Heidi's Journal

07/03/2008 22:11 #44850

Transportation/housing affordability
Category: community

I like to geek about walkability, communities, poverty, transportation and such... Andrew Leonard's column/blog on Salon.com

is a very good read. He passed along a site that allows you to check out the impact of gasoline prices on household budgets, with 2000 & 2008 color GIS maps, transportation and housing costs as percentage of household income...take some time & play with it. Use the advanced option, and the gas cost impacts link.

I'm familiar with the DC-Balto metro area, and lightly familiar with Buffalo, so I compared those - Buffalo is a -lot- smaller... My current location: Data not available.

You can zoom in to street/neighborhood level. You'll see that cost of transportation is much lower within the city, and very low in certain areas - ones that are highly walkable (Elmwood) and/or highly convenient to public transportation.

Walkability by neighborhood in Seattle

paul - 07/04/08 01:55
I am glad I can walk to work.

06/27/2008 00:32 #44797

apartment!
Category: moving

I found an apartment today! I totally didn't expect to find one so easily, but all the research I was able to do with the kind, gracious and thoughtful assistance of (e:peeps) really paid off. 8/15 I'll take possession of a very sunny third-floor one-bedroom apartment on Allen Street! I think it's the kind of apartment I can live (perch?) in for three years.

I also got to meet (e:drew)! *waves* Thanks so much for the warm welcome!

Now that I know where I"m moving, I feel like I can finally start packing and processing all my STUFF. I have a lot of stuff and most of it will be living in storage.

heidi - 06/27/08 12:07
(e:tinypliny) - Good essay! I do hope to get rid of a lot of stuff, but i have a LOT of books, like the author does... so books & bookshelves are a huge part of what I'm going to be storing! I have everything indexed at librarything.com so I'll be able to box things, number the boxes and -know- what's in each one. *geek!*

(e:metalpeter) - Good food & beverages are one of the things I miss most about city life compared to where I am now... Having a Falafel Bar within spitting distance is like a dream come true. I realize it can be raucous at night with all the bars along there, but I'm a very sound sleeper and I have earplugs...

Thanks all!

metalpeter - 06/27/08 10:23
not that I have ever lived on that street but as you saw there are places to eat and drink near by and you are close to downtown, if you get hungry late at night or thirsty you are set. I wish you luck and hope you like the new hood.

mrmike - 06/27/08 09:57
Congrats on the new digs

tinypliny - 06/27/08 00:46
Oh and you could take this golden opportunity to throw away everything but the barest minimum :)
:::link:::

tinypliny - 06/27/08 00:44
Sounds nice. :) Congratulations!
Just out of curiousity, how much do you pay each month and are utilities included? It this east of Elmwood or West?

06/24/2008 18:40 #44772

transitions & change

I have a few minutes while waiting for computer scans to complete...

So much is going on. I'm selling my precious house. I'm ending a 2.5 year relationship. I'm easing out of people's lives, helping them figure out what to do when I'm not here to help fix their computers or untangle their QuickBooks messes, not to mention the roles of confidant, adviser, friend, emotional and logistical supporter.

I'm trying to commit to memory the details of -here-. (In the next few weeks, you'll all get some photographic treats, but I'm awaiting house closing to get a camera.)The mountain at my back, the river that speaks so softly of cleansing and renewal despite its pollution, the infinite collection of sunsets, full moons and rainbows. Not that I'm leaving for good - ha ha I tried that. This is my heart's home and this is where I'll always be based, but knowing that I'm leaving for three years makes each day, each starry night more of a gem to be treasured. And the connections to people. Yeah, there's email, there's the telephone, but its those casual, constant connections that make the relationships so real.

And it's not just easing out of here, it's also looking toward Buffalo and the new life I'll be building there. Where to live? How to find folks to connect with? ((e:strip) is an awesome starting point!!!) How to deal with 8am classes when I've never been successful at getting to work at 9? Food... diversity... sheer numbers of people... figuring out what my path is going to look like...

Nisha and her friend Bill at the office.

tinypliny - 06/25/08 20:51
Yeah, Moving is such a pain!! Hope yours goes smoothly and well!!

