Rochester

The City in Brief

Founded: 1803 (incorporated, 1834)
Head Official: Mayor William A. Johnson, Jr. (since 1994)
City Population
1980: 241,741
1990: 230,356
2000: 219,773
2003 estimate: 215,093
Percent change, 1990-2000: -4.8%
U.S. rank in 1990: 66th
U.S. rank in 2000: 91st
Metropolitan Area Population
1980: 971,230
1990: 1,062,470
2000: 1,098,201
Percent change, 1990-2000: 3.4%
U.S. rank in 1990: 38th
U.S. rank in 2000: 47th
Area: 36 square miles (2000)
Elevation: ranges from 246 feet to 748 feet above sea level
Average Annual Temperature: 56.8° F
Average Annual Precipitation: 33.98 inches total; 92.3 inches of snow
Major Economic Sectors: Services, trade, manufacturing, government
Unemployment Rate: 4.5% (April 2005)
Per Capita Income: $15,588 (2000)
2004 ACCRA Average House Price: Not reported
2004 ACCRA Cost of Living Index: Not reported
2002 FBI Crime Index Total: 16,911
Major Colleges and Universities: University of Rochester; Rochester Institute of Technology
Daily Newspaper: Democrat and Chronicle

Introduction

Rochester, the third largest city in New York State, is the economic and cultural center of the Genesee River-Finger Lakes region and gateway to the fertile Lake Ontario Fruit Belt. Known as the Flower City because of its nurseries, parks, and gardens, Rochester is also renowned for its museums, schools, and many cultural amenities. The city is probably best known for George Eastman’s Kodak camera; it is also a world leader in the high technology and telecommunication sectors.

Geography and Climate

Rochester is located at the mouth of the Genesee River, which bisects the city, at the approximate mid-point of the south shore of Lake Ontario. Lake Ontario, which remains unfrozen in winter, plays a major role in the city’s weather. Its cooling effect in summer prevents the temperature from rising much above the mid-90s, and in winter it usually prevents temperatures from falling below -15.0° F. Precipitation is fairly evenly distributed throughout the year.
Area: 36 square miles (2000)
Elevation: Slopes from a lakeshore elevation of 246 feet to 748 feet above sea level
Average Temperatures: January, 31.2° F; August, 79.1° F; annual average, 56.8° F
Average Annual Precipitation: 33.98 inches total; 92.3 inches of snow

History

Location Favorable for Flour Milling

The Five Nations of the Iroquois hunted, fished, and foraged for minerals in the Genesee River region until 1779, when, weakened by the destruction of their villages by Revolutionary War General John Sullivan, they were induced to sell to speculators a large tract of land known as the Phelps and Gorham Purchase. Part of this tract was the site of a flour mill acquired by Nathaniel Rochester of Maryland in 1803. More flour mills were built, powered by the Genesee River and its falls; by the time the Erie Canal reached the area in 1825, Rochester’s concentration of flour mills caused the settlement to be dubbed Flour City. The pioneering horticultural efforts of George Ellwanger and Patrick Barry, begun in the 1840s, brought the city international recognition; many beautiful parks and gardens were developed, and Rochester’s nickname became Flower City.
Rochester has been home to a remarkable collection of Americans. In 1853 John Jacob Bausch and Henry Lomb opened a small optical shop there; today the company they started, Bausch & Lomb, is a world leader in optics and health care. In 1888 George Eastman introduced the camera he had developed in his mother’s Rochester kitchen. Susan B. Anthony, a prominent suffragist, made Rochester her home for the last 40 years of her life. Frederick Douglass, escaped slave, abolitionist orator,lived in Rochester for 25 years until his home burned down in 1872.
Throughout the nineteenth century Rochester was a thriving commercial center. The men’s clothing industry there was given a boost by the Civil War of 1861 to 1865 and by the subsequent demand for ready-made suits in the West; eventually this industry ranked second only to flour milling in importance. In 1866 the Vacuum Oil Company, which later became Mobil Oil, was founded in Rochester, and in 1906, the Haloid Company, now known as Xerox Corporation, began in a loft above a shoe factory.

