Toronto on Buffalo
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Yesterday we spent the afternoon talking to people on Queen Street in Toronto. Actually, I thought we were going to run into a lot of people who were clueless about the Queen City on the Lake, so I was pleasantly surprised to find that everyone (that I talked to) was familiar with WNY in one way or another (and if you want to see the unedited version you can come down to BRO offices because it's not that different).
Only one person opted to not be on video, and she rattled off details (off camera) about her visits to the Albright-Knox and Squeaky Wheel and then watching Buffalo TV coverage complete with house fires and shootings - I was sorry that she declined to be on video. Others mentioned chicken wings (of course), the malls, Wegman's (pleasant surprise), raves, and the people. A few talked about how downtown can be like a ghost town, but how the architecture was worth the trip. Some had never been, though they were planning to go someday.
All in all it was a fun day, and we came away with a lot of ideas about guerrilla marketing tactics that might draw people to the city. Thanks to BRO writer and Torontonian, Lorne Opler, who joined us for a spell.
Side note: Upon returning to Buffalo we had some extra Loonies and Toonies in our pockets, so we decided to take them to brunch on Elmwood this morning. When we forewarned our waitress that we were going to be using Canadian funds to pay for the meal she looked at us like we had ten heads. We talked to the owner of the restaurant who said that he would accept the Canadian funds... and we spotted the waitress discussing the impending transaction with him. That just goes to show how many Canadian visitors we are attracting to our retail shopping corridors. Either that or they are arriving with US funds in their pockets... hmmm.
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zimmermann
Great job Newell. I'm still laughing at that one guy with the wierd glasses and the flailing index finger. He's a dead ringer for actor Bronson Pinchot as "Serge" in 1984's Beverly Hills Cop. (was it really that long ago? guess so).
He notes "shopping" as his and others' allure to Torontonians coming to Buffalo. Makes you wonder though-- our shops aren't as inspired or certainly not more so, say, than Toronto's cosmo empire. Therefore, what does this impact mean for the evening or leveling off of our cross border dollars ratio? e're now pretty much equal in dolar values. Will parking lots at the Galleria find increasngly more space with absent Canadians?
As a cross breed US-born and Canadian citizen, I never saw "the border" between our countries, except once every day in the morning on my way to Nardin's Grade school, and once a day on my way back home to Canada. It just didn't feel like a border; it was all part of my "hood."
And as an adult, I look at the ice-bergian flow of Toronto flowing toward but not yet into Buffalo. St Catherines, voted the cleanest city in North America, always was known as a parochial cow-town to everyone, but it now puts its shadow on Buffalo, larger population and growing, all from Toronto's moving and expanding megalopolis.
Buffalo needs to unseat its circle of its few over-celebrated and undeserving decision makers, and welcome a Toronto verve to come enter our municipal mix of future endeavors. A video expose like this puts power to do that in the people. Bravo.
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chris69
Canada has a plan in coordination with the Northeastern Border States to create the golden circle to which unfortunately only Canada seems to be actively engaging. What is the golden Circle?
Its the connection of Fort Erie, Niagara Falls-Ont, Hamilton, Toronto and Montreal to the Northeastern States of NY and Massachusetts. Joined together we would have the venture capital and the technological capital to not just engage places like Austin, Texas or Silicon Valley but China, Japan, South Korea, Singapore and the technological/research centers of the world.
Ottawa is continuing to build up Fort Erie, Niagara Falls and Hamilton as lower cost alternatives to burgeoning Toronto (though one wonders when their high speed go trains will finally pull into Fort Erie and Niagara Falls)!
New York and Massachusetts sit idle ignoring their western regions completely to their future detriment.
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kelly
Funny... just last night some friends and I ran into a family from Toronto outside the Walgreens in Allentown asking us where a good area hotel was, and for general restaurant and shopping recommendations. They asked how much it was to live in the neighborhood, since it looked pretty nice. When we told them... well, lets just say they were shocked!
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Auburner
Newell, I like the tag line at the end of your pieces, "Local Matters". This is becomming a trend in Europe and NY State and California regarding food (paying attention to the carbon footprint of shipped food). It is also a trend, believe it or not, of CBS' Dan Mason who did an about face to prior management's desire to syndicate everything. I think you are on to something. Local does matter! I for one, really enjoy this site and I have not been "local" for thirty years... Keep it up, this is going to be a trend in blogs and broadcasting as well as farming...
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chris69
The broadway market is a 1950s travesty. While the previous Broadway Market had gobs of character even if it was outdated...the current Broadway Market should be demolished and we should look to the previous Broadway Market or the previous fairgrounds or perhaps a building from the PAN-AM any of which would create a gathering place for all sorts of international foods.
perhaps it could even be incorporated into a light rail extension where there is a glass roof over station...and the market is built around it.
