Everybody loves a fun field day. I'm not talking about the ones that you took in high school - I'm talking about the one that is coming to Allentown on May 26, 2012. That's when a bunch of restaurants and bars are getting together to throw a street party called Buffalo Field Day (click for more info). I love these types of collaborations that result in festival-like conditions, especially when the party throwers are all in close proximity. 
Join your hosts, Sample, The Bend and DBGB for a fun-filled day and evening featuring

While tours of architecture and gardens have been become very popular in Buffalo as of late, there is another infamous tour that explores the underbelly of the city - it's called the Allentown Mob Tour. The tour is one of many, run by the touring company Naked Buffalo. All of the tours produced by Naked Buffalo are captivating as well as enlightening, especially when you consider the nature of the subject matter. While Allentown is now a thriving hub of Bohemian Buffalo, it was once a hotbed of illicit mob activity. Take the tour this Friday and learn about a different kind of family

In the interest of increasing awareness of the opportunities in the solar workforce and the benefits of building a thriving solar economy, the New York Solar Jobs Coalition will be hosting events across New York State starting tomorrow, May 24. Here in Buffalo, there will be a New York Solar Jobs Day taking place from 12 to 3 p.m. at Cornell's Industrial and Labor Relations School, located at 237 Main Street, Suite 1200.
The Solar Jobs Coalition is hosting members of the solar workforce, public and private leaders, local organizations and interested citizens to come

The Buffalo Bills have been the center of a lot of talk this offseason. Universally praised for their dedication to improving, they've focused on doing more of what made them the highest scoring offense in the NFL to start the season while addressing the the painfully obvious needs on the defensive side of the ball.
They brought in Mario Williams to shore up the pass rush (paying him almost what the rest of the line makes together) and drafted a hungry young corner in Stephon Gilmore.
They re-signed the keys of their offensive success last

Where are you from originally? 
Grand Island
What is your medium? 
By trade I am graphic designer, photography is really just a hobby of mine. I use an iPhone and Instagram (username: @robkins).
How has Buffalo influenced your work? 
Buffalo is the proudest city I've ever been to, and I try to show the pride I have in it in my work, whenever I can.
Where do you draw your inspiration from? 
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Benchmark Group's proposed infill project at 766 Elmwood Avenue is heading to the Zoning Board of Appeals on Wednesday.   The three-story mixed-use building with retail space along Elmwood and 24 apartments on the upper floors would be built on a surface parking lot located between Globe Market and 7-11.  Karl Frizlen, project architect, says the new building will adhere to the Elmwood Village

By Andrea Todoro (West Buffalo Charter School):
Buffalo's neighborhoods are now full of children's laughter, games of tag and bike riding.  That's right--summer vacation is here.  While your child most likely spends his or her days thinking of all the fun to be had, parents are often left worrying about what the next school year may hold.  Where will my child attend school?  What programs will be offered by the school?  Will he or she learn all that they need to become successful members of society?
If you find

The Bethlehem North office building still stands as of this writing.  By the time this story posts the demolition machines may be pulverizing the elegant building.  Some call it an eyesore.  The concerned citizens who packed last night's Lackawanna City Hall council meeting would beg to differ.  They were there to ask that the City of Lackawanna take a closer look and really know what is being destroyed before it irreparably sends a wonderful piece of civic heritage and art to the garbage dump.  
FaceBook friend Bill Maecker took these pictures

Editor's Note: Last week, Buffalonians took to the street en masse to enjoy the biking revolution. As it is still National Bike Month, a number of events were held, including rides, concerts and workshops. "It's great to see so many people out on their bicycles this past week," said Justin Booth of GO Bike Buffalo (formerly GO Buffalo). "There is a lot of exciting things happening in Buffalo and more to share soon. Please visit our new website, become a member and take advantage of our programs and activities that will be coming up. From new infrastructure,

On Sunday, June 24, hundreds of yogis are planning on congregating in Delaware Park to participate in a large scale yoga class. The event is being held by Catholic Health System, with proceeds benefitting Neonatal Intensive Care Units at Mercy Hospital of Buffalo and Sisters of Charity Hospital. The plan is "...to draw hundreds of yoga enthusiasts and newcomers alike to move in unison at Delaware Park while committing to improve their mental and physical health."
The event is scheduled to last 90 minutes and there will be trained yoga instructors on-hand to

