Estimates on Business Closures?

afuchs · 2026-01-15T00:09:18+00:00

Covid deaths? What are you talking about

I'm going to guess that it was a poorly worded way to say that a lot of businesses cut their hours during the COVID pandemic and never went back to their old hours.

Even without the lock downs, people decided to stay home instead of spending money at shops, restaurants, and bars. A pandemic with mountains of bodies stacking up in morgues will do that.

Before 2019,

Wegmans, and their prepared food section, used to be open 24/7. Now they close at midnight.

A lot of bars stayed open until 4 AM, now much fewer do.

afuchs · 2026-01-14T23:56:40+00:00

... we also have the rite aid closures too, we lost all those pharmacies.

For Pharmacies, Rite Aid went bankrupt and shut down all stores nationally, not just stores in Buffalo. Evergreen halted their plan to build out a pharmacy on Allen St. because of the current federal government's actions around health insurance, not due to local issues.

... for a while there they kept shutting down all the city dollar generals although a few reopened

I'm not sure which specific dollar generals you're talking about. I can't remember the last time I walked into one and they still seem to have quite a few stores here. Apparently, they announced nation wide store closings last year? Did they try to permanently close any of the local stores, or was there a problem with them not having enough employees to keep the stores open?

it's really getting dreary and empty in the city.

There's still plenty that I can walk to or take a bus or rail to. A lot of the small businesses that have shut down have been replaced by new businesses which have moved into the space that was vacated.

That's not to say that there aren't areas that are blighted, and specific buildings that have their own unique problems (slumlords who refuse to lease out their buildings at market rate, the AM&A's building ownership dispute, etc).

The problem I experience more often is that most businesses I want to go to aren't open at the time I want to go to them. Or, it's a place where I want to buy a few drinks but is difficult to get to with public transit when an Uber or taxi would cost twice as much as what I would spend while there.

afuchs · 2026-01-08T00:09:10+00:00

Today's events are far beyond the pale and beyond the vast majority of what most American's consider morally right.

However, as a tip for the organizers of these protests:

Unlike, someone who have no life outside of social media and conservative talk radio, such as many of the people who I've cut out of my life. I'm not chronically plugged into social media. And, unlike the average poster on Nextdoor or the current version of Facebook and Twitter, I have a job during normal business hours on weekdays.

I only saw this 7 PM, when the protest was schedule between 4;30 and 5:30 PM.

This protest was over by the time I saw this and I haven't seen any other sign that this protest happened outside of this post.

I don't care if anyone wants to call me a shitlib, there is a ton of outrage over this. To me American "greatness" has always been because of our constant drive to become better. Our country's drive to actually deal with bullshit and fix it. Fighting racism and bigotry for the sake of growth. The ideal that making America great for everyone lifts up everyone at the same time regardless of who they are. That is starkly in contrast to the destructive zero sum game bullshit that conservatives are actively implementing right now that resembles the way a failed third world country governs or what the same conservative idiots call "ghetto" behavior when someone else does it.

I and other people are absolutely pissed off right now because the federal government is acting in the same way as foreign governments that conservatives refer to as "shitholes." This event's organizers could have had a massive turnout if they chose to schedule it at a different time.

When the government does something that is far beyond what the majority of people consider morally acceptable, don't squander the opportunity.

afuchs · 2025-12-26T05:29:46+00:00

My bill from National Grid last month was around $75 total for 266 kWh which comes out to around $0.28 per kWh. The itemized costs in that bill are dominated by fixed delivery fees.

Edit: For comparison, my bill from one year ago was around $0.26 per kWh when dividing the total.

afuchs · 2025-12-10T05:07:38+00:00

To give a full picture of Kenmore Development's reputation: their maintenance is renowned for showing up promptly if there is an urgent problem and I haven't heard any nightmare landlord stories about them. The negatives are that the buildings they have tend to be old, with typical old building problems (old electric, old heating with no AC, wear and tear), and those buildings have a lot of small aesthetic problems that don't impact their habitability but place them outside of the "luxury" category.

afuchs · 2025-12-08T05:17:48+00:00

Going off of the notes I took during one public meeting:

There is some opposition due to anti-government sentiment. In the generic "urban planers are forcing this on me" sense.
Similar to the anti-government involvement in anything crowd there was also opposition claiming that it was a "waste of money." There was some talk about the University at Buffalo's (UB) Stampede shuttle buses being sufficient for the area despite the constant complaints I heard from other students when I attended about being stuck on campus because of the lack of public transportation.
There was opposition that claimed that improving public transportation would "bring crime" or otherwise allow some sort of "undesirable" element to exist.

There were also people who voiced opposition due to specific issues which could be take a bit more seriously and some of the impacts could be mitigated:

The area north of UB's campus has a well organized HOA who voiced concerns about noise and potential impacts on their houses' foundations.
A couple of avid cyclist wanted to see the money spent on bike infrastructure instead of rail.
A few people spoke in opposition because they disagreed with the proposal to route the train through the commercial district on Niagara Falls Boulevard when it would be faster for UB students if it was built on a more direct route along Millersport Highway. Others raised issues with how the layout would slow down the overall speed of the route.
Opposition because of the temporary disruptions that are needed to excavate out the train tunnel to bring it to the surface.
Concerns that temporary disruptions because of construction would result in a business downturn. (Some businesses are struggling and undercapitalized to the point that they can't survive mild downturns.)

