By Greg Conley:

Quite often this site and others have posts and comments from readers about mass transit. I think many people dream of living in some city of the future where trams zoom by in every direction. Unfortunately, I don't see that happening here any time in the near century.

Let's go back to the old way.

I recently mapped the Buffalo street car system near its height in 1916 (see here). It was at that point, I realized why

The Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation (ECHDC) has unveiled a preliminary report on its Cultural Master Plan for the Canal Side project.  The report is the culmination of the first step of what will ultimately be a three stage process in determining the cultural mix on the Inner Harbor.  Lord Cultural Resources and Ralph Applebaum Associates prepared the report after an intensive period of consultation with ECHDC board members and staff, representatives from Western New York's leading cultural organizations, and almost 150 community members.  The report details the research

These holidays are heady days for the Sportsmens Tavern - after 27 humble years as a tiny tavern in the heart of Black Rock that's hosted some of the biggest touring acts in Americana music, their ship is coming in. Major renovations are more than doubling their capacity, and the progress is visible almost daily, as they work tirelessly 'til 3 o'clock every day and cover up the dust to open the bar at 4. That may seem crazy, but it's the daily drill at the Honkiest, Tonkiest Beer Joint in Town - there are

With the blow of a horn and a flip of a few switches, a Festival of Lights was born in Buffalo. Last evening, Mayor Brown signaled the lighting of 17 acres of park land surrounding the Parkside Lodge. Simultaneously, holiday music was piped across snow-covered fields, a horse and carriage arrived, and people set out to walk the lit trails. Inside the lodge, people congregated by the fireplace, enjoyed food from The Lunchbox Cafe, explored the marvelous holiday gift shop and toasted to the special occasion. A special live performance of "It's a Wonderful Life" (currently in production at The

If you've always wanted to make your own homemade bread, but haven't wanted to go through the tedious process of kneading bread dough, we have some good news for you.

Today, December 11, is the first of a series of biweekly Kneadless Effort bread baking classes offered at Artisan Kitchens and Baths.  The classes run from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and are led by instructor Lorna Lippes.

Lippes has been working with this no-knead method since reading about it in the New York Times in 2006 and has since taught it to countless numbers

As luck would have it, the BRO holiday gift selection #11 arrived in time for a holiday kick-off this evening. It just so happens that two of Buffalo's most bitchinest fashionistas are hosting a one-month (select weekends) Allentown open house trunk show, featuring some rather unusual gift items for the more adventurous people on your gift list. Leave it to Morgen Love and Marilyn Hammer to bring to the street a mix of belts, feather earrings, hair adornments, leather goods, cuffs, exotic beads, artwork, charms and customized clothing.

Rarely have you ever seen a collection of adornments

Nest Interiors (see BRO article) recently picked up and moved its retail store from Allen Street to Delaware Avenue. In doing so, the design business picked up quite a bit of additional (and needed) space, along with critical window exposure. When I first saw the storefront at night, I was in awe of how brilliant and inviting the windows looked. By day, Nest Interiors is comfortable and cozy while offering an impeccable business sense. I spoke with Brooke R. Pelc, owner and Interior Designer at Nest Interiors:

By Sarah Bishop,

The United Nations General Assembly's adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) on this date in 1948 marked a milestone in the history of human rights - creating "a foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world."

Sixty-two years later, the Declaration, with its broad range of social, political, cultural and economic rights, continues to outline and inspire an international standard for human rights.

Human Rights Day 2010 has chosen to focus on human rights defenders who act to end discrimination. A prominent

Leave it to Five Points Bakery to sell a thoughtful Buffalo-made gift for all of the foodies out there. What we have here is a beautiful pair of handmade wooden toast tongs made from reclaimed wood from old orchards, storm-damaged trees and urban discards. When I first saw the tongs, the first thing that came to mind was all of the times that I've yelled at people for sticking metal utensils into the toaster in order to retrieve toast. With a set of these utilitarian grabbers, there's no need to worry about loved ones getting zapped.

Not only does Five Points Bakery support the local

When it comes to getting around in the snow, I'd say that it's safe to say that most Buffalonians prefer four wheels. Then there are the few and the brave who traverse the elements on two wheels, even when there is a storm brewing. In all the years that I've lived in Buffalo, I never thought that I'd see the day that I would come across a unicyclist in a snow storm. In fact, if you had told me that it was even possible, I would have asked to see it with my own eyes in order to believe it.

