For many, Merlin's was one of those bars that you loved to hate and hated to love - "A dream to some... a nightmare to others!" - Excalibur. It was a haven for obnoxiously loud motorcycles. It was the best place to get clams (for many moons). The owner continued to patch the ripped awning with beer signs until it finally disintegrated. A variety of local musicians called Merlin's 'home'. It was one of the few patios on the sunny side of Elmwood - a perfect place to drink a beer and people-watch when the sun went down. Many of the girls I know would choose to walk to the west side of the street when passing by so as not to get ogled to death. There was some good, some bad and a whole lot of ugly.
Maybe you've heard that Merlin's has finally closed its doors (again - apparently tax problems). I have mixed emotions regarding the closing. The majority of thoughts that race through my mind (regarding what's to come) feature a cleaned up restaurant or bar - something a lot classier than what was there... a lot classier. Then there's another part of me that is a holdout for something a bit seedier - something that might add to the hip-ness of the street while keeping the yuppy factor in check. I'm a big fan of a mix of people and offerings. Maybe we could get another music venue in there with an owner who would actually take care of the building... something like The Sportsmen on Amherst Street. Keep the music scene alive, but make it comfortable for everyone. Sell some late-night burgers and light up the old electric guitars on the building (with neon). Clean it up, but don't buff the floors. Repair the awning and get a real patio enclosure, but keep the domestic blue-collar beer selection.
It will be be interesting to see what eventually goes down at the corner of Elmwood and Breckenridge. For years I've watched that bar close, then open, then close again. Each time I crossed my fingers hoping that the next run would be better than the last. It never happened that way. If I'm not mistaken, the biggest changes that Merlin's ever experienced were the fires that blazed through the upper floors. To this day I'm shocked that the place is still standing. Here's to a new decade for a building and a business locale that certainly could use a new lease on life.
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Maybe you've heard that Merlin's has finally closed its doors (again - apparently tax problems). I have mixed emotions regarding the closing. The majority of thoughts that race through my mind (regarding what's to come) feature a cleaned up restaurant or bar - something a lot classier than what was there... a lot classier. Then there's another part of me that is a holdout for something a bit seedier - something that might add to the hip-ness of the street while keeping the yuppy factor in check. I'm a big fan of a mix of people and offerings. Maybe we could get another music venue in there with an owner who would actually take care of the building... something like The Sportsmen on Amherst Street. Keep the music scene alive, but make it comfortable for everyone. Sell some late-night burgers and light up the old electric guitars on the building (with neon). Clean it up, but don't buff the floors. Repair the awning and get a real patio enclosure, but keep the domestic blue-collar beer selection.
It will be be interesting to see what eventually goes down at the corner of Elmwood and Breckenridge. For years I've watched that bar close, then open, then close again. Each time I crossed my fingers hoping that the next run would be better than the last. It never happened that way. If I'm not mistaken, the biggest changes that Merlin's ever experienced were the fires that blazed through the upper floors. To this day I'm shocked that the place is still standing. Here's to a new decade for a building and a business locale that certainly could use a new lease on life.
Not good news. I went in there about 3 years ago when I returned from DC and ordered 2 rum and cokes and 3 beers. The bill was like 12 bucks and my jaw dropped. The place was a sh**hole and the front was always a source of eye displeasure with the patio issue, but it did have a ton of character and its not a good sign to see the place close.
It could be a great place with new ownership, liquidity and if it could figure out a parking arrangement. People with cars have the money, regardless what the stoned, broke hippies say.
Maybe they could hire you to scare the hippies and old money types away. If you dont have the stomach for it you can at least talk about it on line just like you do for the Place.
I agree with you that pedestrians and neighborhood residents should not be considered for whatever redevelopment goes in this building. Forget what works, this thriving block needs this eyesore removed for a shovel ready site and or off street parking. Maybe then the suburban types will think were cool enough to hang around with.
What do we really care of what the suburbanites think? Why do [we] keep concerning ourselves with their opinion about our neighborhood and how it function or what it has to offer us?
He cares deeply about what the suburbanites think. ILUVPITBULLS has a serious inferiority complex with the suburbs it is evident in most of his/her posts. There is concern about the suburbs because many urbanites have a victim mentality about the 'burbs. They feel that the suburbs are the reason for our shortcomings and they need to pay for it. ILPB has a great deal of contempt for the suburbs and masks his/her insecurities and anxieties with a sense of moral superiority and righteous indignation for those who live in the suburbs.
At some point s/he might realize that we are all just people with common interests, goals, and dreams. This city vs. suburb thing is a smoke screen that keeps us from addressing the real issues with our city.
So my city boosting a reflection of "contempt" and an "inferiority complex" and your city bashing and name calling is not?
