Approximately one thousand people took the opportunity to see both residential and commercial space on Saturday’s Downtown Housing Tour. The third annual event featured twenty properties throughout downtown, on the waterfront, and in the Historic West Village. The event is aimed at allowing the public to discover what loft and downtown living is all about and was part of this year’s Buffalo Homecoming festivities.
More and more buildings are being renovated into lofts, apartments and condominiums, and units are going quickly. Tour participants were surprised to find out that very few of the properties have units available. Webb Lofts, Historic Warehouse Lofts, and the Market Arcade apartments, all newly opened, are fully leased.
Buffalo Place dynamo Peggy Beardsley talks up downtown living.
Tour participants were asked to register at the Market Arcade. Of the 253 individuals or groups/families that we were able to sign-in after the initial rush, 113 were existing city residents. Amherst/Williamsville/Snyder (40), Tonawanda (15), Cheektowaga (13), West Seneca (9), and Kenmore (8) rounded out the top six. There was also a strong out-of-town showing with participants from Boston, New Jersey, Ontario, Georgia, California, Florida, Michigan, Rochester, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Chicago and downstate New York. Others skipped the registration process completely and headed out on the tour with information found in Saturday morning’s HomeFinder.
Participants got a chance to see great living spaces and to meet some of the diverse folks who are currently calling downtown ‘home.’
Elsinghorst Building.
The Belesario.
Peter (R) answers questions about his unit at IS Lofts.
Webb Lofts.
Refreshments were flowing for exhausted tour-goers on an amazing Ellicott Commons patio.
Many thanks to the volunteers; sponsors Buffalo Place, The Downtowner, and New Era Cap; developers; hosts of the Friday evening pre-tour get together, downtown pioneers Steve and Nancy Siegel; and, most importantly, residents and property owners who made this event possible. P.S.- No word yet on Housing Tour number four.
Photos by WCP and Mark Russell.