WELCOME TO BUFFALO! :)

fellyconnelly - 06/25/08 07:17
good luck for sure!

johnallen - 06/25/08 01:22
I sih you the best of luck. I hope you find that Buffalo is an awesome place full of an infinite number of things to do and places to go.

Moving is never fun, or are any changes for that matter. Matter of fact, they're usually scarey. I wish you the best.

06/24/2008 16:19 #44769

Subway?
Category: moving

So I just talked to a property management person and when I said I wanted to take public transportation to UB North, he said, "My guess is that you'll take it once or twice but you'll be so grossed out that you'll never take it again." Thoughts?

zobar - 06/25/08 08:17
The public transportation in Buffalo is no more or less gross than MTA or NJ Transit, but it is significantly less convenient. It is ok for regularly-scheduled or well-planned trips, but routes are sparse in the suburbs and schedules are infrequent off-peak and on weekends. UB North, eg, is served by one NFTA route: 44 Lockport :::link:::

- Z

leetee - 06/24/08 18:55
yeah, i'm with ya, Tiny...

to further that, i say that there does seem to be a snob factor and elitist attitude towards public transportation. not just here, but in a lot of places. other than giant cities like new york, chicago, paris, london... hell, even toronto.

gross? just hit toronto subways after a game with all the drunk jock guys pissing onto the tracks. or how about some seedy areas of london, where the blokes don't even bother to get off the train to piss. on a hot summer day, with at least 12 hours to go before maintence gets round to cleaning. now THAT'S gross!

heidi - 06/24/08 17:02
OMG I'm dying, Tiny! You're too funny...

I'm totally with ya on the attitude! I'm most familiar with the super-clean, tourist-friendly DC metro & metrobusses but how bad could Buffalo NFTA be??

tinypliny - 06/24/08 16:52
YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING!! COME ON!! (THIS IS IN CAPS, because I am frankly OUTRAGED!)

The tube is great. I am quoting myself verbatim from some other blog I posted on recently (because I am lazy and I should really not be stalking (e:strip) at this time, but I am. :P):

Going with a flawed preconception that Buffalo's public transport is bad is the underlying reason why cars have become a "necessity". Have you ever lived in a place where there is no metro? (Hint: Neighbouring Rochester, for instance?) Compared to such a place, Buffalo's public transport is a dream! There is a train every 12 minutes or less. If you are not too much of a snob to share sitting spaces with some of the less-privileged, travelling in the metro is one of the most convenient things to do. I know people have told me in the past that it is unsafe. But after a year of living here, I have no evidence to substantiate this ominous sounding warning. I am close to attributing all this paranoia of attacks to a lack of common sense. Any public transport, even in the world's safest cities becomes unsafe, if you dress up to the nines, attract a lot of attention to yourself by being peculiarly a model representative of the wealthy or the privileged. You are in *public transport*. Behave and act like public, not the elite. It does NOT require a lot of effort, just some sense of surroundings. That being said, I use the metro quite regularly and I have seen a lot of suited-booted people in there. It's not the warzone it is made out to be. Not even close. Again, my definition of a warzone comes from a somewhat crazy city where I lived for 2 straight years. Plus, the buses here actually connect to all the most important places and in fact, most places of interest. If you live out in the boondocks suburbs and then complain about the lack of buses and public transport, then, you have the definition of public transport quite wrong. The "public" does not usually live in far off inaccessible suburbs.

jbeatty - 06/24/08 16:51
If you end up near allen street there is a UB stampede bus that runs free from allen medical station to UB south for students and I think employees. :::link::: There is a bus from south to north campus. Although it isn't the quickest or most convenient way to travel there, it is free.

jenks - 06/24/08 16:40
i haven't used public transportation (aside from cabs) ONCE since I moved here. I have the feeling the guy is right.

06/09/2008 17:15 #44594

Apartments in Buffalo
Category: moving

Wow. Y'all rock.

It looks like I should focus on the Utica Ave. metro stop (do you call it metro or subway or light rail or train?). I'm looking for a studio, 1 br or 2 br (if i can find a roommate) that will accept 1 small dog and 1 cat. I'm downsizing from a house, so I have lots of stuff but I also plan on getting a storage unit so stuff storage isn't very important. I will need one parking spot. I can start renting as early as 8/1 and as late as 8/15. I think my rent range is about 500-550, up to 650 with all utilities but that's stretching things. I've got tentative plans to visit Buffalo either 6/26 or 6/27 to check stuff out. Linwood looks like a great option.

