From Dan on the 2008- The Year of the Demo thread:
Let’s say we have 250,000 drivers, but 500,000 cars. A lot of those cars that aren’t being driven are clunkers; we’re not talking about Duesenbergs, Packards or even 1957 Chevrolets in disrepair, but rather plain old Model A Fords, 1976 Dodge Aspens, Crystal Beach bumper cars, and horse-drawn buggies and Conestoga wagons. Do we …
1) Repair the best examples — those that are the most suitable for day-to-day driving or which are the most collectible — and send the rest to the crusher for recycling, or
2) Repair EVERYTHING, even though:
a) Many of those vehicles won’t have drivers in the future, are unsuitable for day-to-day driving, and will likely fall into disrepair again;
b) The cost of restoring something like a ’76 Aspen will buy a new Honda Accord, and besides, you’re still left with an Aspen after the restoration (and many will argue that a ’76 aspen is much better than a new mid-end car, because everything old is better than everything new); and,
c) Hundreds of vehicles worthy of restoration will continue to rot and rust beyond the point of repair while less worthy vehicles are being restored.
Buffalo doesn’t have the luxury of saving everything. The East Side isn’t going to be gentrified as long as Buffalo’s real estate prices remain far below the national average, and there are affordable alternative neighborhoods with the right level of urbanity to meet market demand. Just because the East Side is close to downtown does not mean gentrification is inevitable; it will only happen when houses in every other neighborhood are priced beyond the range of affordability, and there’s no choice for someone who desires urban living in the Buffalo area. We really won’t see that in our lives. Sorry.