since there are some complaints in the buffalo development thread about a lack of discussion about actual development, here's a catch-all thread for everything non-development related in buffalo.


finally, a place for DT to talk about his collection of pink flamingos and taste for z-brick.

One of our pink flamingoes dissapeared today, actually :(

(yes, I bought some as a joke... :D)

aw man. :( i'm sorry :(

hopefully this will cheer you up:

http://check-it-outballoons.com/flamingo.jpg

I hate to be the one to break the news, but... the White Z-brick has been discontinued.

http://www.z-brick.com/page2.html

:(

http://www.z-brick.com/White.jpg

I think the worst is that they still MAKE Z-brick.

I'd way rather have that than this vynal crap they put on half the houses down here.... every single one I've lived in has had it (yes, these are the actual houses I have lived in.... don't stalk me or I'll kill you first! lol)

http://msweb01.co.wake.nc.us/realestate/photos/mvideo/WAKE0826/02774800.JPG

http://msweb01.co.wake.nc.us/realestate/photos/mvideo/19971129/BT145552.JPG

Ok... so this one doesn't show it. but trust me... shortly after this pic was taken, they put the ugliest ass plastic siding on this house.
http://msweb01.co.wake.nc.us/realestate/photos/mvideo/19971123/BN082055.JPG


This is the only one we've lived in that didn't have the ugly crappy ass vynal siding... it had Hardy Plank. Which every house should have.

http://msweb01.co.wake.nc.us/realestate/photos/mvideo/20010330/IU093357.JPG

I can't get any pics of it online, but our house in Rochester was brick and traditional wooden siding. And it looked a lot better. I'd take those bricks over the hidious vynal any day.

So now Buffalo has two non dev threads and the Dev thread still has garbage talk on it.

ughhhhhhhhh...subdivision housing ughhhhhhh <shudders>

I have nothing against vinyl siding (you can try maintaining wood, for instance), but I hate subdivision housing. The lots - from the barren site grading (with no backyard might I add, because they're crammed into some restricted area), to the cookie-cutter house plopped on top of a hill. As if the loop-de-doop street layout isn't bad enough and a complete waste of land. Worst part is, I design these things.

For every one of those houses you post from Raleigh, I'll find you an identical one in Amherst or Lancaster, Hooksett, NH, or anywhere else for that matter.

But despite these abominable houses, I thank you Jman, for creating this thread. Until such time arises a discussion that these houses suck not because they're bland and characterless, but instead that they house no diversity. :master:

My Don Cherry imitation (less plaid sport jacket) -> :okay:

Bingo - ROCguy apparently hasn't seen new subdivisions in WNY - they look just like the pictures he posted.

Bleh, vinyl.

At least my Cheektowaga castle is made out of brick and good 'ol American asbestos tiles :D

The real Development thread has become the "Diversity Deep Thoughts" thread after a hostile takeover.

:(

I can make some development if you'd like.

WASHINGTON — Violent crime increased nationwide in 2005, fueled in large part by statistical spikes in midsized metropolitan areas such as Rochester, according to FBI statistics released Monday.

Murders soared from 59 to 104 in Birmingham, Ala., up 76 percent; from 59 to 85 in Charlotte-Mecklenburg County, N.C., a 44 percent increase; from 87 to 122 in Milwaukee, a 40 percent jump; and from 79 to 109 in Cleveland, a 38 percent increase. Rochester was part of that trend, rising from 36 to 53, or 47 percent.
Detroit, Los Angeles and New York were among large cities that saw the number of murders drop.

The nationwide increase in overall violent crime was 2.5 percent — the largest percentage rise since 1991.

The national rise was attributed to increased gang activity and to changes in police hiring and enforcement strategies.

I know, it's horrible, especially with the declines seen in 2003/04.

What's causing the spike in across the nation? It's more than just policing hiring practices, that's for sure. Hmm, underlying social problems caused by an inept Republican government, perhaps?

So I'm really crurious susie... are there any cities that you actually do like? I don't think you've said a possitive thing about not only Rochester... but ANY city ever.

Murders soared from 59 to 104 in Birmingham, Ala., up 76 percent;

I saw that on CNN last night, I figured DT woulda loved to see that. That's crazy, 104 Murders in a city smaller than Buffalo when we're dropping a 56 spot.

I know, it's horrible, especially with the declines seen in 2003/04.

What's causing the spike in across the nation? It's more than just policing hiring practices, that's for sure. Hmm, underlying social problems caused by an inept Republican government, perhaps?

BINGO. We've cut law inforcement accross the board to pay for Iraq. We're trying to stop terrorism (never gonna happen) 5000 miles away, while increasing the number of murders here at home. Way to go Bush!

BINGO. We've cut law inforcement accross the board to pay for Iraq. We're trying to stop terrorism (never gonna happen) 5000 miles away, while increasing the number of murders here at home. Way to go Bush!

I don't mean to make "excuses" for people and why they murder, but it probably has something to do with drugs and povertyn too.

Also remember that those numbers can be manipulated for political purposes. Some murders/rapes/etc may be counted and some may not depending on what the mayor or governor of where ever wants to do.

Detroit, Los Angeles and New York were among large cities that saw the number of murders drop.

That always a good sign when Detroit's murders drop. Buffalo must be staying stagnant in the murders category.

That always a good sign when Detroit's murders drop. Buffalo must be staying stagnant in the murders category.

Buff went from 51 to 56 murders per year from 2004 to 2005.

Want your answer for a national epidemic? Well, look no further than Buffalo -

Restaurant shooting suspect let go from jail (http://www.buffalonews.com/editorial/20060613/1025572.asp)

We let these people off because

a.) we don't have enough evidence to convict
b.) they play some stupid technicality, in this case what I like to call the "retard card"

Apparently if someone is mentally unbalanced or retarded and kills someone, it's not his fault. And therefore he's not a threat to society either, because he's either retarded or my favorite defense, "temporarily insane". No, no threat at all. Let them all out.

This, my friends, is where the US' crime problem is rooted.

The trends reflected in the FBI's 2005 report seem to be continuing for both robbery and rape in the first quarter of 2006, according to figures furnished by Buffalo police. From January to April this year, the number of robberies - 567 - was 21 percent higher than the same time period in 2005. Reported rapes - 58 - were down 5 percent.

The number of murders, on the other hand, dropped 10 percent from 21 to 19 over the same period, but serious assaults had increased 11 percent.

Taking into account all crimes across the board in Buffalo, there was a 7 percent decrease in the first quarter of this year, Gipson said. Larcenies and stolen vehicles are down considerably - 21 and 23 percent, respectively.

Gipson said police administrators use the statistics as a gauge in determining where to allocate resources to achieve the best results in reducing crime.

"We're trying to be more responsive to the information," he said.

Meanwhile, the Town of Amherst, where statistics are kept by the FBI because its population exceeds 100,000, is routinely regarded as one of the "safest cities in America."

There, violent crime decreased 9 percent in 2005 from a year before. The news was not all good, however. Amherst saw increases of 6.8 percent in property crime, 9.5 percent in burglary and 8.2 percent in larcenies in 2005, according to the FBI's figures

I say we get all of the known gang members up and send those SOB's to Iraq. Especially that damn MS13. LOL. This has gone from a Buffalo non development news thread to an anything non developmen news thread.

The B News has a great story on our wonderful Homeland Security department and how they are giving Buff niag the shaft.

They do not consider the 5 international bridges to be security risks, They do not include Niagara Falls as part of the metro area. As such it is too small on its own to be included in special Holand Security funding. Since NF gets no funding the Niagara Power dam gets no protection. Did you know that a road crosses on top of the power project?. I guess that a major power source for the north east is not important. Not to mention, isn't Buffalo's boarder one of the places Terrorists are likely to come into the country? ?

Their decisions are all shrouded in secrecy so no one can determine how they make their decisions. Wichitaw Kansas has had its funding increased.

Wichitaw Kansas has had its funding increased.

Oh geez, another part of Middle America with a zero percent chance of a terrorist even thinking of attacking them, getting increased funding.

Looks like the right is taking the gov's seat again in NY
Spitzer is not focusing on taxes. This is from Faso's web site:

Democratic Party Chairman Says Cutting Taxes Not on List of Priorities

At an Albany press conference on Monday, New York State Democratic Chairman Denny Farrell said that tax cuts are not on a list of top priorities for the party in the fall elections.

The comments follow repeated challenges by the Faso Campaign for Eliot Spitzer to categorically rule-out tax increases if elected. To date, Mr. Spitzer has not done so.

John Faso has promised that his first act as governor will be to craft a responsible state budget that includes the broad-based tax cuts that businesses and families need and deserve.

I gotta say that whoever at least proposes to cut my taxes, you got my vote, don't care what party you are from.

Looks like the right is taking the gov's seat again in NY
Spitzer is not focusing on taxes. This is from Faso's web site:


Faso is not going to win the election, especially when people realize that once he "cuts taxes" the majority of families accross the state will get back probably less than $100 while the top earners out on LI will get $20k back.

The B News has a great story on our wonderful Homeland Security department and how they are giving Buff niag the shaft.

They do not consider the 5 international bridges to be security risks, They do not include Niagara Falls as part of the metro area. As such it is too small on its own to be included in special Holand Security funding. Since NF gets no funding the Niagara Power dam gets no protection. Did you know that a road crosses on top of the power project?. I guess that a major power source for the north east is not important. Not to mention, isn't Buffalo's boarder one of the places Terrorists are likely to come into the country? ?

Their decisions are all shrouded in secrecy so no one can determine how they make their decisions. Wichitaw Kansas has had its funding increased.

Of course not.... there's white people in Canada...it's brown people trying to corss the border at Mexico. We don't need any protection from terrorist crossing in from Canada because they are white! Eventhough they did just catch 5 terrorists with the supplies to make a dirty bomb in Toronto!!!

I gotta say that whoever at least proposes to cut my taxes, you got my vote, don't care what party you are from.

A-men!

I think Buffalo should be annexed by Ontario.

I think Buffalo should be annexed by Ontario.

can't do it...different country. I wouldn't want to be part of Canada anyways, even if it was possible.

These people all liked being in the Buff.

http://www.visitbuffaloniagara.com/media_kit_6.html

the Bills SUCK!!!

I'm pissed... I buy a suburban castle and my best friend from college is buying a trendy, hip condo with a view like this:

http://home.comcast.net/~justinmarkvii/DevinCondo.jpg

grrrr!

yea, but its the "ham"

you get pink flamingos! :)

That somehow makes things worse.

:cry:

come on...you can be in a poorly ranked city or a top knotch historically sprawled suburb...you won...celebrate.

Maybe it's just me, but I just don't get condos. I'd rather just own the thing outright. Always just seemed to me like a glorified apartment, glorification being the illusion of actually owning property.

Obviously my vision of home ownershp isn't possible in a highrise, sure, I'll give you that much.

To each his own.

I agree to an extent, but any time a building replaces a parking lot I'm happy... and jealous of Devin.

Hell even a parking garage looks better than a lot lol.

Well, I'll qualify that. A well-designed, architecturally relevant parking deck consistent with it's surroundings. I guess either of us can let the other one know when one of us finally finds one lol.

I'll give BHM some credit though, that angle makes it look straight out of east-central Pennsylvania. Though I don't know what's up with that building at left center, the black/white striped one. Why does every city seem to have one of those? (Buffalo's across from Liberty)

you get pink flamingos! :)
Don't forget
- Bathtub shrines to Mary and other various saints
- Shiny orbs on pedestals
- Silhouette hobo guy leaning against tree

And probably many others, this is just the tip of the iceberg. The possibilities are endless!

Though I had mentioned the bathtub Mary shrines to my gf, and she knew exactly what I was talking about, and for all practical purposes has never been to Chicktavarsa. You guys may not be as exclusive as you think you are (and the rest of us dread you are).

Hell even a parking garage looks better than a lot lol.

Well, I'll qualify that. A well-designed, architecturally relevant parking deck consistent with it's surroundings. I guess either of us can let the other one know when one of us finally finds one lol.

I'll let you know as well... I honestly can't think of any. There's a new one in Cleveland that's pretty cool, but it's really just the base of a future condo tower.

I'll give BHM some credit though, that angle makes it look straight out of east-central Pennsylvania.

It should, as the city was founded by Pittsburghians ;)

Though I don't know what's up with that building at left center, the black/white striped one. Why does every city seem to have one of those? (Buffalo's across from Liberty)

Aww, that's the Poor New South Federal Savings Building. It has a sad (but turning happy) story. It was originally constructed in 1925 and was filled to the brim with terra cotta detailing. In 1965, it was "modernized" and covered with a cheap international style facade. FORTUNATELY, the building was purchased for condo conversion and is being restored to its former granduer. They actually saved ALL of the detailing by just covering it up.

Here's a picture of the work going on showing the scaffolding on the side of the building and what's underneath the crap:

http://www.emporis.com/en/il/im/?id=337470

Once they sandblast the white paint off of the thing, it should look great. I'll try to dig a pic of it up somewhere.


Don't forget
- Bathtub shrines to Mary and other various saints
- Shiny orbs on pedestals
- Silhouette hobo guy leaning against tree

And probably many others, this is just the tip of the iceberg. The possibilities are endless!

Though I had mentioned the bathtub Mary shrines to my gf, and she knew exactly what I was talking about, and for all practical purposes has never been to Chicktavarsa. You guys may not be as exclusive as you think you are (and the rest of us dread you are).

Who's stealing our fabulousness?!

I'm pissed... I buy a suburban castle and my best friend from college is buying a trendy, hip condo with a view like this:

http://home.comcast.net/~justinmarkvii/DevinCondo.jpg

grrrr!

yeah well, had you bought a house in the city or a condo in Allentown or rented an apt. in the city you could have had a view like this: :P
http://www.buffalorising.com/city/archives/upload/2006/06/roBearbuffshot.jpg
-from BuffaloRising

Aww, that's the Poor New South Federal Savings Building. It has a sad (but turning happy) story. It was originally constructed in 1925 and was filled to the brim with terra cotta detailing. In 1965, it was "modernized" and covered with a cheap international style facade. FORTUNATELY, the building was purchased for condo conversion and is being restored to its former granduer. They actually saved ALL of the detailing by just covering it up.
Always good when people come to their senses. Moreso here, if only because it takes a titanic amount of force to fight the political inertia. But still good elsewhere as well.

Edit: Actually, you got the wrong building - I meant the one on the left edge, with the two bluish pyramids up top. Probably should have said "left edge", my bad.

Reminiscent of this ugmo: Main Court Building (http://www.emporis.com/en/il/im/?id=438088)

Who's stealing our fabulousness?!
I dunno. Be afraid. Be very afraid.

