A quant new gallery and artisan gift shop called Parables has opened at 1027 Elmwood Avenue. Owner/operator Glenn Kroetsch has painstakingly converted a large apartment into a space that is multi-functional depending on the activities within. Glenn plans on hosting an artist group show from April 6 to May 28. After that, there will be a meet and greet reception on May 6, from 6pm to 9pm. Featured artists include Jill Gustafson, Glunz, David Mathemy, Jane Marinsky, Teresa Alessandra, Debra Orrange, and Paul Chlebowski. Glenn’s gallery is super manageable, and a surprisingly pleasant space considering the smallish size. He blocked out…
Author: queenseyes
The 500 block of Main Street has a new soda jerk shop. Partners John Volpé and Don Warfe opened the shop in developer Roger Trettel’s building (formerly Perk’s). The business is located just around the corner from their other joint venture, Just Fries. Earlier today, John was manning the operation (Head Jerk) with a couple of co-workers who were learning the ropes. He told me that this was not exactly your average ice cream shop, since as far as he was aware, their offerings were completely unique to the area. I would have to agree with him. I asked John…
Belmont Housing Resources of WNY (BHR) is close to completing $7.5 million renovation/reconstruction of a warehouse at 1490 Jefferson Avenue. Once finished, the former 66,000 square foot warehouse will include 30 apartment units, a community center and two commercial spaces. The project, in the hands of CSS Construction (General Contractor) and Silvestri Architects, is scheduled for completion this summer. BHR is in the business of building and operating affordable housing. A quick Google image search brought up the former condition of the building’s facade, which was nothing to write home about. It’s too bad that the original character of the…
During a recent trip to Boston, I made it a point to stop over to Newbury Street, the city’s version on Elmwood Avenue. I was surprised how much the area had grown (population-wise) since I last visited over a decade ago. The density of historic buildings that lined the street was an excellent backdrop for shopping, dining and people watching. Numerous cafés lined the street, and there were plenty of historic mixed-use walk-ups, and walk-downs – every aspect of the street was utilized to the fullest. The district was alive with people who were shopping, eating, drinking, and simply living…
There’s a saying that you can’t teach an old dog new tricks. But in the case of Dave Majewski, a guy who has been in the business of landscaping for a dog’s age, that’s not the case. Instead of simply adhering to industry standards, Dave has spent countless hours learning the greenest methods available to him, which he then infuses into his business. Right now, Dave is concentrating on his East Side composting operation, which is called East Buffalo Custom Composts. I paid a visit to the 4 acre site on Saturday (near the corner of Bailey and Broadway), and couldn’t…
After first announcing his intentions to open the city’s first french fry café in November of ’14, Just Fries owner Don Warfe is finally prepared to do business in Downtown Buffalo. The eatery is back on track and is still set to be the city’s first restaurant dedicated to the fry. Just Fries has been slinging fries down at Canalside in the meantime (see here), though fry fans have been waiting for the big day when the operation would pump life back into the 9 Genesee Street location. The eatery is set to join a number of other restaurants in close…
Buffalo Gamelan Club is looking for a home. BRO first featured Buffalo’s fledgling gamelan scene in 2015, when gamelan enthusiast Matt Dunning was attempting to ship a wide array of instruments that he was in possession of from Indonesia to Buffalo. Since that time, via a few crafty fundraisers (including the Wacky AlleyCat Bike Race), the gamelan instruments (gongs, sarons, etc.) have arrived in Buffalo, and Matt has been hosting a series of demonstrations and classes ever since. This is a pretty big deal for the Buffalo music scene, which is becoming more diverse through these types of grassroots initiatives. While…
On Thursday, April 28, ShopCraft and C Designs will be hosting Mother Earth Pop-Up Market at Thin Ice on Elmwood Avenue. The market will feature a number of Buffalo’s most inspirational hand crafters and makers, including Speakeasy Works (placemat below), Rusterior Design (shirt below), Paperette, Love By Bean (seed bombs), Ladyfingers Handmade, C Designs, and Alpine Made. All of these local makers bring something super special to the table, from buffalo print tablecloths to the most adorable Buffalo stationary. This is a pop-up that you are not going to want to miss. The indie businesses that are participating all respect the handmade nature of products, and share a philosophy…
Ballin for a Cause charity basketball kicks off today, and carries on throughout the weekend. The tournament basketball series brings together upwards of 60 teams and over 600 participants to compete at Nichols School. Hoops fans won’t want to miss out on catching some of the action, with teams rolling in from all over the Northeastern US, including Canada. Players are competing for top prizes, including a $5,000 purse and name recognition as the Ballin for a Cause National Championship team. For the first time ever, a World Games Division has been added to the roster. Puerto Rico, Haiti, India, Turkey, Dominican Republic,…
Over the last couple of years, I’ve seen little libraries pop up all over Buffalo. Little libraries are usually found on residential properties, in gardens or simply planted into front lawns. The tiny houses are filled with books that people can take and read. People can also drop off their own books, depending on the rules of the library – builders can make up their own library rules. Some little libraries can be purchased online, while others are built by their crafty owners. If I had a front yard with a garden, I think that I would have one of…