UP|New York State

Buffalo Central Terminal

kermit — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 02:02:38 +0000

tombarnes, on Jun 4 2007, 01:12 AM, said:

Whay not bring back the trains? I know that that alone wouldn't support much, but surely the tower and the vast support spaces could be put to good use. At least it has been preserved up to a point. This represents a great challenge for the city.

Its a great building and definitely worth saving. However, its really in the middle of nowhere, in the middle of a grim part of town. Its peripheral location makes it impractical for trains and offices without substantial improvements.

On the plus side, the city has done a good job of sealing the building up. The building has not turned into Michigan Central Station (a true disaster). http://www.seedetroit.com/pictures/mcsweb/

Buffalo, New York - Downtown

MikeNC — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 07:53:56 +0000

I spent the first 42 years of my life in Buffalo before moving to Charlotte, but Buffalo will always be home...

Saratoga Springs

The Voice of Reason — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 03:08:41 +0000

So this time I took my camera.

I got a bunch of pictures of the recently built buildings as well as the historic downtown. I was really just walking around with the wife and friends shopping and occasionally pulling out the camera and playing tourist. These pics by no means show all of downtown, just part of it.

These are all shots of historic Broadway.

This building was the first of the newbies and is right on broadway and added a huge ammount of streetscape to the town.

here are a few shots looking East down side streets the steel is the condo portion of the new condotel there.

here are several shots of the new condos and apartments behind Broadway to the West

Downtowns next building to open. its on the park at the end of downtown. this will extend the town quite a bit.

Business Names

The Voice of Reason — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 01:07:56 +0000

derk5940, on Dec 11 2008, 07:25 PM, said:

I'm looking for a new name for a counter service restaurant that offers burgers, hot dogs, subs, fries, salads, sandwiches, ice cream, pies, custard, shakes, floats and more. Now we call our place Wagner's Grill & Ice Cream Emporium, but were looking for something catchy like Grill & Chill or Dine & Dairy. Those are already being used. Something thats based on...Grill &...would be great!

Thanks

do not shy away from your Wagners name.

Wagners grille is fine
or Wagners Flavor Imporium

Business Names

derk5940 — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 00:25:49 +0000

Tappan Zee Bridge

Lowerdeck — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 00:25:42 +0000

There has been a plan recently proposed for replacing the three mile long Tappan Zee Bridge. It may be in excess of 6.5 billion dollars, and may not be completed for a decade if not longer. One proposal had a rail line going between Rockland and Westchester Counties in the bridge's median, an extension of Metro North.

Something on this bridge however needs to be done, and soon. This could be one of the scariest bridges in the country now. Yesterday I was coming across the bridge southbound and the traffic was crawling due to the giant metal plates in the middle of the road covering holes and other patchwork repairs.

Saratoga Springs

The Voice of Reason — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 04:45:42 +0000

I just got back from 'Toga again, and there are more of them.

apparently as the codo market slows across the nation, Saratoga is having a boom.

Currently under construction.
http://www.bonacio.com/featured_projects/p...lace_condos.php
steel is up to 5th maybe its even topped off.

An Artilce
http://www.bizjournals.com/albany/stories/...12800%5E1669997

Another Project
http://www.bizjournals.com/albany/stories/.../14/story9.html
The developer of high-end lakefront homes began construction this week of a 38,000-square-foot office, retail and condominium project in downtown Saratoga Springs.

Scot Trifilo of Terrace Homebuilders in Saratoga Springs moved forward with his $6.5 million 54 Phila St. Development LLC project five years after the building was first approved.

"The delay was really a matter of timing," Trifilo said. "This project was up next, and I think the market here is holding steady."

The four-story brick and stone building will include up to 5,300 square feet of first-floor retail space and 8,000 square feet of offices on the second floor.

Retail space will be leased out from between $24 and $26 a square foot. Office space leases will cost between $18 and $20 per square foot.

The upper floors will house a total of eight residential condos that will range in size from 1,470 square feet to 1,880 square feet.

The sale prices will run between $593,000 and $790,000.

