White Coat Ghetto
The closest neighborhood to Strong where many, MANY residents and medical students live. Encompasses about 20 residential blocks right next to the hospital (bounded by Crittenden Blvd, Rte 15A (E. Henrietta Rd), Westfall/Westmoreland, and Castleman Ave) even those living furthest away from the hospital have only about a mile walk to work (not much further than actually parking in some of the lots) which is definitely a perk when the snow starts flying in the long Rochester winters and you don't want to clean off your car or worry about the road conditions.
The homes are for the most part built in the 1930s and 1940s and for the most part are in quite good condition. You won't find any huge houses here, but most are more than comfortable enough for residents (ranges probably from 1000-1750 sq. feet) and while more expensive than a comparable house further away from the hospital still are incredibly reasonable and you get the bonus of almost guaranteed resale to some other poor schmuck intern (as long as you put it on the market around the time of match day...) after you have graduated into attending status or move away. Average price is right around 100,000 dollars.
Other perks: Easy access to 390, 490, and 590 so getting around town is easy; plenty of fast food in the area if that is your thing; Highland Park, UR campus, Mt. Hope Cemetery in walking distance; pretty safe - although would not walk home from an overnight ED shift alone - security will take you since it is so close.
Drawbacks: You are close to the hospital - some don't like to be able to see it when they aren't working; the local streets tend to be plowed very poorly, but once you get to a major road (usually about 1-2 blocks away) it is fine; the houses are pretty old and often are in need of a lot of renovation - be wary
Realtor: Lynn and Glenn Miller- work for Realty USA and know the white coat ghetto like the back of their hand. Glenn is the point person (we never met his wife) he has helped to sell/buy almost every house in the area over the past 20 years. Very personable and enthusiastic. Will help you buy a house and won't ask for any commission until you sell the house which was really nice. They also are very familiar with the plight of residents and know their financial status and know ways of getting good mortgages, etc. Can't recommend them highly enough...click on their names above for their website and contact information
Overall, love everything about the area.
Twelve Corners
Right in the middle of everywhere you want to be. That's what they told us about Twelve Corners when we moved here, anyway. We just liked the house. We heard Brighton (the town Twelve Corners is in) was ridiculously expensive. Taxes are, in fact high, but the schools are among the best in the nation, garbage and recycling are included, as is sidewalk plowing. The house itself wasn't too expensive, and the neighborhood is probably the nicest one we'll ever inhabit. There is a park around every other corner and the streets are lined with old trees. As for being in the middle of everything, they couldn't have been more right. We're as close to Pittsford (biggest supermarket you've ever seen) and Henrietta (mall, meals, Target, office and home stores) as to downtown. We're near all the major expressways, and three main roads that'll get you anywhere all converge just outside the neighborhood (hence TWELVE Corners--you can do the math, but at some point you'll count 'em anyway). Great pizza places, probably a dozen salons--really, I don't think I'm exaggerating, it's crazy. Oh, and would you believe there's also a Starbucks? Seven minutes down a straight road to the hospital.
Chili
You either love it or hate it. I grew up in the country, so Chili appealed to me in that I can drive a few miles from my house and be in the middle of farm land and open space. It's also relatively close to UR (a 9 min commute) and more affordable than many other Rochester suburbs. From what I understand, the Gates-Chili school district is excellent as well. As a suburb, Chili also has all the chain stores within a five minute drive, including a huge Wegmans and a Walmart, with a Target and Lowe's coming in 2007. The majority of the houses are in small neighborhoods either built in the 1980's (like mine), or back in the 1950's when Chili really came about. Chili is on the west-side of Rochester, whose residents as a whole have a reputation of being rednecks and country bumpkins. I'm not going to dispute this reputation (my neighbors ride their 4-wheelers around the neighborhood at 4am), but this can be a good thing too (many veggie stands on the major roads and a pumpkin patch/hay ride right down the road). Bottom line, if you'd like to live close to UR, but are more comfortable living in a rural/suburban area than a city/suburban area, then Chili is for you.
Henrietta
If you want to be close to the city without being too close, this is the place for you. Henrietta is situated south of Rochester and is very close to the NY state thruway. If you plan to use the thruway on a regular basis, Henrietta might be a good choice for you. Henrietta also has easy access to I-390, East Henrietta Road (15A) and West Henrietta Road (15). Henrietta is a township with a reasonable commute to Strong, about 15 minutes. Most major stores are within an 8-10 minute drive, Lowes, Target, Wegmans, Home Depot, a mall. There are also a number of choice eateries within a short drive. The taxes are reasonable in Henrietta and so are the prices of the homes. Most homes were built in and around the 1980's. Also, it is to be noted that Henrietta being a bit further from the lake receives a little bit less snow than the northern areas or Rochester.