Standing just off the curb on a street downtown, Gordon MacKay leans into the rear passenger door of his car. He holds up a shockingly yellow T-shirt. An affable blue alien named Irbir holds up a four-fingered hand in greeting. He looks like a cross between E.T. and something Luke Skywalker would nod to inside […]
Kellen Beck
Posted inCulture
The International Plaza, a cultural hub, embarks on its largest season yet
As soon as the weather breaks each year, weekends around North Clinton Avenue belong to the International Plaza. From the opening ceremony on May 3 this year through the close of the season October 11, the Plaza will host more than a dozen festivals and celebrations on Saturdays and Sundays, all with music, food and […]
Posted inArt
Peer Bode’s video art exhibition at VSW recalls the 1970s and ‘80s
Abstract shapes of shifting colors dance over an otherwise mundane video of a cup of coffee, recorded with a handheld Portapak analog camera and displayed on three projectors. Actually it’s two videos; a lagging copy hovers over itself like a ghost, a polychromatic distortion, following the actions of its original, trailing behind the pouring, the […]
Posted inCulture
After 12 years, Rochester Brainery has a new owner
As Rochester Brainery founder Danielle Raymo contemplated ending her decade-plus tenure with the business, she wanted to go out the right way. She didn’t want to just close down, leaving the teachers of so many experiential classes without that revenue stream or unique marketing opportunity. She also didn’t want to hand it over to someone […]
Posted inCulture
The Avenue Pub celebrates 50 years as a staple in the LGBTQIA+ community
Under a bright yellow sign and through a purple-painted door on Monroe Avenue sits an unassuming neighborhood bar: The Avenue Pub. The pub celebrated 50 years in September, making it one of Rochester’s oldest gay bars. It has stood strong since the 1970s alongside the 52-year-old Bachelor Forum on University Avenue; a pair of stalwart […]
Posted inCulture
ROCHESTER TEN | JULIA TEDESCO
Meet the people in your neighborhood — CITY’s 2025 cohort of helpers.
Posted inCulture
The ghosts of 282 Alexander Street
Once a private residence, mafia meeting place and the city’s finest restaurant, what’s now The Alexander has a colorful history.
Posted inCulture
ROCHESTER TEN | MARGHERITA SMITH
Meet the 2024 cohort of CITY neighbors making art – and a difference.
