Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
A lot of the housing stock in that area is smaller doubles that could be converted to singles, but it's not *great* housing stock to begin with. Lot's of Post WWI GI type housing.
A lot of the housing stock in that area is smaller doubles that could be converted to singles, but it's not *great* housing stock to begin with. Lot's of Post WWI GI type housing.
What East Side are you on?
The average everyday East Side house was a double or larger, and most have disintegrated> The house where my husband's fmailyu lived when he was born was on e. Ferry and fell to a city wreckers ball. The house he grew up in ( not to far away) was a 2/2 double. Houses on his street were doubles, quads and a few singles. It wasn't Post WWi/WWII housing. It was simple homes for the blue collar working men & families who lived on the east side.
Port North,
Scharfs closed. It is moving to Clinton in W. Seneca -- into, I beleive, the Deerhead Inn building. It was in the News a few weeks back.. Scharfs website says closed on Google. Lots of parking there, decent area. You will have Scharfs when you come back
The Deerhead Inn was on Clinton right near the cemetery where my father is buried. Scharfs will be a good fit, since people do a lot of funeral brunches there.
So, the housing stock would or could an impediment in terms of revitalization?
I think a lot of the housing on the East side is in very poor condition and much of it was more utilitarian and working class in nature. Some areas like Broadway/Fillmore had cottages that were extended into backyards to house large families and tenants back in the day and often didn't have basements; build quality was poor which isn't appealing to todays potential rehabbers.
If I'm not mistaken parts of University Heights and Ken-Bailey have a good number of "Kit homes" sold at places like Sears between 1910-1940, where the parts were delivered to the site and the owner or families/small contractors constructed the homes themselves. This was an early form of working middle class suburban housing that was popular between the 2 World Wars. They were built at a density too urban for today's suburbanites and too suburban and utilitarian for urban oriented folks. This type of housing is also a hard sell for revitalization, except in newer southern or western cities where often this is the oldest housing that is left close to the downtown core.
The Deerhead Inn was on Clinton right near the cemetery where my father is buried. Scharfs will be a good fit, since people do a lot of funeral brunches there.
Yesterday's paper had an article on the Deerhead -- it is closed and doing a one night only open Tues I think and then in a month or so, it reopens as Scharf's - Deerhead closes, Scharf's buys it and move in. I can't wait for Scharf's either!
So, the housing stock would or could an impediment in terms of revitalization?
You need to say what PART of the East Side. Near the 33 (Expressway), my husband remebers homes jacked up and moved when it was built (1950s). They are the NICE homes, many as nice as N. Buffalo. (His father told him placement of the 33 was to divide political parties and ethnic groups and it wrecked the city) You go farther to the east, you get lots of quads or doubles or apts. over stores or saloons ( or what were). These are the main road early housing. Much has fallen into deep disrepair ( the house my husband grew up in is amazingly in just as beautiful condition as when his parents sold it ; many on the block are gone; its on a sidestreet.) . North of Kensington is what Port North is talking about. I had quite a few friends who had a " 1st house" in the area. I don't think kits, but really early 20. c. -- only holes in the ceiling/floors let heat to 2nd floor and one switch was for the entire house's electric. Closets were flat: hooks at the back, not rods. These were cheap homes. This is east of Bailey. Closer to UB, ther are lots of nice homes - between Main and Bailey. It could easily be redone and nicely. Right now lots is student or absentee owner rentals. There are Projects along the expressway; close to the border of Cheektowaga. They were originally defense workers and cheap housing for after WWII. Its really mixed.
Note:That's just what I know of the east side: I broadly use EAST of main St; some people will point out near UB is actually called "University"
You know when you are in Buffalo because one street is nice houses and the next is totally cheap. You really have it all over the city -- even North Park blends into the are that was railroad tracks and there are so awful doubles up there backed up to tracks-- even on streets nice at the other end.
Sure, Parade Streets, parts of Ferry, etc., have excellent stock that could be revitalized. There are areas with 2-1 doubles that should either be converted to singles or torn down.
Sure, Parade Streets, parts of Ferry, etc., have excellent stock that could be revitalized. There are areas with 2-1 doubles that should either be converted to singles or torn down.
Lots of E. Ferry has been torn down; the house my hubby was born in was. The double he grew up in is still in great condition, a few miles away. The area by Science Center could be rehabbed.
Not sure as to its present status. However, when I was up in Buffalo over the Easter Holiday, I looked around the outside and there appeared to be some sort of event going on inside. I know that there are dedicated groups that are really focused on its reuse and revitalization.
I'm just old enough (40) to remember what it looked like when it was still a train station in the year or two before it closed. My father worked for the railroad and I remember him taking me when I was 4 or 5 up in the tower which housed Conrail offices. I remember seeing the big stuffed Buffalo in the Main hall and a really nice art deco clock. It was pretty deserted but it did leave quite an impression on me. It operated as a train station until 1979 so, it must have still been operating when I was there.
I'm probably the absolute youngest group of people that can still remember a lot of the old school Buffalo stuff like Central Terminal, a downtown with department stores, Sattlers at 998 Broadway (remember them as they were having their going out of busineess sale), Bethlehem Steel when Lackawanna was covered in a cloud of smoke, Crystal Beach, Broadway Market when it was busy everyday, etc.
To people born after 1975, this stuff is all legend.
It is sad to see such a beautiful structure not being used and I wonder what could be done to bring it back to life.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
