I apologize for like the total lack of posting here. I've been involved with a few academic projects recently and have spent considerable time thinking and planning this little Masten blog's next 12 months. The blog has grown, still the only one I know from the City's East Side. When I started blogging in September 2004 with my 3rd grade blog, I've seen it grow, spawn atleast one other blog, piss-people off and gather a subscription base of 101 readers and between 175 and 200 unique visitors on a daily basis.
On a personal level, this blog has compressed time and space and acted as an introduction to people that I've met in a few weeks and months rather than years. Some of my favorite posts still include:
On a personal level, this blog has compressed time and space and acted as an introduction to people that I've met in a few weeks and months rather than years. Some of my favorite posts still include:
The series of links I've collected in Writing the City contain so many nuggets of wisdom and make up some of the most searched items on my blog. Joel Kotkin's Rise of the Ephemeral City, though highly critical of some of the new sacred cows, in the end reminds us that when we think about urban design and planning we have to focus on the fundamentals; sidewalks, streets and schools. Simple. Well, sort of.
Lots of new blogs on the scene here in Buffalo in 2005. Craig and Jennifer do a much better job of keeping people up to date on these things than I ever could. A super snarky suburban blogger has now banned my comments, so high-school - I know. Yet, the blogosphere is a better place with dramatic changes and integration taking place. Some of these developments are collected under the expanding rubric called Web 2.0 applications. This next generation of web activity can best be viewed using the Firefox 1.5 browser which is totally compatible with the wysiwyg editor from Performancing, the coolest extension to the world's best browser. Bloggers, check that out!
Flickr remains the photo archiving and sharing site of choice. Some of the coolest pics of Buffalo can be found here while searching the tags for Buffalo. Riot Sauce and Cacemphaton are some of the most prolific posters. We're having a Flickr meet-up in January, let me know if you want to attend. Check this out, to learn more about what you can do with Flickr.
Lots of new blogs on the scene here in Buffalo in 2005. Craig and Jennifer do a much better job of keeping people up to date on these things than I ever could. A super snarky suburban blogger has now banned my comments, so high-school - I know. Yet, the blogosphere is a better place with dramatic changes and integration taking place. Some of these developments are collected under the expanding rubric called Web 2.0 applications. This next generation of web activity can best be viewed using the Firefox 1.5 browser which is totally compatible with the wysiwyg editor from Performancing, the coolest extension to the world's best browser. Bloggers, check that out!
Flickr remains the photo archiving and sharing site of choice. Some of the coolest pics of Buffalo can be found here while searching the tags for Buffalo. Riot Sauce and Cacemphaton are some of the most prolific posters. We're having a Flickr meet-up in January, let me know if you want to attend. Check this out, to learn more about what you can do with Flickr.
Two other Web 2.0 apps that I'm all over right now include del.icio.us and Writely; on-line apps which are collaborative, productive easy to use and free. Del.icio.us is all about sharing bookmarks with tags and Writely is a web based word processor allowing you to publish and share documents.
I made the decision back in September 2004 to start blogging about my neighborhood here in this little corner of Masten on the City's East Side. A totally abandoned City owned local-landmark still sits a block away. Not much has changed with that. Yet, there is now a new youth center across the street and the high school diagonally across from the Woodlawn Row Houses will be home soon to Performing Arts Hight School. So the Woodlawn Row Houses, I guess are officially on the local radar!
100's of posts and thousands of visitors later this blog has grown into a unique slice of documenting Buffalo's historic past, recent decline and pending reemergence as center of vitality. Consider a resolution for 2006! Focus on your neighborhood, something down the block, an aspect of Buffalo's local history that inspires you. Put it in writing or start taking pictures...and start blogging about Buffalo today!
I made the decision back in September 2004 to start blogging about my neighborhood here in this little corner of Masten on the City's East Side. A totally abandoned City owned local-landmark still sits a block away. Not much has changed with that. Yet, there is now a new youth center across the street and the high school diagonally across from the Woodlawn Row Houses will be home soon to Performing Arts Hight School. So the Woodlawn Row Houses, I guess are officially on the local radar!
100's of posts and thousands of visitors later this blog has grown into a unique slice of documenting Buffalo's historic past, recent decline and pending reemergence as center of vitality. Consider a resolution for 2006! Focus on your neighborhood, something down the block, an aspect of Buffalo's local history that inspires you. Put it in writing or start taking pictures...and start blogging about Buffalo today!
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Artspace Archive • Annals of Neglect • BAVPA • Where is Perrysburg? • Broken Promises...
Writing the City • Woodlawn Row Houses • Tour dé Neglect - 2006 • faq
Artspace Archive • Annals of Neglect • BAVPA • Where is Perrysburg? • Broken Promises...
Writing the City • Woodlawn Row Houses • Tour dé Neglect - 2006 • faq
7 comments:
I know that you've taken some heat on some other local blogs/websites, but I just wanted to tell you that there are some of us who greatly appreciate what you are trying to do on the east side!
As a frequent reader/poster on BR, I'm often surprised with how critical and almost mean-spirited some of the conversations become. I'm also troubled by the concepts of "Old Buffalo" versus "New Buffalo", as if it was an exclusive club that only the eternally optimistic could join. I can tell you that my work at the Central Terminal has been so challenging and difficult at times, that I've gone on many and frequent cycles of positivity and negativity. And many of us there are over 40 and might be considered "Old Buffalo".
When you have an enormous challenge like the east side, reality will definitely creep in and at times, make you a bit negative. But we all seem to go on, regardless.
Keep up your fine efforts to increase awareness to the east side!
Aw, a shout out. So kind. So kind. I still love the 3rd grade blog description :)
Happy New Year D! :)
For the record, David, no one has "banned" your comments. Your comments have gone into moderation because I have a long laundry list of words which trigger comments going into moderation. One time I mistakenly deleted all the comments in the moderation queue when I only meant to delete 1 out of the three. It was not only a mistake, but one to which I fessed up in the next available post.
But this is your blog, so you're free to make up your own stories.
Mike...
Thanks for the kind words. There's alot happening on the City's near east-side and I hope to connect with your efforts and the Bway/Fillmore GNPA in the comming year...
Jenn...the 3rd grade comment was a reference to what my blog looked like when I first started and before I met you. Call me for beers...you still owe me!
We need anyone and everyone to shine some light on the East Side, Although we are differ on our views on how to "save" it, we all realize it needs to be saved, I enjoy your pics,Not many venture out on the East side to see what is going on , So the pics are invaluable! Happy 2006!
Michele,
And thanks for the kind words, too. Your work should be celebrated in every North Amercian city that experiences the disinvestment and decline that we experience on a daily basis here on the City's east side.
I encourage you to start blogging your work and sharing your daily counseling/social-work/refugee and humanitarian relief work that you are so personally engaged in on 24/7 basis here in the 'hood.
Your work and the exceedingly small successes that you have...keep all of going.
Lots of love, Michele...
David,
Once we figure out where we are going to start, we'd love to have you join us! Like with Michele, your insight on the east side would be a most valuable resource for us. I don't claim to know HALF of what I need to know there... I only offer my services because I firmly believe that Broadway/Fillmore is ready for redevelopment. That will only serve to help the cause of the Central Terminal.
Happy New Year, all!
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