Blog Category - Living in Rochester NY & Surrounding Communities

HomeBlog Home
Living In Rochester NY & Surrounding Communities
Best Rooftop & Outdoor Bars in Greater Rochester NY

Jul 12, 2026 • 10 min read

Best Rooftop & Outdoor Bars in Greater Rochester NY

A local guide to rooftop lounges, waterfront patios, and canal-side bars across Greater Rochester and the Finger LakesOnce the weather turns in Greater Rochester, the conversation among locals shifts pretty predictably: who has the best patio, whose rooftop opens first, and where to catch a sunset with a drink in hand. Downtown Rochester has a genuine rooftop bar scene now, but some of the best o

Living in Rochester NY & Surrounding Communities

Recent Blogs

Best Rooftop & Outdoor Bars in Greater Rochester NY
Jul 12, 2026 10 min read
Best Rooftop & Outdoor Bars in Greater Rochester NY

A local guide to rooftop lounges, waterfront patios, and canal-side bars across Greater Rochester and the Finger LakesOnce the weather turns in Greater Rochester, the conversation among locals shifts pretty predictably: who has the best patio, whose rooftop opens first, and where to catch a sunset with a drink in hand. Downtown Rochester has a genuine rooftop bar scene now, but some of the best o

West Side vs. East Side Rochester NY: Buyer's Guide
Jul 11, 2026 17 min read
West Side vs. East Side Rochester NY: Buyer's Guide

A buyer's guide to the towns, commutes, and everyday character on both sides of the Genesee.Quick shortcut: Jump straight to what matters most for your decision.If you've spent any real time house hunting in Greater Rochester, you've probably heard someone say it within the first week: "Are you a west side person or an east side person?" It comes up at open houses, in Facebook groups, and in almo

Penfield vs Webster NY: Housing, Taxes, Schools & Commute
Jul 7, 2026 15 min read
Penfield vs Webster NY: Housing, Taxes, Schools & Commute

A side-by-side comparison of two of Monroe County's most popular east-side suburbs — covering housing, taxes, schools, commute, and what buyers actually notice first.Originally published July 7, 2026Penfield and Webster come up together in almost every conversation I have with buyers looking at Monroe County's east side. Both towns border Irondequoit Bay, both feed into strong public school syste

Swimming Holes Near Rochester NY: Local Guide
Jul 5, 2026 8 min read
Swimming Holes Near Rochester NY: Local Guide

Creeks, gorges, and undeveloped shoreline across Monroe, Livingston, and Ontario counties — not the lifeguarded beaches.⚠️ Read this before you goMost of the spots below are informal, unguarded local swimming holes — not designated, lifeguarded beaches. A couple are genuinely "swim at your own risk." Water depth and current strength can change with rainfall and season, rules and access can change

Living in Penfield NY: Neighborhoods, Schools & Homes
Jul 4, 2026 17 min read
Living in Penfield NY: Neighborhoods, Schools & Homes

What to know about life, housing, schools, and neighborhoods in Penfield NYThinking about living in Penfield NY? Whether you're relocating from out of state, moving up from another Monroe County suburb, or looking for more space without leaving the Rochester area, this local guide walks through what day-to-day life in Penfield really looks like.Penfield doesn't have the boutique village center th

Best Beaches Near Rochester NY: Lake Ontario & Finger Lakes
Jun 30, 2026 14 min read
Best Beaches Near Rochester NY: Lake Ontario & Finger Lakes

Eight real public swim spots, what to actually expect when you get there, and one popular Lake Ontario park that doesn't allow swimming at all.Once the temperature climbs into the 80s in Greater Rochester, the question I hear most from buyers, neighbors, and even my own kids isn't about the housing market — it's "where can we go swim today?" We're genuinely spoiled for choice here. Lake Ontario r

Best Breweries & Craft Beer Scene in Rochester NY Area
Jun 25, 2026 16 min read
Best Breweries & Craft Beer Scene in Rochester NY Area

A local's guide to the taprooms, brewpubs, and farm breweries across Monroe, Ontario, Livingston, and Wayne countiesGreater Rochester has quietly become one of Upstate New York's better places to drink local. Between a wave of farmhouse-style taprooms that opened across the Finger Lakes over the past decade and a handful of breweries old enough to have their own history, there's a remarkable rang

Rochester NY Area Summer Events Guide 2026
Jun 24, 2026 10 min read
Rochester NY Area Summer Events Guide 2026

Verified dates, times, and prices for the biggest events across Monroe, Ontario, Wayne, Livingston & Orleans CountiesSummer in Greater Rochester is when the festival calendar really gets going, and it stretches well beyond the city itself. Between now and Labor Day, every one of our five service counties has at least one event worth building a weekend around — from a 58-year-old arts festival in

Corn Hill Arts Festival 2026 — Rochester NY Guide
Jun 23, 2026 10 min read
Corn Hill Arts Festival 2026 — Rochester NY Guide

Dates, parking, food, music, and family fun for the 58th Annual Corn Hill Arts Festival in Rochester, NY.Every July, the historic Corn Hill neighborhood closes its streets to traffic and opens them to art. The Corn Hill Arts Festival has been a fixture of Rochester summers since 1969, and the 2026 edition marks its 58th year — one of the longest continuously running outdoor arts festivals in the

Best Boat Launches Near Rochester NY | 5-County Guide
Jun 21, 2026 15 min read
Best Boat Launches Near Rochester NY | 5-County Guide

A county-by-county guide to public ramps and hand launches across Monroe, Wayne, Orleans, Ontario & Livingston CountiesIf you live anywhere near Rochester, you're never far from water you can actually put a boat into. Lake Ontario runs along the entire northern edge of Monroe, Wayne, and Orleans Counties, and the Erie Canal cuts straight through the middle of all three on its way west toward Buff

Posts by Categories
Posts by Month
What's your home worth?
Have a top local Realtor give you a FREE Comparative Market Analysis