Directory/Civic

Civic

156 locations in Rochester

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Gilbert McCurdy

Gilbert McCurdy was the son of John C. McCurdy, who founded McCurdy's in 1901 and who operated a department store at 285 Main Street East in Rochester. Gilbert took over the business, expanded it and attracted fame by co-developing the Midtown Plaza with Maurice Forman and making McCurdy's Department Store a key player in the plaza. Gilbert McCurdy was extremely active in the First Baptist Church of Rochester being responsible for the commission of the "McCurdy Cross" which graces the sanctuary.

Golden Link

The Golden Link Folk Singing Society promotes concerts, workshops, jam sessions, and the Turtle Hill Folk Fesitval. Golden Link also has a large lending library of sheet and recorded music. They host a weekly play/sing along at the Twelve Corners Presbyterian Church, inviting anyone with interest to come and contribute. Everyone is given a chance to play, sing, or request a song of their own choosing—everyone else free to contribute as they see fit. Their web site provides one of (if not the) most comprehensive calendars relating to folk music and dance in the Rochester area. Click here to view calendar.

Greatest Community Garage Sale

Greatest Community Garage Sale is a popular community garage sale series located at the Rochester Public Market. The sales, which feature a mixture of dealers, community and church groups, and just plain folks cleaning out, have become an institution in our community. Garage Sales are scheduled for the following dates in 2008: Sundays 8:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. April 20, 27, May 4, June 15, 22, 29, July 6, 13, 20, 27, August 3, 10, 17, 24, September 7, 14, 28, October 12. You folks might be interested in using these pages for forming a Friends of the Public Market community on the internet: http://rocpublicmart.blogspot.com/ Thanks and enjoy.

Apple CIDER

Apple CIDER is Rochester, NY's oldest and largest Apple User Group. Our main purpose is educational; we demonstrate, inform, and instruct in the use of Apple computing technology. Apple CIDER is over 28 years old with a dedicated staff of volunteers who maintain the organization and help run meetings. The club is led by our Board of Directors. Our ever-growing membership is a community-based one. Our members are people from all walks of life: education, small business, students and retirees. The main activities of Apple CIDER are centered around several Meetings which are held on a monthly basis. There is no admission charge and all meetings are open to the community. Click here for directions to our meetings. For information about joining Apple CIDER please see our Membership page. Apple CIDER Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation in New York State. See Also Computer Interest Groups Computer Stores

Help Needed-Please Read!

1/23/2010: The suspects from the Penfield church break-in have officially been charged with the FBC robbery. This will be deleted within a few days as promised. Thank you to any who helped.-PeteB Friends.... On Thursday, January 6, sometime in the overnight hours 5 churches were burglarized in our area. Most were on the west side according to this article. One of them is our own January Business Spotlight of the Month First Baptist Church of Rochester in Brighton. Money was taken, a vault with years of irreplacable church history and documentation ransacked, and a copier damaged when the vandals poured a bottle of water on it. Churches and other religious locales should be places of peace, safety and refuge— not places of destruction. The targetting of churches is despicable. We know we have RocWiki readers all over the county and we appreciate your support. If you drive by a church or any other religious building and see any suspicious activity, please call 911 and help us catch these people. Thank You Very Much!

Feeds

XML Feeds (RSS, Atom, etc.) concerning the Rochester area or maintained by area residents. Feeds by Category So far, it would seem, very few feeds have been added here (see Podcasts).... To be Organized The Reverend EG's Church of Heresy Posts Feed - RSS 0.92 - RSS 1.0 - RSS 2.0 - Atom Merrick Russell's Official News Feed Local author, Merrick Russell, keeps us up-to-date on his projects and endeavors. Subscribe today and keep informed without leaving your homepage. MyDogLikes Feed - Weekly articles on pet lifestyle and pet friendly places/events in the Rochester community Also see: LiveJournal, Podcasts, Blogs

Immanuel Baptist Church

Pastor Rachel McGuire Children of Immanuel Immanuel Baptist Church is a Baptist church on Park Avenue that describes itself as: Christ-centered community seeking to serve God by word, worship and action, to welcome all people with love, and to be responsible stewards of God's creation. We are nurtured by the biblical tradition, the teachings of Christ, ecumenical sharing, and God's continuing revelation. Immanuel Baptist Church began in 1923 with a membership of one hundred and six. The group met at Colgate Rochester Divinity School until the building was completed in 1926. Today, the church is Our Community Treasure and opens its doors to everyone, whether they seek spiritual inspiration or simply want to experience one of Rochester's most charming works of architecture. Our congregation is diverse and active in the community. Church members helped initiate the Park Avenue Merchants Association, the first "official" Park Avenue Summer Arts Fest, and the Cobblestone School. Who we are, the essence of our spirit... IBC is: A welcoming, accepting, caring and loving community A gathering place to experience and share our collective spiritual journeys A healing place A congregation of shared ministry, education and leadership in which each person is encouraged to share gifts and insights A place of worship, which is rich and varied in prayer, word and music A place to share the good news of God's inclusive love A congregation committed to neighborhood outreach and social responsibility A place to serve, individually and collectively, and to be served1 Immanuel Baptist Church is a member of the Association of Welcoming & Affirming Baptists in support of the GLBTQ Community. 1Website description

