Rochester was established as the village of “Rochesterville” in 1834 on the Genesee River, which flows into Lake Ontario. The river was used to churn so many mills the town earned the nickname of “Flour City,” while construction of the Erie Canal propelled growth and the meteoric rise of the Kodak Eastman Company added another reputation as the “Imaging Capital of the World.” Rochester would later be defined as the home of American activists Frederick Douglass and Susan B. Anthony. Frederick Douglass published much of his work, including his newspaper, The North Star, while living in Rochester, while Susan B. Anthony organized protests in town, including her 1872 arrest after voting for President Ulysses S. Grant. Dedications are scattered throughout the city for these icons of American progress, including a statue of the two having tea in Susan B. Anthony Square Park.
Though Rochester’s early roots were defined by mills, seed sales, and film and photo manufacturing from Kodak, today, the city’s workers are more likely to work roles in higher education and healthcare. Many Rochester residents work or study at the University of Rochester, the Rochester Institute of Technology, and Nazareth University. There’s also the renowned Strong Memorial Hospital, tied to the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, and arguably the city’s largest medical center, in the Strong community.
The University of Rochester employs over 31,000 people, while Rochester Regional Health and Wegmans Food Markets each employ over 15,000. Constellation Brands is another major company that set up shop in Rochester in 2024, a Fortune 500 wine and spirits maker. "They purposely chose to move their company to downtown Rochester to support this region's resurgence, knowing that a solid downtown is critical to the entire region,” says Erik Frisch, Rochester’s Deputy Commissioner of Neighborhood and Business Development. Kodak is still headquartered in Rochester, and though the workforce there has shrunk over time, it owns the Eastman Business Park, which stretches over 1,200 acres inside Maplewood and employs over 5,000 people across 117 companies in town. An industrial presence coming soon is Fairlife, a dairy company owned by Coca-Cola. "They're building a massive plant in Webster, New York, northwest of here,” Frisch adds.
The U.S. Census reported modest population growth in both Monroe County and the Rochester area from 2010 to 2020, with the number of residents rising from around 210,000 to 211,000. However, the city’s population has shrunk slightly since the pandemic, with a decline of around 0.6% in 2023. But along with fostering its varied economic drivers, the city is seeking to expand its downtown area with more residential, commercial and green space development, hoping to encourage growth into the coming decades.
Highland Park is about a 5 minute drive from downtown Rochester.
The George Eastman Museum is the world's oldest museum dedicated to photography.
A Canadian tourist visits the Susan B. Anthony Square Park named after the famous activist.
Strong residents have easy access to the University of Rochester's Strong Memorial Hospital.
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A popular market, with century-old homes
In neighborhoods like Corn Hill , Craftsman condos and townhouses from the 1980s sell for roughly $250,000, while American Foursquares and bungalows dating back to the 1900s are available in the Park Avenue community for around $400,000. Most neighborhoods have established civic associations and streets lined with mature trees, making for bright and colorful walks in the fall and spring.
Rochester continues to be recognized as one of the fastest-selling markets by real estate firms and is forecasted to have some of the highest listing price increases for 2024. While a low inventory has increased the median sales price, homes are still more affordable than other markets across the state and country. Rochester housing is 4% less expensive than the national average, with utilities being about 9% less. As of September 2024, the median listing price was $199,700. One factor driving growth is the low unemployment rate, given that Rochester is the birthplace and home of several major companies and corporations. City and community amenities also catch the eye of potential homebuyers, such as proximity to the Finger Lakes and Lake Ontario. “The interesting thing about Rochester that most outsiders don't know is that we have high property taxes [in Monroe County], but they’re significantly lower if you're in the city limits, so the city property taxes are significantly lower than any of the suburbs,” says Andrew Hannan, a local Realtor with Keller Williams Greater Rochester. “[This] is why there's such a huge concentration of young professional first-time homebuyers — because they say ‘hey, I don't need the schools, so I'm not gonna pay these big property taxes on my first house.’”
