As Nathaniel Rochester, William Fitzhugh, and Charles Carroll began developing the 100 acre tract, and the Brown brothers (Francis and Matthew) were building the raceway along the river, they could not have foreseen the economic centre of Rochester that their settlements would become. Fast forward to the 1950s, and the divisive construction of the Inner Loop solidified the creation of a central neighborhood, more dense in residents and economic activity than any other area in Rochester, and more historic as well.

The three founders of Rochesterville, along with the Brown Brothers, combined their plots and created a community that outpaced all others in the area, setting the foundation for commerce and societal activity that centralized the area as the true centre of the city: The Central Business District.

Featuring more pockets than any other neighborhood in the city, The CBD, or Center City, has some of the oldest sections still remaining, along with some of the most diverse. Hidden gems like Grove Place, entertainment districts like the East End, once great economic centers like the Cascade District, Four Corners, and Midtown, and truly historic relics like Washington Square, all reside in Center City.

To commemorate this unique neighborhood, the asphalt of the shirt colour represents the many streets and lots the are required for such traffic and activity, the sky blue accent color celebrates the open sky, viewable from almost any point in the CBD. And the featured graphic is one of our most unique gems on the crown of our city skyline: The Times Square Building. Born on the blackest of tuesdays as the Genesee Valley Trust Building, it’s Wings Of Progress metal sculpture atop its crown makes for one special silhouette.

Rochester's long stretching network of trolley routes serviced the far reaches of the city; The 800 line of Parsells and Genesee started in the southern tip of 19th Ward near Genesee Valley Park, and traveled east through Center City, ending in the neighborhood of Beechwood.