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Retail

168 locations in Rochester

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Driving

Are you fast enough for Monroe Avenue? (by Flickr user RocPX license info) I'd like to create a page here about driving in Rochester. This could include many things, but I'd like it to have a humorous slant more than a functional slant. For example, it could include a list of quirks that people have noticed while driving in Rochester. Some I've observed more here than in other places. Quirks Drifting from lane to lane. Are these people intoxicated or asleep at the wheel? I see this a lot around here. Turning without using a signal1. I see this constantly. I've noticed that a lot of people will get into a lane that will soon be blocked by a parked car. If you're in the lane next to them then they gun it and try to cut you off before getting stuck behind the parked car. This is not only dangerous, but insane, and yet I witness it almost daily when driving in the city. Please understand understand that driving a massive SUV with the ability to crush all cars on either side of you does not abdicate you from your personal and legal responsibility to signal while switching lanes. Thanks. In Rochester, a yellow light doesn't mean "caution", it means "go faster, now!". Also, the first few seconds of red are a special shade of yellow which can be seen only by those who have been driving in Rochester for a few years. The first road-coating snowfall introduces two new and equally dangerous drivers to the mix: the clueless half-speed driver who believes they are cautious and the oblivious "just-like-it's-dry" driver. Go ahead and honk! At intersections, the lack thereof, people you know - even people you don't know! It lets other drivers and pedestrians know that you're important. Speed limits are for wimps! Do 65 on the 55mph portion of 390 and 75 on the 65mph portion. Any cruising speed is apparently acceptable on 590, provided you never go below 65, even though the posted limit is 55.2 Local roads should be taken at 40-45 (50, if you're really in a hurry) whenever possible. Be sure to leave your car running when you stop in at a convenience store in the winter. The engine (apparently) could freeze if left off for even 2 minutes in the frigid, frigid cold. And don't worry; as the 49th largest urban area in the United States, there couldn't possibly be any auto theft. Most stops signs are optional, especially ones in parking lots. The only reason there are so many is because they are cheaper than yield signs. Many people in Rochester are distracted while driving. Here is a list of things you should not do while driving a motor vehicle, especially at high speeds: Use a cell phone, especially if you tend to talk with your hands Read a book or magazine Beat your spouse Apply makeup Try to pick something up off the floor Drinking from 40-oz. bottles (they block your view) Certain sexual activities any more? Also see: Ford St and South Plymouth Ave Traffic Roundabout 1Seasoned drivers can identify "implied turns" by the position of the car in the lane, the speed relative to typical speed on the roadway, and the point-of-view of the driver as indicated by head position and motion.2An exception is made occasionally for cars in the far left lane, where it is acceptable to travel at 45mph, provided you are far away from an exit.

