Comment Archives: stories
Re: “"American Idol" 2013: Top 4 Performances (AGAIN: 2013/Standards Week)”
Mariah is actually the voice of reason if you get past her "blathering." She saw the potential in Candice over a month ago. It was so wonderful to finally hear Harry call Randy out on his nonsense. Randy and Nicki just talk to talk. Keith is a little cheesy, but like Mariah, he hits on the technicalities. I'd love to see Harry, Keith, and Mariah on the pannel next year.
As for the girls, a clear winner emerged tonight (as if it wasn't already obvious): Candice. Angie and Amber should be next to go, but hopefully Angie first.
Re: “City should turn down University Ave. project”
I agree with you Mike and JAM. It is because of efforts like this that will block Rochester from moving forward. This building is seriously ugly and people had the nerve to complain about Erie harbor apartments. In this case you would be replacing an ugly building with a beautiful one.
Re: “Feedback 5/1”
Fascinating chart correlating voting patterns and gun violence shows that Obama supporters, not the NRA, are overwhelmingly responsible for the latter.
http://rare.us/story/dems-love-guns-no-really-stop-laughing/
Re: “City should turn down University Ave. project”
What would George Eastman do?
Re: “City should turn down University Ave. project”
Cities like Rochester are dying, and a major reason is the toxic, idiotic and un-American ideology that says economic growth can be made to follow the centrally-planned dictates of political pressure groups. If this kind of stupidity prevails, then the city's inevitable demise will be richly deserved.
It's hardly a coincidence that the only places prospering these days are those states and communities that embrace progress and welcome dynamic, creative private investment—without meddling busybodies, mountains of red tape or rapacious taxation.
You can listen to newspaper pundits and dead architects, or you can use your head and face cold, hard facts.
Re: “City should turn down University Ave. project”
I too have been involved in historic preservation efforts, although not for as long as some including Mary Anna. But I find many of the arguments here to be nonsensical.
What's been proposed by Morgan is clearly an improvement over the house and parking lot that is there now. I see no green space now that won't be there after these apartments are built.
The 120 year old, beautiful Cataract Brewery building in the historic High Falls neighborhood was a Designated Building of Historic Value; supposedly protected from demolition. Yet, we had no problem demolishing that so it could be replaced with a HUGE parking lot forever altering the rim of the High Falls gorge.
Here we have the George Eastman House now saying it wants to build a sculpture garden and A PARKING LOT on this site? I really don't see how that would be better than adding residents to this section of University.
Also, I find it a bit ironic this article mentions Louis Kahn. The very first design by Morgan for this site looked like it could have been designed by Kahn himself. Personally, I don't believe his aesthetic or his teachings belong anywhere near this neighborhood.
Re: “SPECIAL EVENT: City Newspaper's 2013 Best Busker Contest”
Bassist: A link to the Google Map is now embedded in the article. Here's the link just in case: https://mapsengine.google.com/map/edit?mid…
Re: “City should turn down University Ave. project”
I'm a former resident of the neighborhood who worked on neighborhood planning matters, including the original ARTWalk and the extension. I've spent hundreds of delightful hours at the George Eastman House, attended several meetings and community events at Monroe Voiture, and, of course, GreekFest. I've been heavily involved in historic preservation, community planning, and neighborhood revitalization. And with all that background, I find that this thorough and thoughtful piece is pretty much spot on.
Nice job, Mary Anna!
Re: “SPECIAL EVENT: City Newspaper's 2013 Best Busker Contest”
Will the map be available online?
Re: “NOTA opposes apartment plan for University Ave.”
This development would be much better located at the corner of Atlantic & Fairmount, on the run down vacant lots controlled by the MUCCC. There, future residents would be much more likely to walk or bike to destinations, rather than the farther removed Monroe Voiture property. But that is the developer's call.
My big problem with this and other apartment proposals is the amount of parking "required" to make the proposal "viable." It seems as though our city is finally on the rebound, with more and more interest in development. Now would be a good time to start thinking about how to rid this city of its car-dependency. Parking lots are not our city's path to vibrancy. If we cannot improve our prospects for car-free living, our current rebound will be very short-lived. This means continuing the City's push for better walking and bicycling, but also incentivizing active first-floor uses, expanding car-sharing opportunities (ZipCar), starting a bike-sharing program, and working with RGRTA on more and better transit options (i.e., increased bus frequency, Bus Rapid Transit, Streetcar, and yes, even light rail). It will also require smarter land use planning on the regional level to discourage Victor-style sprawl and instead, build more compact communities that have a fighting chance at being transit-supportive.
