City October 31, 2011 4:11 PM

Buffalo's West Side: Beyond Just Believing

queenseyes 15

If you stop to think about all of the inspirational developments that have taken place on the West Side in recent years, it's only natural that the West Side Community Collaborative and the Buffalo Niagara Association of Realtors (BNAR) held a press conference and tour this morning to tout the upswing.

When I think about developments that have helped to spur on the West Side, I think of the restored Richmond roundabouts (please replace the cobra street lighting on Richmond), refugee markets, Morning Glory, Urban Roots and Five Points, Sweet_ness 7, Karpeles Manuscript Museum, D'Youville advancements, 257 Lafayette (lofts), Grassroots Gardens, the Extreme Makeover House, 18th Street Community Park, MAP Growing Green Garden, Shakti Yoga, 334 Connecticut (lofts), PUSH rehabs, Kleinhans Circle House and Mirror Pool, and of course the private residential investment that has been partially brought about by realtors who had the foresight to see the building momentum. "In a region that is losing population, in a city that is supposed to be declining, in a part of the city that was given up on as lost forever, we have a neighborhood that is reviving itself through self-determination and dwarfing all other areas of the region in growth by tripling its property values over the past 10 years," said Harvey Garrett, Executive Director, West Side Community Collaborative.

To add to the growth, we have heard about even more recent developments that will continue to solidify the West Side, including Horsefeathers Community Market, Connecticut Street Sandwich Shop, two neighborhood book stores, bike sharrows etc. One of the only things holding back even further investment is the lack of quality single-family homes. It would be nice to see some new builds constructed on vacant lots, or developers begin to convert the homes into quality singles. The demand is there! Let's also pay close attention to the Saint Mary's on the Hill and Guild Hall vacant lots. As far as I'm concerned the out of town property owner responsible for the historic loss should be locked up in jail, but once again no government official has the chutzpah to do anything when it comes to demolition by neglect. Despite a couple of avoidable uppercuts taken on the chin, the West Side is proving to be resilient.

In fact, the whole city appears to be coming back almost everywhere you look - now we need to take this market-driven grassroots work and continue it east of Main Street.

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Lead photo (L-R): Councilman David Rivera, John Lionardi (CEO Buffalo Niagara Association of Realtors), Harvey Garrett

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Comments

15 Comments Leave a comment

defender110

October 31, 2011 3:00 PM

I think the lower west side is and will be the most bohemian and funky area in the very near future due the present affordabilty in aquisition which excess funds can be used for huge capital improvements for these historic homes and easily bring up the value substancially ( as proven). The time is now because the future will wil be bring about a dearth of stock as there will be , hard to believe in Buffalo !, a lack thereof

[ Reply ]

Score: 7 ( 7 votes )

Buffalogni

October 31, 2011 3:26 PM

Excellent article. Thanks for highlighting this focused effort to bring back a neighborhood.

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Score: 4 ( 4 votes )

Travelrrr

October 31, 2011 4:29 PM

It's wonderful to see the growth/redevelopment. Hopefully, the authenticity and diversity of the neighborhood will remain as the growth continues. Nonetheless, I am amazed at how many homes, shuttered with boards, are still around......

One of the problems is that scumball landlords, who have done nothing to upkeep their properties, now want more money for their properties, which are falling about. Nothing will be a bigger disincentive to investors than that (higher ticket price + HUGE reno costs).

The West Side is a great example of ground-up, grassroots movements. What has the city done to help (an honest question)? When refill does happen, let's hope (ensure) that it it's not suburban, vinyl-sided crap, which has no place in the city proper.

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Score: 8 ( 8 votes )

JCharlier

October 31, 2011 5:10 PM

...And don't leave out Garden Walk Buffalo as a Westside community asset! From having more than 370 beautiful gardens on the tour, to providing grants for community garden projects, to bringing as many as 60,000 people to the Westside to apreciate it all, Garden Walk likes having had contributed to the Westside's rejuvenation. And they've been at it for 17 years.

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Score: 6 ( 6 votes )

queenseyes

October 31, 2011 5:26 PM

You're right Jim. I was recalling, visually in my head, activist locales without noting groups that have had such a widespread influence, such as The Garden Walk.

