Buffalo ranked 19th on Brookings Institution Metro Monitor 2011 for highest per capita metro GDP in the world. At the same time, Buffalo experienced the 4th highest income growth rate for any metro area relative to their home nation. Perhaps most impressively, Buffalo had the 2nd highest income growth rate of any metro area in the United States. 
Buffalo has ranked well in per

A two building, six-unit townhouse project is underway at 363 E. Ferry Street.  The $1.35 million project is spearheaded by Second Chance Ministries and will be a women's facility.  It occupies a vacant lot that was purchased from the City last fall for $14,400.

Brazen Faced Varlets presents WORDS OF CHOICE. 
"The price of freedom is eternal vigilance." - Thomas Jefferson. 
Brazen-Faced Varlets, a Buffalo-based feminist thespian troupe which promotes artistic growth, announced the receipt of a Pro-Choice Foundation grant to produce and present WORDS OF CHOICE!
WORDS OF CHOICE, arranged by Cindy Cooper, includes excerpts from the works of many advocates of reproductive freedom. The production has been showcased all around the country, creating a venue

By Jessica Edwards:
The ASID (American Society of Interior Design) Student Chapter at Buffalo State College will be hosting an art installation this Saturday (8:00pm to 11:00pm), at the Big Orbit Gallery on Essex Street. 
The interactive exhibit is based on the concept of sustainable design. The artwork being showcased is created from all recycled materials. The students selected their materials from various places... estate sale purchases, garbage picked objects, items from their homes, and even old art pieces were used to create new

"Beautiful Music is a Beautiful Space" is the theme for the second season of concerts being held at Blessed Trinity. 
Blessed Trinity, if you have never visited before, is one of those hidden gems of Buffalo. It was constructed between 1923 and 1928 in the Lombard Romanesque style. It is truly an exquisite building and one of the few examples of this type of architecture found outside of Europe. 
It was built and still stands as a reflection of the values and spirit

Have you ever been walking in a park, or down a sidewalk and you see a dog that you just know is going to jump up on you? It happens all the time. Usually the dog's owner says something like, "Oh, it's OK... she's friendly." By the time you've gotten yourself untangled from the dog, the leash and the owner, your pants are paw-painted with mud and you're cursing the dog and the owner. Overly friendly dogs can be brutal. At the same time, overly aggressive dogs are no 'walk in the park' either. It can be frightening to own a dog that is unpredictable with people and/or other dogs. Then there're the

Buffalo General Hospital's Behavioral Health Department has opened its new "Patrick P. Lee Foundation After Hours Clinic."  The clinic, made possible by a $363,746 grant from the Patrick P. Lee Foundation, is an alternative for those struggling with mental or behavioral health issues.  Previously, people had to wait for an appointment with their physician or endure long waits at an emergency room for intervention.  It is designed to divert individuals from seeking urgent behavioral health services from a hospital emergency

Come out and join preservationists, urban planners, architects, and laymen for a great drinks and even better conversation about historic preservation in Buffalo. Buffalo's Young Preservationists (BYP) are hosting their monthly happy hour at the Essex Street Pub (530 Rhode Island Street) tonight from 6pm to 9pm. It's a casual event with great opportunities for networking and discussing future BYP projects and

The Las Vegas Hilton has just released 2013 Super Bowl future odds, for all NFL teams including the Buffalo Bills. According to oddsmakers, the Bills are 50-1 to win the Super Bowl next year. Frankly, that seems rather generous to the Bills after a remarkable collapse to end of the 2011-12 season. 
Not surprisingly, the most heavily favored teams include the Green Bay Packers (5/1), New Orleans Saints (6/1) and New England Patriots (8/1). 
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The decision was made this past Saturday to change the Labatt Pond Hockey Tournament to a Street Hockey Tournament. Who would have thought that the lack of snow and cold would impact the event to such a degree? Fortunately, Labatt will still host the tournament at the Erie Basin Marina, but instead of lacing up skates, players will be lacing up sneakers - Buffalo is lucky in that regard because there are other towns and cities where the tournaments have already been canceled altogether. 
The plan is to still host 144 teams, all of which will be refunded the

The Buffalo and Fort Erie Public Bridge Authority (PBA) issued a formal Request for Proposals (RFP) from licensed professional architectural firms to serve as general architect for various prospective facility modifications, including renovation of the 62-year-old Customs Commercial Building located in the U.S. plaza.

