City
May 31, 2009 1:49 PM
I bet you never thought that you'd be able to pick up some tilapia harvested right on the West Side, did you? I sure didn't... until yesterday that is. Par for the course, as I was heading from Grant Street to Richmond Avenue, I came across a aquaponic fish farm in the process of being built inside of a MAP* greenhouse, I kid you not.
What first caught my eye was MAP-member, Jesse Meeder, tilling near a newly-constructed pergola. He pointed out the first signs of beans, peas and grapes that were beginning to grow. Then he asked me if I had seen the 2000 gallon self-sustaining tilapia fish farm. If you're into self-sustaining projects, like I am, then this is a 'must see'. And not only does it sound cool in practice, these aquaculture systems work very well.
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City
May 29, 2009 10:35 AM
Sometimes you have to create potential and opportunities where they might not already be found. For example, every time I pass by the Main Place Tower I wonder how it is that that sprawling front patio is not utilized. Unfortunately, this is such a hi-profile spot in downtown Buffalo, that it's hard not to notice the potential. I'm not talking about turning over to another restaurant or club or anything... I'm just thinking that a business like the Buffalo Coffee Roastery (located within the building), could set up some tables and let their customers sit outside and enjoy the views of Cathedral
City
May 28, 2009 7:12 AM
Buffalo bike culture has certainly had its ups and downs. We've had success stories in the form of city bike racks and designated paths, and at the same time we've seen setbacks in the form of forgotten bike lanes on Main Street and lack of a champion for the Peddling Museum. Thankfully we have a healthy fixed gear community, a bike cooperative, Sunday BMX, Midnight Madness, great shops, Critical Mass... and an important cycling history that has substantially contributed to the growth of the industry. Bike culture is growing all over the world. Buffalo was a big bike town at one point... thankfully
City
May 27, 2009 8:14 AM
While traveling down East Ferry the other day, I couldn't help but notice this colorful boutique situated at this corner. I pulled over and walked inside to see where this boutique had come from, seemingly overnight. I was greeted by Harry Stokes, the same proprietor who had had a store in this same location twenty years ago. "I closed for a long time," Harry said. "And I worked until retiring just recently. My original store was here for 18 years... it closed in '87. I have no wife and no kids, so this is my hobby. The neighbors tell me that they have been waiting for the day that I was going
City
May 25, 2009 7:31 PM
From O'Brien: I am disappointed that Buffalo Rising did not include any articles
about Memorial Day remembrance ceremonies or other events in Buffalo
today. It is poor practice to snub veterans and those who have died
defending our country.
Thanks for the note O'Brien - I was hoping that Rachacha was going to cover one of the Memorial Day ceremonies, as he emailed me earlier in the week inquiring about the different parades. And maybe he is planning on it, but I haven't heard from him. So, just in case, I would like to say thank you to all of the veterans who continue to
City
May 25, 2009 10:11 AM
I've also spent a lot of hours biking the trail along the Niagara River. But it wasn't until yesterday that my entire image of the river (and Buffalo) was changed forever. In recent years I've witnessed the West Side of Buffalo rapidly becoming a melting pot. I've photographed Somali women walking out of Guercio's Market with baskets on their heads. I've biked along side streets listening to Latino music piping out of countless houses. And most recently I've watched the immigrants from Burma populate neighborhoods near Niagara Street (in particular along West Avenue).
Then, out of the
City
May 25, 2009 9:40 AM
Whenever someone asks me where they should stay when they come to Buffalo, I always make sure that I mention the Elmwood Village Inn (Honu House) as one of my top faves. I still can't believe the number of people that I talk to that have no idea that there is a bed and breakfast on Elmwood Avenue. Well, actually it's not a true bed and breakfast, though owner Karen Powell has been known to accommodate her guests in any way that she can. And I don't think the breakfast element of the formula is as necessary since a walk out of the front door in either direction will prove sufficient when searching
City
May 24, 2009 9:05 AM
To me, the urban street musicians are more than just entertaining... they're essential. In the past I've posted my fare share on the artists because I feel that they bring an element to the city that makes people feel welcome. Take Bill Murphy (photo) for example. Bill is a jazz saxophonist who normally can be found playing late night gigs at the Colored Musicians Club. On nice days however, he can be found setting up in small parks and in front of busy markets. He does it to put a couple of extra bucks in his pocket, though it's the street action that really gets him going.
When I ran
City
May 21, 2009 3:08 PM
Did you know that there is an intersection on the West Side where Plymouth and Massachusetts meet? At that corner is a small (and I mean small) restaurant space that has been vacant for about a year. Most recently, the same corner played host to a pastelillo take-out shop. When it closed, I wasn't quite sure what was going to happen... and since this might just be the smallest restaurant in the entire city, I knew that it was going to take just the right owner to make it happen. Fortunately for West Siders, Barbecue Chef Fred Daniel is preparing to open one of the most unlikely eateries that one
City
May 20, 2009 9:10 AM
"You can't save everything." I hear that quote a lot whenever the subject of preservation comes up. And I agree with the statement. I wasn't heartbroken to see Freddy's Donuts come down. I always thought that it would be cool to see a retro eatery open there, but losing the building (to me) wasn't such a big deal. My concern is that the shovel-ready site does not become a parking lot.
Now that we have that out of the way, I would like to make a plea to The City to try to save some of the more important building stock by becoming more proactive rather than retroactive. The hardest
City
May 17, 2009 10:33 PM
I'm happy to say that more and more people are taking a liking to Emerald Beach. Each time that I post on the beach a few more fans come out of the woodwork to offer any help that they can. One such person (seen here) came out to help me clear some of the driftwood away from the perimeters earlier this afternoon. His name is Darren Cotton and he's a student at UB. I found it interesting that Darren had never even seen the beach before, but after reading the recent BRO post he contacted me and asked how he could contribute.
When Darren and I met up, we immediately began to discuss the
Recent Comments
Thanks. Figured as such. '(Honestly, I can't imagine why they didn't propose a simple grade-level
Concrete jungle with a few tables until private money comes in for some of the buidlouts....10 years
I don't see where the negativity is coming from elmdog. this project has been moving at a good clip
Are they planning construction of any physical buildings on the site anytime soon? Or just the canal
To be fair, this is Tim Tielman's vision.
This is going to look like dick. Signed Virginia