Rochester (NY) Overview

Rochester is located in western upstate New York, on the southern shore of Lake Ontario. It belongs to Monroe County and is the seat of the county government. With a citizen population of 212,481 (2004), it is the third largest city in New York State. The population of the metropolitan area centered on it was 1,037,831 in 2000.

Economy:

In the early years, Rochester used abundant water power to drive waterwheels to grind flour, and was known as the "Flour City"; water power was also used to develop light industries such as manufacturing buttons. Deduction and so on. However, with the later rise of railway transportation, the advantage of convenient water transportation was no longer available. Coupled with the availability of other more efficient energy sources, the light industry that flourished in Rochester due to water power in the early years also declined. Today, in the High Fall area in the center of the city, there are still preserved waterwheels and relics of industrial production for tourists and people to recall those days.

In modern times, Rochester became the hub of the optical industry. George Eastman founded the Eastman Kodak Company here, a leader in traditional photography and film. Its global operations headquarters are located in the Kodak Building in the city. Quanlu Company, the founding pioneer of photocopying technology, also started in Rochester. Although it moved its operating headquarters after the 1990s, Rochester is still an important R&D center. Rochester is also the global headquarters and founding place of Bausch & Lomb, a multinational enterprise in optical instruments and contact lenses. Since the three major optical-related multinational companies are based in Rochester, Rochester has attracted many other small and medium-sized companies to engage in optical imaging and other related business activities, so it is known as the "World Imaging Center".

Rochester is also the founding place and headquarters of Wegmans, a well-known supermarket chain on the east coast of the United States.

Recently, as the optical industry has been challenged by electronic and digital technology, major companies in Rochester are undergoing restructuring and organizational transformation. Since 2005, Kodak has ceased to be the largest local employer and ranked second. Currently the largest employer in Rochester and the surrounding metropolitan area is the University of Rochester and its affiliated Strong Health System.

Education:

Rochester has several colleges and universities, the most famous of which are the University of Rochester and the Rochester Institute of Technology. Other colleges include Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School, Saint John Fisher College, Roberts Wesleyan College, Nazareth College, and Monroe Community College.

The University of Rochester is a private comprehensive research university. According to the comprehensive ranking of US News, it is among the top 40 in the United States. Its affiliated Eastman School of Music is the best music school in the United States. The college is famous for its emphasis on academics and performing arts; the Simon Graduate School of Business Administration is one of the top 30 business schools in the United States; the Laboratory for Laser Energetics has the world's most powerful laser; and the medical school also has Excellent reputation, especially in terms of clinical performance; the attached Strong Memorial Hospital is the largest medical center in Western New York. In addition, optics, economics, political science, psychology and other disciplines are also well-known strengths of the department. Rochester Institute of Technology is famous for its undergraduate education and specialized vocational training, and is very famous for optical photography and image processing. There is also the National Center for Higher Education for the Deaf, which is a higher education institution specifically for Americans with deaf-mute disabilities.

Rochester and its satellite towns also have several of the best rated high schools in the United States.