BLUE CROSS ARENA

Head downtown for sports of all sorts: RazorSharks basketball, Americans hockey (the minor league of the Buffalo Sabres), Knighthawks lacrosse, and Lancers soccer. Don’t care about sports? Hear stadium stars ranging from Springsteen to Sugarland.

WATER STREET MUSIC HALL

Pump up your hipster cred at this “I-saw-them-before-they-got-big” concert venue. Catch indie and hip-hop acts such as Wale, Blue October, Taking Back Sunday, The Ready Set, and Donna the Buffalo.

BAYCREEK PADDLING CENTER

Grab a couple friends and rent a kayak. Then head south to watch birds and beavers in the Narrows. Or paddle north to explore the coves and cottages along Irondequoit Bay.

MEMORIAL ART GALLERY

Meet Matisse. Marvel at Monet. The museum’s 11,000 works span 50 centuries of world art. Other must-see museums just minutes from campus: the planetarium at the Rochester Museum and Science Center, Strong Museum of Play, and George Eastman House museum of photography and film.

PARKLEIGH

Treat yourself at this stylish boutique—one of many along cool Park Avenue—for Vera Bradley bags, Kiehl’s cosmetics, Lake Champlain chocolates, and more.

BRISTOL MOUNTAIN WINTER RESORT

Hit the slopes for skiing or snowboarding. You’re only 30 miles from the highest vertical of any ski resort between the Rocky Mountains and the Adirondacks. If 1,200 feet sounds too steep, stay inside with your cocoa!