East Rochester -- One Town Down!
I managed to complete one whole town of parks today, which is not an overly impressive accomplishment when I add that it was East Rochester, a town with only four parks.
Still, when I have more than 100 to get to this year, I’ll take three a day any day.
Concrest Park
Concrest Park is a small neighborhood green space on the west side of East Rochester, accessible from West Avenue on the south and W. Commercial Street on the north. It features a basketball court, pavilion, some picnic tables, and two small playgrounds. Its location and size tell me that the park is frequented mostly by nearby families.
There’s a small parking area on West Ave.
What is perhaps most interesting about this part of East Rochester is Concrest Park the neighborhood, which is adjacent to the green space. This is a very unusual, densely populated development, which was built between 1919 and 1925 to provide affordable housing for the working class.
Each of the 55 two-story, Dutch style houses was constructed using poured concrete because the material was cost-efficient and fireproof. They were designed to last 100 years. Walk through this very interesting neighborhood if you’re in town and you’ll see that they’re well on their way to lasting much longer than that.
The photos below show a wide shot of Concrest Park the park, then a few of the interesting historical neighborhood adjacent to the park.
Northside Park
Northside Park is another neighborhood green space designed to serve those living on the north end of the village. It’s accessible via entrances on Garfield to the south and Magnolia to the north. There’s only on-street parking.
The small park features a newly-mulched playground, an overgrown pick-up softball field, a small pavilion, a basketball court and a few benches.
Not much to see here. Great place for the local kids to blow off steam but not a destination for anyone else.
The photos below show the view of Northside park from Magnolia Street on the north and Garfield Street on the south.
Legion Eyer Park
Legion Eyer Park, on the very eastern edge of East Rochester, was the highlight of my day. I had a little difficulty finding it at first; the main entrance is off of Chestnut Street, and it’s easy to miss the small sign on South Lincoln indicating that turn. But when I did finally find the park and wind my way down to it, I was pleasantly surprised.
This is a big, beautiful park. It has a very nice large pavilion, a lodge, basketball courts, a small playground, and three baseball/softball fields. Plus there’s a lot of open space for just general enjoyment, although aside from the pavilion, I didn't notice any picnic tables. There was some sort of youth camp there when I visited, and I suspect on weekends the sports fields are very busy.
There are also public bathrooms on site, which were clean, but sported an aroma that I don't want to experience again.
I did more exploring in this park than I expected. I saw a few people fishing in what must have been a creek, so I wandered over and discovered Irondequoit Creek. Then I noticed a walking bridge and a steep path leading up to it. Then I discovered a biking/hiking trail that appears to run for a half mile along the railroad tracks between Wilson Ave. in East Rochester and Midvale Drive in Perinton. I didn't walk the trail, but I did enjoy the view from the foot bridge.
It’s a large park, but because Eyer Park is tucked back off the beaten path, it’s very comfortable, welcoming and peaceful.
The photos below: 1) what the Eyer Park directional sign looks like on S. Lincoln Rd. It's easy to miss. 2) A little history. I love reading the historical markers. 3) A wide-angle view of this very big park. 4) Irondequoit Creek flows by at the east edge of the park 5) A look down the creek towards the walking bridge and train bridge. 6) The view of the park from the foot bridge is beautiful.
