queenseyes: May 2010 Archives

City May 31, 2010 10:46 AM
Access is cleared. How’s the water?
Earlier in the week, City crews removed the last of the large pieces of debris from Emerald Beach located at the Erie Basin Marina. Over the weekend a few of BRO's writers rode down to the site to see the result (and picked up a few pieces of litter before they left). The rest of the cleanup is going to up to the beach-goers - it should only take a couple of rakes to clear the rest of the scattered driftwood.

As we stood looking out at the clear blue water, we discussed the water quality on the American side as well as the Canadian side. There are some great public beaches on the Canadian side of the lake, many of which are found along the Rails to Trails (like this beach for example). At this point, there is no swimming at Emerald Beach due mainly to marina traffic. Let's just say that swimming was allowed... if enough safety precautions were met to allow people in the water... down the road that might be a
City May 29, 2010 6:33 PM
More art... more art!
After taking a quick Monday afternoon walk with Mark Goldman, it was decided that there were some dead spaces on Allen Street that needed some touch ups in the form of public art. Mark suggested that a series of windows on the Licata Plumbing building would be the perfect place to start. After calling the owner of the building to ensure that the project was legit, Mark made a phone call to the featured artist at Allentown Hardware, Sarah Myers. If you have not seen Sarah's work at the Allentown bistro, then please make it a point to stop in and see
City May 28, 2010 8:01 PM
The Unite Music Festival
Kicking off tonight, the second annual Unite Music Festival is igniting Buffalo's electronic music scene with an unprecedented array of stellar, internationally acclaimed DJs spinning at 20 clubs throughout the weekend.  For anybody who knows anything about electronic music, you know that this is really big for Buffalo. As the electronic scene has been growing in recent years, you might say that this is the culmination of a growing fan base along with seasoned promoters and a solid club base - enough to attract music fans from all over the region.

Performing headlining DJs are:
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City May 28, 2010 5:28 PM
19 Statues Undergo Conservation Treatment
Nineteen statues are getting some much-needed touch-ups around the city. Russell-Marti Conservation Services, a statue conservation and restoration company based in Missouri, is currently working on the General Daniel Davidson Bidwell statue (photo) after recently completing work on the statue of Columbus at Columbus Park.

It has been eight years since the statues have undergone any maintenance, which means that there is a bit more work to be done than usual. At the same time, the works of art are in good condition and only require the team to remove a bit of corrosion before applying
City May 28, 2010 2:47 PM
Hertel is Headstrong
What is it that makes Hertel such a gold star destination for head shops? I would imagine that the homegrown success of Terrapin Station has got to send smoke signals to others looking to open in the neighborhood. Maybe the same strategic location maneuvers that apply to the fast food joints also apply to smoke shops? First there was Terrapin - the head shop has created quite a buzz over the years. Then came Headin' to Hertel, a business that looks like it'll stick around for 20 years or more. Now it looks like Marley's Cigar and Hookah Lounge (next to Romeo and Juliet's) is looking to spark it
Recent Photos[ BR Flickr ]
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Real Estate May 27, 2010 9:00 PM
Courthouse Getting Glassy Skin
After a long wait, the new glass walled façade on the new federal courthouse is being installed.  The building has been without its promised glass skin a year after the last steel was put in place in April 2009.  ="window.open('http://www.buffalorising.com/assets_c/2010/05/IMG_4128-10769.html','popup','width=960,height=1280,scrollbars=no,resizable=no,toolbar=no,directories=no,location=no,menubar=no,status=no,left=0,top=0');
City May 27, 2010 4:23 PM
Offshore Windmills
On Wednesday June 9th, at 11 a.m. at the Chambers of the Erie County Legislature at 92 Franklin Street, 4th Floor, the public is invited to learn about a possible proposal that would see more windmills added to the waterfront. This time however, the mills would be stationed offshore, not on land. The meeting is being hosted by Erie County Legislator Daniel M. Kozub (D- 1st District) who is interested in the public's opinion on this particular project. New York Power Authority is seeking proposals at this juncture in time.

There are a couple of different viewpoints that the committee
City May 27, 2010 2:50 PM
Makeover or Makeunder... or STUNT?
Moments ago I received an email with the title, "Makeover or Makeunder?" The email came from a communications specialist at a CPA firm in Buffalo. The email started by talking about the historic nature of Johnson Park and its special place in the hearts of community members.

From there the message bounced to the reaction from neighbors regarding the new paint job of the New Phoenix Theatre - an artistic staple situated at the head of the park's 'table'. Apparently there are some wildly mixed reviews when it comes to the colors chosen for paint. Overnight, the building went from muted
City May 27, 2010 11:37 AM
In Need Of Public Art
Seeing that nobody is really sure when auto traffic will be extended down Main Street, there are some issues that should be addressed that could add some vibrancy to the corridor. For example, have you ever noticed that the area surrounding this gate is one of the dead spots on the street? Many of the buildings on the west side of the Metro Rail entrance/exit are empty - I'm sure that it's not all thanks to the gate, but this is a long stretch of walkway that just happens to very close to the reemerging 700-block.