I think maybe the most impressive one. The hotel is pretty much built. and it is tall and fills in a huge parking lot downtown. now the condos are U/C I saw the foundatins poured, and walked into the sales office on Broadway.

http://www.hotel-online.com/News/PR2008_1s...atogaHotel.html
Turf Hotels Building a $20 million 123-room Hampton Inn & Suites
in Saratoga Springs, New York
By Eric Anderson, Albany Times Union, N.Y.McClatchy-Tribune Regional News Feb. 26, 2008 - SARATOGA SPRINGS -- Think of it as a home with room service.

The more than $40 million complex going up on High Rock Avenue in downtown Saratoga Springs includes a 123-room Hampton Inn & Suites hotel and 38 High Rock Condominium, which will feature 45 condominiums.

If all goes as planned, the 6-story hotel will open at the beginning of June, in time for the city's rush of summer tourists. The adjacent 6-story condominium complex, with the three lower floors dedicated to indoor parking for both hotel and condo residents, will be open before the end of the year, said Michael Hoffman, one of the developers. The two buildings will be connected so condo residents won't have to go outside to reach the hotel

Potsdam NY

The Voice of Reason — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 19:42:18 +0000

Not a city at all, but this is the cultural center of the North Country.
It is also the town I spent my formative years. 6-16.

Recently Hampton Inn/developers chose a parcel in the downtown to build a new 85 room hotel.
http://www.vi.potsdam.ny.us/11-9-07%20Newsletter.pdf

Also on that same news letter you will see the state gace some funds to expand a business incubator.

literally any development in this part of the state is a plus. so a new hotel is a big deal. There is only one other decent hotel in town, all the rest are rural motels. It is possible that this cain would put one of those mom and pop motels out of business, there would still likely be a net gain in jobs and also downtown density and of course amenities.

Walgreens has wrapped up construction of its first store in northern New York at the intersection of Route 56 and May Road

SUNY Potsdam students for the first time are living in the recently constructed $7.4 million, 114-bed Town House complex located at the southeast corner of campus. The Town Houses, which were completed in August 06, will usher Potsdam into the 21st century, beginning a new phase of highly anticipated construction, renovation and expansion. Phase II of an additional complex is slated for occupancy in fall of 2008.

Buffalo Church Closings

edjdempsey — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 16:25:45 +0000

In the past year, the Catholic Diocese of Buffalo has announced the closing of 20 churches within the City of Buffalo due to declining memberships. In no way, shape, or form do I want to get into a discussion of the virtues of the Catholic Church or the lack thereof.

However, the impending tragedy, in my opinion, is that each of these buildings, most of which were built in the late 19th century will be left to uncertain fates in neighborhoods already struggling to survive. Many of these buildings once served as the center of these communities, and in recent years have become significant providers of social services to area residents.

A recent article in the Buffalo News details plans to make one church into a museum. I think that is an interesting concept, but what is to become of the remaining 19 churches?

I knew of a few of these churches, but not of all of them. So I tracked down the information on the remaining churches and put together this map collection viewable on maps.live.com. Turn on the "Bird's Eye View" and scroll through the list. The architecture is absolutely amazing. Further investigation reveals that most of these churches were designed by renowned architects of the time, and came at the significant sacrifice of the immigrant communities that financed their construction.

I understand the economics behind the move to close and consolidate parishes, and I reiterate, this isn't about the Catholic Church. I do believe, however, that the decay of these buildings will be another sad chapter in Buffalo's history and a very significant loss of part of the City's architectural past.

31-story proposal for Long Island

The Voice of Reason — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 21:32:27 +0000

HartfordTycoon, on Jan 8 2008, 02:39 PM, said:

OK, since it won't do as much to boost Nassau's image given the ingrained attitudes there, let's just have them build it in Hartford! It would do wonders for us......

