By Bernice Radle:
Come out and celebrate Buffalo's most prominent preservationists. Join the Campaign for Greater Buffalo this evening, Tuesday October 18th at the WNY Book Arts Center at 7pm for the Preservation Awards Ceremony. 
The Campaign for Greater Buffalo has been very lucky and privileged to work with so many prominent Buffalo figures over the years who have spent time, money and effort trying to save and preserve buildings across Western New York. We wanted to have a special event to say thank you and to recognize a

Over the weekend I discovered a really beautiful antique and retro modern home decor store in North Buffalo. If it had not been for my mother-in-law calling me to tell me the exact location, I might not have ever run across it. Situated a block from Hertel Avenue, at the corner of Tacoma and Crestwood, is a fair-sized furniture boutique called Essential Home Decor, and it's loaded with all sorts of practical finds that are all very reasonably priced. Co-owner, Catherine Newman, recently moved back to Buffalo after being away for 30 years... and boy are we lucky yo have her. I spoke to Catherine

By Bernice Radle:
The Campaign for Greater Buffalo and The Buffalo Young Preservationists are teaming up on Wednesday, October 19th, 2011 to bring a youthful hip presence to the National Preservation Conference. 
Buffalo's Young Preservationists are hosting a meet and greet and at Pearl Street Brewery starting at 8pm. The group will be holding a raffle for some seriously neat historic photos. This event is aimed at networking the youth with the experts - to transfer the right energy in both directions.
After

Gearing up for Halloween can be just as much fun as the real deal if you put your creative mind to it (and attend a freaky event called "Monster"). Instead of competing with the spooky holiday Emerging Leaders in the Arts has decided to throw a live art, bizarre/peculiar/grotesque, two floor blowout event featuring video instillations by OGRE, AVDJ PROJEX, Chuck Tingley and VJ Deliria and live music by Freakness and Jeff Repeater... whew!
Billed as a group show "featuring the cryptozoologic art of Jason D'Aquino, Tom Holt, Craig LaRotonda, Maria

Contractors and homeowners have been particularly busy the past two years on Plymouth Avenue between Hudson and Pennsylvania streets.  There is a growing number of people purchasing and renovating houses, buoying buyer confidence in the neighborhood.  In many cases they have become owner-occupied houses, but in other cases they have been renovated and resold.  Many of these houses were written off for demolition, but neighborhood residents fought to save them.  The block has been targeted

Despite the sporadic downpour and the high winds today, Sugar City managed to pull off a successful flea market. When we first walked in I was expecting to see a couple of people milling about. Instead we were welcomed with a multitude of browsers and shoppers who had come to support the grassroots flea market initiative.
Although I only walked out with a vegan cupcake, I did notice a bunch of people walking around with purchased items in their hands. More than anything else, the vibe was worth the trip. If you've never paid a visit to Sugar City, then you might not realize

Submissions Due October 31

The Western New York Regional Economic Development Council (WNYREDC) is encouraging businesses and other entities, including non-profits, local municipalities and educational institutes, to submit their plans for economic development projects by October 31 through the state's new Consolidated Funding Application process (CFA).  To access the CFA, and related materials, visit http://nyworks.ny.gov.
 
Up to $40 million of the $200 million from the competitive Regional Economic Development

The Association for a Buffalo Presidential Center (ABPC) is hosting a special exhibit and an expert panel discussion on Buffalo's own "Wild Bill" Donovan, father of the modern day Central Intelligence Agency, on October 26 at the Karpeles Manuscript Library Museums, 220 North Street, Buffalo starting at 6pm.  Admission is $25 with all proceeds supporting the Association's efforts to advance the study, exploration, interpretation, and public awareness of Buffalo and WNY's contribution to the Presidency and national affairs.

Buffalo's

I have to admit that I've never participated in a polar plunge. Nor have I ever really considered jumping into Lake Erie just before it freezes over. That doesn't mean that there aren't people out there who relish the opportunity to do offbeat activities. I love the idea of watching others as they run into the water en masse on a cold December's day - especially when it's for a good cause. Every December, Special Olympics organizes a series of Polar Bear plunges across the state to raise money (through donations) in order to help people with special needs.
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On Tuesday, October 11, over 100 people gathered at Canisius College's Montante Cultural Center in Buffalo--and hundreds more on Ustream--to listen to over a dozen speakers present thoughts on topics baring both global and local significance. TED came to Buffalo through a volunteer effort that secured the license to host a TEDx event locally. In the spirit of TED's mission, "ideas worth spreading," the subsidiary TEDx program gives communities the opportunity to incite TED-esque dialogue and experiences at the local level. And that, TEDxBuffalo achieved.

