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Rochester, New York … something for everyoneThe city of Rochester is located in Upstate New York, on the shores of Lake Ontario. The city itself is a pleasant blend of traditional and contemporary styles, including a large number of historic commercial buildings and residences. There is a strong, ongoing program of neighborhood restoration. Attractive residential suburbs surround the city on the east, west and south; Lake Ontario is to the north. Rolling farmland and orchard country outline the suburbs. Rochester offers a world of discovery, excitement and fun—from sophisticated theatre, music and art to fascinating museums, unique historic sites and attractions for children and families…. Art, Music & DanceMemorial Art Gallery (of the University of Rochester) The MAG has a permanent collection of over 40,000 works representing important periods of art and offers the public many creative workshops in the arts and crafts. From the relics of antiquity to works in the vanguard of 20th-century art, the Gallery offers a panorama of human creativity. Among its treasures are works by Monet, Cezanne, Matisse, Homes and Cassatt. The Gallery also features a gourmet restaurant, museum store and indoor sculpture garden. The Eastman School of Music & the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra The presence of the Eastman School of Music, the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra and the private Hochstein Music School has nurtured a proliferation of other performing organizations. In addition, the beautiful Eastman Theatre regularly plays host to many distinguished performers. Garth Fagan Dance The internationally acclaimed 13-member modern dance company is 30+ years old and performs to sellout crowds. Founder and artistic director, Garth Fagan, won a 1998 Tony Award for the Broadway choreography of Disney’s The Lion King. MuseumsRochester Museum & Science Center The RMSC is a major attraction that includes interactive hands-on exhibits on science and technology as well as the Strasenburgh Planetarium. George Eastman House 
A variety of exhibitions on photography, film, and George Eastman, and a hands-on learning center for children. Evening program at the Dryden Theatre highlights the Museum’s motion picture collection. Genesee Country Village & Museum This museum is a restored early American settlement featuring 50+ buildings, ranging from small log cabins to Victorian mansions; continual live presentations depict everyday activities, arts and crafts from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Strong Museum The museum boasts a treasure-trove of world-renowned collections of toys, miniatures, dollhouses, home furnishings and the world’s most comprehensive collection of dolls. Center at High Falls Located in the Brown’s Race Historic District. Interactive 3-D exhibits: roomsize "supermap," taxi tour and model flourmill. There is also a showcase of the City’s gallery of local artists. Changing exhibits celebrate Rochester’s creative spirit year round. Stroll through the neighborhood, once the center of America’s flour milling industry, to explore real Rochester history. Walk three stories beneath the street through the old Triphammer Forge, powerhouse of early business. There is a stunning view from the pedestrian bridge of High Falls, "a hundred feet of rolling thunder." This area is the home of the laser, light & fireworks spectacular TheaterMovie theaters are scattered throughout the area and in addition to the standard first-run shows, an enticing array of foreign, art, and old films is presented at the University, and at several private theaters. An IMAX theatre was recently added to the City’s theater offerings. The Geva Theatre is a local professional repertory company that presents stage presentations of the highest caliber. The Dryden Theatre is located at the George Eastman House and offers a series of film classics rivaled only by a similar collection in Paris. FestivalsSome popular area festivals include:
Parks, Gardens & WineriesThe nearby Finger Lakes Region is especially well-known for its beautiful rolling hills and valleys, a perfect setting and climate for grapes and wineries which include Casa Larga, Arbor Hill, Heron Hill, Bully Hill, Hermann J. Wiemer, Glenora, & Fox Run Vineyards. South of Rochester there are numerous parks including Letchworth Park often called the "Grand Canyon of the East," known for its magnificent waterfalls and its 600 foot gorge. Monroe County parks include Highland Park, Genesee Valley, Mendon Ponds, Ontario Beach, and Powder Mills. Parks in Rochester include Cobbs Hill, Maplewood, & Browns Square Park. Some State parks include Hamlin Beach and Braddock Bay. Sonnenberg Gardens near Canandaigua Lake is a 50-acre Victorian garden estate which features nine formal gardens, a mansion with restored period rooms, arboretum, and greenhouse complex. Also, within a few hours’ drive, there are scenic gorges and parks such as Watkins Glen in Ithaca, and Niagara Glen. The Seneca Park Zoo features underwater viewing of polar bears, sea lions and penguins at the Rocky Coasts exhibit with hundreds of other animals including African elephants, Bornean orangutans, wolves, and tigers. 