I can look Mr. Wangs number up in the Stony Brook Alumni handbook... OK I kidd

31-story proposal for Long Island

HartfordTycoon — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 19:39:13 +0000

The Voice of Reason, on Jan 7 2008, 02:47 PM, said:

Tycoon, I honestly doubt that this would change anyones impression of Nassau. At least those of New Yorkers. Nassau is just a never ending sea of housing attatched to the highways and the LIRR. Most people work in the city or in the service industry. Also most people stick to their own local area. If you are from Glenn Cove you mostly just drive up and down glenn cove road and into the city. You rarely go other places on long Island except to visit friends or maybe to tanger/splish splash in Riverhead or jones beach, The exception is going to an Islanders game and I guess this project would change the view there, but when people go to a game they dont interact with the surrounding area and I do not see that changing much no matter what is built. I lived on long island for about 20 years and have been to NC several times, but in my day to day life, and in the day to day lives of every long islander I know, the only place that matters is "the city"

I should also add that I hate Charlie Wang for the ugly ass building he built at SUNY Stonybrook while was a student there.

OK, since it won't do as much to boost Nassau's image given the ingrained attitudes there, let's just have them build it in Hartford! It would do wonders for us......

31-story proposal for Long Island

The Voice of Reason — Mon, 07 Jan 2008 19:47:48 +0000

HartfordTycoon, on Jan 6 2008, 05:49 PM, said:

This is a pretty damn impressive project. I'm not that familiar with LI but I would guess that this would go a long way to raising the profile of Nassau.

31-story proposal for Long Island

HartfordTycoon — Sun, 06 Jan 2008 22:49:58 +0000

This is a pretty damn impressive project. I'm not that familiar with LI but I would guess that this would go a long way to raising the profile of Nassau.

31-story proposal for Long Island

tombarnes — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 01:05:51 +0000

The tower reminds me of the Westin Diplomat in Hollywood, Florida- not my favorite building in the world. Still, this looks like it will be an ambitious project- probably very good for Hempstead.

Saratoga Springs

The Voice of Reason — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 16:43:49 +0000

Does anyone have any information about the recent projects built along broadway. This city has had several small mixed use condo projects built downtown over the last few years. They have been a huge success and made an incredible downtown so much better by expanding its size, and maintaining appropriate density and carachter.

Does anyone have any information on these projects? I did google searches and such, but only came up with a builders web site that did not have much information and only offered a couple renderings of a couple of the buildings.

Buffalo Central Terminal

Jim856796 — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 02:33:38 +0000

This building looks like it needs a renovation rather than a demolition. We have got to find a permanent use for the building. I couldn't find a proper use for the terminal myself.

31-story proposal for Long Island

mid-island — Thu, 22 Nov 2007 16:51:10 +0000

Wang unveils bold vision for Nassau

http://www.newsday.com/business/ny-bzhub11...page-bigpix2005

BY ELIZABETH MOORE
November 14, 2007

For starters, Islanders owner Charles Wang and his Lighthouse Development Group want to build a newer, bigger, better Nassau Coliseum topped with billowing white sails that call to mind the nearby Atlantic Ocean.

Then, he will to turn its bleak asphalt parking lot into a lively urban center, where twin towers 31-stories tall will house Long Island's first five-star hotel, overlooking a conference center, offices, homes and a "Celebration Plaza" larger than New York's Bryant Park.

And that's just phase one.

Wang's 5.5-million-square-foot application for a planned development district, filed late Tuesday with the Town of Hempstead, aims to transform the Coliseum and its surrounding 150 acres of county-owned land into "a state-of-the-art venue which will serve as an economic and socioeconomic engine," bringing new jobs and tax revenues, higher property values and a focal point for the Island. It will also, they say, keep the Islanders from leaving.

"We kid around that the cockroaches and the rats [in the Coliseum] are so old, even they have Stanley Cup rings," Islanders General Manager Garth Snow said.

The development proposal, copies of which were given to Newsday and some other media outlets in advance, is being viewed as a watershed moment for Nassau County.

Will its residents embrace a new vision of development that accepts urban scale and density on the promise that it will deliver vibrant, walkable communities where the next generation can afford to live?

Or will they see it as just another attempt to jam too many buildings onto too small a piece of land, with too much traffic and not enough parking?

