Loving Rochester – Summer Edition
Fellow green friends – today I want to share with you my love for Rochester. So often we let the dreary weather and small campus create a negative view of the city itself. However, if you have the chance to spend a summer in Rochester, you can learn how cool it really is, and how you can utilize all it has to offer to make your lifestyle a little more sustainable!
The Bike Friendly City
Biking in Rochester is a great way to stay active, reduce your driving time and explore the city. With countless bike lanes and trailways, it’s pretty easy to get almost anywhere! The University even offers seminars to help you feel safe and confident about biking. Don’t have a bike? Not to worry – the city has a bike program called Pace, where students can pay $5 a month for unlimited rides.
Local Art Scene
Just by exploring the city, you’ll see local art flourishing with murals and sculptures that give the streets their character. It’s fun to see how each neighborhood expresses a different style. One of my favorite art events is First Friday, where venues all over Rochester collaborate on the first Friday of every month to encourage locals to get out and experience art.
The Great Outdoors
Spending time outside in the sunshine here can definitely boost your view of Rochester. You can see all kinds of life thriving when you visit nature areas like Highland Park, the Lamberton Conservatory and Corbett’s Glen. Try to catch a glowing sunset at High Falls or Highland Park’s Reservoir!
Sustainable Food
There are several options for eating sustainably (and on a budget) throughout the summer here. The Rochester Public Market offers cheap local produce on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays (hit up the Bakery at the Market to try my favorite breakfast sandwiches). Other opportunities are the Good Food Collective, which gathers food from local sustainable farmers and delivers to locations right near campus, like the UR Barnes and Noble, and farmers markets within each neighborhood.
Be on the lookout events posted around town and on Facebook, and try something out of your comfort zone. I promise you’ll find things to love about our home here in Rochester!
Written by Olivia Giovannini-Dolan, class of 2020.
Photo Credit: Andreas Franz Borchert https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Rochester_NY_High_Falls_2001.jpeg