Either Cheektowaga isn't much worse than other areas, or other areas are more like Cheektowaga than otherwise thought!

Either way, :uh: :dizzy: :runaway: !

Oh, that's just the Concord Center completed in '03. It isn't much architectually, but it looks cool at night (the pyramids light up) and there's a cool sushi restaurant in the base that has awesome happy hour specials.

Oh, the Main Court Building is one of my most hated buildings in all of downtown Buffalo.

Ewwwwwwww..

its still much better than the Adams Mark, Rath or Donovan.

Ain't that the truth. I can think of some East Side housing that's more attractive even in it's run-down state.

Hey, DT, when I was on my way home on Genesee St in front of the airport (thus in Cheektowaga, where else does anything happen here?) I was behind a Ford Mustang with Alabama plates "11A727G". I figured it might have been you and I would've rear-ended it, but then I remembered you said you drove a Jaguar, right? Ah well, lost opportunities. :)

What's with you Alabamians and Cheektowaga?

And just curious, where does "Stars Fall On" (or Fell, can't remember now) come from on the plates?

Yup, I drive a Jag, and I just got home taking Phill to work... his truck's in the shop. I'm about to ditch it though and get something else.

Hmm, an 11 tag, eh? They're from Calhoun County. Alabama license plates have an ordering system - the first number represents the county. Numbers 1-3 are the largest counties in the state by population, and 4-67 are ordered alphabetically.

Stars Fell on Alabama has several meanings.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stars_Fell_on_Alabama

It's also a big Jimmy Buffett hit:

http://www.seeklyrics.com/lyrics/Jimmy-Buffett/Stars-Fell-On-Alabama.html

Yeah I'm not familiar with Alabamer or Buffett outside of "Margaritaville" or "Cheeseburger in Paradise".

It's not as obvious as say "Famous Potatoes" in Idaho...

Back to lawn ornaments, my "neighbor" across the way has erected these today: (I like my camera, but wouldn't mind better zoom)

http://home.adelphia.net/~sargeantcm/ssc/11.jpg

A little boy pissing on a tree, and the girl screaming. I have to admit, I've never seen this one before. Kinda cute, but I'm starting to worry about Cheektowagan influence in my area now...

Holy shit. You have to get a close up.

OR, even better... sneak over there at night and rearrange them so it looks like the boy is peeing into the girl's mouth.


:D

I'd never be able to - the guy that lives there is meticulous with his lawn - he's probably got cameras rigged everywhere a la "Meet the Parents" lol.

You should have seen the big production when he opened his pool last weekend - man, that cover was removed, cleaned, and folded away asbsolutely perfectly. Probably no wrinkles whatsoever.

He also has what I call an "owlcrow" that he keeps around the pool - I've never seen one of those before either, but it's a fake owl that has a swivel top head that moves in the breeze - I would imagine to keep the ducks away that always seem to pop up in the pool, especially when the cover ponds up lol. One night during a Sabres game there was a particularly loud one that was quacking for about an hour - became the most annoying sound ever!

Speaking of befouling lawn ornaments, that reminds me, my gf's old church in Concord has a couple of those lighted reindeer things that they display around Christmas time. Apparently one year one of the rectory staff went out at night and placed the one deer mounting the other. I guess it was like half a week before the head priest noticed it (and blamed it on "those stupid kids") lol.

Ain't that the truth. I can think of some East Side housing that's more attractive even in it's run-down state.

Hey, DT, when I was on my way home on Genesee St in front of the airport (thus in Cheektowaga, where else does anything happen here?) I was behind a Ford Mustang with Alabama plates "11A727G". I figured it might have been you and I would've rear-ended it, but then I remembered you said you drove a Jaguar, right? Ah well, lost opportunities. :)

What's with you Alabamians and Cheektowaga?

And just curious, where does "Stars Fall On" (or Fell, can't remember now) come from on the plates?

While we're talking about the south for a second, I was in Jamestown last weekend and I saw some loser putting up a confederate flag infront of his house. I wanted to pull over and punch him in the face and tell him that this is the USA (and the north) and that it isn't fashionable to fly the rebel flag. Instead I just beeped and gave him the finger, but that's Jamestown for you, Dollar Store capital of the world.

Hey -- there's a Confederate flag flying proudly at a residence on Dingens right now. I just passed it coming home from the fire hall ;)

Jackass.

But when you think of it, for all the current non-existant countries in the world, their flag has to be the most displayed. And with a pride among the people that do so which would seem to rival most "real" nationalities.

Wonder what that says about our nation/society as a whole...

^^ewww.
they must be polish

Wiggggggg, get on AIM. Por favor?

OR, even better... sneak over there at night and rearrange them so it looks like the boy is peeing into the girl's mouth.


:D

:hilarious:

DT is right...this is a hoppin town. Look at all the people and all the cranes...development is going crazy...and the density...look at the density :)

http://home.comcast.net/~justinmarkvii/DevinCondo.jpg

the Bills SUCK!!!

boy i love losing superbowls :banana:

DT is right...this is a hoppin town. Look at all the people and all the cranes...development is going crazy...and the density...look at the density :)


That's "old" downtown South of Third Avenue N. Everything going on in that area are historic renovations, including the building I lived in.

"New" downtown's got all the cranes right now - four of of them, to be exact.

And you have to admit... it's dense and pretty much intact. Go on, you know you want to :D

And here's the building I helped saved... I was even featured on NPR for my work *sniff*

http://www.cityfederalcondos.com/

That's "old" downtown South of Third Avenue N. Everything going on in that area are historic renovations, including the building I lived in.

"New" downtown's got all the cranes right now - four of of them, to be exact.

And you have to admit... it's dense and pretty much intact. Go on, you know you want to :D


Sorry DT, there is nothing dense about this Downtown

Then the same can be said for Buffalo. Urban renewal'd!!!!! ;)

Then the same can be said for Buffalo. Urban renewal'd!!!!! ;)

There is no shortage of people saying bad things about Buffalo. B'ham on the other hand has been described as some kind of urban paradise....and after seeing this picture I can see what they are talking about...W O W ! move over NYC

No, move over Atlanta. We don't got no beef with NYC... that's all yours :D

No, move over Atlanta. We don't got no beef with NYC... that's all yours :D


I think you should set you sights on Charlotte first.

well, in defense of birmingham, i'll take that picture over asslanta or office park city(charlotte) any day.

I just got a Tape of Channel 2 WGRZ News Aired a Story on 6/13/06
on their news that over 40% of the population between the ages of 18 to 34
have already left WNY since 2000 !!! they also inviewed some of them that didn't leave yet, but their getting ready to leave town soon too.. Because of the Horrible Economy, And the Lack of Jobs, It's getting so bad in Buffalo,
that they sent me Pictures of people holding Signs (I'LL WORK FOR FOOD)

I just got a Tape of Channel 2 WGRZ News Aired a Story on 6/13/06
on their news that over 40% of the population between the ages of 18 to 34
have already left WNY since 2000 !!! they also inviewed some of them that didn't leave yet, but their getting ready to leave town soon too.. Because of the Horrible Economy, And the Lack of Jobs, It's getting so bad in Buffalo,
that they sent me Pictures of people holding Signs (I'LL WORK FOR FOOD)

:blahblah: Give it a rest fprmer. That's total BS. s

Wow what an interesting story from a different viewpoint. Hadn't heard that one before!

Thanks for the enlightenment! It is so bad here, and it just keeps getting worse. Incredible, really. But I suppose it can't be much worse than where you are, being too embarrassed to divulge after all. 'Course it's probably for the better, they're so bad off, and you'd only misspell their name; only adding to the insult.

But what I found most amazing:

"...Channel 2 WGRZ News Aired a Story on 6/13/06 on their news..."

I didn't know news programs could air news stories. Now that, I'm just floored. I usually pick my news out of commercials and prime-time programming. :eek2:

Enjoy your news broadcast tape, since apparently you can draw entertainment from it.

well, in defense of birmingham, i'll take that picture over asslanta or office park city(charlotte) any day.
Agreed. Though technically, "Office Park City" applies more to Phoenix than Charlotte, which at least has a "real" downtown core.

Western New York Best & Brightest in are
Leaving in high numbers

Here's the link www.wgrz.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=38804

^ well I was one of those people that left for another state within 3 months of graduating college, but through some alignment of the planets I was able to find the right opportunity back here in the Buff. Had those planets not been aligned, I'd probably be sitting on the beach right now getting a nice tan in California.

Everyone ignore fprmer.

And everyone knows that steel is just jealous of our reuse of historic architecture.

BTW, does anyone have pictures of the interior of Shea's?

I know we're not supposed to feed the trolls, but I have to make 3 points and then I'll go back to ignoring it.

1. Like bjfan, I was also one of the 20-somethings that left Buffalo in the nineties. And also like bjfan, I returned. the statistics may measure who leaves, but it does not measure who returns so it is fatally flawed. And I personally know many 20/30-somethings that left and came back so it's a big factor.

2. Nowhere... I repeat NOWHERE in that article does it give any statistics for the year 2000 to present. It's merely restating old facts from the 1990's that we've all heard before. Even the whopping 2 people they interviewed said they MIGHT leave but wanted to stay. Highly scientific survey.

I just got a Tape of Channel 2 WGRZ News
3. You have tapes of Ch2 news sent to you?? You really are weird.

Everyone ignore fprmer.

And everyone knows that steel is just jealous of our reuse of historic architecture.

BTW, does anyone have pictures of the interior of Shea's?


At least I am not on the ignore list

Also

UUUUMm........Martin House, Guarantee Building, The Mansion Hotel, Squir House, St. Mary's Hospital (from way back), Many smaller and mid sized downtown renos like Electric Building and Holling Press and Cobblestone. Then there is Theater Place, Sheas, and Market Arcade and Bergers and and and and .....What are you talking about DT? Buffalo has renovated more old buildings that Birmingham even has.


Sheas images here:

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://preserve.bfn.org/archives/shea/image/04.jpg&imgrefurl=http://preserve.bfn.org/archives/shea/source/4.html&h=450&w=648&sz=103&tbnid=M3v8MFl89SxgGM:&tbnh=93&tbnw=135&hl=en&start=12&prev=/images%3Fq%3DSheas%2BBuffalo%2Btheater%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26sa%3DG

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://preserve.bfn.org/archives/shea/image/04.jpg&imgrefurl=http://preserve.bfn.org/archives/shea/source/4.html&h=450&w=648&sz=103&tbnid=M3v8MFl89SxgGM:&tbnh=93&tbnw=135&hl=en&start=12&prev=/images%3Fq%3DSheas%2BBuffalo%2Btheater%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26sa%3DG

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://preserve.bfn.org/archives/shea/image/04.jpg&imgrefurl=http://preserve.bfn.org/archives/shea/source/4.html&h=450&w=648&sz=103&tbnid=M3v8MFl89SxgGM:&tbnh=93&tbnw=135&hl=en&start=12&prev=/images%3Fq%3DSheas%2BBuffalo%2Btheater%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D%26sa%3DG

http://img479.imageshack.us/img479/7968/30520669buffalonysheashouse20n.th.jpg (http://img479.imageshack.us/my.php?image=30520669buffalonysheashouse20n.jpg)

UUUUMm........Martin House, Guarantee Building, The Mansion Hotel, Squir House, St. Mary's Hospital (from way back), Many smaller and mid sized downtown renos like Electric Building and Holling Press and Cobblestone. Then there is Theater Place, Sheas, and Market Arcade and Bergers and and and and .....What are you talking about DT? Buffalo has renovated more old buildings that Birmingham even has.


I was reading that the Hyatt Regency downtown was the first office building in the United States to be redeveloped into a hotel.

The Truth Hurts ! your own thread says it all !
BUFFALO NON-DEVELOPMENT THREAD ! is that maybe because of the lack
of development in WNY. Well nothing gets built , comes or even stays without hand outs from County, State & Federal Taxpayers,& tax breaks etc./cheap power etc..
. and yet places still don't want come When's Bass Pro Coming! 66 Million of tax payers money isn't even enough ! well except
for the Seneca's Casino (GOOD FOR THEM !) AND It's only going to get worst,
let's see Erie County NY property & sales taxes are 6 & 1/2 Times higher then the
US Average The higher in the country and their going up more! Let's see the deficit for 2007 is 60 Million + and their even borrowing even more millions & millions of dollars. which will make the deficit even higher, ( What good are Erie County Control Board & City of Buffalo Control Boards) If you think WGRZ poll is flawed then go to the US Census! again I was talking to my sister today & she seen a another man Holding a sign at Transit & French roads Saying " I"M HUNGRY I WORK FOR FOOD" ! But will just ignore that & Will pretend that we didn't see that, OK Maybe Again
someone can Post A Pic.of Make believe new skyscraper for Buffalo (last Skyscraper
was built in 1970 HSBC Tower, Highest in Buffalo 40 stories I here the top 15 floors are vacant and their use to be a restaurant on top floor that close years ago !

I here the top 15 floors are vacant
Prove it.

He has mastered the use of the word "their" but use of the word "seen" is still problematic. Or should I say prpblematic and wprd.

and "here" / "hear". It's really embarassing.

Here's some buffalo news that's not developemnt. Jerome is being an ass. Holy crap. You guys should revoke his membership to the WNY club. I mean, not a cool funny ass like DT of Buffcity, but like.... a male version of susie or a version of "fprmer" who hates on Rochester instead of Buffalo. Pretty ridiculous and immature.



As for fprmerwny'er, I think you could sum up ranting in his own words.....AND It's only going to get worst.... not worse, but worst.

There is no shortage of people saying bad things about Buffalo. B'ham on the other hand has been described as some kind of urban paradise....and after seeing this picture I can see what they are talking about...W O W ! move over NYC


Steel would surely win any contest for Buffalo's most ardent booster!

...However, I simply can't imagine what's to be gained for Buffalo by bashing other cities like Birmingham. I'm glad that those silly city vs, city threads dragged on for months by formers who usually offered up only off the cuff opinions & rather than facts or data, were finally cut out.

Sure B-Ham got clobbered by Atlanta in the race to become the capital of the New South. But it's figured out the future & has been rebounding quite well.

Actually, looking over those photos, B-Ham's downtown seems to have more buildings & less parking lots as compared to downtown Buffalo. When you consider all the natural assets that Buffalo has with the lake & river its a shame.

And its been closing the metro population gap with Buffalo. B-Ham gained almost twice as many people as Buffalo lost in the first half of this decade. At that rate, it possible that B-Ham might pass Buffalo in metro population by 2010.

