"shine on, Mickey and Jordan" written by Joe on estrip.org

03/06/25 11:10 - ID#60928

shine on, Mickey and Jordan

I am trying to remember the first time I had met Mickey.

I think it was way back in 2013, at what felt like the beginning of my adult life. If it wasn't at one of those Block Club parties, it was at (e:mike)'s birthday ((e:joe,58048)). I remember sitting around a fire in the backyard. I think (e:robert) had brought him not long after meeting Mickey himself.

The first photo I have is in our attic during that year's Halloween party.

It feels so impossibly long ago right now.

I remember meeting Jordan for the first time in the summer of 2021, when it finally felt like we could start leaving COVID behind.

I don't really have the words to say how I feel about all this right now. Anything I write feels wrong because nothing about this is right.

All I know it is I love and will miss them so much. They were a beating heart in the living being that is Allentown, Buffalo, our sprawling network of Rust Belt queers. I hope we can carry that light they shared.

Permalink: shine_on_Mickey_and_Jordan.html
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Last Modified: 03/06/25 11:37

Category: allentown

08/17/16 12:07 - ID#60623

Someone lost an arm

If you need it, it's shredded in the abandoned building on Allen.

I don't know how this building is still nothing with everything else that changes around it.

Speculators and and flippers are the worst.

Permalink: Someone_lost_an_arm.html
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Last Modified: 08/17/16 12:23

Category: allentown

02/13/16 06:31 - ID#60419

Allentown Action

This was an action packed week in Allentown.

On Monday night, right after we went to bed, an ambulance flipped over at Delaware and North after an SUV ran into it.

They really need to take the rest of Delaware down to three lanes. It's too crazy aggressive on the four lane part.

Then on Wednesday, Bill's Deli on Allen was raided by the police. They found crack and guns by the counter. It always seemed so obvious to me - there's always the same few guys who circulate inside and outside the store all day long, always on cell phones, greeting people who drive up.

(In googling for the article, I found (e:tinypliny)'s review of the store)
(e:tinypliny,39934)
Weirdly enough it's still open. It makes me wonder about the other businesses in the building, like the one selling Nintendo 64 games, $5 hoodies and VHS tapes.

Governor Cuomo came to the medical campus to announce a Buffalo billion pharmacy company subsidy at Conventus. There were black SUV's swarming everywhere that day.

And they are now possibly using an old lab freezer as cadaver storage around the corner from the office of (e:paul) and I. We found that out after some real craziness Wednesday night at the office.

Permalink: Allentown_Action.html
Words: 224
Last Modified: 02/13/16 06:56

Category: allentown

10/12/15 04:45 - ID#60274

Cafféology Cafe - Allentown -Buffalo, NY

Doubling up on (e:paul)'s post. I don't like ad like posts, but I liked it enough and I want them to stick around, so I think it should get two posts.

On the way home from the bike ride, I noticed a new store opened in the old Code Blu Juice bar, at North Pearl and Allen Street. It was called "Caféology" and it was amazing. They have a website but it looks unfinished, it does have the menu though.

The inside of the cafe was very new - and extremely hot temeprature wise. I was sweating but I still ordered a turkish coffee. (e:paul) got a cappucino, and (e:terry) got a frozen coffee drink. All of them were amazing taste wise. I have never had a Turkish coffee before but it's even more intense than an Italian coffee, and thick with the coffee grounds. I may be having a heart attack from it right now.

The women working said it will be open until 10 pm, which is awesome. I think this would be a nice place to do work at if they have WiFi. I always thought there should be a coffee shop opened late but the only option around here is a Tim Horton's or Spot.

Menu

Permalink: Caff_ology_Cafe_Allentown_Buffalo_NY.html
Words: 224
Last Modified: 10/13/15 01:26

Category: allentown

06/16/15 01:33 - ID#60056

Allentown Fried Dough festival

The Allentown Art festival isn't really my thing, I hate knick knacks. I do like the smell of fried dough though and it manages to waft all the way around Allentown. (e:paul) got his Italian snausage and came up with a fried dough wrapped version stuffed with cheese.

Dreamland had their own art festival going on with a bunch of pillows and cute stuffed things.