City Responds to Twentieth-Century Challenges

While these new industries were developing, music and art were flourishing in Rochester, assisted greatly by the philanthropy of George Eastman, whose Eastman Kodak Company was expanding rapidly. But industrial growth was taking its toll on the Genesee River; by the early twentieth century this once beautiful resource had become little more than an open sewer lined with decaying industrial buildings.
The increasing attainability of the automobile in Rochester prompted a middle-class exodus to the suburbs. By the 1950s the city’s population consisted largely of the poor and jobless. Rochester’s reputation was tarnished by violent race riots in 1964. In response to those riots and the forces behind them, city leaders began major renovations of the downtown area. The long-neglected Genesee River was cleaned up. The expansion of Eastman Kodak, Bausch & Lomb, and Xerox Corporation protected upstate New York from the economic problems that beset many other industrial cities in the 1970s. In recent years many middle- and upper-income residents of the suburbs have been lured back to the city, which today thrives as a high-technology center and a cosmopolitan oasis surrounded by outstanding natural beauty.
Rochester is currently implementing a comprehensive renewal strategy called Rochester 2010: The Renaissance Plan. Affordable health care, attractive neighborhoods, progressive public schools, and an appealing downtown are just a few target of this ambitious campaign; the goal is to transform Rochester into a world-class cultural, social and economic center by the end of the decade.
Historical Information: Rochester Historical Society, 485 East Avenue, Rochester, NY 14607; telephone (585)271-2705. City historian Ruth Rosenberg Naparsteck, Office of the City Historian, 115 South Ave., Rochester, NY 146041896; telephone (585)428-8095; fax (585)428-8098

Population Profile

Metropolitan Area Residents
1980: 971,230
1990: 1,062,470
2000: 1,098,201
Percent change, 1990-2000: 3.4%
U.S. rank in 1990: 38th
U.S. rank in 2000: 47th
City Residents
1980: 241,741
1990: 230,356
2000: 219,773
2003 estimate: 215,093
Percent change, 1990-2000: -4.8%
U.S. rank in 1980: 57th
U.S. rank in 1990: 66th
U.S. rank in 2000: 91st
Density: 6,104.8 people per square mile (2000)
Racial and ethnic characteristics (2000)
White: 106,161
Black or African American: 84,717
American Indian and Alaska Native: 1,033
Asian: 4,943
Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander: 104
Hispanic or Latino (may be of any race): 28,032
Other: 14,452
Percent of residents born in state: 68.8% (2000)
Age characteristics (2000)
Population under 5 years old: 17,227
Population 5 to 9 years old: 18,733
Population 10 to 14 years old: 17,233
Population 15 to 19 years old: 15,699
Population 20 to 24 years old: 18,432
Population 25 to 34 years old: 37,652
Population 35 to 44 years old: 33,057
Population 45 to 54 years old: 25,014
Population 55 to 59 years old: 8,395
Population 60 to 64 years old: 6,354
Population 65 to 74 years old: 9,992
Population 75 to 84 years old: 8,179
Population 85 years and older: 3,806
Median age: 30.8 years
Births (2002, Monroe County)
Total number: 8,883
Deaths (2002, Monroe County)
Total number: 6,273 (of which, 61 were infants under the age of 1 year)
Money income (1999)
Per capita income: $15,588
Median household income: $27,123
Total households: 89,093
Number of households with income of…
less than $10,000: 17,228
$10,000 to $14,999: 8,611
$15,000 to $24,999: 15,717
$25,000 to $34,999: 12,650
$35,000 to $49,999: 13,372
$50,000 to $74,999: 12,170
$75,000 to $99,999: 5,202
$100,000 to $149,999: 2,839
$150,000 to $199,999: 607
$200,000 or more: 697
Percent of families below poverty level: 23.4% (56.6% of which were female householder families with related children under 5 years)
2002 FBI Crime Index Total: 16,911

