Cover Story
Business grows in the center city
Downtown Rochester could again be the business heart of the region – under the right circumstances.
Court rules against former Medley owner
Bersin Properties failed to meet a schedule of payments as well as investment, construction, and employment milestones.
Week ahead: Another LDC plea deal in the works?
Two other defendants have already taken plea deals. If Nelson Rivera takes a plea, then only Daniel Lynch would remain.
New designs released for Village Gate construction
The first of three new buildings at Village Gate in Neighborhood of the Arts is under construction. All three should be open sometime this summer, according to Gary Stern, owner of Stern Properties, which owns Village Gate. The buildings will be located behind the plaza and will likely hold a mix of office, retail, and…
County, city having parallel talks about integrity offices
As the Monroe County Legislature considers a proposal to establish a county Office of Public Integrity, the City of Rochester’s Office of Public Integrity may see some changes. Here’s the deal: the Association of Inspectors General maintains a book of standards for inspector general and public integrity offices, and it accredits offices, through a peer…
Makers Gallery and Studio offers caffeine, great light, donuts
Though Makers Gallery and Studio opened in May 2015, people are still stumbling upon the venue. Co-owners Edward Zachary Graham, Alexander Gruttadaro, and Anni Gruttadaro have created a smart combination of coffee shop, art gallery, and workspace, where visitors are invited to hang out and work in a cozy, caffeinated environment. The space also hosts…
IBM makes recommendations to ease poverty in Rochester
Rochester has the second-highest rate of poverty and the highest rate of childhood poverty of similar sized cities in the nation.
RCSD prepares for phase two of massive buildings overhaul
Four city schools – School 7, East High, Monroe High, and School 16 — are the Rochester school district’s “highest needs” buildings, according to the group leading a massive overhaul of city schools. And they would receive the most attention in the second phase of the $1.2 billion facilities modernization program. The huge construction project,…
New Politics pillaging its way to Armory
If Danish-American pop-punk trio New Politics actually were to form a political party, it would probably involve a large amount of dancing, incredible hooks, and a fervent constituency. Ever since “Harlem,” the band’s breakout hit in the States, New Politics (vocalist Daniel Boyd, guitarist Soren Hansen, and drummer Louis Vecchio) has been dazzling crowds across…
Urban Action 1/27
This week’s calls to action include the following events and activities. All are free and open to the public unless otherwise noted. How to green your garden ColorBrightonGreen.org will present “How Your Yard and Garden Can Help Fight Climate Change” at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, February 3. Organic farmer and author Elizabeth Henderson will introduce…
Full cider house opens on University Avenue
The last few years have seen the rapid expansion of the craft beer market, and a similar trend has begun with hard ciders. Supermarkets like Wegmans and smaller businesses such as Nathaniel Corner Store now carry a wide selection of ciders — and most bars and restaurants have at least one cider available. Patrick Jaouen…
WORLD | The Rita Collective
Bass clarinetist Dean Keller has played in the Glenn Miller Orchestra and worked with artists ranging from Tito Puente to The Temptations. Marimba and vibraphone player Kristen Shiner McGuire and bassist Kyle Vock are both music professors at Nazareth College. And the group’s new drummer Joe Parker recently earned his masters degree from the Eastman…
ROCK | Speirs
One of the remarkable things about Rochester’s atmospheric rock upstart Speirs (and there are multiple remarkable things) is its attention to detail. As bands become increasingly satisfied with jumping on the latest trend and riding it to the next one, it’s almost miraculous to find a band with its own vision, a unique sound, and…
VOCAL | “Underground Railroad: A Spiritual Journey”
On the cusp of Black History Month, soprano Kathleen Battle and pianist Joel Martin will bring a timely program of traditional black spirituals, titled “Underground Railroad: A Spiritual Journey,” to Kodak Hall at Eastman Theatre. Battle’s bell-like voice and exquisite technical precision have helped garner her five Grammy awards for her operatic endeavors. The concert’s…
OPERA | Eastman Opera Theatre
Following a first-rate production of Philip Glass’s “Hydrogen Jukebox,” Eastman Opera Theatre is back with a double bill of one-act verismo (realism) operas from the early 20th century. Giacomo Puccini’s “Suor Angelica” has long been a staple of the repertoire, while Umberto Giordano’s “Mese Mariano” is rarely performed. Given the two operas’ plot similarities —in…
CLASSICAL | Trio Cleonice
The young chamber ensemble Trio Cleonice from Boston has accomplished a lot since acting as New England Conservatory’s Graduate Piano Trio-in-Residence. Cellist Gwen Krosnick, pianist Emely Phelps, and violinist Ari Isaacman-Beck have performed at the Kennedy Center, Boston’s Jordan Hall, and the Concertgebouw in New Amsterdam, among numerous other venues. In the process, Trio Cleonice…
FOLK | Chris Bathgate
The way Ann Arbor-based artist Chris Bathgate slings his guitar can be described as somewhere between cradling and wringing. The liberal use of stomp boxes — both vocally and on the guitar — adds dimension to his music’s quiet storm. The man and his post- modern folk-esque refrain are both riveting. Imagine Billy Bragg lost in the…
