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Welcome to Rochester. After reading all the comments, heres my 2 cents:
When driving in the winter, always brush off ALL of your windows
Brush off all of your lights and mirrors
If you drive very slow or notice people lining up behind you, insure that you are not using 2 lanes and please allow people to pass
Always try to keep at least a half tank of gas
No, you do not need snow tires. There really only about 10 days a year that the driving gets bad, so don't worry.
I would also see if you could catch a bus from downtown to Henrietta. Your car won't even be warmed up taking that short commute.
No puffy coats! Hardly anyone wears those things unless they're skiing. Most women wear the long (wool?) coats
For housing anywhere south, east and near south west of downtown:
NOTA- Neighborhood of the Arts
East Ave
East End
Upper Monroe
Lower Monroe
Swillburg
South Wedge
Highland
Brooks Landing
Corn Hill
I drove a 400hp rear wheel drive sport sedan for two winters with winter tires at all 4 corners and I blasted down snow covered 490 at 70mph on the regular, never had a single hiccup. Hell, I'd even hit the gas at 70 and get the rear end a bit loose to have some fun and make other drivers question the sanity of the ******* driving that car with its rear end kicked out. Winter driving in the right vehicle with the right tires can be a total blast. I just bought a new set of tires for my truck that I can't WAIT to try out in full time 4x4 mode.
The people who drive slow are the ones to be scared of, because they have no idea how their cars handle at or beyond the limits and will therefore have no idea how to safely recover if they spin out of control. Then they're just putting everyone else in danger.
Do yourself a favor, get some good all seasons with good snow traction ratings, or get a set of snows. Then go to empty parking lots and service roads and have some fun. You'll thank yourself later when it comes time to drive on the expressways where everyone else is doing 30 and you're actually getting to your destination in a timely manner. Also, +1 to the car starter, it's a god send after a night in the single digits and your car is a frozen block of ice. If you end up getting one, go to Infinite Audio. My buddy runs the place, they have good/typical pricing and top notch products. It's a bit of a hike out in Macedon, but it sounds like you're use to driving a bit to get to places so it shouldn't be an issue for you.
+1 to no puffy jackets, those things are hideous. Get a nice leather jacket with a good, quilted and thick inside liner, and be both warm and fashionable. I have a leather that weighs probably 15 pounds, thing has gotta be made out of an entire calf lol. Looks great and keeps me warm. Couple that with a good set of gloves, winter hat, and maybe some ear warmers and you're good to go. And when you get really cold, just learn to drop your shoulders and get your mind off the cold and it'll help, trust me
I think I shall self-evaluate the need for a fugly puffer coat when the time comes. Conflicting information is conflicting! It was 40 degrees here the other day and I was a total wuss with 2 cardigans (quartersleeve underneath longsleeve) under my medium?weight peacoat-- I was STILL cold. On Black Friday it was 33 degrees and after about the first hour sitting in line at Target I lost feeling in my toes, they got so cold. =_= And I was wearing boots! Crappy ones, though.
PSA-- thanks to everyone re: location advice, I'm bookmarking this thread so I can look back at it come April or so (moving in August, if all goes well, anyway) and it'll be a huge help making final decisions. I appreciate the honest advice
Park and East mostly run parallel, but the eastern end of Park takes an abrupt turn left and intersects with East. In terms of character, East Avenue is pretty quiet and mostly residential, with a few churches, a synagogue, and a couple of country clubs. A lot of big, grand old mansions, some still single-family homes, others divided into luxury apartments (see: East Avenue Historic District). Park Avenue, on the other hand, is a bustling mix of shopping, dining, and salons. If you like suburban, I would go with East Avenue or one of its side streets. Plus, it's closer to the Neighborhood of the Arts and the Public Market.
Note: East Avenue west of Alexander Street is part of downtown's East End. This is Rochester's most happening nightlife district. Very different place.
Park Ave is closer to Monroe Avenue, a very funky and gritty strip with lots of bars, cheap little restaurants, some eclectic retail, and a rather interesting mix of people. But also easily the city's most walkable neighborhood: it also has a library, art studios, a bank, and a YMCA.
Thanks I figure that every region has its' quirks. I get a lot of scandalized "No way!"s here from people when I mention moving to Rochester, lol, but I just roll my eyes and move on. I'm not there for the weather, I'm there for school, you know? It's amazing the number of people that go "But it's so cold!" as though I live in a vacuum. And that's why I want to be as prepared as possible for freezing my butt off. I don't even care if I look like a douche in fifty layers Well, okay, that's a lie. I care a little. But I swear I'm going to at least BUY the ugly puffer jacket, even if I can only stand to wear it in subzero temps .