In addition to expanding affordable housing, Frisch details a $10 million investment in Downtown Rochester near the new Constellation Brands headquarters. “We're currently working on the Downtown Revitalization Initiative. It's a state program for the Four Corners area, which is the historic original center of Rochester, just a couple blocks away from [City Hall] and Maine and State [Streets]." He continues, "It will fill some vacant space, create more housing opportunities, and create a new glass office space as well as hotels.”
Corn Hill has condos built as recently as the 1980s.
Park Avenue's real estate market reflects a blend of elegant and contemporary living.
Rochester homes are more affordable than other markets across the state and country.
Potential home buyers will find historic homes in Corn Hill to be priced around $200.000.
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Newly built riverway parks and Amerk games at Blue Cross Arena
Sitting between Buffalo and Syracuse, Rochester holds its own when it comes to entertainment. Home to the famed Eastman Kodak photography empire, Rochester keeps the family’s legacy alive at the George Eastman Museum located on his estate. It's the oldest museum in the world dedicated to photography and film, housing millions of artifacts from the industry within the East Avenue community. The Dryden Theatre inside the museum shows over 300 films a year and hosts the annual Nitrate Picture Show: A Festival of Film Conversation. Every Sunday, the mansion holds music recitals.
The Strong Museum of Play is a popular children’s museum. It has dedicated exhibits for different toys throughout history, a Wegmans Food Markets grocery simulation that teaches children about household budgeting, and Console Central, which chronicles the history of video gaming in America. Rochester's several sports teams include the Rochester Americans, nicknamed the Amerks in the American Hockey League; the Rochester Knighthawks in the National Lacrosse League; and the Rochester Red Wings in Minor League Baseball. The Amerks and Knighthawks play home games at Blue Cross Arena, perched just west of the Genesee River downtown.
Highland Park is one of the city’s most beloved green spaces, stretching over 150 acres. Located in the Highland Park area, the grounds include blooming botanical gardens with lilacs and Japanese maple trees, intercut with walking paths. Certain areas can be used as private venues for weddings and other events, and the park hosts the popular annual Lilac Festival every May. People can also see concerts at the Highland Bowl Amphitheater or stroll along the Lily Pond. Closer to downtown is Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Park, an urban amphitheater that hosts a summer concert series.
The ROC the Riverway Project is an ambitious initiative to build recreational infrastructure on both sides of the Genesee River. It includes multimillion-dollar expansion projects on the Genesee Riverway Trail, which extends from the University of Rochester to Middle Falls. It also involves a $3.1 million investment in a public skate park beside the river, called the ROC City Skatepark, just beneath the Susan B. Anthony–Frederick Douglass Bridge. Another ROC the Riverway project was Austin Steward Plaza, renovated in the summer of 2024 for $20 million. "That really cleaned up a late ‘60s concrete plaza that was built on the river, making it more welcoming, bright, accessible and green,” says Frisch. The Heritage Trail dives into the longstanding history of Downtown Rochester, stretching for over a mile between the Susan B. Anthony House and the Second Erie Canal Aqueduct Bridge. The trail currently spotlights 15 points of interest for its self-guided tours — including Old City Hall, The 100 Acre Tract and the Isaac and Amy Post home — and the city will add more to take it to the Rundel Memorial Library.
The Strong National Museum of Play was established in 1969.
High Falls as seen from High Falls Terrace Park along the multi-use Genesee Riverway Trail.
The Rochester Lilac Festival is hosted annually in early to mid May in Highland Park.
Innovative Field was built in 1996 for $35.3 million dollars.
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Rochester public schools and several universities
Rochester City School District gets a C-rating from Niche and serves over 22,000 children, with 39 schools divided across three zones: the Northeast Zone, Northwest Zone and South Zone. Parents can enroll their kids in several citywide schools based on a lottery system. Private options include Bishop Kearney High School and the Aquinas Institute of Rochester, both of which are Catholic schools.
