Park-Meigs:
The Greenwich Village of Rochester

When new urban planners who are disillusioned by the sterility of suburban sprawl fantasize about the ideal neighborhood of the future, they often paint a picture of a place that functions exactly like the Park-Meigs Neighborhood of today. Restaurants, specialty shops and small business of every description dot the Avenue. Down every side street, handsome dwellings in all shapes and sizes lie a short stroll from the retail areas. Park-Meigs features pocket parks, graceful flower-filled mediums, and meandering tree lined streets that sooth the eye and spirit.

The result: a charming old-world ambience that looks and feels as much like Europe as any place this side of the Atlantic.

In its early career, the Park Avenue area was home to many of the nursery and seed businesses that helped build Rochester's reputation as the Flower City. East Avenue was then a huge swamp used for sleigh racing when it froze over in winter.

As the city grew during the last half of the 19th Century, the Park-Meigs area was transformed into the residential community we know today. East Avenue's mansions attracted middle-class homeowners to the adjoining side streets. Developers continued the stately aura of the area with deed restrictions and park-like malls down the center of roads. Horse-drawn streetcars and later trolley routes brought more residents and encouraged commercial development along Park Avenue. Over the years the neighborhood emerged as one of the most diverse and architecturally rich areas of the city. From sprawling Tudor mansions to modest Princess Anne cottages, from stately apartment buildings to elaborate Queen Anne homesteads, nearly every block holds a historic treasure.

From its unchallenged position as a fashionable address, the neighborhood began to decline in the 1930s. Many larger homes were divided into multiple apartments, then often poorly maintained. High-rise apartment building threatened to destroy the character of the Park-Meigs area. For the next several decades residents' groups worked hard to responded to these challenges. In 1969, after years of organizing, the East Avenue Preservation District was created to recognize and guard this architectural legacy.

In the last decades, Park Avenue has seen a rebirth as a fashionable address - but with a 21-Century twist. To borrow the name of one of its many successful boutiques: this is one hip chic neighborhood.

"We like to think of Park Avenue as the Soho or Greenwich Village of Rochester," says Brian Starsky, long-time president of the Park Avenue Merchants Association, which represents about 80 businesses.

And it fits the bill. Sidewalk cafes, delis, bakeries, coffee shops, boutiques and services cluster along a few blocks all within a pleasant walking distance of each other. The upscale shopper will love the mod furniture, fine art, French antiques, designer jewelry and hand-dipped chocolates. Fulltime residents enjoy having the necessities of life close at hand. There's a bank, a pharmacy, mail service, a photo shop, day care and an insurance agency - to name a few establishments.

Census data indicates that this area has some of the highest income and housing values in the southeast quadrant of the city. Long term residents note the recent influx of young professional to the area. Some of the housing stock is growing younger as well, with the addition of several tasteful condominium complexes.

On the first full weekend in August, businesses move out to the sidewalks and the street is closed to make way for the annual Park Avenue Festival. For two days, more than 200,000 people from around the region come to enjoy the music, strolling entertainers, craft and food booths that line the Avenue. In November, the Holiday Open House brings ice sculptures, caroling contests, horse-drawn wagon rides, and pictures with Santa.

Located just east of the Inner loop, the Park-Meigs neighborhood is convenient to downtown and the I-490 expressway. It is served by both the premier bus line, Park Ave. #1, and the EZ Rider Entertainment Shuttle. This small bus is free and travels between downtown and area entertainment spots.