Church of the Ancient Paths

Church of the Ancient Paths is an interfaith pagan church with the purpose: "... non-sectarian, non-creedal interfaith Pagan church. ... premise that the Divine has created us in so many forms: physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual, surely there must be many ways to worship. With respect for the Divine within us all, we support and encourage our members in their explorations of their spirituality. ... define a church as a group of individuals who gather for the purpose of engaging in communal religious activity, whether public or private. We define Pagan as one who has reverence for the natural world, recognizes that humans are a thread in the web of the universe, accepts personal responsibility for their actions with awareness that each action affects their surroundings, and holds that no intermediary or intercessory is necessary to have a relationship with the Divine. ... do not sponsor, condone, or embrace any aspect of a path which advocates or involves hate, bias, oppression or exclusion of any person or group of people on the basis of race, creed, color, religion, ethnic or national origin, social or economic status, employment, education, disability, health, happenstance of birth (ie: natural, clone, bio-engineered, etc.) gender or sexual orientation." 1 1www.churchofancientpaths.org/? page_id=2 About Us Page

Local Slang

Rochester has a colorful mix of local slang that is unique to the area. 315 (three-one-five): Used to refer to someone from the 315 area code, which is Wayne County. Typically a derogatory term used to indicate that someone is a hick or backward in some way. Often used ironically. Also said as "Three-one-fiver." Bo-bo (boh-boh): 1. A cheap, off-brand pair of sneakers from a discount store. 2. A mentally handicapped or disabled person. 3. A silly, awkward or naive individual. Boce (boh-SEE): A mentally handicapped person. Originates from a misconception that BOCES students are all handicapped. Chimpy: A portmanteau of "cheap" and "chintzy." Unrelated to chimps. Danny Wegman: Slang term for embarking upon a cocaine binge, ideally while on a boat. As in, "I'm totally going to be all Danny Wegman tonight!" Inspired by rumors that the owner of Wegmans may have used cocaine while on a yacht. Eggs: Used in opposition to "dibs", indicating a claim to avoid or not do a particular activity. Can also be an expression of general distaste. Example: "Eggs on doing the dishes!" Primarily used by Pittsford natives. Garbage Plate: 1. A local concoction of various burger/hotdog joint staples, topped with a hearty meat sauce. Originated and trademarked at Nick Tahou's and now widely imitated locally. 2. Used to refer to something that's unsightly, but maintains inherent value. As in, "Her workshop is a complete garbage plate. Lots of useful items, but everything is so messy!" Genny: A nickname for local beer brewed by the Genesee Brewing Company. Ghetto Wegs: Refers to the Wegmans located on Mt. Hope Ave before it was torn down. Used primarily by University of Rochester students, whose campus is nearby. Greecer: Resident of Greece. A play on the slang word "greaser," which is currently used as a derogatory term to describe Italians, and archaically, gangs of young working class kids in the 50's who would grease their hair into pompadours. The suburb of Greece has a large Italian population. Jewtown: Used to refer to Brighton, which has a significant population of Jewish residents and a noticeable Orthodox Jewish population, some of whom may be observed strolling to and from the synagogue near Cobbs Hill Park on Friday evenings. Offensive to some, but often used affectionately by those who are Jewish themselves or have Jewish friends. Lesbo Land: Term used to refer to the South Wedge, possibly due to a larger than average demographic of lesbian homeowners. Usually used ironically or affectionately. Little Italy: A reference to the Town of Greece. See Greecer" MacGregor's: Indicates professionally reckless behavior or perceived managerial abuse of staff. Originates from the purportedly high turnover rate of the wait staff at the former MacGregor's restaurant location on Gregory St, as well as the perception that the owners closed the location because they were unwilling to work with the city to address noise complaints from residential neighbors. Used like, "I hope the new owners of Tap & Mallet don't turn MacGregor's on us!" Mercy Moo: An overweight female student attending Our Lady of Mercy high school. Plate: A garbage plate made anywhere that isn't Nick Tahou's. Around Rochester, you will commonly see '(insert word here) Plate' on menus indicating that the item is a knockoff garbage plate. Pittsford: A local euphemism for "snob." Usually used to describe a woman living in Pittsford or someone who aspires to, as in, "She thinks she's all Pittsford, but her Vera Bradley is a dime store knock off!" The Quarter Mile: The long sidewalk on the Rochester Institute of Technology Henrietta campus connecting the residential area and the academic/athletic area. Tidbits: 1. Frugal, often to the point of inviting derision. 2. Shy or demure. 3. Withholding information. As in, "He's totally tidbits. He sat in the Wegmans parking lot for twenty minutes hoarding his Genny and ignoring the rest of us!" Vera Bradley: 1. A quilted handbag popular among Rochesterians, purchased from Park Leigh or other boutique shops. 2. A derogatory term used to indicate that someone is a pretentious housewife or aspires to be one. Wedge-mans: An often purposeful mispronunciation of Wegmans. Wegs: (wehgs): A slang term for a Wegmans grocery store. West Side: Greece, Gates, Chili, Spencerport, Churchville and the north-west area of the City of Rochester are considered West Side. This expression sometimes indicates only the north-west area of the city and not the surrounding suburbs. Example: "I don't go to the West Side." White Hot: A white colored pork hotdog native to the area. See also: Hots. Wushi (WOO-shee): Wegmans sushi. Usually pre-packaged take home sushi, but can be prepared to order by their sushi chefs. See Also Local Pronunciations Nicknames

Jeremy Perkins

Jeremy Perkins is a notable figure in ongoing controversy surrounding the Church of Scientology. He committed a murder in Buffalo after having been influenced to shun psychiatric treatment in favor of Scientology as a means of self improvement. On March 13, 2003, at the age of 28, he stabbed his 54-year-old mother Elli (also a Scientologist) 77 times, allegedly in an attempt to remove "her evil eyes." While the murder took place in Buffalo, he was examined at the Forensic Unit of Rochester's very own Psychiatric Center, and is allegedly still held there today. Court Records (interesting reading)