Retail

Brodsky Textile Corporation

HISTORY OF BRODSKY TEXTILE "Brodsky's Famous for Fabrics" Rochester’s largest textile store had its beginnings in 1929 when Hannah Brodsky, a native of Budapest, Hungry and her husband, Abraham Brodsky, a native of Russia, opened Brodsky’s New York Bargain Store at 414 Joseph Avenue in Rochester, New York. In 1933 Hannah Brodsky opened another store at 406 Joseph Avenue, and named it the Brodsky Textile Store. During its first 25 years, the business grew so much that it started to outgrow its Joseph Avenue location. Originally set up for retail business, the site could not handle the additional sales to suppliers and institutional and industrial users of fabrics. By 1955, a constantly expanding business motivated the Brodsky family to expand the company’s business with a branch store to be located at 870 West Main Street in the Bull’s Head district of Rochester. The family by that time included brothers Samuel, Mort, Irving and Maurice along with brother-in–law Nathan Portno, who all working alongside the matriarch of the family, Hannah, in the business. Hannah Brodsky remained president of Brodsky Textile with her sons, Maurice and Morton Brodsky and son-in-law Nathan Portno as Vice Presidents, with Irving Brodsky as Secretary and Samuel Brodsky as Treasurer. The grand opening of this store took place in February, 1956. At that time Brodsky Textile was the largest textile store in Western New York and one of the largest in the country. The new store featured the company’s large selection of fashion fabrics, along with drapery and slipcover materials. Departments were also devoted to notions, which included threads, buttons, patterns and zippers along with drapery hardware. The original store at 406-416 remained as the company’s headquarters and anchor store. By 1960 the Bull’s Head store was closed and a new location was chosen for a new main store. The company bought the site of the old Elks Club at 111-113 Clinton Avenue North. The Elks’ building was soon demolished and a new, 23,100 square foot building of masonry and steel was constructed. The first floor along with the basement was to be the retail space for the textile company and the second floor was to be rented as office space. The location, Clinton Avenue North near the corner of Franklin and Andrews Streets was chosen due to it being one of the busiest intersections in Rochester. The original plan for the Joseph Avenue store was to keep the store open and become a branch of the Clinton Avenue main store, but before the new store opened on Clinton Avenue, a decision was made to sell the store on Joseph Avenue and concentrate the business at the new store. Eventually the building on Joseph Avenue would be sold to Grossman’s Plumbing and Supply. In 1961 Brodsky Textile moved into its new location. It had free parking next to the store and was open Monday, Wednesday and Friday 9:30AM to 6PM, Tuesday and Thursday until 9PM and Saturday until 6PM. The business thrived at its new location. Grandchildren of Hannah Brodsky enjoyed working in the store during evenings and summers and some of them went on to become full time employees. Custom made draperies became a niche of the fabric store and their annual Washington Birthday Sale around Washington’s Birthday always remained an event customers would flock to in February. Industrial customers, like Eastman Kodak, looked to Brodsky’s for supplying specialty fabrics and dressmakers would always go to Brodsky’s first looking for the perfect fabric for their custom made clothing and drapes. Customers came in looking for Mrs, Brodsky and her family with questions on fabric, patterns, and accessories. The customers knew that they would get expert advice for their projects and expert service on their custom made drapery. In November, 1962, Hannah Brodsky, at the age of 73, died of a heart attack. Until her death she worked in the fabric business and also worked with her daughter Bea Portno at their antique shop, H.B. Antique Shop located at 649 Monroe Avenue. Mrs. Brodsky would be truly missed by not only her family but also her loyal customers. During the late 50’s, Samuel Brodsky, who became the store’s buyer in addition to his other duties at the fabric store and the textile company, began to delve into real estate. Having been involved in the expansion of the fabric store and its real estate growth, Sam decided to spend more time on its real estate ventures and reduce the amount of time he spent on the day to day operation of the fabric store. He continued running the fabric business with his family and continued his buying trips to New York City to purchase fabric for the retail and commercial business, but at the same time he also started branching out into the planning, development and construction of other unrelated real estate projects along with his brother, Mort. Eventually, the two brothers went on to become major real estate developers in the Rochester area. While the real estate ventures grew, Sam realized that he could no longer devote time to the fabric business. He made the decision to give his full attention to the expanding real estate business and turn over the everyday duties of the fabric business to other family members. During the 60’s and early 70’s, Brodsky nephews, working with other family members and long time employees, started to take on major positions and job duties in the fabric business. In 1974, with the sale of custom draperies expanding, a branch store for drapery fashion was opened at 949 Monroe Avenue. This store was soon closed as customers still preferred the Clinton Avenue store. Finally in 1975 the stock of the Brodsky Textile Corporation was sold to one brother, Maurice Brodsky who eventually moved the fabric store to Jefferson Plaza opposite Southtown Plaza on Jefferson Road. After several years at its new location and under the sole ownership of Maurice Brodsky, the fabric store was closed. Brodsky’s, “Rochester’s Largest Textile Store”, is still fondly remembered by its many customers who made it a point to visit the store for its fabric selection and to enjoy the hospitality that was always extended to its shoppers, its extended family.

