About Us

The Highland Park Neighborhood, from the roots of Ellwanger and Barry.

Among the patchwork of neighborhoods in Southeastern Rochester that give the area its distinctive and desirable character is the Highland Park Neighborhood. Formerly known as the Ellwanger & Barry Neighborhood, this stable and family-friendly area stretches from Highland Avenue north to Gregory Street between South Clinton and South Avenues.

This neighborhood is one of the most pleasant and livable in the city of Rochester. Named for the gem of Rochester’s parks, Highland Park, the area is home to over 2000 households and also includes Colgate Rochester Divinity School, St John’s Home, Highland Hospital. It is adjacent to the Highland Branch Library, the James P. Duffy #12 elementary school and the Rochester Childrens Network. The University of Rochester is within easy walking distance.
The Highland Park Neighborhood has deep historical roots. The original name of the neighborhood came from George Ellwanger and Patrick Barry who started their nursery business here in 1840. Their enterprise grew into the largest horticultural business of its kind in the world and played a significant role in Rochester’s claim to the title of ”The Flower City.”
The Ellwanger & Barry Nursery developed and shipped an enormous variety of nursery stock great distances. George Ellwanger later recalled that "all the original orchards in California were planted from our nurseries…”

As the business declined, they started diversifying their land holdings into real estate development starting in the 1870’s. This was the beginning of a large portion of the residential neighborhood.
In 1888, Ellwanger and Barry’s offer of a large tract of land to the City of Rochester was accepted and formed the core of Rochester’s first park. Designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and today a world class arboretum and home to the century-old Lilac Festival, Highland Park is also at the core of our neighborhoods' identity.< /p>

The Neighborhood has many examples of beautifully maintained late 19th and early 20th century homes retaining the details of an earlier era. Houses are of a scale and style which encourage single family ownership, with homes from 1000 to over 2500 sq ft. with most being in the middle of this range. Craftmanship is evident throughout all the homes here, from the simple styling of cottages originally home to nursery laborers, to larger more embellished tudor style homes.
The Classic American Foursquare is the dominant house style in the neighborhood. Many have chestnut, oak or gumwood interior details, as well as a signature front porch. These front porches, together with proximate sidewalks and a walking culture, create a delightful environment of neighbors on front porches chatting with neighbors walking by.

While Highland Park is a chief feature of the neighborhood, and is a frequent destination for many residents-- whether for a peaceful stroll, a challenging run, an outing on skis, or a photographic opportunity-- the area has much much more to offer.
Within easy walking distance are the historic Cinema Theatre, which has been showing movies for decades, a playground, an unusually large number of restaurants offering ethnic cuisine --Afghani, Indian, Chinese, Japanese, Southeast Asian, Cajun, Italian, German, Tex Mex, Ethiopian-- along with vegetarian or diner fare. There is an ice cream parlor, a candy shop, many taverns, and a number of intimate coffee spots.
Major bus lines run on the periphery of the neighborhood.

The real story of livng here, however, lies in its residents, singles, couples, young families, and empty nesters who work as artists, business people, craftsmen, educators, engineers, lawyers, nurses, physicians, researchers, scientists, service sector workers, writers, and many free spirits.
The people in this community tend to have a broad world view and a strong desire to be part of both this and the wider community, no matter their economic status.
Those who live here are proud to show visitors the panoramic views from the highest spots in the neighborhood, the beauties of Highland Park (particularly in the spring and fall), the Lamberton Conservatory year-round, the interesting and varied architecture, and ease of walking everywhere.

Come and spend some time in this very special part of Rochester!