Do you live, work, and/or spend time on Thurston? We want to hear from you! Help Shape Thurston Road’s Identity The Thurston Road commercial corridor is an important part of the 19th Ward. As you may recall from the last survey, the District Manager and the 19th Ward Collaborative are in the midst of working with the community to define Thurston’s identity. The first survey helped lay the groundwork for additional community engagement (big thanks to the 200+ people who took the time to respond!) and now we want to hear from you again! As we continue to work through a corridor branding and placemaking process, we’re seeking your input on what the Thurston corridor should be called, how its identity reflects the neighborhood and businesses, and what it represents within the broader Rochester community. Your feedback will help shape a name and identity that feels authentic to the people who live, work, and spend time here. Why do we need to brand the Thurston corridor? A strong corridor brand helps communicate what makes a place unique, creating a shared identity that builds community pride, supports local businesses, and attracts visitors. It has the power to foster a stronger sense […]
Envision Thurston Road
Envision Thurston Road Envision Thurston Road aims to improve Thurston by bringing in more businesses and encouraging people who live in the 19th Ward to shop there. Envision Thurston Road is supported by the 19th Ward Collaborative, a group of nonprofits and community members working to improve the 19th Ward. The collaborative was formed through an agreement between the 19th Ward Community Association and ESL Federal Credit Union, bringing together key stakeholders and nonprofit organizations to address the challenges and opportunities facing the neighborhood. Its goals are to promote partnership, create financial wellness, increase homeownership, and improve the Thurston Road commercial corridor. Three years. One corridor. A stronger neighborhood. Envision Thurston Road is a three-year project focused on improving the Thurston Road commercial corridor. 2026 is centered on gathering information, building connections, and developing a strategy for improving the corridor. 2027 will be focused on testing ideas from that strategy, and 2028 will be about building the systems the neighborhood needs to continue the work into the future. The work is supported by project management from the PathStone Enterprise Center, consulting by CivicBrand and G. Kellogg & Co, and oversight by the Thurston Corridor Advisory Board. Take the Survey You can take the […]
19WCA Partners With ESL
19th Ward Neighborhood Association partners with ESL to form the 19th Ward Collaborative After an extensive investigation that included gathering neighborhood level data and holding community meetings to get resident input, the 19th Ward Neighborhood Association and ESL have partnered to create a collaborative made up of stakeholders and non-profit groups to work together on homeownership & housing conditions, financial wellbeing, and the Thurston business corridor. In addition to the 19th Ward and ESL, the collaborative is made up of 10 different non-profits who have housing and financial wellness programs. The collaborative’s goal is to work with residents to improve homeownership opportunities, housing conditions and financial wellbeing, strengthening households and the neighborhood at the same time. As part of this collaborative effort, The Enterprise Center at PathStone has hired a district manager to work with businesses, commercial property owners, other stakeholders, and the 19th Ward neighborhood to improve the Thurston business corridor. The collaborative and Thurston district manager will be providing regular posts to this webpage to inform the neighborhood about upcoming outreach efforts and other activities being planned. Check in regularly for these updates and to lean more!
November 2025 – Update 19
Convention is November 21! Don’t forget to vote November 4! ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ ͏ […]
19th Ward Community Cats now has their own website!
Visit our dedicate website at: www.19thwardcommunitycats.com You can donate to us directly by clicking here.
Update 19 – December 2024
President’s Message I hope you all had a happy Thanksgiving and are looking forward to the coming holiday season. Roc the Day (also known as Giving Tuesday) is coming soon on December 3, 2024! Please mark your calendar for this important day of giving! Thank you to all who attended our Annual Convention on November 22nd. On January 1, 2025 please welcome the new Executive Committee: Jesse Knoth (President), Lauren Caruso (Vice President) and Emma Kribs (Secretary). Sandra Powell will be participating as an At-Large delegate on the Executive Committee. More details from the Annual Convention and the new leadership of the 19WCA will be in the January 2025 Update 19. Following is an excerpt of my “exit speech”: Greetings and Good Evening All As I stand here before you all, I can’t help but to marvel at how far we’ve come. When I began my term, we faced challenges: we no longer had a brick and mortar, our membership was dwindling, our finances were tight and our community impact was limited. Many were concerned about our viability and visibility of the association. Yes these are concerns not only for the 19th WCA but for businesses and organizations across the […]
Update 19 – November 2024
President’s Message I hope you all are enjoying this season of thanksgiving! We are looking forward to our Annual Convention scheduled for November 22nd from 6-8pm in School #16, 321 Post Ave. If you or someone you know is interested in becoming the next President, Vice President (1 and 2), Treasurer, as well as Secretary to Executive Committee, please reach out to me at president@19wca.org. Please remember if you have a dues paying membership, you must be current with your dues in order to vote during the Convention. We look forward to seeing you on the 22nd! Roc the Day (also known as Giving Tuesday) is coming soon on December 3, 2024! Please mark your calendar for this important day of giving! Thank you for your continued support of the 19th Ward Community Association! Have a wonderful Thanksgiving! Be Safe. Stay Healthy. Be Kind. Josie McClary President, 19th Ward Community Association Around the Neighborhood Street Managers Arnett Branch Library You can vote for the best library under the shopping and services heading of City Magazine’s 2024 Best of Rochester contest! https://2024-best-of-rochester-final-ballot–city_magazine.contest.vote/ Neighborhood loss One of our neighbors, Vivian, who lives on Aberdeen St. is mourning the loss of her dog Milo […]
Update 19 – October 2024
President’s Message We are in the midst of our Fall season and I have to say I’m enjoying walking King in the lingering summer days or crisp fall air. I hope you all are also enjoying the change in season! We are planning for our Annual Convention scheduled for November 22nd at 7pm in School #16, 321 Post Ave. If you or someone you know is interested in becoming the next President, Vice President (1 and 2), as well as Secretary to Executive Committee, please reach out to me at president@19wca.org. St. Mary’s, 89 Genesee St., is accepting prescription transfers for anyone affected by the Walgreens closing at Bulls Head. The facility is called St. Mary’s Apothecary and is just off the main lobby at 89 Genesee Street, open Mon – Fri, 9-5. Also, a new Brooks Landing Pharmacy has opened at 910 Genesee Street! The newly renovated pharmacy will provide residents increased access to essential pharmacy services in a convenient location. Officials of the University and the City said the new location will provide an oasis in the pharmacy desert created by the closure of a commercial pharmacy at 670 Thurston Road in 2022, and announced plans to close another at 814 […]
July/August 2024
President’s Message I hope you all are taking time to relax and enjoy the summer days we’ve been having. Our delegates are taking a break from monthly meetings in July and August, and will reconvene in September. Speaking of meetings! Past President of 19WCA Dr. Ruth H. Scott is hosting a book signing at Barnes and Noble, Monroe Ave., Pittsford on Saturday July 20th from 11-1pm. Her book “Raising Confident Children” is designed for any parent seeking to foster their child’s self-esteem and to set them up for lifelong success. The 19th Ward Cub Pack 1965 is hosting a Play Day at Aberdeen Square next Saturday (7/27) 10-2pm (flyer enclosed). Come out and share in the fun! Rochester City Council is offering a Good Cause Eviction Hearing at Aenon Baptist Church (175 Genesee St.) on July 29th, 6-8pm. It will be hosted by City Council Vice President LaShay Harris for the South District. No registration is required to attend. Please see our Civics Corner in this newsletter for more information. We will soon begin planning for our Annual Convention – if you are interested in volunteering please reach out to our office manager at 19thward@19wca.org. The Westside Farmer’s Market is […]