Re: “SPECIAL EVENT: City Newspaper's 2013 Best Busker Contest”
This is gonna be fun!
Re: “ART/LIT: "An Early Work Late in Life: The Art and Life of Danny Allen"”
I have read Bill Whiting's book "An Early Work Late In Life", and it did indeed scorch my heart and move my soul. Ms. Rafferty's review and interpretations about the book are spot-on. I had the opportunity to participate as a friend in Mr. Whiting's final approach to his publication and the concurrent debut at MAG's art opening in March of this year. It was a stunning constellation of fears, hopes and bewilderment at the power and responsibilities inherent in book publishing amid personal angst. But Bill has emerged unscathed and the stronger for his experience. It boggles the mind that, a short twelve months ago, this endeavor was not even on his radar screen. And I would bet my signed first edition that in April 2012, "Sunny Ducks" by Danny Allen was still deep in its Rumpelstiltskin slumber, safe in the archival tissue Bill had wrapped it in forty years ago, so dark the vault.
Re: ““Doctor Who” Season 7: “Journey to the Center of the TARDIS””
Clara being River and the Doctor's daughter is interesting, but I feel like that's too easy.
I also caught Christopher Eccelston's voice when that salvage crew member got shocked. My husband mentioned about the "Smiths" key that he thought he's called himself Smith once or twice in the past. Maybe to hide who he was for a purpose.
I think the feet we saw were the Doctor's. Maybe that's why he popped up so quickly.
I agree with Deb that I think the Doctor remembers the whole event because he kept asking Clara if she felt safe.
Re: “Blumenauer talks up investment in bike-pedestrian infrastructure”
I heartily support any/every effort to get more people out of vehicles and onto their feet/bikes. I do my darndest to bike to work as often as possible. It's good exercise, as well as giving me time to get me head in the right place.
Anybody who's got eyes and has been paying attention is aware of our growing obesity problem. This would help with that also.
Re: “East End garage needs millions in repairs, quickly”
I wonder how long Richards and the city council have been sitting on this problem? A cynic might suggest that they’ve known for years and could have corrected it for far less but that repairs were repeatedly deferred in order to avoid negatively impacting past city budgets until it couldn’t be hidden any longer. Perhaps City can ask the mayor’s office for details?
Re: “NOTA opposes apartment plan for University Ave.”
Funny when j.a.m. accuses anybody about - get this - misrepresenting anything; this hours after characterizing the Neighborhood of the Arts as a "rotting urban wasteland."
Re: “NOTA opposes apartment plan for University Ave.”
@Nathan: I live there, so I'm well familiar (and btw would be thrilled not to have to drive out to the suburbs to get to Wal-Mart). The point is that, when it comes to economic need or viability, a rational person would trust the investor risking his own capital before the assorted cranks, naysayers and ax-grinders. You can go on about "aesthetics" and "development at any cost," but you ought to be terrified of ending up another failed city.
@Troll: You completely misrepresented my earlier comment, whose meaning was plain enough and I won't belabor.
Re: “NOTA opposes apartment plan for University Ave.”
@Nathan, funny how in a mere two days j.a.m. can go from calling Neighborhood of the Arts "downright bucolic" to a "rotting urban wasteland." "Rotting urban wasteland" - Really? This is a great area, one that has steadily improved in the past generation, thanks in part to folks like NOTA. We've seen the real urban blight caused by some developers who managed to get the last word. By contrast, neighborhood associations in our city have been the real life-blood and glue. So thanks, Nathan, for expressing this so well.
Re: “NOTA opposes apartment plan for University Ave.”
This is exactly like what I was looking for when I still lived in this neighborhood. As part of the young professional demographic the city so desperately wants to retain, I was tired of the endless succession of dumpy absentee-landlord college student apartments around East/Park/Monroe. Anything that was in even halfway decent shape either had insane rents or was snatched up immediately. The neighborhood could use more higher income young tenants. Don't hate on renters - these are the people with well-paying jobs! Shame on the Eastman House for offering up yet another parking lot as the only viable alternative.
Re: “"American Idol" 2013: Top 4 Performances (AGAIN: 2013/Standards Week)”
I fell asleep the show's music was more boring than the elevator I rode in today.