Pittsford
OverviewOverview
The town of Pittsford is located on the Erie Canal, about seven miles south of Rochester.
Home to two colleges — Nazareth College and St. John Fisher College — Pittsford is a beautiful community known for its small-town appeal. Even though Pittsford is generally a family-oriented town, there are plenty of things for college students to do, eat and experience. Several plazas and the Erie Canal offer residents and visitors alike the opportunity to shop, eat, see a movie, buy artwork — the possibilities are endless!
So, if you like the city life at night but want something relaxing and fun to do during the day, Pittsford is the answer. The unique, picturesque town has something for you.
Guide compiled by Hannah Engel and Kim Krula (Nazareth College).
Eat & Drink
If you’re hungry, Pittsford is the place to go. Sure, there’s the Cheesecake Factory in Pittsford Plaza, but it definitely doesn’t stop there. Go into the village and experience some of these great stops.
Simply Crepes Café
Nazareth freshmen Christina Brule, Brenna Boerman and Ashlee Wills enjoy dinner at Simply Crepes.
Don’t let the name fool you — this popular hangout by the canal offers a menu that is anything but simple. Choose from a wide variety of breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert crepes made-to-order and filled with fresh ingredients. If you feel overwhelmed by the choices (and many newcomers do!) try the reigning crowd favorites: the buffalo chicken or the ham and asparagus crepes. Round out your entrée with one of the restaurant’s delicious soups or salads and wash it down with a blended coffee drink that puts Starbucks to shame. Oh, and did we mention the oatmeal crème bruleè?
But for regulars, the best thing about this place isn’t the fresh food, the friendly service, or even the low prices — it’s the way eating here makes you feel.
“It’s small, it’s cute, and you feel sophisticated,” says Brenna Boerman, a freshman art and English major at Nazareth.
7 Schoen Place, Pittsford; 383-8310
Aladdin’s Natural Eatery
Vegetarians rejoice! This Mediterranean-style restaurant with balcony seating on the Erie Canal has the best selection of vegetarian options to be found in Pittsford. And they’ll even throw on some meat to satisfy your carnivorous friends. They have dolmades, falafel, gazpacho, chilis, salads, pitas, couscous, pasta and specialty plates (we recommend the moussaka and the spanakopita). Nothing on the menu goes over $10, and most of it squeaks in under $5. But we have to warn you — you’ll probably leave with a box of leftover food because you had to make room for a slice of thick, creamy, delicious gourmet cheesecake!
But even with all this low-priced choice, everyone has a favorite reason for coming.
“The humus,” says RIT junior industrial engineering major Rebecca Santa Cruz.
“It’s natural,” says RIT senior finance major Pablo Santa Cruz.
And us, well, we go for the cheesecake.
8 Schoen Place, Pittsford; 264-9000
The Coal Tower
Experience the history of Pittsford at this old-fashioned family restaurant. The building dates back to the early 1900s when Joe and Charles Schoen built the tower to store — you guessed it — coal! Ted Collins reopened the building in 1976 as part of an initiative to build the canal into a retail center. But you’ll read all that on the menu — if you can drag your eyes away from the food, that is.
You’ll see the traditional soups, salads and sandwiches, but the Coal Tower’s true claim to fame is it’s locally inspired burger menu. Most of them run about $6. There’s the Tower Burger, the Pittsford Burger, the Canal Burger, the New Yorker … you get the picture. And if all this history has you feeling nostalgic, you can even top it all off with an old-fashioned milkshake, sundae or float.
9 Schoen Place, Pittsford; 381-7866
Mamasan’s Noodle Caboodle
“Our food is very healthy; we use a lot of fresh vegetables and very unique items,” says Anna Richards, waitress at this trendy, family-owned Thai/Vietnamese restaurant on Monroe Ave. The restaurant is still under the ownership of the original “Mama San,” who jazzes up the traditional take out menu with sauces made fresh daily, and she doesn’t share her secret family recipes with anyone.
But the take out menu doesn’t mean you should order to go. The restaurant’s black and neon décor, along with bar-style and lounge seating, means that dining here is part of the experience. It’s an energetic, clubby hangout — a perfect place to de-stress after a hard day of classes and exams.
“Last year after exams we’d go get our nails done and then we’d come here,” says Claire Shannon. In her second year at the University of Rochester’s School of Medicine, Shannon likes to come about once a month to unwind with friends.
2800 Monroe Ave., Rochester; 461-3290
PaRe
A new addition to Pittsford, this spanking new bar/restaurant opened quietly, but is sure to turn some heads. PaRe serves up delectable renditions of classic Italian, Asian and French recipes. And in the bar — martinis, martinis, martinis! As for décor, owner Rebecca Torchia combined inspiration from the New York City dining scene with local artist April Stein to create a classy, stylish atmosphere that is completely Rochester — with some worldly flair.
