Best wingman for a date with Rochester: A bike
Growing up in Webster, my relationship with Rochester didn’t exactly begin with a “meet cute.” Licensed to drive, MapQuest directions in hand, my friends and I boldly ventured to wherever there was free parking and reliable expectations. My navigation between Aaron’s Alley, Village Gate and Star Alley was impeccable, but outside of that narrow triangle, I knew very little.
That is, until I got on a bike.
As far as dates go, Rochester isn’t the white linen, roving violinist establishment of, say, Amsterdam. We’re more like a well-operated barcade. Meaning — Rochester has pretty fantastic bike infrastructure where it exists, and it’s only getting better.
For a first date, you might ride south on the Genesee Riverway Trail. Thanks to improvements from the ROC the Riverway revitalization project, your departure from downtown will be smoother than ever. Cavort through the ivy-strewn paths of UR’s campus, get lost on the whimsical trails of Genesee Valley Park and find relics of industries past along the PLEX neighborhood.
You had fun, so you plan a second date. Something quieter, more intimate. You venture north, taking in the serene beauty of the Genesee River’s lower gorge. Discover new things together like the Middle Falls hydroelectric dam, “Zoo bridge,” Turning Point Park and El Camino Trail, all far from accessible by car.
Things are getting serious by now, and you’re thinking of going public. You take to the streets on your two-wheeled steed to get around, finding new alleyways and sidewalks to connect your destinations. Before you realize it, you’ve fallen in love with the fresh air and gentle curves of the city’s boulevards.
Years down the road, you’ll discover a new pocket park or private gardens that reminds you of your first date all those miles ago, and you’ll fall in love all over again — all thanks to your wingman. —KATIE EPNER
Best (and most endearing) local sports celeb: Connor “Big Cozy” Williams
Connor Williams stands 7 feet tall and weighs in at 360 pounds. On the basketball court, where he plays center for the St. John Fisher University Cardinals men’s team, he’s as comfortable draining a three as he is leaning into his imposing stature. His unique physicality earned him the nickname “Big Cozy,” a moniker immortalized on t-shirts sold by both sports media empire Barstool Sports and local shop Crazy Dog.
All of this contributed to the young hooper going viral during his freshman season in late 2021. During an exhibition against the University at Buffalo, he tripped and fell, but still managed to launch a pass to teammate Dan Cook — who promptly dunked. This clip garnered love from ESPN, which helped lay the foundation for Williams’s return to social media feeds the following seasons.
Williams, who grew up in Victor, is now a senior, and remains a fixture of college basketball as he continues to put up numbers. In a late November 2024 overtime winner against Union College, he led his team in scoring with 20 points. The following game against Hamilton College, he landed 13.
What might be even more endearing than his stats, though, is his demeanor off the court. Big Cozy posing in Grinch-patterned pajama pants in front of a gigantic Christmas tree? Perfect holiday vibe. Cozy on the golf course? A summertime staple. Cozy is a year-round mood.
The Cardinals have games in the 2024-25 season scheduled through February, which means a few more chances to see Big Cozy in action. As he recently told Fisher’s “Cardinal Courier,” he’s taking it all in stride: “I just want to play and enjoy my time here and then see what happens.” instagram.com/connorwilliams50 —PATRICK HOSKEN
Best Little Free Library: #3841 on Arbor Drive
There are 16 Little Free Libraries in the city of Rochester. At least, those are the ones documented and registered with the non-profit of the same name, which boasts more than 175,000 across the world. You’ve probably seen a handful of them on your walks: Small wooden houses of varying shapes and sizes, sometimes decorated, sometimes forgotten. The idea behind them is to provide a communal rotation of texts — you take one, you leave one (or two, or three).
And for that, all Little Free Libraries are beautiful.
But if I had to pick one, it’s the one on Arbor Drive, between Azalea Road and Laney Road. Not belonging to one house or another, the library is built like a small log-cabin with windows reflecting the bushes and trees that grow around it. This Little Free Library has been operating since 2012 and continuously stewarded by at least 20 surrounding neighbors since then. South of Highland Park, too, it’s easy enough to grab a new book, walk over to the reservoir and spend an afternoon lost amongst the ancient trees.
Of course, Little Free Libraries are only as good as their visitors. It’s easy to abandon these libraries; life gets busy, books are taken but not replaced, people cease stopping on their way to the park. And yet, there’s something special about this one.Neighbors can attest to its daily use — people on foot walking their dogs, cars that pull over and stop. The log cabin is stocked, thoughtfully, with books for both children and adults.
