Experience Rochester: Your Guide to Our City

T

he Rochester experience is big city entertainment and culture with a small-town feel. Life in Rochester includes world-renowned music and film festivals, independent theaters, museums and galleries, public parks, unique dining, shops, and a variety of businesses.

We hope this guide helps to craft the best experience for you with a sampling of what Rochester has to offer.

T

he pedestrian bridge in High Falls offers one of the best views of Downtown Rochester. The bridge connects the High Falls business district with the Genesee Brewery.

In this neighborhood you can also find Innovative Field, home of the Rochester Red Wings professional baseball team.

Innovative Field

© Rochester Red Wings

D © The Strong, Rochester, NY

owntown Rochester is the heart of the city. Not only is it the center of city and county government, but there is a little something for everyone: arts, entertainment, sports, and commerce.

The Blue Cross Arena is home to a number of professional sports teams, including the Rochester Americans hockey team. You can also catch a show at Geva Theatre, relive your childhood at the Strong National Museum of Play, enjoy an outdoor concert, or ice skate at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Park at Manhattan Square in the winter.

S

ibley Square is at the center of downtown and is the anchor of the East Avenue Entertainment district. Right outside Sibley Square’s doors you will find Rochester’s iconic Liberty Pole, Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, Downstairs Cabaret, and Geva Theater.

If you venture inside the Sibley building, be sure to walk through The Mercantile on Main, a restaurant marketplace, featuring varieties of regional cuisine from local chefs. You can also find the Focus Theater, which offers improv and comedy shows.

The Mercantile on Main

SIBLEY SQUARE Harlem Gospel Choir

E

ast End is a must-visit location if you like live music, coffee shops, theaters, and festivals. The Eastman School of Music hosts a number of shows by world-class musicians. The Rochester International Jazz Festival and the Fringe Festival are two yearly events that take place in the East End. A few blocks from Eastman is the Little Theatre, offering independent and international films, live jazz, and a cafe. East End is also a central hub to many festivals and an array of restaurants and cultural hotspots.

T

he Memorial Art Gallery, George Eastman House International Museum of Photography and Film, Writers & Books, and Village Gate Square make this spot unique.

ARTWalk, a permanent urban art trail, connects the arts centers and public spaces within the neighborhood with sculpture, mosaics, and landscaping.

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ark Avenue is a bustling neighborhood with a number of stunning homes and plenty of unique restaurants, shopping, and nightlife, and more.

This charming location spans 1¼ miles of walkable tree-lined street from Alexander Street to Culver Road.

Nearby is the Rochester Museum and Science Center featuring the Strasenburgh Planetarium. The Cobb’s Hill Reservoir offers a great place for a jog and beautiful view of the city skyline.

Memorial Art Gallery

Village Gate

© Richard Margolis

JAVA’S CAFÉ 16 Gibbs St, Rochester, NY 14604 javascafe.com | (585) 232-4820 Hip, art-adorned haunt with sidewalk cafe, just down the road from the Eastman School of Music.

JAY’S DINER 2612 W Henrietta Rd, Rochester, NY 14623 (585) 424-3710 ’50s-style casual diner eats & milkshakes.

JINE’S RESTAURANT DINOSAUR BBQ

Multiple Rochester locations abbottscustard.com | (585) 865-7400

99 Court St, Rochester, NY 14604 dinosaurbarbque.com | (585) 325-7090

Freshly churned frozen custard and other desserts.

Local favorite BBQ restaurant overlooking the Genesee River.

ABUNDANCE CO-OP

FUROSHIKI

571 South Ave, Rochester, NY 14620 abundance.coop | (585) 454-2667

682 Park Ave, Rochester, NY 14607 parkavenoodles.com | (585) 771-0499

Local, organic, sustainable products.

Serving Ramen bowls and other Pan-Asian comfort food.

BOULDER CAFÉ AND LOUNGE 571 South Ave, Rochester, NY 14620 bouldercoffeeroaster.com | (585) 454-7140

Rochester’s premiere coffee house and music venue.

HIGHLAND PARK DINER 960 S Clinton Ave, Rochester, NY 14620 highlandparkdinerny.com | (585) 461-5040

1940s-era boxcar diner experience.

All day breakfast, diner grub, Mediterranean, plus outdoor seating on Park Ave.

© Mad Hatter

ABBOTT’S FROZEN CUSTARD

658 Park Ave, Rochester, NY 14607 jinesrestaurant.com | (585) 461-1280

MAD HATTER 176 S Goodman St, Rochester, NY 14607

madhatterrestaurantandbakery.com (585) 545-4985 Delicious and delightful breakfast, lunch, and baked goods.

NICK TAHOU’S HOTS 320 W Main St, Rochester, NY 14608 garbageplate.com | (585) 436-0184 Eatery celebrated for its “Garbage Plate,” a mash-up of meats, fries, salads & sauces.