Open Door Baptist Church

Open Door Baptist Church Bill Finnerty (Senior Pastor), Paul St. Dennis (Pastor of Adult Ministry) Jonathan "T Bear" Stansel, (Pastor of Children's Ministry), Jonathan Schallmo (Pastor of Worship Ministry). About Open Door Baptist Church is an independent Baptist Church located in Churchville, NY. As of January 2023, Open Door has over 1,000 members and regular attenders each week. Open Door primarily uses the King James Version of the Bible, but is not strictly "KJV only", and occasionally uses the English Standard Version/ ESV. The leadership structure of the church is self-governing and independent, typical of most Baptist churches, and is comprised of deacons. The deacon election process is first done by a member nominating a candidate, after which the candidates are then considered by the existing board of deacons, which decides who to place on the ballot, for an election by the members. History Open Door Baptist Church was founded by Sam Hannah and Tom Hauser in 1977, after they both graduated from Thomas Road Bible Institute (now Liberty University). They began a home bible study and ministered to the people of Rochester by leading worship and teaching from the Word of God. From this home bible study, Open Door Baptist Church was organized with 36 charter members. The church continued to grow and on Easter 1998, services were held in a newly constructed building, where the church currently meets on Scottsville-Chili Road.

Jonathan Child House

The Jonathan Child House is a Greek mansion constructed in 1837 for Jonathan Child, Rochester's first mayor. It is part of the Third Ward Historic District. The historic marker out front reads: Jonathan Child First Mayor of Rochester 1834 — 1905 built the house in 1938 and lived here with his wife, Sophia Eliza Rochester Child, until 1840. Full History Jonathan Child sold the mansion in the 1840's and various residents through the years occupied it. In 1885 it became "The Pillars", a fashionable boarding house. In 1920 the Washington Club occupied it. The Fourth Church of Christ Scientist acquired the building in 1933 and it was purchased by the Landmark Society in 1957. They leased it to the Bureau of Municipal Research in 1961 and later became the Rochester Health Commission. Edwards Restaurant, previously in the Academy Building at 13 South Fitzhugh Street, relocated here in early 2002.1 The Jonathan Child House was acquired by Pillar Media Enterprises, LLC in 2011 and renovated into a special events venue called Rochester Pillars and a restaurant called Artisan Cafe. Both ventures closed in 2014. on July 1 2014, Tango Cafe moved their business to the home to have expanded ballrooms and parking. Today, the surrounding neighborhood is known as the Cascade District and has been the target of revival efforts.

Alfresco Dining

Alfresco Dining (dining outside) is definitely a seasonal offering in Rochester, especially on Park Avenue. Many of the alfresco bars and restaurants can also be seen on Waterfront Dining. City of Rochester College Town Corn Hill Culver/University/East Downtown Monroe Village Neighborhood of the Arts Park Avenue South Wedge Elsewhere Regional I-Square City of Rochester College Town The Beer Market Grappa Corn Hill 809 Sports Bar and Lounge Culver/University/East Amore Italian Restaurant & Wine Bar Tony D's The Revelry Downtown Capri Wine Bar & Restaurant Drifters L.B. Fattey Beer Company Flour City Station Founders Café Java's Cafe Nerdvana The Old Toad Pane Vino REDD Stromboli's Restaurant Tapas 177 Temple Bar & Grille Monroe Village Dogtown Hots Little Caesars Pizza The Scotch House Pub Neighborhood of the Arts California Rollin' Edible's Gate House Cafe Lento Nosh Salena's Park Avenue Abbott's Frozen Custard Blu Wolf Bistro Cafe Sasso Chester Cab Pizza The Classic Kitchen & Cocktails Dorado Dragonfly Tavern The Frog Pond on Park Furoshiki Half Pint Pub Hogan's Hideaway Jine's Magnolia's Deli & Cafe Magpie Roam Cafe ROUX Sinbad's South Wedge Boulder Coffee Co. Crisp Rochester Equal Grounds La Casa Little Venice Pizza Lux Old Stone Tavern South Wedge Diner Elsewhere Abbott's Frozen Custard - Most locations The Best Coffee at the Market Chili Inn Jasmine Restaurant & Cafe Java's at the Market Coffee Roasters Merchants Grill Noonans Bar & Grill Pelican's Nest Restaurant Sticky Lips Pit BBQ - Culver Rd. location TRATA - Has rooftop dining. Union Tavern Regional 110 Grill - Henrietta 3 Legged Pig BBQ - Lakeville Aladdin's Natural Eatery - Schoen Place BJ's Restaurant & Brewhouse = Henrietta Branca - Bushnell's Basin Brimont Bistro - Village of Webster Busy Bean Cafe - Village of Victor Castaways On the Lake - Webster Coach Sports Bar - Village of Webster Ember Woodfire Grill - Livonia Leaf & Bean Coffee - Chili Lemoncello Italian Restaurant & Bar - East Rochester Mission BBQ - Henrietta Naan-tastic - Henrietta Olive's Greek Taverna - Pittsford Pittsford Pub - Pittsford Pane Vino - Pittsford location Red Fedele's Brook House - Greece Red Robin - Webster location Roots Cafe - Naples Sand Bar - Canandaigua Sweet Arts Bakery - Geneseo Sweet Melissa's Bake Shoppe - Fairport The Underpass Bar & Grill - Fairport I-Square The Reserve Wine Bar Stir Coffee

Lewis Street YMCA

Lewis Street YMCA is a branch of the YMCA of Greater Rochester located in Marketview Heights. Formerly the Lewis Street Child Care Center, it merged with the YMCA and became an official YMCA branch in June 2005. Facilities include eight classrooms and a gymnasium.