Retrospective exhibit explores human nature
After teaching for 38 years at Nazareth College, Lynn Duggan will retire at the end of this semester. The current exhibit at the college’s Arts Center Gallery is a retrospective that spans nearly four decades of her work, and includes the elegant jewelry and sculpture Duggan is known for as a masterful metalsmith, and mixed…
POP ROCK | Andrew McMahon
A thumbs up from Joywave is all you really need to agitate some gravel to head out and see a band or an artist. Hell, they turned me on to KOPPS. Anyhow, Andrew McMahon’s forward-thinking pop rock is a sunny blend of astute lyrics and melody. He’s also the principal songwriter in Jack’s Mannequin and…
Jane Comfort examines beauty pressures through dance
Award-winning contemporary dance organization Jane Comfort and Company will bring its provocative dance-theater show, “Beauty,” to the University of Rochester this weekend as part of the UR Program of Dance and Movement’s 6th annual inspireDANCE festival. “Beauty,” choreographed by Comfort, uses the American icon of a Barbie doll to examine the cultural pressures surrounding women’s…
Eight bands to watch in 2016
Fortunately, Rochester’s fertile music scene is diverse and doesn’t lean in one direction. Some bands have lofty aspirations of hitting the road and hitting it big; others are into it for the beer and a chance to get out of the house once a week. All of those bands are spread out over a broad…
SPECIAL EVENT | Airigami Balloon Adventure: “Journey on the Genesee”
Two-time Guinness World Record holder Larry Moss, Kelly Cheatle and dozens of artists and volunteers will return to the Sibley Building for another magical Airigami adventure. This year’s theme is “Journey on the Genesee.” The five-story balloon exhibit will include a giant waterfall and river that flows indoors along with a valley with animals and…
ALBUM REVIEW: “Scatterbed”
Phil Marshall “Scatterbed” Rocket Racket Records scatterbed.com Sounding like a taunt from a villain of my not-too-distant past, the letter that accompanied Phil Marshall’s new CD, “Scatterbed,” opened with “Just when you thought Phil Marshall had nothing left.” It could be argued the master guitar wizard always had this album in him and that the…
ART | Ashley Blalock’s “Keeping Up Appearances”
The Roz Steiner Art Gallery at Genesee Community College (1 College Road, Batavia) is kicking off this spring semester with a vibrant installation by California-based artist Ashley Blalock. The site-specific crochet illustration, “Keeping Up Appearances,” will fill the space with a spiderweb of larger-than-life, ornate, red doilies. Blalock creates artwork and installations inspired by everyday…
ALBUM REVIEW: “Daydreamer”
Tivoli Skye “Daydreamer” Self-released tivoliskye.com “Daydreamer” captures singer-songwriter Tivoli Skye in a state of flux as she slowly begins to distance herself from the pop she’s been ensconced in since her early teens. Her songs have always had an emotive honesty to them that flew in the face of over-production. Though this album still has…
FILM | 53rd Ann Arbor Film Festival Tour
This week, the Ann Arbor Film Festival Tour will make its first ever stop in Rochester, hosted by the University of Rochester’s Film and Media Studies Program and the Visual Studies Workshop. Now in its 53rd year, the festival is the longest-running independent and experimental film festival in North America. Program Director David Dinnell will…
FESTIVAL | HOC Loves ROC
Hochstein School of Music and Dance this week will bring back its 10-day HOC Loves ROC festival, a countywide celebration of music and dance featuring Hochstein faculty and students. The festival will start Friday, January 29, at Hochstein Performance Hall (50 North Plymouth Avenue), with “InVerse,” a faculty spotlight that will feature the Telos Trio…
THEATER | “Augusta”
In a trio of plays, the “Happiness Trilogy,” writer Richard Dresser explored class in America, and the need for individuals (no matter their status) to rely on one another in our society. The first play in the trilogy, the one-act “Augusta,” follows two Maine women who clean houses for the wealthy, and the repercussions that…
Feedback 1/27
We welcome your comments. Send them to themail@rochester-citynews.com, or post them on our website, rochestercitynewspaper.com, our Facebook page, or our Twitter feed, @roccitynews. Comments of fewer than 350 words have a greater chance of being published, and we do edit selections for publication in print. We don’t publish comments sent to other media. Independence for…
Film preview: 2016 Oscar Nominated Shorts Programs
Magnolia Pictures and Shorts HD continue their fantastic annual tradition of bringing the year’s collection of Academy Award-nominated short films to theaters around the country with the “2016 Oscar Nominated Shorts Programs.” The Academy’s short film selections usually end up being a bit more adventurous than the feature film nominations, and it’s often a place…
Looking for positives in city schools’ news
The Rochester school district’s growing challenges offer opportunities, but the community will have to take advantage of them.
Film review: “Anomalisa”
After my showing of “Anomalisa,” I watched a woman — clearly displeased with what she’d just seen — walk over and punch the film’s cardboard standee. Her friends muttered their approval, and they continued on their way, angrily discussing how much they regretted their viewing choice. All this to say: “Anomalisa” isn’t a film for…
