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Rochester sits high above Lake Ontario, a city
astride the Erie barge route to New York and the mighty Genesse
River. Wheat, originally from local farmsteads, came in through
Buffalo on Lakes schooners for milling in Rochester. The quality
was so good that Queen Victoria insisted that the kitchens in
Buckingham Palace stocked it. Thus the city came by its soubriquet
of “The Flour City” honestly, and Colonel Nathanial Rochester’s
confidence in buying Ebenezer “Indian” Allen’s grist mill and
100 acres of land around the falls on the Genesee River in 1810
was well justified. Water power from the tumbling river and the
transportation economics of the Erie Barge Canal fueled Rochester’s
growth and wealth, for nearly half a century. With the coming
of steam power, milling moved west to Buffalo, but Rochester continued
to grow strong with other industries. The garment trade with uniforms
for confederate troops during the Civil War was important, followed
by Rochester’s signature industries. In 1853 the Bausch & Lomb
Optical and Health Care Company started in a small store. In 1888
George Eastman invented a flexible film camera that revolutionized
photography. In the early part of the 20th century the Haloid
Company commenced operation in a loft over a shoe factory; fifty
years later they produced the first plain paper copier, as the
Xerox Corporation, and became a household name.
Today Rochester is the “Flower City”, due to the acclaimed work of nurserymen George Ellwanger and Patrick Barry who helped create Rochester’s impressive 11,000 acre park system and public gardens. Between 1841 and 1918 these Nurserymen ran the largest horticultural industry in the world. Of their many accomplishments was the development of the modern orange tree. Highland Park contains a part of their bequest to the city and is internationally known for its lilac collection. Another park, Maplewood, features one of the largest rose collections in North America.
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RECREATION
Rochester’s attractions start just a short walk from the
cruise dock at the Ontario Beach Park, with its sandy beach, boardwalk,
piers and a 1905 menagerie carousel by Dentzel.
A short ride into town beside the Genesee River takes one to the High
Falls. This magnificent urban waterfall can be appreciated from The Center
at High Falls “a hundred feet of rolling thunder”, which traces
the growth of Rochester and how water power was used. The River, and both
old and new canals, offer easy walking tours with exceptional scenic and
historic opportunities. There are hundreds of miles of trails in the Rochester
area for walking, hiking, biking and riding. These range from paved routes
to wilderness trails once used by the Senecas.
For the young, and the young at heart, Rochester has entertaining and
instructive things to do, and places to go. The Strong Museum includes
an interactive Sesame Street zone. The Rochester Museum & Science Centerhas
family oriented activities, while the Seneca Park Zoo, along the river
gorge, features a Rocky Coast exhibit, the Raging Rivers Water Park offers
wet & wild rides for all ages as well as other amusements and the Seabreeze
Park with its “Jack Rabbit” wooden roller coaster.
Rochester is the maritime gateway to the incomparable Finger Lakes region,
believed, by the Iroquois, to have been formed when God placed his hand
on some of the most beautiful land ever created. There are, in fact, eleven
lakes with the major ones named for the tribes of the Six Nation Confederacy
of the Iroquois. This land of tranquil lakes, deep glens and rushing waterfalls
is home to 50 wineries and is the second largest wine producing region
in the USA. The climate and steep sided valleys are strongly reminiscent
of German wine producing areas and the wines have many similar characteristics.
HISTORY
Rochester’s historic roots are deep, and well
preserved. At the foot of the Broad Street Bridge, is the 1842 built aqueduct
that carried the canal over the Genesee. This replaced the original, built
only 20 years earlier, when the canal was widened and deepened to accommodate
increased traffic.
