Published June 3, 2018.

Our neighbor, let’s call him James, has made his home in North Winton Village for many years, long enough to see his children and his grandchildren be born, mature, and move on, and his great-grandchild move in. There are many people like James here who continue to define the community, and through their stories we’ve learned how the neighborhood has grown and changed — from farmland on the outskirts of Rochester in the 1900s to the booming neighborhood for young people and families it is today.

That dichotomy of what once was and what’s to come is evident everywhere you look in North Winton Village. The Winfield Grill, center of neighborhood social life, has stood at the corner of N. Winton and Mayfield St. since the 1930s. Across the way, The Wintonaire was reopened a few years ago under the bar and grill’s original name — with “aire” promoting the fact it had air conditioning, a novelty when it first opened in the ‘50s.

Next door to the Winfield, the new Silver Iguana has introduced California style Mexican food and drink to the neighborhood, serving the young generations who have steadily moved into the city, many of them sharing a curiosity and desire for urban village life. While right around the corner the legendary Captain Jim’s Fish Market has been slinging Friday fish fries for decades.

Traveling south on Winton you’ll find another cultural anchor for the neighborhood: Mayer Paint and Hardware. You’d be hard-pressed to find one home in North Winton Village that hasn’t benefited from the friendly, knowledgeable folks at Mayer’s. It’s the kind of hardware store where you walk in for a gallon of paint and you leave with the paint, a bag of popcorn, and a new best friend in the store’s “part-time employee,” Winton the dog.

Joining Mayer’s at N. Winton and Blossom Rd. in recent years are Fahsye, a one-of-a-kind boutique featuring fashion accessories from Thailand as well as Rochester-themed items, Khong Thai, a delicious new restaurant that’s been packed since the day they opened, Winton Village Spirits, and the Blossom Road Pub, a neighborhood spot that’s found a happy home here along with mainstays Johnny’s, Jack Ryan’s, Carroll’s, Colter’s, and popular newcomers like Mayfield’s and Tryon City Tavern.

Speaking of Johnny’s, the area around Culver Rd. and Merchants Rd. is full of Rochester favorites you may have heard of, like Merchants Grill, Morningstar Greek American Restaurant, and the home of the man “famous in his own mind,” James Brown’s Place.

Not in the mood for chorizo and home fries? Another popular breakfast and lunch spot in the neighborhood is Balsam Bagels, consistently named the top bagels in City Newspaper’s Best of Rochester poll.

And when it comes to pizza, one name you may have heard of (yelled from the TV) got its start 40 years ago on East Main St. Today, Salvatore’s original location is one of several pizzerias in the neighborhood: from Bay and Goodman to Captain Tony’s, Merchant’s Wood Fired Grill, Nino’s, and Rhino’s.

If you’re looking for relaxation, a landmark greenhouse down the road from Salvatores has been transformed into the Coffee Connection’s Greenhouse Cafe, an ideal place to kick back with a cup of coffee and catch an acoustic performance, all while supporting women in recovery.

Similar transformations have taken place all over the neighborhood, reimagining thriving industrial spaces that had fallen into disrepair. Artisan Works took an empty warehouse and manufacturing facility and turned it into a quirky wonderland, an art museum for those more in love with art than with museums, packed to the rafters with surprises.

Around the corner, the Stromberg-Carlson factory, which was once known worldwide for its radios, telephones, and televisions — Dr. Seuss illustrated ads for them — has seen a sudden resurgence. It started with Carlson Cowork providing a creative environment for entrepreneurs, and it was soon joined by several other businesses, dance schools, and more than a few famous comedians performing at the new top-tier Comedy @ The Carlson club.

And wait, there’s also a bowling alley!

Not exciting enough? What if I said there are two bowling alleys in North Winton Village? Okay, what if one of them was an old-fashioned two-story alley with great beer and wings and the other was a hipster’s dream clubhouse with giant Jenga, excellent cocktails, and a gourmet Israeli/Mediterranean restaurant? Between L&M Lanes and Radio Social, North Winton Village has just about everyone’s ideal night of bowling, dining, and drinking covered.

It’s options like these that have drawn many of us to the neighborhood. There’s always something new to try, either right here or a just short bike, bus, or car ride away. But there’s history here too. We’re not the first nor the last to make this area our own, and the diversity of our neighbors, from old-timers like James to his great-grandson and the 20- and 30-somethings buying their first homes here ensures that every era of the neighborhood continues to live on. It’s the difference between a place and a community, and that’s what makes North Winton Village more than just a destination. It’s home.

Brian Halligan is a marketer and freelance writer who moved to Rochester after college and has come to love his adopted hometown. Can you tell? He volunteers on the North Winton Village Association Board and moonlights as your friendly neighborhood Twitter man, @northwinton.