UB Selects HOK to Lead Desi

After an international competition that focused the expertise of four elite architectural teams on design...

More >> 66

Wrecking WNY: Bethlehem Off

Demolition crews this week are preparing the Bethlehem Steel North Office Building in Lackawanna for...

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This is what they call prog

Lackawanna is on a tear lately in an ill advised effort to eliminate its historic...

More >> 64

July 2011 Archives

City July 31, 2011 11:55 PM

Common Council to Food Trucks: Don't Move!

Jackie Treehorn 60

It was one year ago that Lloyd the taco truck arrived on the Buffalo food scene. Lloyd has experienced a tremendous amount of success since then for a very simple reason - the food is great.
Operating a food truck is no simple business, though. The trucks are expensive and require significant maintenance. A popular truck - like Lloyd - can struggle with capacity issues as customers line up for product. And in Buffalo, there are no clear rules and regulations for how food trucks are allowed to operate. So to date, Lloyd and other Buffalo food trucks needed a permit to set up shop in one fixed location (like Lloyd sets up at Main & Mohawk) or they could set up on private property.
Lloyd, as a pioneer in the Buffalo food truck movement, led an effort to get the City to establish fair food truck legislation. That initiative

City July 31, 2011 4:32 PM

Canvas @ 1206

queenseyes 4

Upon hearing that The Canvas Bar was opening on the 500 Block of Main Street, I was really excited - especially when I heard about the concept. As time went on, hope began to diminish when no apparent activity could be seen taking place. Then I heard that the deal was dead. While on our way to brunch at Empire today we passed something that looked remarkably familiar to the branding that I had

City July 31, 2011 3:24 PM

A very Hip weekend

Buffalo Rising 0

By Joe Cascio:

Over the last 22 years I have had the pleasure of seeing the boys from Kingston, ON countless times, from small clubs in Vancouver, BC to Cleveland down on the flats and in the Much Music Studios on Queen Street in Toronto. Last night's show on the water at Canalside was right up there at the top.

The weekend started with a great dinner provided by the folks at Encore & Chef Chris Daigler where we all sat around relaxed eating good food and drinking some great wine, sort of the calm before the storm. In talking with Gord Downie,

City July 31, 2011 10:19 AM

Second Chance: Prince

Buffalo Rising 0

Second Chance Sheltering Network, Inc. is an all-volunteer, not-for-profit animal rescue group serving the Western New York area. Their goal is to help place homeless animals while simultaneously helping interested individuals find a new furry companion. Every Sunday, we run a homeless pet spotlight to help these animals find a good home with a loving family. Please consider adopting an animal...

This 1 year old male kitty was hiding under bushes and shrubs when he and his sister were abandoned. Not understanding where they were or why they were there, whenever

City July 30, 2011 5:55 PM

Pucker Up Garden Walkers!

queenseyes 4

One of the things that I love about the Garden Walk are the fringe activities that can be found on any given street. There are endless yard sales, garden parties, lemonade stands and so forth. Today I came across one of the more unexpected activities to date - a kissing booth. Christian (photo) and friends had set up shop on Richmond and were creating quite a stir when I found them. The group told me that this was their second year 'in business' and that smooching sales were brisk (as they held up a jar with about ten $1 bills inside). "We do it for fun," they told me. "We even have a website."
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Recent Photos[ BR Flickr ]

City July 30, 2011 2:18 PM

A Culinary Coup for Elmwood

queenseyes 9

As if overnight, and just in time for the Garden Walk, D'Avolio has brilliantly transformed an Elmwood driveway and carriage house entrance into a contemporary and refreshing indoor-outdoor courtyard. The business has outdone itself - something that was tough to do considering that its previous location was ever so popular and tastefully presented. The olive oils and vinegars are prominently placed with menu boards to decipher what is currently in stock. Awnings are hung above faux windows featuring photos of different serene landscapes. Next to the awnings, cafe chairs are arranged so that customers

City July 30, 2011 11:03 AM

Saturday Stumper

queenseyes 9

Every Saturday I will be featuring an obscure architectural element found in the city, to see if someone can figure out where it is. We used to run this same sort of post every once in a while, but somehow got away from it. There are no clues - just a photo depicting the item. I'm sure that there are a lot of BRO readers out there who have scoured the city and have seen just about all that there is to see.

Good luck...

City July 29, 2011 4:08 PM

Mixology Buffalo

queenseyes 13

I still vividly remember when The Royal Pheasant re-opened in 2005 after being closed for many years. It was is if someone had brought back a part of history that needed to be retold in a newer, cleaner way. Alas, before the new owners could even find their groove, the doors were shut once again and the building began to creep right back into a dark and forgotten place. Today, things are looking up once again for this historic

City July 29, 2011 1:10 PM

Going Brick On Norwood

queenseyes 82

It's time to share this update on a house located at 109 Norwood Avenue that John Straubinger first wrote about back in August of 2009 (see post). At that time, the house was about to embark upon a major overhaul that would see the entire structure stripped down to the frame before being built back up with a brick facade, rather than the original wood. This house has been transformed from a troublesome multi-unit eyesore into a signature single on the street. From John's original post:

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City July 29, 2011 12:22 PM

We Want Wass

queenseyes 10

After posting on Buffalo's Bounty while including Hamilton as part of the mega-region (Torbuffchesterton), my wife and I decided to go somewhere we had never been, in search of something that we had never had. We figured that we would head up to Hamilton to try a well-known Ethiopian restaurant called Wass. Wass is named after its owner Wassie Mulugeta, a congenial guy who was on-hand to greet us and more that happy to feed us well after the lunch rush

City July 29, 2011 9:58 AM

Buffalo Barn Raisers to Throw a Bash

Buffalo Rising 1

By Thea Hassan:

The chicken won't cross the road this Saturday. Nope, she'll stay put at 318 Normal Avenue, to help celebrate the Buffalo Barn Raisers Party and Fundraiser. The farm-themed event is being thrown as kind of a slap on the back, 7-month birthday, go us! event for the group.