The fact that you see criticism of the city as "bashing" speaks volumes about your inferiority complex.
Jimmy>
"No one cares about the area around the bridge. The people who call the shots don't live anywhere near there and the people who do live near there don't matter all that much."
"We are the welfare city!"
"victim mentality"
"You know who I am talking about, the woman who has 10 children by 10 different absentee fathers who appears on the news at Thanksgiving time."
Sounds like city bashing to me.
There is a big difference between being critical and running people down to build yourself up. Im sure your bitter comments toward the city and innacurate generalizations of its residents make you feel high and mighty but dont try to say your spiteful remarks are intended for constructive criticism.
immy>
"No one cares about the area around the bridge. The people who call the shots don't live anywhere near there and the people who do live near there don't matter all that much."
--- Taken out of context, I was speaking of the people making the decisions about the Peace Bridge expansion and how they might feel about those in the area. Nice try though.
"We are the welfare city!"
--- Truth hurts!
"victim mentality"
--- Again, the truth hurts!
"You know who I am talking about, the woman who has 10 children by 10 different absentee fathers who appears on the news at Thanksgiving time."
--- Again, taken out of context. This was a discussion about the difference in perceptions about the poor. This isn't city bashing though, it was a gross generalization about the poor. I know this got your uber-leftwing-liberal panties in a bunch though.
Sounds like city bashing to me.
There is a big difference between being critical and running people down to build yourself up. Im sure your bitter comments toward the city and innacurate generalizations of its residents make you feel high and mighty but dont try to say your spiteful remarks are intended for constructive criticism.
--- LOL! Now you are getting it. You do this all the time, you try to build up the city by putting down the suburbs. You are quick to point out that the suburbs are xxxx or the city is this way because the suburbs did yyyyy. You are quick to paint the entire area of WNY with a very broad brush, but you get very defensive when someone mentions Buffalo in a negative light.
I wonder how long you spent trying to dig up the references you used. They were pretty weak, and I think they prove my point that criticism is not bashing. We are a poor city with corrupt and ineffective politicians who are more concerned about not making a move that would jeopardize their future, even if it were done for the better good of the community. We continually make decisions that shoot ourselves in the foot, we lack direction and guidance on what we should be working on to make the city competitive again. One of the first things we have to do is to admit we have a problem and that we own the problem. The problems in Buffalo are not the suburbs fault, the suburbs are not going to come in here and fix them for us. We got ourselves into this mess and we need to work together to get ourselves out of it.
If that is city bashing in your book, then oh well. I really don't respect your ill-informed opinions, and victim mentality, that much anyway.
I see pitbull playing defense most of the time, posting comments in reponse to the usual attacks on all things city. I can of course relate due to a lifelong experience of defending my choice to stay here in Black Rock. Why shouldn't he be offended when he obviously has pride in and hope for our city?
Your idea that there are relentless attacks on the suburbs is downright silly. Other than a few debates here on BRO and in the small circle of new urbanism it is generally pro suburb to a fault. The media, government, big business have all embraced the burbs and continue to view city living as a novelty for artsy types and other non comformists.
We do need to take control of our destiny here in Buffalo as you often point out but doing so requires an honest and blunt discussion with our neighbors. It takes a region to destroy a city, we all are responsibe, we all must do our part.
This isn't a war, we are not choosing sides. I am not attacking the city or defending the suburbs. Saying something positive about the suburbs is not an attack on the city and does not require a defensive strike in retaliation. Saying something negative about the city is not an endorsement for the suburbs, and also does not require a defensive strike against the 'burbs. Why can't we have a debate about the issues in the city without bringing up the suburbs and the people who choose to live there. As I have stated before, people have chosen to live in the suburbs for a variety of reasons, many of which are due to very real issues in the city. If we want those people to live in the city, then we will probably need to fix some of these issues first.
I contend that there is just as much ignorance and over-generalization about the suburbs as there are about the city. We paint both with very broad strokes of negative stereotypes. I have no qualms with the role of the suburbs in the decline of the city; however I do not support using it as an excuse or a crutch. I definitely do not support the mentality that the city is in the state it is in because of some mass conspiracy orchestrated by the federal and state governments, the literati, and others to hollow out the cities just to see them decline. That to me is a little far fetched and tends to be a convenient re-write of history.
If we want to fix the issues with Buffalo, then we need to take responsibility for the issues in Buffalo. If we don't, we will be having these conversations and pointing fingers for another few decades.
ILUVPB - Here is the thing that I find funny about your comments. You stay as far away from facts as possible unless they are in your favor. I post objective comments that include facts and figures, citations from reputable sources, and references to specific reports or sections of laws. You typically won't reply when I include facts, you only reply when I offer a quick opinion. You like to take things out of context or parse out the section that supports your argument and then throw out the rest.
