Wide Open...only in the 'hood...

No sooner had I snapped a few pics of 198 Glenwood (see previous post) that I noticed 195 Glenwood was wide open, too. Here's the google map showing the proximity to the future home of Performing Arts School which is currently being used by the students and teachers of the Waterfront School.

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The side entrance door is missing and the front center window is gone, too. I wonder what else is missing.

And just across the street at 174 Glenwood, the City of Buffalo still owns this house which was picked up at the City's October tax auction in 2004!

See for youself how much property the City of Buffalo owns on Glenwood Avenue. Seems to me that going after the owner for demolition costs would be more effective than using tax dollars. Then again, what do I know.

Just around the corner on Michigan Avenue, the scene of multiple demolitions last year, this house at 1466 Michigan is wide open. There's a housing court warrant for the owner's arrest on this one, too. Here's the google map, showing the proximity to the future home of Performing Arts High School. Which is currently being used by the students and teachers of Waterfront School.

click to enlarge

Here's the story about "demo season" here in Masten. Lots of pics, here!

On the walk home I noticed that the windows are now missing from 125 Woodlawn Avenue which was just taken back by the City of Buffalo at the October tax auction. And 123 Woodlawn now has a broken front window. This house has been vacant for 18 months and is owned by Rev. Richard Stenhouse's organization Bethel CDC. He's also a member of the Buffalo Fiscal Stability Authority, better known here in Buffalo, NY as the Control Board. Both of these houses are directely across the street - google map - from the kids attending Waterfront School. This is what they look at when they look outside...did you look at something similar growing up? Didn't think so.

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The "broken windows theory" of crime, crime prevention and neighborhood decay was first made popular by James Q. Wilson in 1982. Wilson is often quoted:

• if the first broken window in a building is not repaired, then people who like breaking windows will assume that no one cares about the building and more windows will be broken. Soon the building will have no windows...

And so it goes...

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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