, zoning, zoning code
Posted in Architecture, Urban Development | 18 Comments »
Filling In: Midtown… Parcel 5
Thursday, November 6th, 2014
As some of you may or may not know, the city recently released a Request For Proposals (RFP) for the redevelopment of another piece of the Midtown site. Parcel 5 , the site in question, is the very long block from Main St to Elm St and between the Windstream building to the west and 1 East Avenue (Bank of America) to the east. Let’s go back to our trusty Midtown site plan for a visual…
Tags: architecture, City of Rochester, downtown Rochester, Filling In, Main Street, Matthew Denker, Midtown Plaza, Midtown Rising, New York City, Rochester, Rochester NY, urban development, urban renewal, urban revitalization
Posted in Urban Development | 21 Comments »
Rochester (& Other) Landmarks
Thursday, May 1st, 2014![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)
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…
Tags: abandoned subway tunnel, Alphabet City, Antonio ‘Chico’ Garcia, art, ARTISANworks, Donuts Delite, Eastman Theater, Genesee Brewery, Genesee Valley Trust, Graffiti, Jonathan White, Louis Perticone, Lower East Side, New York City, photography, rochester photos, Rundel Library, Sea Breeze, St. Michael’s Church, Strong National Museum of Play, The Bug Jar, Times Square Building, Village Gate
Posted in Art + Culture, Rochester Destinations, Rochester Images, Rochester News | No Comments »
Business Improvement District Could Bolster Downtown
Tuesday, October 22nd, 2013![Ambassadors with the Minneapolis Downtown Improvement District provide a variety of services including street cleaning and beautification, providing information, and security. [PHOTO: MinneapolisDID.com]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/downtown-improvement-district-01.jpg)
If you live, work or own a business in downtown Rochester, yesterday you might have received a request to answer a few questions. Do NOT throw it away! Trust me. It’s important.
That Downtown Satisfaction Survey is intended to gather insights which will help in establishing a Business Improvement District. What’s that? I’m glad you asked…
Tags: Boston, business improvement district, downtown, downtown improvement district, downtown Rochester, Downtown Special Services, Heidi N. Zimmer-Meyer, Minneapolis, New York City, Red Shirts, Rochester, Rochester Downtown Development Corporation (RDDC), Rochester information booth, Rochester NY
Posted in Rochester News, Urban Development | 5 Comments »
Did Xerox Tower Influence the Original Twin Towers?
Thursday, May 16th, 2013![Xerox Tower. Completed 1966. [PHOTO: Friscocali, Fickr]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/xerox-tower-rochester-friscocali.jpg)
The following is a guest post submitted by Jimmy Combs.
Submit your story today.
Ever notice how the Xerox Tower looks like one of the original World Trade Center towers? Did you know that the Xerox Tower was completed five years before the World Trade Center towers? Hmmm, so maybe the Xerox Tower inspired the design of the World Trade Center Towers? This would make Xerox Tower an extremely important building in the history of architecture. I had to do some research…
Tags: architecture, Buffalo, downtown Rochester, IBM building, Minoru Yamasaki, NBBJ, New York City, One M&T Plaza, Rochester, Rochester NY, Seattle, skyscraper, University of Washington, Welton Becket, Welton Becket and Associates, World Trade Center, Xerox Square, Xerox Tower
Posted in Reader Submitted Stories, Rochester History, Urban Development | 17 Comments »
Filling in: Parks and Reparation
Thursday, April 4th, 2013![Columbs Circle, maybe early 1970's? [PHOTO: andrewcusack.com]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/filling-in-reparations-01.jpg)
The following is a guest post submitted by Matthew Denker.
Submit your story today.
Dear readers, let’s take a short break from redeveloping Rochester. Instead, can we take a moment to consider that which we’ve lost? That which we can still repair?
