Get Behind Buffalo
Anyways, I was just going to pull a quote/excerpt from the East Valley Tribune's article, but I couldn't decide which one I liked best... so here's most of the article:
Scottsdale, which last year readers of AmericanStyle magazine named fourth best arts destination among mid-sized U.S. cities - after highest-ranked cultural meccas Pittsburgh, Albuquerque, N.M., and Las Vegas - has moved up a couple of notches.
When the publication, which defines itself as "the national arts lifestyle magazine for art enthusiasts, collectors and travelers," repeated the readers' poll this year, Scottsdale came out second best.
Behind Buffalo, N.Y.
Randy Jones, co-owner of Scottsdale's Duley-Jones Gallery, was speechless at first and then roared with laughter when he heard about the city's rise in the art magazine's esteem.
"I've never been to Buffalo and never seen their arts scene," Jones said after he composed himself. "I'm shocked."
Fellow gallery owner Vicki Boyce, of Victoria Boyce Gallery, was equally amused. "We've really fallen on tough times if we're behind Buffalo," she said. Boyce admitted that Buffalo's Albright-Knox Art Gallery, which recently announced plans for an expansion, is "one of the best small museums in the country," and a $16 million project to develop 60 working artist lofts is impressive.
Still, she was amazed that Scottsdale's expansive cultural offerings would take a back seat to those of the frozen municipality on Lake Erie, more renowned for measuring snowfall in feet than having a flourishing arts scene.
AmericanStyle editors were also surprised by Buffalo's astounding leap from 14th in the 2007 poll to first, said Jean Thompson, spokeswoman for the publication.
"But this is a readers poll, and the results depend on the enthusiasm from the community," Thompson said. "The Convention & Visitors Bureau and the Arts Council put out the word, and enthusiasm and intensity was extremely high from Buffalo."
The AmericanStyle poll is aimed at helping tourists who choose vacation destinations based on cultural offerings, figure out where to go, Thompson said.
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Comment Options
SLEEPL8
We already know that the rest of the country thinks that Buffalo is a snow covered s@#* hole. Thanks for reinforcing the point. I'm glad we won. Go Bills.
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lebowski
Im tired of listening to Scottsdale, AZ cry and whin about not getting respect. Its so exhausting, like the blazing hot 24-hours a day heat they deal with. I'm not kidding. 24/7. I hear its so hot down there, there is no outside or fresh air. Only man-made environment. Thats such a 'dazzling array of contemporary art' its ridiculous. Buffalo should be ashamed of their 4-seasons.
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benfranklin
I'm thinking that Roswell should set up an area for volunteer researchers on the new BNMC. Whenever one of us is about to defend our city (or more generally be concerned about what others think about our city)... we would go to Roswell, and use our brains for a better purpose. Also, time we won't spend watching the Sabres... volunteer at Roswell. Between the time we spend on these two pursuits, we should have cancer cured in a few months.
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Jay
The first things that come to mind when I think of Scottsdale are the desert and old people pooping their pants....Go Buffalo!
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InTheBuffalo
I think it's quite clear that Scottsdale is just jealous of all our water...
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Geomike
It's tough to have a floruishing arts scene when you're city is less than 100 years old, and most of your art is contemporary desert, southwest, hotel art. Well maybe that's a bit harsh. I like Scottsdale to visit, but it's one of those places where there's no "there" there - a monotonous grid of streets, nicely paved lost of plazas and no snow, but well, a desert. Great for golfing I hear though.
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stephenjames716
step 1) denial step 2) anger step 3) actually visiting the city that beat you so you can form a constructive comment.
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mmjazz
I live in Gilbert which is just outside of Scottsdale. Believe me, the Scottsdale art scene is crap-ola--(to borrow a phrase from my Polish dad.) This is the scene in scottsdale: Barret Jackson car auction next to a strip mall with a circle k--then as an after thought, a cheesy would be craft show in a tent across from it--that's the art scene. There may also be some cheese in the old town area also. Scottsdale might be able to buy lofts, but it can't purchase an art scene. But if you like pastel colored western scenes come on down--they are as stellar as the football team. The fact that I come on this site should inform anyone of the cultural vaccuum that we experience in town. I'm off to circle k to get a coffee and a ding dong--I hear they have some chairs to sit at the one in scottsdale. In Buffalo, you are fortunate to have a great culture, enjoy it. What we do have in AZ is an entreprenurial spirit--that's what we can offer Buffalo. That's a positive outgrowth of this site as well.
