It’s been over 10 days now since I moved to Buffalo from Toronto. A lot can happen in that time, especially when it involves making a move to a new city, and my situation was no exception. So, I thought I’d recap10 experiences that have made the most impressions on me from the time I arrived.
1) Only a few days after my arrival, I volunteered at the Elmwood Village Association booth at the Elmwood Arts Festival. It was wonderful to see so many people out on a gorgeous day meandering along the avenue and enjoying the diversity, the colors and the flavors of this most beautiful part of the city. Indeed, Justin and Dan of the Association, have been especially helpful to me during my first week. Thanks fellows!
2) One of the things I like about Buffalo is that it is small enough a city where you can actually run into people you know on the street, who are out shopping, doing errands, or grabbing a bite to eat. And on a day when I missed my bus along Elmwood, I was fortunate to run into Michael Gainer of Buffalo Reuse, who kindly offered to drive me to my to destination. Just another famous example of Buffalo hospitality in action.
3) Which leads me to my next experience. As I was telling Michael about the challenges of grocery shopping without access to a car, he told me I must visit Guercio’s on Grant Street, within walking distance of my apartment. Promptly the next morning, I sauntered over to the market and entered an emporium the likes of which I’ve not seen before. Before me, there was shelf after shelf of imported Italian food. And the aromas that permeated the aisles were heavenly. But it was the deli counter that grabbed my attention. Behind the glass display case sat more than a dozen tempting freshly made salads, meat and veggie dishes. I kept the friendly counter woman busy for the next ten minutes as she filled several containers of food, which would become my meals for the next week. Best of all, I could not believe how much I got for so little.
4) Not surprising, I went back the next day to buy more. And as I was waiting at the deli counter again, in typical friendly Buffalo style, another customer began conversing with me, providing a brief history of the store which she has been shopping at since she was a little girl living in this Grant Street neighborhood. As our discussion grew, I shared with her my of my recent arrival in the city, and she shared with me the fascinating work she is doing with the Western New York Peace Center, while working as an advocate to improve the quality of life for residents on the West Side. The chance encounter reminded of other serendipitous encounters I’ve had with several other Buffalonians, all equally committed to making this city a better place to live. In a fitting end to our conversation, she like others before her, offered this car-less writer a lift to my next destination. Wow!
5) What I’ve known all along even before I moved here – the friendliness of Buffalonians – has made an especially positive impression on me. From the people at my school which I am attending, to those people (and many more) whom I’ve mentioned above, each individual has contributed to the warm welcome I’ve received. Thank you!
6) Speaking of friendly, do the people who work at Wegmans take a “friendly pill” before their shift begins? Talk about helpfulness, these people are great. No wonder Wegmans is consistently voted one of the best places in America to work.
7) Admittedly, being car-less in Buffalo is a major disadvantage. I am, in all honesty, disappointed by a transit system which is neither efficient nor extensive. So, to get around this inconvenience, I purchased a cheap bike at one of the big box stores to ease my commute, and promptly rode it down to Rick’s Bike Shop where I knew I’d be dealing with cycling experts to help me outfit my bike with safety gear. Not only did I get what I needed, but given that I’m so mechanically challenged, the store owner took time out of his own workday to install my purchases, and even to check on the safety and roadworthiness of my bicycle. Now how great is that?
8) The architecture in this city is truly amazing. At every turn, I observe beautiful buildings and houses. Some have seen better days, their glory lost to a bygone era. As I pass many of these edifices, I often think to myself, “What potential. What potential.” Fortunately, there appear to be many others in the city, who in like mind, also see potential, and are actively engaged in rehabbing so many of these faded gems. Those that have been restored to their original grandeur, provide this new cyclist with beautiful scenery to enjoy along the way.
9) I’ve begun, the odd time, to pick up random pieces of trash on the streets around my neighborhood (scattered newspaper, beer carton, etc.) that have been discarded and left to spoil the beauty of these streets. I guess this is as good an indication as any that increasingly, like so many others whom I’ve met, I care about this city.
10) Finally, if I may give a special thank you to Justin and Dan at the Elmwood Village Association who have been especially helpful to me during my first week. Thanks again fellows!
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