Nearby natural wonders that are a "Must-see"
WaterwaysRochester’s magnificent array of waterways is among its top attractions for visitors. From the charm and history of the Erie Canal to the power of the Genesee River and its waterfalls…from impressive Lake Ontario to hundreds of smaller lakes, streams, creeks and ponds throughout this area….Greater Rochester offers watery treasures everywhere. The Seaway Trail is the longest scenic byway in the United States that encompasses some of the most striking views in New York State along the 454-mile ribbon of road that flows along the Niagara River, Lake Erie, Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River. Outdoor ActivitiesThe varied climate in the area provides opportunities for a variety of sports and outdoor activities. Lake Ontario and the nearby Finger Lakes and surrounding areas offer warm weather activities such as biking, roller-blading, camping and hiking. Other popular warm weather activities include golfing, tennis, sightseeing, horseback riding, or just relaxing amidst the delightful scenery. Many delight in water activities on nearby waterways such as sailing, fishing, water-skiing, windsurfing, canoeing, kayaking, and swimming. Opportunities for winter sports include downhill and cross-country skiing at numerous nearby ski centers. Sports
Rochester is home to an International League baseball team, the Rochester Red Wings and an American League hockey team, the Rochester Americans (the "Amerks."). Professional soccer and lacrosse teams are the most recent additions to the Rochester sports scene. Rochester is also a permanent stop on the Ladies’ Professional Golfing Association tour each summer, and our superb golf courses periodically host other major tournaments such as the Ryder Cup and U.S. Open. The NFL Buffalo Bills and NHL Buffalo Sabres are readily accessible 70 miles west of Rochester, as are Big East Conference basketball and top-ranked national collegiate football and lacrosse at Syracuse University, 90 miles to the East. University sports, including football, baseball, and basketball, are within easy walking distance of the Medical Center Restaurants & Night-lifeDining experiences in Rochester offer a variety of ethnic choices including Chinese, Greek, Indian, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Kosher-style, Mediterannean, Mexican, & Thai. Other restaurants include categories of Fine Dining & Historic Landmark Dining, American, Barbeque, Bistro, Casual & Family style, and Vegetarian. Rochester’s downtown area boasts three distinctive entertainment areas:
In addition to the above listed entertainment locations, there are many entertainment options in Rochester including music clubs, dance clubs, pubs/breweries, acoustic music, coffeehouses, and comedy clubs. The Rochester War Memorial Arena plays host to local sports teams, as well as rock concerts, circuses, children’s shows and ice skating shows. Amusement Parks
Shopping
Picturesque Park Avenue has a European flavor in warm-weather months when café tables spill onto the sidewalks and immediately fill with people! Nestled along this tree-lined street of charming old houses are a variety of boutiques and specialty shops, hair salons, service businesses, restaurants, a park and the grounds of the Rochester Museum and Science Center. In addition to many unique shopping areas, there are numerous major malls in the suburbs with a variety of department stores. Child CareKinderCare operates the University’s on-site day care center. As a national leader in managing employer-sponsored childcare centers, quality and curriculum are the cornerstones of KinderCare’s success in preschool education and childcare service. Their curriculum is based on a philosophy of Whole Child Development, centered on the belief that children learn through play and that every child is unique and develops in four distinct areas: social, physical, intellectual and emotional. You may visit KinderCare’s web site at www.kindercare.com. In addition, there are many preschool and childcare options available in the City and surrounding areas. EmploymentSome of the City's largest employers include the University of Rochester, Eastman Kodak Company, Xerox Corporation, Bausch & Lomb, and Wegmans Food Markets. More job opportunities are arising in start up and smaller companies that populate the Rochester area due to the high level of educational background and experience present as medical and technology spin offs develop from the University of Rochester and RIT using expertise available as the larger companies such as Kodak and Xerox downsize. Colleges & UniversitiesIn addition to the University of Rochester, the city is home to several other institutions of higher education including: Rochester Institute of Technology, SUNY Brockport, SUNY Geneseo, St. John Fisher College, Nazareth College, Robert’s Wesleyan College, SUNY Empire State College. SeasonsSpring in Rochester is one of the most beautiful in the nation. Springtime in Rochester is ceremoniously ushered in with the annual Lilac Festival, celebrating the blooming of the area’s famed lilacs in Highland Park. Summer features sunny skies and pleasant temperatures. The waters of Lake Ontario provide cool breezes, keeping our area cooler and less cloudy than other areas of the country giving Rochester one of the sunniest summers in the nation. Temperatures average in the seventies in early summer and eighties by mid-summer. The combination of pleasant temperatures and sunshine allows residents to take advantage of the great outdoors as well as a proliferation of weekend festivals catering to many different interests. Fall brings a different kind of beauty to the Rochester area. The weather remains temperate throughout the fall months. Conditions can vary from sunny skies with temperatures in the upper seventies, to crisp temperatures and light morning frost. The temperature changes produce a variety of rich colors as area foliage turns to a panorama of yellow, red, gold, green and orange. Fall brings harvest time of all local crops (apples and grapes), and many localities across the area celebrate the harvest with fall festivals. 
Rochester’s close proximity to Lake Ontario temporizes Winter’s chill, but provides plenty of moisture to ensure excellent alpine and Nordic skiing conditions locally. Despite an annual snowfall of over 90 inches, winter weather rarely slows us down, but rather provides a beautiful backdrop to a wonderful time of year. The roads are cleared by 5:30 am so that getting to the hospital is rarely a problem. |
