Augh, finally! Dragon Express got a new window after half a year. Looooking spiffy there, boys!
Now lets never let that happen again.

A big thank you to everyone at BuffaloPlace that helped me out as well as all the people who complained to City Hall.
I know its such a minor thing but ignoring things like that lead to us accepting urban decay on a larger and larger scale at time progresses.

I called Dragon Express today. I asked him if he was going to fix the window and his answer was

“Yes. [awkward silence]”

So then I asked him when and he said

“End of this month.”

A loquacious man for sure. We’ll see if they actually do fix it.

Well not only did they not fix it while I was in DC but it actually looks worse! Good for them!

Recieved an E-Mail today from W. Morgan Smith of BuffaloPlace giving me an update about the case…
According to the offices of Economic Development, Inspections, and Permit Services…Dragon Express has been written up for Housing Court with no court date set yet.

According to Smith, if the window is repaired by the date of court appearance it will be dropped. If the owner appears in court and promises to fix it, they can without punishment but if they don’t show up they’ll be fined in all likelyhood.

He also adds that:

“It is not appropriate at this time for members of the public to contact
Housing Court Judge Henry Nowak about this case, but the City Building
Inspector assigned to Housing Court cases, Brian Higgins, can receive
public comment and present it to the Court at the appropriate point in the
proceedings. It is probably best to submit any such comments in writing to
Mr. Higgins at Room 304, City Hall, Buffalo, NY 14202.”

So although City Hall hasn’t told me anything since I filed the report, BuffaloPlace has been of tremendous help in keeping me updated even though they have no responsibilty to do so.

I’ve called city hall last week, and today…case is still open. If anyone else frequents this part of Main street and is as embarassed as I am to see it, call up City Hall and complain!

City Hall says they close cases within 30 business days so I believe they have about 20 days to get around to it.

EDIT: The number to call is 851-4972. Tell them to fix the window at Dragon Express 525 Main Street. Victory will be ours!

I am determined to get that Dragon Express window fixed. So I emailed Buffalo Place and told them about it. I got a response from a woman named Peggy to take it up with City Hall. She was very helpful and sent me a step by step list of things to do on the City website to get it fixed.

So I did today and got a Service Complaint # and the site said they would get back to me.

I WILL GET THIS WINDOW FIXED.

Oh and just for the record, I have an active social life…in case you were wondering.

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.