I think demolition of these damaged properties is smart, but 5 million dollars could've been used to repair many existing homes in the immediate area. Why are suburban ranch-style houses being built here?
I think demolition of these damaged properties is smart, but 5 million dollars could've been used to repair many existing homes in the immediate area. Why are suburban ranch-style houses being built here?
Suburban style home in the middle of the city..wow, like we need more single family homes built, only to be torn down in 50 years. When can we MIXED development happen on the East Side, low level apartments over retail stores to service residences? With no grocery stores and service retail development going up near these "homes" it's still going to be a lost cause. In a city that is poor (2ND. in the Nation) and the East Side being the poorest in the city, with many people who don't own a car and have to walk everywhere, but with no where to go, what a waist.
I don't understand why they think west coast suburban type homes are the right choice for an north east urban community. And I don't think green space is the answer either. These lots just end up cluttered with crap because no one maintains them. I'm much more of a rehab fan than a demo fan but I understand that it's necessary in some cases.
I don't understand why they think west coast suburban type homes are the right choice for an north east urban community. And I don't think green space is the answer either. These lots just end up cluttered with crap because no one maintains them. I'm much more of a rehab fan than a demo fan but I understand that it's necessary in some cases.
Brown - "We're looking at reducing density and adding green space."
Huh? I mean in an era of global resource scarcity, in an era of global climate change and heightened awareness of the need to protect the environment we are talking about density reduction? What's that? And what is so bad about high density anyway. America's most dense cities are also its most exciting and attractive. Perhaps Boston's Back Bay needs less density? Give me a break.
Has this city learned nothing?!
Buffalo, the city that in 50 years will look like the suburbs. Except at that point the energy prices and transportation systems will have crashed forcing places to rebuild as denser pocket communities with a focus on transit and sustainability. We are setting ourselves up to be outdated and obsolete before we even finish rebuilding... It is a shame that the leadership, both in the churches and the city don't have the common sense to look at the trends and where the world is going before making decisions. I am fine with many of these demolitions, at lease those that have some sort of plan, but feel like we are setting ourselves up for disaster.
Other cities are investing in greens roofs, row house construction, composting programs, improved recycling programs, transit... we are spending 5 million dollars to get another little slice of suburban obsolescence on the east side. Something many critics are calling the "greatest waste of resources and capital in human history." I hope we like being car and oil dependent with high utility bills while also unhealthy because of obesity, diabetes and heart attack prone because that is how we are rebuilding our city to be.
There is a way to have homeownership, reconstructed neighborhoods and better, more meaningful greenspace that reinforces transit and a healthy lifestyle. But we don't want here. We want to be Cheektowaga, I forgot.
What I don't understand is how the city can OWN these thousands of abandoned houses and not be FINED for violations? Is the public able to sue the city if someone's kid gets hurt in one of these or it's property? or if they fall down and damage your home? ....Something to think about.
Steel, 'we' elected Brown... I think your answer is apparent. We elected someone with little ability to plan, or predict future needs and desires. Instead we got a long term politician who will follow the route of least resistance to get union and therefore voting power. Raises for all unions, more cops that do nothing and no leadership when it comes to how to rebuild our city. My god the next election is too far away.
Actually, Byron is incorrect, stating that the City was built for 580,000 residents. The City was built for 1 million+ residents.
We should be working on Reversing the population trend here and getting corporations and PEOPLE into this area. Instead we're just making the city look like one big surburb with no plans for the future.
I was once present at a neighborhood visioning session involving a design firm and some high school students from a distressed city neighborhood. One of the facilitators asked, "Describe your ideal neighborhood" and one kid quickly raised his hand and said, "the suburbs." Everybody else nodded in agreement. I think that's what's going on here.
For some, "the city" isn't just a geo-political distinction or a set of design guidelines. It is still thought of as a place you must escape; a place that is violent, worthless and waiting to be torn down. If you live amongst these vacant, dilapidated houses, I guess I can't blame you for thinking that way. But that's what is represented by that high school student's response: The city is bad; the suburbs are good.
Hence, whoever is in charge of this project doesn't want to build more "urban" houses - they're surrounded by "urban houses" and they're shitty. Who wants more shitty houses? The suburbs are nice (after all, that's where you escape to, right?), so it makes sense to build nice, suburban houses so they can have a nice neighborhood.
It's sad if kids really grow up thinking that their neighborhoods are worthless, but I guess it's a logical conclusion when you look around you and see the worst disinvestment in the 2nd poorest city in America. I'm just wondering if that's where this whole "suburban-style" housing emphasis is coming from. I'd like to see what they actually mean by "suburban-style" though.