The Lighthouse project, originally named for a now-scrapped 60-story tower that was to be its centerpiece, is the keystone of Thomas Suozzi's "New Suburbia" land-use plan for central Nassau, and the filing is expected to focus new energy on the county's proposed new transit network that still has yet to settle on a mode or route.

Wang and his partner, RexCorp Realty chairman Scott Rechler, promise to follow green-building and smart-growth neighborhood development principles and include bicycle and jogging trails that connect with Hofstra University, Nassau Community College, Museum Mile and wind all the way to Eisenhower Park.

"This is not just sprawling big-box development, it's something distinctive and special," Rechler said. "It'll be the best of the city and the best of the suburbs."

The developers want to navigate the complex zoning, planning and environmental reviews within the next 18 months. That would allow them to finalize a 99-year lease for the county-owned property and break ground for the Coliseum's long-awaited renovation by July 2009. The rest of their vision would take form over the following five to 10 years.

It will be up to Hempstead Town to decide whether the site and its surrounding neighborhoods can handle the traffic and parking demands this development would place upon it.

"Anyone who has driven along Meadowbrook Parkway or Hempstead Turnpike during rush hour in the vicinity of the Hub knows that traffic is already a very serious issue," Supervisor Kate Murray said. "There's no reason to expect that it won't be an even greater concern as we consider any new development proposal."

The proposed conceptual master plan covers a swath of county-owned land allocated by the federal government in 1963 from the former Mitchel Field Air Force Base. The land, which is now zoned mostly for office and hotel development, includes the county's 77-acre Coliseum parcel, which is leased by SMG Management, as well as RexCorp Plaza, the Marriott Hotel and the Omni Building, are leased from the county by a joint venture between Wang and RexCorp.

The first phase, the mixed-use core subdistrict, includes a transformed Coliseum that could hold up to 17,500 hockey fans or 20,000 concert goers with an additional concourse and new suites, seats, electronics, restaurants and shops. Next door are a sports technology center and an athletic complex with four sheets of ice to host local, regional and national events. The Lighthouse design provides for more than 250,000 square feet of convention, conference and exhibition space, up from the 60,000 square feet the Coliseum holds.

This first phase would also include the site's two 31-story signature towers up to 450 feet tall, housing a five-star hotel with 300 rooms, including luxury full-service condominiums. The hotel would overlook the plaza and down a canal lined with shops and restaurants, with loft housing above and a gourmet grocery below. These condominiums would range from just a few stories to 18 stories tall, or up to 275 feet high.

The second, residential village sub-district, the architects envision a neighborhood more or less built on top of parking decks, with each block a circle of multi-story townhouses and condominiums looking out over green courtyards, many of them with swimming pools. Below on street level will be grocery stores and dry cleaners.

Wang and Rechler's overall proposal calls for a blend of next-generation, luxury, active adult and multifamily housing. A multi-screen movie theater will be part of this phase. The typical building in this section is 7 stories; the tallest would be no more than 150 feet tall.

Finally, the developers envision four new office buildings comprising 1 million square feet under the residential subdistrict, with two each to be built on the Coliseum parcel's northwest corner and just west of RexCorp Plaza. The tallest would be no more than 175 feet.

Fitting this many residents, visitors and employees onto a parcel this size depends on intensive, efficient parking development. The Lighthouse proposal features parking decks that may be as much as two stories under ground and one and a half stories above, with the exception of the Coliseum parking deck, three stories above ground. Spaces associated with the Coliseum and offices are to be shared, used by commuters during the day and by Coliseum visitors at night.

The developers admit that they don't have enough parking to comply with the Town of Hempstead's building code, but if they did, they maintain it would be wasted. They plan to conduct a "shared parking study" to demonstrate that the 17,211 spaces they have planned will be enough.

The Lighthouse Group has dedicated $55 million toward roadway improvements needed to accommodate the development's added traffic and connect to the larger Hub transit network envisioned by Nassau County planners. They also plan to operate a bus trolley system which will serve the site and its surrounding area.

