The International Institute of Buffalo is once again hosting its Buffalo Without Borders event on October 25, 2012 from 5:30 pm - 8:30 pm. The evening is dedicated to Buffalo's newest Americans - immigrants and refugees who have struggled to get to this city, while creating a new live for themselves and their family. Buffalo Without Borders showcases a different look at the various cultures that we now find at our doorstep - the food, the music and dance, the clothing and the crafts. It's a chance to get to know the people through one of the lead

On November 11 2012, Peace Matters will be launching in Buffalo, an initiative that will then be replicated in Philadelphia, Detroit, Chicago, Los Angeles and other cities during a 2012-15 timeline. Peace Matters is being recognized as a movement that will help to "break cycles of poverty and overcome the tragedy of violence in Buffalo" and other cities. Buffalo is fortunate to have keynote speaker, Dr. Arun Gandhi (grandson of Mahatma K. Gandhi), who is scheduled to address guests/supporters/community leaders at the Peace Matters event, which is intended to help with the unprecedented

Welcome to The University Heights, a unique, diverse and affordable area to live and work in the city of Buffalo. The Heights has a lot to look forward to in coming years, and to prove it, several community leaders have come together to create a video that was the byproduct of an intense leadership training program sponsored by Independent Health's "Empowering Communities" initiative. 
A group called the University Heights Collaborative utilized an Independent Health grant in order to create a video that encompasses many of the reasons why

By Giovanni Centurione: The historic Market Arcade Building now has a new and stylish retail tenant, J. Christian Fashion Boutique, selling ladies apparel and accessories for all occasions. Owner, Jaime Hargrove decided to open her own retail store after several years of selling clothing and accessories online. With such a high demand for retail downtown and requests from online customers to open a storefront, Jaime decided it was time. With her love for the historic building, the location was more than perfect! J. Christian Fashion

On Thursday October 18 there is a memorial fundraiser scheduled in honor of Alix Rice, the young girl who was struck and killed by a drunk driver while riding her skateboard home from work. The funds raised at the event will go toward constructing a skate park dedicated to Alix, who lived for her longboard she named "Rupert". 
Six local bands have signed up to be on the ticket for that night:
• Son of the Sun    

Many of us our familiar with the origins of Mass Appeal - the Elmwood Village fashion show held in Lafayette Church that captured the imagination of the community the first year that it was held. While the event has switched venues, and is now being held at The Church at Evergreen, 262 Georgia Street in Buffalo (see here), the over-the-top multi-media flare remains the same. 
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Artists Augustina Droze and Bruce Adams have reached the completion stage of a new mural on Elmwood Avenue on the Jim's SteakOut building near Bidwell Parkway. The colorful artwork is a series of images representing the Elmwood Village including the Bidwell Farmers Market, cycling, coffee shops, candy and skateboarding. 
For years this wall featured a mural by artist Steve Brouse before its day in the sun was finally over. A year ago we attempted to get a permanent wheat paste on the wall in order to clean it up for a national preservation conference. While

On October 18, cyclists will celebrate the 5th annual Buffalo Biketoberfest. This year Essex Street Pub will once again be the venue for the celebration, which is appropriate considering the establishment is home-base to a large faction of the bike community. 
Essex Pub is situated just off Richmond Avenue, a street that is already bike-friendly and allows people from all over the city to arrive at the event safely via bike lanes. 
Biketoberfest is $20 at the door, an entrance fee that helps to fund efforts at GO

Sometimes, the best way to feel good about your community is to actually go out and get your hands dirty by planting a tree. Being able to see the fruits of your labor right away, and years down the road is something truly special. In a city that was once known as 'The City of Trees', we have been tirelessly working towards regaining that image. A number of years ago we were battered by the October storm, and this past summer we suffered at the hands of harsh drought conditions. These types of weather-related incidents wreak havoc on out tree inventory, and that's why organized tree plantings

Local Restaurant Week (October 15th - October 21st, 2012) kicks off tomorrow with around 60 urban establishments to choose from (see entire regional list here). The bi-annual event is a great way to get out and and explore restaurants that you might not normally go to. Often times, people don't want to spend a lot of money on an eatery that they are not familiar with, and instead play it safe by heading to the same places over and over.
Participating restaurants offer the ability to

The Buffalo Bills are struggling in 2012.
However, it's not so much their 2-3 record that's the problem, as that's more or less what fans and pundits expected from Buffalo to this point.
Though some thought (wrongly) that the Bills were capable of taking down the Jets in the opener, it wasn't an assured victory by any stretch and losses to the Patriots and 49ers were just assumed.
No, it's not the games they've lost to this point, but the way those games have been lost.
In those three

