In this 1905 view, we get to see buildings line the East Main Street bridge. This was one of the unusual features of this city, since this was normally not the case. As part of Urban Renewal efforts, the bridges came down around 1965, providing motorists and pedestrians a view of the Genesee River.

As part of its effort to unburden itself of urban church buildings, the Roman Catholic Diocese tried to demolish this gorgeous building in the late 1980s, but the Landmark Society worked successfully to prevent that. At the time, a poor person in the neighborhood said, "It's the only beautiful thing we have to look at around here. Don't take it away from us." The Diocese then had to sell the building.

Thanks, Dave, for the correction on the status of the former Holy Redeemer Church.
This view was likely photographed from atop the Powers Bldg., (seen here: https://www.shorpy.com/node/5492) which still stands at the NW corner of Main & State. At the time of the photo, the Powers Bldg. was the city's tallest. View is looking east. East Main Street is clearly visible below, with its streetcars and tracks. Notice that East Main's bridge crossing the Genesee River is lined on both sides by buildings (seen here: https://www.shorpy.com/node/11122) - restoring the view of the river was one good thing accomplished by 1960's urban renewal. The tall building on the left side of East Main is the Granite Bldg., which survived a major fire the year before and still stands on the NE corner of East Main & St. Paul Streets. The tall building on the right side of East Main is the Commerce Bldg., which survived until 1980, when it was imploded (controlled demolition) one Sunday morning to make way for the Rochester Riverside Convention Center.

Note the large load of hay going across the bridge at left, brought in from outside Suburbia to supply the livery stables of the metropolis.

The automobiles on the major thoroughfare at right will make such a delivery obsolete within a few years, but for now, the "horseless carriages" are content to share the road with the buggies, wagons, carriages and draycarts that make up the city's traffic.

Never realized the building had a more extensive frontage on St Paul Street at one time. The right hand portion of the Romanesque Revival building that appears to be only a facade in the panorama was eventually torn down and replaced with something more modern.

You'd think a sign company would care enough to make better-looking lettering on their biggest ad in the city! (The two S's in "SIGNS" don't even look the same! Not to mention that I first read it as "Roghester Sign Company.")

The distinctive church with two onion-shaped spires in the distance, left of the center of the photo, still stands. It's on the northeast corner of Hudson Ave. & Clifford Ave. I believe it's now vacant and its unique architecture is in danger of being lost.

[Holy Redeemer Catholic Church, restored in 1988 and now the Northside Church of Christ. Not vacant. - Dave]