Matthew Frank, managing director of the Lighthouse group, said the developers also have committed to participate in a pilot program of the U.S. Green Building Council's LEED for Neighborhood Development, to certify the Lighthouse project as a "green" or sustainable development.

Mindful of the feedback they got on early plans comparing the development to Queens, the Lighthouse Group this summer hired Baltimore-based Development Design Group and the Spector Group of Woodbury to overhaul them. DDG scrapped the towers and plazas of the last version in favor of a more "psychologically manageable" streetscape, integrated with the surrounding community.

Approvals for the project can't come too soon, say the long-suffering Islanders, who don't understand why Wang couldn't secure approvals long ago to renovate an arena that is now one of the nation's oldest.

"They should have had it done by now," said team captain Bill Guerin yesterday. "This has been way too long coming."

Crossgates Mall & Commons

zt456 — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 23:26:46 +0000

The spot where Lord & Taylor was is still vacant and not on the directory map along with the spot for Macy's before it moved into the former Filene's location.

Crossgates Mall & Commons

Recchia — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 01:13:34 +0000

I always liked Colonie Center better anyway. What anchors left Crossgates? Big anchors? Last time I was there Tjmaxx and Kleins had both closed but all the bigger anchors were still there.

Crossgates Mall & Commons

zt456 — Tue, 30 Oct 2007 00:51:11 +0000

It's the largest and most dominant mall of Albany yet it has 2 vacant anchor stores. Anyone know anything about future anchors coming to the mall or a renovation (interior looks pretty dated)? Nearby Colonie Center has also recently gone through a renovation adding stores like L.L. Bean, P.F. Chang's, Sephora, and The Cheesecake Factory...all places Crossgates doesn't have and will now probably never get.

USS New York

Raintree21 — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 20:45:57 +0000

An awesome ship with an great mission. Glad to see the memory not being forgotten.

USS New York

Lowerdeck — Fri, 28 Sep 2007 02:49:37 +0000

Least it's good knowing the government can recycle.

USS New York

RiverwoodCLT — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 20:48:45 +0000

USS New York

It is the fifth in a new class of warship - designed for missions that include special operations against terrorists . It will carry a crew of 360 sailors and 700 combat-ready Marines to be delivered ashore by helicopters and assault craft.

Steel from the World Trade Center was melted down in a foundry in Amite , LA to cast the ship's bow section. When it was poured into the molds on Sept 9, 2003, "those big rough steelworkers treated it with total reverence," recalled Navy Capt. Kevin Wensing, who was there. "It was a spiritual moment for everybody there."

Junior Chavers, foundry operations manager, said that when the trade center steel first arrived, he touched it with his hand and the "hair on my neck stood up." "It had a big meaning to it for all of us," he said. "They knocked us down. They can't keep us down. We're going to be back."

The ship's motto? "Never Forget"

Albany, NY

tombarnes — Sat, 01 Sep 2007 04:17:25 +0000

Plans for the Wellington Include Demolition and Reconstruction

Current plans call for the demolition of the crumbling Wellington Hotel, but the hotel's facade will be replicated in the new office tower planned for the site. Many hope that several adjacent buildings will be incorporated into the project, but time will tell whether they will be included or simply scraped away without comment. I'm sorry to see the Wellington being demolished, but I realize that it's in wretched condition. I hope the reconstructed facade will be faithfully executed.

The Albany Journal of Business

Buffalo falls to second-poorest big city in U.S.

Summerlin — Thu, 30 Aug 2007 13:37:56 +0000

Buffalo falls to second-place With a poverty rate of nearly 30 percent, Buffalo falls to second-poorest big city in U.S.
Median income is just $27,850, Census Bureau says
By Jay Rey and Mark Sommer - NEWS STAFF REPORTERS
Updated: 08/30/07 9:02 AM

SAVE EMAIL PRINT POPULAR Digg it del.icio.us + Larger Font Google Yahoo - Smaller Font
Derek Gee/Buffalo News
Three-year-old Kaesean Fields checks out the fit of a new backpack filled with school supplies that he received Wednesday at the Buffalo Urban League, courtesy of Citizens Bank. More Photos

Related Content
Poverty in American Cities: By the numbers
TO COMMENT: Inside the News, "Buffalo: City of the poor"

Buffalo is the second-poorest big city in the nation, new estimates by the U.S. Census Bureau show.

