Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Seneca Pkwy. is nice, as well as the end of that street down by the Vet's Bridge. Problem is the rest of the old 10th Ward has fallen on hard times, in the last 15 years or so, in fact the last time I looked at the D&C newspaper's site about a month ago some guy was complaining about the lack of businesses on Dewey. Sad, considering Dewey had a low vacancy rate at one time not too long ago. People who live in that area generally shop in the 'burbs, which sucks considering it was once a city 'hood with lots of convenient stuff in it (upper Lake Ave. was OK, too, 25 years ago).
The 10th Ward has turned into an area with lots of multi-dwelling rental properties, vacant houses, drug houses, Sec. 8, etc. I lived on Flower City, by Aster, around '99-'00, and it was safe. Key word here is "was". I wouldn't walk those streets at night, these days. Sacred Heart school used to be one of the "anchors" in that 'hood, but it closed for good several years ago. George Cullens' bar closed in '04 or so, and Casey Jones is kinda hanging on by a thread, last I'd heard (two neighborhood institutions). I think the bowling alley on Ridgeway across from Kodak Park closed, too. Almost forgot Welker's Grill. Not sure if they're still open.
I guess that's part of the criteria I use when describing urban neighborhoods, whether or not I'd want to "hang out", there, or even if there places to hang out. There's really no place where I'd hang out in the 10th Ward, save for Casey Jones'.
Seneca Pkwy. was designed by Frederick Law Olmstead. There are 3 other streets in the city which were designed by him, and a few parks.
Seneca Pkwy. is nice, as well as the end of that street down by the Vet's Bridge. Problem is the rest of the old 10th Ward has fallen on hard times, in the last 15 years or so, in fact the last time I looked at the D&C newspaper's site about a month ago some guy was complaining about the lack of businesses on Dewey. Sad, considering Dewey had a low vacancy rate at one time not too long ago. People who live in that area generally shop in the 'burbs, which sucks considering it was once a city 'hood with lots of convenient stuff in it (upper Lake Ave. was OK, too, 25 years ago).
The 10th Ward has turned into an area with lots of multi-dwelling rental properties, vacant houses, drug houses, Sec. 8, etc. I lived on Flower City, by Aster, around '99-'00, and it was safe. Key word here is "was". I wouldn't walk those streets at night, these days. Sacred Heart school used to be one of the "anchors" in that 'hood, but it closed for good several years ago. George Cullens' bar closed in '04 or so, and Casey Jones is kinda hanging on by a thread, last I'd heard (two neighborhood institutions). I think the bowling alley on Ridgeway across from Kodak Park closed, too. Almost forgot Welker's Grill. Not sure if they're still open.
I guess that's part of the criteria I use when describing urban neighborhoods, whether or not I'd want to "hang out", there, or even if there places to hang out. There's really no place where I'd hang out in the 10th Ward, save for Casey Jones'.
Seneca Pkwy. was designed by Frederick Law Olmstead. There are 3 other streets in the city which were designed by him, and a few parks.
I was looking at that area on Google Maps and noticed how you can tell it has seen better days not too long ago. It looks like you MIGHT be fine up by Aquinas High and further up, but I'm not sure.
I was looking at that area on Google Maps and noticed how you can tell it has seen better days not too long ago. It looks like you MIGHT be fine up by Aquinas High and further up, but I'm not sure.
Ahhh, Google street view? That's a good idea.
There was a nice, real deli just south of Aquinas (across the street). Not sure if that's still there. The area just north of Aquinas had a lot of little shops, George Cullens', a pizzeria, a (shady) bar, and some other shops right up to Kodak Park. Dewey Ave. Smoke Shop is still going, right next to the fire house at Ridgeway. One friend is the head mechanic at the auto repair shop by Kodak. Not sure what's left of some of the other places, I do know there was a fire in the building where the bar and pizzeria were, and that was vacant for some time. The building where Cullen's was vacant when I drove by there a few years ago, and the ones on either side were, too. Seem to be a lot of fires in that part of the city, from what I've heard, too. Rental properties burning down, etc.
