PromoTheRobot Posted March 25, 2008 Share Posted March 25, 2008 I don't know, I have met some of the folks from there, who post on this board. many are friendly but not all. World class cit here is 10 miles away. My commute is 4 miles. Plenty and in fact most jobs in the DC area are outside the beltway anymore or at the beltway. But I did mention traffic. I also mentioned better weather, access to skiing 1 hour away, I have friendly neighbors, of course a lot are military folks and for the most part very personable to their brother in arms less so to the northern snooty liberals. To be fair, I lived in Chantilly once and loved it. I enjoyed DC and surrounding area very much. Traffic? Bites the big one. But locals know the secret country roads that connect the towns. Not sure about now, but I used to scoot between Chantilly, McLean, Tysons Corner, and Fairfax without setting wheel on a major road. We all stick up for Buffalo but let's not go overboard. PTR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chef Jim Posted March 25, 2008 Share Posted March 25, 2008 I forgot to add it takes 60-70 minuets to get to TO...less time than needed to circumnavivate the DC beltway, even during off-peak hours.... The sad part is you have to drive right through the second largest city in the third most populous state in the union, travel to another country to get to a "world class city." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lurker Posted March 25, 2008 Share Posted March 25, 2008 The sad part is you have to drive right through the second largest city in the third most populous state in the union, travel to another country to get to a "world class city." Why is it sad? At less than 300,000 residents, Buffalo would never be a world class city, regardless of it's economic health (or lack thereof). Toronto clearly qualifies, and sure beats most U.S. 'burgs of comparable size. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chef Jim Posted March 26, 2008 Share Posted March 26, 2008 Why is it sad? At less than 300,000 residents, Buffalo would never be a world class city, regardless of it's economic health (or lack thereof). Toronto clearly qualifies, and sure beats most U.S. 'burgs of comparable size. Because we know world class has everything to do with population. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lurker Posted March 26, 2008 Share Posted March 26, 2008 Because we know world class has everything to do with population. Which world class cities with 300,000 residents can you name? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chef Jim Posted March 26, 2008 Share Posted March 26, 2008 Which world class cities with 300,000 residents can you name? World class means different things to different people. The fact that you have to drive to Toronto to experience world class anything is, as I mentioned it sad. Buffalo was well on it's way to being world class many years ago and blew it big time. The fact that it now only has a population 300,000 is an indication of how bad things have gotten. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KnightRider Posted March 26, 2008 Share Posted March 26, 2008 Why is it sad? At less than 300,000 residents, Buffalo would never be a world class city, regardless of it's economic health (or lack thereof). Toronto clearly qualifies, and sure beats most U.S. 'burgs of comparable size. Interesting article. TO and Buff weren't that different in size in 1960. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sweetbaboo Posted March 26, 2008 Share Posted March 26, 2008 You forgot to add in the psychic value of not having to live in DC (shorter commutes, friendlier people, access to a world-class city 90 miles away, etc.). In other words, actually enjoying life during those 10 years... It's pretty easy to fix that, change DC to almost anywhere else in the country with an economy and you'll get the same situation he's describing...hell, it's cold up in NE but there's a ridiculous amount of high paying high tech jobs in Massachusetts and southern NH. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted March 26, 2008 Share Posted March 26, 2008 Good thing you weren't around in 1775. Ya... And it was of all people the wacko's in Boston that got it started and made it spread! Go figure! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted March 26, 2008 Share Posted March 26, 2008 I never said they spent the money right. What Im trying to say is that I find it funny that it bothers people to spend 5-6K on taxes in WNY on a nice house & the same people that B word about this dont have any problem spending $500K & up on a piece of sh*t house that you can get in buffalo for $75K. My point is that the low housing market in buffalo more then offsets the high taxes. Exactly again! Think of all the crappy style houses you see blowing away in a hurrincane... Gabled roofs, etc.. etc.. Now mix in other things like lax building codes... You have wire not mechanically protected in conduit, plastic plumbling... For the most part houses in the north HAVE to be built better! Of course IMHumbleOpinion... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted March 26, 2008 Share Posted March 26, 2008 World class means different things to different people. The fact that you have to drive to Toronto to experience world class anything is, as I mentioned it sad. Buffalo was well on it's way to being world class many years ago and blew it big time. The fact that it now only has a population 300,000 is an indication of how bad things have gotten. It is what it is. Look this one up in history... Back around the time of the Civil War there was a saying in the old northwest part of the country (which was northwest Illinois/Iowa/Wisconsin) in the Illinois mining town of Galena... The saying went like this: "Galena is the city... Chicago is just the town." Wow! How things change! Figuing when Lincoln stayed in Galena, he stayed (DeSoto House Hotel) at that time in the tallest building in the WORLD! I think it had five floors or more... Since it now has three. My point? BFLO was never on track to be a world class city... It was a mirage. It is all about location, location, and location. Galena is a dead end town that sits on the silted Apple River that feeds into the upper MS... Much like BFLO is on a dead end... Yet, each had its own very important place in American history (most of the lead shot that won the Civil War was mined and produced in the Dubuque/Galena area along with other mining activities...). BFLO needs to reinvent itself, centered around the natural lake it has and provide a summer AND WINTER tourist destination... It is it's only hope... Too bad it's only natural asset (lake) is clogged up with the past remains of the idustrial past! