Broadway Fillmore Alive

The Online Voice of Buffalo's Historic Polonia

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Tag Archives: Broadway-Fillmore

This Sunday is Second Sunday in Broadway-Fillmore

Second Sundays (click on image for full view)

Over the years, I have heard many people tell their tales about how sad they are about places in the neighborhood that have closed or have been torn down, etc.

Each of us though, has an opportunity to make a difference in the future of B-F’s treasures.  It is as simple as supporting them more.

The Second Sunday idea is simple enough…come to church at one of B-F’s historic and beautiful churches every second Sunday of a month during the course of the year.

As anyone at any of the churches will tell you, we need more people to attend.

The effort here is to help sustain these churches for future generations.

Far too often in Buffalo’s past we have let our history be relegated to “I wish this place or that place was still round” without any way to help or turn back the clock.  Well, you can help here. Come to B-F for church at least once a month!

It is a simple but valuable way to make a difference in protecting B-F’s ethnic and architectural heritage.

Amen…

The churches.

Join Team Alive

In late 2005, Broadway Fillmore Alive (BFA) was born.

At the time, Mike Miller (RIP), Michele Johnson and I decided to start collaborating on a project to start showing the world that the neighborhood was Alive.  Each of us was already working with different organizations in the Broadway-Fillmore (B-F) and wanted to pool our collective talents.  We thought it was important to open a window to the neighborhood via the internet and start promoting it as a whole. The idea being that Broadway-Fillmore still had a lot going and there was a need to start leveraging all of its assets (Central Terminal, churches, Broadway Market, etc.) as way to help the area collectively.   After BFA started, we were amazed at how quickly everything took off and how BFA started creating new love for B-F.

Let’s move ahead to now.  A few years ago Mike Miller passed away.  Around the same time, Michele Johnson became increasingly involved with Buffalo ReUse.  After Mike’s death, I began kicking around ideas to retool BFA.

Being immersed in helping different places in the neighborhood at a high level,  the idea to retool has been put on the back burner for far too long.  The time has come to make it a priority.  This is where you come in.

About a month before Mike Miller passed away, we started working on an idea to get more people active and involved in the neighborhood….we came up with the concept of Team Alive.  The idea was was prompted by our growing frustration over not being able to do everything we would like to do to help and this seems like this is the time to re-roll it out.

The idea is to put together a broader BFA volunteer group of people interested in working on  projects in B-F, write for BFA and more.  At the core of the concept is what we started to do when we came up with Broadway Fillmore Alive.

“Our mission is to work together with community groups, businesses, residents, churches and other organizations to help promote, preserve and revitalize the Broadway-Fillmore area.”

Through the work here and with the various organizations BFA is affiliated with, our idea has always been to have people look at the neighborhood as a sum of all its parts. I am very proud of this little window we give the world of B-F.

But…

There is more work to be done…there is a lot of the neighborhood that doesn’t get the attention or focus it needs.

Since Mike’s death, it has become harder for me to focus on broader issues or other initiatives and a way to help that is you, you and you.

I posted about the Alive Project recently…this will fall under that if you have already signed up for the project.

If you are interested in finding out more and getting involved, you can fill out the Team Alive form by clicking here or call 716.218.0BFA.

Help, I need somebody,
Help, not just anybody,
Help, you know I need someone, help.

- The Beatles

The Light

(click on images to view album)

I just wanted to post a few photos and thoughts of Central Terminal light fixture’s epic return home.

To me, the whole campaign represented the love people here and abroad have for the Central Terminal.

Doing work here in B-F is really a roller coaster ride…many drastic ups and downs and twists and turns. There are times I question if it’s worth it all the time and energy I put into helping.  Then there are times I have this feeling inside telling me that everything I do here is important.

I’ve written this before on BFA and still believe it. People tend to focus on the large successes in judging progress.  I look it at it differently.  Success comes from a culmination of all the little things done to help out here in the neighborhood.  Returning an old light fixture isn’t going to save the Central Terminal, but it is symbolic of all the little things that go unnoticed which help move projects like to Terminal forward.  The people who give up a few hours of their time a week to make difference. The little projects no one sees or hears about make a difference.  These are the type of efforts that are at the core of what helps keep B-F ALIVE.

When the light finally made it back to the Terminal last week, the looks on people’s faces said it all…the understanding that this small victory for the building was equal parts affirmation and inspiration.

ALIVE!

Neighborhood Heritage Site in Danger: Chopin Singing Society Building

(click images for full view)

On the day the Chopin Singing Society was performing at the group’s 135th Annual Concert, I stopped by their former home at 18-24 Kosciuszko Street.  As you can see from the photos, the property is in terrible shape.

