High Falls Rochester NY

ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- People in this beleaguered city on the south shore of Lake Ontario are pretty excited about a new Toronto-Rochester car ferry promised for May. For their part, people in Toronto have barely noticed. That's all to the good because there are several important reasons why Torontonians wouldn't ever want to come here.

Take Rochester's homicide rate, at triple the U.S. average. The car-theft rate is 2.6 times the U.S. average. Robbery is nearly triple the national rate. Then there's the culinary treasure known -- this is true -- as the Garbage Plate.

For $6 (U.S.), you get home fries and cold macaroni salad, topped with a cheeseburger or hot dog, all drowned in ground meat, hot sauce, chopped raw onions and Day-Glo orange grease. It takes a tattooed cook 14 seconds to assemble. It looks unpicturesque.

"That's why they call it the Garbage Plate," says Mayor William A. Johnson Jr., 61, who is no fan.

Don't sample it at Nick Tahou Hots (slogan: "Home of the Garbage Plate''). At this fluorescent-and-Formica joint, the cheeseburger is as dry as a cracker and the grease pools at the bottom of the paper plate.

"It's supposed to be greasy," says the skinny cashier, who appears to eat elsewhere.

Nick's used to be open all night until it hosted one too many shootouts. Located on West Main Street, it's a quick but perilous walk from the mayor's office, past a homeless shelter, shuttered businesses and a high school for troubled youths.

"You walked there?" Mr. Johnson says. "I wouldn't walk there. Don't go there again. If you had made a wrong turn, you would have been in no man's land." He pulls out sheets of statistics. Rochester's homicide rate, at 17.4 per 100,000, is double New York City's.

In 2001, Rochester had 39 homicides, mostly execution-style hits.

"Only a couple of times a year, a purely innocent person gets shot," the mayor says.

He dreamed up the ferry idea in 1995, a year after he took office. He thought tourism might halt the city's decline. Conjuring up a vision of Torontonians streaming across Lake Ontario, he persuaded New York state to kick in $14-million toward a ferry service.

Currently, the $42.5-million (U.S.) high-speed catamaran is out of dry dock in Perth, Australia. At the Rochester harbour, a 30-minute drive from downtown, work crews are rushing to convert an abandoned warehouse into a terminal.

But neither side has received approval from customs and immigration authorities. And construction hasn't even begun in Toronto. "I'm in the dark as to exactly what kind of structure they're talking about," says Mr. Johnson, who has heard rumours that Toronto's terminal might be a concrete pad covered by a tent.

Henry Pankratz, Toronto Port Authority chairman, didn't return calls. Nor did Dominick DeLucia or Howard Thomas, executives at the ferry company, Canadian American Transportation Systems.

"The last I heard they wanted somebody else to put in money," says Joe Pantalone, a Toronto city councillor who chairs the municipal waterfront group.

In a sign of how few tourists come to Rochester, rooms at Microtel Inn & Suites cost $39.95.

"I get the stupidest calls from the stupidest people," the desk clerk complained to a room attendant the other morning. "Like, 'How big are your rooms?' " In fact, Microtel has queen beds and full baths, and includes continental breakfast, free local calls, cable TV and the morning paper.

Rochester would be a bargain, except that Air Canada charges nearly $900 round-trip for a 25-minute flight. (Advance bookings are $387, with a $150 penalty for any change.) By car, the trip via Buffalo takes about 3½ hours, plus gas and tolls. In contrast, the thrice-daily ferry will cost $40 (U.S.) per car, plus $20 per passenger, or $28 for walk-ons. Shore to shore, the trip takes 2½ hours, an estimate that doesn't include customs and immigration checks.

But such comparisons miss the point, according to Carol Miller, a retired hospital worker (and my cousin-in-law), who has lived in Rochester her whole life. "What do they expect people from Toronto to do when they come here? There is so nothing here."

Hers is a typical Rochesterian psyche, less civic boosterism than civic dumpsterism. Indeed, last June a number of local organizations offered a "Reality Tour" of the city's poorest neighbourhoods.

Ms. Miller offers her own blightseeing tour. At the ferry docks, she points out abandoned buildings. "The beach is polluted," she says over the roar of front-loaders. Later, she drives her family van over potholed streets to the downtown core. Here, on the Genesee River, is Rochester's star attraction: a 30-metre waterfall.

High Falls is no Niagara Falls, but it did power Rochester's first flour mills. On this sunny November day, the footbridge is deserted. "I hate to tell you this, but it's like this in the summer, too," Ms. Miller says. "To be honest, I wouldn't come here day or night alone."

Downtown, all-day parking is $3. A nearby heritage building is vacant, with smashed windows and torn plastic sheeting. Traffic is so sparse it's unnecessary to look left or right when crossing the street. But pretensions to a bygone era remain: no-left-turn signs on every downtown corner.

Two hundred years ago, High Falls made Rochester the largest flour-milling city in the world. A hundred years ago, George Eastman invented the 10-cent flexible film roll and the $1 Brownie camera here. His 50-room mansion, which now houses a museum of photography, is the city's only five-star attraction. In 1932, at the age of 77, the lifelong bachelor declared his life's work done and shot himself in an upstairs bedroom.

