Browncroft Walks

One of the many reasons I love Rochester, NY is my new neighborhood where I live now, which is known as Historic Browncroft in North Winton Village.

Before moving here from Webster, New York, I lived on a commercial avenue called Empire Blvd. Though it was great having many services at a walking distance, such as Walmart, Delta Sonic, Burlington, McDonald’s among others, nothing can replace the cozy comfy feeling I get while walking in the Browncroft neighborhood.

The Browncroft neighborhood is at the edge of where the city meets suburbs. It feels true to life and genuine with houses that come from another time period. There are houses that look like they are from a fairy tale, while others remind me of the homes from my childhood days in Valley Stream NY. Some are big two- or three-story houses with lots of windows, and others are small tidy cozy cottages.

When I walk down the Boulevard, it’s lined with amazing trees that seem like giants protecting me as I stroll through them. The streets décor includes shrubs and bushes alongside houses providing a backdrop of green that highlights the colors of the homes.

The different shades of green throughout the neighborhood point out how one color can manifest itself in various ways just like us! As humans, as one race, there are thousands if not millions of ways that we manifest ourselves. The diversity that exists can only be compared to nature itself.

Now, what about the flowers and gardens? There’s a small park which touches both Merchant Road and Browncroft Blvd called the Browncroft Rose Garden park. The triangular park is about 1/3 of a city block. There are a few benches and a few varieties of rose bushes.

Alongside the houses on Browncroft Blvd towards Winton Rd, the diversity of colors pop radiantly against the canvas of green. On dark cloudy days in which everything looks dreary, the flowers “shine” their color schemes of red, yellow, orange, purple, and pink which brightens the day for everyone!

I moved to Browncroft apartments at the end of September 2020. As I write this blog post in August 2021, I’ve now experienced all four seasons. I love the drastic changes of the four seasons that do not happen in Puerto Rico. That’s why I came back to New York. (See: About Me, Why Rochester Became home).

I experienced an amazing Fall in 2020. It felt like it was a gift given by God to ease some of the pains and stress of the Pandemic. An outbreak of glorious Fall colors painted the trees with reds, yellows, and oranges. Rugs of multicolored leaves ran along the curbs of both sides of the street which pleased the eyes and warmed the heart.

Then the northern winds blew away the radiant colors to leave a wintry world of dreariness emphasizing the loneliness caused by the pandemic isolation imposed by COVID-19.

The 2020 winter had fewer snowfalls than anticipated in my area. But the few times there were, I appreciated how a fresh blanket of snow sparkled on a sunny day under clear blue skies which lifted my spirits and gave me a reason to get out for a walk in frigid temperature!

When the sun stayed hidden behind winter clouds, again the dreariness would creep in to remind everyone that things “die” so they can be reborn again in my favorite season – Spring!

I love Spring! Everything comes back alive, and it is the season of New Life. Life that begins to trickle into the buds of the trees and bushes. Small flowering plants stretch their necks through the dirt and dry leaves to show the world that they still exist. What’s the saying? “New Spring, New Life!”…

Every year has the same four seasons. But each year can be different. Nature likes to keep us on our toes. The milder winter meant the ground was less saturated with water. The poor trees still looked “dead” or dry at the end of April.

Then we got a couple of days of severe thunderstorms and  – poof! (Like in the Harry Potter movies). Green buds on the trees appeared to become instant leaves while others bloomed on the spot! Poof! Nature, in a matter of hours, manifested itself in all of its glory!

Even the sky got in on the action, providing majestic sights in moments of beauty during each season. With visits from furry and feathered friends, the neighborhood at times  felt like I was in a storybook. I saw rabbits, chipmunks, deer, woodpeckers, Cardinals, and Blue Jays!

With the regular transformations of each season, there is a certain amount of stability to nature. These changes can symbolize the ups and downs of our lives through the years. We all have moments in which something has to “die”, and then a rebirth can occur. (Winter – Spring).

Sometimes it’s as simple as changing a habit. There are times that changes go deeper and push you to look for God… so you can find your purpose in life.

I have come through a long process in the past 20 years that has brought me closer to God and to a purpose in life. I realize I should share my personal experiences through my journey of piecing together my puzzle of Life.(See: Why Read My Blog?)

The way the seasons develop in a particular year can act as a “thermometer” to interpret nature’s health. Our turmoil and successes can give a “picture” of how well we are doing on our own walk through life’s seasons.

With the pandemic isolation, it feels liberating to be able to walk around to breathe in Nature’s peace and calmness. I have been blessed to live in the Browncroft neighborhood of Rochester and have it become an important puzzle piece of my life. Adding this piece makes it a unique part of my journey in my life puzzle.

I would love to hear about the natural beauty of your neighborhood. Paint a scene through words or other means from your community during your favorite season and share it below!