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LIKE: -Community's positive focus on higher education & helping others
-Change of seasons
-George Eastman House, Eastman Theater, The Little, Museums
- Lake Ontario & Finger Lakes
-Toronto, Adirondaks, Boston, NYC, Montreal within a day's drive
-Niagara Falls & Niagara-on-the-Lake
- Geva Theater
-"Salt of the Earth" & "Down to Earth" personality types
-Nonexistent commutes/easy driving to stores, entertainment, etc.
-Excellent K-12 School Districts & excellent jobs in those districts
-Affordable & accessible health care, for the most part
-Affordable & accessible housing, for the most part
-Cute, "Norman Rockwell-esque" villages
-ROCHESTER JAZZ FEST & other festivals
- Italian Restaurants
- Liberal Politics (as compared to the deep South)
- Historical significance of Frederick Douglas, Susan B. Anthony, etc.
- WEGMANS
DISLIKE: - Black Ice
-When people act like they have never been out to eat before when a new chain restaurant opens here & there is a line to get in.
-The "accent"
I'd also like to add:
Likes:
Autumn in the Finger Lakes (or anytime really)
- I especially like the small towns and Amish shops
- Wineries
Summers that aren't unbearably hot
Corn Hill
Park Avenue
Monroe Avenue
Colleges
Highland and many other parks
Fairly steady economy--no booms and no busts like other cities
Oxford Street when the magnolias bloom
Dislikes:
Snow (but some people like it)
High taxes
Cold temperatures 8 months of the year
Inconsiderate people (but they aren't exclusive to Rochester)
Lack of decent jobs--too many layoffs
Employers that think they can work you to death because you can't find a job here. They make you feel lucky to have a job, and they abuse you.
The fact that Lake Ontario is so polluted and you can't swim in it most of the time.
The roads in the spring after plows have torn them up, then the resulting road construction to fix them.
Great answers, thanks everyone! It's nice to see that the positives seem to far outweigh any drawbacks. Lol about the accent - I actually really like the Rochester accent. My husband and I use sort of an exaggerated Roch accent (he's from there originally) around our house sometimes.
cultural amenities you wouldn't expect in a metro our size
amazing summer and fall (and late spring, which often gets considered "summer" by many people)
history/historical places and homes/architecture
the beautiful scenery of the region with the canals, lakes, rivers and (a bit further out) gorges
the relatively low cost of living overall
dislikes
the persistence of overcast in winter (i actually really enjoy snow, I just want it to be gone by March, which it was this year! )
the high property taxes
the lack of civic pride by many (though it seems like equally as many are just as proud to call the ROC home as I am!)
The positives definitely outweigh the negatives for me, hence the reason our family actually returned to Rochester a few years ago (actually, 3 years ago this week) after living down in "utopic" North Carolina for 13 years!
You can get from downtown Rochester to a pick-your-own fruit farm in 20 minutes at most.
^^^Ding Ding Ding!
Large enough that you can remain anonymous, small enough that you don't have to.
Large enough that you always have something to do, small enough that you can go by yourself and run into someone you know.
Local Music / Art Scene (sometimes)
Wegmans
Lake Ontario
Sonnenberg Gardens
Eastman House & the events held there.
the Finger Lakes
Breweries
Wineries
Art Festivals all over the place
Red wings, Amerks, etc.
The Local Food - White Hots, Garbage Plates, The Inn on Broadway
Dislikes -
Rochestarians who think Rochester is a big city. It's a very nice city but it's not that big.
The accent - especially when advertising websites - its "dot com", not "dat caaaam"
Winters almost constant darkness, with the exception of 8-4 when everyone is at work.
Local Music / Art Scene (sometimes)
People who complain about Rochester, but have never actually left to see what a great town they have.
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