Background
The Neighborhood of Play is a vibrant destination in Rochester designed to bring together play, dining, living, and hospitality into one connected experience. Anchored by The Strong National Museum of Play and surrounded by destinations like Vita Apartments and Hampton Inn & Suites Rochester Downtown, the district had all the pieces of an unforgettable experience, but no unified digital presence to tie them together.
The team came to Linden with a clear opportunity: create a website that captured the energy of the Neighborhood while guiding visitors through everything it has to offer under one cohesive brand message: Visit. Play. Dine. Stay.
Objectives
The primary goal was to build a centralized digital hub that unified the Museum, residential spaces, dining, retail, and hotel experiences into one seamless journey.
The site needed to:
- Reflect the light, fun, and animated spirit of the Neighborhood
- Encourage visitors to explore multiple destinations in one trip
- Increase awareness of the district as a full-day or weekend destination
- Support cross-promotion between businesses that previously operated independently
Beyond aesthetics, the website needed to drive meaningful engagement and repeat visits.
Solutions
The creative direction focused on bringing the physical energy of the Neighborhood into the digital experience. Animated elements, playful geometric shapes inspired by the district’s architecture, and bold visuals were incorporated to create movement and personality throughout the site.
The team also collaborated with a third-party videography partner to help plan and integrate dynamic video content, giving visitors a more immersive preview of what their day in the Neighborhood could look like.
Strategically, the site guided users through each experience while directing traffic to individual partner websites such as:
- Nerdvana
- Fatty Beer Co.
- Lila’s in the Lobby
In addition to website development, Linden supported early promotional efforts to help drive traffic and amplify visibility during the initial launch phase.
The Results.
During the first three months post-launch (September through November 2024), the Neighborhood of Play website delivered strong engagement and repeat visitation:
💻
2,736 Sessions
👆
10,678 Events
👤
3.9 Events per Session
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