In areas where no children's play grounds exist, what are the chances that one could suddenly appear, as if to pop up for a few hours of fun? That is what a group of local advocates are asking... and doing. Last May Joy Kuebler Landscape Architect came together with architect Catherine Faust and head of the Tinkering School of Buffalo, Melissa Leopard, to present the concept of pop up parks in Buffalo (see here). 
Build them up, play on them, and then tear them down. These may not

Opened in 2002, the ground floor of the handsome office building at 665 Main Street has yet to have a tenant.  Retail downtown has generally had a tough time but twelve years of emptiness is astonishing.  Occupancy of ground floor space in the Theater District appears to be higher than elsewhere downtown but few are retail tenants.  Theaters, galleries, restaurants and offices occupy a good portion of the Main Street storefronts.
Until recently, the ground floor of 665 Main was 'hidden' behind outbound Theater District light rail station.  The

Growing up and coming of age. It's something everyone has to deal with at some point in their lives. For some people it comes naturally as they age and for others it comes as a requirement due to an event in their life. The latter is the case of Matt Derby a typical college senior faced with growing up and finding himself. Derby is the main character in debut novel, Boarding Pass by local author Paul Cumbo. Below is a Q&A with Paul about Boarding Pass,

The Bufalo Gay Men's Chorus (BGMC) was founded in 1999. Since that time, the group has played at countless events, and has become a cherished part of this city's cultural backdrop. After reading about the group's beginnings (in this article), and its first rehearsal, with 50 men making the final cut, I was astounded to discover that the rehearsal was scheduled to take place on September 11, 2001. There were talks about not meeting up for practice, but in the end,

Are today's modern developments building on iconic works of the past or disregarding them?  A panel discussion on Thursday, April 25 will address this issue and others at the Butler Mansion, 672 Delaware Avenue.  Don't miss this lively conversation about Buffalo's distinctive architectural heritage and future.
The event is being hosted by the Cornell Club of Greater Buffalo and is open to all in Western New York with an interest in local architecture.
Four of Buffalo's premiere architects, all Cornell alumni, will serve on the

The Hotel @ Lafayette has been selected to receive the Preservation League of New York State's award for Excellence in Historic Preservation.  The League's statewide awards program honors notable achievements in retaining, promoting and reusing New York's historic resources.  This project has transformed a landmark building from a neglected shadow of its former self to a bustling hub of residential, commercial and hospitality activity. First designed and then expanded by Louise Blanchard Bethune, the first woman admitted to the American Institute of Architects,

The wait is over and Elevator B is the Jury Award Winner in the Student Design/Build Project category of the Architizer A+ Awards. The University at Buffalo team was trailing behind in second place leading up to the final days of the competition, before pulling ahead to land in first place. "This is an inspiring achievement for our school and a clear reflection of the talent and passion our students bring to their work," said UB School of Architecture and Planning Dean Robert G. Shibley. "Elevator B also demonstrates how our use of Buffalo as a design laboratory generates globally relevant

Letter to BRO from Mike:
As a frequent reader of Buffalo Rising and a resident of the city, I think the development that is happening downtown is excellent.  It is the investment in our urban core that we have been lacking for 40-50 years.  It's essential to rebuilding the fabric of our city life to draw more people to downtown.  The completed new build/retrofit projects: The Avant, the Pasquale, countless other smaller reuse projects are all steps in the right direction and helped to build momentum.  The current renovation of the Donavan

More than just about anything else these days, Buffalonians get excited about the prospect of a bustling waterfront. Much of the excitement comes in the form of development along the water's edge, at the Inner Harbor and along the Buffalo River. At the same time, we love seeing the launch of new water crafts into the harbor each season. With taxis and shuttles, and sloops and historic replicas, there is finally a buzz of activity on the water thanks to waterfront advocates such as the Buffalo Maritime Center.
Last year we saw an important initiative take

What is your medium? 
Graphite, Ink, Oil on found objects.
Name an artist (or more) that most inspires you? 
Egon Schiele, Oswaldo Guayasamin, & lately, a friend of mine named Laura Bochet.
What is your preferred subject matter? 
Calves & Breasts.
How do you feel you can best advance to the next level, or are you most happy where you are now? 
Traveling

