Education

Beyond Lemonade Stands

Rochester Youth Are Learning the Business of Entrepreneurship Article by Marie Gillette | Photography by Submitted A lemonade stand, often a first taste of entrepreneurship, is simple, hands-on, and full of early lessons in pricing, customers, and profit. Across the Rochester area, youth explore business ownership on a much larger scale through programs that teach leadership, financial literacy, product development, marketing, and real-world business skills. For more than two decades, Young...

Life + Culture

Screens, Smartphones, Parenting

Balancing Safety, Connection, and Screen Time Article by Colleen Farrell Raising kids has never come with an instruction manual, but for today's parents, the challenge comes with an added twist: navigating a world of smartphones, social media, and screens that didn't exist when they themselves were growing up. For local families like the Arnolds of Irondequoit and the Kowalskis of Hamlin, that means constantly weighing safety and convenience against worries about what their kids are really...

Arts + Culture

A Perfect Picture Dog

Jen Semmler Captures Dogs at Their Most Joyful—and Most Themselves Article by Katrina M. Randall | Photography by Jen Semmler Step into Jen Semmler’s photography studio and you might be greeted by a curious chorus of squawks and squeaks. Over the course of the three years she’s focused solely on dogs, a methodology has formed that she’s dubbed “tricks and treats.” Those squeakers and squawkers allow her to get her subject’s attention so she can get the picture she wants. “It’s all done very...

Health + Wellness

Doing Good Quietly

10 Lesser-Known Nonprofits Making a Real Difference for Kids and Animals in Our Region Article by Katrina M. Randall Each month, the team at ROC City Lifestyle strives to highlight a lesser-known nonprofit in our region. Rochester and the Finger Lakes are home to so many organizations working to make our communities better, more equitable places to live, learn, and grow. There were so many, in fact, that for our August issue, themed Kids & Pets, it was hard to pick just one. The stories...

Life + Culture

Pets Who Become Best Pals

Building Strong Bonds With Your Animal Companion Article by Sarah Keeler Long before pets slept on our couches or appeared on our holiday greeting cards, humans were forming close bonds with animals that provided both protection and companionship. People and animals can often form bonds that feel as strong as the bonds between fellow humans—the dog who waits at the door for their caretaker after a long day, the cat who treats its owner’s head like a lounge chair, or the rabbit that hops out of...

Sports + Recreation

Meet the Guides Behind Rochester's Great Outdoors

Rochester's Outdoor Guides Aren't Just Leading Adventures. They're Building a Culture. Article by Marie Gillette | Photography by Submitted The Rochester and Finger Lakes region has quietly become one of New York’s most diverse outdoor recreation corridors, where Great Lakes salmon runs, glacial Finger Lakes, river systems, and canal trails intersect. What makes the region especially dynamic is not just geography, but a network of living, working outdoor professionals who are actively shaping...

Health + Wellness

Fitness, Nutrition, Medicine

Exploring Wellness As We Age Article by Marie Gillette | Photography by Submitted The idea of “healthy aging” has evolved far beyond simply adding years to life. Increasingly, researchers, physicians, fitness professionals, and nutrition experts focus on “healthspan,” the number of years people remain active, independent, and healthy as they age. Interest in longevity has grown alongside global fascination with “blue zones,” regions where statistically high numbers of people live into their...

Arts + Culture

Walls That Remember

Mural Mania's Living History Trail Article by Katrina M. Randall | Photography by Paul Lossowski; Submitted Two centuries of history was unveiled this past spring in vivid color across Marion Elementary School, depicting the scenes, buildings, and people that shaped the town. The effort, led by Lyons-based Mural Mania, is one of the latest historical murals appearing around Wayne County and Rochester-area communities, each one telling the stories of the towns that make up our region.  Since...

Life + Culture

From Austin, With Love, Rochester

One Move, Two Families, and a Rochester Love Story Article by Katrina M. Randall | Photography by Paul Lossowski; Submitted Rochesterians complain about winter. We complain about the cold, the snow, the bad roads, the sleet, the slush, the ice, and the gray, seemingly endless days. So you wouldn't expect four transplants from Austin, Texas, to survive this past season’s frigid Rochester winter and come away agreeing: Rochester in winter is like living inside a snowglobe. “Christmas just feels...

Arts + Culture

Cross the Bridge

Theater, Wine, and Everything in Between Article by Scott Gudell | Photography by Submitted When it comes to a day trip or a mini getaway excursion, people in Western New York have numerous choices if they want to combine theater with discovering wine, cider, food, and fun. There’s a nearby option that should be added to your list: Head west to the Niagara Region of Canada. Cross the bridge of your choice, either the Peace Bridge or the Lewiston-Queenston Bridge, and you’re just about there. ...