Living in Rochester

As the third largest city in New York, Rochester is big enough to offer an array of cultural, recreational and leisure activities, and intimate enough to live affordably and navigate easily. With a cost of living significantly below the national average and proximity to the state’s beautiful Finger Lakes region, many who come here to train decide to stay.

If you also want to make a difference by addressing impacts of structural racism, look no further.

As Rochester and other communities across the country grapple with racial justice issues, URMC views racism as a public health crisis. Medical residents and students are key contributors to the anti-racism action plan guiding our work to make everyone feel welcome and supported in a richly diverse, inclusive medical center community. We invite you to help research and address health disparities globally and in Rochester.

Where We're Located

Rochester is only a few hours away from other great cities. 

Meet Rochester 

Why do so many people love Rochester? We're home to a vibrant arts and cultural scene, gorgeous nature, excellent cuisine, festivals, and so much more. There's truly something for everyone in the Rochester metropolitan area and the surrounding Finger Lakes region.

This map is just a small selection of some of the many attractions and activities that make Rochester such an amazing place to live, work, and learn.
Select a pin on the map below to learn more about the location. To view a complete list of locations, click on the  icon. For a larger view of the map, click the  icon.

Art and Culture

Rochester's long list of museums, theaters, galleries and special events gives city dwellers year-round cultural experiences to enjoy. Here are a few favorites:

Food & Drink

Whether you’re in the mood for specific ethnic cuisine or a place to enjoy drinks with friends, Rochester’s dining scene has something for you. From Italian fare at Grappa in nearby College Town to house-brewed beers and small bites at Swiftwater Brewery Company down the road to Cajun classics downtown at French Quarter Cafe—the options are endless.

Rochester Food Scene

Outdoor Activities

Just steps away from campus you’ll find historic areas to explore, a diverse array of events and activities, and scenic gardens—as in Highland Park, home of Rochester’s famous Lilac Festival. In a short drive, you can be on the shore of Lake Ontario, touring one of many wineries or craft breweries, taking in a concert, meandering through a museum, gathering farm-fresh foods at the Public Market, bicycling along the Erie Canal or hiking in the “Grand Canyon of the East” – Letchworth State Park. Rochester truly has something for everyone, every season of the year.

Sports

Rochester is one of the Northeast’s premier golf destinations; golf.com has ranked Rochester as the #10 Best Golf City in the US, and #1 for Golf Affordability.

Rochester is also the home for many popular sports teams such as Red Wings baseball, Amerks hockey, and Rhinos soccer.

Housing Options

If you’re looking for a great place to live, learn, work and play, take a look at Rochester. As the third largest city in New York, Rochester is big enough to offer an array of cultural, recreational and leisure activities, and small enough to live affordably and navigate easily.

With a cost of living significantly below the national average and proximity to the state’s beautiful Finger Lakes region, many who come here to train decide to stay. In fact, U.S. News & World Report ranks us 14th in the nation for quality of life and the Demographia International Housing Affordability survey ranks Rochester 1st in affordable housing.

Residential Life & Housing Services

The Office for Residential Life maintains six apartment complexes that serve graduate students, medical students, and postgraduate trainees, including residents and fellows of the School of Medicine and Dentistry. In addition, the University maintains an Off-Campus Housing Database. It includes available properties, contact information for local real estate agents, and other pertinent information.

White Coat Neighborhood

The White Coat Neighborhood, so named because of its high concentration of physician and medical student residents, is a 20 square-block area south of Strong and west of Mount Hope Ave. (Note that some students also live directly on the other side of Mount Hope, where the housing is very similar to the WCN proper.) Within the White Coat is the SoLa neighborhood which is located South of Lattimore Road and features some of the most appealing student housing. Most of the housing in the White Coat Neighborhood consists of single-family homes that can be easily shared by 3-4 people.