Rochester, NY

After 15 years away from his home town of Rochester, NY, it was both thrilling and sad to come home.

Rochester holds a deep place in Adam’s story. Growing up here — sailing on Lake Ontario, learning guitar, building friendships — shaped who he became. So returning, even after a decade and a half away, felt like something more than just a change of address.

It’s thrilling to be back near family, to walk familiar streets, and to reconnect with the architecture and the lake that defined so much of an earlier chapter of life. But Rochester has faced real challenges: population decline, revenue shortfalls, and a community working hard to find its footing again.

Rather than standing at a distance, Adam and his wife Renee decided to get involved. They launched Rocville.com — their primary Rochester project — with a mission of advocating for the city, urban life, and all that Rochester has to offer. It’s a platform for celebrating what works, amplifying community voices, and making the case that Rochester is worth investing in.

The underlying strength of this community — its people, its history, its creativity — is real. The relationships Adam and Renee have built since returning have only deepened that conviction.