Maplewood

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The neighborhood was developed between 1870 and the 1930s. Grand estates sat on large lots, many with views of the Genesee River and gorge. The mansions and fine houses were home to many local business leaders. Lake Avenue was the west side of the city’s answer to East Avenue and until the 20th century, was very much in the character of East Avenue. Extension of the electric streetcar line to Charlotte in 1889 and the opening of Kodak Park — now Eastman Business Park —drove residential development in Maplewood between 1900 and 1920. At the same time, there was a strong industrial presence in Maplewood, mostly in the form of breweries and manufacturers that harnessed the power of the nearby waterfalls.

The Rochester Driving Park, a race course for trotters, opened in 1874 on 70 acres north and west of present-day Dewey Avenue along Driving Park Avenue. Thousands traveled from all over Upstate New York to fill the grandstands between 1874 and 1895. The Driving Park Bridge, built in 1893, also contributed to the neighborhood’s growth. Before, those who wanted to cross the Genesee River were limited to crossing at Charlotte or Downtown.

The Maplewood neighborhood may have stayed only a park had the city agreed with landscape architect Frederick Law Olmstead’s original plan - a linear park along the Genesee River gorge that joined Seneca Park with Maplewood Park. Olmsted considered the gorge a center piece for the park, and tried to make the area look appear as it did pre-settlement. Instead, between 1870 and the 1930s, grand estates on large lots and architecturally distinctive homes were built on its shady tree-lined streets.

A large portion of the neighborhood is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Several of the streets were designed by Olmstead, including Seneca Parkway, which includes a central street mall almost one-mile long. These elegant boulevards were laid out to lead into newly-designed parks according to a master plan by Olmstead and Company. With the growth of Eastman Kodak and the development of Kodak Park, the area became the home of many of the company's officers and upper-level managerial staff. Maplewood's houses reflect its history with examples spanning the period from the 1850s to the present. Most were constructed during the thirty year period between 1890 and 1920 and represent a broad range of architectural styles.

Maplewood Park is home to a rose garden that attracts thousands during the annual Maplewood Rose Weekend. First planted in the 1920s, some 3,000 rose bushes with over 250 varieties are planted there. The Park also includes the path to the Genesee Railway Trail and an especially scenic view of two of the river’s waterfalls with the gorge. The Lower Falls are accessible from several points in the neighborhood.

Maplewood recreation assets also include the architect Claude Bragdon-designed YMCA, at 25 Driving Park Avenue, built in 1916. It recently underwent a multi-million dollar expansion and renovation. Residents are looking for ways to bring new businesses into the area to make the neighborhood, specifically Dewey Boulevard, more inviting.