Avenue D Recreation Center
4.0(75)4.0 out of 5 stars, 75 reviews Rochester, NY
About Avenue D Recreation Center
Avenue D Recreation Center positions itself as a community hub for "inner city youths" offering "lots of out reach programs" and an outdoor pool. It's valued by some for its staff who are described as "truly invested" in the youth, assisting with "homework and reading," and fostering an environment where kids make friends easily and feel like "extended family." However, severe safety concerns have been reported, including a child being "attacked and injuried" with alleged inadequate staff response, and widespread issues of "rude and disrespectful" behavior, "cursing and bullying" among children. The surrounding "neighborhood is not the best" according to one reviewer.
What parents should know
Summarized from real visitor reviews.
Best for: Families seeking a community-focused center with outreach programs for their children.Youth who could benefit from staff assistance with homework and reading.Children looking to make new friends and become part of a close-knit community, possibly for sustained periods.Primarily for "youth" (implying school-aged children) seeking free time activities and academic support. No specific mention of suitability for toddlers or teens.
Why families love it
- Staff actively assists children with homework and reading.
- Fosters a strong sense of community where children can make many friends easily.
- Some parents feel the staff are like "extended family" due to their personal investment in the youth.
- Features an outdoor pool.
- Offers numerous community "out reach programs."
- Staff generally described as "very friendly polite and seams to have a good relationship with all the children."
Insider tips
- Parents should visit in person during operating hours to observe the actual level of staff supervision and children's behavior, given the conflicting reviews on safety.
- Engage directly with staff or management to inquire about their protocols for incident reporting, bullying intervention, and first aid response.
- Consider the 'not the best' neighborhood environment when planning your visit, especially concerning parking or walking to the facility.
- This center might be suitable if your primary goal is academic support and community building for your child, provided you are satisfied with the safety measures after personal assessment.
Good to know before you go
- If your primary concern is guaranteed high levels of constant, active supervision to prevent child-on-child incidents.
- Parents sensitive to reports of bullying, disrespectful language, and potential violence among children.
- If you require strict incident reporting and immediate, professional first aid for injuries.
- If you are uncomfortable with the description of the surrounding "neighborhood is not the best."
- A child was reportedly "attacked and injuried" by another child, suffering "serious injuries" after being forced off a slide.
- Crowds
- Not explicitly mentioned. However, the reported incident of a child being forced off a slide and bullying could occur more frequently during busier, less supervised periods.
- Food
- No specific food and drink rules mentioned in reviews.
- Accessibility
- No specific accessibility accommodations mentioned in reviews.
- Safety
- One review claims it's a "safe, supervised and facilitated environment."
What parents say
"It is a place for inner city youths. Has out door pool also. But neighborhood is not the best. I actually lived few house down from this place. However it’s great for kids and has lots of out reach programs."
9 months ago
"The other day my child was attacked and injuried. Staff sent him home full of blood another child forced him of the slide causing serious injuries. I noticed that the most recent post has been over two months. This recreation center is responsible for ever child on its property. I hope that this post brings to the attention of the employees and supervisor. I think the mayor should inspect and review this recreation center. The will never be a next time my child will return. They are not watching the kids. Its really not a safe center."
6 years ago
"Ave D is a wonderful rec center for youth to enjoy their free time in a safe, supervised and facilitated environment. The staff is there to asdist with homework and reading and are truly invested in not only the youth that visit the center but the community surrounding it as well. We live in the suburbs and my kids beg me to go visit the many friends they've made at Ave D. They feel like extended family to us."
8 years ago
Reviews sourced from public Google data.
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