Rochester New York - What is too cool to not see?

[brianreynolds]

For a little bit more than a year now, I have been an official dues-paying card-carrying member of the Extra Miler Club.  You are probably already familiar, but if not, http://www.extramilerclub.org/ 

From my observations, county collectors are road enthusiasts by default.  All geography-based hobbies share some measure of common ground, whether it be High Points or Tri-Points, old Ghost Alignments or new innovative Diverging Whatever.  Or even just the Good, the Bad and the Ugly.

Last year I attended my first EMC annual meeting in Reno.  The trips there and back were amazingly worthwhile.  The meeting itself was big fun.  The only disappointment was the unfulfilled prospect of a mini-road-trip with other oddball hobbyists. 

Don't get me wrong;  I treasure my solitary time out on the open road.  But when I arrive, I want to connect and socialize and be a part of something bigger, much more than just myself.

In Reno, when the meeting was over, it was - - over.  I took it upon myself to augment the program by doing one lap around Lake Tahoe.  It was beautiful, and I'm glad I did it, but it would have been ever more enjoyable as an organized group outing.

This year, EMC will be meeting in Rochester New York on Saturday, July 19th.  I am thinking that if there will be an after-meeting road trip, I may have to organize it myself.  Being mostly unfamiliar with the area, I could use a little help from my friends.

In Reno, the meeting started at 11 AM, was done by 1 PM or so.  If Rochester is similar, I would think that a perfect program would involve 3-5 hours of travel and stops, followed by a social supper. 

So - for my friends from Western NY - if you were putting together a tour that included (but was not necessarily limited to) road and geography stuff, what would it include?

[Alex]

Be sure to see High Falls, it is right there in Rochester:

[Alps]

Drive the Inner Loop. It may be the last time you can. Some of the connecting streets still have old Inner Loop shields (white on various faded degrees of orange - which becomes yellow or almost white over time). There's almost no button copy left, very sadly, but that's your best chance to find it.
Old shields: NY 33 and 33A, from west of their junction to downtown, but mostly right where they meet.
New construction: I-490 was recently redone through downtown. The former NY 590 is now a city road on a 2-lane right of way north of NY 104; hate the roundabouts. Exchange Blvd./NY 383 is a nice but soulless road.
Other: I-390/490 interchange. Some button copy may be left on I-390 south of I-590, especially SB. Lake Ontario State Parkway is a very nice trip, but it gets long if you want to clinch. (Bonus: western end has a stub from where it was supposed to continue west to the Robert Moses State Pkwy.) Irondequoit Bay Bridge on Lake Rd. has a seasonal swing bridge - it's "open" all summer (meaning to boats - no cars).

Pro tip: Do not go north of the Inner Loop and High Falls. That is especially true east of the river.

[CANALLER]

I'm not familiar with your club, or what it deals with.  But if you can tell me some things you'd be interested in seeing or doing, I'll give you some pointers.

One of the city's more recent promotional slogans was "Made For Living", which all the locals mocked as "Made For Leaving",and it disappeared quickly.  The city has undergone much decline since I moved in in '94, but it's still surviving much better than others in the Rust Belt.  You should be able to have a good time.

Marc

[brianreynolds]

Drive the Inner Loop. It may be the last time you can. ...   Pro tip: Do not go north of the Inner Loop and High Falls. That is especially true east of the river.

Is the inner loop endangered?  There must be a backstory there that I am not familiar with.  From the photos and Google Maps, the best perspectives for High Falls would be from the north.  What is to avoid?

[getemngo]

Has any of the abandoned subway not been filled in yet? I'm not sure how much you like infrastructure, but that's something I'd investigate if I were going to Rochester.

[CANALLER]

The city wants to replace a few blocks of the Inner Loop with an at-grade loop and intersections, and big bucks Chuck brought a $17M check from the feds to pay for it.  But I still have 2 active contracts replacing signs on it, while they're designing it's replacement.  No matter what, you'll still be able to drive it as a loop, but expect a couple signals near Strong Museum instead of a through route.

The best spot to view the falls is from the Platt St. bridge.   The summer laser shows there were always packed when I went, but the city didn't think they were popular, so they were the victim of budget cuts.  I haven't heard if they'll be having any this year.

