Interview by Emily Hessney Lynch.

Published January 24, 2019.

Where are you originally from? What brought you to Rochester at this time in your life?

I was born in Rochester and raised in Henrietta. My parents are still there in the same house. I have three siblings and we were all born within five years, so we’re really close. I went to LeMoyne for college. LeMoyne is a Jesuit college, and I grew to love the Jesuit community—it’s centered around social justice and intentionality. After college, I joined the Jesuit Volunteer Corps, which is similar to AmeriCorps. My first placement was in Raleigh, North Carolina at the Green Chair Project. We helped families furnish their homes. I loved getting to know the community. I reapplied for another year, and was placed in Beaverton, Oregon (outside Portland), where I worked with homeless youth between the ages of 12 and 24. It was amazing getting to know all these people who genuinely wanted to help others, with no hidden agendas.

I came back to Rochester afterwards for a couple of reasons. My family is important to me, and I wanted to be close to them. But also, there were housing crises in both areas I’d been working before. I didn’t want to add to the problem, so I came back to Rochester, where we have plenty of work to do as well.

What are some of your favorite local nonprofits to support?

R Community Bikes is a big one. I volunteered there when I got back. Cycling is one of my passions—it’s a great way to get exercise, see the city, and it’s an efficient and cheap mode of transportation. They take donated bikes, fix them up, and then give them out for free to low income people who are referred by social workers. Dan Lill runs the place. He’s fluent in ASL and has created a very inclusive space to come and serve the community.

There’s also a great group in town called Black Girls Do Bike, a chapter of a larger national organization. Kecia McCullough runs the group. It’s great to see so many women of color out on bikes in our community. It’s one of the best groups going in Rochester so far, I think.

What are some hidden gems you've discovered around Rochester?

Our parks—Cobbs Hill and Washington Grove are some of my favorite spots in Rochester. I go there a lot. Mendon Ponds, too; I like to go and feed the birds and visit Wild Wings. The Genesee Riverway Trail is great for cycling and walking. The Erie Canal, in its own way, is a gem—sometimes people don’t know the best places to explore. I once rode my bike from Buffalo to Albany along the Erie Canal! The beaches in Charlotte are awesome too. People don’t go up there enough. I went up once on a bike ride on a summer night, and we made a fire, had some beers, and just hung out.

If you had $100 and two hours to kill in Rochester, how would you spend the money/time? 

I’d go to the MAG, then take myself out to lunch at Village Gate. Afterwards, I’d go shopping at Craft Company No. 6.

What's your favorite neighborhood in the city? 

I love the Cobbs Hill neighborhood and all the beautiful houses there. I lived in that area once and we could get right into Washington Grove so easily.

What's the best place to get a garbage plate?

Mark’s Texas Hots. But Henny Hots growing up. All suburban kids choose a city plate place once they move to the city, but they remain loyal at heart to their suburban ones.

What is your personal coping mechanism for cold/gray weather? 

I just joined the Y, and it’s within walking distance of where I live, so that’s been good. I also read a lot and work on watercolors and hand lettering. I like to go for walks in the parks to break the cabin fever, and I enjoy cross country and downhill skiing too.

What is your favorite Rochester memory? 

When I had just gotten back from a trip, I met my grandpa for breakfast at Union Street Bakery at the Public Market. They just have a bunch of folding tables, $1 coffee, and $5 breakfast sandwiches. It was like a family reunion in there. It was so nice, and it reaffirmed Rochester as home for me.

What makes Rochester unique? 

We still have a lot of potential and growth that can happen here. Especially given our location with the Finger Lakes, Niagara Falls, and Lake Ontario all right here—it’s an amazing location! I’m proud of our city for being the amazing community it is—with bike groups, the music scene, the Eastman School of music being so accessible to the public, and great nonprofits.

What do you think could be improved? 

Our public transportation. It’s so clear to me that if we had a working transit system, more people would have access to the neighborhoods and downtown. We need to revitalize our city and our businesses. There’s too much emphasis on individual cars. To not have a car in Rochester is to not be able to get to work or to do things with convenience. We do have some great groups in the city working on transit now.

Our downtown can also stand to be improved. I work as a bartender at the Hyatt, and there’s really not a lot downtown that’s walkable. There should be more shops, breweries, and restaurants right in the center of the city.

If Rochester was a person, who would it be?

Definitely Frederick Douglass. We have a lot of work to do. The North Star brought information to the city about changes and social injustices, and that’s a good analogy for what Rochester is. There are a lot of good things happening, but we can do more to push forward. We have a lot of hope and drive, and a lot of things on our list to work on.

What advice would you give to someone who's new to Rochester and looking to get to know the area?

Try out our local beer scene, for sure. Genesee Brew House is my favorite, it’s just great—between the local beers, great location, and Rochester history. Also, check out some local music at Flour City Station; it’s downtown and very walkable. Always dress for the cold.