Neighborhood of the Arts

The Neighborhood of the Arts, located just east of downtown, is at once the cultural center of Rochester and a residential Phoenix. Only 15 city blocks long and a scant three blocks wide, this weighty district packs in more museums, cultural institutions, art schools, galleries, and studios than any other neighborhood in the Rochester metropolitan area.

Such clustering of arts facilities creates a synergetic magic here. Artists, with studios in the Anderson Alley cooperative and Village Gate Square, drop in frequently to catch the latest exhibits at the nearby Memorial Art Gallery and the George Eastman House, the International Museum of Photography and Film. At Cobblestone, an alternative private Pre-K through 8 school, students regularly walk down the block to classes at the Creative Workshop or performances at the School of the Arts, the excellent public middle and high school for the performing and visual arts. Poets visiting Writers and Books, the city's literary center, stop in at Moonbeans Café a few doors down for cappuccino and guitar performances. Dancers take classes from Kinections Dance & Movement, the Draper School of Dance, Elizabeth Clark Dance or Dance Encounters.

All told, dozens of artists locate their studios in the converted industrial buildings throughout in the neighborhood. Lettering Artist Linda McFadden, for example, moved her studio from Victor for that "extra push" the area provides. Here, she explains, artists are interconnected with fellow creators and cultural groups - making it easy and natural to keep in touch with the rest of the art community.

In addition to fine arts, the neighborhood boasts a wide range of commercial and graphic arts businesses. Historically a center for the printing industry, today's roster of respected companies includes Monroe Graphics, Riley Printers, Matrix Unlimited and Kinex Corporation, to name just a few. Other clean industry, like Gleason Works, the world's largest gear-making machine manufacturer, provide a solid economic and job base for the community as well as active support for the neighborhood association. Craft Company No.6, located in the renovated Victorian era firehouse, Engine Company No. 6, has 9 rooms and an outdoor courtyard for shoppers to explore. They have been selling pottery, jewelry, wind chimes, fountains, kitchen implements, furniture and decorative accessories for over 25 years, making them the first arts related business in the neighborhood.

As a destination spot, NOTA draws thousands each year for its highly successful events. In summer, the Clothesline Festival, Rochester's oldest and largest arts and crafts fair, features more than 600 artists from 23 counties. In October, the Village Gate shopping center hosts a juried art exhibit of more than 100 artists. December "Lights Up" with 10,000 holiday lights sponsored by the inimitable Craft Company No. 6. From fall to spring, the artists of the Anderson Alley invite the public into their studios on the second Saturday of the month, while neighborhood historian Peter Hahn provides regular walking tours of local highlights.

As much as the Neighborhood of the Arts excels as an art Mecca, for its residents it is first and foremost a charming place to live. So much so, that the area's pocket of historic housing witnessed a dramatic increase in housing values during the last decade.

The centerpiece to this residential rebirth is the renovated Towner Building on the corner of Atlantic and University Avenues. This striking Flat Iron building named after the triangular-tip-and square-end shape of early irons, anchors the main commercial artery with quaint restaurants and shops topped by three floors of upscale apartments. Turn-of-the-century Victorian Era homes on nearby residential streets provide a variety of single family housing and apartments. "We take pride in being a racially and economically integrated neighborhood," explains Richard Margolis, NOTA Coordinator.

The neighborhood's diversity includes being the home for the Gay Alliance of Genesee Valley, which publishes New York's oldest gay newspaper, The Empty Closet

Along with diversity, NOTA is best defined by its "walkability" and activism. "It is really an ideal city neighborhood," says resident and Little Theater Manager Bill Coppard, who loves strolling to work as well as to restaurants and museums. The public market is only a short trek away.

The most concrete sign of citizen commitment is the impressive new ARTWalk project currently under construction along University Avenue. Conceived by local residents and adopted after more than a year of planning with city engineers, ARTWalk is a permanent urban art trail connecting the arts centers and public spaces within the neighborhood. It is the first such project of its kind in the United States.

The goal of ARTWalk is to create a pedestrian friendly environment. To that end, residents insisted on narrowing the roadway for cars on University Avenue and widening the sidewalk instead. Benches, tress, greenery, special lighting and commissioned artwork are planned for the 1,900-foot trial.