Thank You katie... "west coast suburban style".. in Buffalo.. hahahaah.. what a joke.. umm Northeast right?? waaa isss goiiinngg onnn??
Brown doesn't seem to have a clue, I am with him on that fact that a lot of these houses need to come down, a granted of course. But add less density... sir please define one of the leading qualities of a CITY
What about a BRAND NEW URBAN COMMUNITY?????? New mixed use-buildings with a commercial district (URBAN STYLE) BRAND NEW????? Brownstone style homes would be great, less yard work, built together, a much better chance for a better UP-KEEP than single family homes. And use the old commercial streets like Jefferson, Sycamore, Genesee, etc. and turn them into BRAND NEW COMMERCIAL DISTRICTS. Would'nt it be freakin awesum to have these areas cleaned up but look like awhole other city? Clean, new, filled with SHOPS, and PEOPLE again? Just because we're losing our population,doesn't mean you can't build a small community for people that are left. Why spread it all out and "Pretend" your in a suburb when your not. If people want to live in the suburb, they can find affortable housing in some of them. City of Tonawanda, Depew, N. Tonawanda have cheap houses, and rentals. Take a pick. But leave the city as A CITY. PLEASE!!!!!
1. Reflip is exactly right. I'd bet that "suburban style" sounds pretty good to lots of folks on the east side.
2. I don't know enough about this project to say whether it's good or not. But we need to start knocking down entire sections of the east side and focusing on the much smaller areas that we can actually develop. I think we'd need a magic wand to pull of what GDC is talking about, but the basic idea is sound -- focus on a handful of of functioning or semi-functioning commercial streets, push people into those areas, and clear the rest.
and reflip, I'm sure many of these High School students that you mention most likely have never been outside of the Buffalo Area to witness a REAL Urban experience where it's vibrant, safe, and pride taking place. All they most likely ever seen in thier lives was Buffalo and it's surrounding suburbs and think "That's it". If the Mayor and his team would visit places like Queens, Brooklyn, Jersey City, Hoboken, and so and see what they have done with their hell whole neighborhoods to make it "VIBRANT" again without turning it into a suburb.
Its seems hard to justify artificial density in a community that has experienced this kind of population loss.
Queens, Brooklyn, Jersey City and Hoboken all have a very powerful economic force driving their renewal -- NYC. We don't (and won't) have anything similar here. We'll never have the ability to rebuild the east side, but we can shore up the parts that can be saved and manage the decline of the rest.
my thesis is about these types of neighborhoods and what would be a responsible and socially better way to develop them. Because as we can see we are going to invest in communities like this, as we should, but we do it in a way that in the end is difficult if not impossible for the people in them to maintain or improve upon because of design. They will need to drive many places because of the lack of forethought about transit or mixed use, they will have to heat the most inefficient form of housing in an age of rising gas prices. They will have large yards that require time, money and energy to maintain and upkeep. They will have a large roof and many exterior walls that need painting, vinyl repairs, gutter work, window caulking, window replacement etc etc. The list goes on and on on why these are not just bad for the environment / or our sense of being a city but are irresponsible places to expect people of low or even moderate incomes to afford to life.
I totally understand the mentality of eat side ghetto since I grew up there and also thought that the answer was to move out to the suburbs or be like them. But then at some point things in my mind changed, I realized that where I lived had a lot of value besides curb appeal. that life is more than a ticky tacky house on a cul de sac and urban wasn't a bad thing. But I was lucky enough to travel and know many people from the suburbs and you start to understand it isn't some utopia but has problems just different ones.
Looking at google maps, it appears Woodlawn already has some "suburban-style" building patterns in between Fillmore and the railroad tracks.
I think pockets of density should be built and reinforced within areas like this. Row houses, salvaged existing homes in good condition, some new single family home and then tear down surrounding areas. These pockets can focus around good streets and cultural amenities of areas and transit corridors. They would all have their own places for shops and markets, so that residents can have access to some basic amenities close to home. Food, goods hair cuts etc. But then would have transit access to downtown or outbound to the suburbs for other needs.
The surrounding areas can become the green infrastructure that everyone wants. Farms, new parks, something productive. They could be used are storm water mitigation sites as well and many other functions. They shouldn't be a site here or a site there like what happens now. That is way to difficult to maintain or use again.
The end effect would also be like villages in the country. Each one would be denser than the original neighborhood but have more access to transit, amenities and green space than our historic fabric offered. Trying to fit in suburban homes on existing streets without looking at the big picture and long term consequences won't work. In the end wont have the density or room grow when the time comes that we have to without tearing everything down again. Pocket developments could be expanded but each would also be dense enough to warrant bus or transit stops if an expanded transit system ever comes our way. These types of developments currently being proposed only deter and make larger goals for the city more difficult to achieve.
