Rochester NY. Please tell me about it...

[adirondacker]

5. I would second the Albany option. Rochester is fairly conservative, even in regard to it's campuses.

The wind off of lake Ontario can be fatiguing, as well as making winter temps seem much colder. The other pitfalls are listed by others.

Albany is the center of everything great about the state, along with neighboring that socialist state of VT. A lot of diversity in a two hour commute; mountains (Adirondacks, Green and Berkshires), Lake Champlain, historical towns (including those in Mass and CT), and NYC.

If Rochester is the only option, there are much worse places to be (Utica, Rome, and Herkimer have that 21st century Detroit vibe to them). The Finger Lakes region can be a fun visit also.

There is a lot to do in this state and it is much larger than most realize.