One of the attractive things about Buffalo that people always
mention when touting the city’s better points is that it is “a nice
place to raise kids.” Now, I grew up in Williamsville, and when I
would hear that phrase repeated (a la all our relatives in New York City asking
my mother for 100th time why on earth we were still living in Western New York)
ad nauseam, I always took it with a boulder of salt. I was, for all intents and purposes, the typical teenager: confused, bored in school, and anxious to leave
what I perceived to be a small berg for the bigger and better places of
the world. It wasn’t until I lived in some of the biggest American cities
(Boston, New York, Los Angeles), traveled the world a bit, and started a family
of my own that I revisited that little six word phrase again, and realized
that it was a true statement to its core.
Since settling down here a little over a year ago, I have never
been bored with the children. Not once. There is always something interesting
to do with my kids here, and whatever it is tends to be easy to get to,
reasonably priced, and not a crazy mob scene. What most people who haven’t
lived in big cities don’t know, is that while it’s true that there are a lot
more activities, shows, museums, children’s indoor/outdoor activities or
events, by the time you park the car, pull the children out of it, stands
in line (forever), push your way in, and pay what is often a ridiculous fee,
you are so hot, tired, and frustrated, all you tend to want to do is leave.
In the year we have lived here, I can honestly say my husband
and I have done more “family” activities together than we have in any
other city. We have maple syruped trees, attended parades, spent lots of time
at Museums, had a tea party at a local farm, played in snow all over, and
gone to several great theater performances. All of these activities were done
with both kids, some during the week, and some on weekends. Last Spring and
Summer, we didn’t even get to half the things that the Art Voice suggested were
summer “musts”, all of which sounded like a lot of fun, or at least,
weird in an interesting way. Granted, we did have a baby in late May, but
still, the point is, we plan to do a lot more this year.
The one thing that I have missed since leaving Los Angeles was
my online family community group called Peachhead, started by a great friend of
mine, Linda Perry. It is a one-stop-shop for activities, suggestions,
reviews of family restaurants or events, as well as the occasional warning
involving a not so pleasant experience a member may have had somewhere. If you
are interested, check out the website. This kind of
cohesive online community for families would be an incredible addition to the
Buffalo community in general, and specifically, a great new aspect of Buffalo
Rising.
If BR added a new Family tab to the site, and collected a cadre
of mothers, fathers, aunts, uncles, and anyone who wanted to contribute an
idea, a review or story about an activity, event, restaurant, boutique, or
anything else in the city that catered to children and families, BR could
become the go-to place for families to get the low down on events in the city
that might be just right for them to plan their week or weekend. As far as I
know, this kind of thing doesn’t exist yet in Buffalo.
A Family tab would also be a great way for businesses
to outreach to new clientele, the way BR covers a new business opening, or
reviews a local favorite restaurant. Finally, this kind of information on BR
could attract a lot of young families living in the ‘burbs to the city more
often, or outlying areas like East Aurora (BTW, I discovered the BEST kid
friendly coffee shop there several months ago that almost makes it worth
the trip to EA just to eat there), Orchard Park, or any other place that has a
unique family business or event to offer the community.
The best part about the Family tab? If you don’t have kids, and
you don’t like “family friendly” places and events, you don’t ever
have to click the tab! If you do have a desperate need to know where the
best children’s shoes are on sale, the Museums
with free kid days, or which day it is best to avoid Monkey Around,
the Family tab can become an online home for you to come, learn, share,
vent, mingle with other families, and rediscover why Buffalo is such a nice
place to raise kids. Any thoughts?