URSMD Living in Rochester

Living in Rochester

Located on the southern shore of Lake Ontario in the Finger Lakes area of upstate New York, Rochester is a stimulating and progressive metropolitan community of more than one million people, representing the third largest urban area in New York State.
Rochester also is known as "The World's Image Centre," as it is the corporate home for many leading high-technology manufacturers such as Eastman Kodak Company, Xerox Corporation, and Bausch & Lomb. In addition to these Fortune 500 companies, also located in Rochester are a large number of small, high-technology companies that offer graduate students and spouses many options for research in business and industry and provide Rochester with one of the lowest unemployment rates in New York.

Cultural Life

Rochester's cultural life is particularly notable, especially for a city its size. The classical music scene is enriched by the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra and the Eastman School of Music, while contemporary music and jazz are featured at many downtown clubs. In the summer months, the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra performs outside at the Finger Lakes Performing Arts Center located on the eastern shore of Canandaigua Lake, just south of Rochester. In addition to classical music, Rochester is home to the sparkling Geva Theatre, the nationally acclaimed Garth Fagan Dance company, and dozens of other theater and musical groups featured at a variety of downtown and suburban clubs. Theater goers annually are treated to the Rochester Broadway Theatre League's productions of major Broadway plays touring the United States. For those who yearn for an international stage, the cosmopolitan city of Toronto is just three hours' drive away around Lake Ontario and is home to the third largest theater district in the world and a rich complement of ethnic restaurants.

Rochester also is a world leader in photography and optics. George Eastman House, on mansion-lined East Avenue, maintains and displays one of the largest still photography collections in the country, and its Dryden Theatre presents a classic film series from the expansive archives of motion pictures in the Eastman collection. George Eastman House and the International Museum of Photography and Film are major resources for graduate programs in film studies. The Rochester Museum and Science Center, Seneca Park Zoo, Strasenburgh Planetarium, and the Genesee Country Museum are popular local attractions. Summer festivals abound, including the Lilac Festival, Cornhill Arts Festival (one of the top 25 art festivals in the United States), and the Park Avenue Arts Festival. The Clothesline Festival, at the University's Memorial Art Gallery in September, features superb crafts and works of art from all over the country and attracts thousands of people each year. Numerous ethnic festivals and a wide selection of ethnic restaurants serving African , Caribbean, Chinese, Ethiopian, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Indian, Irish, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Kosher, Mexican, Middle Eastern, Thai, Turkish, and vegetarian cuisine enhance the city's cultural diversity.

Recreation

Rochester also is a haven for water lovers and those who enjoy the out of doors. Boaters can take a leisurely cruise on the Erie Canal and Lake Ontario or summer on Canandaigua Lake. The city boasts more than 11 thousand acres of parklands and includes the largest display of lilacs in the world. Canoeing, hiking, biking, picnicking, and viewing the fall foliage along the Erie Canal Heritage Trail or the Genesee River provide breathtaking views of the gorges of Letchworth Park and the beauty of the wine country of the Finger Lakes region of upstate New York (more than 50 in our region). Toronto - Rochester Fast Ferry.

Baseball Game

Sports fans will find something for everyone in Rochester. The Rochester Red Wings, the AAA baseball affiliate of the Minnesota Twins, and the Raging Rhinos A League Soccer team play in Frontier Field located in the heart of downtown Rochester. The Rochester Americans Hockey Club (farm team of the Buffalo Sabres) and the Rochester Nighthawks professional indoor lacrosse team both play downtown in the newly remodeled and expanded Blue Cross Arena. Western New York also is home to the National Football League's Buffalo Bills and the Major League Hockey team the Buffalo Sabres. Widely regarded as a "hot bed of golfing," Monroe County has hosted three U.S. Open Championships, the PGA Championship, the U.S. Senior Open, the 1995 Ryder Cup Matches, and an annual LPGA event. Skiing is popular and convenient, with two large downhill ski centers within 45 minutes of the city and numerous local parks featuring nordic ski trails. The Olympic facilities at Lake Placid lie to the east of Rochester in the Adirondack State Park. Rochester is the gateway to the Finger Lakes region of central upstate New York noted for its beautiful lakes, deep gorges, and numerous small wineries, making New York State one of the largest producers of wine in the country. Rochester also hosts a number of international sailing events on Lake Ontario and is a short distance from the sports car racing mecca of Watkins Glen in the beautiful Finger Lakes region.

Living Environment

Rochester consistently ranks as a premier American city. In 1998, Rochester received the All American City award. We boast the nation's highest rate of volunteerism, prompting magazines such as Reader's Digest and American Demographics to call us "America's kindest city." Rochester's endearing appeal may lie in its small town warmth, accessibility, and friendliness, combined with its big city cultural amenities and resilient economy. The weather in Rochester consists of four distinct seasons, although they are not the extremes that you might expect. Lake Ontario tempers both the cold of winter and the heat of summer giving Rochester one of the most delightful springs, summers, and falls to be found in the Northeast. Our seasons offer unique opportunities to enjoy flowering gardens, rich outdoor activities , fall foliage, and winter wonderlands.

The Rochester area public schools are among the best in the nation. These, together with the quality and scope of cultural and advanced educational facilities including 14 area colleges and universities, provide Rochester with a rich academic background and a focus on quality education for all our citizens.

The School of Medicine and Dentistry itself and our students offer some of the best entertainment in the area. Annual student-produced class plays, semiformal balls, outdoor recreational gatherings, intramural athletics, music and art shows, and numerous student-run clubs and national affiliated organizations round out the rich extracurricular slate of activities for all of our students.

The cost of living in Rochester is moderate. Because of its reasonable size, the Rochester area is easy to negotiate by car or by public transportation. The medical school is located in a nice residential area approximately three miles from the heart of downtown Rochester and is accessible to downtown by University shuttle bus at no cost. Housing surrounding the Medical Center is affordable, generally of high quality, and readily available.

Campus Crime Statistics

The Advisory Committee on Campus Safety will provide upon request all campus crime statistics as reported to the United States Department of Education (USDOE). The statistics are available on the USDOE's website and on the University's site.You can also obtain a hard copy of the report, titled Think Safe, by contacting University Security Services at 585-275-3340.