Whats the point? The point is that there is no future for the present inception of the Broadway Market. It needs a complete rethink...and we should look to Toronto and say that there is room in the rethink to bring modern and period elements into something that could provide both an uban and a regional attraction.
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stephenjames716
great work newell. nice to see people from Toronto talking about Buffalo since it's usually the other way around.
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Andrew
one of my friends is a waitress at tgi's downtown (grose i know) and one day she was waiting on a group of four and she noticed they had cameras and a canadian accent. she asked them what they were up to and they said they were from toronto but were in downtown buffalo to see the architecture and take pictures. so i guess it does happen
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gaustad
The videos on this site are cool, bit change up the interviewer; he does not seem nor sound qulaified for the position. quite embarassing to listen to actually with the lisp.....
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jdn
ha, i'm pretty much boycotting toronto until they apologize for that queen-based commericial that's been on radio lately
WHETHER YOU'RE A RICH MAN, YOUNG MAN...
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lcopping
As someoe who grew up near the Toronto Area (Brampton) and who has lived in western New York for over a decade it is very interesting to to see the reactions of Torontonians to our city. I know a lot of my mid twenties relatives make regular monthly trips to WNY to shop, Specifically at the Galleria, but I have always noticed them going to the outlet mall quite a bit more. Which i have seen marketing for in Canada, Usually in brohcure racks at whatever Canadian hotel I am staying on on a given weekend.
Upon asking them why they shop in Buffalo, and pointing out that I shop in Toronto for the large amount of varied and eclectic products and stores, they point out that specific trend items that might be in demand in Toronto at any time are usually cheaper in the Buffalo area. Case in point. My Cousin and producer for most of my photography work that is done in the Toronto area specifically comes to WNY to shop at two stores. Marshalls and the Saks Off Fifth outlet at the the Prime outlets. Key items that he is looking for are designer sunglasses and bags at reduced prices, as well as certain other designer labels like Ben Sherman and Monarchy, that hey says are usuall %20 to %30 more epxensive in Toronto right now, especially considering the exchange rates.
But most of their interest fades after a few brief stops. They like to hit up the chain stores, and while I am sure there are people visiting our more eclectic boutiques I wish that more marketing would be done to bring in some outside dollars.
Once my relatives have shopped, visited Anchor Bar for some wings (Usually their most adamant insistance) and seen the falls all they want is to packup the car and head right back to Toronto.
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queenseyes
Gaustad, I’ve been told hundreds of times that I sound like I’m from California, but I’ve never heard the embarrassing lisp thing before. Unfortunately you’re stuck with me (and my lisp) for a while, as I don’t bring an entourage of professional interviewers with me when I spend a day in Toronto. As far as being qualified for the job? It’s more of a ‘means to an end’ at this point… I never really had to worry about the sound of my voice before.
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sbrof
This was a very useful project to undertake, We are very much a part of the same region and to find ways to capitalize on it is really important to the future growth of western new york as a whole. We are not binded to NYC like the state wants to think, maybe we need to start breaking away and thinking about ourselves more as the Niagara region, than "upstate" then we can start to make our own way instead of getting the scraps from NYC and Albany's table.
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drl
Great work, QE!!!
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al-alo
what we need to connect with our dear friends to the north is . . .dunt de de daa: high speed rail! that right, i said it. A genuine, Bona fide, Electrified, Six-car. Monorail. . .woops.
not really a monorail. im just in a a quoting mood.
but a true high speed rail connection from Bflo to TO (with customs prescreening before boarding). the stations & the tracks already exsist. all we need to do is a little upgrading. Imagine being able to go to downtown toronto in less than an hour. even better, imagine not having to go on the QEW or finding a place to park!
on the return, Canadians get access to Buffalo housing, normal rules football, shopping and of course - the airport. for you doubters, look to folks buying homes in Baltimore to commute to dc on Amtraks highspeed northeast corridor.
hey, id even bet its price competitive with building a new peace bridge!
---
and on the broadway market, i think any number of abandoned or soon to be abandoned churches would make a solid venue for a renewed broadway market. of course, so would the central terminal. or even just rebuilding the old one would be great.
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jen
This was very interesting. Kepe up the good work Newell.
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Auburner
Newell, no lisp heard here and I am in Network TV... I think you are doing great! Keep it up kiddo!
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davvid
Auburner, which network- BRAVO?
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dpbflo
awesome newell... great vid.. and all the better with lowest of the low
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Rebecca
lcopping is right - my friends from Toronto come to Buffalo to go to Marshalls and the like - discount stores. I had a friend from Toronto who was obsessed with Elmwood Taco & Sub - go figure. She had come to Buffalo for a Wal-Mart protest. She always wanted to come back, she love Buffalo. Alas, now she lives in Sacramento.
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