Reckless Abandon

For the most part…we here at Broadway Fillmore Alive concentrate on the positive things happening in and around the B-F area.

But…

There are times when I walk or cruise around the neighborhood and feel sad. Yesterday I had a few extra minutes to drive through Broadway-Fillmore and was just astounded by the number of vacant and abandoned properties.  I take my video camera with me almost everywhere I go and decided to spend a few minutes just shooting up some of the vacant places I drove by.

Life moves by so fast…I am in my old neighborhood so much that sometimes the impact of its decline escapes me. Yesterday was a day that it did not. 

A lot of the streets in the video or places are where I grew up.  It is hard to believe at times that it is the same neighborhood where I have many incredible memories.  I am guessing that some of you reading this probably have similar thoughts at times.

The positive twist here is that there are a bunch dedicated people with BFA, other groups, residents, etc. who work very hard to ensure that we keep fighting for the things that make B-F a distinctive and important part of Buffalo’s fabric.  It is good to look at what has happened…both good and bad.

As for abandoned properties, I am very encouraged by the Blueprint for Buffalo initiative that will help create a region-wide effort to tackle the problem.  This effort will coordinate various groups throughout the city to work on a plan for vacant properties…good stuff.

(here is Windows Media version of video…loFI)