On Sunday October 14, from 1 pm-5 pm, Buffalonians are invited to come down Statler City to sample a number of chili recipes created by Buffalo Chophouse, Buffalo Fire Engine #34, BW's BBQ, D'Arcy McGees, Irishman Pub and Eatery, KP's Kitchen, Laughlins Beef and Barrel, Mr. Bones Family Restaurant, North Boston Fire Co., Roaming Buffalo, Siena and Statler City. Contestants will be awarded by celebrity judges, and there will also be a Peoples' Choice Award.
The event is kid-friendly with puppet shows, face painting, ballooning and mini-golf.

The Albright-Knox Art Gallery has announced that it is moving forward with developing a Master Plan for Growth. In doing so, the gallery is entering into a partnership with the international architecture, landscape, and interiors collaborative SnØhetta* (led by Founding Partner Craig Dykers). In coming months the focus will be to identify short-term space needs, while determining whether an expansion is in the gallery's future. "Space needs are one of the most critical issues facing the Gallery today," said Leslie Zemsky, President of the Board of Directors of the Albright-Knox

The popular Elmwood-Bidwell Farmers Market has become a highlight of summer, not just for those living in Buffalo's Elmwood Village, but for a growing number of loyal customers spread throughout Western New York. But when the market ends its 2012 season in mid-December, several vendors will take part in a brand new indoor winter market that will serve customers every Saturday until the summer market opens again in May for the 2013 season.
Karl Frizlen, treasurer of the Elmwood-Bidwell Farmers Market and owner of The Frizlen Group Architects, will open a Winter Market

This weekend, the members of Emerging Leaders in the Arts Buffalo (ELAB) will be taking things beyond the visual realm with their second annual Creative Conversation event: Emergence. Having gotten their feet wet last year with Urban Alchemy, the group will be moving in a new direction at this year's event, focusing on the diversity of the city's growing flock of emerging artists. 
"A big goal of mine was to open things up to all disciplines of art: theater, music, performance, poetry, spoken word, etc.--not just visual artists," said Rich Tomasello

You may have seen by now, that bike sharrows have been added to Chippewa and Elmwood. Sharrows are street markers that signal to car drivers that bikes are allowed to share the road. On stretches of road where there is not enough space to accommodate a bike lane, sharrows are used so that cyclists know that they are welcome, and drivers know to respect the cyclists. In essence, the sharrows are meant to say, "Share the Road".
Earlier this year we saw sharrows added to Richmond Avenue, in along stretches where the road was not wide enough to accommodate bike lanes

Johnson Park, now part of the West Village, rarely ever sees a For Sale sign on It. Johnson Park is the First Park in the City of Buffalo from land donated by our first mayor, Ebenezer Johnson in 1832, and by 1845 it had evolved into a trend-setting and fashionable residential area. After Mayor Johnson passed away, the site of his "Cottage," a twenty-four room Palladian Villa on the park, became the site for the Female Academy of Buffalo, the first institute of higher learning for women in the country. In addition, Frederick Law Olmsted's 1876 map of parkland in the city of Buffalo indicates

By Jessica Edwards:
You can walk most blocks in the City, and quickly stumble upon a watering hole to enjoy a drink or two.  But can you stroll in any old bar, and become the subject of a painting? Well, this Saturday night you can! MJ Myers is a local artist who has had traditional art shows around Buffalo for a few years. But, after meeting the owner of the relatively new MIXology bar, he had an idea to put a fun spin on what can sometimes be a mundane night out... Starting

WBNY-FM, broadcasting from Buffalo State College, is Buffalo's only large college radio survivor, now that WBFO-FM has sadly been merged out of existence. WBNY is 91.3 on your FM radio dial. Back in the early 1980s, while studying at Buffalo State, Tom Calderone became program director, and Tom and the WBNY management team changed the format to new and alternative music. That was cutting edge back then, but a format change that has continued on to this day. After graduation, Tom kept on changing the entertainment world, continually reinventing it and with great success at that.  Some

The Buffalo Cash Mob is back. And everyone is welcome to join the party at 5:30pm on Friday (October 12th) at El Beun Amigo. 
Cash mobs are meant to help bring attention - and money - to locally-owned small businesses. The brainchild of local blogger Chris Smith, cash mobs have become a global phenomenon and have mobbed local businesses in more than 700 cities across 5 continents. 
Cash mob participants are asked to spend a minimum of $10 at the chosen business. After the cash mob, you're invited to join fellow Cash Mobbers for