If these people want suburban living so bad they should move to the suburbs. There's plenty of affordable housing in Buffalo's inner suburbs. They can get their dream without wasting taxpayer $$$ on half-assed, subsidizes projects that will just end up making the city a worse place in the long run.
PaulBuffalo> I think demolition of these damaged properties is smart, but 5 million dollars could've been used to repair many existing homes in the immediate area. Why are suburban ranch-style houses being built here?
Because, as I've written before, the modal house on the East Side is a small, cheaply built, functionally obsolete telescoping house from the early 1900s; not the architectural treasures one sees posted by Steel and others. The telescoping house was the turn-of-the-last-century equivalent of today's single-wide mobile home. It's a myth that these houses were "lovingly crafted by immigrant artisans who worked on the great cathedrals of Europe". Walls and floors were far from true from the time they were built. Most have awkward floorplans -- bedrooms and bathrooms directly off the kitchen, and so on -- .that would require a complete gutting to fix. Heating is often provided by one unit placed in the living room; the reason many of them were built without interior doors. When you're done with the renovations, you're still left with a telescoping house on the urban prairie of the East Side.
Suburban-style houses aren't an ideal replacement, though. Cleveland and St. Louis seem to have mastered inner-city infill with an urban character. I wonder why Buffalo can't learn from them, instead of from Amherst.
katie58> I don't understand why they think west coast suburban type homes are the right choice for an north east urban community.
"West Coast suburban style" would be an improvement. Check out the lot sizes of single family hosues being built in the LA, SF, LV and Denver areas, and compare them to Buffalo; the lots on the West Coast are much, much smaller, even more so than many parts of North Buffalo.
katie58> I don't understand why they think west coast suburban type homes are the right choice for an north east urban community.
"West Coast suburban style" would be an improvement. Check out the lot sizes of single family hosues being built in the LA, SF, LV and Denver areas, and compare them to Buffalo; the lots on the West Coast are much, much smaller, even more so than many parts of North Buffalo.
There is plenty of suburban style housing in Buffalo's near east side built over the past several decades. Most of it seems pretty well taken care of. Most of the homes seems occupied. Prices might not be where they should be, but I wouldn't call these developments failures.
I'm not sure what the subsidies above involve and I generally disapprove of subsidies to build housing. But I'll bet the church groups (there are several that seem to be the most active developers on the east side) would happily build some 'new urban' type neighborhoods if demand within their congregations warranted. As for creating yet more 'retail' districts: there simply isn't the demand. Retail has changed over the past 80 years since our old neighborhoods were built. Let retail develop naturally based on the demands of the neighborhood.
As to the style of housing: News flash: people like single family detached homes. It's very popular not to have to worry about your neighbor upstairs or downstairs or behind that party wall. People like yards and they like separated units. That's just the way it is. If such a thing as these homes were affordable in Manhattan, they'd sell in a flash, despite the contempt of urban landscape lovers.
those who don't like this kind of development are not forced to buy it. But why prohibit it? Why say to someone: 'go to the burbs if you like that crap!' If we can appeal to buyers who otherwise would be forced to move to the burbs, why not cater to that market? There are plenty of other opportunities for those who like other types of urban housing (downtown lofts, waterfront, Allentown, Elmwood Village, etc.). Why dissuade this type of housing when experience shows that it is so popular?
For the record, I live in a home built in 1925, in the city of Buffalo. I used to live in units of buildings I own and I could live in a high rise and be happy, but since getting married I can tell you that anything other than a single family detached home was not going to fly with the spouse. Our house is a lot like those new ones being built (conceptually, certainly). We live in a neighborhood of mostly doubles (ours being one of the few singles). If there is one thing Buffalo has too many of, it's doubles. There are not enough viable singles in decent neighborhoods, however.
WHINE WHINE...are you guys complaining about what style house there building, going to be moving here? I didn’t think so…..next topic please.
A Ranch home vs. a multi-story does not define a city nor a suburb. God forbid something positive take place on the East Side…. let’s criticize.
This site is defiantly “Buffalo” full of complainers
The most desirable neighbohoods in Buffalo are the most dense (and intact) Not everyone wants to live in a detached single home nor can many afford to. The suburban experiment is coming to an end and Buffalo should concentrate on rebuilding mixed use traditional neighborhoods.
Steel is right.