Municipal Government

Rochester, the seat of Monroe County, operates under a mayor-council form of government. The mayor and five council members are elected by the citizens at large, and four council members are elected by district.
Head Official: Mayor William A. Johnson, Jr. (since 1994; current term expires 2005)
Total Number of City Employees: 3,003 (full time, 20042005)
City Information: City of Rochester, City Hall, 30 Church Street, Rochester, NY 14614; telephone (585)428-5990

Economy

Major Industries and Commercial Activity

Rochester is one of the leading manufacturing centers in the United States, dominated by Eastman Kodak, Bausch & Lomb, Inc., Delphi Automotive Systems and Xerox Corporation. The area is home to more than 1,500 small and medium-sized manufacturing companies, most of which are involved in high technology sectors such as computer and electronic products, machinery and chemicals. In 2004, companies in Greater Rochester exported more than $14 billion worth of products and services, exceeding 40 states. Rochester also benefits from the Monroe County Foreign Trade Zone, which offers tax advantages for international trade.
Items and goods produced: photographic and optical products, telecommunication system software, pharmaceuticals, automotive equipment, fibres and plastics

Incentive Programs—New and Existing Companies

A variety of incentives is available from city and county government organizations. The County of Monroe Industrial Development Agency (COMIDA) offers funding for industrial and non-industrial projects through tax-exempt bonds and sale/leaseback transactions; it also administers the JobsPlus tax abatement program for employers who increase full-time employee base by 10 percent or more. Over the last two decades COMIDA has financed more than 500 projects totaling $2 billion in investment and thousands of new jobs. The Monroe County Industrial Development Corporation (MCIDC) provides long-term financing for the purchase of land or equipment through the SBA 504 Program, interest rate subsidies on loans or capital leases, equipment purchase rebates, and gap financing. The Monroe Fund is a private venture capital fund investing in startup and turnaround businesses. Monroe County Economic Development provides customized advice, connecting businesses with the most advantageous programs or incentives.
Local programs—The City of Rochester offers a range of incentives for new and growing businesses. Loans from $25,000 to $500,000 are available to manufacturing or industrial businesses seeking to expand; approved projects must create or retain jobs and promote investment in the city. Similar loans are available to companies in the service, wholesale or retail sectors. The city offers 90/10 matching grants for exterior improvements in distressed commercial districts and will match up to $5,000 in advertising funds for businesses in low- or moderate-income areas. The City of Rochester administers the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Section 108 Loan Program, which provides fixed asset and working capital financing to eligible businesses. The city also offers job growth credits which can be used to reduce payments on city loans.
State programs—The New York State Empire Zone Program offers incentives for developing new businesses, expanding existing operations or increasing human resources; incentives include wage tax credits, sales tax refunds, utility discounts, investment tax credits, and property tax abatements. New York also offers tax credits to businesses that create jobs and invest in production property or equipment. A nine percent corporate tax credit is available to businesses investing in research and development, and such companies may also be eligible for three-year job creation credits. Sales tax exemptions may be granted on equipment purchases, research and development property, and fuels or utilities. Empire State Development administers the Export Marketing Assistance Service, which helps businesses find distributors overseas, and the Global Export Market Service, which provides up to $25,000 of export marketing consultant services for small and medium sized businesses. New York State’s Division of Minority- and Women-owned Business Development provides access to capital, procurement assistance, and loans from $20,000 to $500,000.
Job training programs—New York State offers funding for up to 50 percent of any employee training project and its Workforce Development Liaison helps coordinate employers and job seekers. RochesterWorks! provides on-the-job training incentives for companies who hire or retrain employees lacking in experience or credentials. The Rochester Corporate Training Initiative provides access to internal training programs of successful local companies as well as funding opportunities. Specialized job training programs are also available through Monroe Community College and various other agencies throughout the area.

