A rotating restaurant, offices and now an art space. Whatever it is if you can make it to the 21st…read morefloor do it, DO IT! DO IT at sunset for sure, I haven't had the pleasure of a sun rise but I bet it's spectacular.

Your typical office building. There's and M&T Bank branch with after-hours ATM access, a pretty…read moredecent restaurant called The Stock Exchange which is open early and closes at midnight, a dry cleaner, and a convenience store. The best feature is that its right on the river. All entrances are fully handicapped-acessible. A portion of the former SKYWAY includes connections to Reynolds Arcade and the Crossroads Building. The Sister Cities Parking Garage is accessible via elevator. A recent renovation has really brightened the place up!

We took a short walk on this trail and couldn't believe how far this trail goes! This is quite a…read moregreat spot for a walk. Many people and traders on ships cane through here years ago. So much history here we didn't know about! Don't forget to stop for a bite to eat at Hose 22 for a nice lunch it has out door seating as well as inside.

We started the morning of a one-day visit to Rochester by biking 8 miles out from the downtown area…read moreon the Genesee Riverway Bike Trail. As a bike trail, we were rather disappointed.There are some interesting points along the way (nice view of the city, a short span through a waterfront residential area, a great view of their main bridge, the University of Rochester, and some nice park areas), but overall we found that path's difficulty (mainly due to uneven paving, cracks, ill-repair and nearness to highway at one point) to outweigh the touristic value. We got some fascinating views of the Canal, which I wouldn't have wanted to miss. But it is one of those trails we will probably never go on again. Perhaps it is better if you start it out of the city instead?

Anytime we visit Rochester, we have to visit the Eastman Museum. It's a great museum, featuring not…read moreonly the permanent exhibit, the house, the outdoor garden but also the rotating exhibits. Everyone is also very nice and welcoming. I absolutely love photography so I love seeing the old pictures and the cameras that took them. It's so cool to see the evolution of the camera. They also have a few movie cameras too. They also had a whole wall displaying the colors used when Technicolor was first introduced. I also like seeing how much better pictures got over time too. When we visited recently, there was a wonderful exhibit that I absolutely loved. It combined my love of flowers, horticulture and photography. It was so cool that this man grew these beautiful tall flowers across a large portion of his property and photographed it all. He also created some other beautiful pieces. I especially loved three large panels. While touring the house, you see many fascinating items from Eastman's life. It's a beautiful home. You can just imagine the parties he must have hosted there. I would love to have attended a party that he had in his dining room. He had some beautiful things. the foyer where you go to the other rooms or upstairs. He had some interesting artifacts too like his pipe organ that had around 6k pipes. I bet it sounded amazing because there were also buttons that made it sound like a whole orchestra. The gardens there are absolutely beautiful when not under construction. They have so many wonderful varieties of flowers and other plants. I can't wait to go back and see it after the construction is done. There was also a beautiful picture of Macchu Picchu outside. If you love photography, you must visit. They have a nice gift shop too.

This is a house that reflects the zeitgeist and sensibilities of it's first owner, as do Elvis's…read moreGraceland and Hearst's San Simeon. If you're one of the world's richest men, how do you design your home? It turns out, George Eastman, best known for earning camera patents and running a multi-million dollar international firm, had a wild and wacky side. Who else would install not just a cathedral-style Wurlitzer near the central stairwell, but hire an organist to play it every morning at 08:00 as an alarm clock? He once took an African safari and decorated his home liberally with the mementos: An elephant's head is in place of pride in the atrium. Eastman's mother lived to an advanced age, and had her own wing in the house. For me, this was some of the most interesting and personal parts of the house. Her bedroom window had the best view of the formal gardens below. The nurse's quarters were adjacent to hers. The state of the art wheelchair was on display, and looking into the medicine cabinet (behind glass) were the medicine bottles she used. Raise your hand if you're surprised morphine was there? Except for the china pattern, the piano, and the furniture, Mrs. Eastman is almost invisible. Perhaps that was her preference. In summer the gardens are open to the public. There's a gallery/ photography museum next to the house on the first floor; the price of admission is covered in the same visit fee. Seniors, students, children have discounted ticket prices.

Seating for 13 on the van, you can join other friendly travelers or reserve the whole thing. The…read moretour is a great mingling of education and adventure in a wonderful clean, comfortable and intimate setting.

Saturday afternoon fun! Buy your ticket and hop aboard for Flights N' Bites (or whichever Portage…read moretour you're considering). Drinks, food, adventure, and new friends - everything is included. Important to understand- you don't NEED to gather a group or plan ahead to enjoy Rochester's food/drink scene. I loved how you just reserve a seat and take "flight". We were celebrating our anniversary, another couple was celebrating a birthday, others were simply exploring... We started with private tour/tasting @ a distillery, sipped yummy hard cider flights, and enjoyed craft beer tasting at a microbrewery - with snacks along the way. in addition to being very gracious hosts, Jeff & Susan (owners and guides), showed us historic places, beautiful wall art, and shared some unique Rochester history. The bus was comfy & spacious, with places to keep our purchases. With a built-in adventure and safe driver, a Portage Tour would be a perfect girls night, afternoon with out-of-town guests, or birthday celebration (and you don't need to pedal. lol.). Highly recommend for Rochesterians & out-of-town guests alike.

