Author: Justin Booth

This time of year not only brings us the holidays, but also snow and sometimes a lot of it. Whenever there is a heavy lake effect coming down on us, the likelihood that traffic of any kind moving quickly is unlikely, especially if it occurs during rush hour. This was the case last week on Thursday when visibility was low due to high winds and a lot of snow coming down. My bicycle ride home along Delaware Avenue downtown took me longer then usual but I arrived home safely passing the line of traffic that was lining up to turn…

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THE BASICS: This classic Shaw comedy was last staged at the Festival in 2003. It’s back, with new trimmings, at the Royal George Theatre, where it plays in repertory through October 27th. The production was directed by Eda Holmes, and designed by Judith Bowden. It runs just shy of two-and-a-half hours, with its single intermission.THUMBNAIL SKETCH: Here is Shaw on familiar ground, exploring the curious mating habits of his countrymen, and the ever-perplexing parent-child bond. The action (what there is of it) takes place at the country house of John Tarleton, the Underwear King, supposedly in the spring of 1962…

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If you have ever been to an event at the eclectic Essex Arts Center on Buffalo’s West Side, then you understand the creative power and energy that flows through the hallowed buildings. The creative vibes created by Larry Griffis, and harnessed by Cindy Sherman, Robert Longo, Charlie Clough and almost four decades of artists are omnipresent in this delightful art space.The creative fire will be burning bright this Saturday night (May 12th) at 7:30 p.m. on Essex Street when the Ashford Hollow Foundation hosts a fundraising art party, with the regional rock party band Big Leg Emma. The cavernous studios…

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The implementation of “Complete Streets” creates opportunities for everyone, regardless of how we choose to get around – by car, bike, transit, or our own two feet and creates an inviting environment for residents, travelers and businesses alike. How can we design streets to promote sustainability, economic development and improve health? That’s the theme of the Buffalo Complete Streets Summit this evening from 5:30pm – 7:30pm at Asbury Hall (341 Delaware Ave). The event is free and open to the public. The event will explore why communities across the country — including Buffalo — are adopting ‘complete streets’ policies that direct infrastructure…

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Tonight, Wednesday October 19th is the 4th Annual Biketoberfest at Essex Street Pub from 6-8pm. Yes; it’s that time of year where we put together a rolling party for all our friends. Since it’s our 4th annual, we did some reflecting and it appears that the number 4 has some serious significance!It was 4 years ago that we at Green Options Buffalo and community supporters sat down with Tim Herzog at Flying Bison Brewery to come up with a fundraising campaign to install bicycle racks throughput the city. Not much longer after that, Rusty Chain was born out of an…

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By Justin Booth:Many people enjoy travelling at their own pace with two wheels. Whether its for running errands, heading to school and work or simply for fun – bicycling is undoubtedly that best way to travel. I may be biased, but I’m not alone and cities across the country have caught onto this; some of the most notable are also cold and get snow but none have Buffalo’s many positive attributes. By taking advantage of these attributes and with some encouragement, we could make our city one of the most bicycle friendly and livable in the world. Through a grant from…

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Born in 1979, revived in 1994, this year’s World’s Largest Disco was every bit as rockin’ as I had hoped it would be. The Fonz was in the house (newly renovated Buffalo Convention Center), along with Cindy Morgan, who portrayed the irresistible Lacy Underall from one of my all-time favorite films, “Caddyshack”. 7500 dudes boogied the night away while Conesus Fest for Charity eclipsed the $2,000,000 mark for charitable donations. Kudos to EVERYONE who helped make this event so radical. The lighting, sound, videos were dyno-mite. The energy was truly amazing; that was “the joint”.

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Winter is around the corner, is your bike ready for the sleet, snow, ice and salt? If you answered no, then the place you need to be is the Green Options Buffalo Winter Bike Workshop!For anyone who has wanted to bike in the snow, Green Options Buffalo has dreamed up a workshop that is geared towards the winter cyclist. Our awesome instructors will be available to help you refurbish a used bicycle and customize it for use during the winter. You can expect to gain hands-on experience in building and maintaining your winter bike, as well as a few safety…

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The Buffalo Green Fund (BGF) is a little known organization in the City of Buffalo made up of an all volunteer board with a passion to cultivate, promote, sponsor and develop urban beautification. Despite mostly going unnoticed it has had a tremendous impact on Buffalo’s green space. Originally established in 1973 as a non-profit organization, the Green Fund has continued to support efforts through its better known initiatives, however; did you know that the Green Fund helped create the 14th Street Tree Farm with PUSH, Re-Tree WNY and Grassroots Gardens? Or that Niagara Square is maintained by its multitude of…

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Over the last several years, a mainstay of our city bicycle culture has been the Blue Bicycle workshop. This location and the activities that occur within its doors gave birth to Green Options Buffalo and the work established to make buffalo more bicycle friendly. Knowing that it would be more difficult to get the city to install bicycle lanes and racks along our streets – although we are beginning to make some headway, the individual choices we all make can be made easier by providing the community an opportunity to build their own bicycle from used parts providing hands on…

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