Montreal Gazette article

[mrjsbu96]

was anyone able to find a way in that site and see what elitist reporter has written about Buffalo?

[Eleven]

was anyone able to find a way in that site and see what elitist reporter has written about Buffalo?

Here you go. In the interest of turning this from a copyright violation into fair use, I'll preface it with a civic interest statement: The author's swipes at downtown Buffalo are hardly inaccurate (but his etymology of the city name may be--it's in question at least).

 

Please consider spending your money at downtown establishments rather than at chain stores in suburban mini-malls. Those of us that are reinvesting in Buffalo are finding it to be worthwhile. Check out www.revitalizebuffalo.org -- end of statement.

 

There are some things you should know about Buffalo.

 

For starters, it might be a nice place to live - as long as your home is far from the urban blight that is downtown Buffalo - but it's not necessarily a great place to visit.

 

Former U.S. president William McKinley discovered that in 1901. He was attending the Pan American Exposition when he was gunned down by Leon Czolgosz, an unemployed anarchist. Unemployment is still a concern in Buffalo.

 

It's interesting to note that McKinley became the first president to ride in an automobile. It wasn't an enjoyable experience, because the vehicle was an ambulance used to transport him after he was shot.

 

More recently, the Canadiens have had some less-than-enjoyable experiences here. They've escaped with their lives, but few victories. Going into last night's game, they had lost their last seven games here dating to 2001.

 

Buffalo is the home of the eponymous Buffalo chicken wing, which had its origins at the Anchor Bar. It's difficult to find a bad Buffalo chicken wing in this city and it's difficult to find a good one outside Buffalo. One exception is a sports bar in Cary, N.C., which - not surprisingly - is owned by a former Buffalonian.

 

Buffalo also gave us Buffalo Bob Smith of Howdy Doody fame, the Friday fish fry, beef on weck (a sandwich whose fame hasn't spread as quickly as the wings) and the first five-and-dime store. F.W. Woolworth - known to his friends as Frank - opened his first store on Main St. more than a century ago. The only reminder of that store is a brass plaque that is lost among the empty storefronts that dominate a bleak downtown landscape.

 

One of the few jewels in the downtown area is the HSBC Arena, which is home to the Buffalo Sabres. The Knox family built the arena because the Aud, the Memorial Auditorium, was feeling a bit cramped.That's not a problem in the new arena because it's seldom filled.

 

The league tells us attendance is booming in the new, improved National Hockey League, but the HSBC Arena is running at about two-thirds capacity with three crowds under 11,000 this season.

 

The Sabres had their first sellout of the year last night because the Canadiens have a fan base in southern Ontario and that's why you had to stay up a little later to watch the Habs play the Sabres. Buffalo starts its Friday-night games at 8 p.m. because there are few fans in downtown Buffalo and the team wants to give Canadian fans and those from the suburbs extra time to reach the arena.

 

What's in a name? When it opened in 1996, the new arena was originally christened the Marine Midland Arena. It was named after a local bank that had ties to the Knox family, who also owned the Sabres.

 

Three years later, Marine Midland was swallowed by HSBC - the British-based Hong Kong Shanghai Banking Corporation. HSBC wanted its name on the building, but the county pointed out that it had a contract for the Marine Midland name. If the bank wanted the HSBC name on the building, it would have to fork over more money.

 

The two sides went back and forth before finally reaching an agreement in the spring of 2000. The deal was completed two days before the start of an NCAA regional basketball tournament and just in time to give HSBC some free TV advertising during March Madness.

 

The French Connection: Long before Rene Robert, Richard Martin and Gilbert Perreault, French trappers discovered the city and provided it with its name when they saw the Niagara River and said "beau fleuve" which was later anglicized to Buffalo.

[Larry Playfair]

thats it? this isnt an article, its a few paragraphs about...basically....nothing. I assume the person flew in, went staright to ther downtown hotel, h9t the game, then went straight back to the hotel after the game. They then perused the internet for info on the history of the town.

