Buffalo Rising Online

Joseph DiDomizio

I recently got the chance to sit down and chat with Janessa, Don, Dan, Steve and Tom of Buffalo's own Ice Cream Social. After we played a few rounds of Mad Libs, we got into their energetic sets, their songs and their New Year's Resolutions.

You are extremely energetic during your shows, if it is not Tom Bouncing around on the stage, its everybody else looking really, really excited playing their instruments. How do you keep that energy up during your set?

Christa Glennie Seychew

Snowboarding, though developed in the U.S. in the late 60's and early 70', didn't become an Olympic sport until 1998. Extremely beneficial to one's health, snowboarding tones all of the muscles in the body and provides a great cardiovascular workout.

Always on top of the latest in fashion and technology, owners Ward and Maureen have stocked the shop with this season's hippest gear.

queenseyes

What is hydroponics? It all depends on who you talk to I guess. The guys at Hydroponics of Buffalo will tell you (in a roundabout way) that it is "The movement of water", or "Working with Water". Regardless of the exact definition, the point is that water is involved. That's funny because even though I know that 'hydro' is water I always think of a grow-lamp when I think of hydroponics. Eric Samul (left), an employee at the store, suggested that the first step towards learning about the fascinating hobby is to buy a book. "We have a few books that can get you up and running in a snap. There are so many things to learn... like, did you know that a plant is healthier if the air is circulating around it? What we teach people here is how to simul…

Christa Glennie Seychew

My favorite subscription-based magazine is New York Magazine (not to be confused with The New Yorker). Though nearly half of the weekly's pages are filled with ultra-cool things to buy and do in the Big Apple, the rest of it is chock full of great articles, interviews and pop culture ,Aeusound bites,Aeu.

It may seem like it, but this isn't an advertisement for New York Magazine. Instead it is a yet another story about a happy and satisfied Buffalonian, a New York Magazine reader named Wayne Geist.

I read NY Mag cover to cover. Last night I began thumbing through the new issue. As always, the first page of text is the ,AeuLetters,Aeu page. The first entry is a comment by Wayne Geist on a recen…

Christa Glennie Seychew

Where To Roam designs and produces some of the coolest Buffalo-themed shirts in town. That's obvious to anyone that looks at the illustration that heads this post or pulls up their website.

Not only do they offer t-shirts that sport great graphics, they also have hoodies and scarves. Another great plus is that some of their line is cut to flatter a woman's body, as opposed to the ubiquitous square-cut men's shirt.

Where To Roam products have been available through the hip store room in the past, but generally, one can only purchase them on the internet.

George Johnson

Last week, the December BRM (our second tabloid issue) hit the streets-75,000 copies in over 300 locations throughout Western New York. The book features a host of stories we'll be excerpting throughout the month.

The issue also features a Holiday Gift Guide you really ought to check out. Organized by shopping district (Hertel, Allentown and Elmwood Village), you'll find the piece helpful in selecting urban retailers who offer unique items and quality services ideal for gifting this holiday season. The piece is also a creative and visual delight. Designed by Hero Design, the piece showcases retailers in a way that walks the fine line between tradit…

Christa Glennie Seychew

CityMade is a corporation that is all about Buffalo. What started out a few years ago as a prosperous, moderately sized purveyor of Buffalo-themed gift baskets has blossomed into a full-scale distribution center located in one of Buffalo's industrial parks.

The beautifully packaged Buffalo-themed baskets are still flying out the door. Not only are they available for purchase on their easy-to-use website, they are also distributed in all of Wegmans WNY stores. The yummy contents include our much loved Anchor Bar wing sauce, PJ's Loganberry drink, Weber's mustard, as well as many others. Among the many other things they offer are items like art, music, books, apparel, UB care packages and products featuring the Bu…

Anna Miller

Another business displaced as a result of the proposed hotel at Elmwood and Forest has found a happy new home ,Aei this time on the happening Hertel Avenue. Six Nations Native-American Gift Shop has settled into a fitting new storefront near Commonwealth, creating a refreshing neighborhood strip filled with cultural shops of all kinds. The area is a great destination if you're a shopper looking for an original, quality item you can't find in the busier shopping districts.

Six Nations embraces Native American culture by selling all native crafts, many handmade by Indians throughout Buffalo and its surrounding regions. The shop has a beautiful display of real turquoise jewelry and beadwork, and a very impressive collection of carved a…