That’s “Revenge of the Miserable Ones,” for the
non-Francophones.
If you had a day like mine, every conversation you had with
anyone in Buffalo, whether on the phone or by e-mail, included a mention of the
Forbes “Les Misérables” ranking. When I caught up with Catherine
Schweitzer of the Baird Foundation this afternoon to get an update (coming
soon) on Preservation Buffalo-Niagara, the conversation was no exception. In an unguarded moment, Catherine
shared with me a possible action the community could take in response–I won’t
tell you what that would be, but the illustration above will provide a hint.
But her second suggestion I found to be an excellent antidote
for a “miserable” case of the Forbes Flu.
She suggested I view a recent interview with Richard Moe, President of
the National Trust for Historic Preservation, done by Ed Healy, Vice-President
of Marketing for the Buffalo-Niagara Convention and Visitors Bureau (and
occasional Buffalo Rising contributor).
Last month, after the National Trust for Historic Preservation declared
Buffalo a Distinctive Destination,
Ed Healy visited the National Trust’s headquarters in Washington and recorded
this interview.
This video interview is extremely positive about Buffalo, and an
excellent way to shake out of your Forbes-imposed misery and to remember the
more positive press Buffalo has gotten in the last year–in addition to the “Distinctive
Destination” designation–such as: Buffalo ranking high in cities with low rent,
the NYT declaring Buffalo “Home to some of the greatest American architecture,” Buffalo’s designation as a top African-American heritage community,
Buffalo listed among “44 Places to Go” by the New York Times,
etc., etc.
Speaking of the Convention and Visitors Bureau, below is a photo
from their site which is a reminder of what Buffalo’s weather is like during
portions of the year when people are baking in much of the rest of the country–these
folks look really miserable, don’t they?
And don’t these folks,
below, out in Buffalo’s winter weather, look miserable, too?
Anyway, here’s hoping that you thoroughly enjoy your Buffalo
wintertime misery this week.