| July 29, 2005 | | | | to explore the architecture in detail, that would have |
| Hello from Rochester: A Perfect Getaway for | | | | to wait for my second day in town. But needless to |
| Stressed Out Torontonians (and Other Urbanites) | | | | say, I knew I had found a city that had preserved a |
| Two days ago I took the CAT fast ferry from | | | | lot of its architectural heritage that would require |
| Toronto to Rochester and arrived well-rested after a | | | | further exploration. |
| 2.5 hour boat ride in the Port of Rochester, a scenic | | | | We crossed into the city's west end and passed by |
| Rochester suburb called Charlotte. I was greeted by | | | | a famous tavern called Nick Tahou's House, which is |
| Patti and Carrie from the Rochester Visitors | | | | the home of the "garbage plate": a plate full of |
| Association who had helped me with my itinerary and | | | | hamburgers, fries, and a variety of other |
| were kind enough to show me around. | | | | heart-attack inducing delicacies. This route took us |
| It had been raining all day and Port Charlotte greeted | | | | past a beautiful modern townhouse development |
| me with grey skies and deep-hanging clouds. But the | | | | that, surprisingly enough, holds recently built |
| first thing I noticed as we drove towards downtown | | | | subsidized housing. We then made our way towards |
| Rochester was the amount of green spaces and | | | | Susan B. Anthony's house. Anthony was a daring |
| parks. We drove through a number of nicely | | | | social activist who insisted on voting rights for |
| manicured neighbourhoods and Patti showed me | | | | women and was arrested in 1872 for voting in the |
| some of the amazing parks systems that Rochester | | | | presidential election, challenging the law. Her house |
| has to offer. We drove through Genesee Valley | | | | was a congregation for many of her activist friends, |
| Park, designed by famous landscape architect | | | | including the famous suffragettes Elizabeth Cady |
| Frederick Law Olmstead who also designed Central | | | | Stanton and Lucretia Mott. Rochester's history |
| Park in New York City. | | | | includes another famous activist, the abolitionist |
| We then headed to Highland Park where each May | | | | Frederick Douglass, and both Susan B. Anthony and |
| the City holds the annual Lilac Festival, when more | | | | Federick Douglass are featured in sculptures in a little |
| than 1,200 lilac bushes of different varieties and | | | | park just down the road from the Susan B. Anthony |
| colours burst into bloom. Driving through beautiful | | | | House. |
| neighbourhoods with large villas and expansive front | | | | We then took in the Corn Hill neighbourhood, an area |
| lawns we made our way to Cobbs Hill Park which is | | | | with tidy historic homes that hosts the Corn Hill Arts |
| located on a hill and holds a water reservoir with a | | | | Festival every July. The next stop on our itinerary |
| fountain. The unique thing about Cobbs Hill Park is | | | | was the Strong Museum, ranked one of the top 10 |
| that there is one spot in this elevated green zone | | | | children's museums in the United States. It holds the |
| from where you can perfectly see the skyline of | | | | National Toy Hall of Fame and many world renowned |
| Rochester away in the distance, past the lush green | | | | collections of toys, miniatures, dollhouses as well as |
| neighbourhoods that stretch in front of downtown. | | | | the world's most comprehensive collection of dolls. |
| After exploring some of the expansive parks of | | | | The entrance area features an authentic 1950s diner |
| Rochester as well as the beautiful Victorian-era Mt. | | | | still in operation and an antique carousel. |
| Hope Cemetery, we slowly made our way | | | | Crossing the city again into the east end, past tree |
| downtown on East Avenue, a historic street with | | | | lined avenues with attractive homes, we headed |
| extensive mansions. One of Rochester's famous | | | | outside of town to a quaint Rochester suburb called |
| home-grown entrepreneurs is George Eastman, the | | | | Fairport, located on the Erie Canal. On the way we |
| founder of the Eastman-Kodak Corporation, which to | | | | passed through the wealthy suburb of Pittsford, |
| this day has its headquarters in Rochester. Eastman | | | | which is the location of the Oak Hill Country Club |
| was a great benefactor to the city and donated the | | | | where the 2003 PGA Championships were held. On |
| greatest part of his wealth, estimated at $2 billion in | | | | our way to Fairport we drove past St. John Fisher |
| today's dollars, to different medical, cultural and | | | | College which is the location of the Buffalo Bill's |
| educational institutions throughout the city. We briefly | | | | training camp. Fairport itself is a gorgeous little village |
| stopped at his home, the Eastman House, an elegant | | | | with beautiful storefronts, a river walk and public |
| 50-room Colonial Revival Mansion surrounded by | | | | docking facilities. We caught a glimpse of the Colonial |
| formal gardens. | | | | Belle, a 2-deck sight-seeing boat that cruises the Erie |
| Following the Eastman House, which also contains the | | | | Canal. |
| International Museum of Photography and Film, we | | | | From Fairport we went back to Pittsford, whose |
| crossed over to University Avenue to the | | | | quaint historical center is also located right on the Erie |