The subway tunnel still exists through downtown.  Trains used it until '96 to deliver newsprint to the paper, but stopped when the new printing plant was built in the suburbs.  There have been many proposals for re-using it.  Light rail and restoring the canal were the 2 that were discussed most, but like every other idea in Rochester, they're just studied and talked about for years until the public enthusiasm fades away and they die off.  The lower level of the Broad St. aqueduct might be able to be walked through, but be very carefull if you think of trying.

[brianreynolds]

I'm not familiar with your club, or what it deals with.  But if you can tell me some things you'd be interested in seeing or doing, I'll give you some pointers.

One of the city's more recent promotional slogans was "Made For Living", which all the locals mocked as "Made For Leaving",and it disappeared quickly.  The city has undergone much decline since I moved in in '94, but it's still surviving much better than others in the Rust Belt.  You should be able to have a good time.

Marc

Thanks, Marc.  The Extra Miler Club is an organization of folks who share a common goal - to visit each and every one of the 3000+ counties (or county equivalents) in the USA.  Yes, it is a peculiar hobby, one that is not widely recognized or understood. 

Since I have connected with the road-enthusiast community (quite impossible prior to the internet) I have been surprised and amazed at how many sub-species of GEO-hobbyists there are. 

Why visit each and every county?  For no good reason whatsoever.  The club motto says it all:  "Because the the shortest distance between two points is no fun." 

The objective of visiting every county could be thought of as a means (I am reluctant to use the term "discipline") toward a larger (if less well defined) goal: to see, to experience, to know as much of this great land as is possible. 

Silly?  Maybe.  Hard to explain to others?  Yup, definitely.  Fun and fulfilling?  Yes, if you have been bitten by that bug.  I got bit.  Thus far there is no antidote.  I'm OK with that.

From my experience, GEO-hobbyists respect and appreciate one another's interests.  Thus, if there are geography or history or tourist or transportation points of interest nearby, a few suggestions would be good,  A few more would be even better.  Thanks.

[Duke87]

The lower level of the Broad St. aqueduct might be able to be walked through, but be very carefull if you think of trying.

At least as of Thanksgiving weekend 2012, from the stairs at the west end on the south side you could walk right up to here with no fence or anything to stop you:

It's a good 8-10 feet down from there to the floor of the old tunnel, though, so you will need to bring a ladder if you want to walk through it.

It's probably also possible to get in there from the east end at Woodbury Blvd and South Ave, where you might not need a ladder but you would need to be able to hop a fence.

[oscar]

For a little bit more than a year now, I have been an official dues-paying card-carrying member of the Extra Miler Club.  You are probably already familiar, but if not, http://www.extramilerclub.org/ 

...

This year, EMC will be meeting in Rochester New York on Saturday, July 19th.  I am thinking that if there will be an after-meeting road trip, I may have to organize it myself.  Being mostly unfamiliar with the area, I could use a little help from my friends.

In Reno, the meeting started at 11 AM, was done by 1 PM or so.  If Rochester is similar, I would think that a perfect program would involve 3-5 hours of travel and stops, followed by a social supper.

I look forward to the next EMC newsletter, which may have something on post-meeting jaunts.  I, too, am planning to attend the Rochester meet.

There's been some noises, though not lately, about a member using the Rochester meet to snag his very last U.S. county.  That kind of event happened after the 2006 (Ontario CA) and 2010 (Arlington TX) EMC meets.  Other meets have been followed by a grand tour of all the counties of the host state (Providence in 2004), and a visit to a nearby state tripoint (Sioux Falls in 2005), or were held at road-related historic sites (Salt Lake City in 2008, held at the "This Is The Place" park marking the completion of the first Mormon emigration to Utah).  2007 (Huntsville AL) was planned to include a visit to Mississippi's high point, which didn't happen as a group outing but I went there on my own (that plus Hawaii's Mauna Kea are my only high points).  Nothing was even planned for 2011 (Charleston WV), and I don't remember anything for 2009 (Erie) either. 

Some of these are not options for Rochester, but are there transportation-related historic sites near Rochester worth a visit?   For example, something for the nearby Erie Canal?

The Broad Street aqueduct seems interesting, but some parts of it may exceed the physical limitations of some EMC members.