One of the nice things about Main is that much of the infrastructure is
food May 26, 2010 7:42 PM
Prospero’s Perfect Pitch
Ever since Prospero opened back in January (see post) I have become a big fan of the place. The atmosphere of the restaurant closely mirrors that of the neighborhood - classic and Bohemian style thrown together to create a setting where a pair of jeans and a button down are as readily accepted as a tux. My favorite offering is the eggplant parm, though the 'create your own' pasta dish is a close second. Over and beyond anything else, I find that the restaurant caters to people who are looking for quality service, excellent
City May 26, 2010 3:44 PM
Bring Your Own Bags... Then Bag It Yourself.
Although I don't find myself shopping at Price Rite on a regular basis, I must say that the place appeals to me because of its bagging policy - a policy that I would like to see more of at other shopping centers. Price Rite charges customers ten cents per plastic bag, and they don't even bag the groceries. That means that more and more shoppers are wearing backpacks and carrying their own satchels into the store - a policy that never would have flown at predecessors that would require customers to check their bags. The market's
City May 26, 2010 2:17 PM
The Elmwood Village Pub Crawl
What would the Elmwood Village be without a pub crawl? That's what Jeff Empric from Roaming Buffaloes Outdoor Adventure Club wondered before he set off to design one. On June 19th, from 9pm to 4am (gotta love Buffalo's early morning closing hour) a slew of bars will welcome pub crawlers into their establishments to do what pub crawlers do best... drink. The event is being sponsored by Labatt Blue, and is one of many events that Roaming Buffaloes is organizing in the city this summer.

Seeing that this is Elmwood's only official pub crawl, it
City May 25, 2010 5:50 PM
Avenue Pizza is on the move...
After recently reopening its Elmwood Avenue location under new ownership, Avenue Pizza is now heading a bit north to battle it out with Mister Pizza and Zetti's. Avenue has signed on at the Falafel Bar's former diggs and original home of Pano's. This will not be a second location for Avenue on Elmwood - as I understand it the 500-block location will eventually close.

The move will leave Casa-di-Pizza, Just Pizza and Jacobi's Express Pizza (has anyone tried their pizza out yet?) servicing the 'southern' end of the street. On one hand, I'm happy to see that the little shack-of-a-building
City May 25, 2010 12:09 PM
Faces of Allentown
At long last a few creative and caring people have opted to figure out a way to temporarily display artistic works in vacant storefront windows in Allentown. Take the corner of Allen Street and Elmwood for example - you can't help but notice the photographed faces that are displayed in the windows, which add a sense of community, color and vibrancy to Allentown. Like a well-positioned, attractive mural, the Faces of Allentown project gives passersby something to look at instead of a vacant, blank space.

Adam Sokol, a board member of the Allentown Association, is one of the people behind
City May 25, 2010 9:44 AM
Keeping It Green On The West Side
Last year, when the pizzeria building located at the corner York and West was knocked down, many neighbors feared that parking for D'Youville College was imminent. The corner is high profile in that it is very visible when traveling down Porter Avenue from the Peace Bridge to the Kleinhans neighborhood. We all know how parking can change the look and feel of a neighborhood - just look at the property that was formerly Duty Free located on Porter Avenue at Front Park... it's an embarrassment.

When I spoke to neighbors regarding the substantial corner gardens, they told me that they were
City May 23, 2010 3:10 PM
Buffalo Rock Fest @ LaSalle Park
Finally the reins at LaSalle Park appear to loosening as we are seeing a few music festivals popping up. In past years the Rick James Memorial Concert has been a big hit, drawing hundreds of music fans down to on one of the most underutilized waterfront assets in the city - the Junior League Pavilion. There had been rumors floating around that the Rick James affair had sparked interest from other promoters, though the park lacked enough representation at the Council level to get anything moving, or so I hear.
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City May 22, 2010 12:54 PM
Busted
Has anyone else notice these rusted out, sun-washed buses around town? Even when they were new they were obnoxious and unsightly, but now they are just a wreck. How does the NFTA even let these pieces of junk leave the garage in the morning?

If the NFTA ever does get around to selling new ads on its buses, maybe it should consider putting limitations on how unsightly they are to begin with. Aren't there any companies that would like to add to the beauty of our neighborhoods rather than bombard us with the worst marketing programs that they can dream up? Can't we keep the crass marketing
City May 22, 2010 10:05 AM
Plans for the oldest house in South Buffalo
If the rain holds off for long enough periods today, volunteers will be able to get to work on fixing up the oldest house in South Buffalo. To think that such a beautiful house could fall into such disrepair! Just looking at the historic photo, and then fast forwarding to a recent snapshot, there doesn't appear to be anything further to destroy when it comes to the original appearance of the structure. What a shame.

In recent weeks, WNY AmeriCorps and the South Buffalo Neighborhood Accountability Board have been taking steps to fix up the house in preparation for its new tenants. The
City May 21, 2010 9:22 AM
Emerald Beach Is Almost Back
After waiting for what seemed like an eternity, Emerald Beach at the Erie Basin Marina looks like it's finally on its way to being cleared of debris. Thankfully, Ellicott District Councilman Curtis Haynes has been in contact with the City engineer whose crew has begun to remove the largest pieces of driftwood. This spring the beach's entranceway was more congested (with driftwood) than usual for a couple of reasons (see below). At the same time, there was still plenty of exposed sand towards the water to make
City May 19, 2010 4:40 PM
Vito’s Gourmet Deli on Fountain Plaza
If I had to voice one complaint about Vito's Gourmet Deli in Downtown Buffalo, it would have to be the large crowds that gather at lunchtime. Sometimes it can be hard to find a seat. Of course this is not a bad problem for the restaurant, just for the people who have to take their lunches back to their offices. After all, half the fun of going to Vito's is the action - the tons of people that search out Fountain Plaza for the sights, the atmosphere and the food. Unfortunately the patio cafe tables and chairs are not yet out for the season. Vito's is delicious food served up iin an amazing urban
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