August 2010 Archives

A Flock of Seagulls, The Romantics, Dramarama, When in Rome, Animotion and Gene Loves Jezebel... that's the line-up for the Hello Yesterday concert being presented at LaSalle Park on September 18th. Not a bad line-up for LaSalle Park, the city's premiere outdoor concert venue. It's an all-day concert event that also features a lip sync concert of course. The posters are around town and the buzz is starting. We've seen a lot of rock, blues and jazz this summer - now it's time to go back in time to the land of new wave hairdressers and power pop, featuring

Upstate economic development received a much needed boost when Governor David A. Paterson signed into law legislation sponsored by Assemblymember Sam Hoyt (A10839/S7556) amending the current Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit law to allow banks and insurance companies to now claim the tax credit.

"This is a major victory for economic development in Buffalo and Upstate New York," Hoyt said.  "The amendments will create a ripple effect of private sector investment that includes the creation of hundreds of new jobs and historic structures in communities across upstate will be saved

Rarely have I seen so much garbage strewn about than at the corner of Hertel and Delaware. It was so bad in fact that I hopped off my bike and began to look around to see what could be done. Stuff was everywhere - Tim Hortons and Dunkin' Donuts coffee cups, McDonald's and Burger King bags and soda cups, Mighty Taco wrappers... you name the business found anywhere near that intersection and it was represented. Unfortunately, ever since the North Park Branch Library closed, the park fronting the building has fallen into the hands of litterbugs. It doesn't help that there is a bus stop at the corner,

By: Syrie Roman

Just when I thought I had food figured out and not much else could impress me, I set out to do a tasting of Bistro Europa's newest menu items. I sat at the bar of the cozy eatery and took in the great atmosphere, which I've learned is a direct reflection of the proprietors and their crew. This place is warm, relaxed and inviting, it encourages you to "eat up" and have another beer. The bistro's menu is moderately priced, the portions are completely satisfying and the décor is eclectic. The music alone gives off a cool, funky vibe without being obnoxious. Overall, Europa

If you wondered where The Buffalo Juggling Club members were for the better part of the summer, they took some time off after being required to fill out park permits. I guess that's what happens when your club gets too big and the chainsaw jugglers start snooping around. Now that they have their permit filled out, and are meeting each and every Monday (by the Delaware Park Rose Garden) once more, there are some acts that I suggest you catch.

Meet Jim Neff. Jim is Buffalo's resident top spinner. What does that mean? He loves to spin tops -

"I just spotted something that might be worthy of a BRO report.  I just drove by the NYSDEC building on Michigan and Seneca and they filled in three tree pits with concrete!  In front of the DEC building! Is it just me or is that ridiculous?" -TM

After receiving the above email, I headed over to see what was going on, and it was true - three trees missing and replaced with concrete, just like the tree wells at Delta Sonic.

Everyday, starting at 11:30am, over 100 people gather for lunch in the basement of Lafayette Ave Presbyterian Church.  There, at the ="border-bottom: 2px dotted rgb(54, 99, 136); background: transparent none repeat scroll 0% 0%; cursor:

By: Tony Wilson

Well, hello again, Buffalo. It's been a little while since I've had a chance to inform the good people of this city of the upcoming, can't-miss music talent that will be venturing this way. That's not to say that August didn't have any good shows. Think of it more as a respite from my shenanigans. Why the need for the self-imposed break? Well, probably cause my articles are a little goofballish--borderline obnoxious, even. 

But even more importantly, Buffalo, it was to prepare you. To rest your wearied ears and eyes from the past

You have to give credit to this guy who figured out a brilliant way to market the sale of a house at the Elmwood Art Festival. Not to say that you would want to see this form of marketing turn mainstream, but you have to admit that he deserves to be recognized for his effort. It's genius! He walked around at the intersection of Elmwood and Auburn carrying his handmade sign, directing people to the house and answering questions about it.

I couldn't believe the response that he got. People kept walking up to him asking him questions. I even saw some people walk off in the direction of

For the first time in as long as I can remember, the Elmwood Festival of the Arts had two full days of sunshine without a cloud in the sky - perfect weather for artists of all sorts. As much as I found the various artists' works a draw, I was particularly interested to see all of the buskers who set up throughout the show. There was a young violinist at Ferry, a guitar player at Breckenridge, a magician at Cleveland, and so on. At every corner there was some sort of entertainment. The diversity of the musicians was fascinating, as was the crowd's reaction to each.