The PBA is moving forward with the upgrades following a recent decision to terminate the decade long Peace Bridge Expansion Project environmental review process that could have resulted in a significantly expanded plaza footprint.  This decision follows extensive consultation

I just finished reading a fascinating study on our economy titled Cheap: The High Cost of Discount Culture by Author Ellen Ruppel Shell.  Shell is a correspondent for the The Atlantic and has written for several major publications including National Geographic, the New York Times, Washington Post and Time magazine. By day she is professor of science journalism at  Boston University.  As the title suggests, this book documents the true price we pay for our love of everything cheap (or should I say inexpensive?). The book runs through

Interview with electronic music promoter Brian Nelson regarding upcoming trance show at Rendezvous @ Statler City:
How long has Factory Nightlife been around? 
We have been involved with dance music for just about 20 years, we adopted the name "Factory Nightlife" in 2001 I believe (see Facebook).
What sort of music does it promote and who are some of the acts that have come through Buffalo?
We promote dance music

This is the second part of a two part series

The halls of St. Matthew's School were once filled with the sounds of students rushing to their classes, but now the building serves as a temporary home for refugees awaiting a new life. Vive La Casa (50 Wyoming Avenue) is housed in the former school building for the St. Matthew's parish and has been active there for nearly 20 years.

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Over the past year we have closely followed the transformation at Acropolis OPA on Elmwood Avenue.  The one-time diner has quickly become an upscale destination spot as both an eatery and as a chic Saturday night hang-out spot.  Owner Paul Tsouflidis has invested a great deal in the renovations that include a complete makeover of the downstairs space, façade and complete redo of the upstairs space.  By any measure the space is comfortable and classy. But now, some neighbors are organizing against the restaurant owner claiming that any expansion will inevitably lead to excessive

This is the first in a series of spotlighting buildings for sale that could help to transform both residential and commercial neighborhoods. We will be looking at buildings on the West Side, downtown, Black Rock, etc. These buildings are in need of an owner - that is clear. Even more than that, these buildings are in need of people with resources and vision. If we can get a few of these structures back into the functioning fabric of the city, then we will have made great strides in helping to mend the neighborhoods that are both on the upswing and in need of an initial catalyst. Most of the

Three community organizations have joined to support Re-Tree WNY's five-year effort to plant trees throughout the Buffalo area.  On Sunday, Re-Tree WNY launched the "Green Goal" campaign to raise funds for the purchase of trees to be planted along the streets and in parks of Buffalo and surrounding communities.

The Buffalo Sabres Foundation, The Buffalo News, and Entercom Radio have announced their commitment to support the effort.

"We have a sustainable community program, 'The Sabres Green Team', that adopts a project each season

Buffalo & Erie County Public Library Staff Review by Patricia Covley:
Disaster on Lake Erie is a recent addition to the local history collections of the Buffalo and Erie County Public Library.  Oickle tells the story of the steamship Erie, one of the fastest and most elegant ships sailing between Buffalo and Chicago.  It was a large ship - over 176 ft. long and about 27 ft. wide. 
On August 9, 1841, the Erie departed Buffalo carrying 343 passengers.  Many of these passengers were recent immigrants

When we think about Black Rock Kitchen and Bar (BRKB), we tend to think about social gatherings at the bar or relaxing in the comfortable dining setting while enjoying dinner (details). Never do we think about heading to BRKB on a Sunday to enjoy brunch, but that's what four of us did last weekend. We had heard rumors the brunch was not your typical breakfast meal - or brunch for that matter. Whoever started those rumors was right in doing so, and

If you're not out on the slopes today, and you're kickin' around downtown... maybe heading to Rotary Rink to skate, or your finishing up a Sunday brunch. Whatever the case, the downtown Central Library is hosting a U.S. Chess Federation-sanctioned tournament today that is being sponsored by the Archangel 8 Chess Academy (FB). Yes, Buffalo has a chess academy and the the game/sport is alive and well with all age players feverishly competing for a chance to to go head to head with the area's best and the brightest.
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