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MEETING SUMMARY for OCTOBER 4, 2011
Meeting highlights include: Brightening main entrance of City Hall, appointment of Joanna Angie to the Buffalo Arts Commission, partial demolition/abatement and reconstruction/stabilization of a City-owned building at 918 Main Street, contract

Every decision the school board makes affects the education delivered to the students of Buffalo. In order to monitor these decisions, and increase transparency and accountability within the district, Buffalo ReformED has developed a report card that defines the roles and responsibilities of the board, and creates standards to which the public can hold the board. The School Board Report Card keeps track of meeting proceedings, votes taken, and major issues discussed. Buffalo ReformED is committed to ensuring that our decision makers prioritize

Recycling, conserving energy, and buying eco-friendly products will all make you feel better about doing your part to save the environment, but thanks to hair stylist Brandon Kline, Buffalo now offers a way to feel instant gratification! Kline is the founder of Relle, the first organic salon to open its doors in Buffalo.  The salon, located at 798 Elmwood Avenue at the corner of Auburn, uses Organic Color Systems, a luxury line of color and hair care products that are USDA-certified organic, paraben-free, ammonia-free, and formaldehyde-free, making it better

Yesterday morning I had a meeting down at City Hall and while I was waiting for people to arrive I noticed this photo hanging in the office. The image is of the Larkin District - you can see Larkin @ Exchange to the right and the Seneca Industrial Building to the left. The building that is seen engulfed by fire is now, of course, a parking lot. 
Fortunately the vast majority of factories in the image still remain and are being renovated, although the renowned Larkin Administration Building was demolished. 
When looking at the

For many years, the first block of Plymouth Avenue between Hudson and Pennsylvania streets was a sore thumb of blight threatening the more stable neighborhoods of Plymouth Avenue between Pennsylvania Street and Porter Avenue, Pennsylvania Street itself and nearby Orton Place and St. John's Place.  The crime and disinvestment found on the block was also a threat to the western end of the Allentown Historic Preservation District. 

According to neighborhood residents, the block was a hotbed of drug dealing and other criminal behaviors. It was not uncommon to find heroin needles

Residents in the Kleinhans Community Assocation neighborhood are extremely proud of all the hard work that has gone into their community.  And rightfully so.  The streets are lined with various styles and sizes, but they all equal a greater whole; a neighborhood which holds preservation high and focuses on community strength.  That was evident while taking pictures Thursday.

One resident was working on her circa-1881 home painting the intricate spindle work of her porch pictured here.  She purchased the house in the 100 block of Plymouth twenty-five years

A new book compiled by respected local historian Cynthia Van Ness is sure to spark lively conversation throughout Western New York. Quotable Buffalo: The Most Marvelous and Maddening Things Ever Said About the Queen City is a colorful collection of 250 quotes

U.S. Senators Charles E. Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand announced that the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority (NFTA) is set to receive more than $4.7 million from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to support the Niagara Street Corridor Project and for an Amherst-Buffalo Corridor Alternatives Analysis. Gillibrand and Schumer commend DOT for their work to improve transit facilities across the state.

Earlier this year, Senator Schumer wrote a letter of support for this project to the Federal Transit Administration (FTA). Schumer also called Administrator Rogoff urging him

After months of hard work, public input, and revisions the draft of the Buffalo Green Code is finally ready to be presented to the public. Join planners, citizens, and city leaders on October 29th at ECC City Campus to get a glimpse into how the future of Buffalo will be shaped. The open house runs from 9:30 am to 3 pm with three different time slots for the formal presentations occurring at 9 am, 10:30 am, and 1 pm

The draft for the Future Development Plan is crucial in how and where Buffalo will build. It will serve as the foundation for the City's new zoning code and they want to

You've probably seen some variation of the "How to Build Community" poster (see below).  I first saw one displayed in Allentown, where someone had posted it on the Allentown Association community display board at Elmwood and North.  Although I still lived in Rochester at the time, Doug Levy of the Allentown Association was kind enough to photocopy the poster and mail it to me (at the time I didn't know it could be purchased -- I thought that someone in the neighborhood had created it).  I was