Rochester

Rochester is somewhat of anomaly. A staunchly convervative stronghold in an otherwise thoroughly blue state, it certainly stand out in the region as well. The vast majority of resident work for either Mayo or IBM so there is a much higher precentage of college graduates here than in surrounding communities. It is no stretch to say, without either of these two companies, Rochester would not exist.

Simply put, Rochester is a great place to raise a family or retire to. It is however; not a great place to be in you are young and single. Unless your idea of fun is Monday night poker in a red-neck bar, you will probably have a hard time finding things to do here. While the scene (locals tell me) is markedly better than even five years ago, try finding a music venue that has Hip Hop acts. The same goes for hookah bars. With the abundance of Somali, college students and young professionals, some one could make a killing opening up a hookah bar here.

In Rochester, there is a certain level of comminity pride that does a create an inclusive environment. Because of the transplanted nature of most of the citizenry, it is one of the few places I have ever been where people will say hi to complete strangers. In three months, I already know political leaders, school officials and executive directors of non-profits. While the community is growing at an explosive place, people tend to share what I call a "positive small town attitude." By this, I mean that people get to know their neighbors, come to community projects outside their neighborhood and offer resources new to those in the community.

However, despite all this positivity, there is a negative side. Rochester, by national standards is very affluent for a city of nearly 100,000. Save the original development areas, the town is strictly suburban in nature. Despite this, pockets of poverty exist. If one goes South to Marion Road or near downtown to Kutzky Park, poverty is everywhere. Community members refuse to do anything about the problem, almost believing that it doesn't exist. These communities lack representative government and the access to resources afforded in nearly every other part of the city. It's time for people to look at the growth of Rochester, the good with the bad, a stop the growing poverty problem and disparity between the very rich and the very poor.