The Snapshot City

Rochester isn't the scary place I was warned it was. Oh sure, the crime stats are higher than those in Albany but so is the population, over 125,000 more people. Mutti worked here in the late '60s and shares ugly stories about Lake Avenue but large swaths of neighborhoods have clearly improved since then.

I'm on assignment in Rochester today and the 'Snapshot' city feels safe, clean and comfortable, albeit driving is terribly confusing. Too many one-way road signs and the inner loop is a bit schizophrenic. But the views, parks, theaters, restaurants, etc., are all quite stunning, no doubt about that.

This little photo is the Times Square Building, located across from the Blue Cross Arena close to the Genesee River . Click on it to get a better visual of the fantastic winged summit with Art Deco flare. It was constructed in 1929 for the Genesee Valley Trust Company.

Throughout the city there are a large number of streamlined and angular construction. Inspired development has also turned an once abandoned factory district on the western edge of downtown into a thriving residential and commercial center. The place feels like Manhattan with cozy loft apartments and upscale restaurants on every corner.

Somebody is doing something right in Rochester, perhaps Mayor Duffy? More on other points of interest throughout Monroe County tomorrow.