Rochester's decline can be traced to governor Thomas E. Dewey. In 1948, Rochester voted against him when he ran for president, ensuring he lost the state -- and the White House. Two years later, Mr. Dewey saw to it that Interstate 90 bypassed Rochester on its way from Buffalo to Syracuse.

Today, digital technology has slashed employment at Eastman Kodak Co. to 21,000 from a high of 60,000 in 1982. Two other main employers, Xerox Corp. and Bausch & Lomb Inc., have also cut jobs. In the past decade, Rochester's population has shrunk 6.3 per cent to 220,000 (Greater Rochester has about a million) and taxable city property values have plunged 15.3 per cent. It now ranks 173rd among the nation's 200 largest metropolitan areas in terms of job creation and economic performance.

At the end of a depressing tour, Ms. Miller is pressed for a genuine Rochester attraction. She suggests Wegmans, a supermarket. Don't laugh. "It's the store where I take my relatives and out-of-town visitors," Neil Stern, a food-industry analyst, told The New York Times.

Cher went there this summer. Wearing dark glasses and a cowboy hat, she signed autographs and cooed to the manager, Bill Congdon, "I'd love for you to build one of these stores in Malibu where I live."

At 130,000 square feet, the Pittsford Plaza Wegmans offers a caviar bar, a kosher deli that authentically boils the bagels before baking, and a less authentic Chinese buffet. The fish department cooks to order, free. The flower department has a five-day guarantee on roses. You can hook your latte cup onto your shopping cart. Your toddler can "drive" a red plastic car also hooked, yes, to your shopping cart.

Aside from gargantuan restaurant portions -- the Scotch N Sirloin offers 48-ounce slabs of prime rib, Nick Tahou Hots sells 42-ounce drinks -- everything in Rochester seems to be disappearing. Downtown's revolving restaurant has closed. The nightly laser show at High Falls has been mostly discontinued. Even the Red Wings baseball team had five consecutive losing seasons, including, in 2002, its worst in 23 years.

"Then they moved the team to Ottawa, and immediately it got better," says Mr. Johnson, who himself was trounced this month in a race for county manager.

Not surprisingly, Rochesterians prefer to look to the past. Visitors are told to go to Mount Hope Cemetery, where Frederick Douglass, the slavery abolitionist, and Susan B. Anthony, the women's suffrage leader, are buried. Her home is another attraction, but everyone from cab drivers to Ms. Miller to the mayor warned against venturing into the neighbourhood (just past Nick Tahou Hots).

"Oh, we have no problem here," Joanne Middleton, the docent, insisted to the one and only visitor of the day. "The neighbourhood is fine."

(December 3, 2003) — Cleveland has its burning river.

Niagara Falls has its Love Canal.

Now Rochester has to overcome its own public relations mess. No, it’s not the old Smugtown reference. Or the weather. Instead, Rochester has been branded by some in the Toronto media as The Place You Never Want to Visit.

And that’s ticking off many in the Flower City.

It seems as though a new high-speed ferry that will be running between Rochester and Toronto next spring has opened a few eyes up north that there are humans living on the south side of Lake Ontario. Both the Toronto Star and the Globe and Mail have dispatched reporters to find out a little more about what’s up in Rochester.

A Toronto Star columnist — who didn’t make the trip — said he’d rather go to Guantanamo Bay than Rochester. Last week, a Globe and Mail story dumped all over the city, pointing out “several important reasons why Torontonians wouldn’t ever want to come here.” Specifically, reporter Jan Wong focused on the city’s crime rate and “a depressing tour” provided by the reporter’s cousin-in-law.

The latest story sparked an outcry from Mayor William A. Johnson Jr., who called it “joined him Tuesday.

While most conceded that the negatives emphasized in the article are factual, they also said it was far from balanced and the reporter “missed the boat,” so to speak, about Rochester and the ferry.

They also expressed disappointment that their beloved community was smeared before an entire nation. The Globe and Mail, which has a circulation of 327,568 weekdays, bills itself as Canada’s “National Newspaper.”

“You can look at any city in the world and make it look bad if you want to,” said Paul Hudson, CEO of Roberts Communications, the advertising agency that helped develop Rochester’s “Made for Living” promotional campaign. “It looks like she embarked on negative journalism.”

“I’m not offended by it,” he added. “I think it’s a call to arms. I think it really points out the job the community, the entire Finger Lakes region, needs to do in terms of presenting its benefits to Canada.”

Others, though, were irked.

“We are definitely offended,” said Dresden Engle, public relations manager at the nationally renowned George Eastman House. “She obviously was going for the negative slant.”

The George Eastman House received one of the few positive comments in the article, being referred to as “the city’s only five-star attraction.”

But Rochester is a culturally rich region, Engle and others said, and the article failed to point out attractions such as the Strong Museum, Eastman Theatre, Genesee Country Village & Museum, Memorial Art Gallery and Rochester Museum & Science Center. Not to mention the Sam Patch Packet Boat and the Finger Lakes wineries.

