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.
While you have brought up many legitimate concerns, however, it seems as if you have never experienced any Northeastern/Upper Midwestern city, because the issues you are describing are basically common to any older urban area.
"Good" neighborhoods close to "bad" ones: As another poster pointed out, "bad" is a very subjective term, but the adjacency of areas of disparate incomes and crime levels is not at all unique to Buffalo. This is more extreme in Northeastern cities like NYC, Boston and Washington, where multi-million dollar homes are sometimes a few blocks from the ghetto.
Gang activity: Every metro area has some amount of gang activity
Multi-family housing: Buffalo's classic two family houses were built that way, and this was a common practice in the early 20th century in almost every Northeastern and Upper Midwestern city. Go to Chicago, Cleveland, Milwaukee, etc and you will find a very similar houses. If you looked at multi-family housing in an even older Northeastern City like NYC or Boston, where there are typically 3-4 units or more in a building, you would be even more shocked. As for who uses the backyard and driveway? - it's called sharing. It's a wonderful concept.
Lack of central A/C: Older buildings and homes were not constructed to accommodate central air. Central A/C can be installed through very expensive retrofitting, but in a rental situation it is often not profitable to do so. Just about any structure built after 1980 generally has central air, but most built earlier do not, unless they were retrofitted. Again, this is not a "Buffalo" thing. I live in NYC and the summers here are much hotter than Buffalo's, yet most residential cooling is done with window and through-the-wall units. The newest buildings have central air, however.
Older industrial buildings and ugly riverfronts: Again, take a drive through almost any larger city in this part of the country and you will see similar urban blight. There is more of it in Buffalo, due to the depressed economy, but again this is nowhere near unique to Buffalo.
Expensive suburban townhomes: $1200 is quite reasonable compared to what you would pay in a larger city in the Northeast or Upper Midwest.
High Taxes/Unions: Ditto. Go to any urban area in the Northeast/Upper Midwest and you'll experience the same thing. Exploring all of the socio-economic factors that got us here and how to find solutions is a very complex subject. Your comments about "corrupt government pocketing all of the tax money", while having a grain of truth, is a vast oversimplification of this complex problem. Most people agree that it is a problem, but the solutions are far more complex. "Throwing the bums out" is definitely a start that I personally advocate, but not the magic-bullet solution. Most experts on this subject believe that eventually the South will need higher taxes as its infrastructure and population ages - and this trend is already underway.
You don't indicate from which Southern location you are from. I'm guessing that is is a suburban/exurban community outside of one of the New South cities. These areas were all built up in the last 30 years, so you are probably accustomed to living amongst a lot of newly-built suburban sprawl.
The suburbs of the south provide a fine lifestyle for many people, and so do Northern Cities, but living in an older, denser Northern urban environment takes some getting used to.
Keep posting. Maybe people will get mad enough at me to complain to their neighbors about the horrible comments I'm making and maybe your younger residents will LISTEN and quit leaving as soon as their grown and take action. It's time for your government to retire!! Their thinking and reasoning does not work anymore. Although I don't think it ever worked or it wouldn't be where it is today.
TLC, your very first post insults our city/region, and then you wish for people to respect what your say? My guess is that you'd probably not be happy living anywhere. Every post you've made in an attack on our area. I'm sure the moderators here are good at spotting a troll.
TLC, your very first post insults our city/region, and then you wish for people to respect what your say? My guess is that you'd probably not be happy living anywhere. Every post you've made in an attack on our area. I'm sure the moderators here are good at spotting a troll.
You guys are wrong. I criticize Buffalo and all I am told is that I must be some miserable person who must be naturally miserable if I don't LOVE Buffalo.
TLC, one thing to remember is that Buffalo unfortunately has a very weak Castle Doctrine. You can use lethal force only once someone has broken in, or is attempting to break in to your house. But you are probably a better shot than those gangbangers, hopefully you'll never have to find out.
I hope you don't like shooting for sport around here though, gun clubs are few and far between... and apply now for your pistol permit, it takes a very long time to get it, and it goes by classes, first is only for hunting (you can only carry it while hunting), second is for business owners (you can only carry while you are working at your business), third is unrestricted, which is very rare... NY is basically a police state, they don't want us to have guns, because guns are mean that the people actually have the power, and government would never want We The People to be able to represent ourselves.
