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I'm not optimistic that Rochester will ever see the kind of job growth and population expansion that would cause other city neighborhoods to come back to life, but let's assume that in 30 years global warming makes everyone move back north.
An area to keep an eye on would be West Main near downtown. The old warehouses/factories on Canal/Litchfield streets are prime candidates for redevelopment into urban living spaces, with plenty of room for commercial or entertainment venues to service the population. (Think of a big grocery store there - you'd get all of Corn Hill shopping there as well.) The adjacent Susan B. Anthony neighborhood is already 75% of the way there, and I think people buying into that neighborhood now are going to be very glad they did--even if nothing happens with the rest of West Main. And a lot of money has been poured into West Main near Susan B. Anthony already.
It would take some imagination, but Brown Square and north on State up Lake is a possibility. I like this as a candidate better than South 19th Ward, because the commercial strip is already there. But purely from a residential standpoint, the 19th Ward and Maplewood are where the good housing stock is.
You wouldn't really need a massive wave of migration back to the north for the city of Rochester to make a pretty decent comeback. Cities like Providence, Boston, and Pittsburgh have seen fairly dramatic turnarounds in their fortunes in recent years without a great northern migration. Migration from the north to the south and west has already come to a fairly resounding screeching halt since the recession but even if that were not true; in an area like Rochester where the metro area has maintained a pretty stable/small growth population over the years all you really need is locals taking interest in the revitalization of the city's neighborhoods and a relatively stable economy. These two factors I would say are pretty much a go in this region so while I agree you won't see Rochester experiencing Raleigh-like growth anytime soon (thank God! Been there, done that; no thanks!)....that doesn't mean a significant revitalization of some formerly struggling neighborhoods can't happen.
Agreed about population and job growth not being a prerequisite. Without it, though, I wonder where all the urban pioneers are going to come from. The South Wedge is soaking them all up and could use a lot more--it's still very affordable. The people who can afford pricey lofts have their pick of downtown locations. The revitalization of Susan B. Anthony, on the other hand, has been really slow and will probably take another 10 years - and that neighborhood has a huge head start.
Full disclosure: I intend to buy into (and live in) Susan B. Anthony at the next opportunity. So that makes me one urban pioneer at least.
I probably should've mentioned downtown in my original post- there's actually quite a bit of growth there last time I checked (especially around st. Paul) and from what I've heard the new midtown project will have around 350 condos/apartment units in the mix. We're not really looking into downtown (the condos already there aren't cheap) but it would be cool. I heard somebody mention brown square, there's a lot of great architecture and commercial activity along state street/lake ave, but I feel it would have the same problem as lower marketview heights and other 'crescent' neighborhoods related to a bad rep. Then again, misinformation isn't as big of an impediment as people think. I went to U of R and it would always crack me up when fellow students would speak fearfully about the 19th ward (a neighborhood with some of the cleanest streets, friendliest inhabitants and most well-maintained gardens I've ever seen). Also, you guys think the northeast will go anywhere? There weren't too many clean streets or well maintained gardens I saw last time I was visiting my buddy off of Portland...
I probably should've mentioned downtown in my original post- there's actually quite a bit of growth there last time I checked (especially around st. Paul) and from what I've heard the new midtown project will have around 350 condos/apartment units in the mix. We're not really looking into downtown (the condos already there aren't cheap) but it would be cool. I heard somebody mention brown square, there's a lot of great architecture and commercial activity along state street/lake ave, but I feel it would have the same problem as lower marketview heights and other 'crescent' neighborhoods related to a bad rep. Then again, misinformation isn't as big of an impediment as people think. I went to U of R and it would always crack me up when fellow students would speak fearfully about the 19th ward (a neighborhood with some of the cleanest streets, friendliest inhabitants and most well-maintained gardens I've ever seen). Also, you guys think the northeast will go anywhere? There weren't too many clean streets or well maintained gardens I saw last time I was visiting my buddy off of Portland...
I don't expect Clifford Avenue to become the next Park Avenue in my lifetime if that is what you're asking. I don't think there is a more stigmatized area of the city than 14621.
Northland-Lyceum and Homestead Heights are both northeast neighborhoods that seem pretty decent. I don't know anyone who lives there but I've biked there up Culver Road and they both looked nice, quiet, and well-maintained to me. Definitely closer to Irondequoit in character than the rest of the city. A lot of '50s suburban architecture like Cape Cods and small ranches.
You never hear about either of these two neighborhoods, strangely enough. It's like they're a secret or something. The Northeast Quadrant is generally seen as synonymous with Group 14621 and therefore "dangerous."
Northland-Lyceum and Homestead Heights are both northeast neighborhoods that seem pretty decent. I don't know anyone who lives there but I've biked there up Culver Road and they both looked nice, quiet, and well-maintained to me. Definitely closer to Irondequoit in character than the rest of the city. A lot of '50s suburban architecture like Cape Cods and small ranches.
You never hear about either of these two neighborhoods, strangely enough. It's like they're a secret or something. The Northeast Quadrant is generally seen as synonymous with Group 14621 and therefore "dangerous."
I spent a good part of my childhood growing up on Clifford, around these areas. There are some nice homes but there is a lack of a "business district" that would make the area a popular neighborhood. There are a couple rows of brick business buildings in the area by Savoias and some scattered here and there, but on the main street(Clifford) there are too many houses. It lacks the commercial areas that park ave, south wedge, etc have.
Why do you like Marketview heights so much? Is it the housing, the history, the people, or location? I’m not saying I disagree I’d just like to hear where your coming from. You don’t hear much excitement about Marketview heights which is kind of too bad.
And why do you predict that Northland-Lyceum decline?
I just love the character of Marketview Heights, especially the area immediately surrounding the Public Market such as Railroad street, Pennsylvania Ave and parts of North Goodman. It reminds me of Philly in some ways.
I've spent a lot of time in Northland-Lyceum over the years. Let's just say in the last 5 or so it's been feeling more and more like 14621 than Irondequoit. I blame it on the apartment complexes more than the home owners.
So....we were looking at buying something in the Brighton area next fall. This would have seen us on a very tight budget.
The funny thing is, I was JUST looking at houses in the 19th ward the other day (on zillow) and said to myself: damn self, these are some fine looking houses. When I visited ROC for my interview, I kind of got the feeling that 19th ward was like Mogadishu light, but reading this thread and the ROCwiki more closely it seems like it could work.
Just for laughs, we're a 3 person family, we're looking for something pretty safe and affordable. Note, we're moving from the south west, we have a fair bit of property crime and some violent crime in our area.
Family of 3....assuming this includes a kid that is/will eventually be school aged? If so then 19th ward and really anywhere in the city is going to put you in subpar schools...especially compared to Brighton schools. If saving money on a home in the 19th ward would allow you to afford private school then I might consider it...otherwise stick with Brighton or another more affordable suburb; all of which will have better/safer schools for your kid.
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