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rb66
Randy Jones, co-owner of Scottsdale's Duley-Jones Gallery, was speechless at first and then roared with laughter when he heard about the city's rise in the art magazine's esteem. "I've never been to Buffalo and never seen their arts scene," Jones said after he composed himself. "I'm shocked."
The co-owner of Duley-Jones Gallery has never visited Buffalo and doesn't know about our art scene. Yet he roars with laughter and then is shocked when he finds out we are the number one arts destination. Seriously? Is this guy for real?
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ExWNYer
That's the kind of ignorant elitist snob attitude I'd expect. I've been to Scottsdale many times Randy. You lose.
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wizardofza
Scottsdale: A tacky, unsustainable man made environment consisting of endless stripmalls, styrofoam tract house subdivisions, and a serious car-addiction and water problem.
Does Scottsdale even have any real city fabric? I'm surprised they even got #2.
Too bad those so-called "entrepreneurial" folks prefer places where you have to drive everywhere and run the AC all friggin' day.
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sbrof
Ask people where Buffalo is and odds are they can point it out on a Map, even my friends in Europe knew of Buffalo, at least that is was near the Falls. Ask people about Scottsdale and I bet you get a bunch of blank faces. Buffalo has history and culture and is really its own city. Scottsdale have about 100 more years of maturing and then it really is nothing more than a suburb of Phoenix. The test of time is ticking and while we are not the city we used to be we certainly are not dead in the water. I only wish I could be around to see how Scottsdale will be doing in a 100 years when the Aquifers are dried.
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JohnMartin
"Does Scottsdale even have any real city fabric? I'm surprised they even got #2."
Yeah, it's called growth, you might want to look into it. It's a lesson that we would prefer a Pyrrhic victory in a readers art poll to a booming economy. We're more "real", what the f*ck ever. If "real" means people struggling to find work, crime ridden poverty covering 80% of the city proper, terrible schools, high illiteracy rates, and an economy dying on the vine...I guess we win. But hey, we have "authentic" coffee shops.
Stop looking down your nose at places like Scottsdale and take a look at the reasons they are growing and we are dying. Maybe we can learn something.
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Perry
When I was reading the article this morning online, I was actually thinking "Scottsdale? You have to be joking?" And yes, I've never been there too...just know my buddy lives there, and proceeds to hide in his house five months a year because it's so frickin' hot!
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wizardofza
Stop looking down your nose at places like Scottsdale and take a look at the reasons they are growing and we are dying. Maybe we can learn something.
My "thumbing my nose" as Scottsdale has little do with their "booming" economy and more to do with the fact that'd it's the type of place I'd never consider living in.
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manski
People on this site really make me laugh sometimes. Thanks for the comic relief!! Downtown (Old Town) Scottsdale has a HUGE arts district... just be glad Buffalo received some national recognition from a reader's poll. It's a good thing. Who cares what spin one of their local papers put on it.
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rubygreta
Three more weeks and the temps will start cracking 100 degrees in Scottsdale. Enjoy!
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Biniszkiewicz
Sold a building Delaware Ave. last year to a couple of research physicians who were relocating from Rochester MN. They could have moved anywhere nationally and continued the research they were doing. Scottsdale recruited them, gave them the red carpet treatment (held a mixer for them to introduce them to all the movers and shakers of Scottsdale, etc.) The physicians were appalled at the idea that every time their kids wanted to play in the yard, a grown up would have to check to make sure no rattle snakes were hiding in the shade (literally, seriously). They chose Buffalo because one had roots here and liked it and the other wanted a four season locale with skiing.
