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March 25, 2015 Special Sections » Annual Manual

        
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Get to know the Rochester skyline

By KURT NYE

Frederick Douglass-Susan B. Anthony Bridge

Construction completed: 2007

Current "owner": New York State Department of Transportation

Interesting facts:

Replaced the Troup-Howell Bridge, a multi-girder bridge that opened on December 1, 1954.

Construction on a new bridge began in 2004, and it officially opened on June 18, 2007. The bridge was renamed The Frederick Douglass-Susan B. Anthony Bridge five days before the bridge's opening.

St. Mary's Church

Construction completed: 1858

Current owner: Diocese of Rochester

Interesting facts:

An unused Methodist church served as the original location of St. Mary's Parish from 1834 until the construction of the new St. Mary's Church was completed in 1858.

The iconic bell tower of the church was planned for construction in the 1850's, but was not actually constructed until 1940.

The church is well known for its large array of unique stained glass windows, many of which date back to the mid- to late-1800's and early-1900's. The church offers occasional tours of the windows.

The Tower at Midtown

Construction began: 2014

Expected completion: 2016

Current owners: Buckingham Properties, Morgan Management

Interesting facts:

The structure originally existed as part of Midtown Plaza, the first downtown indoor mall constructed in the United States. Midtown Plaza opened in 1962, closed in 2008, and was demolished in 2010.

When completed, The Tower at Midtown will serve as a mixed-use building that will house apartments, offices, and retail space.

Legacy Tower

Construction completed: 1995

Original owner: Bausch & Lamb

Current owners: Buckingham Properties, Morgan Management, Flaum Management

Interesting facts:

The tower served as the world headquarters for Bausch & Lomb until the company was bought by Valiant Pharmaceuticals in 2013, who then moved the company to New Jersey.

The tower was bought and renamed in 2014 by Buckingham Properties — along with Morgan Management and Flaum Management — who plan to integrate the project into the current work at The Tower at Midtown.

Legacy Tower is the second tallest building in Rochester at 401 feet tall.

Xerox Tower

Construction completed: 1968

Original owner: Xerox Corporation

Current owner: Buckingham Properties

Interesting facts:

Served as the world headquarters for Xerox Corporation for only a year before the company moved headquarters to Stamford, Connecticut, in 1969.

Xerox Corporation sold the building to Buckingham Properties in August, 2013, but under the terms of the sale, Xerox will continue to lease space in the building for eight years.

Xerox Tower is the tallest building in Rochester at 443 feet tall.

Chase Tower

Construction completed: 1973

Original owner: Lincoln Rochester Trust Company

Current owner: Gallina Development Corporation

Interesting Facts:

Originally named Lincoln First Bank Tower, the name was changed to Chase Tower in 1996.

Currently serves as the Upstate New York headquarters for JPMorgan Chase.

The building's architect, John Graham & Company, also designed the Space Needle in Seattle.

Chase Tower is Rochester's 3rd tallest building at 392 feet tall.

First Federal Plaza

Construction completed: 1976

Property manager: I. Gordon Corporation

Interesting Facts:

The building is notable for its unique round top, which housed the popular revolving restaurant, Changing Scene, until 1990.

The rotating mechanism in the round top has been disabled and the space was converted to office space, but is currently vacant.

First Federal Plaza is also home to the studios for the Stephens Media Group radio stations (WFKL, WZNE, and WRMM-FM)

In This Guide...

ANNUAL MANUAL 2015

CITY's guide to visiting, living, working and playing in Rochester, NY

Read about authors, city architecture, neighborhoods, art, bars off the grid, local grocery stores,and more!

Mar 25, 2015

Know your neighborhoods

Swillburg, Park Avenue, Thurston Village, Village of Pittsford, Village of Webster, Town of Rush

Swillburg The word in Swillburg is that when you go out of town, you have 20 sets of eyes watching your home.

By JEREMY MOULE AND CHRISTINE CARRIE FIEN Mar 25, 2015

Rochester clicks for young professionals

The Rochester region is home to about 20 colleges, universities, and technical schools, which is impressive for a mid-size metro. But despite those offerings, the area's loss of young professionals continues to concern many business and community leaders in Upstate New York.

By Tim Louis Macaluso Mar 25, 2015

Brain drain Young professionals Startup companies Rochester economy Nazareth College RIT University of Rochester

Design matters: Vignelli Center for Design Studies

RIT's Vignelli Center is a teaching archive and museum of modernist marvels

Even if you're unfamiliar with the name "Vignelli," you've certainly encountered multiple things designed by Massimo and Lella Vignelli. The New York-based, Italian power couple had their stylish fingers in every piece of the design pie for six decades, creating everything from brand identity, books, maps, tableware, clothing, furniture, to architectural design for companies as diverse as American Airlines, Ford Motor Company, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority of New York City, and Xerox Corporation.

By Rebecca Rafferty Mar 25, 2015

Art Design Vignelli Center for Design Studies RIT R. Roger Remington Josh Owen

Down the road

We take a trip down St. Paul Street

As city residents, we tend to constantly be on the hunt for the hot new shops, restaurants, and entertainment. It's great to be on the cutting edge when it comes to what's new and hip in Rochester, but in our pursuit of the next new thing, we sometimes overlook what's right under our noses.

By Adam Lubitow Mar 25, 2015

Rochester Roads St. Paul Street Seneca Park Zoo Sunshyne Silverwear Comic Book Heaven World Wide News Exploring Rochester

Studio fit

Several Rochester-area classes offer movement-based alternatives to hitting the gym

Did you take ballet lessons as a child? Maybe some contemporary or jazz classes during your teenage years or early 20's?

By Casey Carlsen Mar 25, 2015

Rochester Fitness Dance Classes Aerial Silks Jamaican Dance Pole Dancing Dance Yoga Rachele Maier Elizabeth Clark Christopher Morrison

Drinking off the radar

City checks out four bars that you may have never noticed

We all have our favorite watering hole, our version of Cheers, where everyone knows our name and that we like our martinis with vodka, very cold, and very dirty. We are creatures of habit, but sometimes we crave someplace new, a place where we can see how the other half lives, but still feel welcome.

By Katie Libby Mar 25, 2015

Rochester Nightlife Avenue Pub The Bayside Pub Jack Ryan's Tavern Carroll's

Shop with your hart

A visual presentation of a day in the life of Hart's Local Grocers

Hart's Local Grocers, a full-service grocery with a focus on locally-sourced products, opened in the East End in August 2014. The market has become a bustling place, so we wondered what a day in the life of Hart's was like.

Mar 25, 2015

Slideshow

The world on a shelf

Rich cultures come alive through the area's diverse grocery stores

The process of exploring some of Rochester's ethnically diverse grocery stores and speaking with their respective owners reinforced the notion that we are still a community of immigrants. It's perhaps not as distinct as it once was in the past, but among the aspects of any culture that pass on through generations, food is probably the one that endures the strongest as it tightly bonds people to their lineage.

Mar 25, 2015

Grocery Stores Rochester Local

Writing in ROC

Five local authors Rochesterians should have on a bookshelf

Rochester's rich culture has provided inspiration for many literary works over the years. Local authors take our area's distinct elements — heritage, geography, tones — and use them to tell stories, create imagery, and ultimately touch others.

By NICOLE MARIE MILANO Mar 25, 2015

Rochester Authors Joanna Scott Sonja Livingston Jennifer Grotz Gregory Gerard Peter Conners