Things to Do in Irondequoit
Recommended Things to Do by Groupon Customers
Muscled superheroes duke it out with zombies and vampires for prime shelf space at Park Avenue Comics & Games, whose vast inventory of trade paperbacks, comics, and board games was voted the most geek-friendly in City’s Best of Rochester 2011 poll. Perennial comic powerhouses Marvel and DC are well represented in the store’s catalog, from new titles that chronicle Batman’s crime-fighting story to back issues that recount Captain America’s quest to memorize all the words in the Pledge of Allegiance. A pull-list service ensures dedicated fans don’t miss the newest issues and even slices off 15% from the price of all new titles. Though board games fly off the shelves on casual in-store game nights for the whole family, little ones should stay at home on Friday nights, when players morph into card-munching werewolves for Magic: The Gathering tournaments.
At Taylor Rental, a knowledgeable staff of handypeople and do-it-yourselfers rents out the tools and machinery necessary to complete a honey-do list of home-improvement endeavors. For interior projects, the shop's floor sanders make exceptional tools for smoothing hardwood surfaces and rendering statue faces anonymous, and its carpet cleaners swiftly rid floor toupees of dirt and grime. Green thumbs wishing to plant lush, emerald lawns can make great use of Taylor's aerators, overseeders, and sod-cutting machines. A collection of tents shelters picnicking revelers and their fine china from stormy showers, and balloon inflators, disco balls, and fog machines make house parties feel less like penitentiary visits. Taylor Rental's parking lot also plays host to a fleet of RVs and U-Haul trucks for movers and vacationers.
Balls hurtle down slick lanes toward clusters of pins at the family-owned Spencerport Bowl. Leagues duke it out at least once daily, and Friday and Saturday nights host the Famous Rockin' Bowl from 9 p.m. to midnight, when disco lights illumine an alley awash in fog. Revelry spills over to CJ's Pub & Grill, where frequent karaoke sessions supply a festive backbeat for burger-and-pizza feasts. Those who still have an appetite for entertainment after bowling can refuel at the on-site arcade.
It's hard for Bayside Boat and Tackle's owner Captain Ken Strimple to imagine a life without fishing. Captain Strimple first pulled sunfish out of his grandfather's pond when he was 4 years old. From this early foundation, he moved on to bigger fish and competed in bass tournaments including the ESPN Northern Tour. Today, Captain Strimple and the team at Bayside Boat and Tackle help new generations connect with nature through fishing and boating on scenic Irondequoit Bay aboard rented pontoon boats, rowboats, and paddleboats. They also supply live bait and tackle to help customers snag a fish for dinner or a tire to replace a recent auto flat. Dedicated anglers can join Bayside's Let's Catch Fish fishing club, whose members enjoy discounted store purchases and boat rentals.
When the instructors at MGOS Academy of Irish Dance—certified by the Ireland’s An Coimisiún le Rincí Gaelacha to teach Irish dance—wanted to branch out, they created Ashford Ballet Company. Today, the two studios partner up to cover a diversity of dance styles to children, with Ashford Ballet Company’s New York State–certified staff tutoring tykes in the intricate steps of ballet, tap, and jazz.
The family-friendly studio makes the kid-centric space amicable for parents—who can sit in and watch their children's classes or cheer silently from behind the observation window—as a way to put kids at ease. When designing the curriculum, co-director Caitlyn Redmond and her fellow instructors swapped tales about their own childhood dance experiences (both good and bad), and from those stories settled on a philosophy based on nurturing individual progress, rather than adhering to a strict curriculum. "When you have a cookie-cutter approach to teaching dance, some kids don't fit the mold," she said. But at Ashford Ballet Company, "they all have a place to dance and feel included."
That includes the kids in her Movement for Dancers with Special Needs classes, which Caitlyn, who is also a special education teacher, began teaching to combine her two passions. "It increases their level of self-confidence. It gives them an opportunity to express themselves in a different way," she said.
She believes all their dancers—who range from toddlers to teenagers—reap those same benefits as they work together in a non-competitive atmosphere. At the end of the year, students perform in a one-hour recital designed to highlight each student's growth and show off their skills with plenty of solos, offering a departure from traditional dance studios' four-hour Macarena marathons.
With a variety of colorful sewing notions and fabrics in tow, Each 1 Stitch 1’s army of instructors demystifies the art of garment construction for aspiring seamstresses and tailors. With access to professional-grade cutting devices, sewing machines, and dyeing stations, students and members can fully customize their own style of pants, dresses, and tote bags for carrying smaller, less fashionable tote bags. Private and group instruction for all experience levels teaches sewing techniques and fundamentals, and membership options offer discounts and studio time.
