After living all across the U.S., I can say with a good amount of confidence that Rochester has a little bit of all the things I love. One of the reasons I decided on Nazareth was because of the location: I was very wary about being stuck in a location with nothing to do, or places to see, but that’s not the case here. With all of that in mind, for your benefit and amusement, I have compiled a list of some of my favorite places to go and things to do off campus in the great Ra-Cha-Cha! Hopefully, should you find yourself on campus thinking about all the things you’d like to do in the coming years, you’ll give a few of these options some consideration.

The Little Theatre

I love movies; there is no question about it! Some might even go so far as to say that I am a film snob…. These people would probably be correct. A few weeks ago, I saw Phantom Thread and it was an absolute treat, a masterwork of filmmaking with another breathtaking performance by Daniel Day-Lewis. It is refreshing to have a theatre around that plays Art house, Indie and Foreign films in addition to other live performances. To learn more about The Little, check out their website here.

Duff’s

Duff’s is technically a chain of restaurants, but its’ locations are few and far between. If you are local you have probably been to one (either here in Henrietta or one of the Buffalo locations), but if you’re from out of state YOU ABSOLUTELY MUST give it a try at some point. Duff’s has the best Buffalo wings you will ever get from a chain restaurant ever, period. Nothing compares to their hot sauce and they make their own blue cheese, which is an absolute force of nature. Check out their website here.

City of Rochester Parks

This one is a bit more vague than the others, but remains one of my absolute favorites. In the modern age we spend so much of our time cooped up, sitting behind desks or lounging on couches; I don’t dislike these things necessarily, but I require regular relief in my life from being so confined. About once a week, weather permitting, I get the gang together, and we go to the park to grill and toss a football.

My personal favorite location is the Genesee Valley Park on the edge of the city. I also frequent Cobb’s Hill park because of the large hill and the reservoir there. If you make your way up to the reservoir you will be treated to a beautiful view of the city in all its’ majesty. For your benefit, I have included a list of parks, locations, and hours of operations here.

Bowl-A-Roll

Part of surviving in any major city is having your hobbies and knowing where you can practice them. I love to bowl, so the name of the game for me is finding the right alley. I’ve been to a few AMF locations, which are all pretty good, but Bowl-A-Roll is by far my favorite. Radio Social is also a lot of fun (even for things other than bowling) but can get expensive if you bowl as often as I do.

What’s great about Bowl-A-Roll is their scheduling, location, and staff. At any given time, Bowl-A-Roll has a variety of leagues going on that people can join, and they even have special college leagues and nights with special deals. I play in a Knox 3 man league every Wednesday and it is a great way for me to escape from the grind of everyday responsibilities.

In Conclusion…

Obviously, this isn’t an exhaustive list, but it includes a few of my personal favorites. What is great about Rochester is that every time you go downtown, or venture into the surrounding suburbs, you’ll find something new and exciting that you didn’t know about before. Part of the fun of living near the city is exploring and finding the things you are interested in; this process will always be a little different for everyone. I encourage you all to spend some time doing a little research so that, when you have the freedom and time, you can go out and have fun!