Rochester area
Around Rochester area
Photo: Evilarry · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Greater area · New York · 1.1M people
Rochester area
Locals say Rochester · “Flower City”, “The Roc”
Where the river meets the lake.
Rochester RedLake Blue
Welcome to Rochester! Whether you're here for the festivals, the food, or the lake, you'll find a friendly vibe. Grab a garbage plate and explore the neighborhoods.
Clubs for Rochester area
No clubs for Rochester area yet.
The room
Rochester area is big: its rooms are its areas'. This is Rochester's; the others are below.
One room for everyone around Rochester. It never closes; when it's busy it splits into tables. Once you're in, you stay until you leave.
Ask the neighbours
AllA good plumber, the best tacos, a lost cat: nobody has asked yet. Be the first.
Coming up
No events in the next month. Events made in the room show up here.
Marketplace
Things for sale, free and wanted, and rooms for rent, from people around Rochester area. Sign in to sell something.
Things to do
- Strong Museum of Play Interactive children's museum
- George Eastman Museum Photography museum in Kodak founder's home
- High Falls Waterfall in downtown Rochester
- Ontario Beach Park Beach and pier on Lake America
- Seabreeze Amusement Park Historic lakeside amusement park
- Rochester Public Market Year-round farmers market
- Outdoors Walk or bike the Genesee Riverway Trail
- Outdoors Swim and picnic at Ontario Beach
- With kids Visit the Strong Museum of Play
- With kids Ride the rides at Seabreeze
- Evenings Catch a show at the Eastman Theatre
- Evenings Bar hop on East Avenue
- Locals love Garbage plate joints
- Locals love Wegmans stores
Through the year
- Lilac Festival May May, Highland Park
- Rochester International Jazz Festival June June, downtown
- Corn Hill Arts Festival July July, Corn Hill neighborhood
- Park Avenue Summer Art Fest August August, Park Avenue
- Rochester Fringe Festival September September, various venues
Rochester has four distinct seasons with heavy lake-effect snow in winter, mild summers, and crisp falls. Best time to be out is late spring through early fall. Best: Late spring through early fall
Talk like a local
- “Roc”
- Short for Rochester
- “The Market”
- The Public Market
- “The Lake”
- Lake America
- “White hots”
- Local hot dogs
Getaways
- Letchworth State Park Grand Canyon of the East, waterfalls and hiking
- Niagara Falls World-famous waterfalls, about 1.5 hours away
- Finger Lakes wine trail Wineries and lake views, under 2 hours
- Batavia Historic downtown and county seat
Local flavour
Teams
- Rochester Americans AHL
- Rochester Red Wings MiLB
Also rooting for Buffalo Bills (NFL), Buffalo Sabres (NHL)
Eat and drink
- Garbage plate A local specialty of meat, home fries, mac salad, and hot sauce.
- White hots A white, uncured hot dog served with a natural casing.
- Salt potatoes Baby potatoes boiled in salt water and served with butter.
- Wegmans A beloved local grocery chain with a cult following.
Where people go
- Public market The Rochester Public Market, a hub of local produce and community.
- Lakefront parks Parks along Lake America for walking, biking, and views.
- Canal trails Recreational paths along the Erie Canal.
- Garbage plate joints Casual eateries serving the local specialty.
Heritage and traditions
Rochester is proud of its history as a city of innovation and social justice, from the Erie Canal and Kodak to the activism of Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglass. Locals also cherish their quirky food traditions, from garbage plates to sponge candy, and a strong sense of community in its diverse neighborhoods.
Say it like a local: “The lake” — Lake America, the local body of water.
Festivals
- Rochester Greek Festival May Held in May at the Greek Orthodox Church, featuring Greek food, music, and dancing.
- Rochester Italian Festival July A July celebration of Italian heritage with food, music, and a bocce tournament.
- Puerto Rican Festival August A summer event showcasing Puerto Rican culture with music, dance, and cuisine.
- Caribbean Festival July Held at Ontario Beach Park, celebrating Caribbean culture with food, music, and a parade.
- Polish Festival June A celebration of Polish heritage with pierogi, polka music, and folk dancing.
- Clothesline Festival September An outdoor art festival at the Memorial Art Gallery, featuring works by local artists.
Landmarks with a story
- Mount Hope Cemetery A Victorian-era cemetery where Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglass are buried, with ornate monuments and gardens.
