It's been a while since I've heard anything regarding the skate plaza that Buffalo Microparks first proposed back in 2008. With all of the progress happening along the Buffalo River and Canalside, covering the project was put on the back burner. Plus, with no real interest from The City, and changing promotional faces, there hasn't been much to cover anyways. Until today. As if out of thin air, The City wants to put something in the ground by next summer, and they want to pay for it. This is no joke. This is reality. The Buffalo Skate Group, consisting of local skaters and Buffalo Microparks met with the parks department, The Mayor and public works. It looks like it's going to be a project that will land in LaSalle Park - this significant news comes on the heels of Mayor Brown requesting to meet with promoters of the skate plaza. Mayor Brown actually showed up at Sunday Skate yesterday along with Steve Stepniak (Public
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August 2011 Archives
City
August 31, 2011 1:01 PM
Project for Public Spaces is looking for community input regarding events and amenities currently being offered at the Inner Harbor. They're also looking for input on topics such as transportation, your favorite features, and additional comments that can help to steer them in the right directions... public input has gotten us this far, and now it's time to take it to the next level. The survey is short and painless... and invaluable to the people who are responsible for making future decisions regarding land use, concerts, boating, kid-friendly events and games, pets, shopping, security, signage,
City
August 31, 2011 12:19 PM
When Dave Carroll, General Manager of Holiday Inn on Delaware told me that a cafe/wine bar was underway, I wasn't exactly sure what to anticipate (see back story). After all, 'corporate' has been known to nix quality design ideas in lieu of cheap build-outs. Fortunately, that's not the case with Bin 620 (a bin is a storage area in a wine cellar) thanks to the Cathleen Hart-Frantz, who was responsible for the bulk of the interior design work. The space was originally designed as
City
August 31, 2011 9:53 AM
Do you have a green home or business? One with solar (passive or active) or geothermal? Are you living or working a net zero lifestyle? If you are, the WNY Sustainable Energy Association would like to know. The group is preparing for the Annual Tour of Solar Homes and Green Buildings. This is a chance for others, who may be interested in learning more from people who live a green lifestyle, to see firsthand what activists are doing locally. There are the high profile green buildings like the Darwin D. Martin House and Babeville that offer tours year after year. These are the projects that showcase
Real Estate
August 30, 2011 8:00 PM
Count Buffalo Mayor Brown as impressed with the work Mark Croce has completed thus far at the Statler. So much so, the Mayor is recommending the use of State funding to assist with the building's exterior repairs. The $5.3 million would be taken from a $15 million discretionary allocation given to the City several years ago that was earmarked for economic development projects. Mayor Brown announced his support after a building tour this afternoon.
Croce says he has put $1.5 million
Continue reading Mayor Brown Steps Up: Supports Public Funding for Statler Renovations.
City
August 30, 2011 5:48 PM
By this time, we've all heard about the controversy surrounding the food trucks and their ability to operate in the region. On one side you have the people who enjoy having convenient food choices in areas where options can sometimes be limited. Then there are others who say that the food trucks are impeding on existing businesses that pay good money to be in a brick and mortar locations. There are lots of scenarios that could be analyzed over and over. How close to a restaurant is too close? How many food trucks are allowed to be operating (there are talks of a moratorium)? Who should be
City
August 30, 2011 3:28 PM
The Eights Bistro has officially opened for lunch. After serving up dinner dishes for close to a year, the bistro has finally done what it originally set out to do - offer lunch fare to the Medical Campus and the downtown business crowd. Many of the dinnertime favorites have carried over to the daytime menu, including the vegan Philly cheesesteak, the vegan beef on weck, African lentil dip, and the caramelized onion, mushroom, blue cheese and spiced nuts pizza, to name a few. While I was tempted to get one of my standbys, I opted to try one of the newest pizza offerings - the tomato, eggplant,
City
August 30, 2011 11:59 AM
After many long hours and days spent over the past couple of years, trying to get murals up in our city, we may be one step closer to seeing a couple come to 'life'. In the past, a few of the stumbling blocks have been the laborious work that goes into a piece, and the significant amount of money it takes to prepare and paint a wall. Enter Max Collins, a young photographer who is adept in the art of creating and adhering larger than life photographs on all sorts of surfaces. I sat down with Max, who just moved back home from Ann Arbor, yesterday to discuss the process, the timeline, the subject
City
August 30, 2011 8:26 AM
So many times we see Buffalo featured in media outlets as a city that's making a rebound. In this Next American City article, Sarah Bishop reflects on the city's past and present hardships as well as a newfound bottom-up energy that fuels the hearts of those who love her. Coupled with some incredible images by photographer Joe Cascio (like the breathtaking one seen here), and a resilient storyline, it's hard not to root for Buffalo. Excerpt from the article:
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City
August 29, 2011 4:16 PM
There's a new bike in town, although it might not exactly be the kind of bike that you're used to seeing. This electric bike, called the Ultra Motor, has a detachable, rechargeable battery pack that gives the contraption a silent boost good for 20 miles at 20mph. That range can drastically increase if the rider is willing to donate some leg power to the vehicle. I spoke to Jeff Russo (photo) at The Buffalo Scooter Company who told me that, "...there is no license needed, because it is essentially a bike. It's completely silent and the electric motor
City
August 29, 2011 12:10 PM
By Tom Tarapacki:
Buffalo has numerous races that highlight this area's long-standing love affair with running. They include, to name a few, the Shamrock Run, the Subaru Chase, and the YMCA Turkey Trot, the country's oldest continuously run footrace. A first-time race that will likely become another great annual local tradition will be held on Friday, September 2. That's when the inaugural running of the Western New York Running Hall of Fame 5k will take place in the Elmwood Village.