Business Spotlight/Past Winners

These are Past Winners of the Business Spotlight of the Month program on RocWiki. 2010: September 2010-Look ah Hookah October 2010-NBTraining November 2010-Karen Holmes December 2010-Chi Wah Organica 2011: January 2011-First Baptist Church of Rochester February 2011-Shiki March 2011-Nick Tahou's April 2011-Cafe 54 (now closed) May 2011-Natural Health Chiropractic June 2011-Barefoot Edible Landscape and Permaculture/Rochester Permaculture Institute July 2011-newDigs August 2011-Computer Works Pro September 2011-Young Professionals @ Xerox October 2011-NBTraining November 2011-Pandaman December 2011-Pistachio Press 2012 Winners: January 2012: Chartreuse Studios February 2012: Hedonist Artisan Chocolates March 2012: The Bop Shop April 2012: The Houghton Book Shop (now closed) May 2012: Dark Horse Coffee June 2012: Walker Consulting Services July 2012: Doody Master, Inc. August 2012: Community Place of Greater Rochester September 2012: Zonies October 2012: The Rochesterian November 2012: RocCity 2.0 December 2012: NBTraining

Independence Party

The Independece Party formed in 1994 as the Independence Fusion Party in the afterglow of Ross Perot's 1992 run for the White House. It was renamed the Independence Party shortly after the election that year. It has been characterized as socially liberal and largely inclusive, but it has arguably lacked strong stances on issues other than a call for government reform and accountability. Rather than serving as a true third party, the Independence Party has frequently cross-endorsed candidates running on the Democratic or Republican lines. The notable exception was three runs for governor by Rochester businessman Tom Golisano from 1994 to 2002. The party was New York's third largest as of 2003 with more than a quarter of a million registered voters. Monroe County Independence Party Homepage

Map

RocWiki Map Example RocWiki Monroe County Map The current RocWiki Map facility is an optional Map Icon placed at the top of any page that contains an address specified with the Address Macro, such as: City Hall: 30 Church Street, Rochester, NY 14614 Using the Map Icon Clicking on the Map Icon causes RocWiki to display a small Google map of the specified address in the Address Macro. Clicking the Map Icon while the map is displayed will hide the map. The map will have a green arrow and text box showing the location and text used in the macro. RocWiki will also display red balloons for other RocWiki addresses with the displayed area. The map is interactive with pan and zoom controls. The user may select a Map, Satellite, or Hybrid display. Clicking on the 'Google" logo at the lower left will open up Google in the main window with the current map. See Help with Maps for a detailed description of mapping options in RocWiki, further help with the Address macro, and details on using Google Maps facilities. Localities RocWiki also uses a series of maps for localities based on maps supplied by Monroe County GIS Services. The map at the right shows Monroe County and its political subdivisions into City, Towns, Villages, and the like. Each of the respective localities pages will show the locality with respect to this map. Individual pages may have additional map references that apply to that page. Traffic Map Several mapping services have integrated live traffic and construction information. Google Maps showing traffic in Rochester Bing Maps showing traffic in Rochester Other map resources: Simplified map of Monroe County, NY Map of Monroe and surrounding counties Monroe County GIS Services Maps City of Rochester Historic Map Viewer Historical Maps of Rochester, NY and Monroe County davis map has information about using Geocoded information for mapping The Rochester mapping project at openstreetmap.org

Parishes in the Episcopal Diocese of Rochester

The Episcopal Diocese of Rochester Addison, Church of the Redeemer Angelica, St. Paul's Church Avon, Zion Church Bath, St. Thomas' Church Bloomfield, St. Peter's Church Branchport, St. Luke's Church Brockport, St. Luke's Church Caledonia, St. Andrew's Canandaigua, St. John's Church Canaseraga, Trinity Church Catharine, St. John's Church Clifton Springs, St. John's Church Corning, Christ Episcopal Church Cuba, Christ Church Dansville, St. Peter's Memorial Church Fairport, St. Luke's Episcopal Church Gates, Church of the Epiphany Geneseo, St. Michael's Church Geneva, St. Peter's Memorial Church Geneva, Trinity Church Geneva, St. John's Chapel Greece, Trinity Church Hammondsport, St. James' Church Henrietta, St. Peter's Church Hilton, St. George's Church Honeoye Falls, St. John's Church Hornell, Christ Church Lyons, Grace Episcopal Church Newark, St. Mark's Episcopal Church Palmyra, Zion Church Penfield, Church of the Incarnation Penn Yan, St. Mark's Church Pittsford, Christ Church Rochester, Christ Church Rochester Rochester, St. Paul's Church Rochester, St. Mark & St. John Rochester, St. Thomas' Church Rochester, St. Paul's Church Keuka Lake, Garrett Chapel Rochester, Church of the Ascension Rochester, St. Stephen's Church Rochester, St. Luke/St. Simon Cyrene - St. Luke's Church Savona, Church of the Good Shepherd Scottsville, Grace Church Sodus, St. John's Episcopal Church Watkins Glen, St. James' Church Webster, Church of the Good Shepherd Wellsville, St. John's Church

Memorial A. M. E. Zion Church

Memorial A. M. E. Zion Church has the distinction of being the oldest operating Black church in the city of Rochester, having been founded in 1827 as the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church. Their first building, erected in 1833 on Favor Street, served as the meeting grounds for notable abolitionists such as Frederick Douglass and commanded national significance; its basement was the original home of Douglass' North Star newspaper. In 1907 the original structure was replaced on the same site by a new building (which still stands) incorporating a number of memorial windows honoring Douglass, Susan B. Anthony, and Harriet Tubman among others. At that time "Memorial" was added to the name of the church. The congregation moved to their modern building on Clarissa Street in 1975; the memorial windows to Anthony and Tubman can still be seen there. Rochester History Vol. XXI: Lights and Shadows In Local Negro History Beyond the Sanctuary - A Look Back in History