 

Good analysis from your typical francaphone snob who lacks insight and knowledge about the town.

[Taro T]

Here you go.? In the interest of turning this from a copyright violation into fair use, I'll preface it with a civic interest statement:? The author's swipes at downtown Buffalo are hardly inaccurate (but his etymology of the city name may be--it's in question at least).?

 

Please consider spending your money at downtown establishments rather than at chain stores in suburban mini-malls.? Those of us that are reinvesting in Buffalo are finding it to be worthwhile.? Check out www.revitalizebuffalo.org -- end of statement.

I for one am disappointed. Having grown up in Buffalo, I expected to get sh*t on far more extensively and eloquently.

 

As for the etymology, I've heard a few possible explainations for the city's name's origin but that one sounds the most plausible to me.

 

EDIT: Upon a closer reading of the article, it stated the City was named for the Niagara River; I had heard it as being named for the explorers seeing the Buffalo River. They'd have seen the Niagara back at Lake Ontario, so that doesn't make as much sense as it being named for the BR.

[mrjsbu96]

thanks for posting the article.

 

i realize it always makes us sound defensive, but i would love to have a conversatin with this person. althought it really was a pointless article. i've been to montreal and don't recall downtown in certain areas to be exactly overwhelming.

 

oh well...until the next out of town reporter takes a swipe.

[Saber61]

i must be the only one up here in canada who defends your city... its hard though it really is... i don't have a foot to stand on... but i do it anyway and take alot of flak for it... people who just drive through the city and look around have no idea whats going on there or what the economy is like... its not as dangerous as most make it out to be and there are nice parts of it... unfortunatly they had to build that arena right beside the perry st. projects and various other abandoned or old industrial buildings... sorry folks... but thats not going to impress visiting fans our tourists... but hey... im with ya guys... my favorite team plays there!

[Eleven]

thats it? this isnt an article, its a few paragraphs about...basically....nothing. I assume the person flew in, went staright to ther downtown hotel, h9t the game, then went straight back to the hotel after the game. They then perused the internet for info on the history of the town.

 

Good analysis from your typical francaphone snob who lacks insight and knowledge about the town.

Maybe a snob, but Montreal took better care of its city during decline--and now it's in a renaissance. "Francophone," possibly, but the Gazette is Montreal's English-language paper.

 

Bottom line, it's incumbent upon us to make our city better, and then we won't have to worry about what others say. We can act hurt and defensive all we want, but until there's effort, they'll be right.

[Sabresince70]

Having lived within an hour of Philadelphia almost all my life, and having visited Buffalo recently, I'm amazed at this article. Has he never visited south Philly? There is even a smell that goes with it (and it ain't good). Is there anywhere in North America that doesn't have unemployment issues? That really strikes home - remember Billy Joels song "Allentown" (...and there closing all the factories down...)That's where I live. Those of you in Buffalo have the same issues as us (aside from Mack Trucks our area had one other large employer as you did - Bethlehem Steel (Allentown is adjacent to Bethelehem). My point out of all this is, I was amazed at how clean the parts of Buffalo were that we saw. We stayed in Tonawanda, but spent the days in downtown Buffalo. (thanks again or suggesting Chef's). It wasn't 5 year old buildings or newer, but I didn't see drug deals going down on every street corner. I didn't feel the need to carry a gun on my hip and each ankle. And I was amazed at the overall friendliness of those from the city at that we met/talked to. Yes Main St. being torn up was a little unsightly - but isn't the fact that they are improving the road a good thing? Had it not been raining the weekend we were there, we would have just walked the area by the arena before the game. We used to stay in Niagara and come intop Buffalo only on game day. The downtown mall (there were some empty stores that I remember) was nice, clean and the kids enjoyed the short train ride to the arena. (And it was clean- especially compared to Philly!

Be proud of your city.

[deluca67]

When does Canada become a State? After Puerto Rica?

 

Just Wondering ;)

[PTS]

Now I'm not going to say Buffalo is anything like Montreal ... BUT ...

 

We're not French!

 

And that's all that matters.