Development Projects

The $230 million Renaissance Square project is underway on East Main Street; plans call for a performing arts center, underground bus terminal, and Monroe Community College satellite to revitalize the downtown area. The Strong Museum has begun a $33 million expansion that will double its current size, making it the second-largest children’s museum in the nation. The museum’s new ”whimsical” design is a nod to its mission of learning through play. Eastman Theatre has completed a $5 million renovation to improve acoustics, lighting and rigging and enlarge the orchestra pit. A $52 million renovation of Xerox Tower is scheduled for completion in 2005. The Hyatt Regency Rochester Hotel will complete a $4 million renovation in 2006. Bausch & Lomb has announced a $35 million expansion of its research and development center, creating 200 new jobs.
Economic Development Information: Monroe County Department of Planning and Development, Economic Development Division, 50 West Main Street, Suite 8100, Rochester NY 14614; telephone (585)428-2970. County of Monroe Industrial Development Agency, 50 West Main Street, Suite 8100, Rochester NY 14614; telephone (585)428-5260

Commercial Shipping

Greater Rochester International Airport is served by a number of air cargo companies. Rail freight service is available from CSX, Norfolk Southern and Canadian Pacific railways. Rochester boasts an extensive network of highways. Shipping of oversize and bulk commodities can be arranged through the Lake Ontario New York State Barge Canal system.

Labor Force and Employment Outlook

According to the Manpower Employment Outlook, Greater Rochester has the third-highest job growth rate in the nation. More than half of the region’s employers expect to increase staffing in the immediate future. Telecommunications is one of the fastest growing sectors, with over 85 companies in Rochester’s ”Telecom Valley.” Manufacturing continues to play a major role in the local economy, while Rochester’s high-tech output ranks 20th out of 319 metropolitan areas in the United States.
The following is a summary of data regarding the Rochester metropolitan area labor force, 2004 annual averages.
Size of nonagricultural labor force: 508,300
Number of workers employed in . . .
construction and mining: 17,900
manufacturing: 78,600
trade, transportation and utilities: 84,500
information: 12,300
financial activities: 21,800
professional and business services: 56,700
educational and health services: 98,600
leisure and hospitality: 38,700
other services: 18,800
government: 79,800
Average hourly earnings of production workers employed in manufacturing: $17.29 (statewide, 2004)
Unemployment rate: 4.5% (April 2005)
Largest employers                                                                              Number of employees
Eastman Kodak Company                                                                                        23,900
University of Rochester                                                                                          12,690
Xerox Corporation                                                                                                  12,150
ViaHealth                                                                                                                7,052
Wegmans Food Markets                                                                                           5,469
Excellus Inc.                                                                                                             3,100
Unity Health System                                                                                                 3,073
Delphi Automotive Systems Corp.                                                                           3,000
Valeo S.A.                                                                                                                2,601
Rochester Institute of Technology                                                                          2,555
Cost of Living
Rochester prides itself on offering a high quality of life, from affordability of homes to recreational opportunities. In 2003, Rochester was one of three cities in the nation to receive top honors in the City Livability Awards Program, which recognizes mayors for their efforts to improve quality of life.
The following is a summary of data regarding several key cost of living factors in the Rochester area.
2004 ACCRA Average House Price: Not reported
2004 ACCRA Cost of Living Index: Not reported
State income tax rate: 4-6.85%
State sales tax rate: 4%
Local income tax rate: None
Local sales tax rate: 4%
Property tax rate: $37.11 per $1,000 of assessed value

Education and Research

Elementary and Secondary Schools

Rochester City School District has begun reorganizing its elementary, middle and high schools into a two-tiered system comprised of elementary (grades pre-K to 6) and secondary (grades 7-12) facilities. The redesign is expected to provide a more stable learning environment for students, alleviate overcrowding, and help develop a strong base for increased academic achievement.
Despite challenges such as high poverty rates and student mobility, Rochester’s public school system was ranked among the ten best in the U.S. by Places Rated Almanac. Fourteen Rochester elementary schools were named among the state’s most improved in language arts or math in 2005; and Newsweek listed Wilson Magnet High School 49th among the nation’s top 100 high schools based on advanced curriculum.
The following is a summary of data regarding the Rochester public schools as of the 2003-2004 school year.
Total enrollment: 35,659
Number of facilities elementary schools: 39
secondary schools: 16
Student/teacher ratio: 11:1
Teacher salaries average: $41,825
Funding per pupil: $12,552
The Rochester City School District also supports approximately 200 private, parochial and charter schools, urban-suburban sites, and home-based schools.
Public Schools Information: Rochester City School District, 131 West Broad Street, Rochester, NY 14614; telephone (585)262-8100

