Park Avenue

Overview

Often touted as “the place to see and be seen” for the under 30 crowd, Park Avenue is an upscale, artistic neighborhood located in the eastern part of the city. Park Avenue itself winds its way from East Avenue to Alexander Street, with the neighborhood encompassing all the side streets that jut off the main drag.

Filled with restaurants, cafes, specialty shops and galleries, Park Avenue is a culturally rich neighborhood that has proven very popular with Rochesterians, especially during the warmer months when outdoor dining and street entertainment give the already bustling street even more life.

Its mix of casual eateries, fine dining and eclectic shops make Park Avenue a much sought-after destination for the college crowd. The neighborhood is a mix of older (and mostly historic) homes as well as some newer apartment buildings. From older mansions to quaint cottages, Park Avenue offers a variety of housing options — many of the older mansions and larger homes have been converted into unique apartment buildings, making it a great option for college kids looking to get off campus.

Whether you’re looking for a lively place to live or just somewhere fun to spend an afternoon, Park Avenue is a definite must.

Eat & Drink

Park Avenue is home to a number of restaurants and eateries. From casual dining to European bistros to a true Chicago-style pizza joint, you can find pretty much anything along this tree-lined street. Here are our top picks …

Jines Restaurant
This casual eatery features a huge menu of everything from burgers and quiche to Italian pastas and Greek specialties. Breakfast is served all day and is especially popular with the Sunday brunch crowd. During the warmer months, enjoy your meal on the sidewalk (if you can find a seat, that is!).
658 Park Ave.
461-1280

Hogan’s Hideaway
A hideaway no longer, Hogan’s is one of the more popular and eclectic eateries along Park Avenue — the décor alone is reason enough to visit (vintage hats and other memorabilia line the walls). Along with a long list of daily specials, Hogan’s offers up homemade bread and desserts, a rotating wine list and their very own fresh-brewed ale (along with many other kinds, too).
197 Park Ave.
442-4293

Cibon
This trendy European-style bistro offers a selection of paninis, pizzas, pastas and Italian desserts. Its rotating martini list and true European coffee have made it a popular destination for Park Ave. patrons. By night, Cibon is called the “ultra lounge,” a prime stop for the 20-somethings that live in and frequent the neighborhood.
688 Park Ave.
461-2960

Chester Cab Pizza
You’ll find huge slices, a daily fish fry, calzones and wings, but more importantly, Chicago style deep-dish pizza. Chester Cab’s specialty pizza selection, which includes options such as “The Greek” and “The Cabbie,” have made it a popular pizza place (it was voted “Rochester’s Best” seven times by City Newspaper readers). Its prime location on Park Ave. makes it a great place for lunch, dinner or a late-night snack!
707 Park Ave.
244-8211

Magnolia’s Deli and Café
This casual deli serves breakfast, lunch and dinner. Try any of the sandwiches that are named after streets in the neighborhood or sip down one of the many beers available (they boast ten custom brews on tap and more than 50 bottled beers to choose from). Magnolia’s even offers free beer tastings every other Friday from 7 to 9 p.m.
366 Park Ave.
271-7380

Prepps
Looking for a break from the East End bars? Stop by Prepps. Tucked away behind Abbott’s Frozen Custard, Prepps is a swingin’ neighborhood bar. Don’t let its smaller size fool you, Prepps knows how to please with daily $2 beer specials, some rockin’ ’80s music and a nice, laidback atmosphere. And don’t forget, Prepps loves to sponsor stuff! Softball, hockey, dodgeball — you name it and they may just sponsor your team.
729 Park Ave.
271-7925

Shop & Spend

You’re on a budget, we understand. But the shops along Park Ave. offer such unique, interesting items that it might just be worth splurging a little.

