Bolgen Vargas
Occupation: Interim superintendent, RochesterCitySchool District
Neighborhood:Cobbs Hill
Most beautiful place in Rochester:DurandEastmanPark looking at the LakeOntario waterfront.
Best kept secret of Rochester: The Highland Park Lamberton Conservatory. You will
find tropical flowers there on the middle of the coldest winter day in Rochester.
The RochesterCitySchool District has many excellent
schools, some of which out-perform surrounding suburban schools.
Favorite park:WashingtonGrovePark
Favorite restaurants: Jim’s Restaurant, Jim’s Too,
Edibles, Salena’s Mexican Restaurant
Favorite entertainment spots/groups: The Little
Theatre
Best spot for a date: Edibles
Best thing to do on a Friday night in Rochester: Check out the line-up on WXXI.
Advice for those new to Rochester: Go to the Public Market, go to a Rochester Red Wings game, and shop at Wegmans.
Saul Maneiro
Occupation: Program Officer at the Community
Foundation
Neighborhood: Downtown
Most beautiful place in Rochester:Highland Park when the lilacs are
in bloom.
Best kept secret of Rochester:TurningPointPark (Google it).
Favorite park: It’s tough to
choose, but one of my favorites is the Maplewood Rose Garden.
Favorite restaurants: I’m kind of a foodie, so picking
just a few is hard. But my list includes Good Luck, DogTown, and Sinbad’s Mediterranean
Restaurant.
Favorite entertainment spot: Lux Lounge on a summer
night, when they have a fire going in the back.
Best spot for a date: Taking the ski lift at BristolMountain in the fall and going for
a hike to see the bright fall colors.
Best thing to do on a Friday night in Rochester: I usually go to Tapas 177 Lounge for happy hour. They have fantastic happy-hour
food.
Advice for those new to Rochester: We have great cultural institutions like Garth Fagan Dance, the George Eastman
House, The Little Theatre, and festivals galore. Explore all this the area has
to offer and try new and different things, like hanging out in the South Wedge
or going to the Public Market on a Saturday. You’ll find Rochester
has a lot to offer.
Cat Bauer
Occupation: Talent Buyer and Marketing at WaterStreetMusic Hall;
Talent Buyer for Greentopia
Town: Brockport
Most beautiful place in Rochester:LakeOntario
Best kept secret of Rochester: The Lamberton Conservatory at Highland
Park
Favorite park:SenecaPark
Favorite restaurants: Pane Vino, Pizza Stop, Owl
House, Highland Park Diner, Tapas 177, Hot Rosita’s, 2Vine, Dog Town, Max at
Eastman Place, Lunch Rochester…I like to eat.
Favorite entertainment spots/groups: Besides Water
Street? You’ve heard I live there, right? I love the National Museum of Play, George
Eastman House, and any outdoor event. Summer isn’t complete without Party in
the Park, Lilac Festival, and Park Ave Fest. But my all-time favorite hangout
year-round is Abilene Bar & Lounge.
Best spot for a date:NationalMuseum of Play
Best thing to do on a Friday night in Rochester:
Fridays are usually date night with a band. If I’m not working it’s dinner out
then a good book.
Advice for those new to Rochester:
Get a map, look for things that interest you, explore and meet people. If
you like music, hit up every venue. If you like the outdoors visit the parks,
join a club. Rochester has a ton of
things to do, museums, clubs, sports, wineries, breweries, boutiques. You
should try them all at least once.
Tom Parrish
Occupation: Executive Director, GevaTheatreCenter
Neighborhood: Downtown Rochester
Most beautiful place in Rochester: Along the banks of the GeneseeRiver,
or better yet, on the Mary Jemison boat cruise on the GeneseeRiver. The view of the skyline over
the river is beautiful.
Best kept secret of Rochester: I have only lived here for a year, so I don’t think I know any secrets yet.
Favorite park:EllisonPark
Favorite restaurants: ONE, Tony D’s, ChenGarden, Dinosaur Bar-B-Que, Frog Pond
Favorite entertainment spots/groups:GevaTheatreCenter
and Geva Comedy Improv (shameless plug)
Best spot for a date: A performance at one of the many
fine performing arts organizations in town, going to a museum or the zoo,
strolling through one of the summer festivals, or just taking a nice walk
through the Corn Hill, Downtown, or Park Avenue
neighborhoods.
Best thing to do on a Friday night in Rochester: Trying dinner and drinks at a new or different restaurant.
Advice for those new to Rochester: Get out, explore and meet people. There are a lot of great places to see
and things to do. It is a beautiful city and there is always something going
on.
DaanBraveman
Occupation: President, NazarethCollege
Town: Pittsford
Most beautiful place in Rochester:HighFalls
Best kept secret of Rochester: We are a college town with 80,000 students attending the Rochester
area colleges.
Favorite park: Erie Canal
Trail
Favorite restaurants: 2 Vine, RistoranteLucano, Good Luck, Mario’s
Favorite entertainment spots/groups: Rochester International
Jazz Festival and Nazareth College Arts Center Dance Festival
Best spot for a date: The bar at the Inn
on Broadway
Best thing to do on a Friday night in Rochester: Attend a performance at the NazarethArtsCenter.
Advice for those new to Rochester: Take advantage of all the cultural opportunities (especially the NazarethArtsCenter).
Erich Lehman
Occupation: Owner/Curator of 1975 Gallery
Neighborhood: Just north of the North Winton
Neighborhood, a hop and skip into Irondequoit
Most beautiful place in Rochester: I’ve become particularly fond of the Seabreeze jetty
both for its serenity and for the surfing.
Best kept secret of Rochester: That there is endless possibility here. If you are willing to put the time in
to make something happen, there is no limit to what you can do in this city.
Favorite park:CobbsHillPark. I’ve done so much there,
including play softball (poorly), crossfit, bike,
polo, skateboarding, snowboarding, sledding, and even, occasionally, just
sitting and taking it all in.
Favorite restaurants: Fujiya, Sticky Lips, Paola’s,
Good Luck, King and I, Flour City Diner, Owl House…the list goes on and on
and on.
Favorite entertainment spots/groups: Keep an eye on
The Yards in the Rochester Public Market — I have met such a diverse group of
entertainers, artists, and individuals through the events there the last year.
And I’d be remiss if I didn’t let you know that the second half of 2012 is
filled with some pretty big things from 1975.
Best spot for a date: I think I’ll always be partial
to the Little Theatre, followed by any place for a good conversation.
Best thing to do on a Friday night in Rochester: If I’m not putting on an opening, I try and take advantage of the plethora of
art openings, open studios, and creative events that fall on Fridays after a
workout at Wolf Brigade Gym.
Advice for those new to Rochester: Explore! There is SO much to do here, but it’s not always obvious or spelled
out for you. You have to dig a little bit, but our city has the world to offer
you.
This article appears in Mar 14-21, 2012.
