Sean and Amber Walker searched everywhere north of Washington, DC, to find a place that felt best to raise their son, Nico. Greater ROC and its natural beauty drew them in and won them over. From art, music and our scenic riverwalk to affordability, less congestion and easy accessibility downtown, these aspects (and more) played into their decision to transplant here.
Both are native Upstate New Yorkers (Sean is from Syracuse and Amber is from the Morrisville area) who tried Austin, TX, on for size, then Greensboro and Raleigh, NC. Ultimately, they wanted to be closer to family. Rochester enables that and comes with the bonus of being closer to points of interest, like Letchworth State Park, the Finger Lakes and Toronto.
Being a top city for vegans is also important to the Walkers and represents the kind of progressive living they like. “It’s easy for us to navigate that for ourselves, but to introduce a child to that kind of lifestyle and concept, it’s important to show him that there are other folks like us,” Amber said.
"When you think about places to live and you make a list of all the things that you want, you’re never going to find a city that checks off every single box. Rochester checks off almost all of them for us." —Sean Walker
The neighborly community of young families and walkability of the South Wedge make for a perfect fit. Amber says she always feels safe with Nico, and Sean boasts they can go to daycare, the library, Strong National Museum of Play and the Rochester Museum & Science Center without ever having to get in their car.
Amber appreciates the resources and support, like library programs and subsidized universal pre-K, that Rochester offers to families with young kids. “It’s really family-friendly. To be able to subsidize those couple of years before kindergarten is huge and will make the difference for families like ours to be able to buy a home sooner or pay off debt or whatever they need to do. To free up that income is one of the most welcoming things.”
Once Nico gets older, Sean says he’s eager to take him hiking around the natural terrain of Greater ROC, including Watkins Glen, and “watch his eyes hopefully light up the way mine did when I first saw it.”
For Sean, things that others might consider simple matter to him, like the changing leaves, the beautiful landscape of the region, and having local baseball and hockey teams to root for.
“Where you form memories, that’s really where your hometown and your place in the world are. That’s what makes me feel more connected in this area. This is the place that we’re going to stay. It just fits us really well.”