David Torke from FixBuffalo is hangin’ it up after some discouraging news. In some ways, it shouldn’t be a surprise.

Anyone who pretty much devotes their life to the East Side of Buffalo and does everything in his power to make it better, only to have his heart broken would stop trying for at least a little.

Personally, I grew up off Bailey and when I came back last year I had all sorts of plans to buy my Grandma’s house, spruce it up, and watch the “other” end of the University District come back to life. I lived there this summer and realized how hopeless it was. It started to ruin my outlook and opinions of Buffalo…I had to flee and went back to DC for a couple of weeks before being able to put everything in perspective, roll up my sleeves, and head back to work.

And that’s the University District.

David was dealing with a whole other animal (and not a very nice or healthy one either).

I try not to think about a lot of Buffalo’s problems because there are so many. I focus on downtown because I ended up there by myself as a 15 year old without knowing anyone and very little about the place. I found myself as a person and decided that Buffalo was always home and will always be home.

Thankfully I got into the whole dowtown Buffalo thing right before all the growth came. I understand the awful past and I see the awesome future ahead for it. If downtown wasn’t growing, I don’t think I’d be doing this whole Buffalo thing like I am.

I think I speak for a lot of people when I say that I really hope David goes back to doing his thing for the online world and the East Side of Buffalo. Buffalo needs more people like him and we can’t afford to lose him, the East Side really can’t afford to lose him.

So David, I suggest a nice vacation in a thriving part of the country, the continent, or anywhere in the world. Hopefully it’ll liven up your psyche, and maybe you’ll be able to head back to the grind that seemingly only you can handle.

I really don’t think it’s over yet though.

Bass Pro and the City of Buffalo have been dating for years, they’ve been fighting a lot and now Bass Pro is acting all emotional and trying to see how Buffalo reacts. Is he going to hunt her down and try to bring her back or is he just going to realize that she’s nuts and has been using him all these years…a goldigger of sorts.

Looks like Buffalo is standing strong. He’s going to move on to better ones that treat him the way he deserves to be treated.

Buuuuut he might still take her back. You just never know in this crazy world. Let alone the crazy world of Buffalo Waterfront Development.

The Bills did it again yesterday with an impressive win over Miami. We swept the season seried, eliminated them from the playoffs, and shut them out. Our first since that memorable 31-0 season opener v. New England back in the day.

I’m so impressed with the maturity of Losman. I’m tellin ya he’s gonna be good. Not great, but really really good. He’s got weapons around him on offense, one of the best special teams in the league, and a defense that has becom something else since the 2nd half of the Chargers game.

It’s great that we’re still in the playoff race and can easily avoid a losing season (I predicted 5-11 preseason). Next year our expendible income will be torn between the exciting Sabres, and the exciting Bills.

Maybe the blackout days will be over soon?

Soooooo much to post about today. Sooooooooooooooooooooo much. Bare with me here as I get ready to make you all the victims of a blogging avalanche!

I went downtown in late August after a couple weeks in Maryland and saw that the Dragon Express had a hole in its’ window. No good. Came back another time and it had some cardboard over it. Okay not cool. Came back later and there was MORE cardboard on it.

IT HAS BEEN FIVE MONTHS.

The same administration that is ready to pick nits with the Buffalo Beast making a prank phone call to the mayors office has let a restaurant right in the heart of downtown Main Street have some crap cardboard cover their entrance.

Apparently they have some loyal and very defensive customers. When I took these pictures these two kids on their way into the restaurant I believe flicked me off and called me a “bitch-ass nigga”. I actually dissagree with that statement.

Other than that and the pretty cheap interior I’m gonna give some props to the folks at the Dragon Express. They have a $4.50 all you can eat lunch buffet and they’re open when everything else on the street is closed.

But seriously. Five months? You can’t fix a window in five months? This is Buffalo 2006…not 1986…we take care of things now.

On a whim I decided to go downtown (you will all reap the benefits of this visit later) and as the metro went by the HSBC Tower I saw a familiar man with his dog taking a walk out on the plaza. Realizing who it was I got out at the Harbor Station and walked back as fast as I could…BuffaloRising’s own Newell Nussbaumer was there.

