Out and About in Rochester
While there are plenty of things to keep you busy, there are also many things to do in the city. Here are some of my favorite things to do in Rochester!
Go to the Strong Museum of Play
The Strong Museum of Play is an interactive museum that highlights all things play and brings out the child in you. There are collections of toys, a mini Wegmans you can “shop” in, video games, a pinball arcade, a butterfly garden, and much more. It’s so much fun to go to, especially during exams!
Eat out
Let’s be real: campus food gets old. And what better way to mix things up than by going out to eat in one of the most foodie-friendly places in the US? There are so many options to suit your tastes, budget, and capacity for transportation. A personal favorite of mine is The Red Fern, a vegan restaurant on Park Ave that offers lots of gluten-free and allergen-free options. For more information about places to eat in Rochester, check out my post on places to eat from when my mom visited during spring break!
Relax in the Highland Botanical Garden
Located in Highland Park, which is within walking or biking distance of campus, the Highland Botanical Garden is a beautiful location to destress and be among the plants that you may be longing for in the winter time. For only a few dollars you can immerse yourself in plants. What more could you want? I visited for the first time during the Lilac Festival and spent an hour sitting in the chairs along the walkway and watching the turtles. There are also buttonquail, which are so cute, walking around in one of the rooms.
Shop at the Rochester Public Market
The Green Line goes to the Rochester Public Market from the weekend before classes start until the first weekend of November. Be sure to take advantage of this and visit the market to get sweet deals on produce, pick up some flowers to spruce up your room, or enjoy food from vendors. For more information about the market, check out my blog post about the public market!
Those are some of the many things you can do in Rochester. I’ve been here for two years and I still want to visit the Rochester Museum and Science Center, go to a Rochester Redwings baseball game, and maybe visit the Eastman Museum. What’s first on your agenda when you get here?