The leafy Lyell-Otis neighborhood is west of Interstate 490, just a few miles from downtown Rochester. It's a small suburb that runs alongside Lyell Avenue, a corridor of retailers, local diners and grocery stores. Home prices here are lower than the Rochester metro area average, which can appeal to some buyers. "This area attracts a lot of investors, and I haven't had many homebuyer clients," says Tanya Kuchma, a Realtor at Keller Williams Realty specializing in the Rochester region. Lyell-Otis is filled with commercial businesses and factories, and over the last century, the neighborhood has housed many of the city's industrial workers.
Lyell-Otis is west of Interstate 490, just a few miles from downtown Rochester.
Lyell-Otis home prices are lower than the Rochester metro area average.
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Century old single-family homes and fixer uppers
Lyell-Otis is a majority renter neighborhood, though single-family homes make up most of the houses available for purchase. Many houses, typically in the 1,000- to 1,500-square-foot range, have narrow driveways up the side of the property and porches that reach across a home's entire facade. Most of the homes in the neighborhood are well over a century old, with some built in the 1880s through the 1920s. However, there are also houses built as recently as the 1980s. Single-story ranch houses and minimal traditional homes, some recently renovated, go for between $45,000 and $75,000. There are also several two-story Foursquare and colonial houses, some with low-pitched roofs and others with Gambrel roofs, in the $65,000 to $175,000 price range.
Lyell-Otis is characterized by tree-lined streets and well-maintained front yards.
Lyell-Otis has an 8 out of 10 score on the CAP Crime Index.
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Neighborhood green spaces like J.P. Riley Park
At Sebastian Park in the neighborhood's northern end, there's a playground, paved trail and athletic fields. The nearby Paul Bianchi Park offers baseball diamonds, and a bit farther south toward US Route 31, J.R. Wilson Park provides residents with bike-riding paths, a playground, and more athletic fields and courts. J.P. Riley Park is smaller and sits along Santee Street. It was recently renovated with grant money from the city and state governments. The Lyell-Otis Neighborhood Association organized around 50 kids from town to help clean up and renovate. It now features a playground and basketball court. Susan B. Anthony's home—and the location where she was arrested in 1872—is in the southeastern section of the Lyell-Otis neighborhood. The site has become a historical museum, maintaining her 19th-century décor from the front door to the attic. This museum is less than a mile from downtown Rochester, where residents can explore the naturally occurring High Falls waterfall that pours into the Genesee River.
J.P. Riley Park has outdoor basketball courts in Lyell-Otis.
Sebastian Park offers a lush green space for Lyell-Otis residents.
Paul Bianchi Park has baseball diamonds and spectator seating in Lyell-Otis.
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Community organizations and volunteer efforts
Potential homebuyers should be advised that Lyell-Otis has an 8 out of 10 score on the CAP Crime Index, higher than the national average of 4 out of 10. "There are several community organizations in Lyell-Otis that hold soup kitchens to help the homeless and people in need," says Cassandra Bradley, a Realtor and broker with Cassandra Bradley Realty, LLC, who has served Rochester for over six years. Cameron Community Ministries is a local nonprofit stationed in Lyell-Otis that serves food to the needy and provides an afterschool program for children. There's also the work of the Lyell Otis Community Association, which collaborates with the city government to improve the neighborhood and live up to its motto of "community unity." LOCA, as the organization is called, puts on fall festivals and back-to-school events for kids going to School 54 Flower City.
There are several community organizations in Lyell-Otis that help people in need.
The Edgerton Recreation Center is a vital community hub for Lyell-Otis residents.
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Westgate Plaza on Lyell Avenue hosts groceries and local diners
Westbound on Lyell Avenue is Westgate Plaza, a shopping center with a Wegmans and an Aldi for groceries. Lyell Avenue hosts casual local restaurants like Rancho Viejo, where people go for taco bowls and margaritas. Kamara's West African Cuisine serves fried plantains and pan-seared red snapper a couple blocks east. Several Rochester Regional Transit System bus stops throughout the neighborhood and along Lyell Avenue allow easy access to and from this shopping and dining area.
