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Fresh mountain air eases through the windows, ushering in the kind of calm that makes for a perfect nap. But I only close my eyes for five minutes before a beckoning in the distance shatters my peace. The shouting gets closer: “AUNTIE TAY!” I giggle as my five-year-old niece, Mae Mae, sprints toward my bedroom, repeating my name the whole…
1.01.2026
If you’ve spent a winter in Rochester, you know the struggle. The gray skies linger, the wind bites, and sunlight becomes a rumor. By February, even the hardiest locals start daydreaming about someplace warm, vibrant, and lively. Luckily, such a destination now exists right in the city—and you don’t even have to pack any bags. Easy Sailor, a tiki-inspired bar…
1.01.2026
(585) photographers Michael Hanlon, Renée Veniskey, and Tomas Flint Who doesn’t love a good stiff drink on a snowy January evening? The photographers at (585) sure do. Each was asked to pick his or her favorite cocktail in the Rochester area—their go-to, ride or die. . . their hygge drink of choice. Of course, it’s hard to pick just one…
1.01.2026
Trudging through the snow during a Western New York winter is better when your destination is fireside. An old-fashioned bonfire can feed your soul when you’re longing for sunshine and warmer weather, and outdoor relaxation can help break up the monotonous feeling of cold, dark, and wet days as exposure to daylight and sunshine is reduced mid-winter in the (585).…
1.01.2026
There’s a raw honesty to a farm-to-table restaurant in January.  For nearly two decades, chef Art Rogers has transformed the bounty of our region into something extraordinary. His restaurant Lento, tucked in the Village Gate Square, has become the unofficial embassy of the Finger Lakes agricultural scene. The menu reads like a roll call of farming’s local celebrities—duck from the…
1.01.2026
Dr. Keisha N. Blain is an acclaimed historian, Brown University professor, and best-selling author. Her new book, Without Fear: Black Women and the Making of Human Rights, tells the stories of Black women who were at the forefront of movements for social change, including several whose place in history is being unveiled for the very first time. Fannie Barrier Williams,…
1.01.2026
My husband, Mike, and I moved into the historic DeLand House in the village of Fairport in October 2018. The home we left behind, a perfectly nice 1970s colonial in Perinton, had all the basics most people look for: central air, reliable electricity, and decent plumbing. Our “new” house, built in 1856, greeted us with quite the opposite: knob-and-tube wiring…
1.01.2026
Volcanic soil is rich in minerals that can nurture plants. For one innovative and dedicated husband-and-wife team, that fertile soil can also be turned into handmade pigments, and those pigments can be turned into stunning works of art. Hayley Dayis and Alexander Fals of Foraged Pigment Art occupy a unique place in the contemporary art scene. The couple splits their…
1.01.2026
Lift Bridge Yarns is more than just a yarn store. It is a hub for the fiber arts community to gather, a rare third space where people come to connect, converse, and create. Lift Bridge began just four months before the pandemic hit, founded by two friends, Dawn Verdugo and Jessie McNaughton. The store sits along the Erie Canal in…
1.01.2026
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Mixing it up

It’s undeniable that music influences bar, nightclub, and restaurant operations. The volume, tempo, tone, lyrics, and specific artist each affect the guests and impact the experience. Humans are hardwired to respond physiologically and psychologically to music. A bar or nightclub operator’s sales can increase or decrease based on the BPM of the music. This raises …

Pay attention to Boy Jr.; photos by David Turner

Rochester recording artist Boy Jr. (aka Erica Lubman) is a singer-songwriter who doesn’t quite fit into one genre. Is she grunge pop, heavy pop, alternative? Maybe she is all of the above and more. One thing is for certain though, she is wildly and excitingly eclectic. Lubman released her second album, Pay Attention To Meeee, …

Going once, going twice, SOLD!

Hearing the words “auction house” might spark the image of a jam-packed room with a fast-talking auctioneer calling out bids from potential buyers who want one particular item that’s going, going, going . . . gone. While this nostalgic atmosphere is full of excitement, it’s not the most efficient commerce system in modern society. Cottone …

A dream they dreamed

One night seventeen-year-old Lonnie Frazier was offered a ride home from a party in rural Maryland by some guys from school she thought were friends. Instead of taking her home, they drove her out to a field and raped her. When she tried to tell others what happened, few believed her. “If you played sports …

Union Tavern: A great haunt, in more ways than one

On any given evening you can find a real mix of clientele at the Union Tavern. There are young people who have just recently moved to the Sea Breeze neighborhood, older people who have lived in the area all their lives, and—if you believe it—maybe a few spirits of the past who have never left. …

Built for the dead; designed for the living

In the spring of 2020, I was teetering on the edge of a complete breakdown. Who among us can say we were doing great at this time in the pandemic? I started hiking around Mount Hope Cemetery every day after work, at first to just get my body moving to quell difficult thoughts and feelings. …

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