Retail

Public Market

A variety of merchandise for sale at the Public Market. Photo by rchappo2002 The Rochester Public Market is one of the cheapest places to shop in Rochester. It is a bit crowded, and you have to use your brain. Goods are very cheap, but there is a whole range of quality. Some vendors are selling backstock that has been sitting in a warehouse for two weeks, while others are selling vegetables that they picked the day before from their farm or backyard garden. Produce is generally very high quality and at very low prices. Many large bags/boxes of food can be bought for around $1 each. $10 could feed you for two weeks. Located just northeast of downtown. Follow the signs. Be careful, the signs may be deceiving and send you in the wrong direction or unsuspectingly onto the Inner Loop. It is recommended to look up good directions before going. Saturdays are the big day when everyone is there; Tuesdays are much lighter, and Thursdays are a happy medium. On Saturdays, parking is often a bit of an adventure, although new satellite lots on the West side of North Union Street have improved the situation in recent years. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, you'll probably be able to find a good spot inside the market grounds. "At the Market" Special Events Schedule 2011 (from http://www.cityofrochester.gov/marketevents/) Community Garage Sales: Sundays, 8:00AM to 2:00PM: Community Garage Sales have finished for 2011. Flower City Sundays 8:00AM to 2:00PM: Flow City Sundays have finished for 2011. Artist Row: Finished for 2011. Festival of Food: TBA Night Markets and Bands on the Bricks: TBA Holidays at the Market: Sundays, 8:00AM to 2:00PM - 12/4, 12/11, 12/18 Notes and References See also Union St. Market Photo Links more pictures from the public market Photos: Public Market December 2005 by RocPic.Com Photos: Public Market August 2003 by RocPic.Com Hours, directions, and more information Site of the Greatest Community Garage Sale and Bands on the Bricks. Sites of the Friends of the Public Market and Friends of the Public Market FaceBook network page and RocPubMart Flickr page. Shopping Suggestions This is a rough guide for shopping at a public market for people who aren't used to public markets. Shopping at a public market is a lot different from a grocery store, since you have many people selling goods in proximity. Instead of blindly following a metal cart down fluorescent-lit aisles, you will end up fighting crowds, meeting people, and often getting awesome deals. Don't Buy the First Thing: You need potatoes? Don't go to the first stand. Wander around. See who is selling how much at what price. Timing Matters: What you get at what price depends on what time you shop. Show up at 7:00AM, and you will find a great selection of fresh stuff, and plenty of room to move, but you will have to pay the marked price. If you show up 1/2 hour before the place closes, you can often get cheap prices as people try to dump their stuff before going home. You will also be getting all of the goods people have passed over throughout the day. Try different sellers: If you get good fresh produce at one place, you will probably get good produce from them. But there might be someone 3 stalls away selling fresh stuff for less. Shop around, check out what each vendor has for sale. Be sure to check out Juan and Maria's Empanada Stop on Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays. You might also try Scott's Original food stand. History The public market has been in operation since 1827, making it one of the oldest continuously operating farmers' markets in the nation. It was originally located in what is now the downtown area, and extended over the Genesee River at the west end of the Main Street Bridge. It was then later relocated to the Center Market on the east side of the river between the Andrews Street Bridge and the Sister Cities Pedestrian Bridge. In 1905 it was once again relocated to what it is now its current location off of North Union Street in the Marketview Heights Neighborhood. Awards The Public Market was voted "Best Place to People Watch" in City Newspaper's 'Best Of' Awards in 2008, and "Best Public Market" in 2009.12 Comments You may make your Public Market comments and additions on one of the following pages: Public Market/Reviews - Your Reviews of the Vendors and the Market itself Public Market/Vendors - A place for Vendor information or links to Vendor Pages or websites Public Market/Talk - Discussion about the Page itself (content, design, layout, etc.) 1http://www.rochestercitynewspaper.com/entertainment/guides/2008/11/BEST-OF-ROCHESTER-2008-Readers-choice/2http://rochestercitynewspaper.com/entertainment/guides/2009/11/BEST-OF-09-Readers-Choice-Shopping/

Retail

Alpaca Country Clothing and Gifts

Alpaca Country Clothing and Gifts is a fashion store for men, women, teens, children and the home! They sell clothing along with accessories and outerwear, bedding, raw fiber, roving and yarn. The store was originally located at the four corners in the Village of Pittsford, but moved in December 2010 back to the farm location in Bloomfield. The farm is located just North of Routes 5 & 20, in between Route 64 and Route 65. For information on farm tours see Lazy Acre Alpacas. The store is owned by Mark and Sharon Gilbride and managed by Dawn Nicole Johnson. When the Stairs are a Barrier Those unable to do stairs can have items brought down the stairs to you. About Alpacas and Their Fiber What makes alpaca special: items made from our fiber are naturally hypoallergenic, organic and flame retardant, the warmest fiber on the planet (even when wet), stronger and softer than wool or cashmere, naturally windproof, easy to care for, stays cleaner longer than other fabrics (is lanolin free and doesn't hold dust), is stain and wrinkle resistant,...and along with so much more, while alpaca fiber can be dyed, alpacas naturally come in over 22 colors - such fashionable animals! Also, alpacas are happy animals and good friends to the earth - they are used only for their fiber (sheared once a year) and can live up to 25 years! They're basically easy-going animals and are good to the earth in many ways, including through their unique grazing habits and softly padded feet which help combat erosion, protect water supplies..they "mow" rather than trample their pastures! So if you have loved alpaca for years or if you don't even know what an alpaca is, but are curious to find out, please come visit our store and learn more, or share your alpaca stories - we'd love to hear them!

