A Shout Out From LA
I'm (Rob - far right) one of the LA investors (pictured with Tatina and Jessica) that Newell and company ushered around earlier this week. I could not have had a better introduction to the city and the various possibilities. Thanks for your wonderful hospitality (Damn Buffalonians are tall, lol).
I'm just back to LA this afternoon and honestly my head is still swimming. I've read the above posts and find them mostly well articulated. Some of them I believe to be spot on. 'Transplant' in particular seems to understand the process of rebirth and renewal.
Here's what I think so far:
I think Buffalo has amazing architecture, history, arts, dining, location and proximity to a lot of exciting localities.
I think Buffalo has some truly visionary people working their piece of the puzzle for the betterment of the city.
I think Buffalo - with good marketing - could attract the best and the brightest in the professions and the arts.
I think, however, there are some puzzle pieces missing. I didn't get a sense that the city/county governments (and I could be wrong, I still have a lot of research left to do) realize the things that make Buffalo special in the new economy is not the traditional industries of manufacturing and big corporations, but arts and entertainment/history and architecture. People tend to move to places where the quality of life is the best for the amount of money spent. I don't know that I've been anywhere with as great of potential as Buffalo in this regard. For me it was painful to see beautiful old houses boarded up and slated for demolition.
I think I sensed a bit of xenophobia of "outsiders" coming into the city. A renter next door to an abandoned house I was wandering around said it best, "Investors from other places buy these houses, rent them out to anybody who'll take them, keep the money and don't put anything back into them." I got the impression that slum lording is running rampant as is squatting, and various forms of lawlessness that come from lack of hope.
I think outsider investors got a bit of a bad name from the above practice and some "activists" have closed their eyes to the potentials of Buffalo and the possibilities that outside interests could bring with them. Just as not every investor does well by the community, not every owner occupant does well by their own properties.
I think change is brewing for Buffalo and those of you who were early adaptors buying and restoring houses, building businesses, and singing the praises of Buffalo are going to reap the rewards of those changes.
I think that often residential neighborhoods change before the commercial businesses around them change. Businesses follow money and then money follows businesses. Smart entrepreneurs see opportunity where there is change and move in to capitalize upon it.
So, I think the first step for many residential areas in Buffalo is to clean up, restore, fix up, and remarket to a more affluent clientele. I suspect the first wave of such people will be artists and gay folk followed by hipsters and an assortment of yuppies. The first waves may bring their own jobs that will flourish and create job opportunities for others. I think corporate headquarters smelling the same changes, offered appropriate incentives, finding inexpensive land and seeing opportunity for low cost housing for their workers will follow that.
I think that Los Angeles and other cities that experienced large gains in real estate value over the past few years will create a market of people disinvesting to go to other places that have the potential to do the same thing and investors unwilling to buy at current prices with the associated high risk and small rewards. I think that younger creative and professional people who are flexible with geography and priced out of more expensive markets are looking for good places to go. Buffalo can benefit from all of these.
I think the people above have money and/or drive, passion and energy to give Buffalo the boost it needs as long as certain forces within Buffalo do not get in the way or provide disincentives for them to do so.
Like I said above, I still have a lot to learn about Buffalo, but I see opportunity on almost every corner...
Btw, my m.o. with investing is to restore (bring back luster, charm and beauty), build community, and market hard.
Black Rock eh?
Thanks for the honest outside opinion I only wish more local people would open there minds to the city as you have. Hopefully your words and ideas go noticed this would be a great article for ohh, our mayor to read? or maybe... every other politician. Queenseyes, can we print this and mail it to them all?
I totally agree that with the new information age people and companies choose location and quality of lifestyle as a major driving forces to where they locate. A lot of these locations in Colorado or California market themselves for this fact as their main drawing feature. Life style centers for the young professional.
I spent last week in my original hometown of NYC and LI- although, now having lived here since college, Buffalo is my hometown for sure. As with every visit, I have the 'why do you live in Buffalo if you grew up here' conversation at LEAST once per day. And how I answer those inquiries has helped to change perception at least for those people: cost of living, the arts, accessibility, cost of living, culture, beauty, cost of living.... Get the point of why I live here? This is still a bargain of a city- my house here cost one tenth of my brother's very similar house on Long Island. My yearly tax bill doesn't add up to his monthly hit. And I still have money to spare to actually enjoy the place I choose to live.
Obviously savvy 'outsiders' are starting to realize this, so the savvy hometowner is smart to capitalize on our value now. Stop beating ourselves up for mistakes made in the past and truly look at our current financial as well as 'intangible' value. Already this week, I have gotten a follow-up from a NY stranger who I had a long conversation with about Buffalo and our arts scene- he and his wife are planning their visit. They were overwhelmed with what we have- when are those who live here going to get that same sense of wonder?