[hbelkins]

The former NY 590 is now a city road on a 2-lane right of way north of NY 104; hate the roundabouts.

Was this where we saw someone make their own exit ramp through the grass when we were on the meet tour?

[Dougtone]

The former NY 590 is now a city road on a 2-lane right of way north of NY 104; hate the roundabouts.

Was this where we saw someone make their own exit ramp through the grass when we were on the meet tour?

A few miles to the south, over at the NY 404 interchange for NY 590.

[jemacedo9]

- No button copy any more on 390 south of 590...all has been replaced over the past couple of years
- You can reach the abandoned subway from the corner of Woodbury Blvd and South Ave through an open fence gate.  It is an interesting stop for something different - the photo above does it justice.
- There is an old US 15 shield on South Ave just south of Court St
- The Village of Fairport, just east of the city, is a nice place to visit on the Erie Canal, with a lift bridge that does go up a few times a day
- There are new ramps being constructed on 390 at the E Henrietta Rd / W Henrietta Rd exits (Exits 16A-B)
- Winton Rd under I-590, Exit 1 is a Diverging Diamond
- High Falls is a must
- Cobbs Hill Park has an entrance on Highland Ave just east of Monroe Ave, where you drive up and get a good overlook view of Downtown

[empirestate]

Lots of good suggestion so far; I'll add one more for those interested in tri-points and quad-points: on Cline Road at the southeast corner of Monroe County, there is a quad-point of four towns: Perinton, Macedon, Victor and Farmington, which is also the tri-point of Monroe, Wayne and Ontario Counties. The marker itself is under a nondescript manhole cover in the middle of the road; there is also a roadside sign and granite witness marker.

It's remote enough that if you wear orange vests and bring some tools, you might be able to get that cover off and see the actual survey tablet. Take photos if you do!

You can clearly see all three items (manhole, sign, and witness marker) on Street View, but I'll leave you the fun of finding it.

[Alps]

Drive the Inner Loop. It may be the last time you can. ...   Pro tip: Do not go north of the Inner Loop and High Falls. That is especially true east of the river.

Is the inner loop endangered?  There must be a backstory there that I am not familiar with.  From the photos and Google Maps, the best perspectives for High Falls would be from the north.  What is to avoid?

The eastern half of it is supposed to be uprooted and replaced with a boulevard. Given modern traffic volumes, this actually isn't a terrible alternative to replacing or maintaining all of those bridges, except we lose a cool highway.
For High Falls, I meant the immediate area. You can cross that pedestrian bridge and take photos - just don't head north from that point. Shootings n'at.

[vdeane]

Let's just say there's a reason one of my high school teachers called the northeast part of Rochester the "fatal crescent".

I have a TON of Rochester notes on my site.  Rochester is still a very roadgeek-friendly area despite recent sign rehabs.

[Roadrunner75]

I will miss the (complete) Inner Loop.  I've been to Rochester twice, and both times I made sure that I got to zip around it a few times.  I never understood with all the various ramps looping this way and that to connect the loop to 490 on both ends, that they didn't have a ramp from 490 west to the first loop interchange to proceed counter-clockwise.  Not that it really matters since you only have to go two more exits to get on to go clockwise.  If I recall they routed you through City streets to make this movement as an alternative to a direct connection.  How many places can you go where you can zoom around in a continuous circular freeway in just a couple of minutes?  (and preemptively, beltways are more than a couple of minutes...)

[Alps]

I will miss the (complete) Inner Loop.  I've been to Rochester twice, and both times I made sure that I got to zip around it a few times.  I never understood with all the various ramps looping this way and that to connect the loop to 490 on both ends, that they didn't have a ramp from 490 west to the first loop interchange to proceed counter-clockwise.  Not that it really matters since you only have to go two more exits to get on to go clockwise.  If I recall they routed you through City streets to make this movement as an alternative to a direct connection.  How many places can you go where you can zoom around in a continuous circular freeway in just a couple of minutes?  (and preemptively, beltways are more than a couple of minutes...)

Newark Airport...

[Roadrunner75]

Newark Airport...

Yes, if you don't mind going through toll booths - and at least one cloverleaf ramp if you're going clockwise.

[Alps]

Newark Airport...

