Rochester, New York

:This is article is about the major United States city. For other communities with the same name see Rochester.

Culture and recreation

Rochester is home to a number of cultural institutions including the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, the George Eastman House International Museum of Photography and Film, the Memorial Art Gallery, the Rochester Museum of Arts and Sciences, the Strong Museum, the Strasenburg Planetarium, and numerous arts organizations. Rochester's Geva Theatre Center is the city's largest professional theatre.

Related Topics:
Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra - George Eastman House International Museum of Photography and Film - Strong Museum - Arts organizations

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The city's Victorian era Mt. Hope Cemetery includes the final resting place of several famous Americans, including Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglass (see List of Rochesterians). Rochester is also known for its extensive park system, including the Highland Botanical Park, Cobb's Hill Park, Durand-Eastman Park, Genesee Valley Park, Maplewood Park, Edgerton Park, Seneca Park and Ontario Beach Park.

Related Topics:
Susan B. Anthony - Frederick Douglass - List of Rochesterians - Highland Botanical Park

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The city also has 13 full-time recreation centers, 19 swimming programs, 3 artificial ice rinks, 66 softball/baseball fields, 47 tennis courts, 5 football fields, 7 soccer fields, and 43 outdoor basketball courts. Echoing its famous history as the Flower City, Rochester still has a yearly lilac festival for ten days in May, when nearly 400 named varieties of lilacs bloom, and 100,000 visitors arrive from as far away as Europe and Japan.

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South of Rochester is the scenic Letchworth State Park with its spectacular canyon and waterfalls. Also to the south and southeast is the glacially-formed Finger Lakes Region, with its numerous lakes and summer cottages.

Related Topics:
Letchworth State Park - Finger Lakes

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Rochester has developed a number of festivals that celebrate the many aspects of Rochester life. These include the Rochester International Jazz Festival, now (2005) in its fourth year; the Corn Hill Festival (arts, crafts, and food in this historic Third Ward neighborhood); the High Falls Film Festival (held at the George Eastman House's Dryden Theatre and the Little Theatre downtown); the Image Out/Gay & Lesbian Film Festival (also held at the Little Theatre); the Clothesline Art Festival (artists from the region display their works on the grounds of the Memorial Art Gallery); the Park Avenue Merchants Festival; the Lilac Festival at Highland Park (world famous for its lilac bushes); the Rochester Music Festival; and the Cold Rush Winter Celebration (celebrating the wide variety of winter sports in the Rochester area). There is something for everyone in these festivals.

Related Topics:
Rochester International Jazz Festival - 2005 - Little Theatre

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Also of interest is the local vernacular. Soft drinks are called "pop" (at least among the older generations), while hotdogs are called "red hots" or "white hots". In decreasing usage is the Can of Worms, referring to a dangerous intersection of Interstate 490 and a northbound expressway (NY 590) on the eastern edge of the Rochester city limits, bordering the suburb of Brighton. In the 1980s, a multimillion dollar project created a system of overpasses and ramps that reduced the danger but resulted in the loss of certain exits.

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Media

Rochester has one daily newspaper, the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle. There are two free weekly publications as well: City Newspaper, which is an alternative news weekly; and Rochester Insider, a weekly paper geared towards the under 35 crowd. Other publications include the Rochester Business Journal, covering the local business community, and the monthly Empty Closet, New York's oldest gay and lesbian community newspaper.

Related Topics:
Democrat and Chronicle - Gay

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Rochester has 6 Broadcast television stations:

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Rochester's cable television provider is Time Warner Cable, which also provides a 24-hour local news channel called RNEWS

Related Topics:
Cable television - Time Warner Cable

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Points of interest

• George Eastman House International Museum of Photography and Film
• Genesee Country Village and Museum, about 20 miles away
• Little Theatre, oldest art-house movie theatre in the country
• Seneca Park Zoo, one of the top three family attractions in the area. (SenecaParkZoo.org)
• Strong Museum, toy museum housing the National Toy Hall of Fame

Sports

Rochester has five professional sports teams: the Rochester Red Wings (International League) (AAA) baseball club, Rochester Americans (AHL) hockey club (known commonly as the "Amerks"), and Rochester Raging Rhinos soccer club. All these franchises are minor league level teams. There are also two professional lacrosse teams in Rochester. The Rochester Knighthawks club plays box lacrosse in the National Lacrosse League during the winter/spring seasons. Meanwhile, during the summer, the Rochester Rattlers club plays field lacrosse in the Major League Lacrosse organization. From 1920-1925, Rochester was home of the Rochester Jeffersons, a charter member of the National Football League. Rochester was also the home of what is now the Sacramento Kings, from 1948-1957 having won an NBA Championship in the 1950-51 season. They were called the Rochester Royals while playing there. The city will soon have a new basketball team called the Rochester Razorsharks.

Related Topics:
Rochester Red Wings - International League - Rochester Americans - AHL - Rochester Raging Rhinos - Soccer - Lacrosse - Rochester Knighthawks - Box lacrosse - National Lacrosse League - Rochester Rattlers - Field lacrosse - Major League Lacrosse - Rochester Jeffersons - National Football League - Sacramento Kings - Rochester Razorsharks

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