Colleges and Universities

Rochester’s best-known institution of higher education is the University of Rochester, which includes the renowned Eastman School of Music, the School of Medicine and Dentistry, the School of Nursing, and the William E. Simon Graduate School of Business Administration, considered one of the best in the country.
Rochester Institute of Technology offers graduate and undergraduate degrees, certificates and diplomas through its eight colleges. The school is internationally known for its College of Imaging Arts and Sciences, School for American Crafts, and National Technical Institute for the Deaf.
Monroe Community College offers 83 professional degree and certificate programs; students may also transfer to a four-year institution. Other post-secondary facilities in the city include Rochester Business Institute, St. John Fisher College, Nazareth College of Rochester, and Roberts Wes-leyan College.

Libraries and Research Centers

The Rochester Public Library System is made up of the Central Library and ten branch libraries, with a yearly circulation of nearly 1.7 million titles. The Central Library, housed in the Bausch and Lomb Public Library Building and the Rundel Memorial Library Building, includes a reading garden, children’s center, and meeting space; special collections are maintained on such topics as art, business, education, history, local history, science and technology. The Toy Resource Center at the Lincoln Branch offers educational toys for infants, young children, and children with special needs. Rochester Public Library is part of the Monroe County Library System.
Among the dozens of special libraries in Rochester are the collections of the Rochester Institute of Technology on the topics of chemistry, graphic arts, deafness, and printing technology, and Eastman Kodak’s collection on various topics, including business, photography, chemistry, engineering, health and environment, and computer science. More than a dozen libraries are operated by the University of Rochester, focusing on such topics as Asian history and literature, chemistry, art history, music, engineering, geology, laser energetics, management, microcomputers, astronomy, and medicine. The University maintains an extensive rare topic collection dating from the seventh century. The Sibley Musical Library at the University of Rochester is one of very few libraries in the country devoted exclusively to music.
The International Museum of Photography at George Eastman House contains a large research library of more than 43,000 volumes on photography and cinematography and special collection of rare topics and images. Visual Studies Workshop maintains a research library on the topic of contemporary imaging. The Rochester Civic Garden Center has a 4,000-volume library dedicated to horticulture.
The concentration of scientists and technicians engaged in research in Rochester is said to place the region on aparwith California’s Silicon Valley. A major center for this activity is the University of Rochester, which has committed funding for the construction of new biotechnology research facilities. Among the more than two dozen other research facilities at the University are the Laboratory for Laser Energetics, the Rochester Theory Center for Optical Science and Engineering, and the Wireless Communication and Networking Group.
More than a dozen research centers at the Rochester Institute of Technology conduct studies in such areas as user-controlled video applications, imaging sciences, microelectronic and computer engineering applications, printing, and photographic preservation.
Public Library Information: Rochester Public Library, 115 South Avenue, Rochester, NY 14604; telephone (585)428-7300

Health Care

Rochester’s health system remains a model for success, with an uninsured population well below state and national rates and better-than-average access to medical and dental care. Cooperation between large employers and health care providers kept costs low through the 1990s; although this structure is less evident today, statistics indicate Rochester citizens have a higher satisfaction level with their health system than most of the nation.
Strong Health is the largest health care provider in Rochester, with a network of hospitals, outpatient services and community clinics across upstate New York. The 750-bed Strong Memorial Hospital is its flagship facility, consistently ranking among the nation ‘s top hospitals in an annual survey by U.S. News and World Report. Strong Memorial offers highly specialized services, such as a heart transplant unit, and a 24-hour emergency department. Other facilities include Highland Hospital, known for its women’s services, joint center, and gastric bypass program; and Golisano Children’s Hospital, one of the nation’s leading pediatric hospitals. Strong Health is affiliated with the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry and the School of Nursing.
Other health care providers in the area include Rochester General Hospital, a 526-bed acute care teaching hospital; Park Ridge Hospital, a 521-bed non-profit hospital recognized for its quality Intensive Care Unit; and Monroe Community Hospital, a 566-bed long-term care facility.
Health Care Information: Monroe County Medical Society, 1441 East Avenue, Rochester, NY 14610; telephone(585)473-7573