Home to one public and five private four-year institutions, Rochester provides a pipeline of education from early childhood through college. Rated an A on Niche, the University of Rochester is ranked 30th in the nation for Best Value Schools by U.S. News & World Report. Popular programs include nursing, biology and psychology. A leading technical university with a Niche grade of A-minus, the Rochester Institute of Technology, or RIT, ranks 37th on Morning Consult’s list of most trusted universities in America. It has 11 alumni who have won a total of 15 Pulitzer Prizes for visual journalism.
“Each of these institutions is individually unique, particularly RIT. It houses the National Technical Institute for the Deaf, and 200 deaf students are enrolled, resulting in a lot of hearing students and staff becoming fluent in American Sign Language,” says Dr. Tomicka Wagstaff, a former faculty member at RIT, the University of Rochester and the State University of New York at Brockport. “The University of Rochester is a hub for the medical center through its partnership with Strong Memorial Hospital, and it provides unique opportunities and internships that aren’t offered in other places." Wagstaff is also an alum of the University of Rochester.
The only public university in the immediate area, SUNY Brockport, enrolls approximately 7,000 undergraduate and graduate students and has partnered with Amazon on its Amazon Career Choice Program, which covers tuition and select fees for Brockport students employed by the retailer. Niche grades Brockport a B-minus.
The University of Rochester is the region's largest employer.
SUNY Brockport enrolls approximately 7,000 undergraduate and graduate students.
The Aquinas Institute of Rochester has an overall grade of A- on Niche.
Bishop Kearney High School is a private Catholic school located in Irondequoit, NY.
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An eclectic mix of restaurants and breweries
Local restaurants outnumber fast-food chains, and there are around 31 craft breweries and cideries in the greater Rochester-Monroe County area. According to locals, Rochester is a fun place for foodies. With the city breathing new life into the riverfront, opportunities are opening for food industry entrepreneurs. “Rochester is great for people who like an experience when they eat. It has a lot of up-and-coming craft cocktail lounges and unique concept restaurants,” says Wagstaff. “Places like Strangebird Brewery and Cheshire. Nerdvana has an entire menu of board games that you can play while you enjoy your meal, and Apogee is a popular local wine bar.” Folks often dine at Dinosaur Bar-B-Que after watching an Amerks hockey game across the river, while Redd Rochester serves high-end New American fare and was awarded a Michelin star every year between 2008 and 2014. The city’s proximity to the Finger Lakes also encourages regular excursions. “There are so many wineries and casinos and such, so you’ll always find something to do,” says Wagstaff.
Rochester is known for its sausages, dubbed “hots” by locals. In the early 1920s, the city’s German community popularized the “white hot,” a white sausage made from pork, beef and sometimes veal. Around the same time, the now-famous establishment Nick Tahou Hots invented what would become the city’s signature dish, the garbage plate: it's a platter with home fries, macaroni salad, and a choice of grilled cheeseburgers or hots, topped with chili sauce and diced onions. Wegmans is the city-favorite supermarket chain, with 18 locations in and around the greater Rochester area. Residents of most neighborhoods west of the Genesee River may have to drive a couple of miles to reach the nearest Wegmans.
Dinosaur BBQ Rochester is situated in the former Lehigh Valley Railroad Station.
Nick Tahou Hots is a Rochester, NY landmark restaurant famous for its Garbage Plate.
REDD Restaurant is a 4 Star Michelin rated eatery.
Since 2015 ribs have been grilled daily at J Ribs in Brown Square.
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How Rochesterians travel
Access to interstates 390, 490 and 590 make for accessible driving around the city, while Interstate 90 provides residents a straight shot west to Buffalo and Ohio and east to Syracuse and Albany. For frequent fliers, the Frederick Douglass Greater Rochester International Airport is just off the 390 by Genesee Valley Park and offers domestic and international flights. “Even though it’s international, there aren’t too many direct flights out of Rochester’s airport,” says Wagstaff. Folks can head to the Louise M. Slaughter train station and take an Amtrak along the Empire Service Line, which stops in Buffalo, Niagara Falls, Syracuse, Albany and New York City.
