<p>Rochester… dull??? Well this isn’t NYC, but the city isn’t dull, and for its size Rochester is actually very impressive. </p>
<p>Having the nation’s top music school brings downtown to life for most Rochester students. The Eastman School of Music & the newly renovated Kodak Theater offer world-class performances on a weekly basis. As stated above, these shows are cheap and outstanding! (NYC caliber performances for 75% less the NYC price).</p>
<p>Rochester is also the home of many minor league teams: Rochester Red Wings (Twins minor league baseball), Rochester Amerks (Florida Panthers minor league hockey), Rochester Rhinos (soccer), Rochester Knighthawks (lacrosse), Rochester Razorbacks (basketball)… the list goes on! </p>
<p>Also, Buffalo is just a hour and 20 minutes away, therefore giving you an NFL / NHL option. Perhaps your team will face the Bills / Sabres this year? Class councils will occasionally sponsor bus trips to these events.</p>
<p>Rochester night life is really great too. Check out the night life post: <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-rochester/903427-parties.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/university-rochester/903427-parties.html</a> </p>
<p>Rochester hosts many festivals throughout the year too. My favorites include the Park Ave. Festival, the Lilac Festival (every May) and the Rochester Jazz Festival.</p>
<p>Popular bands frequent Rochester too. You should know that Rochester, NY, is home to the University of Rochester, Nazareth College, St. John Fisher, Brockport (SUNY), Robert’s Wesleyan College, and RIT, so there are a LOT of students in this region. These schools are always having bands come to their campuses, so if there isn’t a band at U of R, you’ll find a concert downtown or at another campus. In the past 5 years I’ve seen Ben Folds, Third Eye Blind, Dave Matthews Band, Guster, Eve 6, The Spin Doctors, Reel Big Fish, Cartel, OAR, Taking Back Sunday, The Format and a bunch of other bands in Rochester, NY.</p>
<p>Rochester is also near Lake Ontario and its beaches (10 miles north of campus), Rochester has at least 2 Rock Wall facilities for climbing, multiple movie theaters, multiple malls, the Erie Canal bike path for biking/rollerblading/running, SOOO many beautiful parks to explore, etc.</p>
<p>Food off-campus is incredible (I’ve posted this elsewhere on this forum). Rochester has a multitude of restaurants featuring dishes from all over the world. Thai, Indian, Chinese, Italian, Mediterranean, to good old fashion Dinosaur BBQ!!! Park Avenue is a 5 minute drive from campus (or a free shuttle bus trip) and has a very “College Town” feel. Restaurants, diners, and coffee shops are numerous and delicious. The variety is unparalleled for a city of it’s size. The Eastman School of Music, and corporations such as Xerox and Bausch & Lomb bring a very artsy and sophisticated crowd to Rochester, which has helped to draw such great restaurants. Also, Rochester is home to the greatest supermarket chain in the United States - WEGMANS. If you can’t find what you’re looking for on campus or at an off-campus dining site, you will certainly find it at Wegmans. There are 3 Wegmans super stores within a 15 minute drive (or free shuttle bus) from campus. The food options off-campus are tremendous and accessible.</p>
<p>Rochester doesn’t seem so “dull” now, eh? It’s great to be in city with such culture and diversity that’s this small. Small = no crowds, no traffic. To top it off, the prices for entertainment are reasonable.</p>