Rochester, NY

Rochester, located in western New York, is a vibrant city, with a welcoming community, affordable housing, and rich intellectual and cultural resources. Approximately six hours by car from New York City, this medium-sized city on the shore of Lake Ontario is a dynamic college town, with many great restaurants, museums, businesses, colleges, universities, and schools. 

Claiming more sites on the National Register of Historic Places than any other city its size, Rochester was also the home of women's rights activist Susan B. Anthony and abolitionist Frederick Douglass. 
 
Snow is certainly a fact of life here; Rochester averages about 93 inches of snow a year. Winter sports enthusiasts can try their hand at cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, downhill skiing at Bristol Mountain, even curling. There are also plenty of places to escape from the winter weather: take shelter in the city's coffee shops, restaurants, bookstores, movie theaters and museums. For music lovers, Rochester is home to a number of concert venues for a medium-sized city, from grand theaters to coffee shops, breweries and clubs.
 
Rochesterians love the city's parks and area lakes. Located on the historic Erie Canal, the Genesee River, and Lake Ontario, and a quick drive to the Finger Lakes, Rochester offers plenty of sailing, swimming, kayaking and hiking opportunities.
 
During the warmer months, Rochester's neighborhoods come alive with festivals and art fairs, including the Lilac Festival in Highland Park, the Park Avenue Events, the Corn Hill Arts Festival, the Rochester International Jazz Festival, the Rochester Fringe Festival and the Clothesline Festival at the Memorial Art Gallery. The fall is absolutely beautiful, as the leaves turn vibrant colors and the University celebrates Meliora Weekend, an event that brings an incredible array of speakers and performers to campus.