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted March 26, 2008 Share Posted March 26, 2008 Interesting article. TO and Buff weren't that different in size in 1960. The opening of the Seaway made TO an international port and BFLO a dead end... That was in 1959... It is Canada and the biggest city, so things WILL ALWAYS COME TO TORONTO! The SeaWay killed BFLO and the experts knew it... It has even happened to the shipping accessing the terminus of the SeaWay now in Chicago... Even here (Chicago) lake shipping eventually is winding itself down... Yet, it will never totally because Chicago will never be geographically irrelevant. This part of the country is at the crossroads. Again: Location, location, location! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ExiledInIllinois Posted March 26, 2008 Share Posted March 26, 2008 Sorry for the multiple posts and straying off topic... But, it does have some bearing. As I work here to help 9,000 ton of commodity at this very moment in time float its way down river headed south, it really underscores what location has played for some cities in this country. A city like Chicago has never had to reinvent itself... And it never will! What made Chicago tick in the 1870's and beyond still makes it tick today: It is at the center for land and water trade... And now air. Just as the opening of the Illinois and Michigan Canal opened Chicago up to the world market over 100 years ago... It is still doing it today along the Illinois WaterWay (and other trade avenues)... Whereas BFLO has to look back at its glorious past and recreate historical districts... In other places, things are still ticking as they did 100 years ago. Sure a place like Chicago had to update itself through the years, it has never become irrelevant due to its location... Wow! What a burden once great and relevant metro areas like BFLO/WNY have to bear... How do you throttle back when forces (ie: technology, domestic and foreign politics, etc..) from all angles have conspired to make you irrelevant including your very location on this earth? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ricojes Posted March 26, 2008 Share Posted March 26, 2008 The city of Buffalo is a mess, there's no denying that fact. The new regime does have some good ideas and have been developing some areas, but there is a long long way to go. But don't define living in the Buffalo area as just living in the city. The suburbs are absolutely thriving! There are restaurants, new housing, and businesses popping up like crazy. I live in Amherst and my house is assessed at around $230,000, and yes the taxes do suck, I pay 6 grand in taxes as Amherst has one of the highest tax bases in Erie county. But for a 2400 sq foot, 4 bed room, 2.5 bath, 2 car garage, very big yard, in a great/safe community and neighborhood, it's not too bad. I still take the 20 minute drive (during rush hour, maybe 25 minutes) into the city often for a Sabres game (30 minutes to OP for the Bills) or to go to some great restaurants or bars. There are many restaurants in Buffalo that I have heard great things about, but just haven't had to opportunity to do them all. So the restaurant and bar business is definitely alive and well in the city. And with summer just around the corner, there are a lot of events concerts, festivals, and events happening in the downtown area as well. GO BUFFALO!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lurker Posted March 26, 2008 Share Posted March 26, 2008 The fact that you have to drive to Toronto to experience world class anything is, as I mentioned it sad. Where do you live, just for some perspective here? Hypothetical: If I live on Long Island or in Newburgh, I'm technically within the NYC metro area--and it don't get more World Class than that. However, it may take me longer to get into the city than it does for someone in Buffalo to drive to Toronto. So who's more disadvantaged? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chef Jim Posted March 26, 2008 Share Posted March 26, 2008 Where do you live, just for some perspective here? Hypothetical: If I live on Long Island or in Newburgh, I'm technically within the NYC metro area--and it don't get more World Class than that. However, it may take me longer to get into the city than it does for someone in Buffalo to drive to Toronto. So who's more disadvantaged? I live in southern California. My point isn't the drive time to Toronto. The fact is you feel that to experience "world class" culture you have to drive through a major US city (yes, Buffalo is a major city) leave the country and go to Toronto. That's my point. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lurker Posted March 26, 2008 Share Posted March 26, 2008 I live in southern California. My point isn't the drive time to Toronto. The fact is you feel that to experience "world class" culture you have to drive through a major US city (yes, Buffalo is a major city) leave the country and go to Toronto. That's my point. Huh. I thought southern CA became part of Mexico a few years ago...but maybe I heard wrong. The distance from one end of Los Angeles County to the other is about the as the Buffalo-to-Toronto commute (and I suspect in driving time it's longer). What's so important about geographic or political borders if--as a practical matter--the driving distance is the same? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
agilen Posted March 26, 2008 Share Posted March 26, 2008 Very bad assumption. Your logic is flawed. ?? Thanks for making my point for me. I'm saying with all the cash I'd save on my house in Buffalo, I'd cover the difference between what you expect to make when your house value doubles and I've thrown away because my house didn't double. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EndZoneCrew Posted March 26, 2008 Share Posted March 26, 2008 What's so important about geographic or political borders if--as a practical matter--the driving distance is the same? Agreed! Don't worry about the Chef.......he is just an "elitist" from California and we suck because we live in a hole like Buffalo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chef Jim Posted March 26, 2008 Share Posted March 26, 2008 Huh. I thought southern CA became part of Mexico a few years ago...but maybe I heard wrong. The distance from one end of Los Angeles County to the other is about the as the Buffalo-to-Toronto commute (and I suspect in driving time it's longer). What's so important about geographic or political borders if--as a practical matter--the driving distance is the same? Did I say anything about Los Angeles? From my house or office I'm 15 minutes away from a world class symphony hall with world class perfomers, 10 minutes away from several world class hotels, 15 minutes away from world class beaches, 20 minutes away from world class art galleries, 30 minutes away from a world class theme park, 30 minutes away from a world class baseball team. I could go on and on. And guess what, I would never set foot in LA county and the largest city that I would set foot in would have a population of about 350,000. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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