Atlanta has always been a great model that realized that being the "city too busy to hate" was the path to becoming the capital of the New South. But B-Ham shows how a city that a few decades ago was given up for dead shows how even a later comer can stage a comeback once it embraces diversity.

Buffalo Niagara, which continues to lead all major metro population decline rates, is much better served by learning the right lessons from metros that have figured out how to play winning games in the competition for people, jobs & prosperity than bashing them.

UUUUMm........Martin House, Guarantee Building, The Mansion Hotel, Squir House, St. Mary's Hospital (from way back), Many smaller and mid sized downtown renos like Electric Building and Holling Press and Cobblestone. Then there is Theater Place, Sheas, and Market Arcade and Bergers and and and and .....What are you talking about DT? Buffalo has renovated more old buildings that Birmingham even has.


First off, thanks for the Shea's pictures.

Secondly, as someone who has sat on the board of the Birmingham Historical Society, I would dispute that claim wholeheartedly. I'd love to compare side by side what was renovated from the ground up in the past 15 years in both downtown areas. I think you'd be rather shocked by the little guy down South -- especially with what's been done in the past five years. Let's see...

27 story City Federal Building - 1913 - residential
21 story John Hand Building - 1912 - mixed use; residential, office
17 story Brown-Marx Building - 1906 - residential
17 story Bankhead Hotel - 1906 - residential
21 story Thomas Jefferson Hotel - 1925 - residential
17 story Watts Building - 1928 - residential
16 story Empire Building - 1906 - residential
10 story Massey Building - 1921 - office
14 story Redmont Hotel -1925 - hotel/residential
10 story Title Guaranty Building - 1902 - office
10 story Transporation Building - 1907 - residential
11 story Woodward Building - 1904 - office

I can go on under the 10 story range and also can include cultural restorations, but you get my drift. There's also an entire block on Third Avenue being renovated at the moment into a mixed use project:

http://www.bizjournals.com/birmingham/stories/2006/01/30/story3.html

The preservation movement is also a LOT larger down there than it is up here (at least in downtown).

Heck, there was even a protest to save the original dirigible docking mast (seriously) on top of the Thomas Jefferson/Cabana Hotel when it was announced that the building was going condo last year.


http://home.bham.rr.com/bluemann/images/hotelthomjeff.jpg


Actually, looking over those photos, B-Ham's downtown seems to have more buildings & less parking lots as compared to downtown Buffalo. When you consider all the natural assets that Buffalo has with the lake & river its a shame.

I agree on both points. Buffalo has so much to offer when it comes to natural scenery. This is truly a beautiful area.

Steel would surely win any contest for Buffalo's most ardent booster!

...However, I simply can't imagine what's to be gained for Buffalo by bashing other cities like Birmingham. I'm glad that those silly city vs, city threads dragged on for months by formers who usually offered up only off the cuff opinions & rather than facts or data, were finally cut out.

Sure B-Ham got clobbered by Atlanta in the race to become the capital of the New South. But it's figured out the future & has been rebounding quite well.

Actually, looking over those photos, B-Ham's downtown seems to have more buildings & less parking lots as compared to downtown Buffalo. When you consider all the natural assets that Buffalo has with the lake & river its a shame.

And its been closing the metro population gap with Buffalo. B-Ham gained almost twice as many people as Buffalo lost in the first half of this decade. At that rate, it possible that B-Ham might pass Buffalo in metro population by 2010.

Atlanta has always been a great model that realized that being the "city too busy to hate" was the path to becoming the capital of the New South. But B-Ham shows how a city that a few decades ago was given up for dead shows how even a later comer can stage a comeback once it embraces diversity.

Buffalo Niagara, which continues to lead all major metro population decline rates, is much better served by learning the right lessons from metros that have figured out how to play winning games in the competition for people, jobs & prosperity than bashing them.

Bayviews since you are new here and perhaps have little time to actually read the threads (since you are so busy writing a thesis for every post :) ) you have not noticed that I am participating in a little light hearted jib jab with DT who is no stranger to tossing a little barb into a conversation now and again. the only reason for picking on the B'ham is that every other word typed by DT is "Birmingham". I have nothing against the place. Never been there. However I don't think that picture paints it in a favorable light. As for boosting the Buff I do that but I do it in a realistic way. I don't embelish. I just state what is there. I don't need to get into the over the top Buffalo bashing of the fprmer's of the world.

I hope that Atlanta is not a model for anything. We need to get away from the sprawl hell hole way of building cities.

If you have never been here, I think you would find that Raleigh, NC makes Atlanta look like Manhattan. I'm not even joking. 350,000 people in a city with well over 100 square miles. It was a decently urban small southern city up until about the 1980s.... and now it's a southeastern version of Phoenix.

why does every thread have to turn into a Birmingham thread, we care as much about B-ham as B-ham cares about B-lo?

I think for our little group we had at our meeting last weekend, we should be called the "Buffalo Skyscraper Architecture Posse". Or something. Just a suggestion and I thought a good name.

Where's Birmingham? England? :)

I think Fprmer WNYer has serious mental problems.

I dunno, where's Canada?

Buffalo Niagara, which continues to lead all major metro population decline rates, is much better served by learning the right lessons from metros that have figured out how to play winning games in the competition for people, jobs & prosperity than bashing them.

Actually pittsburgh has been leading that dubious race hands down since 1990 in both raw numbers and percentages.

I think you'd be rather shocked by the little guy down South -- especially with what's been done in the past five years. Let's see...

27 story City Federal Building - 1913 - residential
21 story John Hand Building - 1912 - mixed use; residential, office
17 story Brown-Marx Building - 1906 - residential
17 story Bankhead Hotel - 1906 - residential
21 story Thomas Jefferson Hotel - 1925 - residential
17 story Watts Building - 1928 - residential
16 story Empire Building - 1906 - residential
10 story Massey Building - 1921 - office
14 story Redmont Hotel -1925 - hotel/residential
10 story Title Guaranty Building - 1902 - office
10 story Transporation Building - 1907 - residential
11 story Woodward Building - 1904 - office


Impressive Indeed!

Actually pittsburgh has been leading that dubious race hands down since 1990 in both raw numbers and percentages.

Correct, Pittsburgh leads in percentage, but Detroit leads in raw numbers


Buffalo Niagara, which continues to lead all major metro population decline rates, is much better served by learning the right lessons from metros that have figured out how to play winning games in the competition for people, jobs & prosperity than bashing them.


who's bashing who??? What a rediculous comment. The only people doing any bashing on here are non-WNYers bashing Buffalo, and including urself.

Just a picture I thought was worth posting:

Buffalo's West Side at dawn

http://img213.imageshack.us/img213/3641/sunset0ew.jpg

I just went out to lunch and saw wave after wave of tourist groups walking around downtown stopping and explaining whatever about all the buildings and squares. I actually stopped and listened to the tour guide when they were infront of the Ellicott Square Building...he was explaining the significance of each statue and carving on the building, and going on and on about movies shot in the building and Presidents that have done whatever there. I thought I was in the Vatican City for a second.

Hey Steel :
Nice picture of all the Haze from the Crack Houses & Buffalians smoking Pot & crack !(Erie County must have already Legailized It!)
! , Please keep your Drug smoke out of CANADA ! I mean Fort Erie is just over the River you Know !!!!!! See
it's Buffalo population that's becoming Toronto Problem !

I just got a private e-mail & they advised me that the Haze in the air on the West side is from all the vacant buildings & houses that are on fire every night ! The Control Board closed down some many Fire Houses because of Budget problems & that the City's Fire department is very small and it takes longer times to get to fires. Also the City Police department is geting to go on Strike too because they haven't got a raise in 5 years ! just like
the firefighters that haven't got a raise in 5 years too!

To quote from a movie "YOU'RE A MORON AREN'T YA!?!?!"

Who's the real moran or moran's The people who try to pretend that Buffalo & WNY
is prosperous or the Sad Truth ! The Crooked Politicians at every leve (State, County, City, Town & Villages) have Destroyed The City of Buffalo & Erie County's
Economy to point of an irrereversible effect ! ( When they Raise Taxes it causes more Business's (which provide Jobs) & Homeowners to leave the area, which lowers the Tax base, so they raise taxes again which causes more Business's & people to leave the area which again lowers the tax base, & then they raise taxes again. This keeps repeating itself over & over ! I wonder what happens when their's no Tax base left ! basically all your going to have left, Are the People receiving services(Welfare, Medicad etc.) and the ones providing services ( which are mostly Political appointed & patronage jobs) + speaking of Moran's, WNY is now Know as "Lawsuit Central City" (LCC) All these Moran's & their group's that have filed bogus lawsuits on almost every single development in WNY! and that's another reason we have a Buffalo Non-Development thread)

lol, you said moran.

http://z.about.com/d/politicalhumor/1/0/n/U/moran.jpg

Just a picture I thought was worth posting:

Buffalo's West Side at dawn

http://img213.imageshack.us/img213/3641/sunset0ew.jpg


Thats a sweet picture Steel. For all the bad press the west side gets its still among the densest areas of the city and the home of most of Buffalo's new immigrants. i've noticed a huge influx of Africans (Somalians?) down there in the past few years along with the huge Puerto Rican population thats been there for as long as I could remember.

That Guy looks like the same guy in the picture my sister Sent me
"I"LL Work For Food" Dallas Texan, you must have got that picture
too ! My sister said she was going to send it to the USA Today & emailed to other Papers. Wow, It got out quick! Nice job, Your good in editing it with
photo shop software !

Oh please... your sister is probably 5 and can't even work a camera.

I don't know about that
She's pretty smart ! she predicted that Carolina was going to
Beat the Sabers!, Not look most of you's You had the Stanley Cup won already ! :wave: :wave: :fiddle:

Correct, Pittsburgh leads in percentage, but Detroit leads in raw numbers



who's bashing who??? What a rediculous comment. The only people doing any bashing on here are non-WNYers bashing Buffalo, and including urself.

Actually, bjfan82's wrong again on all counts! Last thing Buffalo needs are “boosters” who simply don’t have their facts straight!

It’s interesting; some around Buffalo Niagara actually think that Detroit is doing worse. Not true. The population trends simply don’t bear that out. As I’ve stated before, Buffalo & Pittsburgh are basically in the same boat, the only two shrinking major metros. But thanks an active campaign to attract new immigrants since 2000, Pittsburgh seems to be doing a better job of reducing its decline.

Metro Detroit-Warren-Flint has not lost population. It’s been gaining over both the long-term & most recent period. Metro Detroit gained 12.4% in population 1960-2000. And even for first half of this decade, not exactly the best period for the “Big 3” automakers, metro Detroit gained 1.1%.

Metro Pittsburgh-New Castle lost 12.3% of its population between 1960-2000. But during the 1990s, as I noted, metro Pittsburgh lost a smaller portion of its population as compared to Buffalo. And for first half of this decade also, Pittsburgh lost 1.8% of its population, again less than Buffalo.

By contrast, metro Buffalo-Niagara lost 10.5% of its population between 1960 & 2000, & as mentioned had the highest rate of population loss of any major million-plus metro during the 1990s. And during this first half decade Buffalo Niagara lost 1.9% of its population, again a slightly higher rate than Pittsburgh, and the highest rate of any major metro.

Cattaraugus County has been added to Buffalo Niagara since 2000. But that drop of 24,000 during the first half of the decade shaves off about half of the added county. So adding counties isn’t going to change the facts on the ground.

What’s even more troubling is that when you look below the major metro threshold, even the smaller metros that have been steadily declining, metros like Youngstown OH and Scranton-Wilkes Barre, PA, they have reduced their loss rate to less than that of Buffalo Niagara. Yes Youngstown OH! Metro Scranton has been attracting a lot more Latino immigrants who have opened lots of new businesses. So even going down as far as half a million, there is not a SINGLE metro that has lost population since 2000 at the rate of Buffalo Niagara!

Buffalo Niagara is in competition with other metros for people, jobs & prosperity. When you are in competition, you need to have an honest appraisal of how you stand up against the competition. As nearly all older northern metros experience significant out-migration, the region’s population decline is primarily a function of the failure to attract newcomers, particularly new immigrants.

bjfan82, what’s this insular, xenophobic, nonsense about “non WNYers?”. Please define. Successful places are filled with people who come from all over the world. People who come in all colors. Ever been to Toronto? Or NYC? As this weeks NY Times article again suggests, there's shortage of ex-upstate NYers moving to other metros. Looks like you’ve put a wall up with a sign that says: “Entering WNY, no “outsiders” admitted!”

Not look most of you's You had the Stanley Cup won already !


What the fuck are you saying? That sentance makes absolutely no sense at all. Translate that into non-retard english please!

I hope that Atlanta is not a model for anything.

What’s the matter with Atlanta?

Actually, Atlanta has been an amazingly successful metro. Interesting in 1960, Atlanta & Buffalo Niagara were about the same size. Today, Atlanta’s metro has grown to 4.5 million, about four times the population of Buffalo’s. Atlanta’s become a very inclusive metro that’s made it the leading magnet for African Americans. And over the past couple of decades it’s attracted lots of newcomers from all over the world, becoming more of a real "international city".

Sure, Atlanta’s suffers the problems that come with rapid growth, including sprawl. But Atlanta's airport has become the world’s busiest, MARTA is the best rapid transit system in the south & it has a wealth of cultural attractions.

Many New South metros have tried to follow Atlanta’s example, while doing it smaller but better. Charlotte’s AKA “Little Atlanta”.

But sure, Atlanta's a great model.

yeah, but atlanta isn't in new york. that's why it has done so well. NYS will continue to lose people until every last person is gone and the ensuing vacuum from the lack of people will eventually turn the state a black hole and destroy the earth.

edit: steel's picture is awesome.

That Buffalo picture at dawn does look nice, a great view of the west side!

... :blahblah: ...
bayview, all you do is drone on with longwinded cliff-claven know-it-all textbook descriptions. You're all theory and no reality. Even when you're correct it's usually stuff we've all heard many times before.

I lived in Detroit for a decade and I know what the city is like. You can look up statistics all you want. It's metro may be economically stronger, but their city is in more trouble than buffalo due to the sheer size of its past problems, its economic dependence on GM and Ford, and a much stronger competition with it's suburbs. I like Detroit and it's slowly coming back. It's a great town and they're doing some cool improvements that finally have momentum (just like Buffalo). But you can't get a complete picture just by digging up census data and employment statistics. A textbook won't tell you everything. Maybe you should get off your preachy high-horse and listen to other people once in a while... or get your nose out of Google for a minute and look around the real world.