Retail

Putting Your Business on RocWiki

The Putting Your Business on RocWiki page provides information and resources for business owners, or their customers, to create a presence for the business on RocWiki. RocWiki is a great place to provide basic information about Rochester region businesses - no matter how small or large - even home-based businesses. If you have a business or wish to share information about a business located in the Rochester region that has a product or service to offer our residents, then, the business should appear here on RocWiki. Steps Type Name - Click2View Search Result - Click2View Create Options - Click2View Gather Data together to put in the entry: Name, Address, Phone, Hours, Handicap Access, Alcohol Sold, Website, Email or Contact, Review Links Create a brief Neutral Point of View description of the company start it with a topic sentence beginning with the company name in Bold, perhaps the city/town/village where the business is located, the type of business. For unfamiliar terms and abbreviations, locate a Wikipedia or other online reference and link the term to the reference. For Example: " ... startup company providing prestidigitation and mashups to ..." Sign on to RocWiki - See Registering on RocWiki if you are not a RocWiki User yet. Type Name for the page into the Search Box (make sure you capitalize) and click Search Button. For Example My New Company LLC Click on the "Create a new page with this title?" Click on the "Create as Business" option - this will provide a template for making the business entry - see Template Info. Edit the Template using the company's information. Save the Page Create Links to your page - Find a RocWiki category for the business or other RocWiki pages that relate to the business and edit them with links to the new page. Simply click on Edit, scrolled down to the list (usually alpha or by locality) of businesses like the new one and enter: ["My New Company LLC"] - provides help and examples. Food and Beverage: Bars, Restaurants (click down through categories) Retail Stores and Services - see Shopping and click through to related category Business Services - in addition to Shopping, see Small Business Resources and Companies Search RocWiki for keywords describing the business to see how other editors have linked similar subject pages. Things to Avoid Duplication of website material - Let the interested viewer go to the company website for information. A terse quotation of the business or organizational mission or services might be in order if the typical viewer would not otherwise understand what is offered. Inserting multiple website links - lots of links to the company's website (in the listing or on other RocWiki pages) may appear to other editors as "spamming" or attempts at "search engine optimization" and could impact on RocWiki's "Spam Index". First person and solicitation language - don't use We or I - the page is RocWiki communicating to the viewer, it is not your company's ad, brochure, or other promo. Solicitation language - RocWiki pages should not solicit business; language like Call us, Email us, Visit our website, etc must be avoided. RocWiki provides information, but does not recommend or direct the viewer to take action. Other References: Wiki Community - The top level of help about our RocWiki Community Wiki Community/Manual of Style - information on RocWiki suggested standards for entries Wiki Community/Welcome Business Owner - RocWiki's Welcome page for business owners with things to keep in mind. Wiki Community/Welcome Business Owner/Talk - a discussion page regarding the above page. Templates/Business - the actual location of the Template for creating a business listing - may be subject to change Business Template/Talk - a discussion page - some historic efforts on template Most Prolific Editors - Users by Edit Count - you can see what things get changed and maybe why. Click on the Users Name, then the "Info" button, and finally their "Users Info" tab to see the list of their edits. Whose Been On Lately list of Users sorted by Last Page Edited date Other RocWiki Resources Deals - you may list the company here if it offers coupons or special discounts for RocWiki browsers