It was nice to just sit on the corner in the shade and watch people go by.

Permalink: Allentown_Fried_Dough_festival.html
Words: 91
Last Modified: 06/16/15 01:50

Category: allentown

01/14/15 01:24 - ID#59751

Allen Street Anonymous

Paul and I were at lunch and picked up a copy of the Allentown Association newsletter - it was all about the Allen Street reconstruction meetings. Apparently the assocation, city engineer, and design consultant all voted to remove parking for a pedestrian friendly and better streetscape (versus widening the road and removing feet from the sidewalk). Despite this fact their going to back to the design phase - more money spent on consulting, less on the actual construction :(

It turns out I was semi-anonymously quoted in the article about the debate as a Roswell employee!

Anyway if you believe at all in a sustainable future for Buffalo and making Allentown a nice place for people, not cars - write Peter Merlo, City Engineer at pmerlo@city-buffalo.com, and Stephen Stepniak, DPW Commissioner at sstepniak@city-buffalo.com and let them know what you think

Allentown Association doesn't put out an electronic version of this :( So i took a picture.

Joe Herzig said...

A Roswell Park employee also said a walkable, attractive Allen Street was essential for merchants to gain customers from the BNMC. He reminded the crowd that they could potentially get a lot of patronage from students, staff and visitors to the new UB Medical School and the new Children's Hospital now under construction. ...
Another suggested shuttles from BNMC lots at night when they are underutilized

Just to be clear I never actually said anyone needed a shuttle from BNMC to Allentown (unless you're disabled). Not sure where that came from. Walk your butts a block or two!

Permalink: Allen_Street_Anonymous.html
Words: 262
Last Modified: 01/16/15 02:14

Category: allentown

10/15/14 01:10 - ID#59480

Franklin Street cobblestones

During the fall fest, I noticed how many areas of Franklin between Allen and North were showing the cobblestones underneath. I wonder if we could uncover them ala Ardmore Place.

Traffic will slow, it's basically maintenance free, and way more permeable than straight up asphalt. Plus maybe it could make all those parking lots worth enough to build something there.
Of course, cobblestones are terrible for bikes so I think they could make some sort of bike lane with a different material. NYC does granite

but I'd even be happy with a strip of asphalt that they left behind.

Permalink: Franklin_Street_cobblestones.html
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Last Modified: 10/17/14 12:43

Category: allentown

10/11/14 05:58 - ID#59470

El Hermano Tiene Tumbao

Just like Celia, he steps to the side for no one, while simultaneously taking measures.

Yesterday we went down to the Allentown fall fest. They had a petting zoo. The baby goat and alpacas were so cute. I thought it was going to be weird going to the childrens section but the animals more than made up for it.

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Last Modified: 10/12/14 12:10

Category: allentown

10/11/14 12:35 - ID#59465

Franklin demolition

The old artvoice/photography/naked party building near Franklin and Allen is knocked down after being boarded up for so long. (e:terry) and I really want to go in and explore - there's a entrance into the basement where they already knocked down the front building.

Supposedly it's going to be redeveloped into a new mixed used building. If it's just a parking lot I'm gonna go fucking insane.

Permalink: Franklin_demolition.html
Words: 72
Last Modified: 10/17/14 12:46

Category: allentown

07/27/14 12:15 - ID#59237

Luxury by the Hill hotel

The boarded up and paved house next to the Hill Hotel on Franklin now has a sign from Sinatra that "luxury apartments" are now coming to the property. I wonder if he's behind the LLC that boarded up the house and paved the lawn? But finally! I can't believe it's sat vacant for so long.

If this is true I can't imagine the Hill hotel is going to be the way it is much longer.

On one hand I hate the owner for putting nothing into it and letting it rot (the Erie County Real tax site says Richard A Panicali is in care of trust that owns it). It's one of the worst properties in Allentown (how long has that busted Porsche been rotting there?). Any sort of renovation or improvement would make the street and Allentown so much nicer. Maybe it would even kick off development on the parking lots all down the street.

On the other hand I do feel sorry for some of the residents if they get kicked out for nicer housing. There aren't many low cost housing options this central to everything. And the fact that the owner has put zero into it and could probably turn a huge profit by selling it makes me sick.