The following post by Amy Cavalier was originally published at DePaul.org.
Thousands of miles, several movie appearances and more than 140 years after leaving the Cunningham Carriage Factory on Litchfield Street in Rochester NY, a late-19th century brougham-style carriage returned home on Tuesday, September 30…
With the holidays starting earlier and earlier each year, there’s a good chance many of you have already gotten a jump on your shopping lists. And if you’re looking for some local gift ideas, this one is for you…
As an alumn of TEDxRochester, I want to give a quick plug for this upcoming event. And I’m doubly happy to tell you about this year’s speakers as there are several whom I have personal connections with, and deep respect for. This is a jam packed line up…
I’m generally a pretty happy person, but this time of year I’ve noticed my spirit has a tendency to drop a few pegs. Probably has something to do with the shorter days or whatever. Who knows. Anyway, it occurs to me that I’m not alone. There are LOTS of unhappy people out there. If you drive on the highways and byways of greater Rochester, you’ll get to meet many of them.
This week I foolishly let myself get drawn into not one, but two ugly squabbles. The first was with a driver who sped up to catch me from behind (in the right lane mind you) and then refused to let me merge when our two lanes became one. So, like a bozo, I whaled on my horn for a while and shook my fist in the air at the guy to make sure he saw me in his rear view mirror…
The Niagara Wine Trail—right in our backyard—features 20 wineries and stretches from Lewiston to Rochester, along the Niagara Escarpment and the Lake Ontario shore. This region has been quickly gaining national attention for the variety and quality of its wines, including late-harvest, ice, and traditional vinifera. Now you can experience the Niagara Wine Trail in true style; via train…
Several years ago the west end of Rochester’s abandoned subway tunnel was filled as part of the Broad Street Improvement Project. Now a planned downtown development could permanently close off one of the last remaining entry points to Rochester’s old subway tunnel. Morgan Management is waiting for approvals to build a five-story luxury apartment complex at Court Street and South Avenue, right smack on top of the subway’s east entrance and the former site of the Court Street subway platform…
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…
Rochester’s airwaves are on the brink of some exciting changes. WAYO 104.3 FM is a new non-commercial, low-power community radio station with expansive musical and cultural programming, emphasizing creative freedom, diversity, and community engagement…
Last week I grabbed lunch at Pizza Stop – one of my absolute, hands down, favorite food joints in Rochester. After placing my order and (stepping promptly to the right) I noticed a petition* taped to the countertop. It was asking the City of Rochester to provide compensation to downtown merchants who lost business during a lunchtime food truck/cart event the week before. The petition argued that the City’s promotion of the food trucks caused nearby brick & mortar shops to lose money…
Rochester is loaded with fun things to do and see including many festivals, shopping, entertainment, art and culture. Our city is consistently ranked highly on national “quality of life” lists. We’ve got exciting neighborhoods. Great people. And great old homes – at crazy affordable prices.
Here comes another great home buying opportunity for anyone looking to move into the area, or anyone who may be growing tired of renting. Let’s look at 279 Field Street in the Swillburg Neighborhood…
Durand Eastman Park has long been a popular recreational destination for Rochesterians. Last year while digging into the legend of the Lady in White I came across some old photos of the park’s construction, as well as some interesting old structures. The stone foundation of the old refectory is still there (often mistaken for a fort or castle ruins). But there was another interesting feature of the park which has long vanished. The bath house…
On July 24, 1964 a series of events took place which led to three of the darkest days in Rochester’s history. They had come to Rochester seeking a better life, yet African Americans in Rochester at that time still had to fight for jobs, fight for education, fight for housing… even for the simple right to stand on the sidewalk in their own neighborhood and not be questioned by police. By the 1960s the mistreatment of black people in this country—over the course of centuries—finally reached a boiling point. And Rochester was in the eye of the storm…
My buddies Chris Clemens and Luke Myer (from the Burned Over District blog) recently shared these photos with me. Chris and Luke were on their way to Sodus on an unrelated exploration trip when they recalled stories of a nearby abandoned Girl Scout camp and decided to stop and check it out [map ].
Luke says his mother camped here when she was a little girl. In fact, many Girl Scouts earned a badge or two here over its 60+ year history. This was camp Beech-Wood and the following is an excerpt from NYfalls.com about its history…
Within the last year I have written a great deal about cities and the historic buildings they should be obligated to see maintained. Many cities cannot, will not, or do not want to penalize or fine the industrial and commercial property owners who fail to maintain the buildings within their care. Often what happens is that these neglected buildings are then demolished because they are supposedly beyond repair or structurally unsound.
It should be noted that buildings are rarely too far gone, even when roofs are missing and the “elements” have begun to reek havoc, and that often these very buildings are “structurally sound.”
“Double Jeopardy” wasn’t invented by Alex Trebek. It’s actually a procedural defense in our system of justice that forbids a defendant from being tried more than once for the same (or similar) charges. Unfortunately this rule doesn’t seem to apply with historic preservation in Rochester. Because the very same owner of this historic church at 660 West Main Street will, for a second time, ask the Zoning Board for permission to demolish the structure to make way for a discount store.
