West Siders had the opportunity to witness another groundbreaking event yesterday. The ground breaking was a bit different than what most people are accustomed to. This one was for the 14th Street Tree Farm. I biked over to see firsthand the trees being planted – the entire neighborhood was buzzing with activity as tractors, community activists and trees moved about as if a chess game were being played out. What a sight to see Justin Booth (photo) wielding a fire hose (thanks to The City), in order to properly soak the newly planted roots.Justin told me that the project (originally…
Author: Wudenbachs
I know a lot of people have been out cleaning up the city’s shores and the streets over the last few days, and that is admirable. But there is still work to be done. There are so many organizations that still need you help. They are not asking for money, or a ton of your time. One such organization is getting together tomorrow from 10am to 12pm to spruce up our beloved Japanese Garden. I was lucky enough to look through a scrapbook the other day, and in it were photos of the garden – before, during and after completion.…
While covering another story on Rhode Island this past weekend, I came across a rather unusual sculpture. It’s a frame of a house, and when I first saw it I thought that maybe someone was paying tribute to a former house that sat on the lot. As I stared at the contraption I spotted a neighbor (Rob) walking his dog and asked him what it was all about. He told me that it was a Folding House exhibit in conjunction with the Big Orbit Gallery (on Essex). The concept is an interesting one. There is a set of steps that…
The up-and-coming Five Points Bakery is just about the most exciting news I’ve had a chance to share. Remember those great new windows that recently went into the former derelict Queen Sheba storefront adjoining Urban Roots Garden Cooperative (see story)? In a little over a week’s time those windows will showcase what will truly be a real old fashioned bakery. It’s back to the basics for owners Melissa and Kevin Gardner. The two are planning on bringing back all of the traditions that once made culinary essentials the focal point of a meal. Do you ever look at the ingredients…
Is there such a thing as healthy, fresh, fast food? I’ve always wondered if anyone could really pull that feat off effectively. I guess if a chef tried really hard, it wouldn’t be impossible. Did I just say “chef” and “fast food” in the same breath? Well, maybe that’s what it would take to make the concept work. And that’s exactly what Chef Mark Bauer (formerly w/ Protocol, Briarwood and Park Lane) is doing at the corner of Allen and Elmwood in Allentown. Mark had a soft opening for his Snack Shack concept this past Monday – the concept is…
Some people will do anything for charity – even if that means growing a mustache. When Buffalo Whiskerino co-founder Geoff Schutte first contacted me wondering whether I was interested in participating this year, I didn’t even hesitate to jump onboard. Hey, it’s not that often that you can get away with growing a mustache for… well… the sake of growing a mustache. Honestly. So far the experience has been a blast, especially since I know that there are 30+ other Whiskerinos out there feeling my pain. A few of those sorry souls got together yesterday for the second weigh-in at…
Finally. Subway eatery has finally replaced its crappy looking awning at the corner of Elmwood and Forest. For years the dirty yellow vinyl billboard welcomed people to the neighborhood with a ‘We don’t care’ attitude. The dark green replacement is like night and day – especially at night. No more bugs… no more grime… I never thought that I would see the day (or night). Some people might think that a replacement awning is an insignificant change. That may be true in some cases, but there are people out there who care about the appearance of the business community. Especially…
The online marketplace phenomenon known as Etsy is redefining the DIY craft movement and presenting a world of individual artisans at the world’s largest handmade goods fair. Part eBay, part FaceBook, this online community of handmade goods is representing work from… everywhere, but Buffalo based Etsy-prenuers are making a go of things is grand fashion. Carol Wannemacher who goes by the moniker Crowbiz has been featured in the April issue of Country Living magazine and NPR for her line of retro text and image based baubles. Like many Western New York based Etsy vendors, she has had a positive Etsy…
Longtime Buffalonian Gabrielle Burton returns to celebrate publication of her new book, Searching for Tamsen Donner, a melding of history and memoir in which she retraces some of Donner’s journeys in an attempt to solve the mystery of this historical figure. Burton’s Heartbreak Hotel, a novel set in Buffalo, won the Maxwell Perkins Prize. Talking Leaves…Books, Just Buffalo Literary Center and Hallwalls, along with the Western New York Book Arts Collaborative, are pleased to announce a reading and book signing of Searching for Tamsen Donner (University of Nebraska Press, in the American Lives Series edited by Tobias Wolff). This free event will take place…
For the third year in a row, Karpeles Manuscript Library Museum will host the much lauded Buffalo Small Press Book Fair. The event is a cornucopia of indie publishing, small press poetry, artist’s books, comics, and zines showcasing the work of artists from all over the Northeastern US and Southern Ontario. Organized by local authorpreneur Chris Fritton, the book fair has been successful at pulling together disparate facets of the often insular writing community. In addition to becoming a haven for networking, the fair gives artists, authors and publishers a chance to display and sell their work to a large audience.…