Parkleigh
Cosmetics, chocolate, coffee, cards, pottery, tons of unique novelty items — this upscale gift shop has a lot to browse through. It is dripping with brand name items from Vera Bradley, MacKenzie-Childs, Godiva and many others. But, it’s often the smaller items that provide the most fun. Take home a bread stamp so you can make “Holy Ghost Toast” for all your friends. Or have a little laugh with an action figure — choose from such notorieties as Edgar Allen Poe, Moses and even Jesus. Caution: Splurging on a college budget could have serious side effects!
215 Park Ave.
244-4842

Stever’s Candies
The smell of chocolate surrounds you in this small shop. For over 50 years, Stever’s has been serving up nothing but reasonably priced, homemade chocolate. The shop is certainly no secret to Rochesterians — lines often wind out the door as major holidays such as Halloween, Christmas and Easter approach. The bacon and eggs at Easter-time are especially popular (no, it’s not real bacon or eggs — we won’t elaborate though, you’ll just have to see for yourself!) Whatever you do, don’t expect to curb your sugar craving in July, the shop closes down for the month each year.
623 Park Ave.
473-2098

Utta Clutta
Find second-hand anything here — vintage clothes, furniture, music … we do mean anything! Just one peek through the windows of this small street shop and you’ll soon be doing more than window-shopping.
121 Park Ave.
271-1130

Lakeshore Record Exchange
This alternative music store and its accompanying Web site, alternativemusic.com, offers new and used CDs of almost any performer you’re looking for. Buy and sell CDs at the Park Avenue location or browse through the memorabilia — T-shirts, movie and band posters, stickers, magazines and much more.
370 Park Ave.
244-8475

Do & See

After you’ve eaten lunch, browsed the shops a little and filled up on chocolate from Stever’s, check out some of these fun places and things.

Park Ave. Summer Art Fest
Park Avenue is home to one of Rochester’s oldest and most popular arts festivals. Attracting more than 250,000 people each year, Park Ave. Fest draws a diverse crowd with its variety of art exhibits, vendors, food options and live music. Four stages along the street offer continuous music and entertainment (ranging from reggae to rock to even funk). With Park Ave.’s large concentration of college residents, there’s plenty to see and do as many renters flock to their balconies and front lawns for impromptu parties. The mix of art, entertainment and good food makes this a perfect summer event.

Gallery r
Far from the confines of Rochester Institute of Technology’s Henrietta campus, Gallery r has found a home on Park Avenue. This student-managed art gallery serves as an “educational laboratory” for students from RIT’s College of Imaging Arts & Sciences. Visitors to the gallery can peruse the collection of work by current students as well as alums. Work is also up for sale, which not only puts some money in the artists’ pockets but also (and possibly more importantly) helps validate and reward their artistic commitment. That is, after all, what college is all about, right?
775 Park Ave.
242-9470

The Jembetat Gallery
This African art gallery features a collection of items that have been handpicked from across the African continent. Masks, figures and statues showcase the beauty of African tribal art while bowls, beadwork and other objects capture a feel for the daily life of African cultures.
645 Park Ave.
442-8960

Live & Rent

Park Ave is the place to live while you’re in college! While it may seem a bit pricey at first glance, you’ll be happy to know that the street is lined with multi-family homes that offer lots of affordable housing options (especially if you can find some roommates to share the bills).

Rents start at about $400 for a studio and go up from there. If you can gather a few friends, you can probably even find half a house (or a whole house if you’re lucky) to share. Most of the local apartment rental websites are dripping with Park Avenue-area apartments, so you should definitely be able to find something to meet your needs.

History

Today Park Avenue is one of Rochester most well-known neighborhoods. Its restaurants, boutiques and galleries draw people from all over the city. And the Park Ave. Summer Arts Festival draws people from even farther away. But, Park Ave. wasn’t always as bustling of a neighborhood as we know it to be today.

Park Ave. actually developed as a result of neighboring East Avenue. This main city street was lined with beautiful mansions that attracted upper- and middle-class families. As East Ave. filled up, families began to spill over into the side streets and Park Ave. eventually started to take form. Before long the cozy street had become an architecturally diverse neighborhood (you can still see the variety of housing styles if you stroll the streets of the neighborhood).

In the 1930s, Park Ave. saw a drop in popularity. During this time, many of the area’s larger family homes were divided into multi-family units, which became extremely attractive to singles and young couples (and still are today).

In the 1960s, the East Avenue Preservation was created to try to preserve the beauty and architectural richness of the East and Park Avenue areas.