If the corner of Elmwood and Allen is truly considered one of the most walkable corners in Buffalo, then what exactly is it that will make people want to walk there? It's true - this location is veritable walker's paradise. It's a hi-profile storefront with plenty of diverse destinations within walking distance, no matter what direction you decide to head. There's a charter school, a children's theatre, bars, restaurants, parks, an athletic club, historic homes, boutiques, antique shops... is this

First the Mayor's response: "I'm deeply concerned by the Comptroller's audit of the Department of Human Resources.  We will do everything possible to address and remedy the issues raised in this audit by bringing all relevant parties to the table immediately.  I disagree with and I am disappointed by the Department's response to the Comptroller's audit.  I've directed the city Budget Director and Law Department to lead this effort and I will make any necessary changes to resolve this matter as soon as possible."
Then the story.  There are allegations of

The Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo (CFGB), a public charity that holds in excess of 800 local funds for various causes, is in the process of developing a new website to connect Western New Yorkers interested in environmental news and activities to the many environmental organizations doing great work in our region. In order to meet user preferences, the CFGB has created a survey to understand the environmental interests of the WNY public.  This information will help guide the development of a new website for Western

Urban planner Chris Hawley is getting ready to roll out his book, Industrious: The Story of the Hydraulics.  Real Estate investor and partner in the Larkin Development Group, Howard Zemsky has championed Hawley's efforts, and as a by-product of the book, the blog The Hydraulics

Ever thought about extending your bike riding season throughout the winter? There are a bunch of people out riding the streets even with recent snow accumulation. I took a short ride last night and the trek reaffirmed why I don't go out more often - even with the right equipment. There are others though, who relish the opportunity to take their bikes out onto the wintery streets. These are the people who, for whatever reason, don't want bike season to end, or completely rely on two wheels as a form of all season transportation.

For anyone who has wanted to bike in the snow, Green

According to this Buffalo News story by Brian Meyer, the Brown administration may be seeing an end to the city's main economic development agency.
The News has been staying on top of the foibles of the 30-year-old agency, which has seen several setbacks this past year.  According to the News, Buffalo Economic Renaissance Corporation (BERC) is an expensive to run agency that is doing less than ever in the way of making loans and thereby creating development

A while back, David Torke from fixbuffalo.com posed a question to local members of the preservation  community: Who is the person behind this comprehensive wiki list of Buffalo properties on the National Register of Historic Places?
Last week, Torke found his answer in National Archives electronic media specialist Ted

By Vanessa Oswald
Looking for a shirt representing Buffalo that suits your particular style and eclectic tastes? There's a new shirt in town that might agree with your idiosyncratic fancy. My Buffalo Shirt produces shirts showcasing Buffalo's popular sports.
Adam Kern of West Seneca stumbled upon the idea to create a t-shirt company a few years back, but not just any t-shirt; he wanted one with significant edge. Since then he's generated a few clothing lines, the names of which

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For many, Merlin's was one of those bars that you loved to hate and hated to love - "A dream to some... a nightmare to others!" - Excalibur. It was a haven for obnoxiously loud motorcycles. It was the best place to get clams (for many moons). The owner continued to patch the ripped awning with beer signs until it finally disintegrated. A variety of local musicians called Merlin's 'home'. It was one of the few patios on the sunny side of Elmwood - a perfect place to drink a beer and people-watch when the sun went down. Many of the girls I know would choose to walk to the west side of the

The Seneca Gaming Corporation (SGC) filed their annual 10K report with the SEC last week.  In the report, the SGC details how the recession and credit crisis contributed to the company losing $19.37M for the year ended September 30th - a dramatic change from the prior year when SGC made 102.6M.  The Buffalo News and Business First both have covered

With these Bureau of Transportation Statistics in mind, we bring you these two Buffalo News opinion pieces, one by Alan Oberst, whom we would consider a preservationist above all else, and one by Elizabeth Martina, a resident of the Columbus Park

By Tim Otterson, DVM and PEF President
Everyone is buzzing about the flu these days. People are washing their hands more, covering their mouths when they cough, staying home from work when ill and scheduling vaccinations for themselves and their family members. But what about pets? Are they at risk? By now, many of you have learned that a cat in Iowa was diagnosed in October with the H1N1 strain of the influenza virus (swine flu). The flu is a remarkably adaptive virus and has a long history of being transmitted

It just wouldn't be New Years' Day without posting one or two of photographer Joe Cascio's fantastic shots of the First Night Ball Drop. Although I usually try to get the photos posted earlier in the day, the wait was well worth it as you can see. Each year Joe manages to captures the scene perfectly - the architecture, the colors, the people...

The first shot of the top of the Electric Tower is impressive - the second shows just how many people attend each year. Thanks to Joe for continuing to document the spectacular sights of First Night. If you're ever looking for a photographer

By Lorne Opler
As work progresses on redevelopment of the Alling and Cory building into student housing, the decision by Wilson Farms to lease space on the ground floor is worthy of discussion.   I appreciate and endorse all the valid criticisms levied at WF for building intown stores that look like suburban boxes and disregard the efforts to promote pedestrian oriented streetscapes.  One only need to look at their two locations on Elmwood, to see how the WF, with their asphalt parking lots, not only ruin the continuity of storefronts built to the

It may have been a quiet election year, but Mayor Byron Brown is seeing 2009 out with a bang.  Not only has he let Buffalo Police Comissioner McCarthy Gipson go, but Brian Reilly is also out as commissioner of economic development, inspections and licenses. 
There was flack in 2009 for both Gipson and Reilly, according to the linked Buffalo News stories from earlier this year.  In addition, both Reilly and Gipson found

There were several Buffalo Rising stories that piqued reader interest in 2009, garnering new readers and sending stalwart commenters back time and time again to have their say over the issues that arose.
Though we consider BRO to be less political and more about development, food and local business, nothing gathered as much attention as Newell's (queenseyes) story "Absolute Power Corrupts Absolutely" about the Silent Exchange concert gone bust due to huge misunderstandings in City permitting.

Before you started to organize the comedy scene in Buffalo, was there anything else going on at all in the city... or in the region?

Comix café was running out in the Colvin and Eggert plaza, that's where a few of the guys were getting some stage time, but there were no open mics geared towards comedy. So yes, you could go get a five minute guest spot, but there was nowhere for anybody to really work on their sets. To really perfect the craft of comedy, you have to be able to try new stuff that may not work, but doing that as a young comic in a packed club, with the owner watching,

We ask every time we buy new stamps: Do you have any with artwork on them?  The clerk opens the stamp drawer and sifts through it, holding up various sheets for approval.  We've come away with Eames chairs, Georgia O'Keeffe paintings, Ansel Adams photographs, and several sheets of a collection of American photography that we really, truly had trouble using because they were so beautiful.  And we miss the Marvel Comics series; Elektra was outrageous! (Guess which bill she went on.)
Now, as a point of pride for the Albright-Knox Art Gallery and therefore,

Leave it to Buffalo ReUse to have a ReGifting party right after Christmas.  The idea is simple - bring a gift you know you're not going to use, and give it to someone else.  Who knows?  They might like it.
ReUse's Director of Community Programs