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(Maki Becker, Buffalo News) In the spring of 2003, the Massachusetts Avenue Project turned a vacant lot on the West Side into a vegetable garden.

The neighbors didn’t exactly know what to make of it.

“They thought it was weird,” recalled Diane Picard, executive director of the organization. “Or they thought: ‘Oh, this is a nice little gardening project.’”

Ten growing seasons later, urban farming is flourishing in Buffalo, just as it has in cities across the nation.

A small but growing group of people with a taste for local food, a passion for living sustainably and a devotion to ensuring everyone has access to healthy, affordable food has started urban farms in vacant lots on both the West Side and the East Side.

This year, urban farming is approaching a new level in Buffalo.

A group of young people who recently bought up old vacant lots on Michigan Avenue and Peckham Streets has teamed up with other East Side urban farmers to form a farming cooperative. Their goal is to pool their skills and resources so that they can generate enough produce to feed themselves and sell at market stands to the public.

Read full story in the Buffalo News—>

(By Danielle Huber – Dedicated to Buffalo)  It was suggested to me last Spring to park on the top ramp of the Broadway Market for a spectacular view of Corpus Christi as well as the Central Terminal and the Polonia district holistically.  When I did, my eye caught a unique art-deco ornamented building that boasted the name Lederman’s. For the past year, I have not been able to get this building out of mind, as I feel that it is slowly decaying and its beauty is not being valued.  I chose to look further into its history only to find an interesting one.  Lederman’s, 239-241 Lomabard Street, was once a furniture store with a circa of 1929.  It is a commercial building designed by Louis Greenstein adjacent to the Broadway Market and in the heart of the Broadway commercial district.

While researching the history of the architect, I made a tremendous connection.  Louis Greenstein, early in his career, won $250 in 1924 for designing the City of Buffalo flag.  He also won $100 in 1925 for designing the Erie County seal still in use today.

Greenstein, a Buffalo native, was born in 1886 and was a senior draftsman for the renowned Green & Wicks in 1907.  After returning from Columbia University, he established his own practice in the Guaranty Building.

Some of  Greenstein’s built work include:

• Columbus Hospital
• the Lutheran Home on East Delavan
• the Bryant & Stratton School (now Tapestry Charter)
• Temple Shaarey Zedek on Starin Avenue
• the Tudor style house on Tudor Place and Cleveland Avenue
• the Coplan Mansion in Amherst (Italian Renaissance)
• Willowdale Country Club in Williamsville, NY (Westwood Country Club)
• the Medical Arts Office Building in Buffalo
• Riverside Men’s Shop that featured the city’s first air-conditioning, first plate-glass doors, and first fluorescent lighting

In addition, Greenstein was involved in rehabbing historically significant buildings around Buffalo.  This was fundamental due to the fact that historic preservation standards were not written yet and nothing was thought of demolishing “old” buildings for new construction.  Greenstein was an early preservation pioneer and advocate throughout the 1940s and 50s when he was noted for rehabbing and readapting.

I feel compelled to express the significance of Greenstein’s role in Buffalo’s early preservation and how we owe it to him, our city, and the surrounding community’s future to save the breath-taking commercial Lederman’s building before it is “too late” and becomes a victim to the demo-machine.

Greenstein died in 1972.

Read original post by clicking here—>

A Saint John Kanty parishioner, Judith Felski, posted this on YouTube earlier today.

Her husband got the bells fixed and ringing at SJK and she recorded them.

From YouTube:

The bells have been quiet for a while…they are now fixed, just in time to proclaim the Resurrection! Thanks to Chris Byrd for posting the bells of Corpus Christi last week. Chris’s creative and never ending enthusiasm for the Broadway Fillmore area, the East side churches, and the Broadway Market, is contagious!

Thank you for posting that Judith…but for me,  it is the people who work tirelessly to keep neighborhood treasures like Saint John Kanty alive that serve as motivation and inspiration to do what I do on here and helping the neighborhood.

I love this quote on BFA’s Facebook page by Bill Blake:

We took part in the Seven Churches tour last evening and it was spectacular! These churches and the people that still support them are the hidden gems of Buffalo. If you haven’t done this I would highly encourage everyone to get down to them this weekend and continue to support them….spread the word!!

Amen!

For me, I tried not to take too many pictures last night.  Sometimes I just need to experience nights like this not looking through a lens.

Here is a YNN story on the night—>

The Broadway Market should host after hours events throughout the year.

Whether events are run by the market or someone else, it can benefit.

Take a look around town and you will see a number of events being held at unique places.  Just this past weekend, Boom Days was held inside of a grain elevator.  Places like the Larkin @ Exchange building host events on a regular basis.  Heck, take a ride down from the market on Gibson to Paderewski and look at the events the Central Terminal puts on…people, businesses and organizations love to go to and have events at one of a kind spaces.  The Broadway Market fits the bill.

