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The more I read, the more I realize many people here are those who moved away and simply are here to bash Buffalo with their own negativity. If those of you who hate the place are on here posting, I would like to know why. That is if you live here and are just plain miserable over it OR if you moved and can't get "into" writing on your new locale... but just come to bash.
The old credo of "if you can't say something nice...." would apply.
People do that on the Long Island board all the time. Come on to dis LI and brag about the big house with low property taxes in TN, NC, SC, etc., ad nauseum. Ignore 'em. I say, well if it's so great there, then what are they so interested in the LI board for and why do they read the LI newspaper Newsday everyday online? Because they don't want to admit to themselves that "cheap" comes with a big price: BOREDOM in a boring part of the country compared to NY.
Everyone complains about where they live, no matter where they are, no matter where in the country. I remember in NC people would complain about there being too many yankees and illegal immigrants.
My father in law didn't like Oklahoma City, ended coming up north. It's human nature I guess?
I left in the 1970s after the army and college. I return here, just as I read the Buffalo News, to rekindle some memories of the good and the bad.
I think that one who has left do see some of the endemic problems in the area after experience other places. There is no doubt that Western New York has severe problems. My biggest surprise is that the problems that were clear to me, in 1970, are worse today. I never though that the area would further decay and lose so much population. It saddens many of us; some may wish there was a reason that made us and our children stay; or an employment condition that did not exist that forced us to leave; for others a need to justify our leaving the area; or for many a very good reason for us to return. That is the answer to the bashing---a need that has not been meet.
Army service was an eye opener to me and I saw so many places that were more appealing. I never left because of the weather but more so because of the wanderlust of youth and the needs satisfied by other places.
I have lived in the Denver, Colorado area for 30 years, after living in other states. Yes, Denver is very nice; it is comfortable; it is my home. It has many attributes that are far superior to The City of Buffalo. However, it has some deficiencies that are not comparable to some of the beauty of all of Western New York but, more importantly, Denver has a economic and cultural vibrancy that attracts and keeps people in Denver and it can support the arts, and the sports that people enjoy.
I now realize that the greatness and the value of Western New York is in the land and towns of the area around Buffalo. However, the area needs a strong regional city to pull itself together and Buffalo does not meet the needs for economic prosperity.
Buffalo will never become better unless it attracts creative new people of all races, that can blend together with the talent that exist in the area. These people are the ones that can create new businesses and culture that will make Buffalo attractive. The youth have to have a reason to stay. The youth will see other areas, other states, other cities. There is nothing so unique about Buffalo and Western New York that makes it superior to all other competitive places. Some of you hardcore fanatics believe otherwise; but you are losing population; you are losing your children; you are losing too many of the best of the youth.
For me what I learned in my youth in Cheektowaga, was that there was entrenched racism, religious and ethnic hatred. Many of the European immigrants that settled the area carried this baggage and passed it on to the next generation. It needs to be eliminated. This is one aspect of the Denver area that makes it glaringly different than the Buffalo area. For me that is the one biggest advantage for leaving the Buffalo area, to move to an area, with more tolerance and ability for all ethnic groups to work together.
Ignorant projects like gambling and a big Bass sports store are not wealth generating. Extreme sport fanaticism in a failing city is not a reason to live in a area; professional sports are a result of an economic strength in the area; the ability of the populace and the government to afford luxuries, not the means to that end.
Livecontent
Last edited by livecontent; 09-20-2008 at 07:08 PM..
I have lived in the Denver, Colorado area for 30 years, after living in other states.
Excuse me I don't understand how someone who has been removed from an area for of 30 years can make comments on the state of Buffalo with any real accuracy.
I also don't understand what people see that is so terribly bad about Buffalo. My husband and I moved here in January from Michigan. (He lost his job, auto related, and after 2 years he greatfully accepted a job here) We both grew up in and around Detroit, but lived the last 12 years before our move in the Ann Arbor area. I believe I can speak with some confidence.
