Rochester Is Western New Yorks Hidden Treasure

Posted 12/04/09

A highly respected theater community, philharmonic orchestra, museum of photography and film, and home to several professional sports teams and institutions of higher learning. Are we talking about a major northeastern or midwestern city. Nope.If you have never heard of or visited Rochester, you are in for a surprise.

Located on the south shore of Lake Ontario at the mouth of the Genesee River, Rochester, New York is home to approximately 200,000 people within its city limits. The entire metropolitan area has a population of around 1,000,000 people. Chartered as a city in 1834, Rochester is the seat of Monroe County, New York and home to Fortune 1000 companies Eastman Kodak Company, Constellation Brands, and Paychex. Aptly nicknamed The Worlds Image Centre, Rochester is also home to optical and imaging research centers at the University of Rochester and the Rochester Institute of Technology. In addition, Rochester is the birthplace of the Wegmans Food Markets chain, which has grown from a small mom and pop grocery store into a network of stores reaching across the northeastern United States and into northern Virginia.

But Rochester, New York is not all about business. The city hosts several festivals throughout the year, including the Lilac Festival, the Rochester International Jazz Festival, the East End Festival, the Corn Hill Festival, the Park Avenue Festival, the Clothesline Arts Show, and the Rochester High Falls International Film Festival. There is even a Cold Rush Winter Celebration that highlights winter sports. Rochester nightspots can be found in the East End District, the Monroe Avenue and Park Avenue districts, Upper Monroe Avenue, and the St. Paul Quarter.

Cultural institutions abound. If cultural pursuits are more your style, there are the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra and the Geva Theatre Center, the Rochester Museum and Science Center, the Memorial Art Gallery, and the Strong National Museum of Play.

If sports is more your thing, you will not be disappointed. Rochester boasts several local professional sports teams, such as the Rochester Red Wings baseball team, the Rochester Americans ice hockey team, Rochester Rhinos soccer team, Rochester Knighthawks indoor lacrosse team, the Rochester Razorsharks basketball team, and the Rochester Raiders indoor football team. For golf enthusiasts, there are the annual Wegmans LPGA Tournament and recent stops by the PGA Championship, US Open, and the Ryder Cup. Numerous parks and public greenways also provide plenty of opportunities to hike and bike or photograph the abundant wildlife of the area.

There is something for everyone in Rochester, New York.

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