I have been doing a lot of complaining about what is wrong with the city lately.  But that is just one side of the story.  We can't ignore what is right with the city today.  A few years ago I wrote a post about the Birge Mansion, showing it back in the 1980s versus now.  Back in the 80s the house was a boarded up wreck waiting for demolition.  Right there on one of Buffalo's premier public squares across from Kleinhans Music Hall was a rotting mess of a building.  Back in the 70s and 80s this

By Matt Sabuda Chairman Sports Fans Coalition Buffalo Chapter:
Last week, Alan Pergament wrote a well reasoned piece on WNYmedia.net regarding the risks for Western New York sports fans if the FCC decides to end their blackout policy (see post). Mr. Pergament's concerns focus around the fear that small market teams like Buffalo may have an increasingly difficult time selling tickets, putting the team in jeopardy of relocation.

You live in Buffalo. So it's almost a given that you live in a neighborhood that was built almost entirely before the Great Depression.  The age of your home may be in three digits.  It may even include beautiful, intricately carved woodwork -- both inside and out.

These are the charms of living in an older city.  But they also put us Buffalonians at "ground zero" for a largely invisible problem that all of us would do well to have a better understanding of -- especially those of us with children in and around the house: lead poisoning.

As I've quoted lead-poisoning-activist

In Buffalo, The Buffalo Small Press Book Fair is big news. This year over 110 vendors and over 2500 participants will gather at the Karpeles Manuscript Library Museum (Porter Hall) to pay tribute to "booksellers, authors, bookmakers, zinesters, small presses, artists, poets, and other cultural workers." In a city that knows how to appreciate 'all walks of artists', we have an incredible pool of talented people who rely on the small press way of life both locally and nationally. 
On Saturday, March 24th one big building will come alive with

As promised, today I am featuring the first of a number of Scajaquada intersections that we will see impacted in the future. Many of these intersections are, at this point, high speed on and off ramps. The Department of Transportation (DOT) is looking hard at removing or reworking some of these ramps in order to clean up the access points that will lead to and from a downgraded Scajaquada Expressway (to a boulevard). The schematic that we see below shows us what it might one day look like at the north end of the s-curves where on and off ramps are now located. The idea is to transform the ramps

"I'm mad as hell and I'm not going to take it anymore." Howard Beale in 'Network'
I still remember when David Cooper first moved back to Buffalo. It was about five or six years ago and when I first ran into him he told me that he had come home to open up a restaurant. That restaurant turned out to be The Wine Thief, a business that closed approximately one year ago. Ever since David returned, he's been fired up about the process and dynamics of opening and expanding small businesses in the city. "I'm not even talking about my business," he told me. "I'm talking

It's a common refrain on Buffalo Rising: "Let's get a supermarket downtown."  Commenters have suggested a grocery store for Main Place Mall, M&T Bank parking lots, the upper level of the DL&W Terminal, the AM&As Department Store and elsewhere.  Wishful thinking.  While developers have added 700 residential units downtown over the past decade, and more are planned, it's not enough to warrant a new grocery store. 

There isn't an agreed upon number of residential

If you've ever thought that it would be nice to see more college students heading off campus to explore their surrounding neighborhoods, then I have good news for you. Buffalo State College now has a Bengal Bucks Off-Campus Program that allows its students to use the 'declining balance dollar' system at local shops and restaurants. The first three businesses to accept the Bengal Bucks are Zonies and Elmwood Taco and Subs (photo: on Elmwood) and Subway (on Delaware). Buffalo State Dining is looking for additional businesses that are interested in taking advantage of the campus dollar program,

By Jessica Edwards:
Have you ever wondered what you'd have to do to get your name on the side of a building around town? In Charles Rand Penney's case it was his love of art and his collector's eye that landed him the prestigious honor.  If you're already familiar with Charles Rand Penney and his storied life, then you might want to come out this week (Friday, February 24 and Saturday, February 25) for the last public sale of items from his personal collection. What may not sound like such a big deal actually is because Penney traveled the world collecting

One of the more delectable events that takes place downtown each year is the Edible Book Festival. There is nothing else like it. For the fourth year in a row, WNY Book Arts Center (FB) will be featuring a tasty selection of some of the all-time best reads. The way it works is basically a combination of baking and book reading. In the past, culinary artists have recreated 'readible' selections by either accurately portraying a book cover, or dreaming up a fictional or non-fictional baker's rendition of a novel theme. Either way you look at

