Buffalo and empty neighborhoods? (Syracuse, Cheektowaga: real estate, 2009, condo)

[ckhthankgod]

An interesting article I found from the Syracuse newspaper online: Buffalo is home to one of America's emptiest neighborhoods - syracuse.com

I would take this with a grain of salt though, as many cities in the NE and Midwest are in similar situations and there are many neighborhoods in buffalo that are fine.

[RollsRoyce]

Certainly not good press for Buffalo!

[Buffalonian4life]

Not a big deal. A few neighborhoods like this are found in every city. While I would like for these areas to make a turn around, in Buffalo the good out-rules the bad by a large margin. No real issue here, just a remembrance of our once burgeoning city.

[Urban Peasant]

There is a similar article in the Buffalo News today.

Buffalo has 6 of 10 most deserted neighborhoods in state : Latest Local News : The Buffalo News

I wonder what will happen to Buffalo if entire neighborhoods are torn down. Will it revert to being grassland and forest or does the city actually plan to make use of the land and how?

[livecontent]

This is a real shame. I grew up in Cheektowaga, near the Town Park. When, I was kid, over 50 years ago. I would ride my bike up Doat to Get to the Schiller Park Pool. My friend and I would, many times, go to a Convent on Doat, to deliver donations which his mother wanted to give to the nuns. It was a Convent where they never left, and remained secluded. I can see it on Google but I cannot remember the name. That convent and Villa Marie College are still in my memory and I have dreams today, about the buildings. Many times we would ride our bikes to Bailey and further to Genesee. This was our big exploration, in those days.

At that time I was not very impressed by Schiller Park---I thought it was rundown, even at that time. I understand the Pool is closed. It was a rough place back then, with white toughs; I do not remember many blacks. Public swimming for some years before the 60s was not always encouraged, because of Polio, and the idea of the vaccine protecting you, did not totally convince everyone. But from my memory, the pool was crowded.

I do not remember homes along Doat being that bad, but it was not perfect either. There were some white gang problems.

Livecontent

[Dragonchaser]

Originally Posted by livecontent

This is a real shame. I grew up in Cheektowaga, near the Town Park. When, I was kid, over 50 years ago. I would ride my bike up Doat to Get to the Schiller Park Pool. My friend and I would, many times, go to a Convent on Doat, to deliver donations which his mother wanted to give to the nuns. It was a Convent where they never left, and remained secluded. I can see it on Google but I cannot remember the name. That convent and Villa Marie College are still in my memory and I have dreams today, about the buildings. Many times we would ride our bikes to Bailey and further to Genesee. This was our big exploration, in those days.

At that time I was not very impressed by Schiller Park---I thought it was rundown, even at that time. I understand the Pool is closed. It was a rough place back then, with white toughs; I do not remember many blacks. Public swimming for some years before the 60s was not always encouraged, because of Polio, and the idea of the vaccine protecting you, did not totally convince everyone. But from my memory, the pool was crowded.

I do not remember homes along Doat being that bad, but it was not perfect either. There were some white gang problems.

Livecontent

That's interesting about the gang problem 50 years ago (although I'm sure not cool back then) Maybe it's thoughts of my sociology class, but gangs of that era are very interesting to read about. Was there a "greaser" gang problem in Buffalo in the 50's-60's? Was it actually organized or was it more kids pretending to be tough? If anyone knows of a book or an essay link of Buffalo street crime history I would thoroughly enjoy reading that...thanks

[livecontent]

I did a quick search on Google Book, on Buffalo Gangs, and you will find this book
Coming of Age in Buffalo: Youth and Authority in the Postwar Era

Coming of Age in Buffalo: Youth and ... - Google Book Search

The preview page with this search will give you information about all the gangs after the war. It is interesting that I vaguely remember some of these names. As a child, I could not have said if these gangs where just toughs or organized groups; all I knew was that they bothered me and I had to be careful. It appears from this book, that they were an organized group.

I do remember the Monsignor of Queen of Martyrs Parish in Cheektowaga, saying how he had something to do with stopping the gangs from crossing Harlem. Yea, that guy, the polish ethnic priest, Very Right Reverend Monsignor Stanley A. Kulpinski. I can remember that name because we had to say "Good Morning Very Right......" with his ever expanding titles and appellations . Of course we had to collect for his vacation, every year, to Poland-----like all of us poor Polish and Italians, even got a vacation.... Boy, if you did not contribute, you had real problems from the Felician Nuns, a Polish Order that was housed in Villa Maria Convent, on Doat---so, the real organized gang in my youth were these Polish Nuns--and they were a terror.

Livecontent

[UpstaterInBklyn]

Originally Posted by ckhthankgod

An interesting article I found from the Syracuse newspaper online: Buffalo is home to one of America's emptiest neighborhoods - syracuse.com

I would take this with a grain of salt though, as many cities in the NE and Midwest are in similar situations and there are many neighborhoods in buffalo that are fine.

This is a direct result of population loss and sprawl, and indicative of what happens when the value of real estate becomes zero because there is nobody left to live there. I read an article in the Buffalo News about a plan for Habitat for Humanity to establish a farm on an empty East Side block.

The long term trends are not going to reverse themselves. I think Buffalo would be smart to consider what Flint, Michigan did: "Planned Shrinkage". This allows the remaining populated areas to have a better chance of continuing to be viable neighborhoods and allows the city to concentrate services in those areas.

[condoforthree]

Originally Posted by UpstaterInBklyn

This is a direct result of population loss and sprawl, and indicative of what happens when the value of real estate becomes zero because there is nobody left to live there. I read an article in the Buffalo News about a plan for Habitat for Humanity to establish a farm on an empty East Side block.

The long term trends are not going to reverse themselves. I think Buffalo would be smart to consider what Flint, Michigan did: "Planned Shrinkage". This allows the remaining populated areas to have a better chance of continuing to be viable neighborhoods and allows the city to concentrate services in those areas.

I used to live on Zelmer Street. We bought in the late 1980's and after 8 months, we put the house on the market because I had been attacked in my own backyard! We lost money on the house, but we did not care, we had two babies and wanted out!

I think demolishing the houses is the smartest thing to do. First of all it gets rid of an eyesore. Second, no squatters can take over a crack house, and third, knocking them down will keep it from getting worse. Parks, farms, anything that is ion place of those dumps is better for everyone.

If it's cleared out, then people may actually start thinking of what the land could be used for. The article stated that there are not enough people to occupy the homes. If there are not enough people to take care of them, tear them down! It's better than just leaving them to rot, giving criminals a place to hide and making the neighborhoods look worse.

[Dragonchaser]

Originally Posted by condoforthree

I used to live on Zelmer Street. We bought in the late 1980's and after 8 months, we put the house on the market because I had been attacked in my own backyard! We lost money on the house, but we did not care, we had two babies and wanted out!

I think demolishing the houses is the smartest thing to do. First of all it gets rid of an eyesore. Second, no squatters can take over a crack house, and third, knocking them down will keep it from getting worse. Parks, farms, anything that is ion place of those dumps is better for everyone.

If it's cleared out, then people may actually start thinking of what the land could be used for. The article stated that there are not enough people to occupy the homes. If there are not enough people to take care of them, tear them down! It's better than just leaving them to rot, giving criminals a place to hide and making the neighborhoods look worse.

I 2nd the demolishing of the old homes in the bad neighboorhoods. Instead tearing down this house here, and this house there...how about tearing down block by block. I would think focusing on one area at a time would help in the rebuilding process. Just an idea