Your diversity mantra is like an annoying broken record, yet you refuse to entertain any view different than your own. And brush off people that disagree. So much for "diversity". It's hypocrital.

and borderline on being a troll too.

have a nice day. ;)

yeah, but atlanta isn't in new york. that's why it has done so well. NYS will continue to lose people until every last person is gone and the ensuing vacuum from the lack of people will eventually turn the state a black hole and destroy the earth.

edit: steel's picture is awesome.


Actually, NYC isn't doing too badly either!

Last time I checked, it was one of the few very few older cities, well over 8 million & counting, that has more people than ever before!

The sprawl model of development is what is wrong with Atlanta. That city has perfected the land eating, pollution making, fossil fuel consuming, traffic mongering metro that is a major drain on our economy and resources. Just think of the money we could pump into medical and other scientific research if we were not so busy building new highways and sending money to terrorist countries to buy oil. That is what is wrong with Atlanta and that is why it and all of America's sprawl oriented development is bad and should not be held up as a model for anything.

Time for the beach

http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g315/buffalo60/lake5.jpg

The sprawl model of development is what is wrong with Atlanta. That city has perfected the land eating, pollution making, fossil fuel consuming, traffic mongering metro that is a major drain on our economy and resources. Just think of the money we could pump into medical and other scientific research if we were not so busy building new highways and sending money to terrorist countries to buy oil. That is what is wrong with Atlanta and that is why it and all of America's sprawl oriented development is bad and should not be held up as a model for anything.

What about intown Atlanta's fantastic, progressive leadership that is actively promoting (with MUCH success) urban development within the city limits?

Long live Shirley Franklin, Queen of Atlanta!

http://atlanta.sundaypaper.com/Portals/0/images122505/Cover_Franklin-2.jpg

What about intown Atlanta's fantastic, progressive leadership that is actively promoting (with MUCH success) urban development within the city limits?

Long live Shirley Franklin, Queen of Atlanta!

http://atlanta.sundaypaper.com/Portals/0/images122505/Cover_Franklin-2.jpg


If Atalnta can reverse its massive and intense sprawl development we will all be much better off. All the power to them.

Oh please... your sister is probably 5 and can't even work a camera.
You must be her classmate.

If the family is so incompetent that none of them can talk or type right and they spend all of their time making up BS stories to bash a city for no reason...... you are DEFINITELY the Mother/Aunt (not one or the other... both) But I guess it's not your fault. You meant to move to Toronto a long time ago but thought it was directly east of Buffalo so you ended up in Rochester instead. But I forgot... that was only because you were using Canadian maps! (I couldn't make this stuff up, she actually said that)

The sprawl model of development is what is wrong with Atlanta. That city has perfected the land eating, pollution making, fossil fuel consuming, traffic mongering metro that is a major drain on our economy and resources. Just think of the money we could pump into medical and other scientific research if we were not so busy building new highways and sending money to terrorist countries to buy oil. That is what is wrong with Atlanta and that is why it and all of America's sprawl oriented development is bad and should not be held up as a model for anything.

Agree with everything you say steel. Who can be against reducing oil consumption & sustainability?

Problem it’s a general critic that can said for just about every Sunbelt metro, & many Frostbelt ones for that matter. You just haven’t cited any specifics about Atlanta’s downtown, neighborhoods, suburbs, demographics, economics, politics, planning, transportation, or development that should be corrected.

Model cities like Atlanta provide practical & transferable solutions that are going to happen in our lifetimes, not utopian visions that require all kinds of things that aren’t very likely to happen at the national & international level.

And the point is, despite the challenges that come with growth, Atlanta has been working quite well, particularly when it comes to producing jobs. If that wasn’t the case, why have so many moved, & not just African Americans, to Atlanta from Buffalo & other places that haven’t been working very well?

Agree with everything you say steel. Who can be against reducing oil consumption & sustainability?

Problem it’s a general critic that can said for just about every Sunbelt metro, & many Frostbelt ones for that matter. You just haven’t cited any specifics about Atlanta’s downtown, neighborhoods, suburbs, demographics, economics, politics, planning, transportation, or development that should be corrected.

Model cities like Atlanta provide practical & transferable solutions that are going to happen in our lifetimes, not utopian visions that require all kinds of things that aren’t very likely to happen at the national & international level.

And the point is, despite the challenges that come with growth, Atlanta has been working quite well, particularly when it comes to producing jobs. If that wasn’t the case, why have so many moved, & not just African Americans, to Atlanta from Buffalo & other places that haven’t been working very well?


there is nothing utopian about dense urban environments. they exist and they work. The utopian idea is that we can continue indefinitely with an unsustainable method of building cities. (not to mention the fact that China is getting on the band wagon. Just because Atlanta attracts jobs and thus people does not mean that it works. Every city in America has embraced sprawl as a type of design. that does not mean it works or that it is good.

As I said would we be better off with more highways or more cures? Currently we have chosen highways over a cure for cancer and Atlanta is the epicenter of this kind of misguided thinking.

If Atalnta can reverse its massive and intense sprawl development we will all be much better off. All the power to them.

atlanta can't do squat about the sprawl as beyond their city limits. the city itself is quite compact but its burbs go on for miles.

there is nothing utopian about dense urban environments. they exist and they work. The utopian idea is that we can continue indefinitely with an unsustainable method of building cities. (not to mention the fact that China is getting on the band wagon. Just because Atlanta attracts jobs and thus people does not mean that it works. Every city in America has embraced sprawl as a type of design. that does not mean it works or that it is good.

As I said would we be better off with more highways or more cures? Currently we have chosen highways over a cure for cancer and Atlanta is the epicenter of this kind of misguided thinking.


Of course, I’m for fewer highways!

But just look what Atlanta has done:

Back in the early 1970s, Atlanta voters approved a sales tax to pay to build & operate MARTA. Extending nearly 50 miles, it’s by far the largest rapid transit system in the south. It’s modeled after Toronto’s TTC, with convenient intermodal transfer stations that allow passengers direct connections into the extensive MARTA bus system.

You can ride the MARTA train directly from ride from Hartsfield-Jackson Airport to downtown, Buckhead & all corners of Atlanta. And over the past decade, some of the biggest transit-oriented development in the nation has been going up around MARTA stations.

And the impact of MARTA has been significant. Atlanta shed city population for a few decades. But since the 1990s, the city population has been regrowing as professionals move back into Midtown, Virginia Highlands, Inman Park & other neighborhoods near the MARTA stations.

Atlanta’s MARTA has inspired other cities like Charlotte, which is going with a light rail line.

And wouldn’t it be nice to see that kind of extensive transit connected with development around say, Buffalo?

Utopian, no! Practical & achievable, yes!

I maintain thru my own reading and research that the only real way to make the metro rail perfect is to have it fed, and feeding a bus system within Buffalo.

The more I hear about a Monorail line from Buffalo to NYC makes me wonder if that would be NY's next Erie Canal.

If we can find ways for these projects to happen, without killing everyone in taxes and fees, it might make the state work again, but I guess until Albany finally has that break down...we are stuck.

yep. I knew it was coming !
the City of Buffalo & the County of Erie having been filing lawsuits
to stop the Seneca's from building a casino in the City of Buffalo, Yet a year ago, they sued them & won, that forced them to build inside of the city of Buffalo which they didn't want too in the first place ( they wanted to build it in Cheektowaga, a Buffalo suburb which would have made more sense, because it's next to the airport & next to Interstate 90 Exit (But the Courts ruled that it had to be built in Buffalo) Actually, the first site in Buffalo they Choose was to convert part of an old empty train station (old DH&L train Station) Again ,They got sued by preservation groups & NFTA, which ownes
the building wouldn't sell them it , So they bought some land, tryed again!
Once again they started get tons & tons of lawsuits, the Corupt County & City leaders must have offered a very good bribe to the EPA People to have them stop construction (that's like the only thing that was being built with out public handouts) Like I said before, in the rest of American's business world , Buffalo is Known as Lawsuit Central City (LCC) & everyone's strarting to talk about the political corruption running out of control in government, not to the mention the ridiclous taxes 6 & 1/2 times the national average & yet they have a 60+ million or more defecit for 2007 Budget & they continuing to borrow more Money
probally after they raise taxes again in 07 Erie County taxes will become 7 & 1/2 or 8 times higher then the national average! (This was suppose to be taking care of last year when NYS Placed A Control Board in Erie County
that apparently isn't working !

I think that's good news. A casino in Buffalo would have been a bad idea. Detroit built a casino thinking it would revitalize their city too.

A casino in Buffalo would have been a bad idea. Detroit built a casino thinking it would revitalize their city too.
Detroit built three!

The more I hear about a Monorail line from Buffalo to NYC ...
What more have you heard about it?

atlanta can't do squat about the sprawl as beyond their city limits. the city itself is quite compact but its burbs go on for miles.


Were talking about the Atlanta metro j

Detroit built three!

They sold their soul to the devil much like Buffalo will be doing. Except I think its worse for Buffalo cuz it involves the Indians.

I maintain thru my own reading and research that the only real way to make the metro rail perfect is to have it fed, and feeding a bus system within Buffalo.
agreed, while I was on my European Extravaganza 2006, I noticed all the cities I went to had an incredibly extensive subway-bus system. I'm sure Buffalo's is certainly above average for the USA, but I don't believe our metrorail-buses run anywhere near as frequent as the cities in Europe.


The more I hear about a Monorail line from Buffalo to NYC makes me wonder if that would be NY's next Erie Canal.

Oh definitely, that was exactly their selling point for high speed rail that was supposed to open in 2001 from NYC to the Buff. The selling point basically said that New York has always been on the cutting edge of transportation from the Erie Canal to the NYS Thruway ("America's Superhighway" or so they call it), so a state of the art high speed rail (or monorail whatever) would continue on this legacy. Not to mention it is in the best interest of NYC and the state.

It would be nice if Buffalo had better transit service but the NFTA has never had the local funding levels that Atlanta's MARTA & many other transit systems have developed.

I need to buy a dishwasher tomorrow (this house doesn't have one). Is Orville's a good place to go?

all I know is that the proposed monorail line would go along the NYS thruway and connect Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, Utica, Albany and NYC...and everything in between.

If the idea would be to have a circular track (ie: from Buffalo it turns south to Jamestown and onwards to Elmira and Binghamton) this would be a sweet asset...how expensive? lol WOW!!!

all I know is that the proposed monorail line would go along the NYS thruway and connect Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, Utica, Albany and NYC...and everything in between.

that would be cool but the route should only stop at these cities (no weedsport, herkimer or podunk town along the way) otherwise the trip from buffalo to new york would take eons.

what would ROC do seeing as they are a few miles away from the thruway? fuck 'em! if they are too good to be right on the thruway, we'll skip them. ;)

The question remains though, why?

I know you sometimes have to take incredible risks to have something successful - but does NYS need something like that? And why would we need a link to Elmira? The whole circular thing makes it seem like a theme park lol.

Maybe it would be the greatest thing since they started making wheels round. But right now it looks like another massive abomination, what it's been 25 years since their last one. I could see this as just the next round of disgrace, reminds me of that Simpsons episode.

Perhaps if you could have either a NYC-Buffalo or Boston-Buffalo (but get that one to fly here without NYC included), and it would be successful as part of a greater link, say maybe to Toronto or even Chicago. Then I think it could be successful.

"I need to buy a dishwasher tomorrow (this house doesn't have one). Is Orville's a good place to go?"

Yes.

Well, I actually just bought one from Orville's... and it's computerized and stuff :D

all I know is that the proposed monorail line would go along the NYS thruway and connect Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, Utica, Albany and NYC...and everything in between.

If the idea would be to have a circular track (ie: from Buffalo it turns south to Jamestown and onwards to Elmira and Binghamton) this would be a sweet asset...how expensive? lol WOW!!!


Monorails are not practical for regional transit, let alone long-distance transport. They are mostly used for tourist attractions.

Las Vegas has opened a monorail, but its mostly to serve tourists & its had its problems. The monorail built to serve the Seattle worlds fair is one of the best known monorails in the US but its very short, just a few miles. Seattle had a proposal to build a regional monorial system, but the it was cancelled after the pricetage jumped up to about $12 billion. So Seattle is focusing on light rail & commuter rail.

There are some viable proposals for high-speed rail based on European & Asian models. California has a high-speed rail proposal on the ballot to connect North & South California. But the cost is something like $40 billion, if not more. So its not cheap.

The other thing is that high-speed rail is generally used to serve growing, high-density corriders. That is not the case with upstate NY, where even the largest metros are smaller & at best stagnant.

Maybe the AMTRAK service across upstate could be improved.

Maybe the AMTRAK service across upstate could be improved.
I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for that one, anywhere.

I'd be more apt to believe I would start my own transit entity before that happened.

Too bad, really. I've been on the Amtrak from Buffalo -> Albany (Empire Corridor Line?) and Albany -> Croton Harmon (Tarrytown) (Maple Leaf Line?) for two round trips, and it was quite enjoyable. Except the Maple Leaf train, which was a complete POS. But still.

I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for that one, anywhere.

I'd be more apt to believe I would start my own transit entity before that happened.


Well, the AMTRAK rail infrastucture across NY state is alread in place. Just improve the service level. Sure, won't be to Northeast corrider standards, but better than what exists now.

Definitely. Anybody who wants to do anything with rail in this state, especially in this area, has all they could ever dream for, infrastructurally.

Heck, we even have an abandoned rail station which was designed for a city of 1 million plus. Infrastructure should be the least of the worries.

cough cough light rail extensions cough cough

Yeah, sad about Buffalo's Central Terminal.

Sure, would have been nice if Buffalo’s light rail line had been built to Amherst as originally planned, but didn’t happen. As Amherst still has apparently little or no interest in getting an extension, expansion seems unlikely.

Particularly given the lack of local match funding & that the feds don’t look to kindly on extending rail in places which can’t put up a good sized local match, particularly for declining areas. Lots of other places that are growing are waiting for federal rail funding.

However, if NFTA plans to rip up the downtown pedestrian mall, it should not miss the chance of at least looking at the cost of a downtown subway. If Buffalo city regrows population & creates transit-oriented development along Main Street corridor, the level of service on both the bus system & the existing light rail could be improved with revenues from the increased tax base.

And then who knows, maybe in a couple of decades, there might be need for light rail extensions to Buffalo suburbs.

Remember, Toronto started with less than 5 miles of rapid transit under Younge Street in the 1950s. They gradually expanded as Toronto grew.

That’s practical, not pie in the sky!