This is The Loop’s expensive pick for Pittsford — most entrees run just shy of $30. But this place is unique, new and truly chic. So when you’re ready to splurge, put on those trendy clothes you’ve been dying for an excuse to wear, grab your parents, and treat yourself to the best of Pittsford. Come on, you deserve it.
2833 Monroe Ave., Rochester; 244-4890
The Pittsford Pub
The pub is our pick for sports fans and anyone looking for some relaxed, local flavor. With a restaurant and a front and back bar, you can sit down for a meal in a booth or grab a stool and watch the game.
The pub serves lunch and dinner seven days a week, as well as a late night menu for bar-goers, so you can have your choice of traditional sports items — think wings, nachos and wraps — but also heartier selections like pasta dishes, steak and shrimp. Most entrees will run you $10 to $12. Steak runs about $14.
“They have great beer,” says Jessica Reilly, ’07 graduate of Nazareth College. “And they’re great about making suggestions if you don’t know what you want.” And with a full menu of bottled and tap beers, there’s sure to be something for every taste.
60 N. Main St., Pittsford; 586-4650
Shop & Spend
Something that is not in short supply in Pittsford? Specialty shops in town that offer everything from coffee pots, toys, jewelry, pottery, and more. Here are a few highlights of the Pittsford shopping scene:
Naples Creek Leather
Located on the canal in Schoen Place, Naples Creek Leather is the place in Rochester to buy shoes and bags, for yourself and for gifts. Bob Manzella has owned the store on the canal for 15 years after moving his business from Naples. Naples Creek specializes in selling shoes like Birkenstocks, Uggs, Keens, and plenty more — along with clothing, jewelry, bags, and belts. The shoes range in price, but it’s easy to find things that are cheap and great gifts. And they sell duck food for $1 a bag so you can feed the birds on the canal!
10 Schoen Place, Pittsford; 586-9070
Port of Pittsford
Think of Port of Pittsford as the Parkleigh of Schoen Place. Right next to Naples Creek, it’s a one-stop boutique stocked full of cards, Pittsford apparel, flags, blankets, earrings and necklaces, plus more. The prices are reasonable, and with everything to choose from, the only problem will be deciding what to get for yourself, your friends or your family.
10 Schoen Place, Pittsford; 383-9250
One World Goods
This small shop, located in the back of Pittsford Plaza, is a non-profit organization that sells goods from all over the world. Not only will you find exotic, hand-crafted goods (for cheap!), but all the profits go to the people who make them. The things they sell come from all over the world — countries like India, Thailand and Argentina to name a few — and everything is fair trade. Fair trade means that the artists who make and sell these goods get paid fair wages for their art.
3349 Monroe Ave., Rochester; 387-0070
Wegmans
We know, Wegmans is everywhere … but none compare to the Pittsford Wegmans!
Food does not a Pittsford Wegmans make. On the contrary! Of course, food is in wide abundance — just check out the produce section that expands through half the store, or the cereal aisle where you can find every kind of bran under the sun. But you already knew about the food.
Do & See
Located right on the canal, it should be no surprise that there’s lots to do in Pittsford. Check out some of these things.
Breathe
Probably best known for its yoga studio, Breathe offers customers much more. The Main Street shop also has a huge selection of fashionable, comfortable clothes for men and women. Got extra cash? Need to relax? Breathe offers a huge selection of massages that run from $65 to $110 and yoga classes that begin at $16 a session — or $175 for unlimited classes for a whole month! Six different classes are taught during the day, so finding time in your busy schedule to relax is easy.
19 S. Main St., Pittsford; 248-9070
Color Me Mine
Color Me Mine is located in Pittsford Plaza and has fun, creative ideas for gifts and projects. Color Me Mine has already-made ceramic pieces (like plates, mugs and even lawn gnomes!) that you pick out and paint yourself in the store. You pay for the piece you want to paint and a studio fee ($10 normally, but there are plenty of specials during the week), which includes unlimited use of paints and supplies as well as the firing of your piece of pottery. Chris Bowen, a senior at Nazareth College and worker at the store says that coming to the store and making things is a fun, enjoyable experience. “It’s a nice thing to do with friends and family and it can be very enjoyable. They make good presents.” Color Me Mine lets you let your inner-child out while also creating something nice that will last a long time!
3349 Monroe Ave., Rochester; 383-8420
Arya Tea & Chocolate
This Pittsford shop is all about creature comforts. They offer almost 200 varieties of tea, clothing from designers like Angela Adams, Oria Kielly and Hardtail, and specialty sweets like Vosges chocolates from Chicago. Try a Red Fire Bar (ancho, chipotle and cinnamon in dark chocolate). Maybe Mo’s Bacon Bar (bacon chips in milk chocolate) is more to your taste? OK, OK, at least try the Goji Bar, made of goji berries mixed in milk chocolate.
