Buffalo Rising Online

Feb 14th 2006, 3:28pm By Joan Fedyszyn

Loft Living Slideshow

iLeap of faithi people are a force unto themselves. They are passion-driven to the core. Whatever tasks they are doing, you can be sure that they are doing them full tilt and to the max. Sometimes their loved ones think theyire a little off their rockers! But itis part of their charm. This series focuses on those brave and hearty individuals; those who know no boundaries when deciding to go on a life mission. BROnline salutes them in this fascinating series.

The Urban Pioneers

My obsession with Buffalois downtown development is never ending. A very wise friend of mine recently made the observation that ireally, Joan, no one has EVER lived downtown before.i I couldnit stop thinking about that statement. Itis true that even in Buffalois heyday, downtown was home to entertainment and business, but not many people.

So I kept wondering, just WHO are/ will these urban pioneers be? Where will they come from? What will they be like? Who will make up the cast of characters for the movie called iDowntown Buffalois Urban Pioneers?i

I recently attended the Slow Food Buffalo event at the Colored Musicians Club. It was an eclectic mix of interesting people of all ages. As I was saying goodbye to some friends, I heard a gentleman say that they iwere also leavingi and were igoing to be walking home.i I asked if they would like me to drop them off, to which they replied ino, thanks, we just live three blocks away. We always walk everywhere.i

This intrepid couple, Nancy & Steve Siegel, are the stars of my Downtown Buffalo movie. The Seigels should also be made the official ambassadors for the Downtown Buffalo Urban Pioneer Movement!

Although Nancy & Steve live like seasoned urbanites, they are local born and bred. They lived almost 30 years as a suburban couple, along with their three sons, in a four bedroom, antique filled home on a beautiful street in Lockport, NY.

With the kids finally off to college, they wondered what they were going to do with the ifirst day of the rest of their lives.i The upkeep of the house & the lawn, and the social structure of suburban living were no longer appealing. They were young and active, both still working; he as a teacher in the Hospitality & Tourism Dept. of Niagra University, and she, teaching special ed. in Medina. They began planning a new adventure.

Having spent time in Buffalo over the years, exploring restaurants and taking advantage of the cityis many cultural events, Nancy & Steve began looking at houses in the Elmwood Village as a possible place to relocate. Although they looked at many great homes, nothing was really rockini their world. It still felt suburban in a more urban setting.

Two and a half years ago, while on one of their frequent downtown exploration trips, they happened upon the recently completed Ellicott Lofts at 489 Ellicott St, and decided to check them out.

There were two units that remained available that day. One was a two bedroom, two story unfinished loft with great windows, a fabulous kitchen and plenty of attitude. Nancy & Steve looked at each other and were totally smitten! iLetis do it!i they both exclaimed.

They told developer Rocco Termini that they had plans to go to NYC the next day and would he be able to give them a week or so to decide? A day later, they called him from NYC to say that they indeed were interested in the space and made arrangements to sign on the dotted line. Two days later, their Lockport home was on the market. In three weeks, it was sold.

It was the beginning of May when this all went down. Thereis one more interesting fact that securely registers the Siegels in the iLeap of Faithi category; when they looked at the loft, the spiral staircase leading to the second story was lying on the ground, still in pieces! They actually rented the space with the second story sight unseen. You canit make this stuff up!

The new Loft was a imodern boxi unlike their traditional suburban home. They quickly organized an enormous iestate salei where they sold EVERYTHING and planned to begin anew.

They took possession on July 1st. Nancy & Steve actually moved into their fabulous new Ellicott Loft on July 2nd, their wedding anniversary, with nothing but a suitcase, a futon, a bottle of wine & two glasses!