The market has a history of hosting special after hours events.  From Dyngus Day to public meetings to Hallwalls’ Artist and Models to everything in-between, the Broadway Market has proven it can successfully do it.

Establishing itself as an event venue will accomplish a few things.

• Increase exposure
• Attract different types of audiences
• Build reputation
• Build brand
• Generate income

Again, the whole goal here is to make the Broadway Market a year-round destination.

To take it a little further, the market has a 100,000 sq. ft. roof/parking lot.  This has to be the most underutilized space of the Broadway Market.   It offers unique views the neighborhood and downtown.  It could easily be used for a wide variety of summer events and essentially a blank canvas.  A one of a kind cool space in Buffalo.

As the title of this post and series suggests, EASY.

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The entire series of articles can be viewed by clicking here—>

Discount is word a lot of people look at when they are making decisions where to shop.

A creative way to bring more traffic to the Broadway Market year-round would be to offer a series of discount days throughout the year targeting a variety of groups of people.  It is an easy way to motivate people to come to the market who otherwise wouldn’t and a great promotional tool.

The pool of potential groups is literally endless…senior citizens, veterans, college students, etc.

The Broadway Market could even take it up a notch and partner with organizations and businesses to have special days geared towards them.   Imagine City of Buffalo Employee Day, Kaleida Health Day, M&T Employee Day,etc…the potential here is also endless.

The whole concept is designed to bring more people to through 999 Broadway’s doors.

Though a discount would effect a vendor’s bottom line, they could make it up by seeing overall increased sales on such days.

As the title of this post and series suggests, EASY.

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The entire series of articles can be viewed by clicking here—>

Read original—> Businesses team up for Easter tradition: wivb.com

More Butter Lamb coverage!

This is the third part of my series on ten things the Broadway Market can do to be a year-round destination.

In this installment, I am going to touch on the Broadway Market’s hours of operation.

A cursory look at some other markets around the country and I found that a lot offer later hours on all or a few days of the week and offer Sunday hours.

The Broadway Market has been open 8am-5pm six days a week (Monday-Saturday) for as long as I can remember. In this day and age, those hours just don’t cut it in retail anymore.  The market needs to adapt to the market.

The market doesn’t need to radically change its hours either.

Let’s start by having it open a few nights a week to 7pm.  The later closing will provide an extra window of time for people to shop after work or may want to zip down later.  It  makes the market more convenient and can help expand its base of year-round shoppers.

Next.

Have you been inside of a Wegmans or Tops on Sunday recently?  They are jammed packed with people shopping.  These people could be shopping at the Broadway Market.

If you take in to consideration the influx of people who come to the Broadway-Fillmore neighborhood for Sunday Mass, there is a built in customer base waiting to be tapped into.  Personally, I would love to stop in the market for some baked goods, etc. on Sunday after Mass.

The Broadway Market wouldn’t have to open all day on Sundays.  A short hour schedule of 9am-2pm should suffice.

As the title of this post and series suggests, EASY.

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The entire series of articles can be viewed by clicking here—>

This sounds like a whole lot of AWESOME!

From the Adam Mickiewicz Library & Dramatic Circle’s Facebook page:

So you think you can make kielbasa? Maybe you even think that your kielbasa is the Best in Buffalo. Here’s your chance to prove it. Adam Mickiewicz Library & Dramatic Circle (Mickey’s) and Tornspace Theatre are revitalizing “Buffalo’s Best Kielbasa Contest” on Dyngus Day, April 9, 2012 at noon. This way you can start your Dyngus Day celebration early in Polonia at Buffalo’s Most Authentic and Original Dyngus Day Celebration.

This Contest will converge Dyngus Day revelers, polish beer connoisseurs, and polish sausage lovers into the Heart of Polonia to determine Buffalo’s Best Kielbasa. The sponsor of this event is Fillmore District Council Member David A. Franczyk and he is looking for the best kielbasa-makers in the area.

The winner of this year’s contest will receive a basket of Polish Cheer and best of all, the honor of being designated Buffalo’s Best Homemade and Commercial Kielbasa and People’s Choice Winner. The contest will be held at the Adam Mickiewicz Library and Dramatic Circle, 612 Fillmore Ave, Buffalo, NY from Noon- 3pm.

During the contest, Polish Beer Tasting will be conducted at the bar with the unique brands of Polish Beer we feature throughout the year. Tastings will be offered (3 for $1 or 6 for $2) and you can certainly buy a bottle to enjoy. Authentic Polish food will also be available.

Anyone who wishes to participate in the kielbasa contest must register in advance by completing a registration form. Any questions can be emailed to Aniela Thant at buffalobestkielbasa@gmail.com, or by calling 716-479-2342.

Admission to the contest is $10. Admission includes a ballot to vote for the People’s Choice Contest, one draft beer, a commemorative cup for beer tasting, and admission to evening activities at Mickey’s beginning at 5pm.