No matter which free library you frequent, maintaining and loving on these things is important. Getting books into readers hands is important, especially for people who may not otherwise have such easy, abundant access to them. Maybe, just maybe, you’ll even start your own. littlefreelibrary.org/map —JESSICA L. PAVIA
Best sports night on the cheap (like, really cheap): Rochester Jr. Americans
Notable sports publications over the years have labeled Rochester “the best minor-league sports town” in America for good reason. Tickets to the Rochester Red Wings, the Triple-A affiliate of Major League Baseball’s Washington Nationals, are just $15, and the most expensive seat to see the Rochester Americans, the feeder team to the National Hockey League’s Buffalo Sabres, run $37. Not bad, considering the average MLB ticket last year was $53 and the median for the NHL was $94.
But the best sports entertainment value in town is the Rochester Jr. Americans. Not to be confused with the Amerks or the youth hockey organization of the same name (we’re patriotic around these parts), the Rochester Jr. Americans is the newest franchise in the North American Hockey League, one of the top junior hockey leagues in the United States for prospects 16 to 21 years old.
The Jr. Americans play a 60-game season out of Rochester Ice Center in Fairport, so there are plenty of chances to catch a game. And tickets? They’re just $7, and kids under 13 get in free. But chances are good you won’t even pay that much.
The Jr. Americans is a side gig for hockey-loving Wegmans Chief Executive Officer Colleen Wegman and her financial investor husband Chris O’Donnell. More often than not, fans can get into home games free in exchange for participating in some sort of promotion, like donating canned goods or wearing “spirit” gear.
The junior hockey landscape in the United States spans some 200 teams across nine leagues. Of all the leagues, the NAHL is second in caliber only to the elite United States Hockey League. Many NAHL players have already committed to play collegiate hockey at the Division 1 level, and a handful of players from the league are taken in the NHL Draft every year. All of this is to say that NAHL hockey is strong, fast hockey on the cheap. jramerks.com —DAVID ANDREATTA
Best urban explorer: Small Plots
Who needs to drive hundreds of miles into the woods to go camping and prove their resilience in the great outdoors? Not Kevin Markis. The Rochester-based freelance animator and YouTuber has built a social media following by stealth camping near the parks and pathways of Rochester. Markis, who goes by “Small Plots” on his channels, can be found pitching a tent, hanging a hammock and soaking in, well, small plots found under the familiar bridges, bike trails and overpasses we take for granted in our everyday travels.
Follow along as Markis stealthily makes camp, chats with viewers about the local flora and fauna, vibes by the campfire and gives updates on state history and lore. The goal is to be alone and out-of-view of residents and passersby, though the occasional hiker (and animal) has come upon the sneaky camper. So if you see a fire burning underneath one of the billboards on 490, no you didn’t. instagram.com/smallplots —RYAN WILLIAMSON
Best place to question existence: Your car
“Hope this email finds you…”
“Let’s circle back…”
“Let-me-just shhhaaare my screen…”
You’re one Microsoft Teams notification away from breaking your laptop into pieces. The clock says 4 p.m., but the darkness outside is giving 8 p.m. When it finally comes time to make the journey back to where it all began, you arrive at your sanctuary of solitude: Your car. Blessed be the engineers that improved the soundproofing in hopes of reducing road noise. Unbeknownst to them, their innovative feats have provided you a chamber of screams. Or, perhaps a moment of silence before you “push to start” or turn the primitive key. You stare out into the distance, and your focus leaves you. You could’ve been anything. What if you hadn’t dropped that “Intro to Theater” class?
“They” told you your original plan wouldn’t make money, but at least you would’ve been happy. Scenarios spill into your imagination. Hit the road and keep going. Maybe you’ll win the lotto. Create an alias and start a new life. You could live in a cabin in the woods or a trailer on the beaches of the West Coast like Mel Gibson in “Lethal Weapon.”
Alas, reality kicks in, and you’re reminded of the pockets of beauty in your life. The interactions you’ve encountered recently have restored your fleeting faith in humanity. The season of warmer weather, partly cloudy skies and fresh air are not as far as they seem. You take a deep breath, start the car and, as Dido said, “it’s not so bad.” —ROBERTO FELIPE LAGARES
Best hobbyist sports league: FLX TOUR Golf
It’s hard to imagine any Jane or John Doe walking off the street and earning a spot on the Red Wings bench. And pending Invincible-style open tryouts for the Buffalo Bills, no one is replacing Josh Allen. But you could qualify to join the most prestigious local sports league in Rochester. (No, not the EZ Rollers Arm Wrestling Club.)
We’re talkin’ the FLX Tour. Established in 2022, this group of local golfers hosts four major tournaments each year and is dedicated to growing the game. There’s trophies and cash prizes for the winners (and don’t forget the giant checks.) If you’ve got that dog in you and want to try out for pro status, visit flxtourgolf.com for more details. —RYAN WILLIAMSON
This article appears in Dec 1-31, 2024.