This week, let’s talk about parks. Specifically, let’s talk about Lomb Memorial Park, and Schiller Park. But first, take a look at Columbus Circle in New York City (above). Oh man! Look at poor Christopher Columbus hanging out there all alone in the middle of traffic. At least he has a convenient parking spot for his car. Wait, what? You say that Columbus Circle doesn’t look anything like that? Well, I guess it doesn’t, now…
Tags: Andrews Street, Christopher Columbus, Columbus Circle, downtown Rochester, Franklin Square, Franklin Street, Freidrich von Schiller, Henry Lomb, Henry Lomb Memorial, Inner Loop, Lomb Memorial Park, Matthew Denker, New York City, Rochester, Rochester NY, Schiller Park, Upper Falls Blvd.
Posted in Reader Submitted Stories, Rochester Destinations, Rochester History, Rochester Images, Transit + Infrastructure, Urban Development | 36 Comments »
Happy Birthday, Grand Central Station
Friday, February 8th, 2013![A view of the interior of the grand concourse of New York's Grand Central Terminal with Kodak Colorama in the background. Some time after the morning rush hour. January 9, 1968. [IMAGE: AP Photo]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/grand-central-station-kodak-colorama.jpg)
Lots of stories about Grand Central Station have been flying around the internet these past few weeks. The station first opened its doors on Feb. 2, 1913. And no matter how grand it may be, 100 years is nothing to take lightly. Especially considering how many “grand” stations have fallen to the wrecking ball before. In 1968, the New York City’s Landmarks Commission denied a developer permission to demolish much of the upper level concourse and the Vanderbilt Room. A 55-story tower was planned to take its place. That Landmark Commission was formed in 1965 after the demolition of Penn Station – which was equally as beautiful. The photo above was taken just after the morning rush hour, on January 9, 1968…
Tags: Grand Central Station, New York Central Railroad, New York City, NYC, railroad station
Posted in New York City Subway, Train/Railroad Stuff, Transit + Infrastructure | 2 Comments »
Rust Belt Cities: Rather Than Patronizing Young People, Give Them What They Ask For
Monday, December 17th, 2012![Cyclist on the sidewalk across the street from the Midtown development, Rochester, NY. [PHOTO: Rick U, RocPX.com]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/rochester-midtown-cyclist.jpg)
I want to share with you an opinion piece from RustWire.com last week. The article was reposted on BuffaloRising.com and it’s now made its way down I-90 to RochesterSubway.com. Angie Schmitt begins by blasting attempts to market cities to young people. Angie cites an example from Columbus, Ohio where leaders spent a $30,000 grant to hire a so-called “Gen Y” expert to tell them how they could retain and attract the widely-coveted demographic. “Why didn’t they just ask the young people that live there what they want, and maybe put the $30,000 toward that?” she asks…
Tags: Angie Schmitt, Boston, BuffaloRising.com, Cleveland, Columbus OH, Global Cleveland Initiative, livibility, New York City, RustWire.com, San Francisco, suburbanization, urban design, urban revitalization
Posted in Opinion, Transit + Infrastructure, Urban Development | 17 Comments »
Mom Delivers Baby on NYC Subway; Alone
Monday, July 2nd, 2012![These 'subway heroes' ain't got nothin on Wanda Dueno. [PHOTO: BuzzFeed.com]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/subway-heroes.jpg)
Every so often I like to post true tales of subway heroism… A boy who lived in the NYC subway system… A drunk woman pulled out of the way of an oncoming train in the Boston “T”… No pants subway riders… uh… hem hem.
Anyway, here comes the story of one woman who truly deserves to be called an underground super hero…
Tags: Jessica Wakeman, Libasse Dueno, New York, New York City, New York City Subway, New York Post, subway childbirth, Wanda Dueno
Posted in New York City Subway, Subways Around the Globe | No Comments »
Imagine, Rochester’s Historic Brewery Square
Sunday, December 4th, 2011![A view of what could one day be Rochester's Historic Brewery Square and entrance to the GardenAerial trail (right). [RENDERING: RochesterSubway.com]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/cataract-rendering-empty.jpg)
Rendering of renovated buildings and GardenAerial trail
I realize that sometimes it’s a bit difficult to see the potential in something. Especially when that “potential” is hidden beneath layers of mustard yellow paint, rusty corrugated siding, and 25+ years of plain old tired…
![The original panorama photo set used to create the rendering of Brewery Square. [PHOTO: RochesterSubway.com]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/cataract-rendering-original.jpg)
The way things look now (click for larger views)
Why, just the other day Howard S. Decker, FAIA said, “Beauty is in the Eye of the Beer Holder.” Mr. Decker is former Principal of DLK Architecture (Chicago) and former Chief Curator of the National Building Museum (Washington DC). He knows a thing or two about buildings, and places that are worth saving for future generations. His highly experienced eyes see the potential in 13 Cataract Street and the neighborhood it lives in.