Dawn Noto is president of the Susan B. Anthony Neighborhood Association. She was concerned about the demolition plans in March of 2013 when the Zoning Board blocked them the first time. This time Dawn says the conditions are no different and the City should be working with the owner on a plan to rehab the church building instead of entertaining his plan for a second time…
You may recall last year when Otto Vondrak told us the story of how the sole survivor of the Rochester subway fleet, Car 60, found its way home to Rochester. Since 1998 the car has been at the Rochester & Genesee Valley Railroad Museum awaiting restoration. To be perfectly honest, most of the volunteers who were involved in its return to Rochester passed on, putting restoration efforts on the back burner. But now, finally, this Sunday the museum will kick off a fundraising (and awareness building) campaign to restore Rochester Subway Car 60 for the public to enjoy once again…
I have a soft spot in my heart for Juan & Maria Contreras. Their family has been serving up the tastiest (and friendliest) Spanish-American food at the Public Market for almost as long as I myself have been a Rochesterian. Their homemade empanadas have earned their place alongside the Garbage Plate and the Zwiegle’s white hot. Over 1,000 empanadas have been known to fly out of this little food stand on any given day at the market, but no matter how busy they are, Juan always has time to greet each customer with a warm, “How are YOU my friend?”
Now our friends need our help. Their daughter, Carolina (33) has been locked in a battle against a rare and deadly form of cancer known as Clear Cell Sarcoma. This Sunday at the Rochester Public Market the Contreras family will host a garage sale to help raise money for Carolina’s fight for life…
You’ve read about it. You’ve heard plenty of commentary about it. And if you’re like me, you still have plenty of questions about the Port of Rochester development. This past weekend Greg Weykamp, owner of Edgewater Resources, LLC spent an hour with me on site to answer my questions on everything from the design of the marina & proposed development, accessibility, marketability, and parking/traffic concerns.
In this six-part video series, Weykamp addresses many of the concerns expressed by Charlotte neighbors over the past few months. No doubt there will still be more questions as the project enters the design phase. But his willingness to spend time with me (and my two kids who are dancing around in the background) showed me that this may not be the monster some people have made him out to be . But you can watch for yourself, and please let me know what you think…
Reconnect Rochester is a non-profit organization I founded a few years ago to advocate for transportation alternatives in Rochester. We work for pedestrian-friendly streets, and we push for improved public transportation. These things are important to me because I’ve seen firsthand what happens to places that focus too much attention on providing spaces for automobiles, and not enough on spaces for people.
If you don’t quite get what I’m talking about, you can listen to me blabber on . But if you’re already with me, please make plans to leave your car at home this Thursday; a day we’re calling “ROC Transit Day”…
A year ago RochesterSubway.com took you UP inside Rush Rhees Library at the University of Rochester. The views from that tower are spectacular – but it’s the 6,668 pounds of bronze bells inside that are truly awe inspiring.
The bells are actually part of a massive musical instrument called a Carillon. And now, if you’ve got experience playing a keyboard, you may have a shot to go to the top of Rush Rhees and play the carillon yourself. Doris Aman of the University of Rochester Carillon Society sent in the following one-time offer…
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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.
![A new way to enjoy Rochester's wine trails, Niagara Wine Trail Train Excursions will begin on September 27. [PHOTO: Mike Dorofy]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/niagara-wine-trail-train-01.jpg)
![This proposed luxury apartment complex by Morgan Management could permanently close off one of the last remaining entry points to Rochester's old subway tunnel. [IMAGE: Morgan Management]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/rochester-court-street-apartments-by-morgan-01.jpg)
![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)
![WAYO 104.3 FM is a new non-commercial, low-power community radio station. [PHOTO: Provided]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/wayo-104-3-fm-radio-01.jpg)
![Pizza Stop. State State, Rochester. [PHOTO: non-euclidean photography, Flickr]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/rochester-pizza-stop.jpg)
![This is currently the only property available for sale in Swillburg on Field Street. Over 1,700 square foot, 4 Bedroom / 1.5 Bathroom; for $129,900. [IMAGE: Lisa Shingleton, Nothnagle Realtors]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/rochester-homes-for-sale-swillburg-279-field-street01.jpg)
![This was the bath house at Durand Eastman Beach. It opened in 1916 and by 1949 was closed due to high water. [PHOTO: Rochester Municipal Archives]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/rochester-durand-eastman-beach-bath-house-01.jpg)
![Scene from the Rochester riots, July 24-26, 1964. [PHOTO: Rochester Municipal Archives]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/rochester-riots-1964-02.jpg)
![Beechwood Park in Sodus, NY is a former Girl Scouts of America summer camp. The property has been left as it was abandoned in 1996. [PHOTO: Chris Clemens and Luke Myer]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/rochester-abandoned-camp-beechwood-01.jpg)
![The demolished Bethlehem Steel North Office Building in Lackawanna, NY. [PHOTO: Chris Smart]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/bethlehem-steel-administration-building-lackawanna.jpg)
![The Zoning Board will decide AGAIN whether or not to allow the former Westminster Presbyterian Church at 660 West Main Street to be demolished. [PHOTO: RochesterSubway.com]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/rochester-westminster-church-660-west-main-01.jpg)
![The last remaining Rochester subway car #60. [PHOTO: RochesterSubway.com]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/rochester-subway-car-60-RGVRRM-04.jpg)
![The carillon inside University of Rochester's Rush Rhees Library tower. [PHOTO: University of Rochester Carillon Society]](https://www.rochestersubway.com/images/photos/university-of-rochester-rush-rhees-carillon-01.jpg)
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