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Newell and George have stitched together some awesome posting about Buffalo's East-Side and the potential that some of the forgotten buildings may have and the role their re-development may play in the long term economic revitalization of Buffalo. Seems like the comments section of two of their most recent posts have really expanded into virtual conversations not always seen in the Buffalo Blogosphere.

Check out the posts here and here...

Make sure to check out the slide shows they have featured, too. Newell asked me for some help in identifying some of the buildings...I've got the scoop on six of them...posting to follow.

Make sure to scroll through the comments section of each post. Some snarky, some salient and still some other comments suggest that an emerging east-side renaissance is at hand. Me thinks there's lots of distrust and deep structural inequities that must be addressed in addtion to a complex problem of failed "afro-centrist" black leadership.

In any case, some of the many comments include those from astute and forever analytical and recent urban planning grad, Chris Hawley and of course Buffalo's own Jim Ostrowski who helps lay the historic background and a theoretical lens to help better understand....WTF happened to the largest geographical part of the City.

This from Jim Ostrowski...

The black community is in a free fall of single mothers and teenage pregnancy. The neighborhood are rife with unsupervised children without fatherly role models, unemployment, drugs, crime, alchohol and adultery. Single mothers dont have time to care about their neighborhoods or watch their kids....so their kids dont understand the value of education....they are labelled learning disabled because their parents dont help them with homework.

Moynahans report detailed the problems the black community faces 30 years ago! Guess what? The biggest problem that the black community faces isnt racism or segregation! Its the black community itself! Thats why as soon as an african american gets educated or gets a decent job they get as far away from the black community as possible. They, better than anyone, dont want to move as far away from the problems of the black community as possible.

And this from Chris Hawley...

The East Side will rebound, but only with determined advocacy and a few investors willing to take great risks...

...Who thought the newly christened Midtown would be home to a 55-unit artist loft project? Now watch. The city is engaged in a planning process to re-do Coe Place in brick in a distinctive diagonal herringbone pattern. It will be the Little Summer Street of the East Side soon enough, with its quaint Queen Annes dating to 1890 and 1891. If the city follows through, a landscaped mini-traffic circle will be installed on the corner of Northampton and Ellicott streets. Commercial buildings, including the former Homer Tarbell livery stable on Riley Street and the old Joseph Denzel's Tavern on the corner of Michigan and Riley, could be receiving new investment as corner stores or galley space.

Imagine as downtown's loft building craze naturally leans closer and closer to the near East Side. I believe inevitably, loft housing will be popping up along Genesee Street as far up as Fillmore Avenue. Take the corner of Genesee and Michigan and tell me how that area is not the next place to be redeveloped?

Lots of other comments to scroll through...especially Mike Miller's from the Central Terminal.

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