Retail

Pittsford Optical/Archives

ADMIN NOTE: After further investigation and discussion it has been discovered that there is current litigation underway between Pittsford Optical and Sterling Optical. SeesClearlyNow is a poster from Sterling Optical (it's their tag line). Also some of the comments positive in nature to Pittsford Optical were done (and fully admitted to) by Pittsford Optical staff. These were a response to possible planted comments from Sterling Optical staff. All of the comments below have been discovered to be involved in this matter. We do not feel it is appropriate for it to be fought out on RocWiki and are locking these comments to avoid the two parties using RocWiki for this purpose. This page is locked. If you feel this page should not be locked, please contact the Mailing List. 2009-11-19 15:45:01 This guy Sam Tadros is a fraud and a complete shyster. He ripped me off big time when he was running the Sterling Optical store on Monroe Ave I heard they kicked him out and good riddance. Here's what other people say about Sam Tadros: innyabc at Citysearch On 1/15/09 I was the last appointment at 6:30 pm for a "recheck" on my eye exam from 2/08. Sam Tadros spent approximately 10 minutes examining my eyes and said my prescription changed and I now needed progressive eye wear. Sam wrote up the order and briefly went through the original cost and after insurance (Spectera Vision Coverage) cost - no breakdown what insurance covered. I thought it seemed quite "high priced" and he referred to it as an investment for daily eyewear. He stated that they would send the order to their NY City lab the next day and it would be approximately 7days. Upon further consideration that evening and given the instability of my employment, I phoned this location at 8:30 am (hours 10 - 7pm), then again at 10am I and spoke directly with Sam Tadros and told him with my employment being at risk I wanted to cancel the order and perhaps use my existing frames to reduce the cost. He told me he thought "Jeff" had already sent the order to the lab. I asked that he contact the lab to let them know that I wanted to cancel the order. He said he would contact the lab and ask them to hold the order and that when I knew for sure if my employment status to let him know early the following week. I gave him my work number and asked if he could let me know that he made contact with the lab. After placing two more phone calls (spoke to Heather and Jeff leaving messages), I received no return phone call back. That same day 1/16, my husband went directly to the store and spoke with Sam seeking a credit for cancelling the original order. Sam pointed to a sign on the wall saying "no returns". My husband restated that the request was to cancel the order before the order was processed. There was no cancellation or return policy noted on the receipt. I have pursued legal council. On a positive note, Sterling Optical in Farmington who I formerly dealt with before moving closer within Rochester, was a wonderfully positive experience. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I would highly advise against this office of Sterling. The staff is cold, condescending, abrupt and downright rude. We have been customers since the office opened and have been unhappy for years but recently the service (or lack of it) has become more than we could bear. This is the only retail business I have visited in my lifetime where it is clear that there is absolutely ZERO value placed on customer service. I thought I would get somewhere when I phoned to speak to the owner, Sam Tadros. I left FOUR messages for him in three weeks time. NONE of the calls were returned. When I finally called back and got him on the phone, he was rude and cut me off continually and did not fix the problems. Worst of all , he didnt even apologize for not calling back or for the issues we have been having there. I dont think I was able to finish one sentence before he cut me off and spoke over me. Anything that could have gone wrong ...has gone wrong for the past year. I phoned another office of Sterling and they stated this is not a very common set of complaints for them to hear about this office. We have transferred out to another Sterling office and wish we did it sooner. Pros: None Cons: Rude, Bad Service, Expensive, Tardy on Refills, Condescending or Aloof staff —DisgruntledCustomer 2009-11-19 20:49:36 I agree with the previous comment. See my comment on the Sterling Optical page for my experience with Sam Tadros. —EastSideStephen 2010-01-01 01:00:51 This guy Sam Tadros was previously the franchise owner of sterling optical on Monroe. He was kicked out due to his poor performance and uncountable customer complaints. He now opened Pittsford Optical (with the old phone number). I can't believe this guy is still in business. See previous comments at https://rocwiki.org/Sterling_Optical#preview ——this is the comment that I copied from Sterling optical—- As of August 1, 2009, the Sterling Optical located in the Pittsford Colony Plaza on Monroe Ave. was re-acquired by the orginal franchise owners. Returning as office manager is Joanne Backus, NYS licensed optician, and as optometrist, Edward Davis, O.D. Please call our new telephone number, 585-248-0086, with any questions or concerns. Sam Tadros and his staff are no longer associated with Sterling Optical. In violation of a court order, the previous telephone number, 585-383-8320 still rings through to Mr. Tadros and his staff. Please reach the Monroe Avenue Sterling Optical directly at 585-248-0086. —bigsmile111 2010-02-16 13:52:51 I drive by this Pittsford Optical store on a daily basis, but have never heard anyone buying from them. I did a google search before I went to see if I could find anything about the company or the styles of frames they carry. I was pretty shocked to read all of the bad comments about them. I decided to visit anyway to see what they were all about. I have to say, these comments listed here are sad. I found the store clean, modern, inviting with a ton of fashion style frames available for me to try on. The staff was professional and super helpful. Heather helped me pick out at least ten frames that I loved. We went over my insurance and the total costs. I finally decided on buying two pair of eye glasses. They called me about five days later to inform me that my glasses were in. I picked them up that very day. I can not say enough out Pittsford Optical. They were amazing to work with. I have even taken my elderly mother back to get her a new pair of glasses too. I would recommend stopping by and make the decision for yourself. Sam Tadros (as stated in the other comments,) is not even part of this location. It's too bad. I loved my experience. —TammyArnold 2010-03-03 20:34:09 Sounds like Tammy arnold was one of the few who had a good experience. What kind of rating would that garner on the likes of lets say Ebay? —johnsmith1961 2010-03-04 14:43:58 I thought I would take a second to tell my story since the reviews for Pittsford Optical are so horrible. Sounds like the Sterling Optical Store is trying to win some business by trying to sucker people into believing some stories that are not ture about Pittsford Optical. I purchased my glasses from the new Pittsford Optical Store in January 2010. I originally went to Sterling Optical down the street because they take my insurance. After being greeted by a half class sales woman, I was then told a long, detailed story about Pittsford Optical. They had only bad things to say. So I decided to take a drive to Pittsford Optical to see for myself. After spending some time looking through their frames, I got talking with the gal behind the counter. I mentioned that I just came from Sterling Optical. She smiled and said, "Did you find anything you liked?" I explained my experience and how they went off on a tangent about how awful Pittsford Optical is. She thanked me for giving them a chance. She was never pushy. She helped me in selecting a few frames. I ended up buying a great updated frame and a new pair of lenses. I think they are called Transistions. They are the type that go from clear to sunglasses. I'd rather get quality products at great prices vs. going into a chain store and having their trashy employees bad mouth another store. It shows no class. I just want to buy a pair of glasses. Take a few extra minutes and walk into Pittsford Optical. You will be glad you did. I am a business owner too. Keep in mind that anyone can go online, create a user name and password and say anything they want to say. Did you notice that there are no names listed for the other complaints?? Do you notice they use names like "bigsmile" and "johnsmith"? That should tell you something. I think that the owners and employees from Sterling are going on this website and creating the reviews themselves. Pittsford Optical gained my business. I am a very happy customer. —LouCox 2010-03-06 18:24:35 Its also possible the positive comments came from employees of Pittsford Optical? Seems odd that someone would go out of there way to bring up the drama between Sterling and Pittsford Optical, while leaving a positive review.... Both times? Makes it seem quite fabricated actually. The games people play. —johnsmith1961 2010-03-08 09:41:46 I notice that the 'person' posting under the name 'TammyArnold' has been banned from RocWiki for repeatedly vandalizing this page. "2010-02-22 15:47:18 Tammy-you and your alter ego Mthompson have been banned due to repeat vandalization of the Pittsford Optical page. Any concerns over this can be directed to the RocWiki Googlegroup at xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx" Obviously the same person posting from the same IP Address. I notice that when you call the number for Pittsford Optical you get a voice message that tells you what Sterling Optical's phone number is also. It must be true then about this court order thing about Sam Tadros stealing the other store's phone number. I also note that you can't find out anything about Pittsford Optical... no website, no doctor, not even any hours of business. All things you'd expect to be public from a reputable business. I mean really... you call their phone number and you get a choice to call their competitor instead? —SeesClearlyNow 2010-03-08 19:41:07 I think you meant that tammy arnold was banned from vandalizing the sterling optical page? The answering machine gives out sterlings phone number cause they are obviously tired of answering the phone calls from people looking for sterling. You would probably get tired of it too.Guess they didnt think of that beforehand, much like many of the things they dont think of beforehand and the consequences that follow. seesclearlynow...lol thats a hoot.... Old saying...what goes around comes around, kind of like spectacles in a weird funny way. —johnsmith1961