Yes, if you don't mind going through toll booths - and at least one cloverleaf ramp if you're going clockwise.

I don't think you're following. I'm referring to looping around the airport itself. Where are you talking about?


EDIT: Oh. Sorry. I meant ON the airport roadway serving the terminals, which functions as a freeway if you pick the right path. I did not mean the 1/9, 78, 81, 95 loop.


One could also make a case for Kansas City. http://goo.gl/maps/wPGir

[empirestate]

For High Falls, I meant the immediate area. You can cross that pedestrian bridge and take photos - just don't head north from that point. Shootings n'at.

Well, while it's true that the areas just north and northeast of the Inner Loop are the most troubled section of the city, you could certainly still enter those areas many hundreds or thousands of times and survive almost every one of those times. Not that you need to go there for any reason pertaining to this thread, but I think it's worth keeping things in perspective. Even the most dangerous area of any American city does not translate to certain death, or even likely death.

And there's no reason not to go quite a bit north and northeast of downtown–you may want to see the ill-fated ferry terminal in Charlotte, or the Veterans Memorial Bridge on NY 104. Or if your a railfan, how about the Kodak Park Railroad?

But definitely do try and get a look at the Broad St. aqueduct. I lived in Rochester 30-odd years and still haven't been in there!

For more ideas, visit http://www.rochestersubway.com/. (HINT: It's not just about the subway!)

[Roadrunner75]

Newark Airport...

Yes, if you don't mind going through toll booths - and at least one cloverleaf ramp if you're going clockwise.

I don't think you're following. I'm referring to looping around the airport itself. Where are you talking about?


EDIT: Oh. Sorry. I meant ON the airport roadway serving the terminals, which functions as a freeway if you pick the right path. I did not mean the 1/9, 78, 81, 95 loop.


One could also make a case for Kansas City. http://goo.gl/maps/wPGir

Yes - I meant the "outer loop" at Newark.  If this was its own thread, airport internal loop roadways would probably fill up the board pretty quick.  Kansas City seems like a good example, although it looks like you would spend at least half of your time on ramps and merging/weaving.  Speaking of Newark, two other suggested thread topics:
1. Places where signing a route number isn't really necessary.  Example: NJ 81, which is really just a long set of connector ramps between US 1/9 and turnpike.  I think the Begin and End 81 signs popped up more recently, but not sure.  I-478 does just fine without them.
2. Places where a median separating local and express lanes causes more traffic problems and should be removed.  Example:  US 1/9 between I-78 and the Pulaski Skyway.  Not relevant at the moment due to the closure, but when it was open I've had to hop over the low concrete median on a few occasions to avoid stopped traffic on one side.

And now, back to Rochester:  Looking forward to I-99 one day rolling into town.

[vdeane]

NYSDOT isn't really interested in extending I-99 from Painted Post to Rochester.  Plus you'd have to renumber exits 12 and 13 (again).

[CANALLER]

Brian--

I was able to read your club's motto, but not much else because I could only access one page for the address you provided.  I don't think it's weird to want to see as much of the country as you can.  You'd need a lot of money, oil changes and time off.  But if you can do it, that's great.  It'd be nice to be a world traveller, but there's plenty to see without leaving America.

To answer your question:

Tourist stuff:  Beaches, Renaissance Festival, very good museums, lots of wine tasting tours, sporting events, dinner cruise on the canal, Niagara Falls.
Geography:  1 of the 5 Great Lakes, with a second an hour away; lake plains in the city, with Alleghenies beginning as you head south; Finger Lakes; Irondequoit Bay; Letchworth Park "Grand Canyon Of The East".
Highways:  No exciting projects to look at.  Most of this year's work is small maintenance projects.  Lots of old trusses and draws on the canal if you like bridges.
History:  Quaint old canal towns, Genesee Country Village, Indian heritage (although less than Buffalo area), steam train rides in Arcade.

Hope this helps,

Marc

[okc1]

From NY 96 where it crosses the Thruway, just west of Exit 45 (E end of I-490) you can see remnants of the north half of this direct interchange between the Thruway & 96.  Shortly after this topo was made, it was decided to toll the Thruway, necessitating trumpet interchanges.  From 1952 Fairport quad.