In contrast to its sprawling suburbs, downtown
ROCHESTER
is a salubrious place, with its central office-block area bordered by
well-heeled mansions on spacious boulevards. High-tech companies such
as Bausch & Lomb and Xerox have brought capital to the city, but by
far the most conspicuous names on view are those of Kodak and its founder, George Eastman. Legacies throughout
the metropolitan area include Kodak Park, the Eastman Theater, and
above all the International Museum of Photography at George Eastman
House, two miles from downtown at 900 East Ave (Tues, Wed, Fri &
Sat 10am-5pm, Thurs 10am-8pm, Sun 1-5pm; $6.50; tel 716/271-3361). In
the modern annex at the rear, a first-rate exhibition of photographic
history ranges from high-quality Civil War prints to modern
experimental works, plus a space which houses temporary exhibitions, as
well as an arthouse cinema. The house itself, fussily restored to its
early twentieth-century glory, is mildly interesting; upstairs there's
the fun, hands-on Discovery Room plus an informative exhibition on
Eastman's. Fittingly, given Eastman's passion for horticulture, the
gardens have been superbly maintained and are worth a visit in
themselves.
An obsessive collector of anything and everything, local bigwig
Margaret Woodbury Strong (1897-1969) bequeathed her estate to the city
as the Strong Museum on Manhattan Square (Mon-Sat 10am-5pm, Sun
12-5pm; $6). Half devoted to a history of the American family, half
obsessed with a history of American consumer culture, it's recently
been radically updated to feature interactive exhibits such as a
history of Barbie and Sesame Street . Pop culture addicts will enjoy its kitsch
sensibility, which includes a fully working 1920s carousel and a 1950s
diner shipped here wholesale from its original site in Pennsylvania.
The theme of celebrating former Rochester denizens continues at the Susan B. Anthony House at 17 Madison St, where this
groundbreaking suffragist lived from 1866-1906 (June-Aug Wed-Sun
11am-4pm; $6; tel 716/235-6124).
PRACTICALITIES
Greyhound drops off at Broad and Chestnut streets downtown. The Amtrak
station, 320 Central Ave, is on the north side beyond the I-490 inner
loop road; it's served by RTS buses
(tel 716/654-0200). Rochester's
visitor center
is at 45 East Ave between Chestnut and Main (Mon-Fri 8.30am-5pm, Sat 9am-5pm, Sun 10am-3pm; tel 716/546-3070,
).
Accommodation
is somewhat expensive. Downtown choices include the excellent
428 Mt Vernon
B&B (tel 716/271-0792; $100-130), at the entrance to lush Highland
Park, with private baths in all rooms. Among budget options in the
south of the city, near the I-90 Thruway, is the Red Roof Inn
, 4820 W Henrietta Rd, off I-90 exit 46 (tel 716/359-1100; $50-75).
Popular
places to eat
in the fairly lively downtown include
Aladdin's Natural Eatery
, 646 Monroe Ave (tel 716/442-5000), serving inexpensive Middle Eastern food, the pub-style
Old Toad
, 277 Alexander St (tel 716/232-2626), where British staff serve beer and cheap meals, and the restored Art Deco
Highland Park Diner
, 960 S Clinton Ave (tel 716/461-5040).
Jine's Café
, 658 Park Ave, is good value for breakfast (tel 716/461-1280) and if
you want to sample a Garbage Plate, the local delicacy comprising a
platter of just about anything that can be successfully deep fried,
head over to Nick Tahou Hots at 320 Main St (tel 716/436-0184). Keep an
eye out, too, for the local soft drink, Jolt, which tastes like a
normal cola but packs a big wallop of caffeine.
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Rochchester 
