Your Unique Rochester Date Guide

When you’re in an established relationship, things can get dull. I know sometimes, when Joe and I get home from work, all we want to do is park ourselves in front of the TV and watch something horrible on Netflix. However, this is no way to go through life! The trick to our success has been keeping things new. We may not have the time and the means to go out like we used to (work, school, and being a responsible adult paying the rent will do that to you!), but every now and then we go on what our friend Marie once referred to as Cool Adventures with Jen and Joe.

Best picture ever!

The same thing—that sense of dullness—can happen with your love for your city, too. After a while, your familiar haunts feel too familiar, and you feel the spark has gone out of them. Everything is boring and bleak (and hey, the rain around here doesn’t help sometimes). However, the Rochester area has much to offer—as long as you’re looking in the right places and open to a bit of creativity.

So here is Jen and Joe’s Guide to Unique Dates in the Rochester Area!

Pretend to be Tourists

Go around and take pictures of all of Rochester’s landmarks—High Falls, Highland Park, the downtown skyline, Highland Diner, Mt. Hope Cemetery, the pier at Ontario Beach Park, the George Eastman House, the Blue Cross Arena, and others (try searching Roc Wiki). Bonus points if you dress up in Rochester T-shirts, sunglasses with a cord attached, fanny packs, or other equally silly apparel. (Not that I advocate wearing a fanny pack ever, but, you know, if that’s your thing, go for it.) If anything, maybe you’ll see a sight that you hadn’t even noticed before!

Random Restaurant via Yelp
Search Yelp for some place new to have lunch or dinner. If you’re feeling really adventurous, don’t read the reviews before you go there; just pick a random restaurant and head out. Who knows? You could have a horror story to tell your friends or you could find a new favorite! In fact, Yelp in general is a great way to find out about more of our local businesses. I’ve been addicted to it for a few months now, even though I’d seen it earlier than that. It definitely helps out the material for this blog (and hello iPhone app! How helpful if you’re on the go!). Happy hunting!

Sample Some International Cuisine

Rochester is host to so many diverse ethnic groups; in most cases, their foods have made it to our city as well! If you’ve never had Japanese food, why not give it a go? Maybe you’ve never tried Indian or Thai because you’re wary of spicy foods, but the good news is that most, if not all, places around here will cook dishes mild if you ask. Want to know what Ethiopian food is like? We’ve got it (and it’s good and vegetarian-friendly). We even have foods that are closer to home or from the Americas (Mexican, Caribbean, and Cajun, for instance). Many places in the area offer bits of ethnic cuisine, such as British, Polish, German, or Greek, interspersed with American fare. Throughout the year, the city hosts a variety of food-related festivals, so keep an eye out for those as well. As your mother may have said to you when you were young, “How do you know you don’t like it if you won’t try it?”

Take The McGregor’s Challenge

(This one involves drinking beer, so if you’re not interested in that, skip this one. Also, please bring a designated driver should you indulge.)

Joe and I completed this a couple of summers ago. McGregor’s is a local franchise of pub/restaurant, and their claim to fame is their wide selection of beers on tap. Their Rochester locations are in Canandaigua (near Canandaigua Lake), Penfield, Gates, and Henrietta (which, out of these four, has the most beers on tap). They used to have one in Perinton, near Lollypop Farm, but it recently closed. The chain did open one in Amherst, so if you’re willing to make the trip out that way, you can say you’ve done all five! The idea behind this is to go to all five McGregor’s (or four in Rochester) in one day and sample a different beer at each. Certainly, if you have a DD, you can choose your limit; I recommend spreading your trip out so you’re able to wait between visits.

Oh, and a word of advice: avoid ordering anything greasy at the bar. It might be tempting, but it doesn’t mix well with five-plus types of beer swishing around in your gut.

This activity would make an excellent group date! Have fun and be safe!

A Museum Weekend

Here in Rochester, we have no shortage of museums and similar attractions. For your inner inquisitive child, you can visit the Rochester Museum & Science Center, the Strong National Museum of Play, and the Strasenburgh Planetarium. If you’re more of an art lover, check out the Memorial Art Gallery, the George Eastman House, the Center at High Falls, and our personal favorite, Artisan Works. Nature enthusiasts can enjoy the Seneca Park Zoo, the Lamberton Conservatory in Highland Park, or the Wild Wings Sanctuary in Mendon Ponds Park for birds of prey. Finally, history buffs will no doubt like the Genesee Country Village & Museum in Mumford (a short trip west of the city) or the Susan B. Anthony House. All of these places encompass the Rochester area’s rich history, patronage of the arts, and commitment to education. Be sure to support their causes (and donate if you can!).

Scavenger Hunt

This one is a bit tricky, since I’m not really giving you anything definite here, but this gives you and your partner (or even your group of friends) a chance for two dates: one to brainstorm, and one to actually go on the hunt. You can do something themed or you can just look for things you’ve always wanted to find. Get a list of some thrift stores in the area, head to a busy section of the city, or even head to a nearby mall, if you’re not feeling up to driving much. Joe and I did one once. We found a talking Freddie Mercury doll, a Darkwing Duck t-shirt, a copy of the Satanic Bible, and “dirty” candy hearts, but unfortunately not much else. You don’t have to buy any of these things, by the way. Just snap a picture or take a video on your phone and keep going! The warmer (or less snowy/slushy) the weather, the better! It’s no fun to drive around when there’s bad traffic and piles of slush for your car to slide through.

Do Something Seasonal

It’s autumn! Go check out the amazing foliage in the area while you can! If that’s not your thing, there are plenty of hayrides, haunted houses, and other spooky places to go before Halloween arrives! The wine trail around Seneca Lake is especially amazing this time of year! In winter, head to Black Creek Park in Chili to sled or snowboard down the big hill there (or, if you prefer, head down to Bristol Mountain in Canandaigua for some skiing). Spring is a great time to check out the Lilac Festival and the blooms in and around Rochester. Summer, of course, is beach and/or pool time, and another great time of the year to explore the county’s parks and nature trails.

Have any other ideas? Want to tell us your Rochester dream date? Leave it in the comments!