University of Rochester - Local Atmosphere

College Prowler Take

Considering the enormous amount of college students in the area, there isn’t a specific area where you will find a concentration of college students. The city of Rochester is 5 or 10 minutes away from campus, and 20 by bus, so having a car comes in handy. Eastman School of Music students have the city at their fingertips, and there are some good coffee shops and restaurants there, but for the most part the city is fairly quiet; everything tends to close early. East Avenue and the Gibbs Street area have the coffee shops and theaters, and down Alexander Street are some nicer restaurants and bars. Down in the St. Paul area are some clubs as well.

There are about seven suburbs of Rochester that surround the campus and the city. Henrietta in particular has tons of stores, malls, and restaurants as well, but they tend to be more of the franchised businesses, which is convenient if you need big-box outlets like Wal-Mart, Home Depot, or mall stores. A lot of the suburbs outside the campus are just quiet residential. If you go a few hours in any direction, however, you can find some fun. Niagara Falls is only an hour and half away, and Toronto is a few hours away. Students tend to like going up to the Falls for a night—it’s a fun day or night trip. Being in upstate New York with lots of colleges around also has its advantages. If there are concerts or people you know, you can hop down and visit easily as well.

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Students Speak Out

Anonymous says:

UR is very disconnected from the... UR is very disconnected from the city around it, both physically and socially. It is possible to have a good social life on or off campus though, and there are many other colleges and students to hang out with. The city parks are kind of sketchy after dark, but overall, the city is pretty benign. If you’re not into snow and you don’t deal well with dreary weather, watch out—UR has both its spades. 12345 Local Atmosphere Report

Anonymous says:

There are universities in the... There are universities in the area, but there is very little contact with them. Rochester apparently hibernates during the winter season, which consequently and sadly coincides with the college year. 12345 Local Atmosphere Report

Anonymous says:

Rochester is pretty cool for a... Rochester is pretty cool for a small city. The other universities are all out in the ‘burbs, so we don’t really hang out with them. Definitely check out the East End and Park Avenue areas—that’s where a lot of clubs, restaurants, and shops are. 12345 Local Atmosphere Report

Anonymous says:

Rochester is home to several other... Rochester is home to several other colleges including: Nazareth College, St. John Fisher, Monroe Community College, and RIT. Coming from Albany, I find Rochester to be rather dull and gray. I would definitely stay away from unlit parking lots and dark paths. 12345 Local Atmosphere Report

Anonymous says:

The city of Rochester seems fairly... The city of Rochester seems fairly conducive to fun for college students. There is also RIT, St. John Fisher College, and Nazareth in the city. SUNY Brockport and SUNY Geneseo are very close by. We have the best academic reputation in the city, so we are perceived to be the best. 12345 Local Atmosphere Report

Facts

Did You Know?

5 Fun Facts about Rochester:
• Twelve days after the famous Seneca Falls women’s suffrage convention, the group came to Rochester where Susan B. Anthony became the movement’s voice. Rochester is thus known as the birthplace of the women’s rights movement.
• In 1998, Rochester was one of only 10 communities nationwide to receive the All-America City Award in recognition of its status as a great place to live.
• Rochester is known as the “Flower City,” and its symbol is the lilac flower, which is abundant in Rochester, along with a water wheel, representing continual progress and vitality.
• More than 40 percent of the workforce in Rochester is made up of people in technical, scientific, professional, or precision occupations.
• There are 3,112 parks, malls, and green areas in Rochester and 537 miles of streets.

Famous People from Rochester:
Taye Diggs, John Lithgow

Local Slang:
315er – Person from outlying, rural areas of upstate NY named for their telephone area code; somewhat derogatory.

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