| Neighbourhood of the Arts, or also referred to as | | | | Canal. Pittsford has a number of retail stores and |
| Artwalk. This is a stretch of road down University | | | | restaurants that are built around an old lumber mill |
| Avenue which houses studios, galleries, art and | | | | and it is the home of the Sam Patch, an excursion |
| antique retailers in a neighbourhood of post-war | | | | and charter boat that is a replica of an old canal |
| apartment buildings, multi-family Victorian mansions | | | | packet boat. Both Fairport and Pittsford reminded me |
| and charming cottages. | | | | of Niagara-on-the-Lake with beautifully restored |
| The award winning Artwalk features sidewalk | | | | architecture, colourful overflowing flower baskets, |
| imprints, artistic benches, tiled light poles, sculptures | | | | and a variety of shopping and dining opportunities. |
| and bus shelters all the way from the George | | | | Well, after this comprehensive sightseeing program it |
| Eastman House towards the stunning neogothic | | | | was time to go for dinner. We headed up towards |
| building of the Memorial Art Gallery. Every September | | | | the Lake Ontario shoreline and into beautiful |
| this neighbourhood hosts the Clothesline Art Show. | | | | Irondequoit Bay. The name for this large bay of |
| After Artwalk we headed down Main Street into the | | | | water is from the Iroquois Nation and means "where |
| downtown area. I got a look at the Eastman | | | | the two waters meet." The Native Americans once |
| Theatre, home of the Eastman School of Music, one | | | | used this bay and the incoming Irondequoit Creek for |
| of the top music schools in the country. The Eastman | | | | canoe travel to avoid the high falls on the Genesee |
| Theatre itself is an interesting building, curved and | | | | River. At the southern end of the bay is a large |
| classically styled, it is literally cut off on one side since | | | | attractively styled new restaurant called Bazil's which |
| a neighbour of George Eastman demanded an | | | | features casual Italian cuisine. |
| exorbitant price for his property, and rather than | | | | Although the restaurant is fairly new, the place was |
| giving in to these demands, Eastman simply decided | | | | absolutely packed, and the first thing we noticed was |
| to stop the building at the property line. | | | | the chandelier in the front entrance hall which is made |
| Our next stop was the Browns Race and High Falls | | | | completely of wine bottles. We waited for about 15 |
| Area: one of the city's newest entertainment | | | | minutes and then had a great dinner in the bay-side |
| districts. Rochester was once known as the Flour | | | | dining room area. I enjoyed the dinner which was |
| City for all the wheat grinding that occurred along its | | | | capped off by the largest and most delicious funnel |
| River. Today, the Brown's Race area is a national | | | | cake I have ever seen. |
| register historic district. The area sits above the | | | | After this long day of sightseeing Patti and Carrie |
| Genesee River, right next to the thundering High Falls. | | | | dropped me off at the Holiday Inn Express where I |
| The Pont de Rennes bridge is a pedestrian bridge, | | | | had well-deserved night's rest since another round of |
| connecting the east and west side of the city, and is | | | | sightseeing would await me in just a few hours. My |
| named after Rochester's sister city in France. | | | | first day in Rochester had left me with a number of |
| Many of the former industrial buildings have been | | | | impressions: |
| renovated and are now occupied by ad agencies, | | | | - the large expanses of green spaces within the city |
| tech companies and engineering firms. The streets in | | | | - meticulously manicured neighbourhoods with |
| the district have cobble-stoned pavement and | | | | attractive well-kept homes |
| feature historically styled street lighting. There are a | | | | - several vibrant entertainment districts, including the |
| number of entertainment places in the area, including | | | | historic High Falls area |
| the Triphammer Grill, which has a patio area | | | | - one of my favourite spots: the outdoor art |
| overlooking the falls. Beside this restaurant is an old | | | | experience of ArtWalk |
| water wheel, testimony to this area's milling history. | | | | - the historic buildings of the downtown core |
| It's a very atmospheric place and an example of a | | | | - and the beautiful bayside dining at Bazil's. |
| successful conversion of an old industrial area into a | | | | I admit I didn't know much about Rochester before I |
| modern entertainment district. | | | | got there, but the scenic quality of its suburban and |
| The Kodak headquarters are not far away from the | | | | downtown neighbourhoods definitely struck me. |
| High Falls area, and our tour continued past a number | | | | Combined with convenient access to water sports on |
| of the downtown streets. As a true architecture | | | | the Erie Canal and Lake Ontario as well as to a huge |
| buff, I marveled at how many of Rochester's historic | | | | variety of sports activities including golf, hiking, biking |
| buildings have been preserved. There are entire | | | | and skiing ust minutes from the downtown core, I |
| blocks that have an intact 19th century street front, | | | | realized why Rochester's slogan is "Made for Living". |
| some with cast iron architecture. There was no time | | | | |