Reader Commentary by Scott Krajeski
After
writing an editorial for the Buffalo News, I decided to approach Buffalo Rising
about the topic. A lifelong
Buffalonian, I've seen the city through many ups and downs. As Buffalo loses its reputation as an
industrial haven, we seek a new identity.
Through this new identity, local residents and visiting tourists will
view our city as either a place on the rise, or a region that has seen its best
days come and go. Identities are
often a result of first impressions and curb appeal. Most cities have one street or avenue that defines itself; it
is a street that exudes a sense of arrival, a place to be. Most of the streets are all dressed up
and ready to show off. Our best
example, in Buffalo, is Delaware Avenue.
One
of Buffalo's gems that continue to prosper is Delaware Avenue. Many of my friends who live out of town
and visit Buffalo are pleasantly surprised about our city after a drive up and
down Delaware Avenue. This grand
street showcases what is best about Buffalo, starting at Gates Circle, through
Buffalo's award winning Elmwood Village neighborhood, past Millionaire's Row
and reaching Niagara Square.
This
stretch has seen a tremendous amount of development in the last decade. Boarded up structures that had been
abandoned for decades now house everything from The Mansion on Delaware Avenue's
luxurious hotel rooms, to Kissling's residential loft project on Virginia near
Delaware. We've seen the Niagara
Center building go up, a new hotel at Delaware and Chippewa, and most recently
Uniland wrapped up construction on Avant.
A new federal courthouse promises to shine at Niagara Square. The Statler is now in the hands of
local developers. Further down the
line, high-rise condominium living is being planned for Gates Circle.
Is
Delaware Avenue our new identity?
It has everything that a great street needs--ongoing gentrification,
additional residential conversions, mixed-use structures combining hotel,
office and condominiums, and an increasing number of eateries with a street
level presence. This is one of
Buffalo's best success stories, a combined mix of public and private dollars, as
opposed to a silver bullet project.
Despite all of this development, a walk up and down the avenue is still
not a pleasant pedestrian experience.
There is a lack of uniformity, particularly from North Street to Niagara
Square. A section of Delaware that
should shine, is dull. Shouldn't
we want more out of our gem, or are we happy with mediocrity?
A
streetscape improvement plan is desperately needed if Buffalo wants to take
advantage of all the investment that has changed the face of lower
Delaware. Sidewalks and curbs that
are crumbling need to be replaced.
Trees that are dying or overgrown should also be replaced. Bike racks need to be installed, and
giant flowerpots would enhance pedestrian intersections. If we really want to make the street "pop"
and transform it into a destination, extras like signature lighting, benches,
and brick sidewalks and crosswalks would greatly enhance the pedestrian
experience.
Buffalo
is well on its way towards having our first showcase street. Such aesthetic improvements would
encourage further private investment.
A new streetscape would quietly give Buffalo the avenue it
deserves. Visitors would continue
to be surprised in what they see, and many locals would be surprised by what
has quietly developed.
Top image is opposite the Avant on Delaware Avenue.
Well see here is the most wonderful thing about Buffalo and part of what is holding Buffalo back.
We in Buffalo put very little stock in appearances and image (especially in comparison to image city an hour east).
The wonderful thing about that is that the Buffalonian you meet today, is the same Buffalonian you meet tomorrow and the day after. We are what we are and spend very little energy presenting otherwise.
But a little attention to image is good, one need only look at the garden walks throughout Buffalo as an example but the issue is bigger. How many homes in Buffalo do you drive by and wish they would paint, put in new sidewalks, get rid of their iron railings, clean their gutters, plant trees, mow lawns, put in a shrub. Why even on major streets like Delaware, Elmwood, Hertel, South Park/Abbott the appearance is still less than inviting.
I am proud that we Buffalonians are such a down to earth and caring people that do not waste their energies on the frivolous and immaterial but we must not think of civic pride and pride in our homes, businesses and neighborhoods as mere image but as civic pride.