Rochester also is home to Garth Fagan Dance. The troupe began its annual run of performances on Tuesday at the Nazareth College Arts Center in Pittsford with a premiere DanceCollageForRomie, inspired by the work of the late artist Romare Bearden.

“I have at least two regrets about (the article),” said G. Rollie Adams, CEO at Strong Museum. “The first one is it didn’t accurately portray what a great family destination Rochester is and it didn’t mention the Strong Museum, one of the best family attractions on both sides of the lake.”

Strong Museum is the new home for the National Toy Hall of Fame and has been named the seventh-best children’s museum in the United States.

But Heidi Zimmer-Meyer, president of the Rochester Downtown Development Corp., warned against trying to compete with Toronto in terms of cultural activities. Instead, the community should focus on forging a business alliance with Toronto, with the high-speed ferry offering that opportunity, she said.

“What we’re selling is a region as an innovative and creative place,” she said.

Canadian American Transportation Systems, the company launching the ferry, did not return calls seeking comment. The ship will travel between Rochester and Toronto several times a day and be capable of carrying 750 passengers and 220 cars.

Al Simone, president of Rochester Institute of Technology, said he was disappointed, frustrated and angry at what he called “shoddy journalism.” He said he’s lived in Boston, Honolulu, Cincinnati and Rochester and “I have to tell you I’ve never been happier or more satisfied in any place that I’ve lived like in Rochester.”

Even some Toronto residents came to Rochester’s defense. Dr. Jim Moore, 55, of Toronto called the article “trash.” He contacted the Democrat and Chronicle to say that Rochester doesn’t have the “concrete and congestion” that plagues the Canadian city.

But not everyone was upset by the article. Many people said Wong was right on the money and that Johnson and others have no right to criticize her accurate portrayal of the city.

“I have to agree with her,” said David Kaspersin, 61, of Greece. “Rochester died about 20 years ago and they forgot to bury it.”

Kaspersin, who runs a recording studio, said that when clients visit, he takes them to Niagara Falls, Canada — because that’s the best thing about Rochester, its proximity to the falls.

Monroe County spokesman James Smith’s comments were tempered. The county supports the ferry and is a community booster, he said, but he added that the city has failed to address the problem of crime.

“Many aspects (of the article) were unfair, but it’s hard to complain when the obvious is being pointed out,” he said.

Rochester has its share of challenges, admitted David Kaiser, president of the Browncroft Neighborhood Association. “If the article had the framework that Rochester is a medium-sized city that’s working hard to deal with its problems, instead of making it sound like a morass of problems, it would have been a whole different spin. The writer wanted to do something negative.”

Wong could have mentioned the Corn Hill Arts Festival, the Park Avenue Festival and the Memorial Art Gallery’s Clothesline Festival, Kaiser said.

“I think some of the things cited by the author are very definitely problems in the Rochester area. But any urban area, including Toronto, has got them.”

Wong, who didn’t return a call seeking comment, spent part of Tuesday appearing on local radio talk shows.

She chatted with radio personality Brother Wease for about 20 minutes on WCMF-FM (96.5), during which time she was a good sport, taking the hits with some laughter, conceding some faults and defending some of her perceptions.

Wease offered to put her up for a weekend at the Del Monte Lodge, then take her out to two lunches and two dinners. He likely will call her if he doesn’t hear. He’d probably take her to Mamasan’s and Dinosaur BBQ for lunches, and Rio and another high-end place for dinner.

“Her article was completely wrong and I broke down what was wrong about it, but I liked her a lot,” said Wease, whose real name is Alan Levin. “I think what this lady did was great for the city. A lot of civic pride came out today from a lot of people. And the people who tried to side with her got beat up — not beat up in a mean way, but they got educated.”

RARMON@DemocratandChronicle.com

Includes reporting by staff writer Robin Flanigan.

January, 2004

If Rochester wants to see the economy / Ferry / anything succeed and move
forward we need to:

1. Close High Falls and move it to Charlotte.
2. Take the money that would be wasted on the aqua duct project and spend
it in Charlotte.
3. Take the money that would be wasted on the corn hill waterfront project
and spend it in Charlotte.
4. Move whats left of downtown Rochester to Charlotte. (There isn't much
left to move)
5. Start with the old Changing Scene restaurant.
(Remember the one where you got to see all the air conditioning units as
you dined)
If it had been built in Charlotte it would still be operating.
6. Build the bus terminal in Charlotte.
7. Build the Megacenter in Charlotte.
8. Save the railroad bridge in Charlotte.
It would attract visitors if it was a restaurant / street of shops.
And yes have it rotate for gods sake !
9. Someone tell the Mayor that DOWNTOWN Rochester died over 20 years ago.
Its time to give "No Man's Land" a decent burial !
10. Rename Charlotte Rochester North.
(Remember Charlotte is City property)


Dave Kaspersin


10/10/04 -- 

A new neon sign "Welcome To High Falls" 
now lights up the entrance to Rochester's 
planned entertainment district. 

However, on this Saturday night, 
it appears that the crowds have gone elsewhere. 
The section suffered another setback 
this week after popular spot Jillian's 
closed its doors. Last year, another 
popular bar and restaurant, Empire Brewery, 
closed after financial problems.