Retail

Mike's Bicycle Shop

Mike's Bicycle Shop was a local bicycle repair shop where the owners, both father and son, were unfortunate victims of violence. A D&C Article about what has occurred is no longer available, however a synopsis of what occurred is outlined below: Mike's Bike Shop was a little bicycle repair store operated out of a makeshift garage on the city's west side. It wasn't much, but it was an honest enterprise with one mission: giving back to the community. At the helm was an elderly man who happened to be a retired auto mechanic and was quite handy with tools. The owner sought to salvage what others saw as trash to create usable items people could enjoy. Bicycles, lawn mowers, television sets, you name it. His name was Wesley "Michael" Scott. His business was essentially a one man show, mainly kept afloat by selling bicycles to children or underprivileged families for a mere couple dollars a piece. If a customer couldn't pay, he'd give them away for free. Mike Scott was an all around selfless, god-fearing individual who was extremely proud to be giving back to his community. In addition to repairing bikes, he would also teach children how to keep their equipment safe and riding smoothly. Despite his kindhearted nature, his life was sadly filled to the brim with tragedy. Mike's son, Samuel, was murdered back in 1993, shot in the head on Smith Street in a drug deal gone bad. Samuel's girlfriend was also shot twice in the chest and neck, but survived. From what I understand, this deeply effected Mike to the core and changed his whole outlook on life. Later, Mike would survive a prostate cancer diagnosis and decided to ramp up his bicycle repair shop on Jefferson Avenue in the late 1990s. Unfortunately due to circumstance, he would become the victim of armed robbery on severe occasions. From early on, the shop was frequently burglarized. Neighborhood teens would steal bicycles, harass Mike and honestly turn a wholesome place into a hostile environment. In one incident, an intruder broke into the shop and held Mr. Scott at gunpoint, threatening to kill him just like his son, before ultimately sparing his life and only taking his wallet. These continued threats never deterred Mr. Scott from showing up to work. He operated his business rain, snow or shine, every single day. Unfortunately on September 29, 2008 an altercation occurred nearby the shop. As a result, Mike was stabbed in the back part of his shoulder. He collapsed on the vacant land next to his business, near the corner of Jefferson Avenue and Brown Street. He was rushed to the hospital by emergency services, but was pronounced dead on the table at Strong Memorial Hospital. A suspect was caught and arrested roughly two months after the homicide investigation began. I won't publish his name due to the details surrounding the case, but a (then) 21 year old city man was charged with Mike Scott's murder. Initially he denied any involvement in the murder, however a confession would come, along with claims he was only defending himself to save his own life. The details get screwy from here. During the trial, it was argued that the homicide suspect arrived at an abandoned home adjacent to Mike's Bike Shop to do some yard work for the elderly community member. Upon arrival, rather than receive work instructions from Scott, he was met with a knife and allegedly Scott attempted to force the young man to have sex with him in the vacant home. The suspect struggled with Scott and used the same knife which was initially pulled on him, to defend himself against a sexual assault. The jury accepted this claim after hearing further evidence that Scott would routinely bring sleeping bags and blankets inside the vacant property. The suspect was acquitted of Wesley "Michael" Scott's murder in July 2009. Whether or not justice was served, I have no idea, but everything about this case is deeply upsetting and it's a shame this man had to lose his life and become another victim of violence. The fact that the storefront remains in a dilapidated condition over a decade later is a testament to the state of the neighborhood. The previous address given - 7955 Exchange Boulevard, Rochester, New York 14614 is not a valid address.