Steel
Nice picture of the beach ! To bad it's not in Buffalo, actually it's in another
Country! Canada ! Here's another example or FACT as you people want it ! That
Their's is no beachs in the City of Buffalo (Not that their's to much beach weather anyways) with all open Waterfront, The vast majorty of the Waterfront is empty waste land !( with decades of failed Plans & dreams that never happened !) A Couple of Years ago aleast They had a nice Resturant/Bar on the Lake, with a nice deck/patio & boat docks now that's closed down too & that's been torn down too (it was called Shooters, & "The Pier" "

Oh Ya, it was also called "Breakers" That was an awesome place to hang out :cheers: in the summer. Just another example (causulity of the Horrible Economy WNY)

To bad
Their's is no beachs
Not that their's to much
waste land
aleast

:omg:

Wow, you arranged it into some sort of retarded haiku! :D

:bash:
will you know what , you don't have take final exams in the Buffalo High schools anymore or even show up ! they pass everyone so they get
their federal & state Aid $$$$$$$$$$$$$$ you now you gotta pay them
teachers $150,000 a year ! :bash:

:bash:
will you know what , you don't have take final exams in the Buffalo High schools anymore or even show up ! they pass everyone so they get
their federal & state Aid $$$$$$$$$$$$$$ you now you gotta pay them
teachers $150,000 a year ! :bash:
Though I know that's not true, even if it were (besides which the suburban schools + city privates are excellent and cover 80%+ of the metro), fine with me.

The kids or the parents don't care enough about their education? To hell with them. I'm sick of kids getting passed along just because the system doesn't know what to do with them. All you end up with is an education-based form of affirmative action, and quite frankly it's a drag on society. It'll kill us when China and India surpass us in economy, education (which they may already have), prosperity, and quality of life.

Politically correct I am not. But hey, apparently it's how you got your education.

Oh Ya, it was also called "Breakers" That was an awesome place to hang out :cheers: in the summer. Just another example (causulity of the Horrible Economy WNY)
If it's failure is what got you to leave, Hip Hip Hooray! Hip Hip Hooray!

Wow, you arranged it into some sort of retarded haiku! :D

:hilarious:

This guy has to have like 5 thumbs. I'm starting to think it might be an act though.... could anyone really be that retarded and illiterate?

:bash:
will you know what , you don't have take final exams in the Buffalo High schools anymore or even show up ! they pass everyone so they get
their federal & state Aid $$$$$$$$$$$$$$ you now you gotta pay them
teachers $150,000 a year ! :bash:

Well.... you are a shining example of this now aren't you?

Fprmer WNYer quit trolling or you'll end up being Fprmer SSCer. capice?

Though I know that's not true, even if it were (besides which the suburban schools + city privates are excellent and cover 80%+ of the metro), fine with me.

Ah, but sadly, it is true. I have a German exchange student living with me right now. (He's going home to Germany in the next couple of weeks.) He didn't have to take any final exams, and most of his midterms were take-home exams. Shameful. There was one day when one of his teachers actually called me at my office because the kid wanted to go home early to watch TV and play video games. I guess a bunch of kids from his 11th grade class skipped school, so the brilliant teacher thought it would be only fair to allow him to be at home too. Now you tell me this; who ever heard of a teacher who would call a parent at his place of work to ask if the kid can ditch school? I still can't believe that actually happened. And don't even get me started about the day I had to deal with the Director of Student Placement (a part of the Buffalo Board of Education). Her name is Jacqueline Ross Brown, and she is the most uncaring and least professional persone I have ever had to deal with. That was last September, and it never got any better. The public school system is really a mess, and if I ever had a kid of my own (btw, I am way too young to have a kid of my own in high school) he/she would never go to a public school....just my opinion.

PS- I am out of town right now (in Philadelphia for work) so I won't be posting much for the next week or so. Have fun without me!

...Her name is Jacqueline Ross Brown, and she is the most uncaring and least professional persone I have ever had to deal with...
It's always amazed me that these people manage to get on and stay on school boards. I know in Concord, there is this one woman who absolutely hates children, yet she's been on the board there like 40 years or something.

Maybe they don't take their job seriously because they're not paid? Yeah, there are good ones, but by and large they suck.

:hilarious:

This guy has to have like 5 thumbs. I'm starting to think it might be an act though.... could anyone really be that retarded and illiterate?
I figured he moved to a much colder climate and is typing while wearing mittens.

Hey Jerome could you post the picture of that 60+ story condo? I did a search of the Buffalo News and I couldn't find that article.

The system does not allow me to post attachments so i cannot honour your request.

The system does not allow me to post attachments so i cannot honour your request.


You have to upload the image to a hosting site like photobucket.com or imageshack and then post the image URL location inside image brackets as such xyz image

Too much effort.

Too much effort.
...well OK then...

come on...

then email it to me, I'll upload it and post it

:sleepy: I need a vacation...I'm bored already this summer.

My boyfriend bought me a new microwave today! :)

eek, I'm such a suburbanite now.

Does it have wood grain?

no, it's stainless steel... like you.

Does it have wood grain?

My sister just got a wood-grained van and she lives in Cheektowaga. Coincidence? I don't think so.

My sister just got a wood-grained van and she lives in Cheektowaga. Coincidence? I don't think so.
While I think they're all ugly, I think the "woodie" version of the PT Cruiser is the most heinous looking vehicle ever built.

I mean, WTF?!?! These are probably the same people that were critical of the woodie station wagons of the '80s, too. Just like the Expedition drivers who criticize minivans for being too boxy.

^ we call her van "woody"

I remember about 15-20 years ago we had a woody station wagon that we took on a trip to Kentucky, one summer, to go visit our Amish friends from Chautauqua County. That woody station wagon was the shit when we got it, I loved that car.

Hey, I saw another 'Bama plate today, this time on the inbound 33. 4M74A I think, it looked like a veteran plate of some sort (purple heart). Silverish Buick LeSabre.

I think I've seen more of you guys here than the previous 23 years living here combined lol.

Ah, you ran into an Autauga County resident then... :D

We're invading the Buffalo-Niagara area.... and if y'all are nice, we'll bring some jobs with us ;)

I may have transposed the 'M' and the 'A'. Can't remember now. Not like it matters, I'm not a stalker or something.

Eh, I know the county by the first number - be forewarned though, my Jag doesn't have Alabama tags - it's registered in Tennessee :)

ALSO, this is very important... Does anyone know anything about the area around Seneca/Harrison Streets?

Workers' comp reform push is on
Business First of Buffalo - 3:14 PM EDT Wednesday
The upstate business coalition seeking changes to spark the region's economy says it has the attention of state lawmakers on critical issues.

Legislation has been introduced in the state Senate and Assembly that would rewrite both workers' compensation and labor laws. The "Unshackle Upstate" group, formed earlier this year by business leaders including the Buffalo Niagara Partnership, had prioritized the two issues for this year's November elections.

The coalition has said workers' compensation costs in New York state are the second-highest in the nation and the maximum weekly benefit paid to injured workers is the lowest in the U.S.

Enacting the bill put before the state Legislature could result in first-year employer savings of 18 percent or $708.2 million.

"There may be no concern that unites our members more than the extraordinary workers' compensation costs in New York state," said Andrew Rudnick, president and CEO of the Buffalo Niagara Partnership.

Local legislative support for the reform measures comes from Robin Schimminger, D-Kenmore, a co-sponsor in the Assembly, and Mary Lou Rath, R-Williamsville, and Dale Volker, R-Depew, co-sponsors in the state Senate

ALSO, this is very important... Does anyone know anything about the area around Seneca/Harrison Streets?
What about it? Not horribly familiar with it, I drive "through" it when I take I-190 exit 3 to get to Seneca/Abbott & points south. Len-co lumber, Oneida plant, seems like alot of light-medium manufacturing/warehousing in that area, in various states of repair. As for residential, don't know. One of my ex's grew up in that area (Babcock) and I guess it was a really good neighborhood way back when.

Check out Xzmattzx's Buffalo Canadian shoreline pictures set to music here...with some of mine too

http://www.buffalorising.com/city/archives/2006/06/helooooooow_summer_1.php

What about it? Not horribly familiar with it, I drive "through" it when I take I-190 exit 3 to get to Seneca/Abbott & points south. Len-co lumber, Oneida plant, seems like alot of light-medium manufacturing/warehousing in that area, in various states of repair. As for residential, don't know. One of my ex's grew up in that area (Babcock) and I guess it was a really good neighborhood way back when.

It means a lot to me because of that's where my boyfriend was born. While he doesn't talk at all about his biological parents (a long and very sad story) he told where he lived the first few years of his life.

Against his wishes (though he doesn't know I went), I went to the corner of Seneca and Harrison the other day to investigate a bit. What I saw really, really upset me. I knew his parents were poor, but not that bad. I know it sounds cheesy, but I sat in my car and cried because it really explains a lot about his personality and I felt awful for teasing him about some things (mainly how he thinks a lot of the homes in Cheektowaga are "ritzy" and how he can act so blue collar at times). Seeing all of that really brought me down to earth about some things.

I just want to know what the neighborhood was like in the 70s - the apartment building that he lived in as a child should be condemned as it sits now :(

Yeah, I dunno. Like I said I'm pretty sure one of my ex's grew up in that neighborhood and still has alot of attachment to it. There's some fesitival there (Babcock something, I'm drawing a blank on the name now) that she always used to talk about going to.

It is in pretty rough shape, and it looks like the construction of I-190 really had a hand in tearing that neighborhood up. Drive through that area on Clinton or Seneca along it, and you can literally see how it just ran right over the place.

Though Cheektowaga being ritzy, wow. I would say Amherst is too "high-class" for my tastes, but not Cheektowaga. More like Tonawanda, i.e. solidly middle class. :)

It means a lot to me because of that's where my boyfriend was born. While he doesn't talk at all about his biological parents (a long and very sad story) he told where he lived the first few years of his life.

Against his wishes (though he doesn't know I went), I went to the corner of Seneca and Harrison the other day to investigate a bit. What I saw really, really upset me. I knew his parents were poor, but not that bad. I know it sounds cheesy, but I sat in my car and cried because it really explains a lot about his personality and I felt awful for teasing him about some things (mainly how he thinks a lot of the homes in Cheektowaga are "ritzy" and how he can act so blue collar at times). Seeing all of that really brought me down to earth about some things.

I just want to know what the neighborhood was like in the 70s - the apartment building that he lived in as a child should be condemned as it sits now :(


That is a great story. It prabably was not as bad back in the seventies. There are a lot of Buff neighborhoods that are complete hell holes now that were quite livabale back then.

That is a great story. It prabably was not as bad back in the seventies. There are a lot of Buff neighborhoods that are complete hell holes now that were quite livabale back then.

Harrison Street is in "The Valley", off of Seneca Street, just north of the Niagara Thruway. It's always been a rough blue-collar Irish neighborhood. It was built up long before zoning ever existed; houses are mixed in with heavy industry. It was "livable," but would you want to live in a flat built for a low-wage factory worker, in a vinyl-sided or ghetto brick-covered frame structure built in 1985, with a rendering plant in your back yard?

Even in the 1970s, Cheektowaga would be heaven compared to The Valley.

I thought Jaybird might like this:
I was playing my NHL 06 Sabres dynastry, and in the road and road series in Toronto in April, I won 2 games 9-5 and 11-2. Gave up so many goals because I was spending the whole game in the box - 164 total PIMS between the two teams in both games. I injured 6 or 7 of their players lol.

How many of y'all went to the GooGoo Dolls concert in Niagara Square last July 4th?

http://static.flickr.com/58/171249806_9f8208fc88.jpg?v=0

^ two July 4ths ago...I didn't but I bought the cd/dvd the day it came out!

city hall looks crazy there...Buffalo has such a good downtown, perhaps if more businesses opened doors...it would be even better.

How long before the people living downtown start complaining about TITS? lol

Jim's Steakout is God.

How many of y'all went to the GooGoo Dolls concert in Niagara Square last July 4th?
We saw Ani Difranco that afternoon, but we left after getting SOAKED in the torrential downpours. They had set up a "rain date" the next day, but for some reason didn't use it. A lot of people missed it cuz they thought it would move to the rain date. So we missed the Goos. That summer had some crazy rain storms like I've never seen in Buffalo in my life! The streets were literally turning into rivers of water up to the curbs.

But I got the Goos DVD so it's all good. :)

I wonder why they don't move TATS to Niagara Square instead of Lafayette Square. Lafayette gets so packed you can't move. Did anyone else go to Blues Traveler last night? It was insane.

Just got back from the Seinfeld show at Shea's, man I haven't laughed that hard in I don't know how long. That kind of "eyes are still sore from crying"- type laughing. And I'm not usually easily amused!

He must've made at least 5 references to Buffalo and bowling ("I just got here, and all of a sudden I feel like bowling!"), as well as "I like Buffalo, I like this attitude you guys seem to have: You just don't care. It could be snowing like crazy, and you'll just stand there 'Huh? What snow? You call this snow?'" lol.

"I also like cities that end with the letter 'o'. Buffa-loooooooooooooooo."

*****
Going to Syracuse tomorrow for a wedding. Fortunately not my own. Yet. <phew>

Should be interesting. Not. Oh well...

^ Jerry Seinfeld did a hell of a show two years ago when I saw him @ the Fox Theatre in Detroit. He was amazing, I agree with you there, haven't laughed so hard at anything. BTW, did he mention anything about the Sabres? LOL. Glad to hear you had a good time. He talked about Detroit a lot in his show when I saw him.

Nah, no Sabres references. Just bowling, and 3-man basketball. (I neglected to mention that before - he brought that up several times as well).

His opening act was good too - Mario Joyner. I would've paid just to see him.

All in all, has to rank up there as one of the better $97 I ever spent.

Does fprmer pester the pittsburgh fprumers too or is it to....or is it two?

My sister just got a wood-grained van and she lives in Cheektowaga. Coincidence? I don't think so.

Does it have a light bar on the roof? They're mandatory in Cheektowaga, dontcha' know der.

Phill's truck has one :(


I'm in Birmingham right now, and I'm eating Chick-fil-A!!! Life is grand.

How I wish they were in Buffalo.


http://www.truettcathy.com/images/photos/chicken-sand.jpg

do southerners always like pickles with their chicken? because i think it's disgusting. i hate when they put the pickles on the sandwiches at chik-fil-a, especially if they sit on the bun for a while, because then the pickles get the bun soggy and sour as well and everything gets ruined.

Most people I know (including me) order them without pickles.

pickles are good on chicken, turkey, beef, bison or just plain...pickles ROCK!!!

I thought DT liked Pickles

Dill pickles are good, though I only like them on a cheeseburger or by themselves. Sweet pickles - I'd rather vomit through my eyes.