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Score: 1 ( 1 votes )

grad94

October 31, 2011 5:27 PM

glad to hear that real estate agents are coming around. they used to be part of the problem. it wasn't that long ago that they badmouthed the city to middle-class buyers and steered them towards the burbs, depriving us of residents who were likely to be a stable, beneficial influence.

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Score: 5 ( 7 votes )

Buffalogni

November 1, 2011 9:31 AM

Evidence please. Eesh.

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replied to grad94

Score: 2 ( 2 votes )

sbrof

November 1, 2011 4:34 PM

While I do not have any physical evidence to share I had this experience. I bought my house just over a year ago and went through a couple realtors before I found one that was willing to really work with use about purchasing in the city. There were constant comments about whether or not we really wanted to buy in Buffalo, wouldn't you prefer someplace like *insert suburban name of choice here*. I had the last straw with one when they came to showing to look at a house, that I had to find myself, only to have them say, "wow, I'm surprised this is actually a nice street"

I think after going through the recent purchase of a home and going through a couple realtors, it wasn't so much they pushed us away (one was bad) but that they really just had little understanding about the houses, styles, neighborhoods or city at all. They were clueless about how to serve a young couple looking to buy in the city. They therefore fell back on what they knew. And I was trying to buy in North Buffalo, not even someplace that comes with the baggage like the west side. I couldn't even imagine what might have been said if I brought them to Essex Street or Plymouth a year ago. Although maybe I should of, it would have made for a great story...

[ Reply ]

replied to Buffalogni

Score: 1 ( 1 votes )

16thStreet

October 31, 2011 6:48 PM

My concern is, and I've already seen a few examples of this, is as the west side starts to turn, landlords and shit property owners take notice and ask way too much for their properties, slowing down progress.

I've seen run down homes list for 60-80k, sit on the market for over a year, while reasonably priced homes around it sell for half, get fixed up, and because the houses around this shit house get nicer, the price for said run down house goes up, while putting a black eye on an otherwise nice block.

That's my only concern since I've seen it more than a few times.

Other than that, I'm stoked to see this pick up more and more momentum year after year, "talkin proud talking proud!!"

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Score: 7 ( 7 votes )

MrGreenJeans

November 1, 2011 2:52 AM

Harvey's problem is that he doesn't understand that what he's done is not possible in Buffalo. He's failed to allow City Hall and its Machine to get their filthy hands in there, make fake promises, steal whatever money is involved, and make jobs for their friends & family. Mr.Garrett is breaking the Buffalo rules, dammit! Stop this progress! It makes our beloved politicians look even worse than usual!

At least set up a corporation to beg for grants which will be siphoned off into oblivion - then you'll fit in. That, and stop looking so thin and attractive at your age - not attributes of 'real' Buffalo males. Where's the beer gut, double chin and sloppy clothes? Outsider! :)

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Score: 7 ( 13 votes )

sbrof

November 1, 2011 6:36 AM

There are more honest hard working people in Buffalo than criminals \ absentee landlords. Once we realize and capitalize on this fact there isn't anything stopping the whole of the west side from coming back. From pushing the criminals right out of this and every neighborhood, From Downtown to Tonawanda. The problem is many residents think they are on their own, have lost the social support groups that really close knit neighborhood once provided. They begin to feel trapped. The growth of block clubs and neighborhood communication will have the most impact on the prosperity and stability of this community.

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Score: 4 ( 4 votes )

MrGreenJeans

November 2, 2011 3:04 AM

Yes, there ARE many more honest people than crooks in this area, but they are not in charge of the political machine which runs Buffalo.

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replied to sbrof

Score: 0 ( 2 votes )

Perry

November 1, 2011 7:04 AM

Bravo to all those involved!!! You are making the city a better place.

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Score: 1 ( 1 votes )

Travelrrr

November 1, 2011 7:46 AM

Now, to stabilize the East Side........

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Score: 0 ( 0 votes )

On Richmond

November 1, 2011 12:16 PM

The Richmond Ave. cobra heads are supposed to be going. A few weeks ago I stopped by the DPW & David Rivera's office to review plans & specs on what is going to replace them. However, no one in either of the offices could find them!

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Score: 1 ( 1 votes )