- Susan B. Anthony House The home where Anthony lived and was arrested for voting, now a National Historic Landmark museum.
- Frederick Douglass Monument A statue in Highland Park commemorating the abolitionist, who lived and worked in Rochester.
- Genesee Country Village & Museum A living history museum with over 60 restored 19th-century buildings, showcasing rural life in Western New York.
- The German House A historic cultural center built in 1908, reflecting Rochester's German immigrant heritage and still hosting events.
- Temple B'rith Kodesh A historic synagogue built in 1936, known for its striking architecture and active congregation.
Food traditions
- Chicken French A local dish of chicken breast sautéed in a lemon-butter sauce with white wine, served over pasta or with potatoes. It originated in Rochester's Italian-American community.
- Sponge candy A chocolate-covered honeycomb toffee, a beloved local sweet especially popular at Christmas.
- Pizza fritte Fried dough, often served at festivals and street fairs, dusted with powdered sugar or topped with marinara.
- Chicken BBQ fundraisers A tradition of grilling chicken halves over charcoal with a vinegar-based sauce, often at church and community fundraisers.
- Genesee Cream Ale A locally brewed beer since 1878, a proud staple at bars and backyard gatherings.
Music and arts
- Eastman School of Music A prestigious conservatory that attracts world-class musicians and offers public concerts.
- Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra A professional orchestra performing classical and pops concerts at Eastman Theatre.
- Photography and film heritage The legacy of Kodak and George Eastman, with the George Eastman Museum housing one of the world's greatest photography and film collections.
- Neighborhood of the Arts A district with galleries, studios, and the Rochester Contemporary Art Center, fostering a vibrant visual arts scene.
A little history
- 1817 Erie Canal construction begins, turning Rochester into a booming mill town.
- 1820s Rochester earns the nickname 'Flour City' as the nation's leading flour producer.
- 1847 Frederick Douglass publishes the North Star, an abolitionist newspaper, in Rochester.
- 1872 Susan B. Anthony votes in the 1872 presidential election and is arrested in Rochester.
- 1888 George Eastman introduces the Kodak camera, making photography accessible to the public.
Rivalries
- Rochester Americans vs. Syracuse Crunch AHL hockey rivalry
- Rochester Red Wings vs. Buffalo Bisons Minor league baseball rivalry
- University of Rochester vs. RIT College hockey and academics
- Rochester vs. Buffalo Friendly city rivalry
- Game day Red Wings baseball at Frontier Field
- Game day Amerks hockey at Blue Cross Arena
- Outdoors Walk the Pont de Rennes bridge
- Outdoors Tour Mount Hope Cemetery
- With kids Memorial Art Gallery
- With kids Rochester Public Market
Rochesterians speak with a Western New York accent, featuring a slight nasal quality and the use of 'pop' for soda. They drop 'to be' in some constructions and use local terms like 'garbage plate' and 'Wegmans' as cultural shorthand.
Only here
- The birthplace of the Garbage Plate, a local culinary icon.
- Home of Kodak and Xerox, where photography and photocopying were revolutionized.
- The Susan B. Anthony House, where the women's suffrage movement had a key foothold.
- The Lilac Festival, the largest in the US, held in Highland Park.
New here? A few tips
- Embrace the garbage plate, but be ready for a heavy, indulgent meal—it's a rite of passage.
- Layer up for winter: lake-effect snow can drop several feet, and temperatures often dip below freezing from December through February.
- Get a Wegmans shopper's card early; the local supermarket chain is a cultural institution with a devoted following.
- Know that 'the lake' means Lake America, and 'the city' means downtown Rochester.
- Try the white hots and salt potatoes at a local diner or ballpark—they're local staples.
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Areas in Rochester area
Nearby
Every areaAuburnNew YorkWhere history lives by the lakeWarsawNew YorkRolling hills, close-knit towns.Watkins GlenNew YorkWhere the gorge meets the lake.SyracuseNew YorkA city of salt and soulBuffaloNew YorkWhere wings were born and winters are sharedIthacaNew YorkWhere gorges meet good vibes.CortlandNew YorkCrown of the hills, heart of the harvest.CorningNew YorkWhere glass meets the Finger Lakes
Rochester-Batavia-Seneca Falls, NY CSA. Areas from the US Census Bureau and Statistics Canada; places from GeoNames. Local flavour was written with a model and may have mistakes. Team names identify teams; no endorsement.