Rochester, NY

[Catalyst77]

Can anyone tell me anything about the Eastman School of Music in terms of location and living options? They're somewhere separate from the main campus, right? Do people usually live right by it if they're in a music grad program? Is it in a sketchy area?

[MoJingly]

Can anyone tell me anything about the Eastman School of Music in terms of location and living options? They're somewhere separate from the main campus, right? Do people usually live right by it if they're in a music grad program? Is it in a sketchy area?

Most Eastman students live around Eastman. I know a few in the Park Avenue area. Eastman is downtown and the river campus is about a ten minute shuttle ride away. The area is definitely sketchy, but if you use common sense you will be fine. There always seem to be a lot of people out around Eastman, so that can make it a little safer.

[vtstevie]

I wholeheartedly disagree that Eastman School of Music is in a "sketchy" part of town. It is, in fact, right near one of the main sections of downtown where people congregate at night. It's certainly no more dangerous than any other urban area after dark, and certainly safer than parts of, say, Philadelphia at night. Use common sense and you'll be fine, but certainly don't expect Gibbs Street to be an urban warzone.

[vtstevie]

Also, ESM is directly across from Java's, which is my personal favorite coffee shop of all time

[nellecv]

Does anyone with kids want to chime in on what this area's like for families? What neighborhoods have good schools? Are there things for families to do? Anything else parents should know?

[MoJingly]

Does anyone with kids want to chime in on what this area's like for families? What neighborhoods have good schools? Are there things for families to do? Anything else parents should know?

I don't have kids, but I know many who do. If you stay west of the Genesee River it is better for families. Look at Southwedge or Park Ave areas. There are great parks and the areas are safe.

[expatbayern]

Does anyone with kids want to chime in on what this area's like for families? What neighborhoods have good schools? Are there things for families to do? Anything else parents should know?

Everyone I know (faculty and students) with school-aged kids lives outside the city in the southeast suburbs (Brighton, Pittsford, etc.), precisely because the quality of these school districts far outpaces City of Rochester (I'm going to be done with PhD and out of Rochester before my child is in school, so I live in the city). These (or Henrietta, the first suburb to the south) are all only a ten minute drive from the University (or from downtown, Park Ave, etc.).

Rochester has a world-class children's museum, lots of great parks, good music, cultural festivals, many good day-trips for sight-seeing and outdoor activities, etc. I personally think it's a great place to raise kids.

[Tybalt]

Hi folks,

Quick question-- I'm in the process of deciding between renting an apartment or buying a condo (it will depend on my mortgage approval). From my initial research, buying seems to really be the most cost-effective thing to do.

My question is this: I came across a condo-building that seems to be ideal. The prices are reasonable, the HOA fees are within my budget, and the condos seem spacious and full of character (the building was converted into condos--it used to be a 1920's high school).

I'm curious as to the safety of the neighborhood, however. The building is on 409 La Grange Avenue (about a 10 minute drive from U of R according to Mapquest). Anyone know anything about the neighborhood? Any other suggestions for (pet-friendly) condo buildings?

Thanks!

[WhereWoolf]

Hi Tybalt,

I have lived in the Maplewood neighborhood for four years now, since moving here from Maine. I do think you are right that buying would be better than renting--real estate is so cheap in Rochester. On the other hand, in comparison with other areas of the country, there is little or no upside potential to your real estate investment. You have to hope to get back what you pay when and if it is time to sell.

I live not so far from La Grange. As far as safety goes, here's my two cents worth. In terms of living in a city neighborhood, then the Maplewood nighborhood should seem par for the course. It is not the best neighborhood but it certainly isn't the worst. Maplewood has a neighborhood association with members who genuinely care about where they live. Like Rochester as a whole (and so much of America), it is an area that has seen better days and is in a process of urban decay.

In terms of crime, I have had things stolen from my garage and there have been break-ins on my street. I'd think twice about wandering around alone at night. I do think about personal safety in a way I didn't feel I had to in Maine. My house is always locked and my alarm system is always on. So essentially it is life in a city. I grew up in Boston and lived in and had friends who lived in some "bad" neighborhoods there, so maybe my perspective is skewed. Let me emphasize that I like where I live, and certainly do not long to move to one of the suburbs.

So that's my two cents worth. I guess I'll see you at U of R.

Joe

Hi folks,

Quick question-- I'm in the process of deciding between renting an apartment or buying a condo (it will depend on my mortgage approval). From my initial research, buying seems to really be the most cost-effective thing to do.

My question is this: I came across a condo-building that seems to be ideal. The prices are reasonable, the HOA fees are within my budget, and the condos seem spacious and full of character (the building was converted into condos--it used to be a 1920's high school).

I'm curious as to the safety of the neighborhood, however. The building is on 409 La Grange Avenue (about a 10 minute drive from U of R according to Mapquest). Anyone know anything about the neighborhood? Any other suggestions for (pet-friendly) condo buildings?

Thanks!

[MoJingly]

I don't have kids, but I know many who do. If you stay west of the Genesee River it is better for families. Look at Southwedge or Park Ave areas. There are great parks and the areas are safe.

Oiy.. I need to correct this. EAST. Stay EAST of the Genesee River.

[Catalyst77]

Further to the brief questions about Eastman, could anyone tell me what grad students at ESM do for accommodations? I read that there's only one on-campus residence, and that it's almost exclusively for undergrads. Do grad students usually find housing in the area? Commute? Get single apartments or share?

[susulucy]

I'm considering to go there for my MS.

a) What is the acommodation like there?

What is the campus like?