Retail

Max Market

Max Market was a small market selling prepared meals as well as meats, cheeses, seafood, and baked goods. They also offered products from Flour City Pasta and locally grown produce. The store was owned by Chef Tony Gullace who owns several places in Rochester named Max. It used to be located in the Monroe Clover Plaza a few stores from Mann's Jewelers in the old Atlanta Bread Company location. Despite a sign on the door in April of 2012 that it had plans to reopen after renovations, it never did so.

Retail

Fleet Feet

Pics from the Armory location. Fleet Feet is a franchise runners' shoe, clothing, and accessories store owned and operated by Rochester natives Ellen and Dave "Boots" Boutillier. Boots was a nine-time member of the US National Team and won a Gold Medal at Duathlon World Championship in 1996 in Italy. The bike he rode to the championship was built by local framebuilder Rob Stowe and is on display at Fleet Feet. They are also the owners of Yellow Jacket Racing, a sports event management company that promotes races in the Rochester area. Originally at 2210 Monroe Avenue in Brighton, they moved to the Culver Road Armory in February 2014. They have a second location at The Shops at High Point opened on September 14, 2019. Links Thank you Brighton - RocRun blog from the Democrat and Chronicle (2014-01-27)

Retail

Lovely A. Warren

Ms. Warren was sworn in as the 69th mayor of Rochester, New York in 2015 (including interim mayors), and as the first female mayor of Rochester. She was previously the president of the Rochester City Council. (List of mayors of Rochester) Her administration immediately faced issue with her grandfather dying the week of being sworn in to office. There was controversy with the disclosure of her husband's (Timothy Granison) juvenile arrest record, conflict of interest questions involving her corporation counsel, and an ethics investigation into her creation of a security detail managed by her uncle, which followed her uncle being stopped on the Thruway for speeding twice. The speeding controversy: Several days after Warren's visit to Albany for the State of the State address, an Albany newspaper reported that her car had been pulled over for doing 97 miles an hour but was not ticketed. Warren's uncle—who is also her security guard and in the middle of a nepotism investigation—was driving. Warren initially would not comment on the stop, then eventually said that he was doing "maybe over 80 but not more than 90". Warren denied that they were stopped on the way down to Albany, only on the way back. While there was still some chatter on the media and on social media about why anyone doing 97 miles per hour was let go, it was reported that they were indeed also stopped on the way down. Not long after, the city ethics committee investigated, admonished Warren's uncle suspended him without pay. Warren then held an interview in which she blamed the early troubles of her administration on a combination of her being distracted by her grandfather's death and opposition in the media trying to bring her down. She has approved many projects included CityGate and getting a grocery store in downtown Rochester (which closed in 2019). Black Lives Matter protests, 2020: "Outsiders – and I do mean outsiders – not from our city, not from our community, decided to set police cars on fire," Mayor Lovely A. Warren said Saturday, May 30, 2020, referring to violence following Black Lives Matter protests. Over the next several days, the Democrat & Chronicle reported the arrests of several suspects, all Rochester area residents. Events surrounding the Killing of Daniel Prude, 2020: On September 2, the general public learned of Mr. Prude's death. Ms. Warren initially announced her support for the police, including chief Le'Ron Singletary. On September 8, following public protests and Singletary's perceived mistreatment, Singletary announced his retirement along with the departure or demotion of most of the police command staff. Mr. Singletary planned to serve until the end of September, but was fired on September 14 by Ms. Warren following a report detailing a prolonged coverup by various city officials. The report was unclear about when Ms. Warren learned of Prude's encounter with the police. Indictment on campaign finance violations, 2020: On October 2, 2020, a grand jury indicted Ms. Warren on charges of "scheme to defraud" and an election law offense concerning coordinating activities and expenditures. The charges are related to Warren's 2017 mayoral re-election campaign. Also indicted were two associates of Warren during the campaign, Albert Jones Jr. and Rosiland Brooks-Harris. House searched, husband arrested, 2021: On May 19, 2021, Ms. Warren's house was searched by the New York State Police, and Mr. Granison was arrested, as part of a sting on a drug ring (referred to as "mid-level" by Monroe County District Attorney Sandra Doorley). The overall evidence (for the whole drug ring, not just Granison) includes drugs, cash and weapons. At this writing, Granison has been arrested and has pleaded not guilty (no trial, yet). Warren claimed the timing (three weeks before a mayoral primary) is politically motivated, and Doorley has denied any political motivation. On July 16, 2021, Ms. Warren and Mr. Granison were indicted on charges of illegally possessing weapons and child endangerment. The couple were married but estranged while living in the same house with their 10-year-old daughter. Primary defeat, 2021: On June 22, 2021, Ms. Warren and city council member Malik D. Evans were on the ballot for the Democratic Party mayoral primary. Evans won 66% to 34%. Resolution of criminal charges, 2021: As noted above, Ms. Warren faced multiple charges related to political campaigns, weapons and child endangerment, some of which were felony charges. On October 4, 2021, her trial on the campaign finance charges began. Ms. Warren, Mr. Jones and Ms. Brooks-Harris all pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of knowingly exceeding allowed campaign contribution limits. All other charges were reported to be "resolved". Ms. Warren agreed to resign her position as mayor by December 1, 2021, and the three were subjected to a conditional discharge that expires after one year if they avoid additional charges (in progress as of this writing). Ms. Warren retained all earned benefits, such as her pension. Note that since Ms. Warren would be absent from the ballot for the November, 2021 mayoral election, she would leave office on January 1, 2022 in any case. Warren resigned December 1, 2021.