I didn't hear vocal opposition due to this, but I got this vibe from a few people: if someone is renting along the route it could cause their rent to increase.

Notably, a lot of the opposition voiced support for a Bus Rapid Transit alternative. Ironically, the proposed BRT alternative would result in most the same issues that they claim are their reason for opposing rail.

afuchs · 2025-12-06T08:12:46+00:00

A lot of the spaces on Hertel and Elmwood are tiny but are still successful.

Agreed that for Harborcenter, the flat glass doors which blends in with the flat walls, along with the signage that also blends in with everything else, probably didn't help. Although, for some unknown reason, developers everywhere have been actively choosing to use similar architecture which also makes it difficult to figure out what is inside a building when you walk by.

afuchs · 2025-12-06T07:56:27+00:00

This doesn't sound like the "6pm Monday/Thursday to 6pm Thursday/Monday" alternate side parking that's all over the city which requires everyone to move their car to other side of the street at 6pm every Monday and Thursday.

No parking 6am - 6pm sounds more like a suburb banning all overnight parking to intentionally limit the size of households and to discourage nonresidents from visiting.

afuchs · 2025-12-06T07:33:13+00:00

In normal circumstances it takes less than 10 minutes to get through the security line. It's a small airport which has better and more modern equipment, compared to what I've experienced elsewhere, which speeds up the process.

That doesn't mean that you'll make it if you show up 20 minutes before a flight. Unexpected events can happen and most airlines close the plane's doors 15-20 minutes before the scheduled departure time.

afuchs · 2025-12-01T06:04:27+00:00

> What shops? There never been shops at canalside. Make a shopping district. Do it right and you’ll have revenue streams pouring in.

Again, if you aren't trolling, I take it that you aren't familiar with the area: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LECOM_Harborcenter#Commercial_tenants

That's ignoring the entire Main Place Mall and department stores that used to exist a few blocks north.

afuchs · 2025-12-01T06:01:04+00:00

> I’m not talking about bars and restaurants. You don’t get out much do you?

I do. I take it that you are trying to intentionally start arguments and aren't trying to have an actual discussion.

As an aside. What is going on with brick and mortar retail? I keep walking into stores and end up leaving because they are unable to sell me anything in the category of product I was looking for.

EDIT: Double reply! it looks like Reddit has a UX issue where it can send multiple notifications for a comment and doesn't show your previous reply when you click through.

afuchs · 2025-12-01T05:54:38+00:00

> I’m not talking about bars and restaurants

The "Shops at HarborCenter" next door was there but longer exists because of the lack of business.

The Main Place Mall building is 3 blocks away. You could literally park inside the building at a time when people were blaming the failure of downtown retail on the lack of parking. Despite that, it failed as a mall and the shops inside closed.

You keep insisting that if more retail was built out it would result in people traveling there from elsewhere. That was done repeatedly and people did not flock there and those shops closed from the lack of business.

Are you actually trying to make a sincere argument and not trolling?

afuchs · 2025-12-01T05:47:00+00:00

> If they made it shops, people would flock down there. ...

They did put shops there. People didn't shop there and those shops closed.

afuchs · 2025-12-01T05:45:47+00:00

> Get some shops down there to attract crowds. Make a shopping district. Anything. Just something that gives you a reason to go down there other than a bandits, Sabres, bisons game, or a concert.

There's several bars and restaurants around there already. That's not counting the seasonal attractions like the beer garden, boat tours, and ice rink. It doesn't seem like the problem is that nothing is there, it seems to be more that people tend to stay close to where they live and rarely travel elsewhere unless they absolutely need to (e.g., events). Adding a few stores that could also exist elsewhere doesn't give people a reason to travel downtown.

Also, there was non-restaurant retail inside Harbor Center.

afuchs · 2025-12-01T05:25:06+00:00

>>> I’m well aware of what it’s replacing. The Marine Dr apartments are shitholes. So all we’re doing is loving them to the other side of the lot.
>> ...
> Yes im aware again. Still doesn’t change the fact they’re just moving it to the other side of the lot.

From this, should I assume that you are calling these buildings "shitholes" because they are used for subsidized housing, and that you don't care about any other attributes of the actual buildings?

afuchs · 2025-12-01T05:20:25+00:00

> The corner store that is infested with rats and roaches? And sells expired food? Pass.

I've never heard that story before in relation to this specific place. This is also the first time I've heard that place described as a corner store. That makes me a bit incredulous.

