Rochester - A Tale of Two Cities

After my brief excursion to Boston, it was time to get back to tour. So I met up with Brett Monday morning and we picked up a rental car to drive over to Rochester. It just so happened that this particular Monday was Memorial Day. It also just so happens that Brett's parents live in Schnectedy which just happens to be halfway between the two cities. So Brett invited us over for a cookout on the way.

I had never been to Rochester before, and all that I knew about it was that Eastman School of Music was in Rochester. Well I think that is all there is really to know about Rochester, or at least Downtown Rochester. Downtown is for the most part dumpy and depressed. There are many closed down shops, and not many restaurants. But the funny thing about Rochester is that just when you have given up on it, something appears to make you think maybe it isn't so bad.

Above is the official sign welcoming people to Rochester. Sadly the image below seems more fitting.

As you walk around you see the river flowing through Downtown and think, "oh that's nice." Well until you actually look at the river itself!

Mostly the architecture in Downtown Rochester is uninteresting (or even down right imposing like the above shot), but then occasionally you find a nice little gem of a building.

The above building would almost make you think that you were in Paris, but then the building below takes you right back into America.