Jim's journal on e:strip™ - Buffalo, NY's Original Neighborhood Blogging Community (estrip v5.0)

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tinypliny 23:32 Who else do you think? :)
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Jim's Journal from 04/2007

04/02/07 13:13 - 47ºF - ID#38719Wohoo!

So, I run a little photography group and a woman from San Diego stumbled across us, and ended up moving to Buffalo and buying a bar on Niagara that she's fixing up.

A reporter heard about it and wrote a front page story about her and us!

I'm so excited for her big_grin

she's working so hard and really needs the publicity for her new bar.

permalink: http://estrip.org/articles/jim/38719.html

Words: 89 -- Buffalo, NY

04/06/07 17:02 - 25ºF - ID#38776Broadway Market 2007

I'd never been there before, so went with e: james and we headed down. Very crowded, and very good pierogi. We did not manage to see a butter lamb, but I did get a few decent shots of the crowds.

0407/Easter2007Jl0406.jpg

permalink: http://estrip.org/articles/jim/38776.html

Words: 51 -- Buffalo, NY

04/14/07 21:15 - 42ºF - ID#38890Category: photosShameless Self Promotion

I started a photo blog:

photos.jimlindley.com

Something a little bit purer then Flickr. I need to remember to post more often here, though, too.

permalink: http://estrip.org/articles/jim/38890.html

Words: 32 -- Buffalo, NY

04/17/07 19:18 - 44ºF - ID#38933Category: buffaloElmwood Panhandler

I just noticed that Elmwood Panhandler was closing. I feel really bad for the owner - it was a cute little store and this was the best part of town to have it in. I've actually noticed a lot more vacancies on Elmwood this year then last, last year it was pretty much just the Utica-Hodge block that had multiple vacancies.

0407/ElmwoodPanhandler0417.jpg

permalink: http://estrip.org/articles/jim/38933.html

comment CLICK HERE TO ADD A COMMENT!

chico writes at 09:30:57 04/24/07 - Comment #17811

(e:juliesam16) , maybe I had the wrong impression of the prices... maybe I've spent too much time at outlet stores and such to recognize reasonable retail prices when I see them. Your store definitely carried quality products as well.

Good luck to you and your husband as you move on, and I hope the good times in Buffalo outweigh all the rotten stuff about owning a business on Elmwood Ave.

Cheers!

juliesam16 writes at 08:24:32 04/24/07 - Comment #17809

Hi, I owned ELmwood Panhandler. Don't feel bad that I am closing, Jim. I am moving out of Buffalo for a job offer my husband just accepted. Business was good for me. As far as high prices, most customers wanted quality products, not temporary tools from China that you throw away and replace next year. My prices were right in line with Target and Wegmans and Premier and Williams-Sonoma. All of us sold that OXO spatula for the exact same price. I loved my one and a half years there on Elmwood. I had many great customers who became friends and I owe any success I had to them and their loyalty. I'll tell you though, I will not miss picking up all the trash, cleaning grafitti or cleaning up after being robbed last summer. All stores close for different reasons, some because of low sales, or because they just want something new, or because they want more time with their family. It's just like when people change jobs or their lives change, only we need to close a business.

jenks writes at 01:14:05 04/18/07 - Comment #17624

I only went in there once, and didn't pay too much attention to prices- but is it really that much more than, say, williams-sonoma? I didn't think over-priced kitchen gadgets were that unusual. Not that it's GOOD, but it seems to happen a lot...

jason writes at 11:56:19 04/18/07 - Comment #17623

I feel badly, but then again people have to understand what their market is. When I complained to Talking Leaves about being all-Lib, all the time they explained that they're giving people on Elmwood what they want. Couldn't much argue with that.

zobar writes at 10:49:29 04/18/07 - Comment #17622

Yeah man - I went there to buy a teapot. It was going to be a gift for (e:dragonlady7) so I fully expected to overpay for some trendy Le Creuset crap. They had One teapot. It was hideous and like $60, and if it were sentient it would have expected me to remodel my kitchen to match it. I asked if they had any other colors. They said they didn't have any other teapots. I walked out. My life is difficult enough without having a $60 French teapot sitting on my stove judging me every morning.

- Z

joshua writes at 08:56:43 04/18/07 - Comment #17620

Then again, the gear is now 40% off - time to buy.

joshua writes at 08:55:55 04/18/07 - Comment #17619

I saw this one coming long ago.

chico writes at 01:13:33 04/18/07 - Comment #17610

I like to shop city stores but I'm with (e:zobar) on this one... Panhandler was *really* expensive. A few months ago I went in intending to buy and was priced out of the market.

jim writes at 10:20:27 04/17/07 - Comment #17603

I was too shy to say such a thing...

zobar writes at 10:15:20 04/17/07 - Comment #17602

Man, now that the Panhandler is closed, where will Buffalonians go for that killer combination of overpriced merchandise and limited selection?

- Z

jim writes at 08:13:06 04/17/07 - Comment #17599

Metalpeter, I think Hertel had or has a map like that, and I'm surprised I've never seen anything like that from the Forever Elmwood (although maybe I've just completely missed it).

I used to go in to Elmwood Panhandler and drool on their merchandise, but I don't think I ever bought more then an egg whisk.

metalpeter writes at 08:09:41 04/17/07 - Comment #17598

I don't know what Happened Business wise. But I think one of the problems Elmwood has is that it is tough for an independent buisnes to be competive. I assume they sell pots and kitchen stuff. You have you big box places Target and then you have upscale places in the mall. Oh yeah and then there are so many places to shop online. It is tough you have to make your prices high so that you can make a good profit but not so high that you send people away.

I also think that a good Idea that might help more places stay open would be if every business on Elmwood Had a small publication and map and short little descripton of it. This publication would change when ever a shop moved or closed or a new one opened. They would be available in every store. One good reason for this is that when someone comes to the area they can see other places that they might not know are there. Maybe the phamplets could even be added to peoples bags when they buy something.

jenks writes at 07:34:59 04/17/07 - Comment #17597

oh that sucks, was it open even a year? If cute high-end shops can't survive on elmwood, can they survive anywhere?

Words: 66 -- Buffalo, NY

04/18/07 17:17 - 44ºF - ID#38945Category: photoI Like Spring

That is all.

0407/SproutsSpring0418.jpg

permalink: http://estrip.org/articles/jim/38945.html

Words: 7 -- Buffalo, NY

04/18/07 21:13 - 46ºF - ID#38949Category: lifeRed Tape

So, I started a business, and I think so far I've spent as much money paying NYS for various things then I've actually brought in. Hopefully by the end of the year things will be rosier.

The last requirement for starting this thing is that I publish the creation of my LLC in two different papers in Erie County. I have another month or two still to fulfill this requirement, but I've been afraid to find out just how extortionate it will be. I'm going to call tomorrow and find out. Hopefully it will be more like $50 and less like $500.

My merchant account I'm just getting through PayPal, so that hasn't been too bad. And it's funny, if you're starting a business account at HSBC they have you meet with a Vice President. Apparently every single branch has a Vice President working in it or something, so HSBC must have something like 20,000 VP's.

permalink: http://estrip.org/articles/jim/38949.html

Words: 162 -- Buffalo, NY

04/21/07 19:12 - 64ºF - ID#38991Category: homemadeHome Made Pierogies

Inspired by our Easter trip to the Broadway Market, e:James and I made pierogies this weekend:

Making the potato and cheese filling:

0407/PierogiesFilling0421.jpg