My first real interaction with anything cannabis-related was at the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival in 2011. To save money, my friends and I had purchased cleanup crew tickets, meaning we stayed — sunburned, largely unwashed and dehydrated from four days of open-air concerts in the Tennessee hills — to help sweep the massive festival […]
Leah Stacy
Leah Stacy is CITY's editor-in-chief.
Posted inRestaurant News
For the Cavatassi family — and ‘Uncle Chris’ — St. Paul Street is worth the investment
At 12:45 p.m. on a snowy Thursday in February, every seat in the Sagra Italia dining room is full. Formerly home to Fifth Frame Brewing, 155 St. Paul St. is nearly unrecognizable, transformed into an airy, chic space somehow reminiscent of both Brooklyn and Rome. There’s a cozy sitting area off to one side and […]
Posted inTheater
REVIEW | ‘The Woman in Black’
When the first jump scare happened during Geva Theatre’s production of “The Woman in Black” on Tuesday, a woman two seats down grabbed her friend’s arm and yelped. By the fourth jump scare, she said (loudly), “I’m gonna fight him!” The decent-sized crowd that had shuffled in from an icy 10-degree January night to endure […]
Posted inNews & Opinion
Editor’s Letter | I want to remember this
Remember when social media first dropped? Poorly lit pictures of lunch. A flower. Funny tweets. Nothing like today’s dumpster fire of FOMO influencer culture and AI slop with a sidecar of political trauma. A few (elder millennial) friends and I were talking recently about how we use our personal social media these days and agreed: […]
Posted inTheater
REVIEW | ‘End of the Rainbow’ at JCC CenterStage chronicles Judy Garland’s final months
In Celtic folklore, the end of the rainbow signifies the end of a treasure hunt, a triumphant place where one finds the leprechaun’s pot of gold. Of course, science is always here to dash whimsical lore — because rainbows are simply an optical illusion created by light refracting through raindrops, there is no actual ‘end […]
Posted inLiterature
5 local-ish books for the reader in your life
Garrison Keillor, longtime host of the Minnesota Public Radio show “A Prairie Home Companion,” once said, “a book is a gift you can open again and again.” And while Kindles are convenient and alluring, nothing quite tops cracking a fresh book spine and breathing in the printed pages. Whether you’re stumped on what to buy […]
Posted inCulture
Members of the local Food Not Bombs chapter serve meals for solidarity, not charity
It’s just before 5 p.m. on a Wednesday when the cutting boards come out. Then, the kale — big fluffy piles of it, fresh from a vendor at the Westside Farmers Market, ready to be destemmed. The leafy vegetation was picked up earlier that day by a member of Rochester Food Not Bombs (RFNB), which […]
Posted inCulture
Rochester-area food + bev spots helping to fill the SNAP gap
As the government shutdown hits day 38 — officially making it the longest one in U.S. history — many local hospitality businesses are stepping up to care for those in the community who have yet to receive any SNAP assistance, almost one full week into November. The outpouring of support and mutual aid began with […]
Posted inArts & Entertainment
Memorial Art Gallery receives gift of $3 million to support forever free admission
The Memorial Art Gallery announced it’s halfway to the goal of offering forever free admission, thanks to a gift of $3 million from Doug and Abby Bennett and the Sands Family Foundation. The funds establish the Abby and Doug Bennett and Sands Family Foundation Free for All Endowment as part of the $1.75 billion For […]
Posted inTheater
REVIEW | ‘In the Next Room (or The Vibrator Play)’ at Blackfriars Theatre
For a lot of theatregoers, the name of Sarah Ruhl’s 2009 play gives pause — and then they’re likely either intrigued or offended. For those who choose the former, Blackfriars Theatre is staging “In the Next Room (or The Vibrator Play)” through November 9. The plot follows Dr. and Mrs. Givings, a couple with a […]
Posted inEditor's Notebook
October Editor’s Letter | Walking each other home
In my 20s and early 30s, I moved roughly every 12-18 months. The reasons varied from career changes and city relocations to grad school and relationship status; but it became sort of a running joke with my friends and family. Once I hit a year somewhere, wasn’t it time to move on? (Needless to say, […]
Posted inCulture
Finger Lakes named 2025 American Wine Region of the Year
The Finger Lakes region has been named 2025 American Wine Region of the Year by “Wine Enthusiast,” as part of the magazine’s annual Wine Star Awards. The honor recognizes two centuries of world-class winemaking, sustainable practices and collaborative community that have helped define the Finger Lakes as one of America’s most dynamic and collaborative wine […]
