Interview by Emily Hessney Lynch.

Published November 22, 2019.

Where are you from? How did you end up in Rochester?

I’m from Niagara County, and we moved around the county a lot when I was a kid. We ended up in Newfane, NY, in the middle of nowhere. I spent my middle and high school years feeling very lonely and hating it. I knew I didn’t want to stay in that area, even though many people stay there forever. That wasn’t me. I went to Geneseo for college and had a great experience there. A professor recommended me for a job in Rochester, which I ended up getting. I didn’t expect to love it here, but I did, and just kind of stayed.

I felt like I could be myself in Rochester. All the activity and accessibility was so different here than how I grew up, as a country girl. 10 years ago, my husband and I were house hunting, and our realtor brought us to Irondequoit. It was really close to the city, and this great little suburb where we could walk places, have kids and do fun stuff, and not be completely separated from the city.

What is your favorite part of living in Rochester?

I love that there’s a six degrees of separation vibe in Rochester. You can meet somebody and immediately find that you have like three people in common. It’s not in an everyone knows each other’s business way, it’s more of a they want to support you because you have a mutual friend way. I love the supportive vibe.

What's the most unique or interesting event you've attended in Rochester?

Halloween in my neighborhood is a big deal! The houses go all out, decorating their houses, staging one-act plays, and wearing costumes. Over 1,000 kids come from all over the place to trick or treat. It’s nothing official, but it’s a fun community event that we look forward toe very year.

I’m also starting to love St. Patrick’s Day in Rochester. My daughter takes Irish Step Dancing lessons and I’ve gotten to walk with her in the parade for the last couple years. You get to see the whole city come out in the dead of the winter, in the freezing cold, and have a great time. It makes me so happy to be part of it!

What are some of your favorite local nonprofits to support?

The Rochester Women’s Network is one I’ve really gotten involved with in the last couple years. It’s a professional organization to support women in Rochester. They have a lot of different networking events and professional development seminars. It helps me professionally and personally. I feel like the people have become my coworkers, and I can go to them for support.

DVC is another one. They started as the Drama Club at Wilson Magnet High School. It was founded by Mario Savastano, a teacher there, and my husband co-advised it for a couple years. They’d put on socially conscious, thought-provoking plays. The kids graduated and kept wanting to come back, so the group evolved and moved to MUCCC. They’ve moved on from high school drama club aspect and are now a theatre club. They blind cast, so any play they put on, any gender or race can end up in any role. If they need promotional photos for their shows, I often work with them to create that. It pushes me creatively and I get to have fun. Theatre and music for me in high school was a sanctuary, so I know how important it can be for the people involved in it.

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

I would start at the Eastman House; I really love the house itself. In Newfane we had a farm house built around the same time as Eastman House. I love seeing all the architecture, so I’d explore that for awhile. Then I’d go to Radio Social, get pizza, wine, and play SkeeBall for like an hour and a half. Then I would end at Irondequoit Beer Company, where my husband is the brewer. I’d have the Red Girl Rye (named after our daughter) and the kolaches--basically fancy pigs in a blanket with Swan Market sausage. His Polish roommate used to make them all the time, so we knew we had to have it on the menu at IBC.

What's your favorite neighborhood in the city? 

Definitely the South Wedge. It’s always had a special place in my heart because it was my first introduction to Rochester. As a Geneseo student, our PR class partnered with the South Wedge Business Association in 2003 to help them develop a PR plan. We took a field trip there and visited all the different restaurants. It was so cool to see the plan being implemented once I moved here, and seeing the Wedge grow and expand. I also love to photograph there; there are so many fun alleyways and walls.

What's one memory you have that captures what Rochester means to you? 

When Tap and Mallet opened, around 2007, my husband and a friend and I went on opening night. Craft beer was just starting to become a thing. Our friend went to order a mixed drink, and was told they didn’t serve liquor. He angrily said, “This place will never last!” My husband and I laughed. I think back on that a lot. There are always going to be people who say, “This new idea is crazy,” and others who think it’s really cool. In Rochester, you can find your people.

What makes Rochester unique? 

I really like that juxtaposition of city and country; I can appreciate both since I’ve lived in both. I love that within 10 minutes I can get to all the culture of Rochester, then I can go half an hour the other way and be in the middle of apple country and enjoy that rural feel. You don’t see that in a lot of places in the U.S., and we meld it very well here. 

What do you think could be improved? 

I wish people in the suburbs would be less afraid of the city. Living in Irondequoit, you hear “oh those city people, coming into our neighborhoods.” It’s thinly veiled racism. My husband is a city school teacher, and he tells people that he works on Genesee Street and their eyes get wide. “Oh, how’s that?” they say, and he responds, “It’s great, I have amazing kids.” They kids are dealing with different issues, but they’re still kids. I wish people would get outside their bubble a little. Venture outside Park Ave. We’ve all got things that we’re dealing with. 

If Rochester was a food, what would it be? 

It would be the All I Need pizza at Radio Social: thin crust pizza covered in cup and char pepperoni and sweet chili oil. It’s traditional comfort food with a modern kick to it.

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

Having moved around a lot, and restart in places, I’d say don’t just sit back and wait for people to come to you. Get out and join things. Go to a meetup, take a class, join a gym, go to the Brainery. Have a set place you're going to regularly where you can develop relationships with people. Don’t give up! Eventually you will find your people. It helps to find common interests.