Monday, January 18, 2016

Rephrasing

We've all heard the standard story about Rochester (and perhaps even told it ourselves): it's cloudy, Kodak has fallen, downtown has collapsed, and anything positive is not as positive as anything in Texas, Florida, or the Carolinas.

Meanwhile, as the standard story is told ad nauseam, another story has unfolded: the region continues to grow (slowly, I know), arts and culture remain phenomenal, the beer/wine/cocktail/coffee scene can compete with anywhere, young people are embracing Rochester, and at last check outdoor activities have not relocated.

So the next time we are asked to describe Rochester, rather than stick to the usual narrative, here are a few alternatives:

  • It's kind of like the Pacific Northwest of the East Coast.
  • If you don't enjoy having nearly everything except traffic and oppressive real estate costs, you may want to look elsewhere.
  • If you have hipster tendencies, this place rocks (or ROCS, if you must).
  • If you're not into being around smart people who are also laid back, you may not like it.
  • I'm supposed to pretend I don't like it, but I secretly love it.

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