If you think Buffalo is bad, move to Detroit. You will soon realize that Buffalo has much to offer. True, Buffalo may not be what it once was; The Queen City, but it certainly hasn't fallen to the level of court jester as Detroit has.
We did a bit of research on where to live in Buffalo, my husband works in Tonawanda. We quickly ruled that out as it was too suburban, without a lot of character. The south towns were too far away and for various other reasons we weren't keen on the north towns. As we decided not to buy a house as eventually we would like to move back to our home state we began a search for a rental property in Buffalo. We were very pleasantly surprised at the variety of places in really unique neighborhoods. We settled on a lovely old home in the Parkside neighborhood. We seem to be within 20 minutes of anything we could want.
After 9 months here we are still finding something new everyday. We love Delaware park, the Shakesphere plays, Elmwood and Hertel area shops, the Historical Muesum and Naval Park, and of course the Zoo. We have just discovered that long, long walkway on the river near downtown. While I would not leave my windows or doors unlocked here as I did in the small town we left in Michigan, I don't feel unsafe. There is so much offered here in Buffalo as compared to anywhere we have lived in Michigan.
While the downtown is not "vibrant". It sure has much more than Detroit, (to say nothing about how much cleaner it is). Coming from someone that does not have a tainted mindset about Buffalo, it seems like the city is trying very hard to do things to revie the riverfront and downtown. And compared to Detroit, Buffalo is succeeding in it's efforts.
It seems to me that the people that bash Buffalo are like spoiled children, always demanding more, feeling entitled to having want they want, when they want it, always seeing the glass as half empty.
I am thankful that Buffalo has given us a chance to reclaim our lives. I look forward to planting our roots here and becoming a part of it's growth and I'm sure that when it comes time for us to retire and return to our family in Michigan I will feel just as sad at leaving the life we will build here as I did at leaving our friends and family behind when we came here.
For those that bash Buffalo... maybe YOU are part of the problem, instead of being part of the solution.
Thank you for your post but spoiled, I am not. You are critical of my opinions of Buffalo, concerning that I left over 30 years ago. Yet, you have opinions of Detroit after you left. It appears we all have opinions of the areas we have experienced. All experiences are valid, past and present, and help the debate of how to rejuvenate decaying cities.
My opinions are uniformly held beliefs that creative people help bring prosterity and vibrancy to the area. In addiition, I stated ingrown prejudices of others, is detrimental to the cooperation that is needed for an area to prosper. Also I pointed out the fruitless reliance on over subsidization of a single business enterprise (Bass), the reliance on gambling and the thought that only pro sports can lead to prosperity. All of these points can also be applied to Detroit or any other decaying city.
I grew up in Buffalo in the 1950s and at that time it reached the maximum population of approximately 550,000. Even, though it had more people than today, it still had severe cultural and economic problems that challenged to quality of life. There was that tune "Boost Buffalo, it is good for you" on the airways; people were aware, even then, of the collapse, and it now is worse.
I remember the discussions of the opening of the St. Lawrence Seaway; my father worked for the Corp of Engineers in Black Rock. There were dire warning that it would contribute to the decline of the area but the area was already in decay before the Seaway was completed.
Lessons have not been learned and today some of the problems are blamed on a loss of population---more population does not mean better it just means more people. So, bringing more people into the area is not the answer but the answer is bringing and keeping the best people, with progressive ideals, that understand the value of ethnic diversity and cooperation.
Buffalo would be better served if it gave up the ideas of thinking that it is a major city. It would be better to be a very small city with small outlying towns in a geographical beautiful area that are economically secure with a vibrant small city, without the vanities of subsidized pro football, and other oversubsidized enterprise to make it think it is in the leaque of larger cities.
I would reduce the physical size of the city by returning the land to open space between the towns. This would reduce police, fire, and road and sewer maintenance. Many of the areas, especially on the east side need large capital improvements in infrastructure. It would be more effective to remove these lands from the city control and bulldoze it to vacant land. After all, there are many parcels that have been cleared.
