East End

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P1000674.JPGView of Upper East End with the Sagamore luxury condos. SpotView.JPGCommercial and residential spaces in the Upper East End.

Location
The East End is a neighborhood in downtown Rochester.
Boundaries
Begins right downtown at Main Street & travels along East Avenue
extends north to East Main Street
south to Broad Street
east to Alexander Street
Neighborhood Association
[WWW]Rochester's East End Association
[WWW]Facebook
[WWW]RochesterDowntown.com

The East End is a downtown neighborhood so named because it is centered on East Avenue between Alexander and Main Street. It is characterized by vibrant nightlife and sophisticated cultural attractions. The East End contains numerous bars, clubs, and restaurants, as well as art exhibits and musical performances of all sorts. As you can imagine, finding a parking spot in the area can be difficult on weekends.

The "modern" East End’s history began roughly two decades ago with the maturation of the Little Theatre art film venue and the launching of the East End Festivals. Bolstering those entrepreneurial efforts were pioneering retail outlets – several of which remain today as neighborhood stalwarts.

Subsequently, in the 1990s and early 2000s an entertainment scene exploded in the neighborhood, with a wide variety of dining cuisines and late night music and entertainment venues pumping new life into the architecturally stunning buildings. Drawn to the increasingly 24/7 scene, new residents poured into the neighborhood, at first renting units in newly built and renovated buildings and, more recently, purchasing homes in "The Sagamore on East" and the adjacent, long-established Grove Place neighborhood. 1

Other popular neighborhoods within walking distance include Park Avenue, the Alexander Neighborhood, the Neighborhood of the Arts, and Monroe Village. The South Wedge is a very short bike ride. East of Alexander Street is, of course, the East Avenue Historic District, famous for its stately mansions.

Divisions

East Main.JPGEast Main Street

The Inner Loop divides the neighborhood into two sub-sections with their own distinct flavors. East of the Loop is the Lower East End, which contains the busiest bars and clubs. It overlaps with the Alexander Neighborhood, which links it to Monroe Village, another hot spot for bars and restaurants. Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights find this area noisy and packed to overflowing. Most of the time, however, the Lower East End is actually pretty quiet. The upper floors of its buildings are professional offices during weekdays. The Lower East End is home to such popular bars as Murphy's Law Irish Pub and The Old Toad, as well as the boutique hotel East Avenue Inn & Suites.

The Upper East End, west of the Loop, is more concentrated on culture and sit-down cafes and restaurants. It boasts many high-end apartments, townhouses, and condos, ranging from lofts to vintage to new construction such as the Sagamore on East complex. The Eastman School of Music, Rochester Contemporary Art Center, and Little Theatre are located here as well.

A third section, not properly considered either the Upper or Lower East End, is East Main Street. This is a rather gritty-looking but colorful strip dominated by small businesses mostly unrelated to nightlife, such as convenience stores, inexpensive salons, and various services.

Things To Do

P1000678.JPGView of the Lower East End; very quiet on a Sunday afternoon.

Alexander.JPGAlexander Street, near the intersection with East Avenue. Barbershops and Salons

Bars and Clubs

Coffeehouses

Culture

Festivals

Hotels

Restaurants

Services

Shopping

Other

Nearby

More Information

City of Rochester designation and plans:
East End/Upper East End - mixed use - see city center master plan pg 20
[WWW]a huge PDF (41 MB) download.

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2010-06-04 12:03:40   The 6x6x2010 You Asked For It Opening Reception begins tomorrow at the Rochester Contemporary Art Center! Come preview the 5,000 works of art tonight until 10pm. —RoCo