Earlier in the week, when the snow was falling and the winds were whipping, I spotted a guy on Main

As a way to celebrate the Lighter, Quicker Cheaper concept for the Inner Harbor, waterfront activist Mark Goldman is throwing a party at Allen Street Hardware Cafe in Allentown one week from today. Stop by and raise a pint of Canalside Ale - a beer brewed specifically for the occasion. Mark is calling this a 'New Day' for the waterfront, and is anticipating a growing movement where community involvement is not just idle talk, but rather an integral component of the process.

Come join

The Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation (ECHDC) will call upon the insight and expertise of a team of nationally recognized artists, curators and museum directors for its Canal Side Art Selection Committee.  The goal of the Canal Side Art Selection Committee is to identify an artist or group of artists who can create an iconic art work or set of art experiences for Buffalo's Canalside. This public art project will enrich the experience of visitors to Canal Side in particular and Buffalo in general.
 
Members of the Art Selection Committee are: Molly Donovan, Associate

Three local designers have decided to represent their home town in the best way they know how--by starting their very own studio in its name.

Queen City Studio is the product of Rob Hopkins, Nick Haas and Emily Kowzan, three visionaries whose goal as a new studio is to "Reinstate Buffalo as a manufacturer of quality through the practice of good design."  They have worked extensively in the design industry, producing work that has been featured in Graphis, Logo Lounge and on various blogs with an international audience. QCS also recently designed a t-shirt for grammy-winning recording

When people think of Rust Belt or other regions that are either shrinking or growing extremely slowly, what often comes to mind is the thought of rats fleeing a sinking ship.  The concern over "brain drain" reinforces this exact type of narrative.  And when you look at the net migration figures from the Census Bureau, it's easy to find the image confirmed.  For example, here's net domestic migration for Midwest metro areas from 2007 to 2008:

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Today's holiday selection comes from the same boutique that I covered in yesterday's pick. As I mentioned previously, Anatomy Design embodies all that is Buffalo. It was a big surprise however, to find that the shop's stylish fashion maven had picked up a delicious-smelling line of locally-made soy candles. "They smell incredible," Ali Eagen told me. "And they have a long burn time." I picked up one of the orange candles and held it to my nose. The overwhelming smell of orangesicles filled my head, and I was

By Michael R Weekes:

In November, I traveled to Lausanne Switzerland for a two-week vacation.  I didn't know I'd find so many lessons that Buffalo can leverage as it becomes 'what it will be'.  I encourage us all to look at Buffalo from the outside and see what other successful cities do to achieve and retain tourism and a higher quality of life.

Part 1 - Take The Train!

In Lausanne, I could take a driver-less metro down the five minute trip from the Chuv Hospital Station to the Train Station every seven minutes.  I loved the Lausanne

When it comes to fashion in Buffalo, it really doesn't get any more homegrown than Anatomy Designs on Elmwood Avenue. Designer Ali Eagen is the mastermind behind most of the clothing and accessories found in the boutique. This holiday season, Ali is featuring a variety of scarves made right here in Buffalo, and some of the scarves are even made from reused materials.

If you're looking for a style built by Ali (Anatomy), then you should throw one of the stylish wool ruffle scarves around your neck - they retail at $30 (silk

"Positioning the NFL Brand" will be the topic of a talk to be presented at Monday's meeting of the Monday Quarterback Club. The luncheon will be held at the Harbour Club at HSBC Arena on December 13th. Doors open at 11:15 am for a buffet lunch, and the program follows at 12:00 pm.
 
MQB, the business group that backs the Buffalo Bills, is bringing in Peter O'Reilly, Vice President for Fan Strategy and Marketing for the National Football League, as its the featured speaker. O'Reilly's talk will delve into strategies for reaching out to the younger as well as mature markets, as well

The Buffalo River Cleanup effort has reached an important milestone with the development of a two-phase project plan that will make great progress toward improving the waterfront and addressing several environmental concerns affecting the Buffalo River.

The area covered by this project plan spans 6.2 miles of the Buffalo River and 1.4 miles of the City Ship Canal. The list of issues that it will address includes contaminated river sediments, poor water quality, a lack of safe public access and insufficient fish and wildlife habitat. A consensus-based Remedial Investigation/Feasibility

By Roger Schroeder:

My usual submissions contain renderings that tell an idea with a visual (example: solar carroussel). This time I think an image needs to grow in the imagination of the readers. It might also save me from the sharp criticisms of my renderings.

The talk I have heard about erecting tents on part of the site made me start thinking.

Next summer is our summer, our time to build a piece of Buffalo history as an exciting addition to the history we have read about. We