The reason the city went down the crapper the first time was they erased dense neighborhoods.
Here is a question I would love to have B Brown or his crew answer.
How is asking a business to locate near 100 homes over several blocks a better sales pitch than asking a business to open on the first floor of a building with 100 units on the same block?
While I agree the suburban experiment is coming to a welcomed end, a single family ranch style home does not define Suburban. I am all for multi-story dwellings and walk able communities etc and the re-birth of the American Bustling City. But I think even with your “Save Buffalo, do the right thing, I am sick of do no good politicians- mentality” your losing sight of the point, that these people in this area live in one of the poorest and less desirable communities in Buffalo.
There tearing down structures that I would assume have been determined to be lost cause (they don’t seem to have much historical value from what I see) and in turn with the help of the Churches and City are creating something positive in a neighborhood that has “Blight” written all over it (OMG not dreaded “Green space”, some of you act like there putting up parking lots…second thought, your right I hate green space its so tacky!).
Yet the “assumed predominately “white semi-middle class Buffaloians that I “assume” frequent here, have to get there digs in just to complain it’s not right or do it this, or my plan is better. I don’t get it….don’t you guys see your own personalities are sometimes the same as those you criticize?
Maybe you should give a call to these Churches and offer to lend a helping hand for the next project they do, and maybe then you can get you two-cents in, in a positive way vs. whining on message boards behind the safe haven of your desk and PC?
Come on, lets get serious here... Do these mentally slow politicians really think people want to live on the East Side? and before u livberals jump all over me, go ahead and walk thru that neighborhood after 7 and see what its like... WAR ZONE! No Elmwood hippies even want to live near there and theyll sleep on a straw mat with some boondoggle. Nuke the East Side and start over.
"the marriage of the church and the city only makes sense"
Not according to the US Constitution.
What is "west coast eclectic"?
Will any of the houses have a Subway sandwich shop in one of the bedrooms?
Housing in Buffalo is quickly becoming more of a mess than ever. Great that we are tearing down dilapidated housing, but the city needs to hire a team of urban planners to develop a cohesive revitalization plan.
Now that Kehr St will have four houses of one style, and perhaps 30 other styles in the future....how crappy is that going to look. And unless the city begins to require that owner's occupy these homes, Kehr will be back to blight in no time! No vision, no plan...Buffalo is always going to be crap if the City doesn't create a master plan for re-vitalization.
The other issue, Churches should stay out of business and land development, and stick to their purpose. What type of experience does True Bethel have with community planning, development and revitalization? St. Stan's too! Building for the sake of building is pointless, not divine.
"nuke the east side and start over" It's nice to hear resonable debate and such decisive urban planning ideas. I wonder how many of those who have all the answers for Buffalo actually live here and have done anything to help.
Dan, I don't think that anyone believes that these houses were "lovingly crafted by immigrant artisans who worked on the great cathedrals of Europe". I certainly never said that. (The house in which I was raised, in Riverside, was/is of poor quality, too.) However, I'm sure that there are some good homes worth renovating. Identify them and move forward.
Ranch-style housing in the city of Buffalo is a poor choice. The footprint is large and these types of homes are generally energy hogs. How will lower middle class families afford increasing energy costs without sacrificing maintenance on these types of homes?
Buffalo has an opportunity to plan housing for the 21st century. There are many choices, including modern prefab templates that are currently available at reasonable cost from many suppliers. Why not invite architects from throughout the world to design housing and a master plan for these areas? Other cities do it. Make it a competition and publish the results so that Buffalonians are exposed to new ideas.
Coincidentally, the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) in Manhattan has a major exhibition, "Home Delivery: Fabricating the Modern Dwelling", running from 20 July to 20 October. It will be great introduction to those who haven't seen where home design is going.
Artisans who lovingly crafted these homes??? LOL My Great Grandfather built 100's of these homes as a carpenter in the early 1900's and was a beer swilling, filterless cigarette smoking wild manwhore. Come on, those people who built these didnt give a shit, they justy didnt have the technology as we do today... Some of the people on this blog make me laugh!!!
Ass-- Many craftsman did take great pride in their work and you can see this all over Buffalo, As for our technology, I doubt the homes built today will be around in a 100 years.