This would help the imperative to reduce the large government workforce and the resulting overblown pension system. The areas removed have to be a large contiguous area, that new development will see potential or for open space, not a patchwork of bulldozed lots. It it is in decay; if it is closed; if it is abandoned; if it has no use; or cost too much to rehabilitate then buy out neighboring properties and de-assess the whole area from the city. It can be treated like virgin land. Perhaps a developer will come; it makes improvements, built sewers, lights and request inclusion into the city or a surrounding town or creates a new town. This idea is not new; it is being implemented in Europe in areas where the population has declined and it is starting to be implemented in some American Cities. We go small and if need be, stay small; but if fortune again smiles the city can grow again and be renewed.
Yes, I have an opinion and it is an opinion that is valid; it is an opinion that can be voiced and many ideas are necessary to be implemented from all people in the country; it is not just your regional problem; it effects the whole country.
There is a big difference between you and me; I have planted my roots in Denver; this is my life. You have stated that you want to leave "to retire and return to our family in Michigan..", That must mean you are younger. That does not seen like a big commitment to the area for one who is "planting our roots here and becoming a part of it's growth". That is a big assumption and perhaps your children will want to stay, raise their children and then where will your family be???
Livecontent
Last edited by livecontent; 09-21-2008 at 07:30 PM..
Detroit can make anywhere look good. Buffalo is home to one of the top ten best neighborhoods in the nation, We are a top ten Art destination in the entire nation. We have relatively low housing prices. We have picturesque sunsets on a fresh water lake that shimmers silver in the afternoon sun. We have nice outgoing people here, mostly genuine and willing to lend a hand. We are a short trip to destinations such as Toronto and Cleveland. We have plenty of great things to do.
On the other hand we aren't particularly good at voting in decent candidates, but then again decent ones don't generally run. This statement could be true on a federal level as well. My only distaste of Buffalo and western New York is that the economy stinks and the taxes are higher then most places.
People love to whine. If you make 50k a year here you can live real comfortable.
Many people bash Buffalo because they moved away but didn't necessarily want to. I need security. I can't operate with the threat of unemployment lingering over my head. Been there.....done that.....won't do it again. Many of us still have family in Buffalo and would like to return some day if things get better. It's frustrating to see a great City continue down the same dead end road and it's even more frustrating to see that people continue to tolerate it.
Detroit can make anywhere look good. Buffalo is home to one of the top ten best neighborhoods in the nation, We are a top ten Art destination in the entire nation. We have relatively low housing prices. We have picturesque sunsets on a fresh water lake that shimmers silver in the afternoon sun. We have nice outgoing people here, mostly genuine and willing to lend a hand. We are a short trip to destinations such as Toronto and Cleveland. We have plenty of great things to do.
On the other hand we aren't particularly good at voting in decent candidates, but then again decent ones don't generally run. This statement could be true on a federal level as well. My only distaste of Buffalo and western New York is that the economy stinks and the taxes are higher then most places.
People love to whine. If you make 50k a year here you can live real comfortable.
Buffalo is very cheap on some things, and very overpriced on others. The property taxes in Erie county, and Niagara are downright oppressive.
I own a couple two family homes in West Seneca, in safe but nothing special neighborhoods, and the taxes on both exceed the mortgage payment. Good thing is that the properties here are dirt cheap compared to other places.
Sales tax, and fuel prices are just too much. I wouldn't be surprised if they are right up there with the highest in the nation.
Every place I go to visit makes me think about leaving Buffalo. It will be a tough move, I will miss many, but I too am looking elsewhere.
I work for a major global banking corporation, that is putting up roots in here.. They are sinking a ton of money into this area, and the executives come in and tout how "low the labor costs are". People are glad to work for nothing here, it boggles my mind.
Yes, you can live very nicely on 50k here in buffalo.
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