What are you afraid of? If you want to refute or challenge my posts, then do so with facts instead of just opinions.
Last week BLACKROCKLIFER posted: "I know the data out there can help us sort things out but I put more stock in my own observations and experience. Statistics can be manipulated or more often not take into account the many variables inherent in the human condition."
In other words, he takes his own perception and feelings over the facts. I do respect where he is coming from because at least he will step up to challenge and will admit when his perception is biased or incorrect. I admire him because at least he stands up for his convictions and admits that his comments are based on perception and experience.
ILUVPB on the other hands will not stand up and challenge, and will never admit that he is wrong. If challenged, the response is usually an ad hominen attack on the commenter that usually includes some reference to being from the suburbs. As I stated above, I don't respect your comments because they are just baseless opinions meant to attack other commenters.
I call into question your "facts" on a regular basis. You usually just repeat the same stuff that I challenge over and over until the person you are talking to gets sick of hearing the same response. Remmber when the cvb guy called you out on spreading misinformation and you still wouldnt let the conversation die? Right jimmy, we are to believe a commenters rhetoric over sombody who actually works there.
Or you could consider it a difference of opinion. Perhaps you would take the word of someone who worked at Worldcom or AIG over the external analysts. I am not at all happy with the lack of progress at the CVB, that is something I have been vocal about to the former director of the CVB. I don't have a lot of facts about the CVB beyond what is available online. I did offer facts on budgets for other cities, and left it at that. The majority of my concern for the CVB is based on my opinion, and I hope that the new director will be far more effective than the former one.
Do you think the CVB is doing the best they can do? Do you believe they are as effective as they can be? Do you believe their $5M budget is spent effectively?
These are opinion statements.
There are many comments that I post where I cite references and facts, and you tend to take those as opinions because they don't align with your limited view of the world. You have yet to respond to my comments and challenge the facts, just the opinions. I am comfortable with that if that is all you have to offer.
Combining our own observations and experience with the available information on a given subject is the only way to provide an intelligent comment.
Statistics and internet links are much more likely to impart a bias or lead to incorrect conclusions.
Turn your sarcasm meeter on.
Turn your attitude off.
How clever.
A rather throw away comment when there's nothing intelligent left to say.
Im not sure what else there is to say in response to what you said earlier. Is picking a fight over the internet on your to do list today?
When people don't agree with your opinion it's a fight. Lay off the caffeine dude. My NAME is on here btw.
Scottw:"When people don't agree with your opinion it's a fight. "
There is nothing wrong with airing conflicting opinions on a message board. My back and forths with "Jimmy" and "Karl Malone" are just an airing opinoions on various issues not a fight. I dont have anything personal against them and vice versa since we dont even know each other. Who knows, we might be pals now and not even know it. A public message board ought to have conflicting opinions to crate a healthy discussion. If you dont like reading our "fight" than change the station.
But why single me out for something many others participate in?
Scottw: " My NAME is on here btw"
Is that a hint? Have a wronged a Scottw in the past and that is the reason for the pi$$ing match? If so im sorry for the hard feelings as Im sure none were intended. You are welcome to pick fights whenever I post like my other buddies. I promise not to take it personal if you wont :).
I have to say you're right there. Sometimes passion can over ride ones sense of what's appropriate and when. Truce and thanks.
No problem.
Wow, serious rage issues. You must have been that kid in school everyone picked on and wedged all the time. You are truly a toolbox, Poodle. I feel sorry for you but it sounds like there's a lot of company in that group.
Stop in the Place and will give you another wedgie for old time sake, not that it probably has ever stopped.
The place? Oh no I wouldnt dare cross an internet tough guy like youself. I would no doubt be in trouble if I ran afoul of you grinding your axe on the internet. There is no telling what someone willing to badmouth others from the saftey of his computer is capable of.
Same tired dribble. Get some new material. And I said I would gladly give you a wedgie in person not over the internet, unless you want to tape me giving you a wedgie and post it on You Tube. I'm good with that to loser.
BTW: I am crushing you if you are keeping score.
Whatever makes you happy in your own little world.
You just can't stand losing can you. I would think you would be use to it by now.
Malone>"I am crushing you if you are keeping score"
Malone>"You just can't stand losing can you"
You are right and I ought to be ashamed. I had no idea i was participating in this contest you made up and have no idea how points are scored but that is no excuse. Ill never be the internet badass you are. I should start griding the old axe by making spiteful comments about total strangers on blogs. Then maybe you will think Im as cool as you.
Poodle: I really only go after you because you are such an easy target. If it was a competition I would have to pick up my game too to match you though. I would have to regurgitate the same old tired insults endlessly, comment endlessly, and post like:
Poodle> "I'm insecure"
Score 1 more 4 the big man.
Swoosh...