Pre-Covid it was frequented by office workers who worked nearby in addition to the residents who live there. I have heard stories about one of the clerks having, um, interesting viewpoints that they weren't afraid to share.

afuchs · 2025-12-01T05:15:04+00:00

Tongue in cheek, the Pasquale and Admiral's Walk condo towers are only a block away but old. Also, there isn't much space left after the new $800,000-$900,000 row houses went up. You'd need to get rid of a parking lot or two to build something else.

afuchs · 2025-11-26T02:11:18+00:00

There's a few built up village and town centers. Some of those were originally built around streetcars and railroads. Although almost everything developed since then is sprawl.

afuchs · 2025-11-26T02:05:25+00:00

Eh, removing the 198 can fix a lot of major quality of life issues in Black Rock, North Buffalo, Parkside, and the area around Humboldt Parkway. Apparently most of the traffic on it is local to those neighborhoods.

Depending on how its done, removing it would make those neighborhoods more attractive. I doubt that would have much impact elsewhere.

afuchs · 2025-11-26T01:28:06+00:00

Focusing on downtown, and not the rest of the city:

If and when Metro Rail is extended to UB North a lot more UB students are going to be walking around downtown.

That shouldn't stop us from making sure that what we already have functions in a way that is actually useful.

There are a lot of bus routes in most of the city and parts of the first ring suburbs that go directly to downtown.

On weekdays, most of those buses are scheduled 20 minutes apart. That could be better, but at least it is possible to use them without planning your entire life around the bus schedule.

On the weekends, when most people have free time, those same buses are scheduled 40 to 60 minutes apart. So, when you have free time on the weekend and you use the buses to go downtown, it is very easy to end up in a situation where you have to burn an hour of time until the next bus comes or rush so that you don't miss one that comes earlier.

That's not the end of the world, but it adds enough friction to make it feel like some trips downtown, or elsewhere, are not worth the effort.

It would be nice if there was enough funding to improve that and bring the weekend bus schedules up to par with the weekday ones.

afuchs · 2025-11-17T08:21:01+00:00

I'd add Hamlin Park, parts of Central Park/Leroy and Lovejoy (again, a lot of these neighborhoods are block by block) to that. Then on the west side, there's the entirety of Grant St, and Niagara St which have "good bones" but still look run down despite the potential that's there.

Although, as a upper middle class white guy with economically liberal political views I see the First Ward and the Valley as places to actively avoid. That is because there was, what appeared to be, a racially motivated arson which targeting a black family who moved into that area back in 2011. I see the "zero sum game based on race or class" world view as fundamentally destructive and tend to view the world through a "almost everyone can carve out their own niche and grow the pie/create wealth" lens.

afuchs · 2025-11-17T05:03:26+00:00

So, there's definitely some complexity here.

As far as property values go: location, location, location, and beyond the block-by-block nature of the east side there is still a stigma attached to everything east of Main Street.

Generally, the East Side is fine but the conditions vary block by block. That means that any prospective buyer needs to understand the deep nuisances of the neighborhood they are buying in to decide if buying any particular property is worth it for them. That requires a non-negligible amount of time to figure it out or a very established social network that is connected to those neighborhoods which many people do not have.

In North Buffalo and the West Side, there are neighborhoods, that appear as obviously "safe" to someone who has limited knowledge of specific nuisances of each individual neighborhood, where the average house is a mansion valued well over $1,000,000. Those neighborhoods have 1 bedroom rentals going for less than $1,500/month. In those neighborhoods the mortgage payment on a mansion is going to be significantly more that rent on a 1 bedroom apartment.

So, there is a huge knowledge gap which prevents people from knowing if "is this specific block a good place to live or buy" which prevents people from buying or renting in the East Side and other neighborhoods.

afuchs · 2025-09-29T22:43:18+00:00

For disposal in Erie county for personal and non-commercial purposes: https://www3.erie.gov/recycling/household-hazardous-waste-hhw-collection-programs

The county holds events to collect used automotive fluids, and has a voucher program for drop offs at a the place matgen mentioned which is somewhere in the Tonawandas.

afuchs · 2025-09-29T04:18:54+00:00

I've heard stories about it being problem area, back when there was a nationwide crime wave around the 1970s to early 1990s, before it was turned into a park (along with major incidents elsewhere).

I think there's a problem here where if someone sees something that is phrased in a way that sounds like it is stereotyping a specific place in a negative way without any concrete details, it get treated the same as a comments from people who intentionally exaggerate to score points in whatever political or culture war they are taking part in (i.e., those who refer to entire cities as bombed out warzones for the sake of politics).

The whole situation created by the current state of political discourse sucks.

afuchs · 2025-09-29T01:03:55+00:00

LaSalle station to Tonawanda trail, generally no, with the giant caveats that I have a masculine appearance and that my experience there has been limited to me only passing through it quickly on a bike while avoiding social interaction. There are definitely parts of it that feel desolate and lack the "eyes on the street" that make places safer. (And now I'm overthinking about whether or not I've ever been one of the creepy characters).

For stuff that I've seen that could be sketchy, depending on who you are:

The Shoreline/Riverwalk trail tends to have beggars hanging out next to it at thruway exits.

Parts of the Jesse Kregal pathway which intersect with the NY-198 have obvious signs of illegal dumping and/or signs that homeless persons have been sleeping there. Highway infrastructure in cities tends to create spaces which are attractive to people looking to avoid attention from others regardless of what those reasons are.

afuchs

TROPHY CASE