Recreation

Sightseeing

The city of Rochester is especially noteworthy for its architecture—both new and historic—and for its scenic parks. Rochester’s City Hall, a national landmark, is a Romanesque structure featuring an elaborate three-story atrium where concerts and other entertainments are often staged. The East Avenue Preservation District, where the city’s manufacturers and businessmen built their homes after the Civil War, offers a mix of architectural styles popular in the period, the most common being American Tudor. It was in this district that George Eastman built his 49-room Georgian mansion in 1905, designed from photographs he had taken of other homes; it is now part of the International Museum of Photography & Film. The Woodside Mansion, built in the Greek Revival style in 1839, is now the headquarters of the Rochester Historical Society. The society’s collection includes nineteenth-century paintings, costumes, furnishings, and toys.
On the west side of the city, the Corn Hill district is a neighborhood of restored nineteenth-century homes, including Campbell-Whittlesey House, a fine example of the Greek Revival style. Nearby is Susan B. Anthony House, the site of her arrest in 1872 for attempting to cast her vote. Now a National Historic Landmark, it contains original furnishings, photos, and documents relating to her work. Anthony and Frederick Douglass are buried in Mount Hope Cemetery, one of the oldest Victorian cemeteries in the country. Mount Hope is noted for its funereal art, pastoral landscaping, and cobblestone pathways; guided tours are offered on Sunday afternoons during the summer.
Many visitors to Rochester make it a point to visit the area’s parks, some of which were designed by noted landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted. Highland Park and Ma-plewood Park are famous for their stunning floral displays. Ellwanger Garden, the former private garden of famed horti-culturalist George Ellwanger, is known as a ”living museum.” Cobbs Hill Park offers a view of Lake Ontario and the Finger Lakes region. The 96-foot waterfall of the Genesee River is known as High Falls and is in an urban cultural park area and part of the High Falls Entertainment District. The River of Light laser, light, and sound show at High Falls runs Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights, mid-May through September. Boat tours and bike trails along the Erie Canal allow quiet thoughts in a peaceful setting.
Sightseeing Information: Greater Rochester Visitors Association, 45 East Avenue, Suite 400, Rochester, NY 146042294; toll-free (800)677-7282

Arts and Culture

Rochester is a music-oriented city. The Eastman School of Music, one of the country’s most prestigious, presents symphonic, wind, chorale, jazz, chamber, and opera concerts year-round at the Eastman Theatre. Eastman Theatre is also home to the acclaimed Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, founded by George Eastman in 1922. The orchestra is heavily involved in community outreach and education programs; it also offers a wide variety of performances ranging from children’s concerts to Broadway shows during its extensive season. The Rochester Opera Factory is a volunteer, not-for-profit opera chorus featuring local, professional-quality musicians. Hochstein School of Music and Dance offers regular recitals and performances. Area parks offer free concerts during the summer.
Theater offerings range from small groups to Rochester’s major professional theater, Geva, which presents eight productions annually, including A Christmas Carol, in a renovated historic building. Shipping Dock Theatre presents award-winning plays at a new location in the Visual Arts Workshop. Downstairs Cabaret Theatre is a not-for-profit troupe with a focus on non-traditional material.
The star of the Rochester dance scene is the Tony Award-winning Garth Fagan Dance Troupe, one of the most famous modern dance companies in the world. Rochester City Ballet performs classic favorites with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra.