Midtown District

The name of the Midtown District derives from its heritage as Rochester's premier shopping district. Before the advent of suburban big box stores, the area was known for Sibley's, McCurdy's, B. Forman's, and Midtown Plaza. Today, the Midtown District is in a state of transition. The demolition of Midtown Plaza in 2009 was the first stage of the city's Midtown Rochester Rising plan which promises the rehabilitation of the nearly nine-acre site into a mixed-use development designed to attract a "critical mass of residents" and new 24/7 amenities. MVP Health Care has moved staff to a new building on the site and the Democrat and Chronicle has moved their headquarters to a new building on Main Street attached to Windstream. A mixed-use project, called the Tower280 at Midtown, is being carried out through a partnership between Buckingham Properties and Morgan Management, both local firms. http://themetropolitanroc.com The Metropolitan also is a mixed-use project developed by http://gallinadev.com Gallina Development with the first 16 floors being occupied by business's and floors 17 - 26 being developed as residential apartments. As of Jan 2019 floors 17-21 are available with more in development. Until then, the Midtown District is characterized mostly by extensive construction. Another positive development was the completion of the RTS Transit Center in the St. Paul Quarter, which removed the bus congestion from East Main Street. The return of on-street parking has cleared the way for the revival of the Main St. East/North Clinton Avenue Retail District. Neighborhood landmarks include the Liberty Pole, The Metropolitan, the Temple Building, and the Sibley Building. The neighborhood was previously known as Main and Clinton but was rechristened in 2013 in recognition of the importance of the Midtown site. Establishments Food and Drink Bar Bantam Branca Midtown Metro Market Groceries and Deli Retail AA-1 Pawn Family Dollar VILLA Services Anelli Xavier - Law firm Bank of America Chase East End Barbers MOCHA Center (Men of Color Health Awareness) Need Salon & Spa Vault Other ABC Action Front Center Democrat and Chronicle headquarters Grace Road Church One East Avenue and The Penthouse Rochester AmeriCorps The Sibley Building