When asked about what living downtown is like, they both replied that they thought it would be ifuni but iitis been more fun than either of us ever could have imagined.i Nancy added iWhy wait to do the things you really want to do?i

They said that the residents of the Ellicott Lofts complex had changed over the years. At first, it seemed more random, with a younger Chippewa crowd living there. Currently, the mix is more young professional, many doing their residencies at local hospitals.

iWe love our neighbors. Theyire working professionals that are all interesting and very active. We all socialize in the courtyard, sharing barbeques and bottles of wine. But at our age, weire kind of the parents of the complex. We hope that more people our age will be attracted to the wonderful lifestyle of the Lofts and downtown living in general and will decide to take the plunge.i

Both Nancy and Steve are currently doing a reverse commute; out of the city at rush hour, to their respective jobs. The fact that the Ellicott Lofts has gated designated parking is an added bonus, saving them the problems of on the street parking which I found quite plentiful. iWhen we first moved in, there was a parking lot, but the fence hadnit been erected. Now it is very safe, convenient and hassle free,i says Nancy.

But the Siegels have no problem leaving the cars in the lot and, in the true spirit of Urban Pioneers everywhere, whenever possible, utilize public transportation of all types. Steve told me that on Thursdays, his day off from teaching, he plays a game he calls iCan I Get It On The Metro Rail?i The basic ground rules are to achieve his needs/goals with no suburban shopping, remaining totally within the city limits, and NO driving.

This limits his options to walking, the bus, the Metro Rail or not doing what he has to do. I adore Steveis creativity. He strongly refutes the idea of ithe train to no where.i He told me that shortly after moving to the Ellicott Lofts, he found himself teaching at Cannisius and loved the fact that he could just jump on the train & be there in no time with no parking. This acclimated him to the Metro Rail and as he would ride, heid observe the businesses along the way. Soon he found that he and Nancy would jump the train to attend UB South events. Often, they would also enjoy a film at The Amherst. Steve, a jazz enthusiast (who has a most impressive jazz vinyl collection!) also frequents the University Plazais Record Theater and cruises electronics at the Speaker Shop. Ming, the gourmet Chinese restaurant at 3268 Main St, has also become a Metro Rail destination for the Siegels.

I was also curious about the availability of the necessary amenities one needs in day-to-day living. Did the Siegels feel that they were able to access food, dry cleaners and their other daily needs? iAbsolutely!i says Nancy. She sited the Washington Market as being the anchor of the neighborhood. Besides the ubiquitous bread, milk & eggs, the Washington Market offers a killer deli, a superb eat in/ take out cafe, gourmet specialties, prepared foods, beautiful cheeses and a meat counter where they will actually PREPARE your purchase for you!!

The Post Office is directly across the street. They visit the nearby Central Library often. Steve and Nancy also frequent films at the Market Arcade Theater, the various live theaters and, on many evenings, enjoy strolling to one of the many wonderful downtown restaurants for dinner. They are especially fond of iThursday In the Cityi at Bacchus. These weekly events begin upon completion of Thursday in the Squareis summer series and run weekly until May. This is a great way for the neighbors to visit and for prospective residents to engage with Urban Pioneers such as the Siegels and other residents who have already carved out their turf and have made wonderful lives for themselves in downtown Buffalo. This group is in the process of beginning a ineighborhood committee,i which will helpful in consolidating news, services and information about the immediate area.

Steve also mentioned that City Grill has a Saturday BYOB night. They frequently take their suburban friends who are curious about what downtown living is really all about. They jump on the train or in nice weather, walk, to City Grill and ihave such a great time that they can hardly believe theyire in downtown Buffalo!i

It would be difficult to argue that Nancy & Steve Siegel are not the epitome of the Downtown Buffalo Urban Pioneer Movement. They relish in the landscape and are creative in their approach to day-to-day living. Their positive attitude to life, downtown and each other is inspiring.

I love their story and wish them all the best. I also vote for the Siegels to be the Downtown Urban Pioneer Ambassadors!

To Nancy & Steve! Here, here!

The Ellicott Lofts

Bacchus

City Grill

Washington Market