One other piece of the puzzle not mentioned here is the state of the schools. I believe there are many people who are prepared to renovate interesting homes in interesting areas, but if you have, or expect to have children, being in the suburbs seem to be the price you must pay.
I get the impression things are improving with our schools but the battle seems nasty, and not with the benefit of the kids fore front.
I feel that if this BR readership focused a little more on fixing the issue of the schools, the neighborhood/architectue/new business issues would become easier. As an individual you can fix your house, and there are plenty of great neighborhoods in Buffalo to start in but the schools take a community and political solution.
I'm pretty new to town..... we LOVE Buffalo, but it would have been a harder decision to come downtown if we still had kids in school.
I know of a house (the eyesore of the block on a lovely "landmark" street) in desperate need of a better owner before the current one neglects it into the ground. He inherited the place and takes horrid "care" of it. His assessed valuation is very low because it's never been sold… thus, he pays lower taxes (by far) than the owners around him who have restored their homes (or, at least, keep them up) — something is really wrong with a tax system that allows THAT to be possible! So, if your m-o is as you say and you are ready to take one on… please ask Newell to put you in touch w/ me directly. Maybe we can save a 125 yr old classic Victorian from ruin. (in a great location, with near-guaranteed rental it it were fixed up — or, turn in back to a single and live there!)
I see you're enjoying a "Buffalo Best" - Mister Pizza - good work, NN.
My son is a VP with Builder's Bank in LA/Culver City, and he has been saying the same things about Buffalo for at least two years now. He was actually looking to see about some investments here.
I wish you the best and, as I told my son, when your mom's a community person, I'm confident you won't be one of "those" investors." Now, I know I'm not your mom, but what you wrote has a great deal of thought - welcome to our city.
Not to unfairly generalize, but are artists and hipsters generally considered "affluent"?
Out of curiousity, I wonder what cities similar to Buffalo has LA Investor successfully worked this residential area rehab strategy?
Long distance managing of house rentals in neighborhoods that are teetering on the edge is very hard to pull off. The many who have failed miserably at this business model likely had equally high hopes as these people - probably not as photogenic but really what's new or different about what these folks are considering?
Do they just feel they will do a much better job than people who have tried in the past and ended up with long distance supeonas and warrants from our Housing Court?
Don't take the above as attacks on these people - just seriously wonder what's the plan?
Opps "subpoenas", sorry, and I really meant warrants anyhow.
Again, not bashing but it sounds like the same thing as others lost their shirt on.
I have to agree with Empty nester on the schools issue. I live in the city, and dread what I'm going to have to do when I have kids of school age. I don't think the P.S. are a good option, I can't afford private school, so all I can do is hope to get them into a good charter school, or move to the suburbs... Which I really don't want to do. I grew up in the suburbs, and got what I think is a very good education from them. But I hated growing up in the bland suburbs and always craved the urban experience. I'd hate to give that up, but my child's education is more important than that.
Remarket Buffalo to "gay folk"? Sounds like a plan... I can envision the rainbow flags all up and down Dorrance Ave in South Buffalo right next to Jimmy Griffin's house. Would serve Hizzoner right, would you say?
Schooly D:
Other than Tapestry and South Buffalo Charter, the rest are horrible. Talk to teachers at Pinacle, Oracle, Maritime, Community Charter and you will hear horror stories. It is no different. They can't throw all of their problems back to Buffalo or they'd have to close the doors. So, teachers put up with violence, disipline problems, lack of parental involvement etc.. until they can get jobs in Buffalo or the suburbs. There are plenty of good schools in Buffalo, you just might have to move out of "the village" to find them.
Holy Xenophopia, did he get that right!
I've been trying to say it over and over again... Buffalo is WAY too inbred and concerned with attracting RE-PATs or retaining existing residents. I'll say it again and again and again. There are likely thousands of people who would LOVE to live someplace like Buffalo who have NEVER lived there before. It would give the place a huge breath of fresh air to concentrate on newcomers, people. Not just fresh air, but money, ideas, positive attitude, and a family tree with some forks in it, too! ;) Otherwise we can start to call the place Buffassippi or Buffabama... Remember, inbreeding is never a good idea. Closed = bad. Open = good.
Have you checked out the Grant-Ferry neighborhood? It could use some serious investors to help turn it around. Grant Street was once a thriving commercial strip and has great storefront architecture. Here's an opportunity you might be interested in:
http://www.buffalorising.com/city/archives/2007/01/west_side_deal.php#commentsall
These buildings are on several bus lines and around the corner from Guercio's (a wonderful and affordable old-world Italian market) making them a great location for Buffalo State students. The brick one was once a police station. With some street trees, landscaping and careful interior updates this could be a wonderful corner and a good catalyst for the neighborhood.