PITTSFORD FARMS DAIRY & BAKERY 733 Park Ave, Rochester, NY 14607 pittsfordfarmsdairy.com | (585) 586-6610 Ice cream and baked goods made from scratch from local farm ingredients.

RED FERN 283 Oxford St, Rochester, NY 14607 redfernrochester.com | (585) 563-7633 Vegan comfort food in bright, casual surrounds.

WEGMANS

ROCHESTER PUBLIC MARKET 280 Union St N, Rochester, NY 14609 cityofrochester.gov/publicmarket (585) 428-6907 An array of independent local businesses–farm and food stands, coffee shops, florists, restaurants, and more.

© Spot Coffee

© Brian Boucheron

Multiple Rochester Locations wegmans.com | (585) 244-7950

SPOT COFFEE 200 East Ave, Rochester, NY 14607 spotcoffee.com | (585) 613-4600 Hip local cafe chain serving coffee drinks, breakfast, sandwiches, salads, and pizza.

Wegmans, headquartered in Rochester since 1916, consistently ranks among the top 10 of Fortune’s “Top 100 Companies to Work For.” A grand-scale shopping experience, Wegmans offers local produce, flower shops, organics, pharmacies, and on-site dining. Stores attract both out-of-town visitors and ferocious Rochester loyalty. Fans regularly write “love letters” to the store to ask for one to open in a region not presently served.

AUDITORIUM THEATER

GEVA THEATRE

ROCHESTER AMERICANS

885 East Main St, Rochester, NY 14605 rbtl.org | (585)222-5000

75 Woodbury Blvd, Rochester, NY 14607 gevatheatre.org | (585) 232-4382

1 War Memorial Sq, Rochester, NY 14614 amerks.com | (585) 454-5335

Managed by the Rochester Broadway Theatre League (RBTL) and is home to a full season of touring Broadway shows.

Professional shows & public programs staged in a renovated 19th-century arsenal with a bar & cafe.

Minor-league hockey team affiliated with the NHL’s Buffalo Sabres.

BUG JAR

LITTLE THEATRE

219 Monroe Ave, Rochester, NY 14607 bugjar.com | (585) 454-2966

240 East Ave, Rochester, NY 14604 thelittle.org | (585) 258-0400

Indie bands, local acts & DJs play this quirky music venue.

A mix of indie & foreign films, rotating art displays & music in a 1929 theater with a casual cafe.

ROCHESTER RED WINGS 1 Morrie Silver Way, Rochester, NY 14608 milb.com/rochester | (585) 454-1001 Triple-A baseball team affiliated with the MLB’s Washington Nationals.

© Daniel Penfield

ROCHESTER CONTEMPORARY ARTS CENTER 137 East Ave, Rochester, NY 14604 rochestercontemporary.org (585) 461-2222 The Art Center is a venue for the exchange of ideas and a not-for-profit 501 that was founded in 1977.

ARTISAN WORKS 565 Blossom Rd, Rochester, NY 14610 artisanworks.net | (585) 288-7170 Renovated factory building housing many multidisciplinary art pieces.

GEORGE EASTMAN MUSEUM 900 East Ave, Rochester, NY 14607 eastman.org | (585) 327-4800 The world’s oldest museum dedicated to photography and one of the world’s oldest film archives. It is located on the estate of entrepreneur and philanthropist George Eastman, the founder of Eastman Kodak Company. The museum is home to more than 400,000 photographs and negatives, and 28,000 motion picture films.

MEMORIAL ART GALLERY 500 University Ave Rochester, NY 14607 mag.rochester.edu | (585) 276-8900 The Memorial Art Gallery connects people with art in a welcoming and stimulating environment through its permanent collection, temporary exhibitions, and public programs.

ROCHESTER MUSEUM & SCIENCE CENTER 657 East Ave, Rochester, NY 14607 rmsc.org | (585) 271-4320 A museum dedicated to education in science, technology, and local history.

STRONG NATIONAL MUSEUM OF PLAY 1 Manhattan Square Dr Rochester, NY 14607 museumofplay.org | (585) 263-2700 Highly interactive, collections-based museum devoted to the history and exploration of play.

SUSAN B. ANTHONY MUSEUM & HOUSE 19 Madison St, Rochester, NY 14608 susanbanthonyhouse.org | (585) 235-6124 The home of Susan B. Anthony for forty years, while she was a national figure in the women’s rights movement.

COBB’S HILL PARK

HIGHLAND PARK

80 Culver Rd, Rochester, NY 14610 cityofrochester.gov/cobbshill (585) 428-6755

450 Highland Ave, Rochester, NY 14620 cityofrochester.gov/highlandpark (585) 256-4950

Public 109-acre park with a reservoir, sports fields & a hilltop trail that affords city views.