You know, DT, you don't have to go as far has B'ham to get you Chick-fil-A fix, there are some in Pittsburgh and I believe Cleveland, which are probably 9-10 hours closer? :D

Or maybe you could open a franchise. I'd go occasionally.

I've seriously thought about opening a franchise... Think about it -- all the Buffalonians who have moved South visit home quite a bit, and I know they'd need their Chick-fil-A fix while in the area.

Hmmm....

Oh, and looking out of the window in my room at my Sheraton is making me jealous. There are too many construction cranes here.

put one right by the Airport

thats where I see them down south, Jax, Norfolk, Charlotte...

I've seriously thought about opening a franchise... Think about it -- all the Buffalonians who have moved South visit home quite a bit, and I know they'd need their Chick-fil-A fix while in the area.

Hmmm....

Oh, and looking out of the window in my room at my Sheraton is making me jealous. There are too many construction cranes here.

Open one up and I'll work there! heheh

After your employement runs out after 6 months, you are not longer
listed on the poll. A couple of months eailier on channel 4 they did a survey in North Buffalo on how many people are of out of work & looking for a job & it's was like 41% of the people were looking for a job. that's almost half of the population. I'll look back for the link & post it later. Also look at the Pre Job fair that the Seneca's had for the future Casino. Thousands & thousands & thousands showed up, looking for jobs that pays $8 to $ 10 a hr. and they won't even start to the end of 2007 or sometime in 2008, that should tell you something.

I've seriously thought about opening a franchise... Think about it -- all the Buffalonians who have moved South visit home quite a bit, and I know they'd need their Chick-fil-A fix while in the area.

Hmmm....

Oh, and looking out of the window in my room at my Sheraton is making me jealous. There are too many construction cranes here.

Chick-fil-a :puke: I had mold on my cheescake the LAST time I went there. There chicken really isn't that great either..... it's even worse than Bojangles. If you want to open up a southern fast food franchise up north, try crakerbarrel..... and then they should open a Friendly's down here. Oh man, Friendly's; definitely going to have to go there next week.

...mmmm.... Bojangles.

I love their "botatos" and dirty rice.

:happy:

The only thing I like are their cinnamon twists..... their chicken has tobasco sauce in the batter; DISGUSTING! And I don't care what anyone says, their iced tea is definitely not the best in the world.

lol Friendly's, that's the place with the "Conehead" sundae right?
we used to stop in Erie at either Friendly's or Eatn Park quite a bit growing up.
My brother and I never laughed so hard in our lives as when our conehead sundaes arrived at the table. (we were like 9 and 11 at the time) hahahha

I don't remember that one specifically, but their icecream sundaes in general are the BEST... Friendly's is above Dairy Queen IMO.

Ironically in the same place as the 1987 twister that destroyed the Holiday Showcase restaurant - ironically as the Galleria Mall was opening up, giving them the perfect excuse to rebuild with a bigger and better building lol.

Nobody lost their lives, but there were a couple minor injuries. Unfortunately, several lawn gnomes lost their lives, and a family of plastic flamingos is unaccounted for. Our deepest condolances.:D

R.I.P.
http://users.adelphia.net/~sargeantcm/ssc/12.jpg

Get more info on the tornado at the Town of Cheektowaga Official Website (http://www.getflocked.com/)

I was getting an oil change today, and this was all they were talking about on the news like it was some big disaster or something - and the guy behind the counter was like "You know, this is ridiculous. The thing was on the ground 15 seconds and barely wrecked anything, and it's the only news story. We must live in the strangest state. You know, we'll be snowbound in some horrible blizzard, and the same people will be like 'oh, it's snowing a little again, isn't that odd'." lol

LMFAO!!!!!! For a split second there I really did think there was a Tornado in Cheektowaga, they got some storms up there today didn't they?

LMFAO!!!!!! For a split second there I really did think there was a Tornado in Cheektowaga, they got some storms up there today didn't they?
There was. I was in my boss' office (I work in Cheektowaga near the airport, and he has windows) around 2:45 when it hit, and there was a pretty good lightning display going on (I'm weird, I enjoy watching lightning). Lights dimmed once, but that was it. Then an hour later I heard what happened.

Tornado In Cheektowaga (http://www.wben.com/news/fullstory.php?newsid=05292)
Friday, June 30, 2006 03:41 PM - WBEN Newsroom

Buffalo, NY (WBEN) - An ordinary Friday afternoon became anything but when a tornado touched down along Union and Walden in Cheektowaga. The funnel cloud overturend a tractor-trailer on the New York State Thruway near Walden Avenue, injuring the driver and snarling traffic for hours.


In 1987, a tornado hit the Holiday Showcase Restaurant on Union Road, causing extensive damage. The National Weather Service says a pair of thunderstorms were going through metro Buffalo that met with a line of thunderstorms coming from Lake Ontario. One of those storms spawned a short tornado. It was similar to the one back in 1987.

Police report just a pair of injuries, both minor. The driver of the tractor trailer whose rig was picked up by the tornado suffered a broken leg. The other injury happened to a construction worker, who suffered a minor injury.

Traffic on the Thruway was at a standstill during the afternoon rush hour because of that tractor trailer accident. Backups were all the way from the 290 to down near Hamburg. Traffic is flowing normally once again after the truck was removed.

*****

Traffic was bad anyways at the tolls, I heard, because of the weekend traffic. So I can only imagine what this would have done.

I guess it also deposited a construction trailer into the intersection of Harlem & Walden which did a number on traffic for that area. Fortunately I carpool with my gf who works downtown, so I don't normally take the Thruway to work, so I saw none of the backups.

Tornado Touches Down In Cheektowaga (http://www.wkbw.com/Story.aspx?type=ln&NStoryID=13099)

Jun 30, 2006 - It's official. The National Weather Service confirms that a tornado touched down in Cheektowaga near Walden Avenue and Dale Drive. A number of businesses and homes have had roof and window damage. So far two injuries have been reported with no details on their severity. There are scattered power outages but no widespread power problems.

Much of the area was hit by heavy thunderstorms and hail. Traffic was snarled in many areas...the worst jam was caused by an overturned semi on the Thruway near the Broadway overpass.

Tornados are rare in Western New York...the last confirmed twister to touch down in Cheektowaga was nineteen years ago.

*****

I remember that one because I was with my family at Canada's Wonderland that weekend, I think it was July 31. I remember seeing it on the news, and reading about a Cheektowaga police officer who followed it in his cruiser (brilliant guy, huh?).

Funny thing about the overturned tractor trailer - I've been seeing (well, not personally) alot of these accidents where the trucks are going through the jersey barrier lately. My gf's parents sent an article of one that happened in Columbia a few weeks ago because they knew I'd be interested.

Those barriers are designed to prevent trucks from crossing over, that's why they're there! But lately all the ones I've heard of have been smashed to bits - WTF?!?!?! That sure makes you feel safe!

There was a tornado in suburban Rochester back in the 70's, my dad saw it and it actually destroyed his teacher's house. (he lived in Spencerport at the time). The Cheektowaga one was probably a very weak F0 or F1 at most.

the tornado scared me i was hiding in my basement...
i live in depew, we got hit really hard with heavy rain, no hail, no wind, but lots and lots of lightning. it was really cool.
i love severe weather, though. :)

So long as there isn't any sever weather in WNY on Monday when my plane is supposed to land..... We should be up there right now and can't afford to be delayed. It is literaly, a matter of life and death.

lol, Phill called me today freaking out.

I'm like "wha? I'm used to tornados, no biggie! Too bad it didn't destroy the house."

:D

You know, I've been away since Tuesday, and I kinda miss Buffalo... but I dunno if it's missing Buffalo or getting text messages saying "I miss you, come back now" that's making me want to return :tongue3:

You can't resist the urge to say pop, and you haven't seen a good chicken wing in a long time.

im gonna be out of the country for two weeks...im gonna miss buffalo so much. they probably dont have chicken wings in quebec, and i'm forced to say "soda"...i hafta speak french for two weeks straight. ugh.
No chicken wings and calling it "soda". A buffalonian's nightmare. :omg: :eek:

here are a couple articles on bringing baseball or hockey to niagara falls. one error i picked up: miami got the other expansion team in 1991, not tampa bay. and i would like to see a game in batavia some time to catch the future phillies players right out of college.


MAKING THE MINORS: Falls not quite ready for pro baseball
Niagara region has long baseball history, but future looks bleak


BATAVIA —
Kicking off Greater Niagara Newspapers’ four-part series looking at the viability of minor league sports in the Niagara region, sports editor Tim Schmitt’s asks whether the New York-Penn League would ever return to Sal Maglie

Cathie Plaisted’s passion for the Batavia Muckdogs goes beyond waiting in Dwyer Stadium’s parking lot for autographs or forking over $45 for an authentic Muckdogs hoodie.

Plaisted sits in a booth, selling programs before and during a number of the New York-Penn League team’s games. Her son, Jeff, is a batboy. She hosts picnics for the team’s players. She’s even been known to see the Muckdogs into town when they arrive by bus at summer’s outset as part of the team’s booster club.

While Buffalonians consider the Bills their team and local alumni feel a bond to their university, you sense the connection isn’t the same as the one Plaisted enjoys.

“I still remember my first game,” she said. “We had good seats and sat right down by the field. I wasn’t excited about going, but thought it would be fun for the family, so I packed up a book and we went. They came on the field and I was mesmerized. It was an incredible experience. I tucked my book away before the first inning and I’ve never brought reading materials since.”

Batavia was a founding member of the PONY League, which later became the NY-P. It once marked the league’s easternmost point, needing only short hops to meet rivals in Lockport, Niagara Falls, Olean, Wellsville and Jamestown. But it’s now more than 400 miles west of a franchise in Lowell, Mass. The only short drives are to Jamestown and Auburn.

The community-owned Muckdogs have remained in Batavia while other teams have been wooed by the bright stadium lights of New York City, Burlington, Vt., and State College, Pa.

Batavia was purchased years ago by the city and is now run by a municipal corporation — the Batavia Regional Recreation Corporation. The team gets a small stipend from the city, but is largely responsible for its own fiscal matters.

“If it wasn’t for that fact we’re owned by the community, I’m sure this team would have relocated years ago,” said Linda Crook, the Muckdogs’ director of community relations. “This is a small town and it’s certainly not the way the league is going.”

History lesson

Niagara Falls also had a community-owned franchise in the NY-P — the Pirates played nine years (1971-1979) in Hyde Park before losing their major league affiliation.

A few years later, longtime resident George Wenz purchased a franchise and signed an affiliation deal with the Chicago White Sox. Wenz led the team to a New York-Penn League title in its first season — 1982.

“I remember coming back on the bus after beating the Oneonta Yankees for the championship,” Wenz said. “We snuck a case of champagne on the bus. Everybody was so excited. I don’t regret anything we went through. Overall, it was a fantastic experience.”

Four years after Wenz sold the team in 1986, Bob Rich used Niagara Falls as the final piece in what he hoped was a major league farm system. With the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons and Double-A Wichita Wranglers, Rich bought a franchise and moved it to Niagara Falls in preparation for Major League Baseball’s 1991 expansion. Buffalo, of course, came in third behind Denver and Tampa Bay for the two expansion franchises.

When the Professional Baseball Agreement took shape in 1990, mandating a criteria that stadiums needed to remain viable, Niagara Falls needed to pony up cash to bring Sal Maglie Stadium to specs. Many cities, like Batavia, begged for state funding and got some. Niagara Falls, which needed about $2 million to bring the dilapidated Maglie to code, couldn’t match grants it might have been eligible for.

Rich moved the team to Jamestown in 1994, just months after the Rapids won their third NY-P title.

Rising costs

Ralph Aversa remembers seeing greats like Omar Moreno and Johnny Bench on the field at Hyde Park and Don Zimmer in the dugout. Aversa, executive director of the NFC Development Corp., understands the process involved in bringing new business to Niagara Falls.

And he’s realistic about the chances of baseball coming back to town.

“I’d be surprised, if only because of the cost involved to get started now,” he said. “I wish it could happen, but it’s cost-prohibitive for a city of our size to get something like that going.”

Wenz, whose teams helped develop talent like Doug Drabek, Bobby Thigpen and Randy Velarde, bought his franchise for less than $10,000 in 1982. He sold it for $250,000 just four years later.

Now, he’d need about 500 times his original investment to get back in the game, according to Steve Resnick, a Philadelphia-based accountant who specializes in determining the value of minor league franchises.

Resnick, whose Blue Bell, Pa., firm — Resnick, Amsterdam and Leshner — represents a number of minor league teams, said the value price of a franchise is determined by its stadium, location and the team it’s affiliated with.

But he thinks $5 million is just a starting price.

“You’d be lucky to get back in the New York-Penn League for less than that,” he said. “What minor league baseball has done over the last 20 years is improve its product. It’s better run and has better facilities.”

And the chances that an investor would buy a team, help refurbish the stadium, then move into a depressed area are slim, most agreed.

Instability reigns

Minor league baseball is hot. The minors set an all-time attendance record in 2005 when the 176 teams in 15 leagues attracted a total of 41,333,279 fans for regular season games, a 3.6 percent increase. It was the second year in a row the record has fallen.

But keeping a franchise in the same spot — like with most minor league sports — isn’t easy.

For example, Rich’s Double-A team in Wichita is rumored to be on the move if the town of Springdale, Ark., approves a new stadium. And the NY-P is dotted with new venues, meaning teams in Watertown, Welland, Geneva, St. Catharines, Elmira, Utica and Newark have all been left behind.

So why would communities invest in expensive new parks, knowing that teams might leave before the field is paid for?

Resnick said value to the quality of life is immeasurable.

“There are always exceptions, but I think communities that have built stadiums are happy they did so,” he said. “There are so many intangibles a team brings to an area, whether it’s more people coming to a community to see the team or the park. It’s not an economic disaster for the communities who have decided to build these stadiums.”

Ask Laura and Kevin Keenan, who live just beyond the left-field fence of Dwyer Stadium. As a steady rain trickled during a recent game against the Auburn Doubledays, a farm team of the Toronto Blue Jays, the Keenans sat with their two children and niece, cheering on the Muckdogs.

“It’s one of those things you can do as a family,” said Laura Keenan, noting that the family is considering taking one of the team’s players in as a boarder next season. “We can walk to the games. We have fun. And it’s something that’s just here in our little community.”

“I’m looking forward to bringing my son each summer,” Kevin Keenan said, wrapping an arm around his 3-year-old. “We’re going to follow this team together.”


http://www.tonawanda-news.com/sports/images_sizedimage_180221152/xl
Fans fill the stands in Batavia to cheer on the Single-A Muckdogs. Is a similiar scene on the horizon in Niagara Falls?


