Buffalo and housing patterns........ (Amherst, Cheektowaga: middle-class, neighborhoods, school districts)

[ckhthankgod]

I remember reading a study that said that Buffalo and possibly the area as a whole, was one of the top most segregated cities in the US. Do people from the area believe that is an accurate statement or is that exaggerated?

Just so people don't think I'm a rabblerouser, here are some articles that referenced this:http://www.bizjournals.com/buffalo/s...16/story3.html

http://www.homeny.org/Insight%20Articles/segregatedcity.htm (broken link)

http://www.rachelstavern.com/?p=607

http://northcoastonline.typepad.com/...th_of_hyp.html

[Buffalonian4life]

exaggerated....

[FedupWNY]

IMO, exaggerated.

[amanda8404]

UB just did a study, and yup, it is.

And if you want my anecdotal opinion, yup, it feels like apartheid sometimes.

In addition to the segregation, Harvard found that the city is one of the worst places in the US for black children to live based on poverty, violence, homeownership, etc. City of Buffalo is not a good place to be if you're of a minority ethnicity.

[ckhthankgod]

amanda8404, I find that fascinating considering that at one time Buffalo was seen as a city that was good for Blacks, in many ways. That Harvard study actually surprises me.

[UpstaterInBklyn]

Most other metro areas have at least some mixed-race neighborhoods and sizable middle-class black populations in the suburbs, which tends not to be the case in Buffalo.

Keep in mind, however, that segregation does not mean racism, and the segregation has some basis in the physical nature of the housing stock and isn't necessarily the result of discrimination or red-lining.

However, it is a fact that African-Americans have not done as well economically in Buffalo as they have elsewhere.

A rising tide lifts all boats, and the tide has not been rising.

[ckhthankgod]

suburban school districts like Cleveland Hill, Amherst, Sweet Home, Cheektowaga, Maryvale, Kenmore-Tonawanda, Williamsville and Lackawanna have their share to quite a few Black students. Then, there are some sprinkled around the other districts. I think Cleveland Hill and Lackawanna are in the 30% range. I know Lackawanna is more like a small, blue collar city, but the rest are legit suburbs.