The George Eastman House, built in 1905, is home to the International Museum of Photography.
Rochester offers a variety of museums and historical sites. The International Museum of Photography & Film at George Eastman House contains a massive collection of prints, negatives, films, movie stills, and cameras. The Strong Museum, gift of Margaret Woodbury Strong, an avid collector who sometimes acquired items by the freight-car load, features more than 500,000 items documenting late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century middle-class lifestyles. The collection also includes the National Toy Hall of Fame. The natural and cultural history of Upstate New York is depicted through exhibits at the Rochester Museum & Science Center; the center’s Strasenburgh Planetarium offers daily and nightly shows combining theater and astronomy. Many smaller museums are located near the city, including the Stone-Tolan House in Brighton, a 1792 pioneer homestead, the Genesee Country Village and Museum in Mumford, an authentic nineteenth-century village, and the Victorian Doll Museum, located in North Chili.
Rochester’s major art museum, the Memorial Art Gallery of the University of Rochester, explores art through the ages in a collection ranging from ancient relics to Rembrandts and Monets. Recent traveling exhibitions included works by Max field Parrish and Edgar Degas.

Festivals and Holidays

Rochester’s famous Lilac Festival takes place each May in Highland Park. In June, the nine-day Rochester International Jazz Festival draws thousands of fans. Maplewood Rose Festival is also held each June in historic Maplewood Rose Garden. The Corn Hill Arts Festival brings more than a quarter million people to the city in July; this two-day event features the country’s finest artists and craftspeople, outdoor music and acrobatics, and food from around the world. Rochester Music Fest takes place in July at Genesee Valley Park. August brings the Park Avenue Summer Art Fest, one of the city’s most popular summer events; and the Fiddler’s Fair, featuring continuous fiddling and dancing on four stages. Rochester’s longest-running event, the Memorial Art Gallery Clothesline Festival, has taken place each September since 1957.

Sports for the Spectator

Rochester loves baseball—it is said that the first curve ball in history was launched there by Red Wings’ pitcher Richard Willis. Today this team, an International League affiliate of the Minnesota Twins and the first municipally-owned baseball team in the country, entertains fans at Frontier Field from April to September. Frontier Field is also home to the Raging Rhinos minor league soccer team from May through August. From January to March the Blue Cross Arena is home to the Knighthawks, Rochester’s indoor lacrosse team. The Rochester Rattlers play major league outdoor lacrosse at Bishop Kearney Field. The Rochester Americans, an American Hockey League affiliate of the Buffalo Sabres, call the Blue Cross Arena home. Bowling fans are treated to an annual Lilac City Bowling Tournament, and the men’s Professional Bowlers Tournament and women’s pro circuit make annual stops in the city. Nearby racetracks offer horse and auto racing as well as off-track betting.

Sports for the Participant

Recreational opportunities abound for water sports enthusiasts in the Rochester-Finger Lakes region. The Genesee River is a popular canoeing site; canoeing and rowing are also possible at several other locations, including the Erie Canal. For sailors, Lake Ontario is favored for large craft; many yacht clubs, launches, and lakeside parks are available for smaller craft. Anglers may take advantage of Lake Ontario and local bays, ponds, and lakes, as well as the Genesee River, which is stocked with salmon. Rochester is the scene of the Empire State-Lake Ontario Trout and Salmon Derbies, held in fall and spring; this competition awards more than $80,000 in cash and prizes annually.
Golf enthusiasts will find over 50 golf courses in the area; Rochester also maintains 66 baseball fields, 47 tennis courts, 7 soccer pitches and an extensive network of walking, jogging and bicycling paths. Cold weather brings opportunities for ice skating, cross-country and downhill skiing, and snowboarding.

Shopping and Dining

Shoppers may choose from a wide variety of experiences in the Rochester area. Several major malls, factory outlets, and discount designer stores are located throughout the region. Off East Main and North Union streets is Rochester’s open-air Public Market. The parallel ”Avenues” —Park and Monroe—offer an eclectic mix of fashionable boutiques, specialty shops, and restaurants. Of unique interest is Village Gate Square, a collection of antique, leather, and jewelry shops and art galleries housed in a historic printing factory. Northfield Common and Schoen Place offer boutiques, boating, and dining along the Erie Canal in the village of Pittsford.
Rochester diners may choose from an assortment of cuisines ranging from American to Cajun, Thai, Italian, Greek, Chinese, French, and Indian. Settings vary from modern to historic; an 1848 gristmill, an 1842 railroad station, an 1818 Erie Canal tavern, and a gas station are among the structures that Rochester restaurateurs have converted to dining establishments.
Visitor Information: Greater Rochester Visitors Association, 45 East Avenue, Suite 400, Rochester, NY 146042294; toll-free (800)677-7282. Arts & Cultural Council for Greater Rochester, 277 North Goodman St., Rochester, NY 14607; telephone (585)473-4000