Rancho Viejo Restaurant proudly serves Lyell-Otis and surrounding suburbs.
Wegmans has served Rochester since it was founded in 1916.
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Rochester City Schools are nearby
Rochester City School District serves Lyell-Otis' youth. The neighborhood is in the district's Northwest School Zone, and parents can send their kids to schools like School 54 Flower City Community School for pre-K through sixth-grade students. They can advance to School 17 Enrico Fermi for middle school learning and finish their studies at Edison Career & Technical High School. Flower City and Enrico Fermi both get C-minus overall Niche ratings, while Edison High gets a C. Edison High has grown with Lyell-Otis, first opening its doors as a traditional trade school in 1908 under the name Rochester Factory School. After decades of name changes and moving to different buildings, it finally settled as Edison High in the 1990s and is known for its career and technical education courses.
Flower City Community School 54 has a student to teacher ratio of 16 to 1.
Edison Career And Technology High School has a C- rating from Niche.
John Williams School 5 has a student teacher ratio of 11 to 1.
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Downtown Rochester is a couple miles east
NY-390 runs along the neighborhood's western edge and can take commuters north toward Lake Ontario. Interstate 490 is accessible just a few blocks southeast of Lyell Otis and leads into downtown Rochester. A couple of miles east is the Rochester Amtrak station. Most of Lyell-Otis' industrial workplaces are in the neighborhood's northwest corner, along Ferrano Street and Mount Read Boulevard, making commutes easy for workers in town.
Regional Transit Service buses run frequently in Lyell-Otis.
The Lyell-Otis neighborhood has biking lanes for cyclists.
GreatSchools:
The GreatSchools Rating helps parents compare schools within a state based on a variety of school quality indicators and provides a helpful picture of how effectively each school serves all of its students. Ratings are on a scale of 1 (below average) to 10 (above average) and can include test scores, college readiness, academic progress, advanced courses, equity, discipline and attendance data. We also advise parents to visit schools, consider other information on school performance and programs, and consider family needs as part of the school selection process.
View GreatSchools Rating Methodology
Frederick Douglass/Greater Rochester International
13 min drive
Bus
Glide & Bergen
Bus
Lyell & Avery
Bus
Lexington & Mt Read
Bus
Emerson & Santee
Bus
Glide & Freeland
Bus
Emerson & Robin
Bus
Edison Tech High School
Reviews
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Crime and Safety
1 - Low Crime, 10 - High Crime
Lyell-Otis
US
Homicide
7
4
Sexual Assault
7
4
Assault with Weapon
7
4
Robbery
7
4
Burglary
4
4
Motor Vehicle Theft
5
4
Larceny
5
4
Crime Score
6
4
Source: WhatIsMyCrimeRisk.com
Lyell-Otis Demographics and Home Trends
On average, homes in Lyell-Otis, Rochester sell after 23 days on the market compared to the national average of 53 days. The median sale price for homes in Lyell-Otis, Rochester over the last 12 months is $122,292, up 16% from the median home sale price over the previous 12 months.
Turnkey investment opportunity! This 3-bedroom, 1-bath home is currently rented to a long-term tenant, offering immediate cash flow for your portfolio. Featuring low-maintenance vinyl siding, a fully fenced yard, and a detached garage, the property is located in a central Rochester neighborhood with easy access to everything the city has to offer. A great option for investors looking to add a
Cash-flowing 3-bedroom, 1-bath single-family home with a long-term tenant in Rochester's Lyell-Otis neighborhood is available for its new owner. Whether a seasoned investor adding to an already robust portfolio or if you're just getting started, this one has to be on your consideration list. The tenants will love the convenient proximity to the airport, expressway, as well as having the benefits
Laura SwoggerKeller Williams Realty Greater Rochester
Roomy 2 bedroom townhouse-style apartment close to schools, transportation and shopping!$1200.00 per month, includes water, garbage pick-upFreshly painted, new vinyl windows, flooringStove/Refrigerator negotiableNo petsThis is a Smoke-free propertyApplications must include: Photo ID, 2 months pay stubs, current utility bill, 2 months bank statements
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