Nearly 30 percent of its residents are considered poor.

Only Detroit has higher poverty among American cities with populations of more than 250,000.

While sobering, the numbers don�t begin to tell the whole story.

For that, you need to look at the faces of the parents struggling to afford school supplies.

Or listen to the single mother living on child support while attending college.

Or talk to the frustrated retiree earning less than $10,000 a year in Social Security benefits.

�There is poverty in Buffalo, but nobody is doing anything about it,� said James Murdock, 67.

Murdock retired from his job at a car wash due to illness and now collects $740 a month in Social Security. He lives on the top floor of a church on Broadway.

�They�re not doing anything to bring industry back into Buffalo,� Murdock lamented Wednesday, �and it seems like nobody�s worried about it.�

Buffalo�s poverty isn�t an easy situation to crawl out from under.

New estimates also show Buffalo�s median income of $27,850 is the third lowest in the U.S. among large cities, just ahead of Miami and Cleveland.

Meanwhile, the nation�s median income is on the rise, and the poverty rate actually declined for the first time this decade, dipping slightly to 12.3 percent, according to the Census estimates.

The poverty rate for the entire Buffalo Niagara region is 14.2 percent.

It�s no secret said Richard Deitz, regional economist at the Buffalo branch of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

Its cities, he said, are being hardest hit.

The region isn�t growing in population, Deitz said, and as people have left Buffalo for the suburbs, problems like poverty are being concentrated in the city. Buffalo�s not alone.

While Rochester and Syracuse weren�t ranked among the nation�s largest cities, the poverty rates in those two cities are almost identical to Buffalo�s. In Rochester, 30 percent of the people are poor, while in Syracuse it�s 29.6 percent.

Buffalo�s poverty rate rose sharply from 26.6 percent in 2005 to 29.9 percent last year.

The jump may have to do with the Census Bureau including group quarters � like nursing homes and assisted-living facilities � in its samples for the first time last year, said Kathryn A. Foster, director of the Regional Institute at the University at Buffalo.

�We�ve been chronically high on this list, so it�s not a shock,� Foster said. �The economy hasn�t gotten that much better, and the kind of jobs that have emerged � whether in retail or the casino industry � are low-wage jobs, so we�re not pushing up the income levels.�

One of the biggest concerns, Foster said, is the children.

�The children are the biggest portion that we serve in local food pantries,� said Clem Eckert, president of the Food Bank of Western New York. �Forty percent are children, and that number is pretty constant.�

When it comes to children, Buffalo again ranks second in the nation behind Detroit, with nearly 43 percent of the city�s kids living in poverty, census estimates show.

�On a regular basis, we see more families who have more needs,� said Brenda McDuffie, president and chief executive of the Buffalo Urban League. �There is a lot of despair out there.�

Citizens Bank donated 700 backpacks, stuffed with school supplies, to local kids Wednesday, distributing them at nonprofit agencies, including the Buffalo Urban League.

Saving a family $25 on a book bag helps, McDuffie said.

And parents were appreciative.

�[Schools] want a lot of stuff for the kids � with the pencils, the crayons, the color pencils, everything � so it helps a lot, especially for a single parent,� said Kyshawna Williams, who has three children.

�Right now, I can hardly afford school clothes,� said Kristina Young, who lives in Black Rock with her three children. �I brought [my children] so they can get book bags and start the school year right and have some supplies.�

Buffalo schools struggle to teach students coming to class faced with these other issues at home.

�It�s difficult, but not impossible to do,� Buffalo School Superintendent James A. Williams said. �I don�t use poverty as a deterrent in this business.�

Buffalo needs to build its middle class, and education is the way to do that, he said.

�Education is the key to turning cities around,� Williams said. �If we don�t have a good school system, the poverty rate will remain at that level.�

Mayor Byron W. Brown said he is not surprised that the figures document severe poverty in Buffalo.