Best known as the home of Rochester’s Lilac Festival, the park has a history as colorful as its 500 varieties of flowering shrubs. Visitors will also find The Lamberton Conservatory, which houses exhibits that change up to five times a year and feature seasonal floral displays that might not otherwise survive Rochester’s temperate climate.

Other points of interest are, the historic Warner Castle, John Dunbar Memorial Pavilion (Highland Park Bowl) and the Arches Pavilion.

GENESEE VALLEY PARK 1000 E River Rd, Rochester, NY 14623 cityofrochester.gov/geneseevalleypark (585) 753-7275 Located along the shores of the Genesee River. Amenities include an 18-hole golf course, indoor ice arena, and outdoor olympic-sized swimming pool.

Lamberton Conservatory

© Matt DeTurck

MENDON PONDS PARK 95 Douglas Rd, Honeoye Falls, NY 14472 monroecounty.gov/parks-mendonponds.php (585) 753-7275 The largest Monroe County Park with 2,500 acres of woodlands, ponds, wetlands, and glacially created landforms.

It was designated a National Natural Landmark in 1967 in recognition of its unique glacial geology.

MT. HOPE CEMETERY 1133 Mt Hope Ave, Rochester, NY 14620 cityofrochester.gov/mounthope (585) 428-7999 One of the most remarkable Victorian cemeteries in America, Mt. Hope is 196 acres of hills and picturesque valleys.

Also the final resting place of Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglass.

SUNKEN GARDEN AT WARNER CASTLE

ONTARIO BEACH PARK

5 Castle Park, Rochester, NY 14620 monroecounty.gov/parks-highland.php (585) 753-7275

4800 Lake Ave, Rochester, NY 14613 cityofrochester.gov/ontariobeachpark (585) 753-7275

An 1854 residence modeled after a Scottish castle, along with a sunken garden.

Popular beachside park known for its century-old carousel, swimming, boating & rentable shelters.

TURNING POINT PARK

SEABREEZE AMUSEMENT PARK 4600 Culver Rd, Rochester, NY 14622 seabreeze.com | (585) 323-1900

260 Boxart St, Rochester, NY 14612 cityofrochester.gov/turningpoint (585) 428-6770

Seabreeze, is a historic amusement park in Irondequoit, a suburb of Rochester. It is one of only thirteen trolley parks still operating in the United States.

275 acres of hiking and biking trails along the banks of the Genesee River. Also features a Rain Garden, an eco-friendly way to use natural vegetation as sediment filters.

Highland Park

© John Schlia

CLOTHESLINE FESTIVAL 500 University Ave, Rochester, NY 14607 mag.rochester.edu/events/clothesline-festival (585) 428-6770 Rochester’s largest celebration of artists and makers. Clothesline showcases original work by 400+ artists from across the country, and regularly attracts people from Rochester and the surrounding regions.

CORN HILL ARTS FESTIVAL 133 South Fitzhugh Street Rochester, NY 14607 cornhillartsfestival.com | (585) 262-3142 The Festival features over 350 artists with a variety of unique handcrafted creations

across nine historic streets. Visitors can enjoy four music stages with free performances, food trucks, beer and wine gardens, and a family-fun area.

LILAC FESTIVAL 450 Highland Ave, Rochester, NY 14620 rochesterevents.com/lilac-festival (585) 256-4950 The largest free festival of its kind in North America, spring in Upstate NY is welcomed with ten incredible days and nights of non-stop festivities. Peek around every corner and you’ll discover magnificent gardens, musical gems, exciting exhibits, and exhilarating special events.

ROCHESTER INTERNATIONAL JAZZ FESTIVAL Downtown Rochester, NY 14620 rochesterjazz.com | (585) 454-2060 As one of the nation’s top international music festivals, RIJF brings together unique musical sounds from many countries, highlighting international artists’ take on the only true American art form – jazz.

LOCAL VENDORS THE LUCKY FLEA MARKET

20 Carlson Rd, Rochester, NY 14610 theluckyflea.com A large open-air flea market that hosts over 100 vendors in Rochester’s Neighborhood of the Arts. The Flea is a space for local creatives, collectors, and vintage curators to gather and sell while connecting with their local customers

© Keith Bullis

The market operates every Sunday from 11:00 am - 3:00 pm.

ROCHESTER FRINGE FESTIVAL Gibbs and Main St, Rochester, NY 14620 rochesterfringe.com | (585) 957-9837 A 12-day, multi-disciplinary visual and performing arts festival featuring international, national, and local artists.

It showcases theater, comedy, visual arts, music, dance, spoken word, opera, poetry, and literature.

ROCHESTER PRIDE FESTIVAL 80 Culver Rd, Rochester, NY 14610 facebook.com/rocpride | (585) 244-8640 Celebrating the Rochester LGBTQ+ and Allied community, Roc Pride Fest offers educational experiences, food trucks, vendors, and concerts throughout the two-day festival.

