West Coast Perspective
Pain at the gas pump could lead to a population shift back to the city. That is the conclusion of several recent studies showing declining distant suburb home values and rising middle-class populations in many cities. In Buffalo, many neighborhoods are seeing high demand, but there are few signs that gas prices are a significant factor at this point.
The rising cost of gas is a concern however. In a July survey by the Siena Research Institute, 79 percent of upstate New Yorkers said gasoline prices were having a somewhat or very serious impact on their financial condition. “Gas and—now especially—food costs are really biting into budgets,” according to Dr. Douglas Lonnstrom, professor of statistics and finance at Siena College.
Exurbs—communities sprouting on the edges of metropolitan areas—are being hammered on two fronts: commuting and heating costs. And those rising prices are forcing a change in Americans’ behaviors, from …
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Sandy Starks
Fresh and Fabulous from the Farm – A Sunday Supper
One of my favorite things to do while assisting at the Slow Food Buffalo, Chef Demo table at the Bidwell Market is to people-watch.
I get a kick out of observing the customers. They scurry from table to table curiously checking out what each vendor has brought in that week to tantalize their taste buds. Little kids sneak a blueberry while some people secretly squeeze a tomato. Many smell the flowers, sample some sausage or engage in lively discussion with the vendors. Neighbors say “Hello” to each other and catch up on local news amongst the hustle and bustle of the crowd. Wagons filled with kids and goodies and arms laden with recycled bags full of fresh, local goods leave the market, prepared to feed the family for…
queenseyes
Downtown workers and residents will be happy to know that a doggie daycare in the Ellicott business district has officially opened. The Puppy Playpen has transformed adjoining abandoned storefronts into a lively center for our four-legged friends. Many of the dogs are being acclimated to urban living… a lifestyle that co-owner Rosanne Higgins (pictured with her Great Dane named Sally) told me comes quite naturally for most of them. “Seeing the dogs in this downtown setting is interesting,” she told me. “The dogs like the action… they like going for walks in the neighborhood. Walking them is the first thing we do when they get here. Then we let them play with each other inside – there is a place for small dogs and another for large dogs. We have a capacity for twenty to thirty dogs a day, and by next summer we’ll have the backyard fixed up so that the dogs will b…
bre
Don’t Miss the Ultimate Halloween Happening at the Albright-Knox Art Gallery’s Gusto at the Gallery on Friday, October 24th.
On the outside...
We present The Halloween Variety Show with Emcee Sick of Baby Steps, Sifu Chik Qadir Mason of Spiritwind, joined by Kelly Metcalfe and Angela Lopez kicks off our outdoor extravaganza with Ghost Dance, mixing choreography and ancient dance into a martial art inspired performance of continuous movement and flow. Followed by spontaneous performances including Fire Poi by Crystal Dunning, jagged jugglers, dancing demons, accompanied by Emcee Sick of Baby Steps.
On the inside....
The Masquerade Ball and Babik! The macabre, the comical, the strange—come to see or to be seen, in costumes designed by the area’s best in theatrical and artistic professionals, music by Babik the high-energy all-string jazz ensemble.
When: Friday, Octobe…
Joseph McHenry
Confucius said to “study the past if you would divine the future.” On October 2nd, Youth Leadership Erie County (YLEC) heeded his advice. On our first day session of the 2009 YLEC program – “Community History and Governance Day” – it was appropriate that we took a look back, in order to look ahead. By visiting some historic sites, like the Broadway Market, Michigan Street Baptist Church and Buffalo City Hall, which have helped to shape Buffalo’s past, we hope to understand better how Buffalo might use these assets to strengthen its future.
The City of Buffalo is full of so many relics from its storied past just waiting to be reinvigorated and transformed to meet the needs of today’s and tomorrow’s inhabitants. One of the places YLEC visited on this day was the Broadway Market. Many of us had never been to th…
tuesday october 14th 2008
Comment(s) of the Day: Authentic doesnt have to mean boring.
buffalorising
It seems the Erie Canal Harbor Development Corporation is torn. Originally envisioned as a generic, contemporary plaza and marina, the 12.5 acre site at the foot of Main Street was redesigned to incorporate historical Erie Canal-era elements discovered during preliminary site work. But only after a lawsuit.
The revised history-based master plan saw the unearthing and restoration of the historic infrastructure on the site including cobblestone streets, old foundations, and a rewatering of the Commercial Slip, the western terminus of the Erie Canal. Project planners are looking at tinkering with the existing interpretive signage and adding new elements, all while staying respectful to the history of the site. It is a dilemna Preservation Board struggles with, and oftentimes gets skewered for.
Jamesbflo has some advice:
lol, the Disneyfication ha…
Elena Cala Buscarino
The Albright-Knox Art Gallery will host the Aurora Theatre’s new film series Aurora at the Albright, beginning this Friday, October 17th, with a screening of Mansfield Park.
Best of all, Patricia Rozema, the film's writer and director will be present to discuss Mansfield Park after the screening. Paul Brown, owner of the Aurora Theatre and the producer of this series said, "Tricia happens to be an associate of mine, and people who make movies want them seen. It's a chance for them to show off history." He added, "In my humble opinion, Mansfield Park is the best Jane Austen adaptation, ever."
Brown, an award-winning independent filmmaker and television producer stated that his wife and partner, Barbara Tranter, made a film with Rozema in 1999 entitled When Night is Falling.
Of the series, Brown said, "It's fun to bring movie…
buffalorising
The City of Buffalo In Rem 42 Foreclosure Sale is scheduled to take place on October 20, 21, and 22, 2008 at the Buffalo Convention Center. The In Rem 42 Foreclosure Sale List is posted on the City of Buffalo’s website at www.city-buffalo.com. It is also available for a $5.00 fee at the Department of Assessment & Taxation.
“We know these are difficult times and help is available for property owners experiencing financial hardship,” said Mayor Byron W. Brown. “The City of Buffalo can help homeowners avoid foreclosure and payment plans are available to anyone who cannot pay the full amount owed.”
For further information, please contact the Department of Assessment and Taxation at 851-5733, the User Fee Office at 851-5966 or American Water Services at 847-1065 to inquire about a payment plan. Court orders offering extended paym…
Buffalo Foodie
After a brief summer hiatus, SAMPLE’s Supper Club resumes in a few weeks. The monthly occasion returns with an eye on the season and an appreciation for quality beer.
For the uninitiated, SAMPLE’s Supper Club features a “food forward” six course feast that tempts the taste buds and the imagination. If Chef Adam Goetz’s thoughtful and refined contemporary menu isn’t enough to tempt you, perhaps the pairing of exquisite beers with each course will seal the deal. Last season's beer dinner was a stunning success, so I suggest you make reservations and pencil this engagement into your calendar right away.
I attend Supper Club regularly as the food is not only delicious and unrivaled by most area restaurants, but the experience is also memorable. Tables converse with one another and an overa…
queenseyes
For years, visitors to Elmwood Avenue have been gazing upon a partially lit neon work of art at Bidwell Parkway above Sahara Grill. Every once in a while there were reports that the neon was getting repaired... then nothing. That's not the case anymore as this Wednesday marks the official relighting of the Neon Tango Dancers. Thanks to the work of the Elmwood Village Association, the Buffalo Tango Society, NAS Quicksigns and Joe Golombek, the dancers will once again strut their stuff high overhead one of the Top 10 Great Neighborhoods in America. The lighting ceremony will take place at 6:15pm on Wednesday.
Following is from an interview with Laura Rankin, the artist behind the neon sculpture (see post):
"Boy, this takes me bac…