This property served as the society’s home for over sixty years until the 1990s.  It is the place where Buffalo’s modern Dyngus Day celebrations were born.

Looking at the building now, you know it is in danger.  It is only a matter of time before the structure reaches the point of no return and the wrecking crew will have its day.

This structure and others are on a growing list of heritage sites in the neighborhood that are in danger of being lost forever.

The help wanted sign is up @ BFA time for you to feel ALIVE

In late 2005, Broadway Fillmore Alive (BFA) was born.

At the time, Mike Miller (RIP), Michele Johnson and I decided to start collaborating on a project to start showing the world that the neighborhood was Alive.  Each of us was already working with different organizations in the Broadway-Fillmore (B-F) and wanted to pool our collective talents.  We thought it was important to open a window to the neighborhood via the internet and start promoting it as a whole. The idea being that Broadway-Fillmore still had a lot going and there was a need to start leveraging all of its assets (Central Terminal, churches, Broadway Market, etc.) as way to help the area collectively.   After BFA started, we were amazed at how quickly everything took off and how BFA started creating new love for B-F.

Let’s move ahead to now.  A few years ago Mike Miller passed away.  Around the same time, Michele Johnson became increasingly involved with Buffalo ReUse.  After Mike’s death, I began kicking around ideas to retool BFA.

Being immersed in helping different places in the neighborhood at a high level,  the idea to retool has been put on the back burner for far too long.  The time has come to make it a priority.  This is where you come in.

About a month before Mike Miller passed away, we started working on an idea to get more people active and involved in the neighborhood….we came up with the concept of Team Alive.  The idea was was prompted by our growing frustration over not being able to do everything we would like to do to help and this seems like this is the time to re-roll it out.

The idea is to put together a broader BFA volunteer group of people interested in working on  projects in B-F, write for BFA and more.  At the core of the concept is what we started to do when we came up with Broadway Fillmore Alive.

“Our mission is to work together with community groups, businesses, residents, churches and other organizations to help promote, preserve and revitalize the Broadway-Fillmore area.”

Through the work here and with the various organizations BFA is affiliated with, our idea has always been to have people look at the neighborhood as a sum of all its parts. I am very proud of this little window we give the world of B-F.

But…

There is more work to be done…there is a lot of the neighborhood that doesn’t get the attention or focus it needs.

Since Mike’s death, it has become harder for me to focus on broader issues or other initiatives and a way to help that is you, you and you.

I posted about the Alive Project recently…this will fall under that if you have already signed up for the project.

If you are interested in finding out more and getting involved, you can fill out the Team Alive form by clicking here or call 716.218.0BFA.

Help, I need somebody,
Help, not just anybody,
Help, you know I need someone, help.

- The Beatles

Properties in 14212 on City of Buffalo’s INREM foreclosure list

I’ve put together a list broken down by street of properties in the 14212 zip code that were available for download on the city’s website updated 10/01/2012.

As the city says on their site:

The City of Buffalo does not warrant or make any representations as to the quality, content, accuracy or completeness of the information, graphics, links and other items contained on this, or any other server. Such materials have been compiled from a variety of sources, and are subject to change without notice by the City of Buffalo.

It is interesting to see what is on the list.  A lot of these properties will be available at auction in a few weeks via the city.

City of Buffalo Foreclosure Sale In Rem 46

  • Monday, October 29, 2012
  • Tuesday, October 30 2012
  • Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Buffalo Convention Center
Convention Center Plaza
153 Franklin Street
Buffalo, New York 14202

Click here to view the 14212 list on Google Drive—>

Introducing the Alive Project

Broadway-Fillmore has lost a lot of buildings & homes over the last 20 years.

A 2004 study called the “Intensive Level Historic Resources Survey” was done of the Broadway-Fillmore area by the Clinton Brown Company. It assessed various historic buildings, landscapes and structures in the neighborhood. It is a valuable resource that I use regularly, but it is locked into 2004.

The Alive Project will do something similar. The goal is to create a online database of buildings in the neighborhood that will help monitor the condition and track the status of them in real time while making the info readily available via the internet.

As we have seen in the past, buildings fall off the radar screen and the next thing you know is they are being demolished after slipping past the point of know return.  This will be a proactive way to get a good handle on the condition and status of buildings.

To make this project work, I will need your help.  I don’t envision this becoming a lot of hard work, but it will require a group of people working on it.  Any questions, please contact me.

It will help keep the neighborhood ALIVE!

If you are interested in participating, use the form below to submit your contact info.