Many of the rentals in that area are not maintained, at all, in fact there have been some folks who died from carbon monoxide poisoning in the 10th Ward due to faulty chimneys (packed with leaves). Several slumlords own like 80% of the rentals in that part of the city. I dabbled in real estate in Rochester with a few friends when I was younger, plus I've met a few of the (scumbag) slumlords in that town, so I know what goes on in city real estate. The Rochester Housing Authority doesn't help, either, with their rent subsidies and outright owning of apartment houses.
The 10th Ward was nice right into the late 80's. I guess the neighborhood declined right along with Kodak and some of the other large employers nearby (3M, Rochester Products, Delco, etc., over by Mt. Read), and some people just moved out to the 'burbs. It was a stable neighborhood, with a mix of folks similar to that of the old 19th Ward. Blue collar, white collar, retirees, etc. Virtually every house in that part of the city was built with hardwoods and gumwood trim, and most of the homes were built in the teens and 20's. Most of the area bounded by Lake, Mt. Read, Ridge, and Lyell was solid up until the early-80's, then it started to decline, from Jay and upper Lake by downtown, and it crept north and west, away from the center city. It's a shame, really.
You All have given a lot of info. while I did like Monroe/Culver, what about the 19th Ward, I saw a few Multi family properties that I liked one is on Arnett near Thurston Rd, Arnette/Rugby and anotherin the Beechwood on Milville st/Rugby????are those areas decent. I live in Brooklyn. NY and of course to many people who do not live here the name envokes fear, but my neighborhood has million dollar homes/ Landmark properties and others less fancy, my current neighborhood is a mix of rentals and owners. It does have its share of crime but that does not seem to stop property values from going up . I wish I could afford a home here as everything is so convenient. Rochester has low home prices and high taxes, NYC has high home prices and depends on where you are high taxes. I take it that no where is perfect I just want a neighborhood where people take care of their homes and the area is safe. With that said, other than the neighborhoods which have been mentioned Is there hope for any others or must I really consider the suburbs?
The 10th Ward was nice right into the late 80's. I guess the neighborhood declined right along with Kodak and some of the other large employers nearby (3M, Rochester Products, Delco, etc., over by Mt. Read), and some people just moved out to the 'burbs. It was a stable neighborhood, with a mix of folks similar to that of the old 19th Ward. Blue collar, white collar, retirees, etc. Virtually every house in that part of the city was built with hardwoods and gumwood trim, and most of the homes were built in the teens and 20's. Most of the area bounded by Lake, Mt. Read, Ridge, and Lyell was solid up until the early-80's, then it started to decline, from Jay and upper Lake by downtown, and it crept north and west, away from the center city. It's a shame, really.
The houses are beautiful inside..... all gumwood trim, pocket doors, porches, leaded glass built in cabinets, pretty staircases....fun features like root cellars and attics too! wouldn't think twice about walking around outside at night back then.... Now, I don't even want to drive past my old house after dark. We left early on through the change.... in the 80s... but my grandparents all held out until the mid 90s... They knew they had to get out when the prostitutes started working thier way up Lake Ave.... When they didn't feel safe sitting on thier front porch at night..... When there was a rapist out and about over near Driving Park.....No, life is not what it used to be in the 10th Ward...... it is only getting worse with murderers and drug dealers....and it IS a shame....
You All have given a lot of info. while I did like Monroe/Culver, what about the 19th Ward, I saw a few Multi family properties that I liked one is on Arnett near Thurston Rd, Arnette/Rugby and anotherin the Beechwood on Milville st/Rugby????are those areas decent. I live in Brooklyn. NY and of course to many people who do not live here the name envokes fear, but my neighborhood has million dollar homes/ Landmark properties and others less fancy, my current neighborhood is a mix of rentals and owners. It does have its share of crime but that does not seem to stop property values from going up . I wish I could afford a home here as everything is so convenient. Rochester has low home prices and high taxes, NYC has high home prices and depends on where you are high taxes. I take it that no where is perfect I just want a neighborhood where people take care of their homes and the area is safe. With that said, other than the neighborhoods which have been mentioned Is there hope for any others or must I really consider the suburbs?
