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I'm thinking about relocating to the Buffalo area and have heard good things about Black Rock as the artist/creative community. If anyone can tell me, is this true and what's the area like for living (as opposed to visiting/tourism)? Appreciate any insight! Thanks
Black Rock is one of the older sections of the city as it once was a separate village (until the 1850s IIRC), and for decades, it was primarily a heavy industrial area with worker housing and small commercial areas scattered throughout it. The primary industries in the Black Rock area were metal producers and paint/chemical manufacturers (American Brass, Atlas Steel, Pratt & Lambert etc)
There has always been an ethnic presence in Black Rock. In the mid-1800s, German Catholics opened the first Catholic school in the area attached to St Francis Xavier parish. Later, around the turn of the 20th century immigrants from Central and Eastern Europe (Hungarians, Poles, and Ukranians primarily) moved in. Today, the area has Hispanic and Asian immigrant enclaves scattered through it.
Black Rock has some old houses and other buildings. I'm not sure if they have historic significance outside of their ages. The historic Black Rock Market was located along the Scajacquada Creek in what is now the parking lot of the Tops Market at Amherst and Grant Streets. It was demo'd in the late 1950s/early 1960s to make room for the Scajacquada Expressway (198). You aren't going to find many Victorian mansions or even middle class Craftsman style homes since Black Rock was mostly working class.
Black Rock seems to be becoming the new "hip" place in Buffalo, but it has a long way to go before it has real positive ambiance. It's pretty rough around the edges, but the very western edge of Black Rock, sometimes called Grant-Amherst, is experiencing some improvement, so hopefully it will spread westward towards Tonawanda and Niagara Streets. In a lot of ways, it's much like Allentown was in the 1950s or the West Village in the 1990s. It's definitely "urban pioneer" country IMO.
Thanks for this, Linda_d! I appreciate the background info. and your insights.
You didn't mention anything about it being Buffalo's arts community -- up and coming or otherwise. You sound like you have a real knowledge about the city, what's your opinion of Buffalo's arts community/scene?
Thanks for this RocketSci! I BING'd and GOOGLE'd 'til I was blue in the face, and didn't find any of these! I really appreciate this! Thanks, again
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