Where are we getting the idea that these are ranch houses? The article quotes: single-family homes with plenty of green space surrounding them," "west coast eclectic" and not the "type of housing you would typically see here." True, this may be ranch but, is it? At this point in the city's housing state, I applaud any effort to bring new builds into the city. I would love to own a single-family home in the city of buffalo that isn't too big to take care of, is in a safe-ish area, and has some space around it. Please, get rid of those money pits and those abandoned homes that attract vandalism and bad morale. I always thought it would be "cool" to transplant every other nice house in one area of the city into one of the more devastated areas of the city. Then, everyone would have an empty lot next to their homes for kids, dogs, sunning, gardens, a cool breeze that isn't blocked by the neighbor house. As someone who has not studied urban planning, I'm not sure what that would do to the more sustainable areas of the city or to transit. I hope my ideal isn't impossible! We've got the space (=fewer residents around) to stretch our legs in this city. Is it possible? If not, I guess I'll have to move to Tonawanda. bleh
Of course Buffalo wants to be like a suburb. Because the National trend (partially fueled by high gas prices) is to abandon the burbs, and push future development back into the cities. 6 dollar a gallon gasoline will be a sprawl killer.
Read what Reuters has to say about it.
http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSN3047989020080710
Does the city of Buffalo even have a long term plan? Anything?
I think we need to save what we can. This is just another move from urban renewal. Do you know what happened when we did urban renewal last. We go ugly ass 80's buildings. Look at the main Place Mall. Complete waste of space. Before that was there there where beautiful old department stores. Know those could have been used and we would have main street back. But we yet again have a failed and dumb projects. This whole housing thing is just the same way. Classic buffalo flat style houses are being ripped down instead of being rehabed so we can add green space. The county and city can barely maintain the space they have know. The first thing we need is to bring some companies back to buffalo. Then we could actually use these homes.
"Failed suburban experiment" - That is one of the funniest things that I have ever read. A few people who move to the city is not a trend in any city. The suburbs are more popular than ever all over the country, while cities continue to flounder. You won't see entire neighborhoods or city blocks demolished in the suburbs without a Love Canal like reason. There are numerous sections of Buffalo that are so neglected that houses are literally falling in on themselves, streets are strewn with garbage and waste, and even long time residents are looking to leave. The suburban dream is alive and well in Buffalo. In fact it is so attractive that new homes and developments in the city are modeled after the suburbs to make them more attractive.
I know that this doesn't fit into Blackrocklifer's view of the world, but then again he has never been outside of Black Rock. I am sure that he would like nothing more than to see thousands of families move from Orchard Park or Clarence to the West Side, but wishing for it doesn't make it happen.
Buffalo needs to identify the best of the existing building stock and then secure and protect it. Presently homes that could be rehabbed are torn down along with those beyond saving. In almost every part of the city there are solid quality built homes that are hard to appreciate because of the surrounding blight.
Heathersmiles, your view is becoming outdated. Rising energy and gas prices have seen an increased trend toward urban living. It may not be happening in Buffalo yet, but many other cities are seeing growth in their city centers.
"The first thing we need is to bring some companies back to buffalo. Then we could actually use these homes."
this is worth 5 stars for sure
Heather- Its "the suburban experiment is coming to an end" as in the future. The suburbs have been around for 50 or maybe 100 years while cities have thrived for tousands of years. It just comes down to simple economics and limited resources. Suburbs are just not efficient and the rest of us can't afford you anymore.
Paul - I respect your opinion and agree that many people are reconsidering their stance on urban living, in some part due to increases in the cost of gasoline and long commuting times. The cities that are experiencing this trend tend to be heavily congested and sprawled out to the point of merging with other metro areas such as Boston spreading to Worchester, Providence, and Manchester; or Washington DC spreading to Richmond and Baltimore. The impetus for change in these areas do not occur in Buffalo. Our most distant suburbs are a quick and easy 45 minute car ride to the city, and with more companies pushing work from home arrangements, the drive becomes less and less of a concern.
The fact is that cities that are seeing this trend have typically experienced a complete and total decline in the city, and have experienced major tension as developers work to gentrify the less desirable areas of the city. This often occurs with the blessing of the city, despite complaints and concerns from activists and preservationists.
I do believe that we will see some growth in the city, but it won't be a major change. The city is not attractive to most suburbanites who cherish their quality schools and responsive police forces. To most WNYers, the city is an untamed and lawless jungle, filled with criminals just waiting to mug strangers, steal cars, abduct children, and rape women. I know many people who won't ever travel to the city without a reason and an escort, they don't see the same city that you live in. They don't live in a small neighborhood, they live by what they see, hear, and feel, and I believe that they will push for companies to move to the suburbs before they decide to uproot the families and move to the city.
This is what keeps the suburban dream alive and well. I know that this will piss off readers with a new urbanist perspective, but there is a better case to be made for considering urban living as a failure and suburban living a success.
Blackrocklifer - you are myopic and very funny. "the rest of us can't afford you anymore" LOL!
