| The Monroe/Alexander neighborhood is defined by its restaurants, bars and nightclubs, but hidden behind the evening hustle and bustle are a series of one-block long residential streets with Victorian homes, wrought iron fenced front yards, and skyline views of Downtown. Some of these streets have seen significant property renovation, and opportunities still abound to own or rent a home with "character" just a stone's throw from downtown.
Rochester's 'Restaurant Row'
Alexander St. connects Rochester's Park Avenue "quiche belt" with its hot new East End/Upper East End dining and entertainment district. Starting in the southern part of the East End following East Avenue to Alexander Street, the hungry walker would pass the following fine dining establishments and bars: Max, Java's, Aria's, Salinger's, Spot Coffee, The Little Cafe, 2 Vine, Veneto, Rubino's, Monty's Corner, Mex, The Blue Room, and the Old Toad. Not a bad selection - and they're all in our database!
To search for commercial office space, residential rental units, and a wide variety of service and amenities and entertainment options in the neighborhood, check out the
Monroe/Alexander entry in the Interactive Map.
History
As recently as the 1950s, Monroe/Alexander and its environs represented the fringe of downtown entertainment. Its adjacent neighborhoods to the east contained the mansions of East Avenue and the large, middle class dwellings of Park Avenue - now a favorite neighborhood for students, young professionals, and well-heeled families and empty-nesters.
In the 1960s, the Monroe/Alexander area was home to a completely different culture - its hippies, boutiques, "headshops" and street-life resembled a miniature Haight Asbury. Eventually the boutiques and Victorian homes became the restaurants we currently enjoy.
Future
For many in the Monroe/Alexander area, the future feels like now. Nightlife is frenetic on weekends as celebrants wander from restaurants to clubs and cafes. The future promises even more choices as the area's revitalization into a 24/7 neighborhood creates an even greater market for upscale entertainment and shopping.
The City of Rochester is leading an effort to explore the filling in of a portion of the Inner Loop to create pedestrian-friendly city streets and large stretches of developable land. Such a move would reconnect the neighborhood's severed streets with Downtown proper, while the continued renovation of homes on the neighborhood streets off of S. Union would complete the revitalization of this whole area.
Festivals
Any depiction of life in downtown Rochester would be incomplete without a reference (in this case a hyperlink) to the innumerable festivals enjoyed by our residents. They include: the Rochester International Jazz Festival; the Corn Hill Festival (arts, crafts, and foods spread throughout this historic, riverside neighborhood); the Rochester/High Falls International Film Festival (held annually at the George Eastman House's Dryden Theatre and the downtown Little Theatre); the Image Out/ Gay & Lesbian Film Festival (hosted annually at the Little Theatre); the Clothesline Festival (artists from the region and beyond on the grounds of the Memorial Art Gallery); the Park Avenue Merchants Festival (another local favorite that covers Park Avenue from Culver to Alexander); the Lilac Festival (world famous for its hills and dales of lilac bushes, this Festival also boasts top-shelf music and shopping); the Rochester Music Festival (a reflection of the changing music scene, the Music Festival is ever-evolving); and the Cold Rush Winter Celebration. (The Cold Rush highlights the wide range of activities available across four seasons in our region). Want to get an even closer look at what's driving the excitement about downtown living? Join this year's Inside Downtown Tour! |
