Chili
Faith Baptist Church is located in North Chili (pronounced CHY-lie), a suburb of Rochester, NY. Chili (population 29,123) is located approximately 10 miles west of Rochester, the third-largest city in the state of New York. The town covers an area of 40 square miles, with scenic landscapes comprising rolling hills, forests, and open fields. The town is bordered on the east by the Genesee River. Of the 10,159 households in Chili, 34.7% had children under the age of 18 in the 2020 census.
There are 9 parks in Chili, including one with a popular disk golf course. The nearby Chili Community Center (nominal membership fee for non-residents) offers a track, courts, some fitness equipment, and a number of activities and community events. The town Library is in the same building. There is a small independent grocery store in North Chili; large Wegmans and Tops grocery stores are a short drive away. In addition, there are a number of seasonal farm markets, including one in North Chili, and a year-round market that has been operating in Rochester since 1905.
Recreation, the Arts, and Entertainment
Rochester is in Western New York, about mid-way between Buffalo and Syracuse. The city is on the southern shore of Great Lake Ontario (the world’s fourteenth largest lake!). The Genesee River runs through Rochester, as does the Erie Canal. With the river, canal, and a number of lakes nearby, there are numerous opportunities for swimming, fishing, sailing, boating, canoeing, and kayaking. Rochester is located in Monroe County, which operates 22 parks. Rochester is home to several beautiful parks designed by Frederick Law Olmstead, the father of American landscape architecture.
Rochester sits at the westernmost edge of the Finger Lakes region, with loads of opportunities for recreation and taking in scenic views. There are numerous waterfalls, hiking trails, and biking trails, including the Erie Canalway Trail. Ice skating, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing, and downhill skiing and snowboarding are popular winter activities. There are many possibilities for geo-caching and day trips around Rochester. There are 49 New York State parks within a two-hour drive; Niagara Falls is two hours away, and Toronto is a three-hour drive.
From world-renowned attractions and historic museums to internationally recognized festivals and prime proximity to the Finger Lakes, Rochester reveals everything a major metro city has to offer from a cultural perspective, with all the fun and beauty that comes with an all-season adventure destination. It was ranked as the 26th best place to live among the 150 most populous metro areas in the U.S. The area is home to golf courses, professional sports teams, and recreational sports organizations. There are a number of art galleries and performing arts theaters, as well as the renowned Eastman School of Music, the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra, and a number of community orchestras and choruses, including the Roberts Wesleyan College Community Orchestra in North Chili.
Rochester is known for its friendliness, family fun, and affordability. The Greater Rochester Area is home to more than 100 family-friendly attractions, including amusement parks, interactive museums, a zoo, 1,200 acres of parkland, and sporting venues. Famous historic sites blend with charming neighborhoods and canal towns to create a mosaic of attractions to visit. World-class museums, family-fun attractions, superior shopping, and fine dining all within a short drive.
Rochester holds a number of festivals each year, some of which attract visitors from all over the globe. One of the more popular annual festivals is the Rochester Lilac Festival, held in Highland Park each May, featuring live music, art displays, and over 1800 varietals of lilacs. Another popular festival is the Rochester International Jazz Festival, held in June of each year, featuring musicians from all over the globe.
Education and Health Care
The parsonage is located in the Churchville Chili School District. There are a number of private Christian schools and organizations for homeschooling families in Monroe County. The region is home to a large number of colleges and universities.
Along with a teaching hospital, a nationally-ranked children’s hospital, and several other local hospitals, Rochester offers a broad array of high-quality health care resources, urgent care centers, more than 1,500 primary care doctors, and numerous specialists.
Demographics
Rochester’s population is truly diverse: about 38% of residents are African-American and 20% are Hispanic/Latino. The Asian/Pacific Islander, African, and Eastern European/Russian populations in the City are rising. Nearly a quarter of the population is under 20 years old. Despite the low cost of living, Rochester’s poverty rate is around 30%.
As home to Rochester School for the Deaf and the federally-funded National Technical Institute for the Deaf at Rochester Institute of Technology, one of the leaders in higher education for deaf students, Rochester has one of the nation’s largest per capita populations of deaf and hard-of-hearing people.
Climate
Rochester has a four-season climate. Spring comes slowly to Rochester and has the least amount of precipitation, with lilacs, cherry blossoms, magnolias, tulips, and daffodils blossoming everywhere. Summers are mild, autumn is full of vibrant color, and winter snows provide lots of recreation fun. Precipitation is rather evenly distributed throughout the year in quantity, but frequency is much higher in the cloudy winter months than in the sunny summer ones.
Yes, it snows. About 90 inches average per year. But we don’t apologize for it, because winter is often beautiful and can be fun! We also, however, have glorious cooler summers and enviable outdoor activities through all four seasons. Keep in mind that the “lake effect” that we are known for actually makes for milder winters and cooler summers than places like Minneapolis, or even places further south, like central Pennsylvania! Our climate has a misleading reputation for being harsh, but the truth is that we are one of the best farming and gardening areas of the country. Stuff really likes to grow here!
Additional Resources
https://realestate.usnews.com/places/new-york/rochester
https://www.visitrochester.com
https://www.facebook.com/VisitRochester
https://www.iloveny.com/places-to-go/finger-lakes/rochester-city-guide