Have you ever done something so crazy you started to question your own sanity? A few weeks ago a little voice inside my head said, “DUDE, you should totally organize a flash mob!” Most sane people would have chuckled to themselves and ignored the voice. Not me. I listened to it.
So now here I am, asking you to join me for what could be the most insane (yet wildly entertaining) 5 minutes that downtown Rochester has seen in quite a while. If you’re feeling a little bit crazy, the details are after the jump…
Here’s something that turned up in the RocSubway email box a few weeks ago and we thought it pretty neat. Rochester expatriate Marshall Allen designed this Greater Rochester / Monroe County subway map for no other reason than to satisfy his own geeky curiosity. Sounds familiar. We’ll add this one to our collection of fantasy Rochester subway maps…
Here’s some exciting news… Trolleys will be returning to Rochester’s streets this summer! Though not the electric kind. Philip Szal will be starting Rochester Pedal Tours, a pedal powered trolley that guests can take around downtown as a way to bounce between their favorite restaurants and bars…
The City of Rochester has issued a Request For Proposals (RFP) to adaptively reuse, redevelop, and operate five former bus shelters on Main Street in downtown Rochester, NY. The deadline to respond is June 26 and successful proposals are expected to be announced by July 31…
In 1870 Ellwanger & Barry (and other wealthy investors) owned a spot along the west bank of the Genesee River gorge known as Maple Grove. At the time, the Lake Avenue streetcar line stretched all the way to this point, and in an effort to stimulate traffic on the trolley line, they had built Rochester’s first water-side resort; the Glen House…
On Saturday, April 25th, from 11am to 7pm, Arnett Boulevard between Rugby Avenue and Wellington Avenue in southwest Rochester’s 19th Ward Neighborhood will come alive with events, artwork, and temporary small businesses.
This Better Block project, in the historic Arnett Trolley Stop District, is part of a nation-wide movement to demonstrate possibilities for revitalizing urban neighborhoods.
On Monday April 27 at 7pm, Rochester Bicycle Film Festival will present its first of three films, Power to the Pedals, and panel discussion with the filmmaker and other cycling advocates at Little Theatre…
Rochester’s Southeast Quadrant will take part in Community Solar NY, a program designed to make investing in solar power easier and more affordable for local residents and businesses. The Solarize Flower City program kicks off with neighborhood workshops starting in May, where residents and business owners can learn about the program…
A few weeks ago we took you on a trip to Van Lare Wastewater Treatment Facility to see where Rochester’s dirty water goes to get cleaned up. It was there that we learned of an extensive deep rock tunnel system that that captures major storm runoff until it can be treated. Known as the Combined Sewer Overflow Abatement Program, or CSOAP, this system saves over 1 billion gallons of sewage from overflowing into the Genesee River and Irondequoit Bay each year.
More importantly, this means there are 30 miles of giant smelly tunnels beneath our city just waiting to be explored! Come on let’s go…
From local development to just plain news of the weird, here are your RocLinks for this past week (and WOW, what a week for development here in Rochester)…
As our Northwest area prepares for the upcoming Clean Sweep and other beautification projects, the Lyell-Otis Neighborhood Association would like to ask for your hand…
Joe Henderson (34) was an earth science teacher at Rush Henrietta Central School District before graduating last year from University of Rochester with a Ph.D. in Education – with a focus on environmental education. Joe has taken many 8th graders on field trips to Frank E. Van Lare Wastewater Treatment Facility . And today, he’s arranged to bring all of you, RocSubway friends…
Last week we paid a final visit to the abandoned Sykes Datatronics building on Orchard Street . This week we take a look at recent work submitted by RIT Architecture students that reimagines this former industrial site as a new and robust community center…
This week, RocCity Coalition launched a survey to gather critical information about the state of the region’s young professional community. We encourage you to take the survey and share it with as many of your friends, family and colleagues as possible…
It has come to my attention that there are some pretty stalwart fans of Tops Friendly Markets out there! That means this is the Filling In for you (as opposed to this one).
At a cost to the New York taxpayer of just about half that of the Louisiana Purchase fourteen years earlier, “Clinton’s Ditch” faced the ageless and indestructible rancor of the New York State Legislature and the animosity of the press statewide. It is hard to overstate the impact the investment taxpayers made in building the canal had on the development of Rochester and New York State. Now, it is almost impossible to imagine a project like the canal ever being built in today’s political climate and maybe that is not such a good thing. In this edition of Wear to Where we stop by Lock 33 and ask, “What’s the big idea?”…
About a year and a half ago we shared some photos from inside the abandoned Sykes Datatronics building on Orchard Street (south of Lyell Ave). That building was part of a complex that was home to many different companies from 1915 until Sykes Datatronics (a computer company) left in 1992. Demolition crews have been slowly deconstructing the property since the fall…
Density of people is good for cities. Density of cars is not . More people create more demand for local shops and services, which, in return, attract more people. Businesses seeking talent are attracted as well, and the city benefits from increased sales and property tax revenue and by increased utilization of its existing infrastructure. On the other hand when a lot of people are living in a small area, and all of those people own cars, we run out of places to put them. A winter like this one just makes us feel the pain a little more…
I’ve been writing Filling in Columns for over 2 years now (starting with this one on Exchange Street), and I’ve realized that it’s high time to have a discussion about my vision for the column, what I write, and why I write it…
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.