MAKING THE MINORS

A look at what it might take to get pro sports in the Niagara region.

• SPORT: Baseball

• HISTORY: Niagara Falls has had five minor league teams — the Rainbows, Pirates, White Sox, Rapids and Mallards. All but the independent Mallards played in the New York-Penn League. The Buffalo Bisons also played a season at Hyde Park.

• PLUSSES: A refurbished Sal Maglie Stadium. A strong baseball history. An area that’s interested in pro baseball, especially the New York Yankees.

• MINUSES: A declining, aging population. Stadium still isn’t up to minor league specs, even after renovations. The NY-P is shifting from small towns into bigger or booming markets; franchises in Brooklyn and Staten Island have thrived and a new park was built for a team in State College, Pa. Other options (independent leagues) have struggled for stability.

• CHANCES: Slim. Unless a major money player with a baseball obsession steps in, even optimists think the possibility of seeing a return to the minors is bleak.

• WILD CARD: Will the Rich family, which owned the Rapids, keep its Class A team in Jamestown? If things go sour — and attendance is shaky for the team — the family might want to keep the team close to its Western New York base.

http://www.tonawanda-news.com/sports/gnnsports_story_180221031.html?keyword=topstory

=================================================================
=================================================================

MAKING THE MINORS: Can Niagara put up a fight for a hockey team?


Want to insult the hockey intelligence of Steve Manson? Tell him you’re interested in the prospect of minor-league hockey coming to the area and drop the letters O-H-L into the conversation.

“This is major junior. That’s why it’s called that,” Manson said. “The best players in the world are coming into these rinks to get drafted by NHL teams. There is nothing minor about the Ontario Hockey League.”

Manson should know. The North Tonawanda resident started as a season-ticket holder when the Niagara Falls Thunder played home games just a few blocks from the Rainbow Bridge at the top of Clifton Hill. He struck a friendship with the owners and soon started helping recruit Americans to the games.

Then Manson was asked to join the team’s board of directors.

During his time with the Thunder, the team produced future pros like Brad May, Keith Primeau, Jay McKee, Steve Staios, Ethan Moreau and Manny Legace.

Niagara Falls, Ontario, did a fair job supporting the franchise, but the lure of bigger bucks and a bigger rink pulled the team to Erie, Pa., in 1996.

Manson followed, making a nearly two-hour commute to work on the team’s TV and radio broadcasts and watching the renamed Otters become the biggest attraction in Erie. The team consistently sells out the 6,000-seat Louis J. Tullio Arena, winning the OHL championship in 2002. Buffalo Sabres star Tim Connolly played in Erie, as did up-and-coming Boston Bruins defenseman Brad Boyes.

“It was a magical time. I got to see some great things, both in Niagara Falls, then in Erie,” Manson said. “Magical.”

Why not here?

Manson, whose passion for local hockey runs so deep that he founded the Western New York Hockey Magazine based in NT, believes the area is ripe for an OHL team, especially in light of the recent success of the Buffalo Sabres.

“I’m very positive that this brand of hockey would be a huge hit here,” he said. “It’s just a matter of having a place to play. People love this hockey.”

The OHL does seem like it would make sense in Niagara Falls. Aside from cheap ticket prices, the game is growing in popularity and the potential to have Buffalo Sabres draft choices playing close by would be an instant draw.

The speedy OHL is known for an aggressive style of play that attracts many of the world’s top players. Although players aren’t paid, they do receive stipends, attend school while they’re playing and live with “billets,” families that take players in as boarders.

Manson said the Thunder used a proximity to the border to draw significant American groups to games at the old Niagara Falls Gardens.

“By the time the team moved, we would have two or three groups coming up from Pittsburgh a week,” Manson said. “We’d get youth hockey teams to come up, it would give them a chance to see the Falls, then they’d stay for a hockey game and head back the next day. I’m sure we could do that again here.”

Border guard down

Ian Ellis, director of event and information services for the Ontario Hockey League, said the league has found stability in recent years, and he doesn’t see many franchise moves on the horizon.

But if a team was looking to find its way to Niagara Falls — on either side of the border — Ellis said the league would probably be happy with the location.

“As much as it’s called the Ontario Hockey League, our borders are not fixed,” Ellis said. “It shows the changing landscape of hockey. We want to go into traditional hockey markets and (the) Niagara Falls area is that. But the game is changing so much, we don’t just try to sell ourselves as just great hockey. You’ll be entertained when you come into our buildings. The hockey is part of the entertainment value.”

Some of the most recent success stories in the OHL have come in the U.S. Aside from Erie, teams in Plymouth and Saginaw, Mich., have done well in getting fans excited.

The league is also set to open new arenas in Sault Ste. Marie and Oshawa, where the big star is John Tavares — son of the Buffalo Bandits star with the same name.

“At this point, the league isn’t looking to expand or add additional teams. We feel like we’re at a good size,” Ellis said. “But when we do look to new markets, whether it’s expansion or relocation, we’re ideally looking for somewhere that junior hockey is the primary sporting focus in town. You want to go to cities where you’re number one in town.”

Where to play?

Finding ownership, according to Manson, won’t be a major stumbling block. Although franchises are in excess of $3 million according to one league insider, a number of groups would likely be interested in the purchase, maybe even some in conjunction with the Sabres.

Manson said he was offered the Thunder before it moved at an asking price of $400,000 — and has been kicking himself ever since for not taking the chance.

When an arena near the airport looked possible, Manson negotiated a deal that would have brought a team into the Buffalo area, but when funding for the arena fell through, the plan crumbled.

“We would have, and still can find an owner for the area,” he said. “But they need a place to play.”

Talk surfaced a few months back that Niagara Falls Superintendent Carmen Granto was pitching an idea to Seneca leaders to build an arena behind the casino, with Granto’s main focus on a larger venue for the Niagara Falls boys basketball team.

That plan also unraveled, Seneca spokesman Phil Pantano said, but not because the Senecas weren’t willing to contribute. In fact, Pantano said the nation would be interested in helping in a number of ways if an arena is built in downtown Niagara Falls.

“There was interest when exploratory discussions started,” Pantano said. “We were interested in the project and were even interested in stepping in and taking what we expected would be an operating loss. We expect that an arena wouldn’t have been a profitable venture, but we were willing to look at it because it could bring more people to downtown Niagara Falls.”

Would it do that? Would an arena with an OHL hockey team create enough traffic to warrant the expenses?

“There’s no doubt in my mind,” Manson said. “You build an arena with say, five or six thousand seats in downtown Niagara Falls and make sure it’s got some private boxes, you’d see a lot of activity. This isn’t a team that plays a few nights, it’s 34 regular home games and the possibility of playoffs.

“You’ll see something that will make a difference. People come to these games once and they keep coming back.”


http://www.tonawanda-news.com/sports/images_sizedimage_181231355/xl
ACTION PACKED: London Knights goalie Adam Dennis, right, fights with Plymouth Whalers goalie Justin Peters during a third-period Ontario Hockey League bench-clearing brawl in London, Ontario, Canada on Feb. 10. The OHL is known for an intense brand of hockey as young players try to show NHL scouts they’re worthy of a draft choice.


MAKING THE MINORS

A look at what it might take to get pro sports in the Niagara region.

SPORT: Hockey

HISTORY: Niagara Falls, Ontario, had three Junior A teams (Cataracts, Flyers and Thunder), but the American side has never housed a team. Niagara University hockey is Division I, but plays in Lewiston. The Purple Eagles average a little more than 1,000 fans per game.

PLUSSES: Hockey is on the rise in WNY. House leagues are getting record enrollments and the Sabres’ success whipped the area into a frenzy. With a major junior team, Sabres fans could come see draft choices play before they reach the pro ranks. Proximity to the border would be a bonus.

MINUSES: No arena. Talks were in the works to potentially build one, but broke off.

CHANCES: So-so. Considerably better if an arena gets built.

WILD CARD: Group in St. Catharines headed by former Sabre Steve Ludzik and TV commentator Don Cherry has been looking to get a franchise. They scouted Niagara Falls, Ontario, but the right deal, especially one that included the Senecas, might be attractive on this side.

http://www.tonawanda-news.com/sports/gnnsports_story_181230835.html?keyword=topstory

After your employement runs out after 6 months, you are not longer
listed on the poll. A couple of months eailier on channel 4 they did a survey in North Buffalo on how many people are of out of work & looking for a job & it's was like 41% of the people were looking for a job. that's almost half of the population. I'll look back for the link & post it later. Also look at the Pre Job fair that the Seneca's had for the future Casino. Thousands & thousands & thousands showed up, looking for jobs that pays $8 to $ 10 a hr. and they won't even start to the end of 2007 or sometime in 2008, that should tell you something.

it should not be a suprise to see that people are looking for for jobs, infact people who are already working are looking for a better job more times than none. (example: myself) If the Senecas' offer another job fair, you should go get in line...I would like to have you take my coat and serve me drinks while I bet away my next unemployment check.

you can pick statistics out about Buffalo, thats fine...but until you show you have no bias against Buffalo...you will fall upon deaf ears...btw, I'm one of the few who has not ignored you.

Winds of more than 100 mph roll vehicles and smash windows, but few are injured

By JANICE L. HABUDA,,
MAKI BECKER and LAUREN PAUER
News Staff Reporters
7/1/2006

http://www.buffalonews.com/graphics/2006/07/01/actualsize/0701trailer_mrln.jpg
Robert Kirkham/Buffalo News
Rescue workers examine a construction trailer that was picked up by Friday's tornado and tossed into the middle of Walden Avenue. Two men who had sought shelter inside were taken to Erie County Medical Center. More photos on Picture Page, C10.

http://www.buffalonews.com/graphics/2006/07/01/actualsize/0701subshop_mrln.jpg
Robert Kirkham/Buffalo News
A Subway restaurant on Walden Avenue in Cheektowaga is closed after suffering damage in Friday's tornado. Related photo on the Picture Page, C10.

Adrian Roman didn't know what hit him.

Driving west on the Thruway through Cheektowaga, Roman's tractor-trailer was plucked off the pavement Friday afternoon and tossed into the concrete median by a tornado.

Nearby, on Walden Avenue, two men were inside a construction trailer that was rolled into the street. Two women were in a sport utility vehicle that momentarily was tilted on its side, glass spraying from a broken window.

Roman, who suffered a minor arm injury, later was interviewed in Erie County Medical Center by Trooper Lynette Menna of the State Police barracks in Buffalo.

"He didn't see it," Menna related. "He thought something hit his back end."

Weather forecasters didn't see it coming, either.

The National Weather Service in Buffalo was watching a line of thunderstorms moving southeast from Toronto, across the Niagara Peninsula and into Niagara County.

A thunderstorm warning was issued.

An outflow from the approaching storms created a second front, and the two collided over Cheektowaga.

When radar indicated rotation within the thunderstorm, a tornado warning was immediately issued. That was at 3:01 p.m., and reports of a funnel cloud quickly followed.

After several members of the weather service staff surveyed the aftermath at ground level and from the Erie County Sheriff's Department helicopter, the tornado was rated an F1 on the Fujita Scale, which is used to measure intensity based on damage.

An F1 has a wind-speed range of 73 to 112 mph. Thomas A. Niziol, who was involved in the ground investigation, estimated the winds in this tornado were between 100 and 110 mph.

The path was about three miles long and 75 yards wide, said Niziol, who worked with Judith Levan on the ground while Bob Hamilton studied the damage from the air.

"The tornado was not on the ground the whole time," Niziol said. It picked up and touched down several times - for the last time at Parkside Village, a mobile home development off Losson Road.

The first touchdown was on Walden Avenue, just west of the Thruway.

Peggy Monks of Buffalo and her daughter, Karie Penvose, had just come out of the Subway restaurant and gotten into their SUV. Monks was in the passenger seat, her daughter behind the wheel.

The sky darkened, the rain fell harder and the wind picked up. Next thing the women knew, the SUV was tilted onto the driver's-side wheels for a few seconds.

The passenger's-side window blew out, spraying them with glass. Four windows on the vehicle were damaged.

"Any more force and we would have been over on our side," Monks said.

At the neighboring Good Feet store, regional sales manager Linda Santo and another employee had gone into a shipping area to shut the garage door against the approaching storm. She said the wind was shaking the building.

Santo said they were blown back by the wind and she spun to the floor. Santo said she started crawling toward a restroom where her colleague had sought shelter.

"It was like I was in water. And it was loud, yet it was silent, and it was fast, yet it was slow-motion," Santo said.

"I never thought the walls would stay in place. I thought the building was coming down," Santo said. "It felt like it was going. Then all of a sudden it was over."

After the wind subsided, the two smelled natural gas, caused by a ruptured line. They collected their belongings and evacuated the building.

The roofs of the businesses were damaged, and the concrete block wall on the back of the mini-plaza also was damaged.

The construction trailer had been sitting in a lot on the south side of Walden Avenue. The two men inside, Harry and Gregory Chamberlain of Vermont, were taken to ECMC for treatment.

Information on their injuries and conditions wasn't available late Friday.

Roman, a 27-year-old trucker from Michigan, was hauling auto parts.

"We've three eyewitnesses who saw the truck headed westbound in the center lane, and they saw a tornado touch down, lift it up and flip it over," said Menna, the trooper. "It ended up on the jersey barrier."

"He seems fine. He really does," Menna said. "I'm shocked."

Another trooper who had been in the area saw a dark cloud directly above the truck, Menna said.

Menna said Roman told her at the hospital: "I'd rather be in my truck than here."

Mary Jane Pieczynski and daughter, Traci, were leaving the Walden Galleria when they saw the tornado behind Kmart across the street.

"It's scary to see this. You could see stuff flying around it," Mary Jane Pieczynski said.

Traci Pieczynski said the sky looked like smoke rising from a grill.

Stores in the area had warned their customers of the bad weather. Employees of Target were notified and advised shoppers to stay in the back or middle of the store - away from the front windows and glass doors, said manager Michael Pollutro.

Cheektowaga Town Supervisor Dennis H. Gabryszak was among those at Town Hall who watched the tornado through office windows.

Gabryszak said he saw a black funnel cloud less than half a mile away. "It was kind of weird, standing in the office and watching it move," he said.

Gabryszak said it wasn't moving quickly and started to break up after three or four minutes.

According to the National Weather Service, a trailer had been tipped on its side outside a warehouse on Broadway, and warehouse roofs were damaged in the Broadway-Union Road area.