The sight of all of

It took some time and patience from both the developer and neighborhood residents, but work to create a 14-unit apartment building at the White's Livery site at 428 Jersey Street is a significant step closer to starting.  Developer Sam Savarino is teaming with West Side Neighborhood Housing Services Inc. on the $3.4 million project.  The development received $2.1 million in funding from the NYS HOME Program last week allowing the reuse project to proceed.

The project is a victory for neighborhood

You can't say no to Tucker Curtin. Well, you can, but it will just feed the fire which powers the intense energy of this local businessman. Before meeting him, more than one person had told me of his entrepreneurial spirit, which landed him in Seventeen magazine as a teen. Age hasn't tempered his big ideas, and by the time we met one another four or five years ago, he was well known for transforming an old dining car into one of Buffalo's favorite diners and operating The Steer on a stretch of Main Street where many had already pulled up their stakes and moved on.

I told Curtin

Buffalo & Erie County Public Library Staff Review by Jack Edson

I had always wondered how my favorite poems by an American poet could have been written by a sad reclusive woman, dressed in white, standing in the upper story of a New England family home. Where did the author ever find the spark, the fire, which could ignite my emotions today, with just a few lines written one hundred and fifty years ago? We find the answer to this question (well, possibly the answer) when we read of the astonishingly wild adventures  and the many secret loves of Emily Dickinson,

Over the next couple of minutes I want you to think of all of the great restaurants in Buffalo that don't deliver food. Places like Kuni's, Europa and Trattoria Aroma. Then think about all of the times that you are stuck at home on a weekend, flipping through the same ten delivery menus that have been sitting in your kitchen drawer for years. Not Chinese again... or pizza. Fortunately the limited menu days are over thanks to BuffaloMunch, a weekend bicycle food delivery service that has just launched in the city.

Now you can get just about anything

With Mark Croce and James Eagan stepping up to submit a bid to buy the Statler tomorrow, the head of the Buffalo Niagara Partnership has a better idea for the landmark: Demolition.  Instead of encouraging private investment, Andrew Rudnick, who apparently was speaking as BNP president when talking to The Buffalo News, says a vacant Statler site may be an incentive for development. 

The News' Matt Glynn has the head-scratching quote:

"It

Currently available for lease is the beautiful space formerly occupied by Juniper restaurant, located in The Neighborhood Collective building at 810 Elmwood Avenue. This building was brought to life a few years ago by Collective owner and well-known jewelry designer, Annie Adams. She resurrected the building after a lengthy shuttering. It had previously been the home of May Jen restaurant. The Collective is located near Elmwood Avenue and Auburn Avenue, one of Elmwood's most active intersections.

The split-level space has a lofty feel and is enhanced by a wall of windows which allows

The Christian Science Monitor pretty much just nailed a summation of Buffalo as a place with stable real estate values, while throwing a couple of extra kudos in for good measure (see here). Buffalo rounded out the top city bucking the real estate slump, and at the same time threw in a sweet photo of a couple of kids tubing at the Outer Harbor. Even the couple of digs towards the end wasn't enough to sour the sweet taste of the overall tone, which ended with, "Forbes magazine

The Lafayette Hotel was added to the National Register of Historic Places on August 19.  While the circa-1904 building has been a long-time official city landmark, its listing on the National Register was pushed by developer Rocco Termini.  Termini needs federal preservation tax credits that are available to listed properties to help finance his $35 million reuse plan for the property.  The National Register is

The 31 Club, which has been opened for almost a year and a half after a meticulous restoration, is continuing in its goal to create a venue that caters to one's more refined tastes.  The handsome brick building bridges the historic West Village, Chippewa and Delaware Avenuve at the corner of S. Elmwood Avenue and N. Johnson Park. 

The 31 Club is looking to the past to attract new customers.  The owners of the restaurant/bar have always had it in their plans to create a classic, refined atmosphere, where customers can escape