![On Thursday, June 18, at exactly 9:07a.m. we're going to start the biggest spontaneous dance party ever to take place in downtown Rochester. For the exact location and to learn the dance moves, watch the video. [IMAGE: ReconnectRochester.org]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/rochester-flash-mob-01.jpg)
![Greater Rochester and Monroe County fantasy subway map. [IMAGE: Marshall Allen]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/monroe-county-subway-map-01.gif)
![Rochester Pedal Tours coming July 2015. [PHOTO: BuffaloPedalTours.com]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/pedal-tours-01.jpg)
![The City of Rochester has issued a Request For Proposals (RFP) to adaptively reuse, redevelop, and operate five former bus shelters on Main Street in downtown Rochester, NY. [PHOTO: Hennebery Eddy Architects, Inc.]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/portland-bus-shelter-coffee-kiosk.jpg)
![In 1870 Ellwanger & Barry (and other wealthy investors) owned a spot along the west bank of the Genesee River gorge known as Maple Grove. At the time, the Lake Avenue streetcar line stretched all the way to this point, and in an effort to stimulate traffic on the trolley line, they had built Rochester's first water-side resort; the Glen House. [PHOTO: 'Rochester's Lakeside Resorts and Amusement Parks' by Donovan Schilling]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/glen-house-rochester-ny-01.jpg)
![On Saturday, April 25th, from 11am to 7pm, Arnett Boulevard between Rugby Avenue and Wellington Avenue in southwest Rochester’s 19th Ward Neighborhood will come alive with events, artwork, and temporary small businesses. [PHOTO: BetterBlock.org]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/better-block-01.jpg)
![Rochester’s Southeast Quadrant will take part in Community Solar NY, a program designed to make investing in solar power easier and more affordable for local residents and businesses. [PHOTO: Ruairí, Flickr]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/solarize-flower-city-01.jpg)
![Let's explore Rochester's deep rock sewer tunnels! [PHOTO: RochesterSubway.com]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/csoap-deep-rock-sewer-tunnel-rochester-00.jpg)
![Hyatt Under Construction [PHOTO: Democrat and Chronicle]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/denker/links/Hyatt_Under_Construction.jpg)
![Lyell-Otis Neighborhood [PHOTO: Lyell-Otis Neighborhood Facebook Page]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/lyell-otis-neighborhood-volunteers-04.jpg)
![Grab your nose plugs. Today we're going inside Frank E. Van Lare Wastewater Treatment Facility. [PHOTO: RochesterSubway.com]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/van-lare-water-treatment-plant-rochester-00.jpg)
![View from Roc Brewing Co. [PHOTO: Innovationtrail/Flickr]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/denker/links/Roc-Brewing.jpg)
![RIT Architecture grad students have designed a plan for the former Sykes Datatronics brownfield site on Orchard and Whitney Streets. [PHOTO: Anonymous]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/abandoned-rochester-sykes-datatronics-exterior-03.jpg)
![RocCity Coalition wants to know what's important to Rochester's young professionals. [PHOTO: Nate McBean, Flickr]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/university-of-rochester-graduation-nate-mcbean-01.jpg)
![It is almost impossible to imagine a project like the canal ever being built in today’s political climate and maybe that is not such a good thing. In this edition of Wear to Where we stop by Lock 33 and ask, 'What’s the big idea?' [PHOTO: Clarke Condé]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/rochester-fashion-wear-to-where-erie-canal-lock-33-01.jpg)
![Abandoned Sykes Datatronics building on Orchard Street. Demolition work has been going on since the fall. [PHOTO: Anonymous]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/return-to-abandoned-sykes-datatronics-building-04.jpg)
![When a lot of people are living in a small area, and all of those people own cars, we run out of places to put them. A winter like this one just makes us feel the pain a little more. [PHOTO: Joseph Crescente]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/alexander-street-snow-rochester.jpg)
![[Detail of Genesee Crossroads Planning Map [PHOTO: Monroe County Image Library]](http://rochestersubway.com/images/photos/denker/philosophy/Genesee_Crossroads_South_detail.jpg)
![\"RochesterSubway.com\"](\"https://rochestersubway.com/images/pixel_white.gif\"){kind=tracking}