Wilhelmina Pilarz saw the tornado shortly before a tree and two signs fell in front of her Como Park Boulevard restaurant, Banquets by Adam's Ltd. and Dining Lounge. Hail the size of cherry tomatoes had been falling, she said.

"I heard that train sound, and I knew that means a tornado. I called to my husband and as soon as it came out of my mouth, the tree came down and the sign came down. Then my husband said, "Hit the ground,' " she said.

The 40- or 50-year-old tree fell in front of the restaurant, knocking down a sign on the roof and bending some gutters. Another sign in front of the restaurant also was knocked down.

At the mobile home development, three homes suffered significant structural damage, Niziol said.

There was significant damage to trees along the tornado's path, Niziol said.

The last time a tornado struck Cheektowaga was in July 1987.

Niziol said he and Levan plotted the two for comparison Friday.

"It was not just a coincidence," said Steve McLaughlin of the Weather Service. "That seems to be where the lake breezes intersect the best. "


e-mail: jhabuda@buffnews.com, mbecker@buffnews.com, lpauer@buffnews.com and jpopiolkowski@buffnews.com

of all places in the Buff Metro, the tornado hits Cheektovegas. lol
weird.
I'm glad no one was seriously injured though.

Yeah, it's always nice to be able to joke after something bad like that. Though in fairness, I think the news was capitalizing on it a bit too much. But when you don't get them too often I suppose.

The group of flamingos has yet to be found however, sadly...

I don't remember that one specifically, but their icecream sundaes in general are the BEST... Friendly's is above Dairy Queen IMO.


no one can fuck with a fribble

http://www.friendlys.com/images/menu/desserts/large/fountainbevs.jpg

Woo, I'm on my way back to Buffalo now. I'll be spending the night at the faaaabulous Westin Cincinnati before heading out again tomorrow.

Please prepare Buffalo for my arrival.

:D

They've been warned. Didn't you fly there to begin with?

no one can fuck with a fribble
LOL

I've always thought that was a weird name, like some kind of drool or something. "Oh, man, I just fribbled all over myself."

Best waiter I ever had was at the Friendly's in DeWitt (Syracuse). Name Jim. Like the most psycho obnoxiously happy guy ever. He always has high school kids coming in asking when he works lol.

Or there's the Store Manager Guy at the one in Concord. Don't know why, exactly, but he is like the coolest guy in the world, and everyone thinks so, yet doesn't know why lol.

Congrads. to the Buffalo Sabers
You just let you best defenseman go ! Jay McKee's off to St. Louis
+ on top of that ,you didn't sign any of the excellent free agency defensemen that were availible ( Chara's off to Boston, Jovanovoski's off
to Phoenix & Corvo's off to the Senators also look for a big trade between
the Sentor's & Oiler's ,Muckler want's Pronger bad. Reiger & co. were to Cheap to sign any of them

Jay McKee is/was not our best defenseman. More like 3rd or 4th. Besides, as much as I would have liked to see him stay, I didn't think it was going to work out. Chara would've been nice, but I didn't think they were seriously going to go after him. It's more critical, at this point, that they keep Teppo Numminen than it was to keep McKee.

I'm surprised Boston bit on Chara. They're so cheap they make the Sabres look like Mr. Pennybags. Or even George Steinbrenner. Look for him to be unloaded in a late-season fire sale in a year or two, a la Thornton & Samsonov.

That's the Sabres' style - lay low and let the dust settle, then make a move. Worked well enough last season, though it maddened everyone early on.

They need to trade Biron and pick up maybe Mike Dunham or someone of that caliber to back up Miller. Then maybe pick up a solid mid-grade defenseman, say someone like Ruslan Salei. Someone who's not flashy, but not afraid to do the dirty work. Just like McKee. Then they'll be fine.

Just the same, you shouldn't be congratulating us forumers. We're not the ones who did/didn't make the move. Just a heads up.

Congrads

You mean congrats?

fprmer needs to do one of the following:

a. just leave.
b. buy "hooked on phonics"
c. buy a pocket dictionary.
d. stop dissing Buffalo and what happens here.

i think we all should:

a. rejoice that the (attempted?) word "former" is in front of WNYer. the IQ of the city rose after Fprmer WNYer left.

:bash:
and ps......"wants" doesnt have an apostrophe.

fprmer needs to do one of the following:

a. just leave.
b. buy "hooked on phonics"
c. buy a pocket dictionary.
d. stop dissing Buffalo and what happens here.

i think we all should:

a. rejoice that the (attempted?) word "former" is in front of WNYer. the IQ of the city rose after Fprmer WNYer left.

:bash:
and ps......"wants" doesnt have an apostrophe.


HEY Buffalo Kid ?#?#?$?#

I Think you need to get an eye exam and need glasses
also you better get a hearing test too. You need a hearing aid
as well because, appartently you can't see or hear about the the sad reality
of WNY! You must be blind, deaf & dumb (nothing you can do about being dumb !)

You must be all of those things too if you can't see that Raleigh is the most overrated city in America. They are rasing the monthly water bills, the city of Raleigh is raising property taxes AND on top if it, wake county is as well. We live in Apex so our property taxes only go up once, but yours get to go up TWICE! Lucky you! And did you hear.... THE CANCELED THE LIGHT RAIL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You were on another thread dissing Buffalo's light rail system.... but Raleigh doesn't even has one and the projected one just got SHOT DOWN!

(nothing you can do about being dumb !)
Finally a word of truth.

It must've looked in a mirror.

Amazing how one can feel so jilted about not being able to make it. This place really must be even better than I see it, to instill that much jealousy.

ahhhh...fireworks! lol

I mean...firewprks.

Jay McKee is/was not our best defenseman. More like 3rd or 4th. Besides, as much as I would have liked to see him stay, I didn't think it was going to work out. Chara would've been nice, but I didn't think they were seriously going to go after him. It's more critical, at this point, that they keep Teppo Numminen than it was to keep McKee.

I'm surprised Boston bit on Chara. They're so cheap they make the Sabres look like Mr. Pennybags. Or even George Steinbrenner. Look for him to be unloaded in a late-season fire sale in a year or two, a la Thornton & Samsonov.

That's the Sabres' style - lay low and let the dust settle, then make a move. Worked well enough last season, though it maddened everyone early on.

They need to trade Biron and pick up maybe Mike Dunham or someone of that caliber to back up Miller. Then maybe pick up a solid mid-grade defenseman, say someone like Ruslan Salei. Someone who's not flashy, but not afraid to do the dirty work. Just like McKee. Then they'll be fine.

Just the same, you shouldn't be congratulating us forumers. We're not the ones who did/didn't make the move. Just a heads up.


Ya, But the one thing your forgetting
is that Teppo Numminen is going to be 38 years old in this up comming season. When you get that old, you become injury prone. The regular season's are long with 80+ games. I think part of the problem why he got
hurt in the playoffs was because of his age & the long Season. Now next year Teppo will be another year older .

It sucks Jay McKee had to go elsewhere, but thankfully, he's going to a team that doesn't have a shot at the playoffs for a while I don't think. :) He was one hell of a shot blocker, though.

I'd like to see who becomes the 3rd/4th defenseman. Maybe Jeff Jillson? I think they need to dispose of Rory Fitzpatrick after that critical mistake in Game 7 where he failed to find the puck and cost them the game.

the St.Louis Blues also had the 1st pick in this year draft and they
took Eric Johnson another Defenseman who's projected to play this year & be a franchise player as well as the 13th pick & 31th pick in the draft so their
going to get some immed. help.

Ya, But the one thing your forgetting
is that Teppo Numminen is going to be 38 years old in this up comming season. When you get that old, you become injury prone. The regular season's are long with 80+ games. I think part of the problem why he got
hurt in the playoffs was because of his age & the long Season. Now next year Teppo will be another year older .
No I'm not forgetting. I could argue the same for the Hurricanes tying up Brind'Amour until he's over 40.

But just the same, he's probably the team's 3rd best defensemen, and he rarely makes foolish mistakes. Just his presence from a leadership standpoint, I think, is his value. Sort of how James Patrick was a few years ago.

Of course he probably doesn't have the stamina to go 80-90 games. So you take it easy with him, sit him out every once and again. Granted it's not an easy thing to do when the guy wants to play, but decisions like that are what coaches are paid to make.

It sucks Jay McKee had to go elsewhere, but thankfully, he's going to a team that doesn't have a shot at the playoffs for a while I don't think. :) He was one hell of a shot blocker, though.

I'd like to see who becomes the 3rd/4th defenseman. Maybe Jeff Jillson? I think they need to dispose of Rory Fitzpatrick after that critical mistake in Game 7 where he failed to find the puck and cost them the game.
Not a bad move, I don't have anything against the Blues. Actually, they're another blue & gold! So no matter where he ended up, he'd be changing uniforms lol.

I agree, Fitzpatrick needs to go, regardless of Game 7. He just either needs more time down in Rachacha or to be shipped somewhere else. I would also tend to want to dump Kalinin, but maybe you give him one more year to adjust to "life post-Shitneck err Zhitnik". If he can't get over it by now, jettison him.

Too bad the Sabres couldn't have the guy I picked up from some other team (I forget now lol) in my NHL 06 dynasty - Ryan Suter (http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/players/profile?statsId=3345). Plays real-life in Nashville, but the computer does so many trades, I don't think that's who I picked him off of in my game.
22 years old
94 potential
24 GP 4G 12A 280PIM +28 1PPG 1GWG
7 career goals, 3 of which are game winners.

Woo, I'm on my way back to Buffalo now. I'll be spending the night at the faaaabulous Westin Cincinnati before heading out again tomorrow.

Please prepare Buffalo for my arrival.

:D

Well get prepared for fun plane ride...on every flight to Buffalo I've ever had, as soon as the pilot says "welcome to buffalo, new york the temperature is xxx degrees...", everyone on the plane starts cheering outta of passion to be back in the Buff. Such a great phenomenon I've never seen elsewhere.

When we land in Rochester tomorrow, if it is anything like last time; they'll say "Welcome to Rochester, the Flower City, the temperature is xx degrees" (I'm going to guess that at 11:18 when we land it will be around 80 because the high is supposed to be 87) and if it's a clear day they tell everyone on the right side of the plane to look out and see the skyline and Lake Ontario. Don't think there are any cheers but I have seen a few people taking pictures. I don't know if that's allowed on a plane but I'm going to try and do it tomorrow.

I remember coming in on a flight from Pittsburgh in January of '89, circling around the airport for the final approach, and not being able to see anything distinct, but just a grid of yellowish lights for about as far as you could see. Pretty neat stuff.

Well get prepared for fun plane ride...on every flight to Buffalo I've ever had, as soon as the pilot says "welcome to buffalo, new york the temperature is xxx degrees...", everyone on the plane starts cheering outta of passion to be back in the Buff. Such a great phenomenon I've never seen elsewhere.

I would personally love to be on a plane going to Buffalo if I had the opportunity just to see that. That sounds so cool, yet very funny and amazing too.

I wonder if there is ever a flight, where if they tell you "Welcome to [enter city name here]", the people would scream for fear or try to break the windows in the plane and jump out or something. Maybe on flights to Toronto.

Remember that airliner that crashed at Pearson Airport last year?

I wonder if there is ever a flight, where if they tell you "Welcome to [enter city name here]", the people would scream for fear or try to break the windows in the plane and jump out or something. Maybe on flights to Toronto.
Troy.

Fortunately they don't have their own airport.

Nope, they use Albany's airport...... that's even worse! I should really go to sleep but I'm not tired at all. I'm gonna be screwed because I have to wake up at 5:30. That should be illegal durring summer.

i have only ever been to one airport in all of new york state; syracuse.

Well get prepared for fun plane ride...on every flight to Buffalo I've ever had, as soon as the pilot says "welcome to buffalo, new york the temperature is xxx degrees...", everyone on the plane starts cheering outta of passion to be back in the Buff. Such a great phenomenon I've never seen elsewhere.

People who fly Southwest must be sad then because that's only happened once to me (and I fly out of BUF about three times per month) -- and that was because we were delayed for 5 hours at BWI.

The best announcement I ever heard was back in March when Phill and I flew from BUF to MCO (Orlando) for a quick weekend getaway.

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to sunny Florida. The temperature is 75 degrees with a light wind. Children, please be reminded that this is not Buffalo and the white stuff that is on the ground here is called sand."

:D

I DO know that the flight attendants hate laying over here because they get stuck at the Millennium.

i have only ever been to one airport in all of new york state; syracuse.
Syracuse has a nice airport, I think their terminal was just rebuilt in the last 10-15 years.

I've also been to LaGuardia, that airport is a hole. At least it was in 1992. Hopefully they've made some improvements since.

HEY Buffalo Kid ?#?#?$?#
You must be blind, deaf & dumb (nothing you can do about being dumb !)

He would certainly know about that last one!

'Quality' award for Buffalo Niagara
Business First of Buffalo - 7:04 AM EDT Monday

For the second year in a row, the Buffalo Niagara region was cited by Expansion Management Magazine as one of the nation's "Four-Star Quality of Life Communities."

The region was one of 72 across the country to received the "four star" ranking. In all 362 metropolitan areas were ranked.

The ratings were based on 49 different categories ranging from livability to affordability to manufacturing companies that have grown.

Expansion Management is mailed bimonthly to more than 45,000 CEOs, vice presidents, directors and other executives of companies that may be considering expanding into new geographic areas.

"The ranking validates the 'Where Life Works' regional branding campaign and the new Web site launched by the Buffalo Niagara Enterprise this year that portrays the region as having an outstanding balance of workplace, recreational and lifestyle assets," said Thomas Kucharski, BNE president and CEO.

WNY construction remains stronger in 2006Business First of Buffalo - 8:17 AM EDT Monday
Western New York's construction sector took a hit in May, but continued to enjoy a stronger year in general, according to a report issued Monday morning by McGraw-Hill Inc.

Future contracts for construction in Erie and Niagara counties totaled $98.1 million in May 2006, down 20 percent from $123.2 million in the same month a year earlier.

But year-to-date figures for the first five months of 2006 remained substantially higher, despite the downswing in May.

Construction in the two-county area was worth $533.6 million between January 1 and May 31 of this year, up 42 percent from $376.1 million in the corresponding period of 2005.

Syracuse has a nice airport, I think their terminal was just rebuilt in the last 10-15 years.

Wasn't Buffalo's terminal also just rebuilt in the 1990s? I was living in NYC when it was done. Buffalo's (new, or new-ish) airport is nice. It's shaped like a bird, an Eagle I guess, which can be seen from the runway side. Unfortunately, they felt the need to put the parking garage in front of the building on the Genesee Street side, but it's still a pretty decent airport as far as airports go.