�That�s why we�ve been working so hard to bring people into the mainstream of Buffalo�s economy,� Brown said Wednesday. �I think we�re taking steps that will help to reverse these alarming numbers.�

Brown cited ongoing efforts to tackle illiteracy, place young people in jobs and offer job training to residents. He said there are also new efforts to encourage graduating college students to stay in a region that is working hard to grow good jobs in some sectors. He thinks Buffalo�s affordable real estate � which has made national headlines � also will help to strengthen the economy.

But the mayor stressed that he is not downplaying the city�s poverty problem. He said more must be done to combat substance abuse, a scourge that he believes is a major contributor to poverty. Brown also encouraged people to take advantage of existing job training and placement programs.

And despite the city�s dubious ranking as the second most impoverished city in the nation, the mayor remains convinced that Buffalo is on the upswing.

He said since the Census data was compiled for 2005 and 2006, there have been numerous encouraging signs. He said there are $3.5 billion in economic development projects in the pipeline or recently completed.

�Buffalo is absolutely turning a corner,� Brown said. �I think the city is moving in the right direction. When these figures are released again, I think we�ll see a decline in those numbers.�

But over at the food pantry on Wohlers Avenue, people aren�t as optimistic.

John Belcher, 73, stops by two or three times a week for bread, canned foods and, if he�s lucky, there will be a little meat for him to take home.

�Good thing they got this pantry or I wouldn�t make ends meet,� said Belcher, a retiree.

Rosa Gibson delivers food to quite a few elderly people and shut-ins in the same situation.

�It�s not just the East Side of Buffalo,� said Gibson, a community activist. �I deliver food all over the city. I get the same thing in each direction I go in. It�s sad.�

News Staff Reporter Brian Meyer contributed to this report.oorest big city in U.S.

Buffalo Pictures

ZachariahDaMan — Fri, 15 Jun 2007 05:19:03 +0000

Buffalo looks nice, the building in the first photo is incredible.

Buffalo Pictures

Vince_908 — Mon, 11 Jun 2007 21:24:06 +0000

Hey, thanks for the Buffalo pictures. Did you spend any time on the west side while you there?

Buffalo Central Terminal

tombarnes — Mon, 04 Jun 2007 05:12:28 +0000

The Buffalo Central Terminal is magnificent. I hope that a good use for it can be found. Whay not bring back the trains? I know that that alone wouldn't support much, but surely the tower and the vast support spaces could be put to good use. At least it has been preserved up to a point. This represents a great challenge for the city. Nice pictures.

Buffalo Pictures

colin — Sat, 26 May 2007 20:30:29 +0000

Spent about two days in Buffalo last week. When I finally made it Downtown to take pictures of all the amazing architecture, it started raining.

Other areas:
This church is actually on the east side of town in what looked like an interesting neighborhood:

Desolate east side of Buffalo:

Buffalo Central Terminal

colin — Sat, 26 May 2007 20:25:26 +0000

I had wanted to see Buffalo for a while, in part because of its Central Terminal. I'm not sure who knows what or if it's been mentioned on here before, but it's essentially a huge (17 stories, I think) abandoned railroad depot east of Downtown Buffalo. It was abandoned in the early 1980's and allowed to decay to the sorry state it's in now.
As it stands, it's open occassionally for events and some tours, but the tower is, for the most part, completely inaccessible. I had been fascinated with it, and had just intended to stop by and take a few pictures of it but, much to my delight, it was open the day I went for a high school art showing.
I also got the chance to talk at some length with one of the members of the society responsible for renovating and saving the building. There's a lot of history there, and it's amazing that the place is open at all with what's happened to it: excessive vandalism, flooding, various fires, Buffalo winters, etc.

Info:
Preservation society with events listing (June 2, an excellent local rock band called Knife Crazy is playing there)
Urban explorer's site pre-restoration and where I originally learned about the site

Pictures:
Inside:

The old cafe. You can see the marks where the stools once were.

The "gift shop". I'm not sure if this was staged or not, but it was very eerie:

Outside: