After the opening of the Erie Canal, which flowed through downtown Rochester until the early 20th century, the area boomed as a result of the city's flour industry.

By 1834, some 20 flour mills were producing 500,000 barrels annually, the population reached 13,500 and the city area expanded to 4,000 acres (16 km2).

Following the Civil War, many post-war industrial companies were founded in Rochester, including Kodak, Bausch & Lomb, Western Union, and Gleason Works.

Street cars operated throughout the area and a subway was opened in 1927 on the old Erie Canal bed that ran through downtown.

[6] Downtown Rochester is showcased by several skyscrapers including the 450 ft (140 m) Xerox Tower, creating an urban setting.

A $200 million renovation of the massive Sibley Building is ongoing,[7] turning what has recently served mainly as office space into a mixed-use (stores and apartments) development.

The downtown area is also home to many shops, bars, restaurants and parks, the heaviest concentration being in the East End near the Eastman School of Music.

[9] Washington Square Park is located in the heart of the business district, centered around a large civil war-era monument to Abraham Lincoln.

[11] The square was also the site of a months-long encampment by Occupy Rochester; thousands of locals protesting income inequality essentially lived in the park until they were removed by police in January 2012.

The corporate headquarters of ESL Federal Credit Union, Eastman Kodak, Frontier Communications, and several other companies are located in or around downtown.

Phase 2 plans call for both intercity bus (which currently stop across the street) and train traffic to be routed through this same terminal, which is closely modeled after the original 1914 New York Central Railroad Station (also known as Bragdon Station) that was torn down mid-20th century and is named in honor of former longtime Congresswomen Louise Slaughter.

The area was the site of a largely unsuccessful city-sponsored project to create an entertainment district in the northern part of Downtown, though several bars and restaurants are still in place.

Frontier Field, corporate headquarters of Eastman Kodak and the downtown campus of Monroe Community College are located in the High Falls District.

Initially, St. Paul was composed mainly of sweatshops, factories and warehouses built in the 19th century that were later renovated and converted into apartments.

Recent history saw the area become a home for many young professionals and students at the Eastman School, then one of the city's premier nightlife districts.

Previously occupied by factories and storage houses, the Cascade District is now another mixed residential/commercial area characterized by high-end apartments and condos found in renovated industrial spaces.