Retail

:nook

:nook (AKA nook) was a very cute and painfully hip book/gift/music/home-decor boutique that used to be located in the 'hip strip' of the South Wedge, on South Avenue near Open Face Sandwich Eatery, Lux, and Godiva's. This store fit a unique niche in Rochester, and there was VERY little overlap between this shop and any other stores in Rochester. They sold artsy day planners, CDs, LPs, magazines, clothes, bags, furniture, rugs... with a strong appeal to young apartment dwellers. The owner, MarcVera, seems very friendly, although some people have a mixed opinion of his friendliness/the store's hipness. It was awesome to see this place open up - it's sort of a "way cooler than urban outfitters" place (hope that assessment doesn't make the management ill.) Store hours changed depending on the season. :nook was the area's exclusive home for blu dot furniture, the original fatboy, baby furniture from oeuf, and was the only place in Rochester to find items from: Sukie, Whimsy Press, fomato, Seraph, Robert Le Heros, Wired, gg2g, loop, Lynn Muir, modern basics, kiwi industries, Silent Revolution, MissPrint, k studios, and more. Want to read reviews or impressions of the of the shop? Visit the old nook Talk Page!

Retail

Abbott's Frozen Custard

Abbott's on Lake Ave in Charlotte, 6-2008 Abbott's Frozen Custard (usually referred to simply as "Abbott's") is a locally-based national chain serving locally famous custard, a variation on ice cream. Most stores have seasonal hours that cater to the spring/summertime. It is wise to call ahead and verify each location's hours of operation. Mall franchise locations typically operate year-round, following standard mall hours of operation. The Abbott's Downtown location is unique in that it serves a full food menu, three meals a day. Abbott's custard is also available in several local Bill Gray's locations. They also offer catering. On May 20, 2023, a drive thru store was opened at the previous Bruster's/Happy days on the go location. Awards Voted "Best Ice Cream/Frozen Custard/Frozen Yogurt" by City Newspaper's 'Best of Rochester' Awards in 2015.1 Awarded the Democrat & Chronicle's Rochester's Choice Award for "Ice Cream" in 2007.2 Voted "Best Ice Cream Shop" in City Newspaper's 'Best Of' Awards in 2008.3 Voted "Best Place for Dessert" in City Newspaper's 'Best Of' Awards in 2009 and 2010.45 1http://www.rochestercitynewspaper.com/rochester/best-of-rochester-2015-food-and-drink/Content? oid=26622692http://democratandchronicle.com/ads/choice/2007/alphabetical.html3http://www.rochestercitynewspaper.com/entertainment/guides/2008/11/BEST-OF-ROCHESTER-2008-Readers-choice/4http://rochestercitynewspaper.com/entertainment/guides/2009/11/BEST-OF-09-Readers-Choice/5http://www.rochestercitynewspaper.com/entertainment/guides/BEST-OF-ROCHESTER-2010-Restaurants/

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