I think Southwedge, Swillburg, and perhaps the 19th ward would be a good fit for you. They are three neighborhoods "in transition" right now. Home ownership rate increasing and just getting a nicer look. The 19th ward is the most questionable of those areas IMO because it is surrounded by less desirable neighborhoods; but is nice itself (has the largest houses of the aforementioned neighborhoods too). Southwedge has some real gems in 19th century victorian homes and is the closest to downtown. Swillburg has remained a pretty consistently blue-collar middle class neighborhood that is now being seen as a little more "hip".
You All have given a lot of info. while I did like Monroe/Culver, what about the 19th Ward, I saw a few Multi family properties that I liked one is on Arnett near Thurston Rd, Arnette/Rugby and anotherin the Beechwood on Milville st/Rugby????are those areas decent. I live in Brooklyn. NY and of course to many people who do not live here the name envokes fear, but my neighborhood has million dollar homes/ Landmark properties and others less fancy, my current neighborhood is a mix of rentals and owners. It does have its share of crime but that does not seem to stop property values from going up . I wish I could afford a home here as everything is so convenient. Rochester has low home prices and high taxes, NYC has high home prices and depends on where you are high taxes. I take it that no where is perfect I just want a neighborhood where people take care of their homes and the area is safe. With that said, other than the neighborhoods which have been mentioned Is there hope for any others or must I really consider the suburbs?
Arnette/Rugby is a fairly rough area. If you're interested in the 19th Ward, along Genesee Pk. Blvd. is still nice in most spots, and the streets between that street, the canal, and Chili Ave. are still pretty quiet, with a mix of single family homes and rentals (mostly whole house rentals to students). It's like its own little quiet neighborhood, over there.
My dad and his girlfriend live on Genesee Park Blvd. and haven't had any problems, really, in fact it stays nice. Thurston is pretty rough, all up and down that street, in fact the main drags in the 19th Ward are all looking bad, these days. Only downer is the noise from the airport, and from folks' car stereo systems. One thing I don't like about that area is it's not convenient to much, so you have to drive a fair distance to get to retail places and whatnot. My dad and his gf do all of their shopping out in Gates and Brighton.
The Charlotte neighborhood is mostly nice, and it's convenient to Greece for shopping and whatnot. I have friends who live there and they report it stays quiet, with a lot of young families on some streets, although people usually start there then move to the 'burbs, if they have young kids, due to the school district being so bad. Other than that, Charlotte (pronounced char-LOTTE) is getting grayer, as the years go by. It stays quiet, though. The neighborhood between Lake and the river, around Cherry Rd., stays quiet, and there are no thru streets 'cause the river is down the road. Turning Point Park is right there, with a LONG walking/running/biking trail that has great views of the gorge.
Culver/Merchants hangs on, particularly closer to the Irondequoit line. That's a stable area.
Some of the Monroe area is still nice, particularly closer to Pinnacle Hill (not far from the Brighton line).
The South Wedge was my home for a year, back around '01 (after I'd moved out of the 10th Ward). Stable in most spots, although somebody here said there's been some nasty stuff happen there in the last several years. I met some nice folks over there, and there were quite a few college students in the area, plus UofR faculty. The South Wedge was bad for years, then got cleaned up in most spots between 1990 and about '02 or so. One thing you have to watch over there are the utility costs, due to the age of the homes (mostly 1870's).
I'm not 100% sure what the Beechwood 'hood consists of, that is, how far east is considered "Beechwood". I DO know that Culver north of E. Main is looking a little rough, these days, in fact I'd stay away from Grand Ave., Garson, Parsells, and some of the other "thru" streets, as I'll call them, through there. Bay St. to the north is pretty bad, too, especially west of Culver. The side streets around there do stay quiet (east of Culver). North of there is Culver/Merchants, which is a a pretty safe area with places to hang out. East of there, even, is the Browncroft neighborhood, which, for the most part, is an urban jewel.
Another area you might want to consider is the Ellwanger/Barry neighborhood, which straddles Mt. Hope, and borders on South Ave., just south of the South Wedge. Stays nice over there, and the only complaint I've ever heard about it (from the neighbors there) is when the Lilac Festival goes on over at the park.