Newell and I talked about a bunch of things, including the whole wnymedia-bro debate that we’ve been witnessing over the past week. I’ve been making a consious effort this week to not get involved in it in my blog but Newell had some interesting perspectives on the whole thing and it was pretty cool to talk about it with him. Him and his dog (I couldn’t tell you how many people would tell him how beautiful the dog was…and it really is) followed me up Washington Street to the Ellicott Commons, shared some stories, discussed some architecture and then went over to Fountain Plaza to watch some kids skate.

Newell is pretty much an older, blonder, more excitable version of me. He gets so excited at the littlest thing when he’s downtown…like, pure, unadulterated joy when he sees a certain building or kids skating or people walking downtown…anything. We’re lucky to have him around since so few of the creative class remains here.

So I know that BRO and wnymedia.net are going at it right now but basically we’re just two different online options in the world of the Buffalo internets. When you want to know about new or unknown stores and restaurants, or little things about the city that make Buffalo cool, then you go to BRO. When you want to know about how much of a douche bag all the politicians are around here, or how screwed up the economy is, or how stupid people are doing stupid things to hurt this region of ours, you come to wnymedia.net

But anyways, it was an amazing day to just walk around downtown and soak in everything. I suggest you do so sometime as well and see all the awesome developements and architecture that exists. And who knows, maybe you’ll run into me or Newell.
That was my take, here’s how Newell saw it…

Just wondering. Is their anything that Wegmans makes that DOESN’T taste like amazingness?
I had two Marco Polo bagels just by themselves as if they were bread and it made my night. I’ve never even heard of “Marco Polo” anything. But whatever it is…good god its beautiful and delicious.

AND DON’T EVEN GET ME STARTED ON THE SUBS.

Just think that over 90% of the world does not have a Wegmans nearby. See, Buffalo is spoiled sometimes.

Wal Mart is adding a new store to the suburbs. Bad.
But they’re occupying a practically abandoned strip mall. Good.
But they’re abandoning their current location 2miles down the street. Bad.

Even when Amherst does something right in the development game, they still end up doing it the wrong and traditional way anyways.

PS. Wal Mart wants to expand in the region. Wha? They have a lot more stores than I ever saw in the DC suburbs.
PPS. My friends from Williamsville were bored at 1am so we…went to the 24 hour Wal Mart!
And it was fricken JAM PACKED. AT 1 AM. WTF? Perhaps because they had a man in a santa hat and khaki shorts on top of a ladder singing Country music? Perhaps.

Add a picture of downtown to that thought bubble Homer because…

Downtown Buffalo + 2007= LOTS OF DONUTS.

I always throw around ideas in my head about what new things would work or need to happen downtown. And a couple of them are going to happen…
1. Tim Hortons downtown
2. National Life building gets a retail or food tennant for the 1st floor.

The HSBC tower getting Tim Hortons is old and dissapointing news since it doesn’t affect the streetscape at all. I’m not sure exactly how it’ll work in the Key Towers but 2,000 sq.feet sounds pretty impressive. I think I’m picturing a vacant spot on the 1st floor next to Edrito’s for a Tim Hortons…if so…thats perfect. What’s better than a cup of hot chocolate/coffee and a donut/muffin right after a nice skate in Fountain Plaza?

The better news though is that the National Life building on the corner of Main and Chippewa is finally getting a 1st floor tennant. I’ve tossed around the idea of getting some people together to have a Urban Outfitters-type place to occupy that space once I’m out of college but Dunkin’ Donuts has more money right now than I do so they’re gonna occupy that space in a couple months perhaps.
What’s important about that building is that its a gateway from Main to the entertainment district. It’s a pretty cool building but it’s never had any life to it. The way its’ designed calls for some really nice signage. Dunkin Donuts should be able to do that. Depending on their hours it could stretch out the nightlife onto Main.

Augh! BuffaloRising beat me to the story.

This is what happens when I decide not to touch a computer for a good 48 hours.

I’ve developed a thing for Dale Volker ever since I saw his infamous temper tantrum after the Tolls came down.

Thankfully there are some more gems to add to the archives. He AND his aide were fuming with Channel 2 for him never responding to the pay raise issue.

I want him to stay in office forever purely for entertainment purposes.