The Inner Loop East Transformation Project has worked to tear out a section of the city’s eastern segment of I-490 for pedestrian-friendly redevelopment. “If you go out there now, you wouldn't know there was ever a highway there,” says Frisch. “We rebuilt Union Street as a primary urban street with wide sidewalks, protected bike facilities, and on-street parking, and then we created 6 acres of land for development on space that was asphalt and retaining walls. Now, he says, it consists of "over 500 units of housing, a new hotel, a museum expansion, shops and restaurants.” The project continues with the upcoming Inner Loop North Transformation Project to revamp the 1.5-mile section of the expressway north of downtown.
For those who’d rather not drive, the Regional Transit Service, or RTS, offers over 30 bus routes between Monroe and Genesee Counties, with some reserved explicitly for Rochester City School District high schools. With RTS On Demand, RTS partners with the transit app Via to provide rides on request to residents of outskirt areas like Greece, Henrietta, Irondequoit and Webster. There are also Veo e-scooters and e-bikes available for rent around the city. "And the cool thing about Rochester, and it was surprising to me when I first moved here from the D.C. area is that people ride their bikes through the snow. They just get those big tires and they plow right on," says Hannan.
Recent decline in city crime
Rochester has experienced a noticeable decrease in crime, with a 22% decrease in homicides from 2022 to 2023 according to the Rochester Police Department. Several community organizations work to curb violent crime and keep kids safe as they commute to and from school. Groups like Cameron Community Ministries host afterschool programs in the Lyell-Otis neighborhood, while on a larger scale, the Mayor's Youth Advisory Council and Rochester Peace Collective help fund job re-entry programs for people returning from incarceration.
Rochester’s property crime rate is above the national average, with car theft being an issue in recent years. However, the city has taken measures to reduce these crimes with anti-theft software updates for affected vehicles and more surveillance camera coverage. According to police data, there was a spike in car thefts in 2023, with significantly fewer incidents in 2024.
Rochester is prepped for snow
Upstate New York has a well-earned reputation for snowy winters. Rochester averages around 100 inches of snowfall per year, so the city government is prepared for blizzards. “Kids might be out of school if a couple of inches fall in D.C.” says Erik Frisch, Rochester’s deputy commissioner of neighborhood and business development. "Here? Sorry, kids, you're going to school the next day. Our roads are gonna be clear; our sidewalks are gonna be plowed. We're one of the few cities that has a municipal sidewalk plowing program.”
Though climate change has lowered the average annual snowfall and made for balmy autumn temperatures, not too many extreme weather events affect the city. “We're also insulated from coastal events, so we don't get the hurricanes, we don't get the floods, we don't really get tornadoes, droughts, wildfires or any of that stuff, so as long as you can handle a little bit of snow, it's a pretty safe place to be,” Frisch says.
The Playhouse Swillburger is a new spin on the beloved American burger joint.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Park is in the East End District of Downtown Rochester.
The Genesee Valley Sports Complex near Genesee-Jefferson offers space for hockey practice.
Rochester NY is the fourth-most populous city in New York State.
Eric Whitlock started his real estate career in 2010 with HUNT Real Estate ERA. In addition, Eric was also licensed with HUNT Commercial Real Estate from 2011 until early 2023, where he began operating exclusively with HUNT Real Estate ERA. As of 2024 he has accumulated close to a decade and a half of real estate brokerage experience.
Eric is known to be detail-oriented, approachable, adaptable, and adept at navigating the complexities that come with working with a lot of different personalities. Much of his exclusive client base has also been with many who knows him, also high net-worth individuals, entrepreneurs, investors, business people, local television, radio personalities, referrals and those in education.
As a proven performer, Eric is known to go above and beyond for his clients and his creative marketing strategies. He also provides them with all the tools unique to HUNT Real Estate ERA as well as other contemporary marketing services. Eric pushes the envelope on marketing and client care, he puts an emphasis on staying on top of the local and national real estate trends and local statistics for success.
When Eric isn't working, he enjoys a variety of interests, including basketball, working out, golf, travel, architecture, movies, vintage cars, and attending sports events. Additionally, he enjoys spending time with family and close friends, at places like the finger lakes and Cape Cod.
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