Rochester (population 210,565) is a city within the state of New York. It serves as the county seat for the County of Monroe. It is the 3rd most heavily populated city in the state after New York City and the city of Buffalo. Rochester is situated just south of Lake Ontario.
Rochester's Larger Metropolitan Area includes all of Monroe County and parts of Genesee County, Orleans County, Wayne County and Ontario County. According to the 2010 Census, the metro area has a population of roughly 1,054,300 people.
The city of Rochester has a variety of arts and cultural institutions. The city of Rochester places a high priority on the arts. The Arts & Cultural Council for Greater Rochester provides a lot of opportunities. Cultural institutions comprise the Memorial Art gallery, the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, the Rochester Museum & Science Center, the Strong Museum, the Strasenburg Planetarium, the Geva Theatre Center and the AV Room. Once known as The World's Image Centre, because of its role in the history of photography, Rochester is home to the George Eastman House International Museum of Photography and Film. Rochester's annual calendar consists of the Corn Hill Festival, the Park Avenue Merchants Festival and the Rochester Jazz Festival. Film festivals are held every year, most notably the High Falls Film Festival.
Rochester's colourful vernacular has extended beyond the city's border. The city inhabitants popularized the term "pop" that means soda drinks. Hot dogs are called "red hots".
Known as the Flour City, the city of Rochester has been more recently dubbed "the Flower City". The city attracts over 100,000 visitors from all around the globe who come to the annual Lilac Festival. Outdoor enthusiasts can hike around remarkable waterfalls and canyons at Letchworth State Park, south of Rochester. Many residents have cottages in the nearby Finger Lakes Region.
Eastman Kodak is among a few Fortune 1000 companies located within the city of Rochester. Kodak was at one time the areas largest employer. Bausch and Lomb is another one of the numerous national and regional companies situated in the city. The city of Rochester was the birthplace of Xerox during 1906, then called The Haloid Company. Xerox still has a presence within the city. Western Union was founded in the Rochester area, but has since moved.
Rochester is recognized as the world capital of imaging because of the concentration of optical science research and companies. The University of Rochester is home to The Institute of Optics. Rochester Institute of Technology within the nearby Henrietta also has an imaging program. Now, the University of Rochester is the largest employer in the Rochester region.