Buffalo #1 on "Dead Cities" list... (Rochester, Syracuse: homes, luxury)

[twingirls2boys]

Originally Posted by donbuy

No, sorry but I do not. I do not travel in a blue collar circle. The fact is that Buffalo is no longer a blue collar town and will never again be one. If that is where your job prospects lie you are going to be hard pressed to eek out a living anywhere in the US these days. Education was and still is the key to success. If you want to prosper it's up to you to put in the effort BEFORE you earn the big bucks.

Thankfully the days of big unions extorting $70,000 salaries from auto companies for floor sweepers have passed. We are now in an era where you can be responsible for your own success, or failure.

[donbuy]

True when you include the prosperous Columbus area then Ohio's rate is merely 25% above Buffalo's. Ohio is indeed a bastion of economic health. I will, like you ignore the fact that more than a quarter of Ohio's counties have unemployment rates almost double Erie County's. And of course I will accept your well documented proof that the only jobs created in Buffalo are low paying and all of the jobs created in other cities are well paying high tech jobs. Like you I will conveniently ignore the likes of Yahoo or FNFG's headquarter positions. Because as you so eloquently surmise the only good jobs in America are those created outside of NY. The sad thing is that I think you really believe the crap you post.

[topchief1]

Well, I can tell you one reason why I didn't mind leaving Western New York, and that was the lack of anything happening. You can only be told so many things are going to come to town, or happen here that don't before you finally get fed up. How's that 20+ year plan to replace the Peace Bridge coming?

[donbuy]

Originally Posted by JWRocks

. Most of FNFG's income is generated from outside of Buffalo.

That is a good thing, actually I take that back, it is a G-R-E-A-T thing. When a company is headquartered in your city and makes it's money elswhere the profits are brought back to its home office. These types of businesses are the exact type a community should strive to keep and attract. They build wealth. Local businesses that rely on local customers such as restaurants do NOT build wealth they merely shuffle the same money around. Businesses like First Niagara and M&T create wealth for Buffalo by making profits elsewhere. It's how the auto industries built up vast wealth for Detroit back in it's heyday.

[donbuy]

Originally Posted by topchief1

Well, I can tell you one reason why I didn't mind leaving Western New York, and that was the lack of anything happening. You can only be told so many things are going to come to town, or happen here that don't before you finally get fed up. How's that 20+ year plan to replace the Peace Bridge coming?

Having been here a few years now it looks to me like quite a bit was accomplished over the past 15 years or so.
The airport
The almost annual Zoo modernization and addtioin of major exhibits
Erie Canal Harbor - great venue for concerts BTW
Tolls removed from the I-190
HSBC Arena - one of the nicest in North America and far superior to the Air Canada Center
Federal Courthouse
A plethora of downtown condos from new Pasquale to rehabs - Lofts @ Elk etc, With more such as the Lafayette to come.
Walden Galleria expansion.
Wholesale redevelopment of retail strips along NF Boulevard, Transit Road and McKinley Pkwy have those areas looking a whole lot better than when we first moved here.
Geico from zero to thousands of jobs
Yahoo
M&T massive expansion adding hundreds of local jobs
FNFG massive expansion adding hundreds of local jobs
GM saved and investing in their local operations, same for Ford.
The Avant
New Era downtown and Derby expansions

and on and on.

You natives kill me, I swear you can't see the forest for the trees

[crittergal]

Originally Posted by ocean2026

I read the article-its at best just a guess. Galveston TX in the top 10? No way - sure its had hurricanes but it will always come back - the Texas Coast will always attract tourists, snowbirds and Texans looking for the ocean ( although Rockport is much nicer). Just having it in the top 10 takes credibility away from the article.

I also think Detroit is worse off than Buffalo.

I agree with you on this one. Galveston should not be on that particular list. They are a survivor. And yes, Rockport is much much nicer!

[jblake78728]

Originally Posted by donbuy

here ya go WNED: Yahoo! to Build Data Center in Lockport (2009-06-30)

Off the top, he says, the facility will employ around 75 engineers and other highly skilled people. Dibble says the jobs will pay in the range of $65,000 to 75,000 a year, plus benefits.

U.S. Senator Charles Schumer calls it a "lighthouse deal for the region." Schumer says now that Yahoo! has established operations in Western New York, other companies will start paying attention.

"This is a beacon. The high-tech world pays attention to what Yahoo! does because they're known as one of the smartest companies and it will bring us many more opportunities," said Schumer.

Another myth busted ... thanks Donbuy!

[rubygreta]

The decrepit Lafayette Hotel downtown is about to undergo a massive renovation. Does this happen in dying cities?

[JWRocks]

[quote=donbuy;15719070]Having been here a few years now it looks to me like quite a bit was accomplished over the past 15 years or so.
The airport
The almost annual Zoo modernization and addtioin of major exhibits
Erie Canal Harbor - great venue for concerts BTW
Tolls removed from the I-190
HSBC Arena - one of the nicest in North America and far superior to the Air Canada Center
Federal Courthouse
A plethora of downtown condos from new Pasquale to rehabs - Lofts @ Elk etc, With more such as the Lafayette to come.
Walden Galleria expansion.
Wholesale redevelopment of retail strips along NF Boulevard, Transit Road and McKinley Pkwy have those areas looking a whole lot better than when we first moved here.
Geico from zero to thousands of jobs
Yahoo
M&T massive expansion adding hundreds of local jobs
FNFG massive expansion adding hundreds of local jobs
GM saved and investing in their local operations, same for Ford.
The Avant
New Era downtown and Derby expansions
-----
Most all done with massive, massive amounts of government aid:
Geico--$125 million
Courthouse- $200 million
GM- $800 million
Canalside-$125 million and growing
HSBC Arena-$125 million
Airport- $125 million plus
Downtown condos-zero property taxes for the buyers of million dollar condos, like Steve Barnes
M&T- millions from Obama
and more

When this can get done without massive government investment, then I'll feel better.

[donbuy]

Originally Posted by JWRocks

Most all done with massive, massive amounts of government aid:
Geico--$125 million
Courthouse- $200 million
GM- $800 million
Canalside-$125 million and growing
HSBC Arena-$125 million
Airport- $125 million plus
Downtown condos-zero property taxes for the buyers of million dollar condos, like Steve Barnes
M&T- millions from Obama
and more

When this can get done without massive government investment, then I'll feel better.

I spent a lot of time in Pittsburgh a city often touted as a role model by Buffalonians. Look at their development over the same time period and you will see that it too was almost all government financed and to a much larger degree than Buffalo.

Pittsburgh's 2/3 empty airport finance by the port authority.
Football and Baseball stadiums plus new Hockey arena taxpayor financed

Station Square area of restaurants - heavily government subsidized

The cancelled Bass Pro store just outside Pittsburgh was going to receive a 40 million dollar subsidy

Southside Works - retail and restaurant mecca on former Steel Mill site VERY heavily government subsidized.

Unfortunately with such high corporate income and property taxes in the US these days it is almost impossible for private business to create large projects without some sort of governmental aid or tax abatement. This is the case not only in Buffalo but all across the USA. North Carolina is one state that subsidizes business expansion at levels unheard of in NY State or almost any other state for that matter. It is just the way the game is played in 2010. As someone that has relocated several times over the past 25 years I can certainly say with confidence that in this regard Buffalo is not alone.