I have a feeling that you are a blackrocklifer because you have difficulty affording what everyone else has.
Your comments are transparent, we all see where you are coming from. So before you get all worked up about someone challenging your precious city, why don't you open you mind to see that we have room for all types of communities and lifestyles.
While I'm not in favor of demolition, the city should at least have some design guidelines that developers should follow.
What does California eclectic mean anyway? The Church should make a public presentation before they start building these things.
CITY GOOD / SUBURB BAD... CITY GOOD / SUBURB BAD... CITY GOOD / SUBURB BAD... CITY GOOD / CASINO BAD... CITY GOOD / NEW HOMES BAD... CITY GOOD / SUBURB BAD... CITY GOOD / CARS BAD... MIXED USE GOOD / HOUSES BAD... BIKES GOOD / CARS BAD... OLD HOUSE GOOD / NEW HOUSE BAD... CITY GOOD / SUBURB BAD...
This place is starting to sound like a mix between Solomon Grundy and Rain Man.
Heathersmiles, the 'city is an untamed and lawless jungle....' Therefore, the supposed suburban success story is due to the fear of its own inhabitants? Interesting theory, but I don't think it represents most western New Yorkers. Does this lawless jungle keep you from visiting Shea's, the Albright-Knox, the waterfront, and other city attractions? Do you avoid restaurants after dark? Are you afraid to walk through Delaware Park? I hope not.
Blackrocklifer stated that the suburbs are not efficient. Well, he was only being obvious because suburban residents use much more total energy than urban residents. That should be of concern in an era of climate change.
I don't argue that one form of living is superior to the other, but there is a trend toward and a hunger for urban living that cannot be ignored. Cities across the country declined for many reasons -- telecommuting ain't one of them, though -- and most of them became dull and offered little in comparison to the suburbs. That has been changing, even in smaller cities, and they are once again beginning to offer a vibrancy that suburbs cannot match. Buffalo is playing catch up in that regard and its next steps will be important.
There are ways to have the garage, backyards, and privacy with urban non-single family detached homes. Row houses can have large yards behind them like most homes now have, You only loose the space that no one really uses or likes on the sides of the building. The area where bathroom and bedroom windows line up with other peoples houses. That wouldn't be an issues anymore. Windows would mainly face the street and backyard. The row houses could also be striated to provide some windows or variety in character. There wouldn't be neighbors upstairs or down but on the sides (like) now but with better construction methods today you wouldn't be able to hear them anymore than you can hear current neighbors.
Also as I mentioned before this isn't for everyone but for someone on the fringe of being able to afford a home they make a lot more sense. We all want to own a home but we can not all afford to own the same type of home. The lives of people who own a home they can't afford to maintain is as far from the American Dream as anyone else. The point is to give more people access to a home they can afford to own, maintain and have a good life.
In answer to a question in the #8 comment, instead of the public thinking that a parent or guardian of a child injured on city-owned property can sue the city, wouldn't it be more likely that the child's family should be made aware that the child is tresspassing on private property and it is the parent or guardian who can be sued by the city?
If the city can sue for trespass, then the city needs to post their properties as private, no trespassing. That's a whole lotta no trespassing signs!
We have a question. Media pictures about demolitions show that painted red square. We thought it meant the house was scheduled for demolition but a friend said that on Channels 22 or 19, Mayor Brown said that square only means the house had been inspected and is considered secure. Secure for what? Demo? Resale and occupancy?
Heather- You seem to find pleasure in attacking the city- the city that most in western new york can trace their roots to. Its kind of like kicking your old grandpa when he is down. I have raised my family in Black Rock and none of us have ever been mugged, raped, or abducted. Contrary to your "feeling" I choose to live here where my family has lived for 6 generations.
Blackrocklifer, I appreciate your passion for your community. Black Rock was the origin of Buffalo and its history is incredible. It has some of the smallest homes and tiny residential streets in the city because much of it was designed before the automobile became popular. It's a great walking history tour. Your section of Niagara Street has some stunning buildings. The beautiful old churches on East Street and the other brick buildings scattered on the other side streets are overlooked.
Your neighborhood has many challenges ahead and a good number of the small homes will probably suffer the same fate as those on the east side because they don't meet the needs of the 21st century. It will be a tough transition, but the long-term potential of Black Rock is good if it can again be connected to the waterfront.
How about instead of demolishing thousands of dense homes that used to make up Buffalo's urban density (that were not abandoned), just fix up a street of homes on either side. Take a block of abandoned homes and transform them into really nice beautiful homes that give Buffalo its continued density as an historic city. Instead of building one story suburban crap, either demolish these homes and put beautiful urban row homes in, or renovate the older homes - they would be beautiful and add more variety of living spaces in Buffalo, but for cheap prices. Have more of these homes renovated, street by street, block by block of the city's streets and have a beautiful district of historic yet beautifully dense housing of Buffalo's past. Having a larger area of renovated, well kept houses, with new landscaping, will make people think twice about living in that part of the city and as it expands, so will our population. Maybe a hundred people moving into thes homes every year, and we could have growth in our beautiful past. THE LAST THING WE NEED IS GREEN SPACE ALL OVER BUFFALO!!! Do not take away from the city's density like that! Sure demolish some homes for something useful but dont go making just plain old green space. It's already got the cleanest city awards mayn times and the tree city of america. Forget green space, just dont take away from Buffalo's urban density and replace it with green space. Replace it with more modern homes - FINE. How about demolisihing a block of homes on the west side or whatever, and building many modern homes - Have a modern district in the city of Buffalo. just dont take the density away- it makes us look wayyyy too much smaller and on the wrong track.
To Heather
In regard to "To most WNYers, the city is an untamed and lawless jungle, filled with criminals just waiting to mug strangers, steal cars, abduct children, and rape women. I know many people who won't ever travel to the city without a reason and an escort, they don't see the same city that you live in. They don't live in a small neighborhood, they live by what they see, hear, and feel, and I believe that they will push for companies to move to the suburbs before they decide to uproot the families and move to the city. This is what keeps the suburban dream alive and well. I know that this will piss off readers with a new urbanist perspective, but there is a better case to be made for considering urban living as a failure and suburban living a success. "
I hate to say but your an idiot! it just needed to be said!
There is a small-house movement afoot in reaction to McMansions that have cropped up about the country. As Buffalo is the second-poorest city in the country now, wouldn't it be prudent to build at least some smaller homes that economically-disadvantaged persons can have a hope of maintaining by lowering their energy costs?
1. Include rudimentary rainwater collection systems into each house that can be used for non-potable purposes. 2. Position and design homes to capture the the sun's rays most effectively for heating/cooling. 3. Use ornamental grasses, mosses and local plants in the yards to eliminate the need for water-thirsty lawns. 4. Use geothermal technology for heating a block of homes. 5. Use recycled denim insulation. It has also has eco-friendly pest control ingredients built into the fibres.
These are just a few example, but there are so many more. I'm stunned that Buffalo has not embraced modern concepts when it comes to housing and I wonder when residents will demand changes to antiquated thinking.
Heather,
I must apologize calling you an idiot, that was not mature, but your remarks are a bit out there IMO. You call out another poster (above) for being “Myopic” however your tone suggests you have the same Myopic view about your love of the suburbs, no?
myopic 2 : a lack of foresight or discernment : a narrow view of something
I am not here to “dis” the suburbs however urban sprawl has not helped America and will only prove to hinder are ability to get through this energy crises, in large part do the lack of public transpiration and infrastructure that connects cities and the suburbs together across America, more so connects the very suburbs themselves with the amenities it needs to get by such as good ole Wal Mart. Just like any bubble the suburban- urban sprawl bubble is about to burst whether you like it or not.
Its just sheer economics, it has nothing to do with the fact people like it better in burbs vs. the city it will come by force! Not everyone can work from home by the way.
You can live in your ignorant bliss, but the bubbles about to burst…. the question I would ask yourself is, how you’re going to maintain the suburban dream when you’re paying $10 a gallon for gas, don’t kid your self? Maybe you will survive and keep living the dream, but that might not be the same fortune for neighbors, who are forced to make a change in the name of survival.
“But Hey”, it might be even more peaceful living on street with no people and have houses that are well be low 2008 market-value because everyone has fled and you cant sell the dam thing?
If I was a suburbanite I would be making major push for our elected official to build up public transportation infrastructure to maintain your dream life style, because with out that I don’t see how you can have such a Myopic view in regard to the long term vitality of the suburbs as you know it?
We need the mobs back. Yes they did cause trouble guess what. they kept the gangs in check. One kid acted up and the mob would be around to wack him one. They kept the neighborhoods in line. Also the police can't wack people either. The people that kept the jack***'s in check are either dead, moved away, or have had that power taken away. I realize this is a little violent but it's the truth.
http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSN3047989020080710?pageNumber=1&virtualBrandChannel=10217
Washington spreading to Richmond? Not quite Heather, not even close. They are separated by miles and miles of miles and miles. They are 100 miles apart and growing in opposite directions geographically
http://www.austinchestnut.com/ check out the gallery here as a form of urban infill happenening in TEXAS.. of all places car and suburban they put us to shame. I bet then homes won't cost any more than what Brown's unions plan to build but actually look nice, and at least attempt to try something new. They realize they are in a city why don't we?