Get used to constant regulations and taxes... I didn't even hate Buffalo when I first moved here, now I usually can't stand it.
OP have you checked Amherst, Williamsville, or Cheektowaga?
Other than possibly limiting where you've been looking (if you think Kenmore is cute then you need to check more places), you bring up some valid points.
Taxes and government are certainly issues here. No matter how defensive people will get about the merits of living here, this can't be denied.
So I'm soupose to move to the area. I have never been so stressed out in my life!
So the good things I've seen in the Buffalo area: The people. Very nice atleast the people I've met so far. You certaintly love the city that's for sure.
Now what I don't like: Live on this street, but don't go two streets over because it's a "bad" area? Two streets?? Really? You consider an area good as long as you stay within certain streets?
The homes for rent. Yes we are moving there renting until I figure out what area I want to buy in. Uppper and Lowers?? Why does everyone take one house and turn it into two small apartments, and then charge crazy prices for them? Dirty and run down also. Every apartment I looked at was over priced, run down, dirty, and you would have to pay me to live there because I would have to do so much work to even feel comfortable to live in it!
The two full houses I found for rent I was shocked that they even were showing them in the condition they were in. First, last, security?? Why don't they take previous renters money and fix the place up? For the price of an upper I can rent a very nice almost new house in the south, which is where I live now.
No central a/c??? The excuse is it's only hot a couple months out of the year so they don't bother? That's like saying the south only stays cold a couple months out of the year, so why bother with central heat. You will never find that nonsense here.
Upper and Lowers??? Who gets to enjoy the back yard? The driveway? The front porch?
What's wrong with keeping a full house a full house??
So we looked in several areas. My fiance who's from there wants to move to Kenmore because that's where his family lives. So while just visiting over the years I have to admit, I loved it, but I only stayed within their street which is right near Kenmore West High and Tonawanda right across Sheridan. Cute neighborhoods, people really take care of their yards and homes. But while there acutally looking I found out that the streets I've been on are the only good ones. I don't feel comfortable raising my kids in an area where I have to say "Don't go down this street, or this one, or that one". Just crazy!!
So now I hear that Kenmore West test scores have dropped and there are gangs now in the school! But most will say that's not true (The ones that live in the area), but a friend moved out of the area because of the gangs that have moved in. Why don't people just tell the truth about the area and the schools?
I'm moving my kids from an area where within an almost 30 mile area everywhere is safe and there is no, don't go here or there, and gangs do not exist in our school systems. If they did we would have a hold on it so quick their heads would spin!
Drive down the highway through the city and all I saw were old run down warehouses that should of been blown up years ago. Their still sitting there empty. Why??? The city looks nasty from the highway. With all of the high taxes that your paying has anyone ever questioned where that money was going? Tear them down and build new apartment buildings, hotels, muesums, etc. If you like warehouses, then build new ones that don't look like they will fall at any minuete.
The Niagara river: What the $%*#????
You have one of the 7 wonders of the world and the only one that takes advantage of it is Mississippi Mudds. Bring revenue into the area by building attractions along the river. Your just letting Canada take all of the tourist money. What.. you don't want tourists? Too bad, don't live near Niagara Falls!! The extra money will do the city good. Or not, seeing how obviously you have a corrupt government there that is taking your hard earned money and putting it into their pockets!! Why don't the citizens fight back? You need to get those people out of office!! Maybe you shoud break away from the Democratic way and try something new, because those old ways, aren't working. Your city is wasting away and everyone keeps electing the same people into office.
And yes, I looked at several areas while there because I wasen't happy with what I was seeing in Kenmore. Drove 200 mile just while in Buffalo so believe me when I say I deffiently looked in more areas then just Kenmore. Saw aparments on Grand Island that were almost 1500mo??? Really??? For the same thing here I would pay around 750 to 800mo. Except for one difference down south it would be new or close to it with central a/c and heat! Grand Island expensive? Why? What's so good about it?
Then over by UB North townhomes were 1200mo. Come on people you are being ripped off!!
Ok, so I will get these comments:
Then don't move here...too bad I'm moving there anyway
We don't want you here....too bad, I'm unfortuantly on my way
You were just in a bad area...yes I forgot I went one block too far
Kenmore West isn't a bad school.....oh come on, someone just tell the truth! I looked up test scores online, not impressive. Can't prove the gang issue but when I hear someone was shot a couple blocks from the school because of drugs, hmmmmmmm suspecious!!
