The next High Falls/Corn Hill/Southwedge etc.

The new urbanization trend is alive and well in Rochester. Downtown has a residential vacancy rate below 4%; there simply is not enough housing downtown to meet demand. As up and coming neighborhoods like the Southwedge mature, urban pioneers will be looking for the next edgy neighborhood to inhabit. Here are two areas bordering downtown that have the gritty urban feel and majestic warehouses that invite the new class of urban dwellers. All they need is a little love and a lot of investment and they could become the next trendy neighborhoods. 

THE CANAL DISTRICT

Situated between the Cascade District of downtown and the historic Susan B. Anthony neighborhood, the Canal District was once an industrial area. Today its warehouses appear abandoned but some operations like Volunteers of America and Neal Barret Woodworking have moved in. Converting these warehouses into lofts, new construction to fill vacant lots, and new streets could really transform this sleeping giant next to downtown:

Canal District Today

Future Canal District. Light blue areas are for new construction, dark blue are existing buildings.

THE BOTTLE DISTRICT

This area sandwiched between the Genesee Brewery and the Coca-Cola bottling plant is a much less stable part of town than the Canal District, but its marketing potential is far more interesting. There are many great warehouses along St. Paul St that are begging for residential conversion. The proximity to the falls is a significant asset for the area. The brewery has tours but I dont think the Coke plant does; if it did that would make two big draws to the area. Add some microbreweries, pubs, and an olde tyme soda parlor and you've turned the neighborhood into a real destination. 

Bottle District Today

Future Bottle District. Light blue areas are for new construction, dark blue are existing buildings.