When you stop to think about what types of American holidays might attract curiosity seekers in Canada, Dyngus Day would probably be at the top of the list. After all, most Canadians aren't familiar with the holiday. Then you have the odd goings on that mark the festivities (squirt guns and pussy willows), and the name alone is worth a closer inspection. 
The Toronto Sun has picked up on Buffalo's Dyngus Day festivities, in an article that pitches Easter-time celebrations

If you play in a band here in Buffalo, and have an upcoming gig at a venue(s) in the city, consider sending Buffalo Rising an email requesting to be emailed a Q&A interview that we can then post, along with concert dates. It's a fun and easy way to get your name in front of another audience that is interested in learning about the local music scene. 
The requirements are:
-You must have a public show coming up in the city of Buffalo, as our focus is the urban landscape-You must have

By Matthew Ricchiazzi: Ninety minutes before the beginning of Wednesday's school board meeting, Superintendent Pamela Brown (photo) held a press conference outlining an internal reorganization plan.  It was refreshingly aggressive, albeit limited in scope to the central office. When pressed for details, the Superintendent made clear that much of the eventual reorganization beyond 'Phase 1' has not been decided yet. Effective immediately, Dr. Mary Guinn has been appointed Interim Deputy Superintendent and we're told that a national

By GirlFriday:
Looking for something educational and cultural to do this weekend, that also happens to be free? The Buffalo Small Press Book Fair takes place Saturday, April 6th (from 12pm-6pm) and Sunday, April 7th (from 11am-5pm).  This is a regional two day event that showcases booksellers, authors, bookmakers, zinesters, small presses, artists, and poets, and other cultural workers as they come together to educate and excite through their featured works, which will also be for sale.  
The Karpeles Manuscript

What if local activist groups had another voice? A voice in the form of video outlets? Most activist groups don't have the money to go out and purchase video equipment. Then there's the training of someone on staff to operate the equipment. 
Money and time. Those are two major commodities that most non-profit organizations just don't the ability to spare. That's why Squeaky Wheel is teaming up local filmmakers with activist groups that are in desperate need of filmmaking services. "Squeaky Wheel is inviting the community to the premiere

Directors of the Buffalo Urban Development Corporation (BUDC) have recommended that $1.25 million in Buffalo Building Reuse Project (BBRP) funds be invested to advance three key infrastructure projects downtown.  Projects set to receive funding:

Genesee Street Gateway & StreetscapeSreetscape enhancements along Chippewa Street from Main Street to Elmwood AvenueAdvanced design and engineering work for Perry Street, to further design work

This post originally appeared on Views of Buffalo
Another church on the east side is slated for demolition with an owner who is unwilling to sell. This handsome brick church at 41 Spruce Street was built for the First German Baptist Church in 1869. The current owners, Trinity Baptist Church, have owned the building since 1940 according to Erie County Property records. I was able to get in touch with the church, located at 2930

It's been the poster child for "neglected" buildings, but Ellicott Development appears ready to move on reuse of the Coffee Rich building at 199 Scott Street.  Company officials are scheduled to be at the Planning Board meeting on April 9th to present plans to convert the prominent eight story building into a mixed-use complex anchored by 20 market-rate apartments.  According to a draft agenda, Ellicott is also planning a sit-in restaurant, banquet room and offices.

The brick building was built in 1920 and has been vacant since the mid-1990's. Containing approximately 122,000

Where are you from originally? 
I am from Hinsdale NY a small town in the Southern Tier
What is your medium? 
I crochet, so fiber arts I prefer cotton yarn or thread.
How has Buffalo influenced your work? 
I don't think that Buffalo has necessarily inspired my work in terms of what I do but I defiantly follow the seasons, more hats, gloves and slippers in the fall and winter and more household and toys items in the summer

By Nick Giangreco:
Learning about what an MPO (Metropolitan Planning Organization) is, and how it works, has been incredibly fascinating. MPO members through a cooperative and collaborative process distribute federal dollars to a variety of needed transportation related projects; roadways and bridge repair, bicycle paths, and procurement of new buses, to name a few.  
The GBNRTC has seven members - Erie & Niagara County, City of Buffalo, City of Niagara Falls, NFTA, NYSDOT, & NYS Thruway Authority. Federally aid eligible