GLBTQ Community

The City of Rochester has a very large GLBTQ community. Some trace this back to George Eastman, who never married or had any known girlfriends and was subsequently believed by some to have been gay.1 (Either that or he was likely asexual.) By the 1950s Eastman Kodak was said to have a population of gay male employees who may not have been "out" in the way we think of it, but didn't entirely keep it a secret either. Two such individuals were prominent arts patron Earl Kage and his partner, Hamilton Driggs. 2 A point of pride for the Rochester GLBTQ community is The Empty Closet, founded in 1971 at the University of Rochester by a student group called the Gay Liberation Front. Today, The Empty Closet is the single oldest continuously-published GLBTQ newspapers in the world.3 All back issues of The Empty Closet may be viewed online courtesy of the Genesee Valley Gay Alliance and UR's Rush Rhees Library. In 1973 the Gay Liberation Front voted to split into two organizations: a UR student group (known as the Pride Network since 2002) and a community group called the Genesee Valley Gay Alliance. The GVGA remains active today as the region's premier GLBTQ organization. A full history is available on their website. The GVGA is also responsible for Rochester's annual Pride Week, kicked off by the unfurling of an enormous rainbow flag (some three stories long) in the City Hall atrium. The grand finale is a Pride Parade that is the second largest in New York State. The day after is the Pride Picnic, first held in a backyard in 1972. Today it is held in the Genesee Valley Park and hosts an estimated 3,000 attendees. 4 Another historical note is the 1986 election of Tim Mains to the Rochester City Council, making him New York State’s first openly-gay elected official. Prior thereto he had been active in the Gay Liberation Front and had written for The Empty Closet. Today, NYS Assemblyman Harry Bronson and City Councilman Matt Haag are both openly gay politicians representing Rochester and the surrounding region. Congresswoman Louise Slaughter remains a longtime staunch ally of the GLBTQ Community. According to a 2011 UCLA study, the Rochester area is #6 in the country for numbers of same-sex couples raising children under 18.5 Community profile site ePodunk gives Rochester a "gay index" of 161, with the national average being 100. Much of this population is concentrated in the southeast neighborhoods of Park Avenue, the South Wedge, the Neighborhood of the Arts, and Upper Monroe. On the west side, there is Maplewood, as well as a small tight-knit group in Plymouth-Exchange. Bars and Clubs 140 Alex Bar & Grill Abilene - GLBTQ-friendly Avenue Pub Bachelor Forum Lux - GLBTQ-friendly Tilt Vertex - Goth club with diverse crowd. Businesses GLBTQ-owned and GLBTQ-oriented businesses in Rochester and beyond. Edible's - Gay-owned restaurant. Ellenwood Electric - Sponsors of ImageOut. Equal=Grounds Coffee House & The Pride Connection - GLBT gift shoppe/coffee house offers unique Pride items, books, artwork, films, jewelry. Wi-Fi, coffee drinks, pastries. Clean, comfortable, affordable, courteous knowledgeable staff. Esther Brill Partner Dance Instruction - Dance instruction for same-sex couples. EvenOdd Creative - Local accessories brand designed by lesbian couple. Hedonist Artisan Chocolates and Hedonist Artisan Ice Cream - Gay-owned Hodge Podge Lodge - A Safe Zone Jones Pond Campground Just Juice - Gay-owned Outlandish Videos & Gifts PrintRoc - Gay-owned Renewing-Massage - "Providing accessible massage therapy services for the Rochester LGBT community." Rochester Spa & Body Club - All-male social and fitness club. Thomas Laurence Salon - Gay-owned Vanessa Q Studios - Trans-owned Events Bread & Water Theatre's Rainbow Theater Festival d.Y.k.e. picnic Empire State Pride Agenda Spring Dinner - The second largest annual gathering of GLBTQ folks and their allies outside New York City. ImageOut - Annual GLBT film festival Miss Gay Rochester Pageant Pride Week Red Ball Ride for Pride Rochester Erotic Arts Festival Organizations - Activism and Outreach Civil Rights Front (Not sure if still active. Website not updated since 2010.) Equality Rochester Gay Alliance of the Genesee Valley Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network - Rochester chapter. Interfaith Advocates for LGBT People LGBT Friends of Good Government (LBGTFOGG) LGBT Fund for Greater Rochester Lesbians of Rochester & Allies (LORA) Lilac Rainbow Alliance of the Deaf Log Cabin Republicans - Rochester/Finger Lakes chapter. Our Group - Advocacy and outreach for GLBTQ athletes. PFLAG Rochester Pride and Joy Families Rochester NOW - Greater Rochester Chapter of the National Organization for Women Organizations - Colleges OUTspoken - RIT Pride Alliance - MCC Pride Alliance - SUNY Geneseo Pride Network - UR Sexual Orientations United for Liberation (S.O.U.L.) - SUNY Brockport Organizations - Hobbies and Recreational Dykes on Bikes - Rochester chapter Empire Bears - An "organization created to promote social interaction for hirsute men and their male admirers." Flower City Pride Band Frontrunners/Frontwalkers - Rochester chapter of international group of GLBTQ walkers and runners. Lambda Car Club International - Rochester chapter Lez Play Roc - A "FUN and innovative organization that looks to provide entertainment/information for Gay Communities. We participate and facilitate various community events in the Upstate, NY area." Lilac Squares - GLBTQ square dancing. Line Dancing at 140 Alex Men's Cooking Group Rainbow Amateur Radio Association - Finger Lakes Chapter (Rochester and surrounding area). Roc City Roller Derby - "Rochester, N.Y.'s first all-women, flat-track roller derby league." GLBTQ-friendly. Rochester GLBTQI Bikers Rochester Gay Men's Chorus Rochester Historical Bowling Society - GLBTQ bowling league. Monday evenings, September through April at Clover Lanes. The Rochester Kink Society - GLBTQ-friendly. Rochester Rams - Motorcycle group. Rochester Women's Community Chorus - GLBTQ-friendly. Women Outdoors - Finger Lakes - GLBTQ-friendly. Women's Hiking Group Women's Silver Sneakers Womyn's Drum Circle Womyn's Fishing Group Organizations - Social Come Out and Play GALAXe (Gays and Lesbians At Xerox) Just Us Guys - For gay and bisexual men. Maplewood Rainbow Social Club - For GLBTQ residents of the Maplewood neighborhood. Rainbow SAGE at the Center - GLBTQ seniors. Rochester Butch/Femme Connection Rochester Gay Fathers Group - Contact the GVGA at 585 244 8640 for more information. Rochester Gay Moms Upstate NY Women4Women - For lesbians & bi women (join weekly coffee meetups). Organizations - Trans* Community Gender Identity Youth Support Group Genesee Valley Gender Variants Guys' Night Out - Trans men. Rochester Crossdressers Network Rochester Grrlz - Trans women and crossdressers. Rochester Trans Group - For gender-variant people and their friends. The Self Made Men - Trans men. Support Group for Parents of Transgender & Non-Conforming Teens Resources Adolescent Transgender Healthcare Team at Golisano Children's Hospital AIDS Care - Now Trillium Health, formerly AIDS Rochester CNY Fertility Services - Sponsors of ImageOut. Center for Disability Rights - GLBTQ-friendly. Center for Youth - Counseling, emergency shelter, homeless youth outreach, and other programs for teens. GLBTQ-friendly. Conifer Counseling - Substance abuse counseling for members of the GLBTQ community. The Empty Closet and online archive Everybody's Good - From AIDS Rochester Inc.: links to GLBTQ-friendly healthcare providers/organizations/worship, health-related info & blogs, free STD testing, more. Huther-Doyle - Substance recovery with GLBTQ-only groups and experience with GLBTQ issues. MOCHA Center - Rochester office (drop-in center for GLBT Youth). Out & Equal Workplace Advocates - Rochester has third largest chapter in the country. Planned Parenthood - Women's health services. Rochester Area Task Force on AIDS Rochester Gay Men AA - Also has Park Avenue sub-group. Rochester Victory Alliance - HIV vaccine research. Therapists in the Rochester area who specialize in GLBTQ issues (from Psychology Today). Threshold Center for Alternative Youth Services - Confidential HIV and STD testing and general healthcare for ages 12-25. Transgender Alliance - Umbrella group for trans and gender variant organizations in Central and Western New York. Trillium Health - HIV services and beyond, specializing in LGBT healthcare Woods Oviatt Gilman - Law firm whose services include estate planning for same-sex couples. Youth Gay Alliance Worship Religious institutions that welcome and support the GLBTQ community. Atonement Lutheran Church Brighton United Church of Christ Calvary St. Andrews Presbyterian Parish Christ Church Rochester Church of the Blessed Sacrament Community Christian Church Dignity-Integrity Rochester - LGBT Roman Catholics, Episcopalians, and friends. Downtown United Presbyterian Church - Home of the RWCC and RGMC Episcopal Diocese of Rochester Committee for Gay and Lesbian Ministry - find a welcoming congregation near you! First Baptist Church of Rochester - Member of the Association of Welcoming & Affirming Baptists First Unitarian Church of Rochester First Universalist Church of Rochester Fortunate Families - Catholic families with GLBTQ children. Immanuel Baptist Church - Member of the AWAB Lake Avenue Baptist Church - Member of the AWAB Mary Magadalene Church - "In the Catholic tradition." Messiah Lutheran Church New Life Presbyterian Church Open Arms Metropolitan Community Church Rochester Zen Center Spiritus Christi Church Temple B'rith Kodesh Temple Beth El Temple Emanu-El Temple Sinai Third Presbyterian Church United Church of Christ, Congregational of Webster Unity Fellowship Church of Rochester Other AIDS Education Posters - Permanent online exhibit of the world's largest collection of AIDS posters. Presented by the UR Rush Rhees Library Dept. of Rare Books & Special Collections. Ant Hill Cooperative - GLBTQ-friendly cooperative housing. Archive of posts by Andreas Rau, gay Republican and Maplewood resident, for the Democrat and Chronicle Rochester Blog. Darienne Lake - Famous local drag queen. DonnaRose.com - Story of a trans woman originally from Rochester. University of Rochester admissions brochure for prospective GLBTQ students. For more organizations and resources, please visit the GVGA Resources page. Links Drag World - Article about the local drag scene in Rochester Woman (2013-08-02) Being LGBT in the city of Rochester . . . what's it like? - Discussion on everybodysgood.com GLBT and Diversity Resources from Nazareth College GayCities.com page for Rochester. Is Rochester a gay friendly city? - Discussion on City-Data.com (Feb. 2009) Rochester Gay Pride Parade 2012 - Information on GayTravel.About.com Shantay, you stay - Article in City Newspaper about local drag queens (2014-02-19) VisitRochester.com on the city's GLBTQ community.