You may want to consider renting in Rochester, first, then look for a house. It's way different compared with a huge metro like NYC.
Arnette/Rugby is a fairly rough area. If you're interested in the 19th Ward, along Genesee Pk. Blvd. is still nice in most spots, and the streets between that street, the canal, and Chili Ave. are still pretty quiet, with a mix of single family homes and rentals (mostly whole house rentals to students). It's like its own little quiet neighborhood, over there.
My dad and his girlfriend live on Genesee Park Blvd. and haven't had any problems, really, in fact it stays nice. Thurston is pretty rough, all up and down that street, in fact the main drags in the 19th Ward are all looking bad, these days. Only downer is the noise from the airport, and from folks' car stereo systems. One thing I don't like about that area is it's not convenient to much, so you have to drive a fair distance to get to retail places and whatnot. My dad and his gf do all of their shopping out in Gates and Brighton.
The Charlotte neighborhood is mostly nice, and it's convenient to Greece for shopping and whatnot. I have friends who live there and they report it stays quiet, with a lot of young families on some streets, although people usually start there then move to the 'burbs, if they have young kids, due to the school district being so bad. Other than that, Charlotte (pronounced char-LOTTE) is getting grayer, as the years go by. It stays quiet, though. The neighborhood between Lake and the river, around Cherry Rd., stays quiet, and there are no thru streets 'cause the river is down the road. Turning Point Park is right there, with a LONG walking/running/biking trail that has great views of the gorge.
Culver/Merchants hangs on, particularly closer to the Irondequoit line. That's a stable area.
Some of the Monroe area is still nice, particularly closer to Pinnacle Hill (not far from the Brighton line).
The South Wedge was my home for a year, back around '01 (after I'd moved out of the 10th Ward). Stable in most spots, although somebody here said there's been some nasty stuff happen there in the last several years. I met some nice folks over there, and there were quite a few college students in the area, plus UofR faculty. The South Wedge was bad for years, then got cleaned up in most spots between 1990 and about '02 or so. One thing you have to watch over there are the utility costs, due to the age of the homes (mostly 1870's).
I'm not 100% sure what the Beechwood 'hood consists of, that is, how far east is considered "Beechwood". I DO know that Culver north of E. Main is looking a little rough, these days, in fact I'd stay away from Grand Ave., Garson, Parsells, and some of the other "thru" streets, as I'll call them, through there. Bay St. to the north is pretty bad, too, especially west of Culver. The side streets around there do stay quiet (east of Culver). North of there is Culver/Merchants, which is a a pretty safe area with places to hang out. East of there, even, is the Browncroft neighborhood, which, for the most part, is an urban jewel.
Another area you might want to consider is the Ellwanger/Barry neighborhood, which straddles Mt. Hope, and borders on South Ave., just south of the South Wedge. Stays nice over there, and the only complaint I've ever heard about it (from the neighbors there) is when the Lilac Festival goes on over at the park.
You may want to consider renting in Rochester, first, then look for a house. It's way different compared with a huge metro like NYC.
I was going to ask you if you knew any history of the Culver-Winton neighborhood, which is where I live.
I can elaborate a little bit, since I live in that area. Really, Culver is the dividing line, the more east of Culver, the better. I have driven through Beechwood on a number of streets, although there are much worse areas of the city, I would not feel safe in this neighborhood. Most of the houses are in unkept condition, grass is torn up with weeds up to the porch. You can tell a few people still take care of the houses, but mostly it has all gone to renters, crime or abandonment. It is a shame, some of the buildings are gorgeous.
Grand Ave and Garson are ok, but only east of Culver. There are a couple of low class businesses and a small plaza on Garson, so I would stay away from Culver either way. I live on Grand, so its really not too bad. There are still a high percentage of single family homes in Culver-Winton, and mostly the houses are well upkept. I am hoping this area stays low crime and doesn't turn into Beechwood. I would say Hazelwood Terrace is probably the best street overall, it has a divider going down the center with flowers and trees lined from one end to the other. I have one of the older houses you were talking about, with gumwood molding, oak floors and leaded glass windows, I absolutely love it.