Someone around here has psycho-kinetic powers because they knew the instant I created this listing!…read moreIt's awesome that I added this listing to Yelp about a week ago, and within 2 days of doing so, someone had reviewed it. Way to get in there before me! I'm impressed and I tip my proverbial hat, although I don't wear a hat. Anyway. But it's a glorious old building in the heart of Rochester, with some decent food options inside. It has its own security and doorman and such, and a lovely floral plant-filled area inside, sort of like a courtyard in the middle of a towerblock. The popular hipster Yelpy place inside is Sapori, which doesn't impress me, but it's hella cool to have such a trendy sandwich shop inside such a lovely old NY State building. I say that because the feel of the place could only be NY State, or perhaps somewhere like Cleveland. It's extremely North East. The building is like what Manhattan buildings would have been like in the 50s. I love it. Like Icona Pop, I love it. Now I'm at the peak of my powers, I'll quit this review.

This is one of the most beautiful buildings in Rochester. It also has a hidden gem - one of the…read moremost expansive and impressive atriums around. From inside and out, there's absolutely nothing that isn't short of spectacular! The first floor has retail which includes a tailor, an optometrist, and much more. It also has quite a few sculptures and art pieces. Entrances off of State Street and Main Street lead to the atrium. The atrium itself has another hidden gem in the form of Sapporo's cafe, which will be covered in a later review. Ferns and hostas proliferate throughout this multi-story extravaganza. You really feel like you're in a whimsical garden while walking through the space. Being that it's mostly professionals in the building it's nice and quiet. A perfect spot to read a book or simply have a seat and relax. No matter the weather, you'll leave this space feeling brand new. It's truly remarkable.

I like to visit Mount Hope Cemetery at least once a year. It's quiet beauty and landscapes makes…read morefor a great location to take a walk and enjoy the surroundings. There is lot to observe including grave sites of well known Rochester residents such as Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglass. The cemetery is well maintained and has historical significance throughout its grounds. Free tours are available from May-October with specific details available on the official website. A must visit historical location in Rochester.

Very impressive historic cemetery. Respectfully walked through many areas, eventually finding the…read moregrave of Frederick Douglass and family to pay our respects to a great man.

Liberty Pole is an ever changing Rochester landmark and piece of public art. I was just doing some…read morereading about the Liberty Pole on the Landmark Society's website and didn't know it was built by the same guy who did the mushroom house in Perinton: https://www.landmarksociety.org/liberty-pole/ This is a great meeting spot for the city in a central location, flanked by gorgeous and historical buildings. Watching this part of town develop over time has been and will continue to be something to behold. Stop by if you're visiting!

Liberty Pole Plaza is a downtown feature that holds holiday memories for many Rochestarians. During…read morethe holiday season, the Liberty Pole twinkles at an annual "tree-lighting" ceremony. In the warmer months, the plaza is a great spot to sit and enjoy lunch from a nearby vendor during the workday. Liberty Pole Plaza is also the home to concerts and other gatherings. After the war, poles were erected in communities to commemorate those struggles and celebrate patriotic pride. Rochester's first Liberty Pole was built on this same spot in 1846. When it was destroyed in a storm, the new one went up in 1860, standing proudly at 102 feet tall with a large wooden ball and weather vane.

Love the movie line up. They usually have great movies to watch.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!read more

Such a cute theatre with historic charm. Feels a little bit like stepping back in time. Love that…read morethere's a cafe and not just consessions. The rooms are small but cozy. The screen is a little smaller than the chain theatres, and theres no fancy reclining seats, but this remains an important Rochester staple. There is a small parking lot with limited spaces by the entrance in the back.

I stopped in while in the area about 40 mins before they closed to see if I could take a quick peak…read morearound and they were super accommodating and had a tour guide give me a brief tour with high level talking points. Even with the abbreviated version of the tour I learned so much!! It was so nice to see how they restored the house to match the photos and to see and feel the tour guides passion while giving the tour. I'm glad I made the last minute decision to go, it was such a unique to Rochester experience.

After too long, I finally made it to the Susan B. Anthony House. What was I waiting for??!! The…read morefacilities and tour were amazing! We had the best tour with Matilda! She was full of information and answered my many questions with great knowledge. She was accommodating and patient as we asked questions about the house, its contents as well as historical facts. I would definitely recommend going as soon as possible. And if you get Matilda as your tour guide, it will be a bonus!