The Detroit Free Press this week published an article about the dispute over the Peace Bridge Authority's* expansion plans.  Although the idea of the article is more to draw a comparison with challenges to border crossing project issues in the Detroit area, it provides some fresh, unfiltered insight lacking in much of our local coverage of this issue: unlike local newspapers, the Free Press doesn't

As much as I was sad to see Fiddleheads go, it's a relief to see the corner of Allen and Franklin filled so quickly. The new restaurant taking over the location is going to be called Atmosphere @ 62, which is being touted as an American fine dining establishment. The interior is being remodeled in preparation for what will be a white linen tablecloth, candle lit eatery serving steaks, pastas, fish, etc.

Atmosphere 62 is the creation of owners David Stahl and Brian Szkatulski, who recently experienced a major setback when their restaurant in Gowanda (Atmosphere @ 31) was destroyed by

Ice conditions at the Outer Harbor have, in recent days, been perfect for a different type of sport that is rarely seen so close to the city. A number of ice sailors including Giles Kavanagh, and Pierre and Nicholas Wallinder have ventured out onto the ice ever since the unusual conditions presented the unique opportunity. After experiencing a short thaw, and then a period of drizzling rain, the ice surfaces at Gallagher Beach have turned out to be optimal for ice boating.

The boat seen in here is a scaled down version of some of the larger ice sailing crafts that are found sailing on

The Greystone Hotel, a perennial icon of Buffalo's decay, is this month's entry on our Preservation Ready List of 10 must save buildings.  The building, located at 24 Johnson Park in downtown Buffalo, is featured in the March issue of Buffalo Spree.   The Spree story gives a detailed history of the building leading up to today's almost generation long vacancy.  The magazine documents what it describes as a gradual decline starting with a 1958 foreclosure auction.  Since then the building suffered a series degradations

Submission by Jeffrey Hartinger:

As a tutor for the Buffalo Public School District, I went to City Hall on Thursday, February 24 in order to undergo a fingerprinting session, which would be used for a back round check and to allow me to work with urban youth in the city.  After arriving, the room quickly filled with half a dozen individuals who would go on to work with children;  whether teachers, tutors, or after-school mentors.  In addition, all of us had another aspect in common:  Not one of us, myself included, was asked for identification when we got fingerprinted.
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People all over western New York have different opinions for whether or not the light rail system is a success or failure. The original plan called for a greater system, but due to funding changes and the need to rework plans on the part of city government, Buffalo got a rail system which was only about one-third of the original hoped plan.

Since its completion in 1985, discussions for expansion have come and gone depending on the rising costs of fuel. Plans have now been taken off the shelves

The Theatre of Youth (TOY) and Talking Leaves Books are teaming up to create a Theatre of Youth Book Club for Buffalo's younger audiences and their families. The concept is to give children the full experience of a story by teaching them about the themes of selected books and then letting them watch these stories come to life on stage.
 
"Educators have been making the connection between the books their students read and the live performances we give onstage for years," said Eva-Marie Edukonis,

I am all for, and completely support, the need for bicyclists to abide by the rules of the road, use hand signals and wear a helmet, etc... but this goes too far.

Michael DenDekker, the NYS Assembly Member from Queens, is proposing legislation that includes language which calls for a bicycle registration and inspection fee of $25 for every "private" bicyclist and $50 for "commercial" bicyclists, with a $5 fee every subsequent year to renew the license. For example, if this was to pass -  my family would have to shell out $125 in order to continue riding our bicycles to school, work

After receiving a number of emails inquiring as to a number of trees being cut down at The Richardson-Olmsted Complex, we reached out to Consulting ISA Certified Arborist Joe Territo to explain the tree care and removal process.

From Joe Territo:

Emergency landscape stabilization to address the many historic and original trees (and provide public safety by attending to the dead and dying trees) is underway and will be complete May, 2011.
 
The original landscape of the complex was designed by Fredrick Law Olmsted, so fittingly the Buffalo Olmsted Parks

Last month, Buffalo's Common Council voted to support the merger of the two bridge authorities that control the four non-rail crossings of the Niagara River: the Peace Bridge Authority* and the Niagara Falls Bridge Commission.  The unanimous resolution, co-sponsored by Councilmembers David Rivera and Joseph Golombek, added new impetus to an idea hearkening back to the International Joint Commission and Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan.

