ROCHESTER — Rochester's Lowertown is home to more than 100 businesses. But why has this area become a beacon for so many locally owned and operated businesses? The neighborhood — covering the area north of Rochester’s downtown from the train tracks near Civic Center Drive to the Silver Lake Bridge — has seen growth commercially and residentially over the last decade, including the addition of more than 20 businesses and apartment complexes since 2017. ADVERTISEMENT Ben Zastrow, president of the Lowertown Neighborhood Association, says the success is due to combined efforts from residents, business owners and the city.
“I really love the classic American neighborhood feel which we have,” Zastrow said. “We have a mixture of housing and businesses, a mixture of old and new. There's always something to do.
We have beautiful trees all throughout the neighborhood to go look at, so when you're on a walk, it really just feels like it's the place to be. It really just feels like a place that I want to call home.” After moving to the Lowertown area about four years ago, Zastrow said it was important for him to be involved in his community.
He wanted to make sure this was a neighborhood in which he could see a future for himself and his family. The neighborhood also has rich history for residents to appreciate. “When we are thinking about the neighborhood, we're not just thinking about us right here and right now.
We're thinking about today, but also tomorrow for the n.
