About Us

The Upper Monroe Neighborhood Association (UMNA) is a not-for-profit advocacy group representing the 3,300 residents and property owners in the Upper Monroe Neighborhood.

Mission Statement

The Upper Monroe Neighborhood Association (UMNA) is a not-for-profit advocacy group representing the 3,300 residents and property owners in the Upper Monroe Neighborhood.

Our goals are to:

Ascertain the needs and concerns of the neighborhood
Provide a forum that focuses on those needs and concerns
Serve as a vehicle to take positive action to address those needs and concerns

Where Do You Want to Live?

Many of us live here because we choose to live here; others for one reason or another ended up here, but one thing is true for us all: Our neighborhood is what we make it. Each of us is responsible is some small way for the quality of life that all of us experience. So often we see trash left by someone else and we assume it is not our responsibility to take care of it. While this may be true, it doesn’t actually make sense to continually assume that others will take care of their own responsibility. Things can happen inadvertently, in which case the responsible party isn’t even aware of it. In any case, our entire neighborhood suffers when unsightly trash is left, so we are punishing ourselves when we leave trash strewn about, even when we did not put it there. UMNA has held an annual spring cleanup (more fun than you would think) for many years, but remember that keeping our neighborhood clean is a yearlong endeavor that is in everyone’s best interest.

History
In 1840, C.F. Crosman founded the Crosman Seed House at 901 Monroe Avenue. By 1890, it was one of the largest seed houses in the world, encompassing over 1,200 acres. Until it was sold in 1925, the Crosman Seed Company defined the Upper Monroe Neighborhood. Its legacy lives on today in the pride that Upper Monroe homeowners take in their yards and gardens, and the affinity that residents feel toward their parks and open spaces.

Location
Upper Monroe is located less than 1.5 miles from downtown Rochester, a 3-minute car ride or short bus ride along the popular #7 line. Upper Monroe encompasses 17 streets that intersect Monroe Avenue between I-490 and Culver Road. Residents can walk to:

Popular East End, Corn Hill, and Park Avenue Festivals
Geva Theatre and the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra
Public Library, YMCA, and many other neighborhood-friendly businesses located on eclectic Monroe Avenue
Cultural institutions along East Avenue and Park Avenue

Community
Upper Monroe's greatest asset is its sense of community. Residents enjoy the "connectivity" that city living offers, holding block parties and "meet your neighbor" nights. They enjoy the neighborhood's special character, which defines all that is best about city living.

The neighborhood is comprised of 1,400 households with approximately 3,300 residents. It is a diverse neighborhood of owners, renters, old-timers, just-in-towners, restaurants, and faith institutions.

Architecture
Upper Monroe residents take pride in the architecture of their houses, mostly built in the 1910s and 1920s. The neighborhood boasts a variety of architectural styles, including Colonial Revival and American Foursquare. A Claude Bragdon home is one of the special finds in Upper Monroe.

Parks
Cobbs Hill Park, with its beautiful reservoir, tennis courts, and athletic fields, forms the southeastern boundary of the neighborhood. Almost everyone takes advantage of the reservoir for walking, jogging, roller-blading, or just gazing at the spectacular view of the skyline.

Highland Park, designed by world-renowned landscape architect, Frederick Law Olmsted, and world famous for its Lilac Festival, is also within walking distance. The Lamberton Conservatory and the Highland Bowl offer opportunities to partake in a variety of horticultural and musical events.

Pinnacle Hill, part of the "emerald necklace" of parks ringing the area, is full of wildlife not often found in an urban setting. Pinnacle Hill has long added a unique signature to the Upper Monroe neighborhood. Rising majestically out of the surrounding plain, the 748-foot summit is the highest point in the city. On a clear day one can see both the Finger Lakes and Lake Ontario.