Everyone deserves a chance to get out on the water. Living on the shores of Lake Erie, we have been talking about improved access to the water for years, and finally we are seeing a change for the better. Canoes and kayaks abound, sailing clubs are thriving - there's even a schooner and water taxi at Canalside. While access conditions continue to get better, there is a segment of the population that is less fortunate, and does not have the same opportunities that so many of us get to enjoy. Disabled and disadvantaged adults and children should not sit on the sidelines as our waterfront activates.
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There's a new touring company setting up in the city, and this one is a little bit different than the rest. One of the major touring components that the company is outfitted with is the Segway. I suppose that we have all seen Segways in action at one point or another, but as far as I know there are relatively few around. I've never taken a spin on one, although at some point I would like to try out the gizmo. Thanks to an initiative by father-son team Norman and Brandon Jonas, Buffalonians will soon be able to take a ride on one of these touring machines, while taking in some amazing architectural

Last night a group of concerned citizens posted an all-night vigil in front of the historic and neglected Lackawanna Iron and Steel office building on Route Five in the former Steel City.  The building is scheduled to be torn down starting today.  There is no publicized plan for the land after the buildings is removed and placed in a dump.  The building is one of the last vestiges of the massive Bethlehem Steel plant which once covered (created with its own slag) all of Lackawanna's waterfront.  
This beautiful Beaux Arts building is also one

Preservation Buffalo Niagara is recognizing outstanding preservation projects and those contributing to preservation efforts at its annual awards ceremony May 30, 11:30 AM in the Statler's Golden Ballroom.  Award categories were established to acknowledge distinguished contributions to our community through preservation activity. Recipients will be recognized in several areas including: preservation craft; rehabilitation/adaptive use; stewardship; neighborhood conservation; planning/reconstruction; and

Construction continues on a new nursing home on the Erie County Medical Center (ECMC) campus on Grider Street.  The $103 million building will contain 390 beds. The facility is slated to open late this year and will replace the 80 year old Erie County nursing home in Alden.
Residents had some input in the design of the five-story, 275,500 square foot building. It will have three floors with over ninety skilled nursing beds each, one floor with 66 sub-acute rehab beds, a 16-bed behavioral intervention unit and a 20-bed ventilator unit. The ground floor contains

The corner of Amherst Street and Elmwood once again has added life in the form of a hamburger, hotdog and ice cream shack that will soon be cranking out full diner fare. It's called The Kitchen Table, and owner Kim DeWald, along with a family member or two, is planning on running a diner-style restaurant with long hours and homemade food. "We make the burgers at the restaurant," she told me. "We serve hand cut fries too. The neighborhood is quickly discovering that we're here to stay and our doors are usually open. We cleaned up the side yard and made a patio so that customers can eat outside.

If there was ever a person who was born without a green thumb it would be me. I love flowers and gardens, fruits and veggies, but the mere thought of growing anything myself is laughable. That's why, when Jackie Albarella contacted me and said that she had started a new container garden business, my ears perked up. One of Jackie's many passions is growing flowers and edibles. Since she was little she had a knack for tending gardens, and found that she excelled in all things growing green. Throughout her life Jackie always helped out her friends and family when it came to offering gardening

In a recent conversation with her neighbor, longtime Buffalo restaurant owner Maura Crawford announced that she was "expecting again." Well, sort of. The newest addition to Crawford's family of restaurants comes in the form of "Coco, by Le Metro," which opened for lunch on Thursday at 888 Main Street.  Drawing inspiration from the words of Coco Chanel, "Hard times arouse an instinctive desire for authenticity," Crawford decided that her next endeavor would lead her back to the city.  "I had been looking

There's a guy who lives in my neighborhood who is known as Harley. Harley is an artisan who specializes in fabricating furniture using reclaimed materials. He has a workshop in his backyard, and a couple of times during the summer months he has a tag sale. Not only is Harley a super charming guy, he's got a gift for creating one-of-a-kind creations that are sometimes fanciful and other times rustic in nature. Harley and his artistic offerings make me happy. Because he features his work in front of his studio intermittently, he doesn't need a permit. It's as if he is hosting a yard sale when he

Here's the fifth instillation to be erected at Silo City, and this is the only one that can be seen by passersby as they head from the Outer Harbor to the old First Ward. At first glimpse, this instillation looks as if it is actually part of the industrial site - a remnant of Silo City's past that was never disassembled. Upon closer inspection, the structure actually glistens, as it was recently fabricated using some newer materials. Possibly a skate ramp? A solar panel? No, the sculpture is an ode to the silo site, and is a tribute to the art of decomposition. Along with Wind