© Erich Camping

DINING 1

ABBOTT’S FROZEN CUSTARD

ENTERTAINMENT 1

AUDITORIUM THEATER

Multiple Rocheter Locations

885 E Main St, Rochester, NY 14605

2 ABUNDANCE CO-OP

2 BUG JAR

571 South Ave, Rochester, NY 14620

219 Monroe Ave, Rochester, NY 14607

3 BOULDER CAFÉ & LOUNGE

3 GEVA THEATRE

100 Alexander St, Rochester, NY 14620

75 Woodbury Blvd, Rochester, NY 14607

4 DINOSAUR BBQ

4 LITTLE THEATRE

99 Court St, Rochester, NY 14604 5 FUROSHIKI

682 Park Ave, Rochester, NY 14607 6 HIGHLAND PARK DINER

960 S Clinton Ave, Rochester, NY 14620 7 JAY’S DINER

2612 W Henrietta Rd, Rochester, NY 14623 8 JAVA’S CAFÉ

240 East Ave, Rochester, NY 14604 5 ROCHESTER AMERICANS (HOCKEY)

1 War Memorial Sq, Rochester, NY 14614 6 ROCHESTER RED WINGS (BASEBALL)

1 Morrie Silver Way, Rochester, NY 14608

MUSEUMS & GALLERIES 1

ARTISAN WORKS

16 Gibbs St, Rochester, NY 14604

565 Blossom Rd, Rochester, NY 14610

9 JINE’S RESTAURANT 658 Park Ave, Rochester, NY 14607

2

10 MAD HATTER

176 S Goodman St, Rochester, NY 14607 11 NICK TAHOU’S HOTS

320 W Main St, Rochester, NY 14608 12 PITTSFORD FARMS DAIRY & BAKERY

733 Park Ave, Rochester, NY 14607 13 RED FERN

283 Oxford St, Rochester, NY 14607 14 ROCHESTER PUBLIC MARKET

280 Union St N, Rochester, NY 14609 15 SPOT COFFEE

GEORGE EASTMAN MUSEUM

900 East Ave, Rochester, NY 14607 3

MEMORIAL ART GALLERY

500 University Ave, Rochester, NY 14607 4

ROCHESTER MUSEUM & SCIENCE CENTER

657 East Ave, Rochester, NY 1460 5 ROCHESTER CONTEMPORARY ARTS CENTER

137 East Ave, Rochester, NY 14604 6

STRONG NATIONAL MUSEUM OF PLAY

1 Manhattan Square Dr, Rochester, NY 14607 7 SUSAN B. ANTHONY MUSEUM & HOUSE

19 Madison St, Rochester, NY 14608

200 East Ave, Rochester, NY 14607

OUTDOORS

16 WEGMANS

1

Multiple Rochester Locations

COBB’S HILL PARK

80 Culver Rd, Rochester, NY 14610

2 GENESEE VALLEY PARK

1000 E River Rd, Rochester, NY 14623 3 HIGHLAND PARK

450 Highland Ave, Rochester, NY 14620 4 MENDON PONDS PARK

95 Douglas Rd, Honeoye Falls, NY 14472 5 MT. HOPE CEMETERY

1133 Mt Hope Ave, Rochester, NY 14620 6 ONTARIO BEACH PARK

50 Beach Ave, Rochester, NY 14612 7

SEABREEZE AMUSEMENT PARK

4600 Culver Rd, Rochester, NY 14622 8 SUNKEN GARDEN AT WARNER CASTLE

5 Castle Park, Rochester, NY 14620 9 TURNING POINT PARK

260 Boxart St, Rochester, NY 14612

FESTIVALS 1 CLOTHESLINE FESTIVAL 500 University Ave, Rochester, NY 14607

2 CORN HILL ARTS FESTIVAL 133 South Fitzhugh St, Rochester, NY 14607

3 LILAC FESTIVAL 450 Highland Ave, Rochester, NY 14620

4 ROCHESTER INTERNATIONAL JAZZ FESTIVAL Downtown Rochester, NY 14620

5 ROCHESTER FRINGE FESTIVAL Gibbs and Main St, Rochester, NY 1462

6 ROCHESTER PRIDE FESTIVAL 80 Culver Rd, Rochester, NY 14610

LOCAL VENDORS 1

THE LUCKY FLEA MARKET

80 Culver Rd, Rochester, NY 14610

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FOR MORE SUGGESTIONS, CHECK OUT OUR STUDENT ROCEMMENDATIONS CRITTENDEN BLVD.

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admissions.rochester.edu/visit/rocemmendations

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Office of Admissions Wallis Hall, PO Box 270251 | Rochester, NY 14627-0251 admit@admissions.rochester.edu | admissions.rochester.edu | (585) 275-3221