Gardens & Gardening
Anyone walking in the Upper Monroe neighborhood is treated to a wide variety of gardens. Many consider Upper Monroe a "garden district" neighborhood.
There are many neighborhoods around Rochester with lovely gardens that might be considered "garden districts". Upper Monroe certainly considers itself one of those areas. Indeed, gardens (public as well as private), parks, wooded trails and even an old growth forest are all a part of the Upper Monroe neighborhood.
Community Gardens
The Upper Monroe Neighborhood Association works with private property owners and the City of Rochester to develop and care for a string of community gardens & planters along and proximate to Monroe Avenue. The gardens may be found at the corner of Monroe Avenue and Culver Road; along the parkway median on Werner Park (visible from Monroe Avenue); at the corner of Monroe Avenue and Belmont Street; at the corner of Monroe Avenue and Rosedale Street; at the corner of Monroe Avenue and Laburnam Crescent (as well as along Laburnam Crescent heading north); and at the intersection of Monroe Avenue and Engel Place and Field Street. UMNA's #ShareTheCare of Community Gardens page invites participation in the care of these community gardens.
Private Gardens
The Upper Monroe neighborhood has an abundance of private gardens visible from the public right-of-way (sidewalks & streets).
Wide Water Gardens: In recent years UMNA supported the creation of Wide Water Gardens, the cityβs largest community garden, located at Rosedale and Hinsdale Streets. Using a NeighborGood grant from the Rochester Area Foundation, the group designed and built some 28 garden beds in the growing season of 2010. Wide Water Gardens is named after a historic section of the Erie Canal, near Lake Riley on Culver Road, that was wide enough to allow boats to turn around. The creation of Wide Water Gardens was a joint project between the UMNA, Third Rochester Enterprises Corporation (TREC) and the City of Rochester. Its mission is to bring βa new urban agricultural, educational and recreational resource to the residents of the City of Rochester and surrounding communities.β
Please see our Parks & Hills page for information about other natural amenities found in the Upper Monroe neighborhood.
Check out our Points of Interest page to see cool stuff and plot out an interesting walk through the neighborhood.
Nearby
Although Highland Park is not located in Upper Monroe, it's lilacs and other plantings are within walking distance.
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