If you’re new in town or just looking for something different to do, WXXI’s staff has 10 amazing recommendations for people of all ages and backgrounds. Is there something we’re missing? Drop us a line and tell us and we might include it in a future installment.
Make some memories you’ll regret on a bar crawl at East & Alexander
– Kseniya Kalaur, Digital Strategist
Do you think there’s nothing to do in Rochester on a Friday or Saturday night? I got you covered. Head to The Daily Refresher for a slow start – grab a cocktail, dinner and a chat with your friends (if you have any), or just enjoy the demure and mindful atmosphere because it’s going to get loud.
Then head to Murphy’s Law to check out one of Rochester’s best pubs. Grab a beer, watch TV and get ready for the next stop – which is Filgers! No matter if you’re in a big company or alone it’s always fun there. And it’s a great place to meet new people.
I like to end my night in Swan Dive. First off, I really like the lightning and if it gets too overwhelming inside, you can chill outside. If you are looking for something even more club-like, head to Studio Lounge (a short walk from East & Alexander) or one of my local favorites, The Revelry (~5 min drive).
Experience cinema history with “Silent Tuesdays” at the George Eastman Museum
– Mona Seghatoleslami, WXXI Classical Music Director & Afternoon Host
The earliest movies, from the 1890s through the late 1920s, are known as “silent” films – they have no synchronized soundtrack, but that doesn’t mean they were meant to be experienced in silence. These pictures come to life when accompanied by live music.
The George Eastman Museum has an amazing archive of silent movies, but the true treasure is Dr. Philip Carli, one of the finest silent film accompanists in the world, playing for us right here in Rochester.
Carli improvises the music for these movies live at the piano, finding just the right musical phrases to underscore comedies from Buster Keaton and Harold Lloyd, grand sweeping epics, domestic dramas, eerie thrillers, and more. You owe it to yourself to experience a silent movie with Philip Carli playing piano – and you too may find yourself drawn back again and again as one of the dedicated fans who look forward to these magical Tuesday evenings every autumn.
See the sunrise at one of Rochester’s lighthouses
– Jacob Walsh, CITY Magazine Art Director
I was a night-owl in my younger years. At the tender age of 30, I’m much more of a morning person. I’d also argue I’m still in my younger years, but that’s a different conversation.
The feeling of calm and stillness that floats through the air before 7 a.m. is a feeling I can’t capture anywhere else in my life. During the summer months, when I’m up and at ’em around 5:30, I like to put on my helmet, hop on my motorcycle, and jet off to one of Rochester’s lighthouses. It feels oddly rewarding to get up a little earlier than normal, grab a thermos of coffee, and go sit on a big rock among the early-morning waves, just you and the folks heading out in their boats to fish the lake before everyone else shows up and the sun gets too high in the sky.
If you’re overdue for an epiphany, you need to center yourself, or you just want to observe how the sun rises slowly over the horizon and shoots dazzling rays of light off the rippling surface of the water, find yourself a lighthouse on the shores of Lake Ontario (we have several) and settle in to start your day next to this massive body of water.
Discover the oldest trees around in this city forest
– Alison Zero Jones, Director, Corporate Sponsorship
You can hike a seemingly infinite number of trails in the Finger Lakes, and all the possibilities often obscure the gems in Rochester city limits. The 26-acre Washington Grove in Cobbs Hill Park offers easy access to an old-growth forest, one populated with 100- to 200-year-old towering oaks, and loads of maples planted by Rochester school children back in the 1930s.
This special sliver of Rochester is formally protected by the @oldgrowthforestnetwork, and @friendsofwashingtongrove kindly look after it. The ol’ green lung also offers access to artist-repurposed water towers where friends can argue over which work is best and/or debate freedom of expression – many options. Part of the glacially formed Pinnacle Range, this whole zone is a must-tread. Dreamy Nunda Blvd. leads visitors to its entrance.
Shop for yourself, or any other musician or music lover in your life
– Hannah Maier, The Route Music Director & Afternoon Host
When I think of Rochester, I think of all the music. You can find a live concert almost every night of the week from across styles and genres. Along with all the musicians, you’ve got to have a good source of music shops, and Rochester does!
First off, you have to go to Sound Source at 161 Norris Drive. It’s the best place to find used music equipment in Rochester. They get so many unique guitars, keyboards, recording, and vintage equipment, and their inventory is always changing. They also have what they call “bargain alley.” It’s really just a messy hallway, but you’ll find some of the best deals of your life in that hallway.
Next, head to Record Archive at 33 Rockwood St for some of the best finds on records in town, fun ‘gifty’ items, and a wonderful staff. Finally, head to Bernunzios at 122 East Ave. Bernunzios has some of the most unique wood and stringed instruments in the city, and honestly, the world. They have vintage instruments you usually can’t see in person, and the most amazing selection of banjos I’ve ever seen.
Destroy your arteries with Rochester’s OTHER signature dish
– Gino Fanelli, Investigations/City Hall Reporter
While basking in the glow of the garbage plate’s grease-stained glory, one could be forgiven for thinking it is the only artery-clogging creation the Flower City can take credit for.
