We are touring RIT with D24 later this week, and will have one evening to explore Rochester. We have a dinner reservation already, but would love suggestions for the best area to just walk around to get a sense for the feel of the city. We won’t have much time, and not really interested in actively doing anything - just looking to expose D to the vibe. Suggestions?
That’s a tough one. There is not one particular area I would recommend to get the vibe. If you were asking about mornings I would recommend walking around the Rochester Public Market, but that is only open a few mornings a week. There are museums people recommend but those would take some time. Maybe a short drive to Pittsford, a Rochester suburb, to walk along the canal and grab ice cream at Pittsford Farm. My son graduated from RIT last year and had a great time and found plenty to do.
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Pittsford is a great suggestion and also Park Ave area of the city. Lots of cute restaurants, ice cream, some shopping there. RIT area (Henrietta) has lots to explore too. UR a short drive away (10 min) and they have College Town. Are reservations near RIT or in city?
in the city - hoping this is a good choice? https://www.lentorestaurant.com/
If the weather is bad (or good), the Strong Museum is incredible. It’s not a children’s museum. It’s a world class museum of childhood. Not to be missed when visiting Rochester. https://www.museumofplay.org/
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Don’t miss the Mount Hope cemetery. It’s a Frederick Law Olmstead-designed cemetery that is the site of the graves of Frederick Douglass, Susan B. Anthony, and other 19th-century luminaries (because Rochester was an epicenter of the abolitionist and women’s suffrage movements – so many participants were buried there). It’s a beautiful park (in the tradition of Victorian-era cemeteries), and you can walk the trails to see some lovely scenery. Worth the stop.
And this cemetery reflects one of the lovely things I remember about Rochester – the city has a lot of green space, and lots of parks with trail systems. It’s really very pretty.
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I second the canal area in Pittsford.
You could map out Bill Grey’s Seabreeze - get a cheeseburger or more Rochester-specific, a “plate” (a copy of Nick Tahoe’s garbage plate), and walk a bit by Lake Ontario.
Rochester summer is very different from Rochester winter in terms of activities, so I’d beware of enjoying outdoor ambience too much.
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I’ve never eaten there! A few favorites in city- Good Luck, Nosh, Vern’s, Roux, Sinbad’s and Dinosaur BBQ is fantastic option as well.
I’ll second @Parent42’s suggestion of getting a garbage plate while in the area. My D went to RIT (she loved it by the way) and she usually went to Henrietta Hots which about 2-3 miles from RIT depending on where you are on the campus.
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When we toured RIT, I added University of Rochester to our tour list. My daughter ended up falling in love with U of R and went Early Decision for Engineering. Check out U of R while you are there. Both fantastic schools with different vibes!!
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Second the Strong Museum. There’s also the George Eastman house and a nice art museum. But for “must see” I’d go to the Susan B Anthony house and make sure to go the little park around the corner with dedications to her and her friend Frederick Douglass (there’s a small museum located in his house also, but a larger one in DC).
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