Rochester Neighborhoods

Even in its early days,Rochester had multiple neighborhoodssmall settlements with names such as SwillburgGoat Hill and the Butter Bowl. TodayRochester is a community of 128 neighborhoodseach happily pursuing a local identity while united together with justifiable pride in their role as New York Stateas third largest city outside of the New York City metropolis. Located in the Genesee River Valley just below Lake OntarioRochester is on an old Indian trail that once brought Seneca families here to hunt and fish. The milling industry began here in 1789 andas it flourishedRochester became known as the aFlour City.a By the mid-1800sthe seed industry and the widespread production of flowerstreesand shrubs had recreated Rochester as the aFlower City.a Laterthanks to the Eastman Kodak Company and the Xerox CorporationRochester became the aPicture Citya and the aWorldas Image Centre.a Rochester was a haven on the Underground Railroad between 1830 and 1860. Always an ethnic cityit became a hotbed for inventorsreformerseducatorsand spiritual leaders. Its leaders were independentsometimes outrageousoutspokencolorfuland courageous. Many were women-foremost among them was Susan Brownell Anthony.