There are thousands of buildings on the National Register of Historic
Places, and many more that are considered significant. The rapid change
from frontier territory at the end of the 18th century, to sophisticated
urban community in less than half a century, can be readily traced through
buildings from each era. The Stone-Tolan House of 1805 typifies the rural
farmhouse / tavern of that time while the Hoyt-Potter & Campbell-Whittlesey
houses are just two of many that show the homes of wealthy millers from
the 1830’s and 40’s. The 50 room George Eastman mansion, dating
from the early 1900’s, demonstrates the opulence of the era, and
houses The International Museum of Photography. Whole districts like Maplewood
or Corn Hill, or the mansions of East Avenue, enable the visitor to appreciate
streetscapes that have changed little in over 100 years. Corn Hill was
home to many wealthy citizens and used to be known as “The Ruffled
Shirt”, or “Silk Stocking” district. It was also where
the Memorial African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church was established in
1827. Rochester has many African-American connections. This was where
Frederick Douglass, the Orator and Abolitionist, lived, and Harriet Tubman’s
home is in nearby Auburn. The region is rich in historical connections
from the underground railroad, to the origins of the Women’s Rights
Movement, in 1848 in Seneca Falls. Canandaigua, also nearby, was where
Susan B. Anthony was tried for the crime of voting. Her house, at 17 Madison
Street in Rochester, where she was arrested in 1872, can be visited.
SHOPPING
With several major enclosed malls surrounding Rochester
there is no shortage of shopping possibilities. A stroll down “The
Avenues” in the downtown core will delight with one of a kind boutiques.
This preservation district encompassing Monroe & Park Avenues is home
to crafts, collectibles, rare books, vintage accoutrements and all interspersed
with eclectic bistros, pubs and restaurants.
ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT
Rochester and the Finger Lakes Region are known, not
only for their historical connections, but also for the quality and diversity
of their arts offerings. The Eastman School of Music is here, home to
the Rochester Philharmonic. The Geva Theatre and the Auditorium Center
are home to a wide range of traditional, contemporary and Broadway entertainment,
as well as Young People’s Theatre. The visual arts are well represented
at the Memorial Art Gallery and the George Eastman House which, naturally,
specializes in the Art of the Camera. There are innumerable festivals
throughout the cruise season to enjoy, ranging from Juried Arts Festivals
to Renaissance entertainment at The Jousts.
SPORTS
There are more than 40 public, private and semi-private
golf courses within easy reach of the cruise dock. These cater to all
interests, from the recreational putter or beginner to the aspiring pro
intent on trying one of the regions challenging and scenic courses. Sport
fishing on Lake Ontario for lake or brown trout on a charter boat can
bring rich rewards, as can fly fishing on one of the many rivers or streams
in the area.
The Details
Port Authority
City of Rochester
Department of Parks and Recreation
30 Church Street
Rochester, NY 14614
Harbormaster: Robert Whiting
(585) 428-6749
Fax: (585) 428-6022
Sailing Directions
Charts: 14804, 14815
Location: 75 nm west of Cape St.
Vincent, NY; 75 nm ESE of
Toronto, ON
Radio: VHF Ch. 16 via CG Station Rochester
Pilotage: Compulsory for international flag vessels
Accommodations:
Port of Rochester dock, west side of Genesee River
(for commercial and large vessels)
Length: 800 ft. (245 m)
Depth: 16 ft. (4.88 m)
Services: Limited arrangements can be made
for water, bunkering, refuse removal, pump-out,
crane service
Charges:
Per 24 hour period:
31-100 ft. $ 50.00
101-199 ft. $200.00
200-299 ft. $250.00
300 ft. + $300.00
Ship Agents:
As arranged
Ship Services:
U.S. Customs: (585) 263-6293
Coast Guard: VHF Ch. 16 (585) 342-4149
Bunkering:
Agway Energy (585) 436-4000
Samson Fuel (585) 254-6010
Garbage:
City of Rochester (585) 428-6749
Pump out: Chamberlain (585) 265-0277
Other service: Harbormaster (585) 428-6749
Motor Coach Services:
Coach USA (585) 334-2222
Passenger Services:
Gregory Marshall
Vice President
Greater Rochester Visitor Association Inc.
45 East Avenue, Suite 400
Rochester, NY 14604-2294
(800) 677-7282 Fax: (585) 232-4822
www.visitrochester.org
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