There are many different meanings and definitions of the word "brand". It is used by people in different contexts to mean very different things. Often it is about marketing or tag lines or logos. But ultimately a brand is much more than that and includes two basic components at its core:
A set of desired internal aspirations, goals, character, culture, competencies, etc. that describe what a product, organization or person is or would like to be. A set of external thoughts, feelings, images, and associations that others have of that product,

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

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

So you thought the closing of the Statler was bad news for Buffalo?  In what could be a devastating blow to downtown and its commercial real estate market, HSBC is considering moving out of its iconic HSBC Center office space when its lease expires in 2013  While the rumor of the bank looking at its options has been circulating for weeks, The Buffalo News got the bank to confirm its space search. 

HSBC employees occupy 2/3 of the 38-story building straddling Main Street,

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

-by E. Frits Abell

I am frustrated, confused and in need of direction.  My quandary lies in the fact that while I care deeply about the state of architectural preservation in Buffalo, I am an "outsider," an "interloper" (I moved away from Buffalo in 1990) and I don't know exactly where to channel my feelings.

Interestingly, I met a woman in NYC recently who badmouthed Buffalo in one breath, and then immediately commented, "but I do hear Buffalo has amazing architecture" in the next statement.

Is anyone paying attention to this statement (other than

West Buffalo Charter School (WBCS) says it may be forced to find a temporary location while a legal battle wages over its attempts to acquire as its permanent home the former Public School #36 in Days Park. WBCS is currently working on options for a temporary location that meets its standards and that can accommodate 162 K-2 students in its first year of operation. Within two years the school is expected to have 270 students in grades K-4.

A Founding Trustee of WBCS, Joseph

This week is National Bike to Work Week and bicyclists have taken to the street en masse. Tonight Green Options Buffalo is holding a celebration for cyclists with "Merge into the Bike Lane".
 
The celebration is the kick-off to a beautiful season but also a year where we will begin to see Buffalo begin to change into a more bicycle-friendly city. In the works are several projects to accomplish this goal including;
 
The third phase of the Commercial District Bicycle Parking program will go into effect which will see 150 more bicycle racks installed across the city

This is the fourth Fashion Maniac post in the series. To see the post on rocking scarves, click here. And rain gear, click here. For workplace, click here.

Features Editor:  Claire Geist
All Photography & Managing Editor:  Cheryl Gorski
Stylist:

Central Library Staff Review by Carol Ann Strahl:

This fast-paced story of a real life "Indiana Jones-style" exploration rivals any of the fictionalized adventures of the "Indiana Jones" character.

Told in a brisk, exciting narrative, it relates the exploits of Percy Fawcett, an early 20th century British explorer and his attempt to locate a fabled city in the impenetrable thicket and tangled mass of tropical vegetation that is the Brazilian jungle.

Set in an ecological Garden of Eden inhabited by a milieu of exotic plants and deadly insects and animals,

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

Work is starting on Union Ship Canal Commons today, a new public green space located within the Buffalo Lakeside Commerce Park.  Mayor Brown will be joined by New York State Dept. of Environmental Conservation Regional Director Abby Snyder, Erie County Executive Chris Collins, and NYS Senator William Stachowski at 3 PM today. 

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When I heard that Pavlov's Togs would be closing up its store on Elmwood I was bummed at first. At the same time, something in the back of my mind told me that we had not seen the last of Tom Rooney's crazy monster designs and Buffalo-esque merchandise. I'm happy to report that Pavlov's has teamed up with Hero Design Studio in Allentown... a match made in heaven!

If you think about it, Hero already carries a line of monster and robot products, so it was only natural that the two stores team up. That's good for monster and robot lovers, but it's also good for Buffalo lovers since Pavlov's

Kudos to The Washington Market for figuring out how to make a large, somewhat cold atmosphere, a place where people feel comfortable and want to stick around. Ever since the market opened it has needed help... no real rhyme or reason to the layout... disjointed... and business reflected the design. There were a couple of solid attempts made before this point, but they were quick fixes with no long lasting effect. Finally, the Khoury family (new owners) has gone through and paid attention to the dynamics of the space in order to come up with an interior road map that actually works.

The

Well, actually, the author of a new book on Spitzer -- but I got your attention!  Wednesday night at 7pm Talking Leaves Books (on Main Street in University Heights) will host a talk and booksigning by Lloyd Constantine, a confidant and former top aide to the former governor.  Constantine's book, Journal of the Plague Year, is a priceless inside account of a series of events the ramifications of which still haven't fully played out in New

I often wonder how and when a church begins to go down the path of destruction. I suppose that it usually starts with a leaking roof and no regular maintenance. Maybe someone breaks in and strips the structure causing irreparable damage. In the case of Our Lady of Lourdes it started a few years ago when the stained glass windows were removed. Why isn't that against the law?

Since that time I have been thankful that the church appears to be in fair shape thanks to the boards that have been covering the windows. Then, a week ago, the largest board fell off and so did the smaller one to

Do you know that you can walk to RiverFest from the Metro Rail? The event takes place right along the Buffalo River. That weekend you participate in a number of fun activities, including a hike, a regatta, softball, or even a ride on the oldest operating fireboat in the world. The festival is much different than any city festival

Read this interview as you would an editorial from an impassioned and educated outsider sharing his views on Buffalo's legacy. Matt Woodward is neither a local artist, or a former student at one of our institutions, nor born in the Queen City, but his connection to us is real. Matt is important in uncovering why Buffalo has become a hub for artists in the upper half of New York State and what's so inspirational about our city, and others like it.


BR: Tell me about your first encounter with the arts community and what drove you to

The Krog Corp. wanted to raise its profile in the city and picked a prime corner in the Elmwood Village to do it.  Its three-story, mixed-use building under construction at Elmwood and Bryant is not the most expensive project the company has worked on in Buffalo but it may be its most transformational.  It is being built on the site of a KFC restaurant that was demolished last year.

The $3.5 million building was conceived by attorney Michael Ferdman and project architect Karl Frizlen.  Krog was a late addition to the development team but was crucial to getting the project

Buffalo is a city full of great architecture.  I've taken thousands of pictures in recent years of downtown and the waterfront, striking vistas, industrial ruins, stately mansions, beautiful churches, working class neighborhoods and everything in between.  Most of us are familiar with our architectural landmarks, but do we really pay attention to the detail found on the buildings we oftentimes take for granted?  It's the mosaic of the good, the bad and the ugly that make up Buffalo's cityscape.

Yesterday's photo was from the edge of the Larkin District.

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