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Rochester, NY: Treasure trove of historic road scenes [VIDEO]

Started by empirestate, September 02, 2016, 02:47:47 PM

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empirestate

This 1963 video contains an amazing array of road scenes, along with many other views (tranportation-related and otherwise), of the Rochester area right at the point when the city was being drastically reshaped by urban renewal. Thus, there are a selection of both the old and the new, vestiges of post-war 1950s America along with the optimism of industrial and commercial revitalization, ironically heralding the policies and economic factors that would spur the city's decline in the years immediately following.

Here are some of the many highlights (road-related in red; my questions in green):
1:55 - Aerial views of downtown and the Port of Rochester (Charlotte)
4:31 - The Spring House, a Pittsford landmark, before being swallowed up by shopping centers
5:33 - Neighborhood demolition, looks like somewhere around the NE corner of the Inner Loop (Scio/Lyndhurst/University area?)
6:04 - Aerial view of the RG&E Beebee Plant, recently demolished
6:14 - Main Street east from St. Paul, showing street signs ("10 second advance green") and storefronts of the day (who remembers Edwards?)
6:28 - View from the Troup-Howell Bridge, showing the northern terminus of the LVRR and its station (now Dinosaur BBQ)

7:20 - Goodman St. Yard of the New York Central, and some shots of period rolling stock
7:40 - Freeway view; I'm actually not sure where this is. Any guesses? Clues are the high-ish overpass with a long-ish approach, and the hills in the background (Cobbs/Pinnacle range?)
7:51 - Thruway at the NY 15 exit (no exit number, and I can't tell if that sign is blue or not)
8:09 - Building the Midtown tower, a view that recently became available again as it was being unbuilt
8:19 - Expressway dedication ceremony; I'm thinking this is the Inner Loop at the Monroe Ave. overpass. The same smokestacks are visible in...
8:37 - Driving the entrance to the Inner Loop in its initial configuration (see topo), with bonus old-school I-490 shield!
8:53 - Broad St. bridge from Exchange St.
9:00 - Another spot
I can't quite place. It kind of looks like the Union/Howell area, or maybe the early Inner Loop around Plymouth, or maybe even West Broad coming off of Main St., but I can't match it up.
9:24 - Monroe County Airport during the runway expansion project
10:06 - Aerial view of the Genesee River/Erie Canal confluence, with I-390 completely absent
10:18 - Aerial view of the complete early Inner Loop–the NE quadrant of which looks pretty much the same today as it's dismantled, followed by a view showing the Outer Loop (an approximation, focusing on NY 47–now NY 590–and the old Can of Worms interchange)

10:59 - Hojack swing bridge, in its closed (presumably default) position
11:13 - Thruway toll booth and signage; pretty sure this is back at NY 15
14:44 - Where is this desolate site? And where is the firehouse that follow it?
16:07 - Driving Park Ave. bridge
16:54 - What 1885 landmark is this deputy adorning? City Hall?
22:09 - Pittsford Plaza, an early strip mall (I used to work in the movie theatre that replaced the chain of supermarket starting with the A&P seen here)
22:48 - Long-gone garage at Main and Plymouth–so again, that's the Inner Loop of the time
23:29 - Old-style signage at Main and Front St., the latter of which is long demolished, as the movie explains

24:13 - Excavation of Midtown Plaza–again, one of several views that looked quite the same in recent years as the work was undone. Note that the underground parking levels were visible during their construction, just as they were again visible when the plaza was removed (and just as the tower's steelwork was likewise exposed for the same reason)



machias

I'm pretty sure that 7:40 freeway view is I-490 EB approaching Exit 26.  It looks like the photographer was on the embankment that's higher than the roadway.

https://www.google.com/maps/@43.0801219,-77.4863934,3a,75y,132.72h,91.27t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sIQyNH_9hO0MGFfVVLva0HQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656!6m1!1e1

amroad17

I don't need a GPS.  I AM the GPS! (for family and friends)

empirestate

Quote from: upstatenyroads on September 03, 2016, 11:03:16 AM
I'm pretty sure that 7:40 freeway view is I-490 EB approaching Exit 26.  It looks like the photographer was on the embankment that's higher than the roadway.

https://www.google.com/maps/@43.0801219,-77.4863934,3a,75y,132.72h,91.27t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sIQyNH_9hO0MGFfVVLva0HQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656!6m1!1e1

Yup, I think you're right! I didn't notice at first the ramp or exit signage in the middleground; and comparing the modern view, I can see that all or most of the original lamp posts are still in place.



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