Safe place to live, cheap, couple, no kids? (Rochester, Monroe: apartments, renters)
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Hi - We're moving to the Rochester area without jobs and would like to know if there's a very inexpensive (but safe) area to live because for example the schools aren't very good, particularly on the east side somewhere? We'd be renting a 2 or 3 BR. Thanks!
Living within Rochester is a safe bet if you want to save and aren't worried about kids. The South side of the city is cheap, generally safe and fairly easy to get around. The North side of the city is where things can be really rough.
A good rule of thumb for the east side of the river is East of Culver Road until it hits University Avenue and then everything west of Culver is then nice and vibrant. The cheapest spots on the east side cluster around Culver Road. You can look for "The Triangle" that is bordered by East Main to the south, Culver Road to the west and Merchants Avenue to the east. This area is considered to be going up by some and down by others. The Triangle has a lot to offer;it has easy access to downtown via Main Street, a nice bar scene, the only bowling alley in the city, friendly folks and low prices for rent/purchase. Personally, I love the beautiful homes on the west side of culver at the north end of the Triangle but many feel that the area is struggling.
West of the river there is a different rule, namely that you don't live between Ford Street on the east and Genessee Street on the west. If you are generally nervous to be in an urban setting I would suggest living south of Brooks Avenue as it is full of students and young professionals. If you are a bit more comfortable with urban living you can go north of Brooks and find some of the most beautiful homes Rochester has to offer.
All of the suburbs are fairly safe, though you'll be paying for the schooling of other people's kids.
Living within Rochester is a safe bet if you want to save and aren't worried about kids. The South side of the city is cheap, generally safe and fairly easy to get around. The North side of the city is where things can be really rough.
A good rule of thumb for the east side of the river is East of Culver Road until it hits University Avenue and then everything west of Culver is then nice and vibrant. The cheapest spots on the east side cluster around Culver Road. You can look for "The Triangle" that is bordered by East Main to the south, Culver Road to the west and Merchants Avenue to the east. This area is considered to be going up by some and down by others. The Triangle has a lot to offer;it has easy access to downtown via Main Street, a nice bar scene, the only bowling alley in the city, friendly folks and low prices for rent/purchase. Personally, I love the beautiful homes on the west side of culver at the north end of the Triangle but many feel that the area is struggling.
West of the river there is a different rule, namely that you don't live between Ford Street on the east and Genessee Street on the west. If you are generally nervous to be in an urban setting I would suggest living south of Brooks Avenue as it is full of students and young professionals. If you are a bit more comfortable with urban living you can go north of Brooks and find some of the most beautiful homes Rochester has to offer.
All of the suburbs are fairly safe, though you'll be paying for the schooling of other people's kids.
Hope this helps!
Thanks for the helpful responses!
So to clarify, on the west side, if we don't mind urban (we don't), between Genessee and Thurston and up to Arnett or Chili?
And on the east side, I think I follow you perfectly. Looks like a fairly small chunk of the city but hopefully there's lots there.
And both places have less than stellar school systems, so we wouldn't have to pay elevated tax rates?
So to clarify, on the west side, if we don't mind urban (we don't), between Genessee and Thurston and up to Arnett or Chili?
And on the east side, I think I follow you perfectly. Looks like a fairly small chunk of the city but hopefully there's lots there.
And both places have less than stellar school systems, so we wouldn't have to pay elevated tax rates?
No, the East Side and the Southeast would be fine. On the West Side, the far southern end of the 19th Ward from Brooks down and maybe some areas in the Northwest may work. Maybe the Northland-Lyceum neighborhood in the Northeast could work too. This doesn't have anything to do with school taxes.
Ah, I missed where you said "cheap." In that case, Pearl-Meigs-Monroe and Swillburg might be your best bets. They're contiguous with the Park Ave area and the South Wedge yet are much less pricey.
If you REALLY want cheap, another option might be Plymouth-Exchange or the 19th Ward. These are in the Southwest Quadrant but very close to the SE Quadrant (just across the river), as well as the University of Rochester. As far as safety goes, they can still be a bit rough (especially PLEX, although the 19th Ward also has some very nice areas) but more and more students are pouring in and both UR and private landlords are investing a lot there. I would try to get something close to Brooks Landing.
They still don't have all the amenities that you'd get in the SE, though, such as culture, nightlife, shopping, etc.
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