FROM THE EDITOR As far as Buffalo Spree is concerned, our “city” is really a metro area that encompasses most of the counties of Erie and Niagara. So in this city guide, it is equally as relevant to talk about nature walks in the southtowns and sightseeing along a country road of cobblestone houses as it is to discuss downtown wine bars and Elmwood Avenue coffee shops. But it occurs to me that even within the traditional boundaries of the urban center, what we think of as city living is changing in dramatic ways. Even as Buffalo plans to return cars to the downtown section of Main Street, innovative strategies in which we can use our cars less have already arrived, including the Buffalo Car Share (discussed in this issue) and Blue Bicycle programs. Even as condos and apartments begin to fill former industrial and commercial buildings, other areas of the city embrace the open space where residential blocks used to be, planting urban farms and community gardens. Increasingly, we are beginning to bring the country into the city, with summer and winter farmers’ markets, and programs in which urban residents can become shareholders in local farms. That is, if they are not growing their own vegetables already, as many city dwellers have always done and even more are starting to do. In addition to nurturing the soil and what grows out of it, we are getting better at preserving the waters that surround us and finding appropriate ways to enjoy them for an economic benefit that is not burdened by the compromises of heavy industry. Urban renewal is a concept that has to be completely rethought—so that the stigma that has surrounded the phrase for decades can be removed. Either that or we have to come up with another term for how we make our cities better. I am pleased that in this issue we have profiled several emerging city leaders and planners who are concerned with ways in which Buffalo can become not necessarily bigger or more powerful, but a more livable, sustainable, and healthy place in which to live and raise a family. Just as cities change their priorities, so should city guides. As you read this one, we hope that you think of ways not just to enjoy Western New York but to improve it as well. Here’s to city living, SUBSCRIBE NOW Back to the Table of Contents Back to Top