Join Nick Zumbulyadis, Maplewood resident and its unofficial historian, for a morning of tree-cooled breezes and spectacular homes in this neighborhood bordering the Genesee River Gorge.

You may think you know the houses along Lake Avenue near Maplewood Park – you’ve passed them in your car many times, and perhaps you’ve even driven down Seneca Parkway. However, the best way to truly enjoy this incredible neighborhood is on a “Coffee Walk,” especially on a late spring morning. Casual glimpses from the road can’t take the place of an up-close, personal tour with a knowledgeable resident.

Famed landscape architect Frederick Law Olmstead (creator of New York City’s Central Park and Boston’s “Emerald Necklace” park system) designed the parkways in Maplewood as part of a master landscaping plan for the City of Rochester. His strategy called for a ring of greenery around the central city, providing beauty and cooling comfort to all. The entire Rochester ring was never completed, but the Maplewood parkways give us a glimpse of Olmstead’s vision.

This neighborhood is proudly listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and boasts a wide range of architectural styles. We will start with coffee and pastries in a lovely Tudor Revival home and then see such delights as the 1874 Vanderbeck House, one of Rochester’s oldest and most prominent residences in the area. We’ll see other historic sights, including a Claude Bragdon-designed home. If time permits, we’ll also visit the rose garden at Maplewood Park. You may want to plan some time there after the tour, as well as return in June for the annual Rose Festival.

Participants in this Coffee Walk also will have the opportunity to purchase half-price Maplewood Home Tour tickets. The Maplewood Home Tour is June 14, 2008.

Coffee Walks start with coffee and pastries at 9:30 a.m. and continue with a walking tour of 1.5 to 2 hours in length. Pre-registration is required. Landmark members $16, nonmembers $18. You will receive directions to the starting location with your registration. Register online or call 585-546-7029 x12.