We have Pac-Tac and neighborhood meetings, I am not sure how much it helps, but it does get people together to express concern. We do get the loud stereos, but we would hear them in the country when I was a kid (along with the loud bikes). There is only one house on Grand Ave, east of Culver, that we are worried about. We are pretty sure it is some type of drug house, as people go in and out every ten minutes. The house should be torn down, but the tenants drive $40,000 suvs. I could be wrong but.....
Culver gets better in a few spots, probably within a 2-3 block radius of the Donuts Delight, by the big Church on Empire. These are nice spots. South of University would be ok as well. I walked down Culver late at night once during the summer, I had a guy ask me for some change. But didn't see anything else out of the ordinary. Oh if you like bbq, Sticky Lips on Culver/Atlantic is excellent.
I will back up anything on Browncroft. I rented there before we bought our house, I would feel safe even walking here at night. Some of these homes are expensive and they are almost all single family.
Last edited by cheese9988; 01-08-2010 at 11:45 PM..
Browncroft is definitely a nieghborhood where you wouldn't have to worry about crime or anything like that, same with Park Avenue. The only reason I didn't suggest those neighboroods to the OP is because they are both relatively expensive (though if coming from NYC they would seem amazingly affordable) and because Browncroft is really more of a suburban family neighborhood that just happens to be in a pre-WWII city. The homes in Browncroft are definitely some of the nicest in the city; though I doubt you'd be able to find too many for under $300k and you'd have a pretty hard time finding any rentals there. Depending on your budget you could buy a decent house that would maybe need some work in the highly desirable Park Avenue area of the city for around $250k, or find a nice rental (that would most likely be a condo/apartment in a formerly single-family house that has been divided) for probably under $1000 a month (I've never rented before so I really have no idea what rents are in any area)
Browncroft is definitely a nieghborhood where you wouldn't have to worry about crime or anything like that, same with Park Avenue. The only reason I didn't suggest those neighboroods to the OP is because they are both relatively expensive (though if coming from NYC they would seem amazingly affordable) and because Browncroft is really more of a suburban family neighborhood that just happens to be in a pre-WWII city. The homes in Browncroft are definitely some of the nicest in the city; though I doubt you'd be able to find too many for under $300k and you'd have a pretty hard time finding any rentals there. Depending on your budget you could buy a decent house that would maybe need some work in the highly desirable Park Avenue area of the city for around $250k, or find a nice rental (that would most likely be a condo/apartment in a formerly single-family house that has been divided) for probably under $1000 a month (I've never rented before so I really have no idea what rents are in any area)
You're right about Browncroft. Not many rentals, however along N. Winton, north of Browncroft, and down some of the side streets, I recall there were some nice single-family homes for rent. Pretty quiet, over there.
cheese, yeah, Grand east of Culver is stable. A friend lived over that way until recently, and reported only one bad incident by his house in 5+ years of living there. Far as the history, I don't know a whole lot about that part of the city, except that a lot of folks over that way worked at Stromberg-Carlson (now Harris), Gleason, some food processing plants, and other formerly big employers on the east side, years ago (Gleason alone employed over 4000 people, 30 years ago). French's (mustard) used to be over off of E. Main. There was a major defense plant that closed in the early 80's over on Goodman (can't remember who owned it), where a lot of folks worked, and, of course, B&L over on Goodman, after they moved from St. Paul.
I know several people who grew up on Garson, Parsells, and Hazelwood Terrace, and they all went to East HS. That was a harmonious, mixed area, for years. One family I know grew up on Parsells, after leaving S. Plymouth(!). Most of their families have since moved out of the city. West of Culver was still nice, 20 years ago.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
We left early on through the change.... in the 80s... but my grandparents all held out until the mid 90s... They knew they had to get out when the prostitutes started working thier way up Lake Ave.... When they didn't feel safe sitting on thier front porch at night..... When there was a rapist out and about over near Driving Park.....No, life is not what it used to be in the 10th Ward...... it is only getting worse with murderers and drug dealers....and it IS a shame....