Convention Facilities

Riverside Convention Center is an award-winning facility featuring 100,000 square feet of flexible meeting and exhibit space for up to 5,000 people. Located downtown, it is connected by an enclosed skywalk to the Four Points by Sheraton Hotel (466 rooms and 20,000 square feet of meeting space), the Hyatt Regency Rochester (336 rooms and 13,500 square feet of meeting space), enclosed parking and a local retail area. The Clarion Riverside Hotel offers 30,000 square feet of meeting space and 465 rooms. The Dome Center is minutes from Rochester and offers nearly 60,000 square feet of meeting space in three buildings; a grandstand is available for outdoor events. The Blue Cross Arena can seat 13,500 people and accommodate groups of various sizes. More than a dozen major hotels in the area provide more than 6,000 rooms.
Convention Information: Greater Rochester Visitors Association, 45 East Avenue, Suite 400, Rochester, NY 14604; telephone (585)546-3070

Transportation

Approaching the City

The Greater Rochester International Airport, located ten minutes from downtown, is served by several major carriers and feeder lines. High-speed ferry travel to Toronto is available daily for passengers and cars. Rail service is provided by Amtrak and Conrail. NY State Trailways and Greyhound bus terminals are located downtown. A convenient network of highways, inner- and outer-loop arterial expressways, and the New York State Thruway facilitate auto travel. From Interstate 490 at the Clinton Avenue and Plymouth Avenue exits, a color-coded sign system directs visitors to five major downtown areas of interest.

Traveling in the City

Walking tours of Rochester are a popular way to explore the city. ARTWalk is a ”permanent urban art trail” connecting arts centers and public spaces downtown; the outdoor space itself features benches, sidewalk imprints and light pole art by local artists. The Landmark Society offers six self-guided walking tours in downtown Rochester and three neighborhood walking tours. The Rochester-Genesee Regional Transportation Authority operates a bus service. Rochester’s free blue and yellow EZ Rider shuttle buses circle the downtown area every evening except Sunday. Taxi and limousine service is also available.

Communications

Newspapers and Magazines

Gannett Rochester Newspapers publishes the city’s daily newspaper, the morning Democrat and Chronicle. City Newspaper is a weekly alternative journal. Other locally published newspapers include Golden Times, a publication aimed at mature citizens, The Daily Record, for business and legal professionals, as well as Greater Rochester Advertiser, The Greece Post, and several religious newspapers. About a dozen magazines are published in Rochester on topics ranging from antiques to business.

Television and Radio

Five television stations—four network affiliates, and one public—serve Rochester. Time Warner Communications provides cable service. The city is served by five AM and eight FM radio stations. Two college stations broadcast alternative music. Rochester Radio Reading Service on WXXI sponsors a program of readings for the sight-impaired from local and national newspapers and magazines.
Media Information: Democrat and Chronicle, 55 Exchange Blvd., Rochester, NY 14614; telephone (585)232-7100. City Newspaper, 250 North Goodman St., Rochester, NY 14607; telephone (585)244-3329

Rochester Online

Arts & Cultural Council for Greater Rochester. Available www.artsrochester.org
City of Rochester. Available www.ci.rochester.ny.us
Greater Rochester Visitors Association. Available www .visitrochester.com
Monroe County Industrial Development Agency. Available www.growmonroe.org
Monroe County Planning & Economic Development. Available www.monroecounty.gov
Rochester Business Alliance. Available www.rochester businessalliance.com
Rochester City School District. Available www.rcsdk12.org
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle. Available www .democrat andchronicle.com
Rochester Public Library. Available www.rochester.lib.ny .us