Does this bridge look familiar to you? In a perfect world... a world where Olmsted's Delaware Park was not ripped in half by the Scajaquada Expressway, this is the bridge that what we would still see today, covering the creek while adding an outstanding architectural dimension to the entrance of the Museum District. Unfortunately what we are left with instead is an ugly structural nightmare with no historical significance at all. While we are stuck with this eyesore for now, there may ultimately be a happy ending to this story. As plans toward downgrading the expressway are underway, it has been

Did you ever wonder what happened to the old Third Room on Chippewa in Buffalo's Entertainment District. I mean after it closed, what became of the space? When the Third Room turned out the lights, it opened up an incredible opportunity for its neighbor, Bacchus, to expand. Over the past few months the new addition, along with much of the existing restaurant, has been undergoing a significant transformation that will ultimately position Bacchus as a fine dining and banquet destination in what was once the city's red light district. As you can see (lead image), the renovated private dining room

"Food, like water, is a basic necessity and a human right."
Think for a couple of minutes about the last few meals that you've eaten. Have you cooked for yourself and your family? If so, what sort of food did you prepare? Or if you have gone out to a restaurant, where did you go and what did you eat? Have you visited a local market? If so, was it a corner store or a supermarket? Were you on a budget, or was money no obstacle? Was there fresh produce? 
I am sure that you are well aware that people facing poverty have

It's time to get ready to gear up for Buffalo's 17th annual Mardi Gras and Fat Tuesday celebration. Each year Artvoice 'goes to town' by delivering a city-wide party at a bunch of your favorite watering holes. Before the post parade revelries come to pass, a host of partygoers take to the streets on their bicycles and form a bike brigade parade that leads the 30+ Mardi Gras floats down Elmwood Avenue. Although there is still a nip in the air, many people consider the outdoor event a precursor to the Saint Patrick's Day festivities that take this city by storm soon after.
On

I'm really liking this idea. On March 31, Acqua Restaurant will be transformed into blues headquarters and Buffalonians will enjoy 9+ hours of amazing live music. The day will be dedicated to the blues. If you think about it, Acqua is the perfect spot for a music festival. It's right on the water, there are tons of patios and banquet areas, lots of parking... I would think that this would be the first of many music festivals if it's a success. In order for it to be a success blues lovers from all over the region must support the the musicians - especially if they want to see more of these types

It was four years ago when Buffalo Rising first covered Go Veggies, a sprouting business that many people had discovered at the Elmwood Farmer's Market. Since that time (see article), owner Genga Ponnampalam has been expanding his product lines at the local farmers' markets, selling his products online and at small brick and mortar grocery markets while apparently looking for a permanent location on Elmwood Avenue. With items like gluten free spinach and black bean burgers as

By Rebekah Williams

We need your help getting Buffalo to recycle because our region needs the cash.

According to a policy brief by Partnership for the Public Good (PPG), the City of Buffalo pays every time people throw their garbage in a trash can.  That means that when we toss stuff in the garbage, there is a cost to our community.

The problem: Buffalo residents recycle only 8% of curbside waste each year.  Compare that to the national average of 27%, or compare that to other local municipalities that report a

A new health concept is coming to Elmwood - one that combines the outer body strength and toning benefits of indoor cycling (or spinning) with the inner body health benefits of juicing. It's called Bike Or Bar, and owner Alexandra Saia is putting together a concept that she feels will benefit those who like the idea of spinning and juicing, but don't necessarily want to join a health club or juice at home. 
What may look like a small Elmwood storefront actually features a large back room that not many people are aware of. That's where the cycling studio will

We all remember the Memorial Auditorium. But before that Aud, there was another Aud. 
And it's this other Aud which the New York Times declares the oldest extant building to have hosted professional hockey. 
It's the former Broadway Auditorium. WNY Heritage Press

On Wednesday, New York State Assemblyman Sean Ryan introduced a bill (A.09297) in the Assembly to amend state law to add the Buffalo River to the list that defines inland waterways. Currently, the list does not include the Buffalo River, which means it is not eligible for grants under the New York State Environmental Protection Fund's Local Waterfront Revitalization Program. Important and well known waterways such as the Mohawk River, the Hudson River, and Chautauqua Lake, just to name a few, are currently on the New York State List of Designated Inland Waterways. The Buffalo River has somehow