PaulBuffalo, we think alike. There are so many easy steps that if thought about from the beginning won't add any new costs to construction but will make the structures more sustainable for the environment and CHEAPER for those people who buy them to maintain and live in, thereby extending home ownership to populations who normally can't afford to keep up a nice home. Why does anyone who think differently about housing in Buffalo get beaten on around here.
Here's a section of an article, 'A Vision of Washington With Unfettered Views', from today's Washington Post:
"It suggests, for example, decking over the odd "spaghetti bowl" highways, such as the Potomac Freeway, which is east of the Kennedy Center and cuts off the arts complex from the city.
The plan criticizes much of the area's post-World War II highway and building construction: "Urban renewal, hailed as cutting edge by many at the time, reflected Modernist design principles that have proven to undermine vibrant urban life."
> We need the mobs back.
Buffalo reportedly has one of the strongest Mafia families in the nation. Their reach supposedly extends from Toronto out to Rochester, Erie and Youngstown.
one stars mean I am number one right? ;) hmm maybe it is time to switch over to onestarsbrof...
> We need the mobs back.
Buffalo reportedly has one of the strongest Mafia families in the nation. Their reach supposedly extends from Toronto out to Rochester, Erie and Youngstown.
So many pros v so many cons--urban housing v burbs housing--city living v suburban living v small town living v rural living, v, v, v, the vs go on and on and on.
Crime here, crime there, criminals are free to live anywhere.
This buffalorising site reflects people's thoughts that are coming from everywhere!
Those "suburban style" houses being built in Buffalo have a history. So do the "old" houses in the city.
An estimate of what it would ACTUALLY, (not a lowered ins. co. est.), cost to REBUILD an entire, roomy, family-friendly "old" two-story city house is hundreds of thousand of dollars more than anyone's guess; as they are being torn down to replace them with, and this is fact--replace them with what in the suburbs fifty years ago were considered CHEAPER houses for working-class families!
Fifty years ago, as Buffalo's suburbs were growing rapidly, inorder to accommodate families' housing needs, and as it was discovered that the surban solid structures with separate garages on more spacious lots were too expensive, the homebuilders industry designed and sold off houses with a garages built against a third wall on a smaller plot of land. Those houses were CHEAPER and sold faster as they could be built. (The homeowners of those less expensive suburban houses faced but delt with the same construction problems as those same houses built in the city.)
Those same CHEAPER houses were and still are being built in the city, with the very same construction problems. Meanwhile, the cost of renovating a solid "old" city house is beyond even the middle middle classes' financial means. (There are three divisions of middle class; lower, middle and upper.)
Where does Buffalo NY's actual future lie? See the cost of one tiny city condo or loft? See how overcrowded other expensive NYS areas are? As more financially endowed people look this way in the upcoming future, it won't be "old" city houses OR "suburban style" houses they will be interested in at all.
Interesting collection of comments and you can really separate the true city dwellers from the suburbanites and the shit disturbers; though, the shit disturbers do tend to keep the blogging interesting and often, fiery!
Certainly not everyone is meant to reside in the inner city as like people who prefer to rent as opposed to owning.
However, to square-off with the mentality of urban verses suburban is a moot point. I personally find suburbia a more quiet and yes, safer atmosphere to reside in, however, that is not to say that we do not share common problems.
The crack and cocaine dealers are in business because the suburbanites are their premier customers and it is these BMW boys who are on the west side buying their weekend smack from the inner city dealers ~ sort of a symbiotic relationship but I am not too clear on which one is the actual parasite in this relationship.
I have a great deal of respect for the City of Buffalo and its history but I am proactive in the belief that the shrinking city concept needs to be implemented by selective demolition including roads and infrastructure and yes, God forbid, return these selected areas back into green space for the next 100-years if need be and yes, this more aptly applies to the east side and several sections of the west as well ~ certainly not a racially motivated suggestion.
I am perplexed as to why the City continues to build more subsidized housing when the housing stock needs to be eliminated or greatly reduced.
As for those who are descendants of white-flight to Hamburg, Orchard Park, West Seneca or Disneyland Williamsville; please remain there as I don’t think the real city dwellers want you back in their neighborhoods anyway.
Also, why wasn’t Reuse Buffalo contracted to demo these homes and did we get Tim Tielman’s stamp of approval?
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