Best of luck with your Buffalo ventures!
Rob..Very, Very observant...
Buffalo has so much potential...And I truly believe that the good things that got us here came from local people..block clubs...garden walks...neighborhood watch... neighborhood clean ups...the ARTs! etc.
16th street is a great example of neighbors buying up and rehabbing the houses on their own street. It cleaned up the street. it is wonderful.
What will take us further is outside investing. We want new money. We need it.
Real estate, business, and investing is not for everyone. But neither is fine art painting. They do take skill and knowledge. Unfortunately many Buffalonians have had bad experiences with slumlords. This left a bad taste.
But Buffalo needs to become more open. New blood, new investments, more good schools..
P.S. Olmstead public school 64 grammar school was best of grammar schools (urban or suburb) in 2006. Heard Tapestry and Enterprise Charter are good, (my friend is the one who inspects and publishes the academic potential of the schools, she recommended these.) And many private schools have scholarships, just set up an interview. There are funds, they are just not advertised.
Where are all these new gays and hipsters going to come from? As long as population and job growth is stagnant, i.e. it's affordable to live in Elmwood Village and Allentown, don't expect the more marginal neighborhoods to miraciously be gentrified any time soon.
And if Elmwood can barely retain businesses, don't expect Grant to become a shining star anytime soon...
Elmwood is losing businesses because its rents are frighteningly high for the typical return on square foot. Grant Street is still a bargain, so I wouldn't be surprised if Grant Street suddenly starts to look very good to small entrepreneurs.
the gays and hipsters are going to come from the suburbs. they have a master plan and are making converts all over the wealthiest suburbs, especially among the teenagers. Haven't you seen all the kids with rainbow castro che guevara t-shirts? oh wait, that's LA...
More options need to be made available to parents regarding education. For instance, why shouldn't a group of couples with kids approaching school age be able to get together and organize a program whereby parents can rotate teaching duties. One can take the kids Monday, another Tuesday, etc. If you have five couples mom and dad can rotate and you would only need each parent to teach one day every two weeks. I understand that education departments require degrees and I fully understand that teaching is not easy, but if you're allowed to home school your own kids, why not a few others?
In most other cities, the creative types (gays, artists, hipsters, etc) are the forerunners. because they want to live in hip communities, but can't afford it.
SO, they venture into areas where others wouldn't, eventually creating a new, hip, community. (Which, of course, eventually becomes unaffordable).
The "problem", as I see it, in Buffalo, is that there really aren't any hip neighborhoods that are extremely pricey, hence, the "creative types" don't need to go out and create their own community.
Most of the rents are still at a low enough cost for hipsters and artist even in EV or Allentown. Especially if they shared an apartment.
Though, I think the rising prices of buildings in affluent (a relative term) areas like EV or Allentown (Median Family income is about $60,000 census 2000), mean that the hipsters and artist will look to the surrounding neighborhoods when purchasing housing. Or buy foreclosure. Or buy a double for the extra income.
This is good...look at the west side...West from Richmond toward Grant st, properties are being fixed up by owners...values are slowly rising. Look at West Ave and Niagara with the Latina community. They have been buying properties to live in & run businesses like delis etc and are pushing east. I am hoping the two sides fill in towards Grant.
I hope all this spills over main st. towards the Masten district.
It seems healthy.
simple yet wise observations.
Welcome!
Rob, nice post with a smiling attitude. We all wish you well.
But...I'm sorry if I find the terms "hipster" and "cool" very short on content and hard to take seriously. The best places I know in this country and out-- and Buffalo is one of them--are not self-consciously "hip"; they are instead authentic places where people commit to their jobs and to their communtities. Often these are people who are every ounce as creative as members of the vaunted "creative class," one of the stupidest terms to infect our dialogue in the last ten years.
I second whoever posted above about keeping a realistic stance about the growth of Buffalo's neighborhoods. We need a more mixed economy, good jobs, and decent people: then the ornaments of neighborhood life can come. We don't need to import creative people; we have streets and streets of them. We need more stable economic trends and brighter horizons for making a life. There is already a large and wise gay population in Western New York that does not need to ghettoize. What we need are more people of every kind--be they self-anointed "creative" types or not.
enough about Rob!!!
Buffalo needs to convince Tatina to move to town.
If Tatina moves to buffalo, I will follow
I am a gay, atist, hipster. Will I qualify for tax breaks if I move to Buffalo?