Noteworthy Residents

Our Noteworthy Residents page provides some lists of folks connected to our Rochester area who some consider Famous, Infamous, (aka Notorious Residents Important Visitors See also: Fame List of people on IMDB born in Rochester (345 as of April 2010) List of people in Wikipedia from Rochester (329 as of April 2010) - Rochester Library History Index, if there was a name not found on this page Famous Residents A - B : Beth Adams - local morning radio host Steve Alaimo - Singer and impresario, also Article by Ben Mclane Susan B. Anthony - Famous women's rights activist Dan Apfel - U of R graduate, ex-Ant Hill board member John Ashbery - Poet B.A.S.K.O. - Rapper, entrepreneur, and hat designer Nicholson Baker - writer, also Fan Page Rachel Barnhart - Local investigative journalist Philip Barry Playwright Kim Batten - Olympic Gold Medalist Eric Bauman - Former eBaum's World owner, restaurateur John Batiste - Retired General, Rumsfield critic, Pres. Klein Steel Joe Beard - Guitarist Tyson Beckford - Male Model - also IMDB Entry William Joseph Beldue - Invented eyelash curler Christopher Bevans- Fashion clothing designer Jay Bhatt - Blackboard Inc. CEO (2013 - 2016) Kenneth Bianchi - Infamous "Hillside Strangler" Harry Bliss - syndicated cartoonist and illustrator Jeffrey Boam - Writer, director, producer - also IMDB Entry Rudy Boesch - Navy Seal, oldest Survivor contestant, TV star Pandora Boxx - Famous drag queen and RuPaul's Drag Race contestant. Richard Brookhiser - Writer, historian, Senior Editor of The National Review Louise Brooks - silent screen star; dancer; belletrist - also IMDB Wikipedia Ann Marie Buerkle - US Congress, 25th District Angelo Buono - Infamous "Hillside Strangler" Paul Burgett - Longtime Vice-President of the University of Rochester Craig Button - NHL manager born in Rochester C - F : Ryan Callahan - Hockey Star - NY Rangers Chester Carlson - Invented xerography Cab Calloway - Jazz musician and singer Francis Pharcellus Church - Writer/publisher - author "Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus" Matthew Clark -Previous Bishop The Roman Catholic Diocese of Rochester Teddy Coffey - Dancer, "So You Think You Can Dance" Season 11 Top 14 finalist Cassius Marcellus Coolidge - Web - Artist who painted the famous "dogs playing poker" paintings Dan Cragg - Science fiction author, essayist, and military writer Irving Crane - Champion billiards player John Curran Filmmaker James G. Cutler - Inventor of the Cutler Mail Chute. Evan Dawson - Local broadcast journalist Taye Diggs - Movie/TV actor Richard Dolan - UFO Researcher Kirk Douglas - Actor Frederick Douglass - Famed abolitionist, human rights advocate, speaker, editor, and author Pete Duel - TV Actor Bob Duffy - Mayor of Rochester 2006 - 2010 Walter B. Duffy - Duffy's Malt Whiskey George Eastman - Eastman Kodak founder Mark Ellingson - President of RIT 1936 - 1969 Pee Wee Ellis Saxophonist/writer/arranger with James Brown, others John Ellison - With the Soul Brothers Six, composer of "Some Kind of Wonderful"; see also Official Website Jerry Engler Performer, singer/songwriter, colleague of Buddy Holly, among others - charted with "Sputnik," 1957 Bill English - TV Actor - advertisement cereal crunching guy Garth Fagan - Dancer and choreographer Sam Fantauzzo - Restauranteur and soccer enthusiast Jon Finkel - Magic The Gathering world champion Sigmund Firestone - Architect Renee Fleming - Acclaimed Soprano Robert Forster - Stage, television and screen actor Nick Francesco - Stage actor, radio and internet personality, more Sandra Frankel - Former Brighton Town Supervisor Elizabeth Hollister Frost - Poet G - K: Steve Gadd Drummer Frank Ernest Gannett Teddy Geiger Jane Glazer Larry Glazer Kate Gleason Emma Goldman Kim Gordon Lou Gramm Seth Green Nicholas Gurewitch Artist and cartoonist Walter Hagen Martha Matilda Harper - Famous woman entrepreneur - first us franchising system Ersel Hickey Rockabilly legend Gordy Hoffman Philip Seymour Hoffman Che Holloway- Actor, star of Dark Justice Eddie James 'Son' House, Jr. Peter Hughes Jon Huber -aka WWE's Luke Harper Reverend Thomas James Mary Jemison Frontierswoman, adopted Seneca, namesake of the canal tour boat. Mark Jones Peter Keefe AJ Kitt L - M: Darienne Lake - Drag queen Steven E. Landsburg Christopher Lasch - Social historian and critic, scholar, bestselling author - also Appreciation by James Seaton - February 2010 essay in The New York Times Book Review Joanie Laurer (Chyna) Hudson Leick Actress/model John Lithgow Joe Locke - Eminent jazz vibraphonist and composer Bob Lonsberry - Long-time local radio figure Lydia Lunch See also - Noise-rock goddess Aaron Lustig Edmund Lyon Daniel Maffei Chuck Mangione Jenna Marbles (née Jenna Mourey) YouTube personality Eric Massa Gilbert McCurdy Roy McCurdy Eminent jazz drummer Bat McGrath Singer/Songwriter who with Don Potter operated legendary Rochester coffeehouse Hylie Morris' Alley in the late 60's and early 70's. Jason McElwain - "J-Mac" Pamela Melroy Gary Mervis Mitch Miller Lewis Henry Morgan Early and influential anthropologist - buried in impressive hillside mausoleum at Mt. Hope Cemetery Lee Morse Jacob H. Myers Inventor of the first voting machine actually used in a public election N - S: Patrick O'Rorke Carl W. Peters American Regionalist painter Pisspot the rabbit Don Potter Christian Music Star,producer of several albums by "The Judds";with Bat McGrath,legendary acoustic duo who ran Hylie Morris' Alley coffeehouse in Rochester, late 60's. early 70's. Shariff Rahman Boxer Frieda Robscheit-Robbins Nathaniel Rochester Diann Roffe George Frederick Rogers Ramón Santiago Artist E. Philip Saunders Riley Schillaci Blanche Stuart Scott Joanna Scott Writer George Baldwin Selden Automobile patent holder Joel Seligman President of the University of Rochester (2005-present) Jim 'The Hammer' Shapiro Armand Schaubroeck Founder, with brothers Bruce and Blaine, of the legendary House of Guitars music store on Titus Avenue in Irondequoit, c. 1964 Riley Schillaci Sword Swallower, featured on America's Got Talent, and Kodak Baby Hiram Sibley Al Sigl Joe Simon Bob Smith Past public radio personality Joseph Smith Julie Lynn Smith Scott Spezzano John Harry Stedman Henry Alvah Strong Margaret Woodbury Strong Arlene Sutherland Lewis A. Swift Astronomer T - Z: Cathy Turner - Olympic Speed Skater Bill Wahl Chet Walker Abby Wambach Leehom Wang American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actor Henry August Ward Geologist Sandy Waters Brother Wease - Long-time local radio figure Danny Wegman Robert Wegman Catherine Coll Wheelwright - Mother of first Irish President George Whipple - Nobel laureate Kristen Wiig - Cast member, "Saturday Night Live" Robert Wilcox Wendy O. Williams - Frontwoman for the Plasmatics; cultural icon Joseph C. Wilson - Xerox CEO and University of Rochester trustee Brigham Young - raised in Finger Lakes (Auburn) and relation to Joseph Smith Felicia Zimmermann Iris Zimmermann Infamous Residents Joe Aiello - final resting in Riverside Cemetery Kenneth Bianchi - birthplace of Hillside Strangler. Davenport Brothers - famed illusionists active in the Spiritualist Movement of the late 19th century Emma Goldman - home to famed anarchist. Jim 'The Hammer' Shapiro - stalking grounds of malevolent god creature. Arthur Shawcross - home to Genesee River serial killer, . Joseph 'Mad Dog' Sullivan - convicted mob hitman Francis Tumblety - home to Jack the Ripper suspect, Famous Visitors The following famous people visited Rochester: Harry Houdini - 1907 jump from Weighlock Bridge Sam Patch See Also: Famous Visitors and Residents list on the Time For Web Site.