But it isn’t. It’s not even the best. For that, you have to head to Country Sweet, the chicken and ribs joint defined by its viscous, sugary, vinegary, and slightly spicy sauce. Many Rochesterians know the sauce as “sweet and sour,” a disambiguation of Country Sweet to include pale imitators like Boss Sauce or Sal’s Sassy Sauce. But there is no replacement for the real deal.
The offerings at the restaurant’s two locations, on Mount Hope Avenue and West Ridge Road, are preserved in amber: chicken, fish, and shrimp, all battered, dredged, and fried, placed on a bed of plain white bread to soak up the liquid, and then drowned in the signature sauce. It’s greasy, salty, sweet, savory, tangy, spicy, and the sort of thing a more responsible society would have you sign a waiver before consuming. And it’s divine.
The sauce itself? Good on everything, and I mean that to the most extreme degree. Every time I’m away from Rochester, I miss it more than anything or anyone else. It’s irreplaceable, indescribable, and something any true Rochesterian needs to experience. In moderation.
Pretend you’re a kid again and have a playdate at the Strong Museum
– David Streever, Director of Digital Product
When’s the last time you really played? I’m a full-grown adult like you, not two children in a trench coat, but after having kids I realized I had been neglecting play for years.
It’s hard to find the time – or confidence – to just let go and play as a grownup. But Rochester has the perfect place to remember what it’s like to be a kid: The Strong National Museum of Play.
Go early on a weekend or a weekday, and you can play the arcade games of your childhood. If you feel weird, you can bring a kid with you and sit in for a story hour – but adults are welcome at any time. The historical exhibits are interesting whenever you can see them, but if you’re not good at taking turns and want to go when it’s just adults, keep an eye out for the semi-regular ‘happiest hour,’ when the museum shuts down for a 21+ evening.
Get lost in a warehouse full of art – over 500,000 pieces await – Kristie Colombo, IT Manager
Rochester is rich with art galleries, museums and creative spaces. ARTISANworks is different. More than 500,000 artworks are on display in the 50,000 square foot warehouse on Blossom Road. As you wander through the gallery, each space will transport you to a different and unique experience. The art includes paintings, photography, wood carvings and creations, metalworks, even antique and famous automobiles. Some of Rochester is preserved here as well. Reconstructed buildings and historical artifacts honor memorable neighborhoods, businesses, and legendary people that shaped our community.
And then there are other worlds ARTISANworks can transport you to. Bourbon Street, New Orleans, Rick’s Café from Casablanca, a classic firehouse, and many other themed locations have been recreated. The art is displayed everywhere, inside and out, on the ceilings and walls. There is something to explore and ponder in every crack and crevice. It is not the traditional art viewing experience with paintings evenly spaced on the walls and some sculptures in the middle of the room. ARTISANworks is a must see. You need to explore this creative, artistic wonderland. They are open Friday – Sunday 12-5PM.
Note: Kristie is married to an employee of ARTISANWorks.
Bike the Genesee River on a car-free trail through the heart of Rochester
– Katie Epner, Creative Content Producer
There’s no better way to get to know a place than on a bike. Growing up in Rochester, it wasn’t until I explored it on two wheels that I truly fell in love with our city. The Genesee River Trail is a fantastic place to start— and it’s only getting better with improvements from the @ROCtheRiverway project and the impending High Falls State Park! 13 [mostly] mellow miles between the Erie Canal and Lake Ontario take you through parks, waterfalls, boardwalks, bridges, forests and an overwhelming wonder that all of this exists within our city. Bike groups abound, and if you’re in need of wheels, the incredible volunteers at @r_community_bikes can hook you up. What are you waiting for? 🛎️ Get on your bikes and ride! 🛎️
Read your way across Rochester at these 9 independent bookstores
– Scott Pukos, Director of Communications, The Little Theatre
There’s a certain romanticism about bookstores. Endless universes, charming characters, tales of triumph or tragedy, and that plot twist you didn’t see coming—they all await us on bookstore shelves.
Rochester not only has a plentiful selection of charming bookstores, they’re also (mostly) all within walking/biking distance, which of course means (all caps are necessary here) BOOKSTORE CRAWL. Perfect for dates, solo adventures, friend hangouts, or even a prime way to gain that important character growth with your arch nemesis.
We have the beautifully witchy vibes of The Unreliable Narrator (302 N. Goodman), top-tier breakfast sandwiches and the cutest cat pillow at Bookeater (836 S. Clinton), plus Writers & Books’ magically indie spot, Ampersand Books (740 University Ave.). Additionally, there’s Akimbo (714 University Ave.), which focuses on social justice plus international fiction, the queer-focused Archivist Books at 772 Monroe Ave. (“read gay books” is just a perfect slogan/piece of advice), and Hipocampo Children’s Books (638 South Ave.), which features books that represent the various cultures and languages of Western New York.
There are also excellent spots for used books, including Rick’s Recycled Books (737 Monroe Ave), Greenwood Books (123 East Ave.), and Small World Books (425 North Street). Couple this with dozens of whimsical bookstores in the suburbs, plus the positively top-notch Monroe County libraries, and it’s clear Rochester is a haven for readers of all ages.