(WIKIPEDIA - megalopolis)
A megalopolis is defined as an extensive metropolitan area or a long chain of roughly continuous metropolitan areas in the United States and Canada. The term was first used in the United States by Jean Gottmann in 1957, to describe the huge urban area along the Eastern seaboard of the U.S. from Boston, Massachusetts to Washington, D.C. ...A megalopolis is also frequently a megacity, or a metropolitan area with a total population in excess of 10 million people.
which lead me to the definition of a megacity (WIKIPEDIA - Megacity) where I learned
In 2000, there were 18 megacities - conurbations such as Tokyo, Mexico City, Bombay, Sao Paulo and New York City - that have populations in excess of 10 million inhabitants. Greater Tokyo already has 35 million, more than the entire population of Canada.
By 2025, according to the Far Eastern Economic Review, Asia alone will have at least 10 hypercities, those with 20 million or more, including Jakarta (24.9 million people), Dhaka (25 million), Karachi (26.5 million), Shanghai (27 million) and Bombay (with a staggering 33 million).[9] Lagos has grown from 300,000 in 1950 to an estimated 15 million today, and the Nigerian government estimates that city will have expanded to 25 million residents by 2015.[10] Chinese experts forecast that Chinese cities will contain 800 million people by 202
Buffalo
Which got me thinking about Buffalo's (WIKIPEDIA - Buffalo,_New_York) and it's population. I knew that it was somewhere around 300,000 but wasn't sure on actual figures. It was fantastic to see it as a chart. It is interesting to see we have returned to our late 1890's population level. Think about that. While people in Tokyo are living packed in at 35 million in their greater metropolitan area we only have around a million in Western New York.
Some people probably think that is depressing but think it great. Just think about how much more space we have.
On another note, I went for a walk down elmwood today while picking up a baby gift for (e:enknot) at Treehouse and noticed that all the stores have either shut down or changed into new stores. It is amazing how different it is. It makes me wonder if anything can really survive there, if the "village" is actually doing well, or if all of the new vilage talk is just hype.
I was amazed to see that Stache moved from that little downstairs store front near the elmwood village apartments between Highland and Lexington to the half timber storefront house near Lafayette and elmwood right by Shoe Fly, kind of across from the Coop. I think it is the first time someone survived that location and then moved on up. Good for them.
id move back to buffalo is there were two things... more jobs and people to date!
Slightly off-topic: does anyone know if there's a business in line to replace Neo at Allen and Franklin?
well for me, i like living in a city that isn't overcrowded... i mean... ive spent the last ten years in an overcrowded town, 70 miles from a super overcrowded city and i'm lovin the fact that i don't really have to factor in traffic whenever i go anywhere...
Room also was once in that tiny location and they moved up quite nicely.
As per metalpeter's comment. I hear that the owners of the old sweet tooth and pier 1 is a scummy land lord who keeps his prices too high. In the meantime he gets a nice tax write off and can wait until some poor sod rents those spaces and can't afford to keep it open. BAM! Another tax write off.
Not that I know much about population let alone how to reserch it. But what would really be interesting is to see those same numbers from about maybe 1940 to present in sorounding towns villages and Suburbs. The reason I say that is because I bet that most of the people who leave Buffalo don't leave the area but are part of the "Sprawl movement" out to the burbs. But it would really be cool to have the numbers.
In terms of Elmwood I myself have noticed a few odd things. No one has moved into where Pier 1 and sweetooth where. My first thought was that those are such well known spots that it might be tough to get someone to take them over. My theory on Elmwood sounds a little bit like what someone else on this site (maybe (e:joshua) not sure so I may have the wrong person). When people come in from the burbs them coming to the strip makes things more high priced, when things are more high priced people who live the niehboorhood can't afforid to shop there anymore. I'm not saying everyone but a good portion of the people who live around the strip. The second part of my theory is that Elmwood as been very sucessfull and there are a lot of storng Businesses there so that makes all the rents very high. If you open up a new place with high rent and start up costs you can only lose money for so long untill you have to shut your doors or move someplace cheeper. That is why in 20 years maybe less I wouldn't be surprised if Grant St. is the new elmwood, there was a time when it was. I can remember there was a time when all the stores got these Black Signs with gold trim and gold lettering as a way to try to bring back Grant St. Then the people who can't afforid grant st. might shop someplace else in 20 years, it is hard to know what will happen. Maybe the wealth will be moved to Downtown Buffalo and Shops will open up in the mall again.