Author: Lauren Genesky

Lauren Genesky has been an official Buffalonian since 2018. A Batavia, NY native, she graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in English from the University at Buffalo. Outside of writing, Lauren really enjoys running, Pilates, traveling, expanding her vinyl collection, and attending live gigs. She resides on the West Side with her cat, Hemingway.

How music heals & connects us to those we’ve lost  Music has healing powers. There is scientific evidence and about a billion songs that have saved someone’s life in one capacity or another. That may sound dramatic but it is accurate in my life and the sudden grief I felt over the summer when my ex-boyfriend passed away. I know music is healing because I only started feeling better recently, about six months after his passing. I benchmark ‘feeling better’ in a million tiny ways: I started showering regularly again; I began running and going to Pilates studio without crying…

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Intro by Queenseyes: Giant Panda Guerrilla Dub Squad (GPGDS) is coming to Buffalo Iron Works, and that’s a pretty big deal if you ask me. In 2001, this band out of Rochester began making the reggae-meets-jam band rounds, with brothers Chris O’Brian (drums) and Matt O’Brian (guitar), accompanied by longtime friend James Searl (vocals and bass). Since that time, the band has grown, and so has the fan-base that they have garnered – a following of dedicated fans that feel that the band’s live performances are, hands down, some of the best in the land. Now, local fans will be…

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Artist’s new studio space & gallery will open to the public next month There’s nothing I like more than talking about Buffalo. Seriously, it is my favorite conversation starter when I am visiting a new city or making someone’s acquaintance. So when I had the opportunity to sit down with Mark DiVincenzo and pick his brain about the Buffalo art scene – and an exciting personal and professional endeavor he is embarking upon – it was a no-brainer. I met Mark the same way I have met everyone I know in this great town: through someone else. Everyone in Buffalo…

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I first met Lindsay Robson the way we all meet people these days: through social media. I was scrolling through Instagram one day, and her account was suggested to me as someone I may want to follow. I quickly realized why. Lindsay founded the Buffalo Blogging Network (a fellow writer!) and had her own lifestyle blog which focused on her love for the city of Buffalo, called Nickel City Pretty. Her “brand” was exactly my style. And I love reading her blog for fun new places to check out around the city and interesting interviews with other small business owners.…

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It’s no secret that Buffalo has some incredible eats. When I moved here in 2018, I made it my personal duty to hunt down the best local haunts the city had to offer. It turns out the possibilities were endless; I still have a list of places I’ve yet to try. One restaurant that opened in my neighborhood over the spring, that I ran to the second it opened was Mister Sizzle’s. The restaurant’s wild popularity (they’ve got over 10k followers on Instagram!) is worth all the hype, partially due to their food menu, extensive milkshake list (I am partial…

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I first met Sarah Griffin-DiVincenzo (lead image) in the winter of 2018 when I moved to Buffalo. It just happened that I wanted to get a taste of the local scene, so I went to Remedy House in the Five Points neighborhood with my laptop to work, and enjoy what has come to be my regular order there: a nonfat vanilla latte and an egg on a roll. If you’re new to the city or want to try out a new funky neighborhood, Five Points on the West Side is just the ticket – eclectic, fun, and full of bars,…

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Easing into my pre-pandemic social life is something I am doing slowly and mindfully now that I am fully vaccinated. I miss live music the most – the first live gig in town is going to be truly special. I don’t think any of us thought a global pandemic would shake the world and our everyday lives as much as it has. I suppose that is because we haven’t lived through one before now. Due to the extended downtime, certain things have become second nature to me, and I still do them (even with the vaccine), such as wearing a…

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I started running three years ago when I moved to Buffalo in 2018, so I am in no way an expert on it, and frankly, I don’t ever care to be. There are so many exercise programs and fad diets out there that it’s difficult to know what’s coming and what’s going. Running has been something that I can do at my own pace, without the pressure that comes with a lot of sports. I should start by saying that I’m not a very good runner, so please stop reading if you want to learn my pro tips for improving…

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I moved to Buffalo in the dead of winter in 2018. I had been looking for an apartment on and off for a couple years prior, and in my mind there was no time like the present to try and make the leap. I had just accepted a job offer in the city and the idea of déjà vu a la staying at my parents’ place in Batavia and commuting every single day was enough to make me cry myself to sleep at night. I had to do something about my current situation. I took to Craigslist and found a…

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