The doctors have had no regrets about moving here, but they have been surprised and disappointed at how difficult it is to recruit others to move to Buffalo to join them. People not from WNY hear the word 'Buffalo' and think to themselves: no friggin way am I moving to Buffalo! But get people here and it's often a different story (see Jim Kelly, ex football player)
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jsimon
Let's keep this place a secret so that artists can afford to live here. I love the fact that when I tell people I love living in Buffalo they look at me like I am about to have sexual relations with their favorite pet. Living through harsh winters builds character and I am damn proud to live in this "All America City"! West coast people might be the lamest people on planet earth. When I lived in Boulder CO there was one gallery that had art that didn't make me laugh out loud.
I love it when newspapers tell me what I already know. Buffalo: Number one Value CIty!
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platt4
JMartin- Are you gender and ID confused? Sounding awfully Geeky there.
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mmjazz
John Martin and Wizard,
The point is: we can have both. In some ways, because of our history, we can achieve financial prosperity and aesthetic appeal more than scottsdale could. Our economy has miles to go. There is nothing 'authentic' or artistic about being poor--that is for certain.
Manski--I'm not sure huge is the word for the arts district in Scottsdale. It might be useful to compare Buffalo and Scottsdale to the others on that list. The history of Albright knox alone does well against a louis lamour novel cover--but there are capable artists everywhere--we are talking "scene" here whatever that means. Buffalo schools seem to have stronger programs also--and we have more universities with i guessing more art students.
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STEEL
Maybe Buffalo should be insulted that it is only one place in front of Scottsdale. Anyplace that has something like this on its streets should maybe keep a low profile http://www.americanstyle.com/Media/CorePages/kokopelli.jpg
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STEEL
Also this magazine really has to straighten out their list. Atlanta is listed as mid sized. Portland Ore is listed as a big city. Whaaaat? Minneapolis mid size Jacksonville Fla. big. Huh? ? ?
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AtwaterLouse
I've no idea whether there's tangible benefit to whatever city wins the designation each year. Maybe there is some.
But it's strange for people to debate merits of the results one way or another as if there was some meaningful criteria.
Why now pretend it's a poll of AmericanStyle magazine's readers -- when really it was a wide open online web vote, which Buffalo Rising a few months ago called a popularity contest ('whichever city can click away the most') and begged anyone to vote multiple times ('often') to help Buffalo gain national adulation?
If BR described it that way before knowing which city would 'win', why not be consistent and still describe it the same way?
http://www.buffalorising.com/story/vote_for_buffalo_on_americanst
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GDC
Scottsdale is just jelous of us right now, so who really cares.. BUFFALO IS NO. 1
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RisingDamp666
When Scottsdale puts you to sleep, you can't even hear the ocean, just the distant echo of some overpaid dirtbag fumbling with his golf clubs. That they would ever be mentioned in the same breath as Buffalo in regards to anything is more than any of those sandal clad cactus-whisperers should ever have dreamed of. They should hold a parade...but that old guy with the perpetual left turn blinker won't change lanes and let their Corona float through.
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mmjazz
Rising D-- I live in arizona-that is some funny shit. God damn blinkers never stop bro.
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flyguy
How do these people in these overnight cities get away mocking Buffalo that has a whole heck of a lot more culture on a larger scale and history than they do? Especially if they have never even visited the place in the first place! This is yet another perfect example of how the national perceptions about the place have really tarnished the potential for bringing in out of town growth. I think the Buffalo area should have some sort of clawback for defamation or something along those lines due to the amount of potential economic loss the area has experienced due to these crazy perceptions. Its laughable to me that a place like Mesa, AZ or Scottsdale, AZ finds Buffalo ranking 1 laughable. Hey Scottsdale i'm laughing back at you!
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priescniewzalski
you are all crazxy. They play baseball down there. buffalo never going to be as good as these places that have baseball til we get baseball here.
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RisingDamp666
According to Bud Selig's press secretary, Buffalo won't be getting Major League Baseball until everybody can pronounce "priescniewzalski". Sorry.
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Biniszkiewicz
rd666: 'priescniewzalski' is not a real name. His posts are always exactly the same, always ridiculous rants about how baseball would save Buffalo. I sent that guy an email asking why he made up a fake seemingly Polish name. He claimed it was a combination of family names, but he spells it differently every time so I doubt it. He apparently thinks he's funny. I don't get it.
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RisingDamp666
Thanks for the heads up, Bini, looks like That new baseball team for Buffalo has left field covered.
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