Carolee Conklin

Carolee Conklin was elected to the Rochester City Council in 2005 after 30 years of work in local and county government, most recently as Rochester's city clerk. Carolee's Website

1872 Cafe

(Nov. 2012) Interior photo from The Rochesteriat. Used with permission. The 1872 Cafe is a cafe and coffeehouse in the Susan B. Anthony/COTS neighborhoods. It is part of the Voter's Block Community development, located on the site where Susan B. Anthony and fifteen other women attempted to vote illegally in 1872, hence the names. The cafe opened on August 18, 2012 in commemoration of the 92nd anniversary of the 19th Amendment. The interior features two murals depicting trailblazing women such as Anthony, Sojourner Truth, and Hillary Clinton, as well as newspaper clippings on the passage of the 19th Amendment. The 1872 Cafe was originally sponsored by Spiritus Christi Church as the anchor of Voter's Block and a gathering place for the community. It also helped raise funds for the church's Outreach Ministries to the Poor.1 The cafe closed on March 15, 2015 but reopened August 18, 2015 under the ownership of Sam Fantauzzo, who also owns Salvatore's Old Fashioned Pizzeria. The date was chosen as the same date the 19th Amendment was ratified in 1920. Fantauzzo sold the cafe to Paul Gersonia in 2019. Links 1872 Cafe: Modern coffee shop where Susan B. Anthony cast illegal ballot in Rochester - NewYorkUpstate.com (2016-02-19) Cafe 1872 reopens as test site for new pizza concept - Democrat and Chronicle (2015-08-18) 1872 Cafe has new owner, menu - Democrat and Chronicle (2015-08-13) Voters Block Community, 1872 Cafe ribbon-cutting set for Thursday - Rochester Business Journal (2012-09-19) Cafe Pays Tribute to Susan B. Anthony - Rochester Business Journal (2012-08-28)