As organizers put it, this is "a race put
Buffalo has numerous races that highlight this area's long-standing love affair with running. They include, to name a few, the Shamrock Run, the Subaru Chase, and the YMCA Turkey Trot, the country's oldest continuously run footrace. A first-time race that will likely become another great annual local tradition will be held on Friday, September 2. That's when the inaugural running of the Western New York Running Hall of Fame 5k will take place in the Elmwood Village.
As organizers put it, this is "a race put
City
August 29, 2011 10:34 AM
This past Saturday, as I headed downtown to check out the B-boy Festival at New Era (Battle at Buffalo), I found that the city was relatively jumping with unexpected activities. Surprisingly, much of the activity was being generated by the most unlikely of sources. One of the biggest gatherings that spread out throughout the city was a rather large zombie walk and fundraiser that was stationed at Club W. Although zombie walks are a common occurrence in Buffalo these days, it's easy to be caught off guard when you're not expecting to run into one - visitors staying at The Avant would most certainly
City
August 29, 2011 8:24 AM
We've all asked the question, "How do we help save our churches from imminent doom, as more and more congregations are depleted and doors are shut?" Just thinking of the cost of upkeep - preventative maintenance and heating the structure - is enough to make one shudder. Trying to keep up with the McMega churches (you know, the sprawling malls with crosses above the revolving doors) in a world where air conditioning is king and a projection screens are the norm (and that's in church!), can be a bit despairing.
It wasn't long ago when Reverend Drew posed a question that
It wasn't long ago when Reverend Drew posed a question that
City
August 29, 2011 12:15 AM
The following comes from the Buffalo Green Code News. As the Green Code continues to take shape, the overall vision for the new plan comes into focus. For a full size view of the Vacant and Distressed Land Map (entry image) click here.
Planning for Neighborhood Vitality
It is no secret that one of the greatest challenges facing Buffalo is what to do with the vacant land in our
City
August 28, 2011 2:56 PM
We've all seen what Peg Overdorf helped to accomplish at River Fest Park, and now we've heard about her plans for a second waterfront park, situated at the corner of South Street and Hamburg Street. As we all know, hearing is one thing and seeing is another. It's also nice to be able to put a name to a place... rather than calling this future park 'The park at the river bend just past Elevator Alley', Peg has released its official name - Mutual Riverfront Park (MRP) - named after the old Mutual Rowing Club that
City
August 28, 2011 11:45 AM
Photos and story by Joe Verrastro:
With hopes of reviving an old school concept of a traveling neighborhood huckster, sisters Suzanne Glascoe and Michelle Cullen started up "Sisters Produce". Their original idea was to acquire a wagon and roll through the streets of "The Valley" neighborhood where they reside, selling fresh fruits and vegetables to the elderly or homebound residents who might not otherwise have access. Some problems with feasibility and city ordinances made them rethink their initial plan.
Their current business model
With hopes of reviving an old school concept of a traveling neighborhood huckster, sisters Suzanne Glascoe and Michelle Cullen started up "Sisters Produce". Their original idea was to acquire a wagon and roll through the streets of "The Valley" neighborhood where they reside, selling fresh fruits and vegetables to the elderly or homebound residents who might not otherwise have access. Some problems with feasibility and city ordinances made them rethink their initial plan.
Their current business model
lifestyle
August 28, 2011 10:28 AM
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...
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lifestyle
August 27, 2011 2:56 PM
By Tim Fenster:
Alice Cooper is not a legend because of his songwriting, or his pioneering use of scary stage props. His knack for bringing horror-themed hits to life on stage is why he's a timeless success. Many hard rock artists have released songs heavier and darker than Cooper's. Yet his genius isn't for writing such songs as "Welcome to My Nightmare," but for perfectly
City
August 27, 2011 11:25 AM
Along with a heavy weekend event line-up including the Elmwood art festival, a rowing regatta, Buffalo Place Rocks The Harbor, the Irish Festival (at The Statler), a zombie walk for charity (at Club W), the Buffalo Really-Really Free Market (at Bidwell), Buffalo Funk Fest at LaSalle Park, the Bidwell Indie 5000 and numerous other events and activities, there is a spectacular event taking place in the parking lot at New Era...all day today and into the night (starting at 2pm). Verve Dance Studio and New Era are breaking out the inaugural B-boy (and B-girl)
City
August 27, 2011 10:00 AM
What many thought would surely see the landfill has had nothing short of a rebirth. St. Vincent's Orphanage stands as an incredible example of historic preservation near the brink of loss. In just two weeks students will begin filling the classrooms as Buffalo Health Sciences Charter High School (BHSCHS) officially moves from Tonawanda to the revived E.B. Green-designed masterpiece.
Thankfully there was not much work that needed to be done on the shell of the building. With the exception of the cornice line, there were only minor
Continue reading St. Vincent's Nears Completion.
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