But what about the rest of us? How can we be sure this building is worth the money and effort it will take to bring it back to life? What is the alternative to demolition? And will we lose our Brewery Visitor Center if we don’t tear this other building down??
Let’s start with an excerpt taken from a document filed by the Landmark Society in 1984 with the New York State Parks and Recreation Division for Historic Preservation…
Tags: architecture, Cataract Brewing Company, Dorraine Kirkmire, GardenAerial, Genesee Brewery, Genesee Brewing Company, High Falls, Highline, KPS Capital Partners, Michael Psaros, New York City, North American Breweries, NYC, Rochester, Rochester Brewing Company, Rochester Historic Brewery Square, Rochester NY, Standard Brewing Company
Posted in Opinion, Rochester News, Urban Development | 24 Comments »
iPhone Band Rocks It Out On NYC Subway
Monday, October 18th, 2010
The latest subway performance making the rounds actually has a tech-angle. A band known as Atomic Tom recently staged an “impromptu” show on the B train, but played one of their songs using only iPhones. The video was uploaded to YouTube and has since logged more than 633K views.
Tags: Apple Computer, Atomic Tom, B Train, iPhone, New York, New York City, New York City Metro, New York City Subway, subway video, video, YouTube
Posted in Art + Culture, New York City Subway, Subways Around the Globe, Video | No Comments »
‘Star Wars’ Invades The New York City Subway System
Wednesday, July 14th, 2010One of the wonderful things about living in New York City for an artist is having the opportunity to share your work with any number of people at a moment’s notice. No matter the time of day, whether you’re in the park, strolling along the sidewalk or traveling via mass transit, there’s always someone around, always a captive audience…
Tags: Imperial Stormtroopers, Improv Everywhere, MTV, New York, New York City, New York City Subway, NY, NYC Subway, Star Wars
Posted in New York City Subway, Subways Around the Globe | No Comments »
NYC Subway Etiquette
Tuesday, April 27th, 2010
The West Village artist behind these subway etiquette signs, Jason Shelowitz (aka jayshells 
Tags: Gothamist, Greenwich Village, Jason Shelowitz, mass transit, mass transportation, New York, New York City, NYC Subway, public transportation, subway, subway etiquette
Posted in New York City Subway | No Comments »
Road Rage
Thursday, February 25th, 2010In Oregon, a battle raged for nearly twenty years over the construction of a highway project, proposed by the once acclaimed city planner Robert Moses. If approved, the Freeway would have removed more than 1% of all housing stock in Portland. In the mid 1970s, after the proposal’s defeat, the city opted to build a mass transit infrastructure instead. The result can be seen today in the form of a more pedestrian-friendly and livable city.
Tags: BQE, Brooklyn, Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, Clinton Ave, Elmwood Avenue, Goodman Street, highway, I-390, I-490, Mt. Hood Freeway, New York City, Oregon, Portland, Robert Moses, Rochester, Rochester NY, urban planning
Posted in Transit + Infrastructure, Urban Development, Video | 16 Comments »
Rochester Misses Out on a “No Pants Subway Ride”
Monday, January 11th, 2010Yet another reason to bring back the Rochester Subway… We’re missing out on No Pants Day! Hundreds of New Yorkers stripped down to their skivvies on Sunday for the ninth annual No Pants Subway Ride. The event, organized by a Guerilla group called Improv Everywhere, has grown from 7 or 8 people riding the NY Subway in 2002 to over 3,000 people taking part in 44 cities and 16 countries around the world.