“You can eat a little, shop a little, and go back to your table; you can always come and try something and never get bored,” says owner Cammy Schmitt.
A different sample tea is offered every day, but we recommend you try out the tea tasting every Saturday from 1 to 4 p.m. It’s a great way to spend an afternoon. You can even bring the books and crash on the couch — the quiet, aromatic atmosphere is perfect for studying.
15 S. Main St., Pittsford; 383-6380
Pittsford Farms Dairy
Want to meet a real live cow? Mosey on down to Pittsford Dairy Farms and say hello to Ginger, a 2 ½ year old Jersey/Scottish Highlander who makes her home right in the middle of Pittsford!
“We got her from a local farm — she’s been here since she was just a week old,” says Andrea Farrell, a senior Spanish education major at Nazareth and employee of the Pittsford Farms Grocery.
Although Ginger is the only cow on the premises, Pittsford Dairy Farms processes locally produced milk for sale in its grocery store, where you can find a number of other locally made products like bread, cookies and crème brulee. It’s like a year-round farmer’s market. And in December, you can come by for some eggnog and a Christmas tree!
44 N. Main St., Pittsford; 586-6610
The Erie Canal
If you’re looking for “something to do that’s cheap,” like sophomore political science and business major Josh Sholly from Eastern University, the canal is the place for you. Enjoy miles of trails, feed the ducks, check out the gift shops, and eat at one of the many restaurants on the canal or just over the bridge in the Pittsford village. It’s scenic, outdoors, and never gets old.
But if you’re willing to shell out a little cash here’s a couple of places to go to get the true canal experience!
Cornhill Navigation ‘Sam Patch’ Packet Boat
Cornhill Navigation offers daily cruises down the canal on the historic replica of the ‘Sam Patch’ at noon and 2 p.m. from May through Oct. 15, and once more at 4 p.m. in July and August. It’ll only run if there are enough participants, so call ahead and bring your friends! It’s $12 dollars for adults, not including food and beverages, and a bit more for a lunch or dinner cruise.
12 Schoen Place, Pittsford; 262-5661
Towpath Bike Shop
Not only is Towpath Bike a great place to get your bike repaired, you can rent a bike or a kayak for a self-guided tour of the canal. $10 will get you an hour on a bike, $30 will get you the whole day. If you’re feeling particularly adventurous, you can even try out the high-end demo bikes. Kayaks are more expensive at $15 an hour and $40 for a full day, but there are more reasons than money to go for a shorter time.
“Most people go out for an hour [on the kayaks],” says head mechanic Jenna Majchrzak. “It’s almost all upper body — one hour will kick your butt!”
If you want to rent, come prepared with your driver’s license and a major credit card. After that, you’re free to explore!
3 Schoen Place, Pittsford; 381-2808
Live & Rent
Since Pittsford is home to mainly families, it’s hard to find affordable housing outside of living on campus.
Many students opt to live in the city (on Monroe, Park, East, or University avenues) or in surrounding suburbs like East Rochester and Henrietta because they offer cheaper, student-friendly housing.
That doesn’t mean it can’t be done though!
There are many apartment buildings and complexes located in and around Pittsford, many that include extras like heat, hot water, laundry and garages. Pittsford Village Estates, for example, is a quiet apartment community that has one-bedroom apartments for $853 a month (a little expensive!) but three-bedroom apartments for $996 a month (not too bad!).
So if you want to live in Pittsford because it’s close to college, it isn’t impossible to find a great, affordable apartment or house to rent for you and some friends.
History
This decorative horse is just one of the quirky attractions in the historic village of Pittsford.
It all started when Israel Stone built a log cabin in 1789, making Pittsford the oldest village in Monroe County. As such, Pittsford boasts a lot of firsts for Monroe County — first school, first library, first church, first post office and first newspaper.
Although it always functioned as a trade center, Pittsford truly became prosperous with the opening of the Erie Canal in 1822. The canal continues to be the life-blood of Pittsford today, housing numerous attractions like restaurants, walking trails and gift shops.
The evolution from farming village to suburb really began with the introduction of country estates built by the Rochester elite in the latter half of the 1800s. One of those estates, the 200-acre Pittsford Farms, still exists today. Although there are no dairy cows there, the farm still looks much as it did in the 1800s and continues to bottle milk in returnable glass bottles.
With the rise of cars and paved roads in the 1950s, Pittsford became truly accessible to Rochester and completed its transformation into a suburban area.
The residents of Pittsford are proud of their rich history and go to great lengths to preserve and restore historic sites. Although some structures no longer serve their original purposes, the town has saved and restored many historic buildings along the canal and in the village in order to keep its history alive.