I must admit, I'm used to my brand new kitchen, dishwasher and garbage disposal, washer & dryer on second floor next to my huge bedroom... but of course I'll be living on a student budget and expect to downscale considerably. Um... how do I provide references when I haven't rented in 10.5 years?

libertad - 06/12/08 13:38
773-4246. It is advertised as a large one bedroom. I don't have any other details except it is on Norwood Ave and is very close to the Co-OP. Not sure it is the best place for you, but you may want to call for details.

chico - 06/11/08 09:41
(e:leetee) makes a good point. North Buffalo in the University Heights/UB South area is a distinct possibility and would probably be a little cheaper for rents, too. I think it's a little bit tricky for two reasons: (1) the neighborhoods change kinda quickly around there, so one block has beautifully maintained old owner-occupied homes and the next block has run-down rentals, and (2) I'm guessing that there's lots of crappy absentee landlords because of the off-campus student housing (though that's just a guess based on experience in other college towns).

Some advantages are: being close to a major supermarket (Tops) and a smaller supermaket (Aldi), a grungy but lovable vegan- and student-friendly luncheonette, a Walgreens, the Metro station (either for Metro rail heading downtown or for the UB shuttle to North campus), and a variety of restaurants and takeout joints.

Some disadvantages are: potentially loud neighbors (that you'd never know about till school is in); sketchy characters floating around Main Street (also true near Utica Station too); not being within walking distance of Elmwood (you'd have to drive or bike).

I suppose one important consideration is how often you'll be going to North campus and how often you'll be going to Elmwood. If it's like a 5:1 or 5:2 ratio each week, University Heights might be a good bet because it will make your UB commute that much easier and more efficient.

tinypliny - 06/10/08 00:22
Hey. :)

I live at the Mayflower (66 Summer) as (e:leetee) mentioned. I found it through craigslist (an excellent source, btw. They always have something available. If not at the Mayflower, maybe at their other buildings around the area. Check out their website and give them a call: :::link::: Rents are semi-reasonable - hovering around $600 and above (upto $850) for a studio/1BR (All utilities paid). The management is fairly decent. The flats are a hit or miss. The building as a whole is well-maintained, but depending on your luck you may or may not have:
a) a decent heating coil (mine punished me throughout the winter with erratic heating. I have chosen to carefully block that aspect out now that summer is here.)
b) hot water (my showerhead specializes in spouting out mostly lukewarm water. I am not sure I know what hot water is anymore.)
c) Light (My windows are south-facing and I live on the 5th floor so the lighting in my flat is a DREAM come true for someone who loves sunlight and natural light.) Some flats face brick walls of the adjacent building with crappy light, so beware. Check it out in person.

Check out my posts from last month. I went on a flat hunt and was somewhat successful but not quite... Let me know if you have any questions! Cheers and Good Luck!

leetee - 06/09/08 21:02
Belated Welcome to (e:Strip).

Wish i could help you more with the apartment hunt... the only experience we have is at the building (e:Tinypliny) lives in, since we lived there about a year or two before she did. Not sure if they allow pets.

If you have a car (you did mention needing a space, so i am assuming), Buffalo isn't a particularly big place, so the commute, even if it is in another part of the city, will not be very long. Not like a big metropolitan area where commuters spend an hour or more in traffic and/or on trains.

You might want to consider finding a place near UB South, too. Way less of a commute with their free South/North campus shuttle. Anyone else know anything about the neighbourhoods up there?

terry - 06/09/08 21:00
Have you looked into Artspace?

It's right on Main St. I think the closest subway stop is Summer/Best, though it's also not far from Utica. Their whole "thing" is atist loft + studio. Rents are supposed to be pretty decent. Check it out:

:::link:::

fellyconnelly - 06/09/08 18:11
esquared is nice... we are at 367 elmwood - and they are really nice here. if you have a problem, they really try to fix it for you. We pay 675 a month for a 1 bedroom - includes everything except electric. heat too! you sometimes lose hot water, but i find that everywhere.

pet friendly.

off street parking.

and if you get a place next door to us, our kitties can chat at eachother from the balconies!