Tags: Chicago, event, Facebook, Honolulu, Improv Everywhere, London, Los Angeles, Madrid, mass transit, mass transportation, New York, New York City, New York City Subway, No Pants Day, No Pants Subway Ride, NYC Subway, Pittsburg, Rochester Subway, Stockholm, Sydney, Tokyo, Toronto, uffalo
Posted in New York City Subway, Rochester Subway, Subways Around the Globe | 1 Comment »
Rochester’s 7th Most Beautiful Train Station in the U.S.
Thursday, January 7th, 2010
I’m a bit late on this but maybe this will be news to you. Some time last year, a notable infrastructure blog called The Infrastructurist, published a list of the top 10 greatest rail stations ever built. Standing shoulder to shoulder with some of the greatest examples of 20th Century American architecture is Rochester’s NY Central Station. What? You’ve never heard of it? That’s probably because it’s not with us anymore — may she rest in peace. The NY Central Station was demolished in 1965. In it’s place, the pretty little Amtrak Station you know and love today. In fact, all of the buildings on the Infrastructurist’s list are no longer.
Tags: Amtrak Station, architecture, blog, Bragdon Station, Central Avenue, Claude Bragdon, downtown Rochester, Grand Central Station, High Falls, history of Rochester, Joseph Avenue, Madison Square Garden, Mill Street, New York, New York Central Railroad, New York City, North Clinton Avenue, NY Central Station, old photos, Penn Station, railroad, Rochester, Rochester history, Rochester NY, Saint Paul Street, Senator Daniel Moynihan, The Infrastructurist, Union Station
Posted in Rochester History, Rochester Images, Train/Railroad Stuff, Transit + Infrastructure, Urban Development | 17 Comments »
Boy Lived in NYC Subway for 11 Days
Wednesday, November 25th, 2009![Francisco Hernandez Jr., who has Asperger's, a developmental disorder that affects the ability to socialize and communicate, disappeared on October 15, after he thought he was in trouble at school, according to his mother, Marsiela Garcia of Brooklyn. [source: CNN]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/new_york_subway_boy.jpg)
Until now I’ve tried to keep the subway stories I post limited to those out of the abandoned Rochester Subway. But recently there have been a rash of great stories from the underground I’ve just had to share. There was the drunken lady who fell onto the tracks in the Boston Subway. Then the unfortunate murder on the “D” train in Manhattan. And here’s another one. We’ve all heard stories of people living in New York’s subway tunnels. And you might immediately conjure up an image in your head of what such a person would look like. But how about a mild mannered 13 year old boy? Watch the video…
Tags: Asperger's, boy, Bronx, Brooklyn, Francisco Hernandez Jr., Manhattan, Marsiela Garcia, MetroCard, New York, New York City, New York City Subway, New York City Subway Map, NYC police, NYC Subway, Queens, runaway, subway video, teenager, train, transit, transportation
Posted in New York City Subway, Subways Around the Globe, Transit + Infrastructure, Video | No Comments »
NYC Subway Murder: “D” is for Disturbing
Sunday, November 22nd, 2009
I admit I’m a bit of a news junkie. And with all the violence reported in the media I’m also a bit apathetic to most stories. It’s not that I don’t care—it’s quite the opposite actually. I’m just numb. Occasionally though I come across a story so horrific it sends a chill thru my veins. Like this one for example. At about 2am Saturday morning (11/21/2009) a man was stabbed to death in the NYC Subway—over a seat.
Now I’ve done my share of walking in Manhattan and I can empathize with just about any New Yorker who complains that their feet hurt—but I just can’t imagine killing someone because of it.
Tags: Bronx, D train, Gerardo Sanchez, Louis Sanchez, Manhattan, murder, New York, New York City, New York Daily News, NYC Subway, Rockefeller Center station, Seventh Avenue station, stabbing, subway
Posted in Subways Around the Globe, Train/Railroad Stuff | No Comments »
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