This effort has also been pushed at the state

The owner of the former Riverside Men's Shop at the corner of Ontario and Tonawanda streets wants the three inter-connected buildings demolished.  Charlie Faso applied for demolition permits to take down 783-89 Tonawanda Street and 190 Ontario Street in late January.  The Buffalo Preservation Board at its meeting last week unanimously voted to "recommend not to demolish" 783 and 789 Tonawanda Street but allowed a rear structure at 190 Ontario Street to come down citing its poor condition.

From Faso's written statement submitted with his application:

The building

Research has shown that nearly 50 percent of children in Buffalo who start kindergarten are one or more years behind in reaching developmental benchmarks, putting them at risk of staying behind.  Those who struggle with learning often come from low-income families.  These children are at high risk of struggling in school, dropping out, having low literacy, and facing chronic unemployment later in life.  This cycle continues from generation to generation, perpetuating low literacy and poverty.
 
For the past three years, Read to Succeed Buffalo has been working to help

As many already know, Keanu Reeves actor/director and long time resident of Toronto has filmed his latest film all around Buffalo Niagara. Filming for Henry's Crime has wrapped and the premiere is soon to be announced. Many notable spots are featured in just the trailer alone. These place include the Buffalo Savings Bank (gold dome building) various buildings along the 500 Block of Main Street, and Niagara Falls to name a few.

Without giving too much away the movie centers around the main character

Interested in walkability, urban design, public transit, sustainability? Tonight is the first of nine neighborhood workshops to discuss and provide community input for the new Buffalo Green Code. The meeting, for the Central neighborhood including downtown, Erie Basin, and Outer Harbor, will take place from 6:30 PM until 9 PM at Hutch-Tech High School located at 230 South Elmwood Avenue.

The workshops will convene residents, employers, and employees from the respective neighborhoods across the city to chart a course for future development.

Road Less Traveled Productions is inviting you to leave your conservative side at home and come down to support your local playwrights with "An Evening of Dirty Jokes."
 
At 7 p.m. on March 10, RLTP will be hosting this one-night-only event at The Wasteland Game Room.  The evening will feature comedy acts, live music, burlesque dancing and old-school arcade gaming.  RLTP Resident Playwright Jon Elston and Western New York stage icon Jimmy Janowski will be sharing the role of MC for the evening, performing their own

The University at Buffalo will be a key partner in a $7.3 million collaboration that will research the origins of flowers by sequencing the genome of Amborella.

The Amborella is unique species of flower which is only found in one place on earth, the Pacific Islands of New Caledonia. It is an understory shrub or small tree and was shown to be a direct descendant of the common ancestor of all flowering plants. The plant is the single known living species on the earliest branch of the family tree of flowering plants.

The plant is a living fossil and can be used to study the evolution

Overall, it's good to see storefronts filling up in popular commercial areas such as Allentown and the Elmwood Village. When a store or restaurant opens, it usually doesn't take long to fill the space. That's why it's especially bothersome that two prime commercial spaces have been vacant for so many years. Yes, there are other examples that sit empty for longer than we would like, but when six years to a decade passes and there is still no signs of activity, and little or no attempts at unloading the property or marketing the space inside, what are we to do?

185 Allen Street has been

We're just hours away from the start of the Buffalo Rising Oscar Party at Sample Restaurant in Allentown. You can still purchase tickets online. If you do so, please print and bring your tickets. Tickets will be available at the door though space is limited so we encourage you to purchase your tickets online. 
We'll have an Oscar prediction contest with prizes including a flat screen television, Hero Design prints, Buffalo Rising shirts, and gift certificates to Buffalo

The Queen City is featured in the February edition of Monocle magazine, a monthly publication with an international perspective on design, culture, and political affairs. Buffalo is profiled in a report entitled "Unloved America" and chronicles the decline of industry in the city, it's resulting effects and the stark differences between downstate and upstate New York. While this is the common coverage of Buffalo, the article also profiles a cultural and economic renaissance occurring in Buffalo. 

The feature was pitched to the magazine

It's good to see a couple of new music venues popping up around the city - Downtown in particular. What's even more interesting is that both of the venues are surrounded by lots of activity, even when the venues are not in use. 136 Lofts (lead image) is pulling in bands such as The Breathing Tree and Lohio and Donora (just to name a couple... there are many) to a part of town that could really use the activity. The 136 Lofts venue is located inside the Lofts at 136 student housing project that opened back in October (see post).