So I say this: TAKE BACK YOUR CITY!! FIRE THE POLITICIANS AND HIRE YOUNG NEW ONES THAT WANT A CHANGE IN THE CITY AND WILL FOLLOW THROUGH!!!!!
RUN THE GANGS OUT OF THE AREA!!
MAKE IT TO WHERE YOU NO LONGER HAVE TO STAY AWAY FROM CERTAIN STREETS!!!
I have an idea. Take the people that are on welfare and make them serve atleast 10 hours of work a week to building the city up. No community service, no welfare check!!
It's sad that someone that doesn't even live there yet is more concerned about the area then people that have lived there their whole life and have no plans on leaving.
be prepared to freeze your butt off...and that would be in july!
You've obviously read this board for a while. People don't take well to any criticism of Buffalo, except for a few fine members here, get ready for the bullets to start flying your way.
We actually do need more people like you who are willing to say it like it is, and admit we need improvement, unfortunately, you will quickly realize that your voice is not wanted, and probably be gone within 5 years, like me.
You will probably find something for you here, I sure hope so, because I honestly don't think it's as bad as you are making it out to be. Best of luck in Buffalo.
Well, for it's size (about the 50th largest city in the county), Buffalo has a high violent crime rate (24th in the country). As for gangs... They're everywhere. I lived in a town of 40,000 and there were places I wouldn't go (the problem was Sri Lankan gangs there).* If you're in a town of over 25,000, there will probably be gang activity of some kind. Lock your door, get a gun, whatever you feel keeps you safe. If you don't think you can be safe in Buffalo (and I wouldn't), move to a suburb, or a slightly rural area if you can take a 40 minute commute. Go out by Gasport, Newstead, Darien Center, any of those areas won't have gangs.
I agree about A/C, I have it here, and just left it off. I just have left the windows open, and used a fan a few times. Up until about 85, I don't feel uncomfortable anyway. One thing I will say is that mid-June through August has great weather. I hate winter here (with a passion), but a high of 85 and a low of 65 is ideal for me.
* I remember one place in particular, there was a an apartment complex, and in the middle there was a very large court, we used to cut through there to get to the mall from my high school, and the school administration told us to stop cutting through there because students were getting bottles and rocks thrown at them by the immigrant residents. At night it got even worse. You could pass in front of the place, but there would always be thugs at the entrances to keep anyone from passing (they weren't security guards). So it happens everywhere.
A troll: Love it when because you don't dedicate your life to posting 365 days a year your called a troll. oh well call it what you want.
Those that agree with my valid points.... I applaud you for not being so closed minded and taking it personal.
As you can see by my posts that most of my rants are political. In my very first post the one thing I liked about the area was how nice the people were.
I lived in Boston for the first 13 years of my life, then moved to Atlanta. A new city? Nah, newly built up, yes. They took a run down city and built it back up. Areas that were bad to go into years ago are now very nice areas filled with professionals and families. Thanks to the younger generation that were tired of it. They didn't sit around and defend a worn down city. They realized it and cared enough to take action.
Gangs in every city? Sure there is. But we don't call an area safe when a couple blocks over there is gang activity. We call it safe enough to stop and get gas then get the hell out very quickly.
Like I said in one of my posts, you people do love your city enough to freak when it is attacked. But you should love it enough to be embarrased when tourists come to see the falls and they would rather be on the Canadian side. Or when I tell people I'm moving there they look at me like I'm crazy and say "why?"
The cold weather wont bother me, been there, done that. Yes it may be colder than Boston was, but I'm sure I can adjust. I prefer the colder weather than sweating my butt off in November.
Anyways....Thanks to all the replies. I asked for it and it's exactly what I got. Still think if I'm paying 1200 a month for an apartment, the damn thing should have air. Just my opinion.
Anyhoo, I DO wish the city to prosper. It's sad to see a city that has so much history not be able to benefit from it. I will certaintly be the first one to vote those idiots out of office. I will be the first one to motivate the kids in the area to not move when they grow up, but to take their city back and be able to hold their head up high when tourists do come in the area.
God Bless everyone....TLC...out!
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.
Every post you've made in an attack on our area. I'm sure the moderators here are good at spotting a troll. 
