UR, 19TH WARD IN TRANSITION

Justice Marbury and Christina Chkarboul

Rochester Democrat and Chronicle USA TODAY NETWORK

Old neighbors, new trends and rent hikes test community balance

If you are moving to Rochester, should you consider living in the 19th Ward? The neighborhood has changed in recent years.

What if you are a relocating college student? The campus of the University of Rochester is close by.

Recently, an incoming University of Rochester graduate student contacted us with questions about the 19th Ward.

James Momplaisir is relocating from Queens to Rochester to pursue an MBA at the university and was curious whether the 19th Ward would be a good place to call home. The neighborhood caught his attention for several reasons: affordable rent, proximity to campus, access to nightlife and the presence of a Haitian restaurant – a comforting nod to his Haitian roots.

However, Momplaisir had heard mixed reviews about the neighborhood from his peers and through Google and wanted to gain some firsthand insight.

“Two previous MBA students told me the 19th Ward is dangerous,” Momplaisir said. “I just wanted to see if the opinions of others were correct, you

know. You never know. You want to honor everybody’s experience, but I always like to double-check.”

A recent report by the Democrat and Chronicle showed that burglaries, larcenies and motor vehicle thefts were the most common crimes in the 19th Ward.

“Overall, I do feel safe. I don’t think my safety is in jeopardy,” said Christopher Rush, one 19th Ward resident.

“I will say a lot has changed over the years, and I can see why others do not feel safe. A better word I would use is ‘uncomfortable.’ Between the individuals with mental health challenges, the crowding at corner stores and the panhandling, you do deal with individuals that might not jeopardize your safety but are uncomfortable to interact with.”

The relationship between the 19th Ward and University of Rochester students has long been defined by the neighborhood’s proximity to campus – and the distinct challenges and dynamics that come with it.

Is the University of Rochester impacting 19th Ward housing market?

Since the University of Rochester began its community revitalization work in the late 1990s, the neighborhood has seen ascending property values and an increased focus on student housing and short-term rentals.

Of the roughly 12,000 students the University of Rochester enrolls annually, about 30% live off campus.

Some rent houses and apartments across the river on Genesee Street and South Plymouth Avenue, while about 670 upperclassmen stay in the university- owned Riverview Apartments and Brooks Crossing Apartments in the 19th Ward.

Though enrollment has plateaued since 2019, developers and landlords continue to see opportunities for student housing in the neighborhood. The University of Rochester faces a dilemma common among urban colleges across the country: whether to create new oncampus housing by building out or cap its housing capacity, leaving upperclassmen to apartment-hunt in surrounding areas.

Universities toe a fine line of gentrification in both scenarios, as student and developer presence tends to raise rents and property values.

What is off-campus housing like for the University of Rochester?

The university touts its “strong and close relationship” with the 19th Ward, meeting monthly to discuss community concerns and projects, a spokesperson wrote in an emailed statement to the Democrat and Chronicle.

Josie McClary, former president of the 19th Ward Community Association, said the neighborhood has welcomed students for as long as they’ve chosen to live across the footbridge.

Though she’s heard from some students who’ve hesitated to engage deeply with the university’s surrounding communities, McClary said that groups from the University of Rochester regularly come to the 19th Ward for tours and community engagement initiatives.

“[Students] communicate with the residents; there have been no real major issues, as far as noise or any type of security or police that needs to be called to the area because of partying,” McClary said.

However, housing concerns and a shortage of affordable units in the 19th Ward continue to impact local residents – a reality the university acknowledges.

“University leaders do understand some of the persistent challenges for community members who may find it difficult to find a reasonably priced rental, especially with the current state of low housing inventory in the Rochester market,” the spokesperson wrote, adding that a 15-month master planning process is underway for the University of Rochester to map “the future of its physical footprint” – which includes student housing.

Do rising prices in the 19th Ward threaten the neighborhood?

John Demott came to the 19th Ward as a Rochester Institute of Technology student in 1966. The neighborhood’s cultural and income diversity drew him to lay down roots, and he has lived there ever since.

Although he said the 19th Ward’s proximity to the University of Rochester has always “worked in our favor,” rising rents and property values might now threaten that inclusivity.

“At least up until the last year or two, they’ve been very affordable,” Demott said. “It was a neighborhood where people of all income levels could find a home … What makes our community is that broad range of housing stock, broad range of incomes.”

The median list price for a home in the 19th Ward now stands at $148,233 – an 8.3% rise over the past year. The median household income in the neighborhood is $43,791, which, according to Zillow’s estimates, supports a home purchase up to $137,272.

Housing dynamics in the 19th Ward are also influenced by University of Rochester employees and students buying homes in the neighborhood. Some students’ families see value in buying homes for the four to six years they’ll be studying and living in Rochester, McClary said.

Ryan Acuff, a tenant organizer and member of the City-Wide Rochester Tenant Union, said the neighborhood’s rental market is increasingly shifting to accommodate short-term visitors to the University of Rochester, like traveling nurses and conference attendees.

“This is happening all over the city, but 19th Ward is one of the key places,” Acuff said. “It takes long-term rentals off the market, so it continues to decrease the supply of long-term housing for the community. Investors are coming in and buying places, outbidding first-time homebuyers.”

Momplaisir has yet to decide if he’ll move into the 19th Ward. One of the main factors is the neighborhood’s proximity to grocery stores.

Although his future as a 19th Ward resident is still uncertain, Momplaisir expressed interest in the neighborhood’s offerings, including the Square Fair, the Westside Farmers Market, the Arnett Library Music Series and other events.

“Even if I don’t live in the 19th Ward, I can still cross the river and come to the events, of course.”

– As a Rochester native, Justice Marbury entered the world of journalism to create work where voices like hers were heard – the voices of minority communities. Marbury covers small businesses, neighborhood concerns, and the interesting people who live in Rochester’s19th Ward. As the 19th Ward reporter, she has helped implement community outreach ideas by asking what people in various communities want to read about themselves in addition to regular news. Contact her on Instagram @justice_marbury and by email at jmarbury@gannett. com.