friday november 28th 2008
Bright Future for Jersey Street Livery
West Coast Perspective
Twelve apartments will be created at the White's Livery site at 428 Jersey Street under draft plans by developer Sam Savarino. The $3.4 million project is a victory for neighborhood residents who stepped in to stop an emergency demolition by the City after bricks started cascading from the neglected property earlier this year. After court hearings and a commitment to the site by Savarino, the City agreed to save the front and rear facades and distinctive tower of the circa-1889 structure.
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buffalorising
It’s funny how as our economy falls into a slump, the Great Depression is mentioned again and again. And why not? Foreclosures are on the rise, the economy is in decline, and more people are still living with their parents at a later age. That draws a pretty striking parallel to an age when families struggled to make ends meet and capture the American dream even as three generations lived in a single apartment. Though that could be the setting of any family from that era of our history, it happens to be the setting of “Awake & Sing!” – the latest production by the Jewish Repertory Theatre.
Directed by Greg Natale and starring Saul Elkin, Ellen Horst, David Butler, Patrick Cameron, Susan Drozd, Don Gervasi, Peter Jaskowiak, Lawrence Rowswell and Tom Zindle, this play promises to be an intriguing look at the way life in the 1930s can still be compared to today. The play w…
thursday november 27th 2008
BR Classifieds: Co-Working in Buffalo
BlueDevil
Co-working, described by BusinessWeek as 'where the coffee shop meets the cubicle,' has grown in popularity throughout the country as entrepreneurs and freelancers come together to share office space. The benefits are straightforward - cheaper rent and a collaborative work space which helps people network and build lasting business and personal relationships.
Cool co-working spaces have popped up in larger cities like Toronto, New York, Portland and Vancouver. Typically, co-working spaces charge tenants a monthly fee for access to the facilities which often include individual and shared work spaces, printer…
queenseyes
When Sue 'Frenchy' Cholewa first purchased the old Howie's Appliance building on Amherst Street, she knew it was going to be an uphill battle to get people to believe in her decision. Why would shoppers go to Amherst Street when Hertel Avenue and Elmwood Avenue were both right around the corner? Those questions didn't stop her from purchasing the building, and those questions didn't stop her from testing out a few different scenarios. First, the thought was to host some artistic parties in order to draw attention to the space. That worked. It wasn't long before the folks from Lightmakers were circling. Eventually Lightmakers bit and set up shop, if not just for a year.
After that first year in which the shop became more of a storage unit than an actual interactive operating business, French…
Anthony Swinnich
You could almost hear the collective Bruins nation, sarcastically chanting before the game. “One, two, three, four, five... we want six!” The Sabres responded: “Not tonight.”
The Buffalo Sabres defeated the Eastern Conference leading Boston Bruins Thursday night in an ugly 3-2 victory to put an end to their 5-game losing streak. The Sabres' play was rife with desperation and hard work, but they also showcased a few areas they need to tighten up as well.
One of the biggest reasons Buffalo came away with the win was physical play. They didn't exactly dominate Boston in terms of hits, registering 32 to Boston's 27, but they did manage to match the B's intensity for a full 60 minutes. Instead of keeping to an imaginary perimeter around the opposing goaltender, the Sabres crashed the net with reckless abandon. They even took a penalty for Goaltender Interference when K…
buffalorising
It seems a lot of people are interested in running for the Roswell Park Cancer Institute in marathons around the country through their Team Cure Challenge program. Every person who participates in the program has a reason to run, and Carolyn Human is no different. She’ll run the 13.1-mile Disney Half Marathon this January and is busy gathering sponsors and donations to make her run worthwhile. She’s running in the memory of both of her grandmothers who lost their lives to cancer and to help reach her goal of $3,600, she’s holding an event at Omega Lounge.
Omega Lounge is helping Human hold “Help the Human Race Happy Hour” from 5 until 8 PM on December 4th. DJ Rob Decker will be spinning a three-hour set at the upscale bar…
wednesday november 26th 2008
Velo Buffalo? A Positive Approach On Elmwood
queenseyes
A little over a week ago Positive Approach opened its doors on Elmwood (formerly Mix, then Stache and before that, room storefront). Needless to say I've been keeping my eye on this new shop for a number of reasons. The young people behind the idea are interesting characters. They're part of the bike community (mostly track bikes and fixed gear), they're members of bands, they're into the environment, they carry vintage clothing and custom apparel, and they're artists. Sounds like something right out of Queen Street in Toronto?
Due to the fact that the owners are connected with so many different creative groups, Positive Approach will certainly become a destination - especially since many of their clients/customers will arrive on bikes. The premise of the business is based on four differ…
Elena Cala Buscarino
As we reported here, the question of whether or not Ontario Specialty Contracting would continue with their bid to demolish the Aud was up in the air, based on dropped scrap steel prices. Originally, OSC stood to increase the value of their $1,498,078 Aud demolition contract bid by selling the Aud's steel for reuse.
Today, the Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation (ECHDC) announced that OSC has in fact opted out of their bid and that an un-amended contract will be offered to Western New York-based DEMCO, Inc.
The contract with DEMCO is likely to be approved by the ECHDC board of directors at its upcoming December meeting.
“Even in these tough economic times, ECHDC remains determined to keep the waterfront revitalization effort moving,” said Jordan Levy, chairman, Erie Canal Harbor Developme…
queenseyes
OPUS, the Chippewa District's newest martini and Champagne lounge, is scheduled to open as early as Saturday. If I remember correctly, this space located at 252 Delaware Avenue was originally home to The Shebeen. Then it was converted to The Red Room before it's latest stint as Flappy's. I spoke to owners Frank Lazarus and Tony Bouali who told me a little bit about what people can expect:
"We're shooting for Saturday... it's almost ready to go. It's an upscale Moroccan-themed champagne bar with a lounge catering to house music with an international influence. People can expect to hear acid jazz during the week with some live acts here and there. We're enforcing a strict dress code to compliment what we believe is the most extensive martini and Champagne list around. We have completely renovated the 2600sq.' interior and added a new bar, new bathrooms. We basically started with a…
Elena Cala Buscarino
Or Click Here to download the audio.
Olmsted Parks Conservancy Director Thomas Herrera-Mishler was our Buffalo Rising Round Table guest with host News Director Mark Scott at WBFO studios this past week.
Herrera-Mishler addressed the recent issue of the Public Bridge Authority's Plaza Expansion Project, and their failed DEIS, as outlined in this Buffalo Rising post.
With plans dating back 20 years, no required alternative design, and the opposition of the Olmsted Conservancy, The National Trust for Historic Preservation, invested neighborhood groups and The Prese…