Thank you for reply！

[Eddie Kant]

Went there for undergrad. Basically, say goodbye to the sun for 8-9 mos of the year. People get Vitamin D depression up there. In terms of winter, think Buffalo--lake effect snow, brutally cold, high, bone-chilling winds blowing over flat land, etc. Rochester's economy was undergirded by Kodak. Kodak is in the pooper. Rochester is a financially depressed area.

That being said, it's beautiful in the spring. It's a community event when the good weather returns. It's really humid in the summer. There are definitely some artsy nooks in the city.

Yah, and it depends on the school.

The most important thing...garbage plates. Google it.

[cornflower]

I'm moving to Rochester this fall, with my fiance - he'll be at U of R and I'll be at RIT.

Google has only taken me so far, and now I need help from Rochester insiders :-)

1. We're looking for apartments in the Strong area (white coat), which I understand is a safe area - but I want your opinions on it!

2. How is the neighborhood east of Mt. Hope cemetery, in between Elmwood Ave at south and Highland Ave at north (Langslow, Stewart, Gold st, etc)?

3. I'm planning on commuting to RIT, and having the 24 RTS bus route as a backup in case he needs the car or it breaks down.

Are RTS buses decent? Sketchy? Reliable?

4. Do most leases start on June 1 or Aug 1?

5. For either of these start dates, and this area, when should we be looking? We don't see much available for Aug 1 right now, which we prefer -- is 'peak' season later on?

6. And when we do find apartments that catch our eye - how fast do we have to close the deal? Do rentals stay on the market for days or weeks?

Thanks!

[MyWorkIsDone]

I'm currently finishing up my undergrad in photography at RIT, and I must say I've come to appreciate Rochester more than I ever expected. I initially hated it up here, but once I started leaving campus and exploring the city I realized that it's really a very interesting place. Now that I live downtown rather than on campus I find it a lot easier to get involved in the community and feel like I'm part of something outside of the "RIT bubble" (not that I hate RIT, I just find it a bit claustrophobic at times).

The one specific question I can answer from cornflower is that the RTS bus system is just absolutely awful (at least the 24 route anyway). It is unreliable and incredibly slow. Every year RIT students propose some new initiative for improving the public transportation to downtown but it never seems to pan out. Personally I don't think I could survive in this place without a car.

[vtstevie]

i grew up in Rochester so my knowledge base is very much from a suburban 15 year old perspective, but i can back up MyWorkIsDone in saying that Rochester's bus system (and thus, public transport as the subway closed about a half century ago) is useless.

[phalanges]

Hey all,

 

Time to start up this thread again. I just decided to go to UR, and could use with some advice.

 

Most importantly, where to live and how to find a place. What's the best way to find a place in Rochester (craigslist? other?)? I know that I should stay East of the river, but is there anywhere that is particularly good?

 

Secondly, does anyone know where to find the indie musicians in town? None of the current students offered any suggestions (apparently seeing live music isn't their thing... yet), but I imagine in a town with a good music school that there music be a plethora of good bands kicking around.

 

Thanks for your advice in advance!

[winddancer]

Hey, I'm moving to Rochester too! I 'm in the same boat as you, so I don't think I  can help you that much. Have you tried emailing the offcampus housing office? They give advice about how to find a place and everything =)

[sdt13]

Hey all,

 

Time to start up this thread again. I just decided to go to UR, and could use with some advice.

 

Most importantly, where to live and how to find a place. What's the best way to find a place in Rochester (craigslist? other?)? I know that I should stay East of the river, but is there anywhere that is particularly good?

 

Secondly, does anyone know where to find the indie musicians in town? None of the current students offered any suggestions (apparently seeing live music isn't their thing... yet), but I imagine in a town with a good music school that there music be a plethora of good bands kicking around.

 

Thanks for your advice in advance!

 

I'm not really into the indie music scene, but one of my roommates is. He goes to many shows a year at a variety of venues, most notably the Bug Jar (more local bands) and the Main Street Armory. I'm not sure about the developmental group, but I'm friends with some of the clinical and social grad students and some of them seem to enjoy these places as well. 

 

I can't offer much advice about housing (I'm in my last year of undergrad living on campus), but as far as I've heard many grad students live on Park Ave, in Southwedge, or in one of the complexes along Elmwood Ave. There is an apartment complex, Rustic Village, which is also really popular (although from what I've seen it's mostly international...but I could be wrong). This may be one of the most convenient if you don't have a car, as I know it's possible to travel via the UR bus system to and from campus (for free). 

 

[APOCooter]

Main Street Armory has live bands, and back when I was willing to travel more than an hour for a show (I live in Syracuse), I saw a few shows at the Water Street Music Hall.  You might want to check out the websites for those two places; maybe you can get a feel for what the music scene is like.

[crackerjacktiming]

Seconding Main Street Armory and Bug Jar. You may also enjoy looking through the Jayceland blog. Each week he updates it with various cultural/musical events going on in the area. You may have luck checking out smaller coffee shop venues as well. I'm fairly certain that Boulder commonly hosts live performances as well as Spot coffee. 

 

Here's the link to Jayceland if anyone is interested: http://jayceland.com/blog/

[phalanges]

You guys are awesome! Thanks for the recommendations!

[vtstevie]

Monty's Krown has a lot of local punk shows too, if that's  your thing. But as others said, the Bug Jar is the best for smaller local acts, with Water Street drawing the more mid-level touring bands.

[arnab_sarkar_1988]

I  secured an admit in University of Rochester Phd and am looking for housing and house-mates!Please reply at 7star.arnab@gmail.com  

[Winteriscoming]

Hey! I'm going to Rochester too! I'm interested in the White Coat neighborhood. I've heard it's in walking distance to the U of R and many medical students live there. Any insights?