"[The party is] a chance for all of the wonderful people who have contributed their time and energy, and those interested in doing so in the future, to come together and have fun!," wrote Barn Raiser Anna Miller in an email.

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food July 28, 2011 5:26 PM

BECHS Teams Up With The Roaming Buffalo Food Truck

queenseyes 34

The Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society (BECHS) is teaming up with one or more of the area's food trucks. Next Thursday will be the first day that The Roaming Buffalo will be parked at the museum during lunch hours, serving up burgers, beef on weck, wings, fries and desserts, featuring local favorites such as Sahlen's, Miller's, Weber's, Frank's, etc.

The idea to team up with the food truck was hatched when it was suggested that the BECHS open a cafe so that visitors could enjoy food and drinks out on the portico overlooking the Japanese Gardens

City July 28, 2011 4:31 PM

Theological Thursdays: Compromise?

Rev. Drew 9

How often does consensus happen? Not too often. And if Canalside and the Peace bridge have taught us anything, its that we can let disagreements waste a LOT of time.

With the clock ticking on our federal government's debate regarding the debt ceiling, now seems like the right time to ask: How do our beliefs affect our ability to compromise?

My propositions, for your discussion:

First, the presumption behind the question: Sometimes, compromise is necessary, and said ability is one worth having, especially in a pluralistic society. The perfect really

Continue reading Theological Thursdays: Compromise?.

City July 28, 2011 1:51 PM

Gift Giving Made Easy: Elmwood Village Gift Certificates

queenseyes 4

With so many new businesses popping up in and around Elmwood, it can be tough to figure out just where to go to purchase gift certificates, especially if you have a picky friend or family member. It was three years ago when the Elmwood Village Association (EVA) teamed up with Evans Bank in order to start up an Elmwood Village gift certificate program, and today there are upwards of 70 shops and restaurants that participate. "The certificates can be purchased at the Evans Bank branch found at the corner of Elmwood and Delavan," Becky Gandour (Business Director EVA) told me. "Or they can be

City July 28, 2011 11:45 AM

GOOD DEED DOERS - BAVPA Students strike again !

NEGarvey 0

THE PINBALLS by Aurand Harris

Buffalo Academy for Visual and Performing Arts - Black Box Theatre

FRIDAY, JULY 29TH at 7PM
SATURDAY, JULY 30TH at 2PM

Just when you begin to think today's youth will never amount to anything, just when the Delaware Park Rose garden is vandalized or there is another spate of graffiti, Buffalo's kids do something remarkable and restore one's faith in the future.

Students from the Buffalo Academy for Visual and Performing Arts (BAVPA) have teamed up with Child and Family Services of Erie County,

City July 28, 2011 9:39 AM

Preservation Ready: St. Vincent's - take this one off the list.

STEEL 39

The next building on our list of must save buildings is the beautiful and much abused St. Vincent's Female Orphan Asylum [edit - located at1140 Ellicott Street in Buffalo]. It was recently featured in Spree as part of their year long series highlighting buildings which Buffalo must save. I have been following the decline of St. Vincent's on Buffalo Rising for nearly

City July 27, 2011 11:01 PM

Ribbon Cutting for 265' Olmsted Parks Mural

queenseyes 5

The Olmsted Parks Conservancy performed a ribbon cutting this morning, marking the near completion of the 265' mural depicting the Olmsted Parks' landscapes. Artist Augustina Droze (photo - red dress) will be adding the final touches this week, along with her artist partners from Buffalo State College.

The massive work has received so much attention this summer that additional plans to extend the piece are in the works.

Augustina is planning a return trip to Buffalo

City July 27, 2011 7:38 PM

Ashker's Juice Bar and Cafe

queenseyes 12

After opening on Elmwood in 2008, and expanding in 2009, Comfort Zone Cafe has closed its doors on Elmwood. Fortunately another cafe (and juice bar) was waiting in the wings to take over the space. Over the next two months, Angelo Ashker will be renovating the cafe that will ultimately be open seven days a week from 7am to 6pm serving full breakfasts and lunches, and eventually dinners. "We've installed a full kitchen and will be preparing fresh food with produce from the local farmers markets," Angelo told me. "We'll have fresh smoothies and juices, and a complete breakfast with Belgian waffles

City July 27, 2011 3:12 PM

Common Council Items of Interest

Buffalo Rising 4

Meeting Summary for July 27, 2011

The Council adopted a resolution sponsored by Fillmore District Council Member David A. Franczyk supporting a plan for the Great Lakes Experience Institute ("GLEI") to be located on Outer Harbor land. For decades the City of Buffalo has worked hard to reinvent the Lake Erie Waterfront and many concepts have been considered or launched on the waterfront. The GLEI, comprising the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, University of Buffalo, Buffalo State College, Erie Community College, Times Beach Nature Preserve and Stieglitz Snyder Architecture,

City July 27, 2011 1:55 PM

America's Economically Strongest Metro Areas

queenseyes 30

Bloomberg Businessweek is ranking Buffalo-Niagara Falls as one of America's Economically Strongest Metro Areas for reasons that include missing out on the real estate bubble, strength in leisure and hospitality industry as well as the ever-growing health care industry.

Looking for all of the criteria? Click here. Here's the info:

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