RIT is well worth the cold weather.
Quote:
Originally Posted by becksalottery
I think I shall self-evaluate the need for a fugly puffer coat when the time comes. Conflicting information is conflicting! It was 40 degrees here the other day and I was a total wuss with 2 cardigans (quartersleeve underneath longsleeve) under my medium?weight peacoat-- I was STILL cold. On Black Friday it was 33 degrees and after about the first hour sitting in line at Target I lost feeling in my toes, they got so cold. =_= And I was wearing boots! Crappy ones, though.
PSA-- thanks to everyone re: location advice, I'm bookmarking this thread so I can look back at it come April or so (moving in August, if all goes well, anyway) and it'll be a huge help making final decisions. I appreciate the honest advice
Go to LL BEAN's website and buy a warm coat ... with a hood. Long is better than short. If you're not sure if you should go puffy, remember that comfort trumps fashion when it's below freezing. They have good waterproof boots both short and tall, too, which is what you'll need as well. A lot of times the snow will be wet or will be turned to slush by salt. Finally, you can buy ladies long underwear, shirts and pants, if you find you're still cold, especially indoors. Walmart, Kmart, Target all sell them.
You probably should also consider head/neck/hand warmth as well. I'd get a pair of leather gloves for driving and a couple of warmer pairs (wool, acrylic, fleece, etc) for really cold weather. Mittens are generally warmer than gloves. A hat may flatten your hair but keep your head a lot warmer than ear muffs, and people lose a lot of body heat through their heads. You should have at least a couple of each. Scarves will keep the cold from getting inside your coat, especially in windy weather.
For driving, just make sure that your little car has good all-seasons, ie, good thread. Front wheel cars go pretty well in the snow, and Rochester isn't particularly hilly or super snowy (unlike Jamestown where I live which is both), so you should be fine.
Finally, embrace the winter weather. You can probably rent cross country skis somewhere around the city to try your hand at it. Go sledding/tobogganing, too, at one of the local parks. You might also want to give downhill skiing a try. There's probably clubs/organized excursions to do this right on campus. Take in a hockey game. I don't know if RIT has a team but Rochester has the Americans that are the farm club for the NHL Buffalo Sabres. If you're into photography, the snowy weather can give you the opportunity for some glorious winter photos.
Go to LL BEAN's website and buy a warm coat ... with a hood. Long is better than short. If you're not sure if you should go puffy, remember that comfort trumps fashion when it's below freezing. They have good waterproof boots both short and tall, too, which is what you'll need as well. A lot of times the snow will be wet or will be turned to slush by salt. Finally, you can buy ladies long underwear, shirts and pants, if you find you're still cold, especially indoors. Walmart, Kmart, Target all sell them.
You probably should also consider head/neck/hand warmth as well. I'd get a pair of leather gloves for driving and a couple of warmer pairs (wool, acrylic, fleece, etc) for really cold weather. Mittens are generally warmer than gloves. A hat may flatten your hair but keep your head a lot warmer than ear muffs, and people lose a lot of body heat through their heads. You should have at least a couple of each. Scarves will keep the cold from getting inside your coat, especially in windy weather.
For driving, just make sure that your little car has good all-seasons, ie, good thread. Front wheel cars go pretty well in the snow, and Rochester isn't particularly hilly or super snowy (unlike Jamestown where I live which is both), so you should be fine.
Finally, embrace the winter weather. You can probably rent cross country skis somewhere around the city to try your hand at it. Go sledding/tobogganing, too, at one of the local parks. You might also want to give downhill skiing a try. There's probably clubs/organized excursions to do this right on campus. Take in a hockey game. I don't know if RIT has a team but Rochester has the Americans that are the farm club for the NHL Buffalo Sabres. If you're into photography, the snowy weather can give you the opportunity for some glorious winter photos.
RIT has Hockey(men's and women's) and both are on the NCAA Division 1 level. It is the school's biggest sport.
How's your semester break going? My husband graduated from RIT, so we currently live out there. Our walmart is a lot quieter now that the college kids are gone. LOL
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Well, okay, that's a lie. I care a little. But I swear I'm going to at least BUY the ugly puffer jacket, even if I can only stand to wear it in subzero temps .
