2nd In The Erie Basin Beach Series: Clam Bar

It's almost funny (in a sad sort of way) that there are so many opportunities that Erie Basin Marina offers us. Yet none of the opportunities have been acted upon. Take, for example, the roll-up doors that can be found at the Outlook Tower. Just tell me that there is not some entrepreneur in Buffalo who would jump at the opportunity to sell clams and beers here. And what person with a taste bud in his or her mouth would not clamor to come down to the water to eat clams, drink a beer (Flying Bison?) and sit on a recliner on the RIng Beach?
I'm sure that this could be a second operation for The Hatch too. Just think of the possibilities. There couldn't be a better clam bar in Buffalo. Plus there are already bathrooms built into the tower. Throw in a few bike racks, set out some picnic tables... who knows, maybe even paint some shuffle board courts on the excess roads and walkways. One thing is for sure, and that is... by being a bit creative there are many ideas that really won't cost much money. The bones are already there. Can you imagine being able to bike down to The Tower to spend a day by the water? There are already people visiting the area... now we just have to keep them there by giving them things to do.

As we mentioned in our previous post, we’re in the process of changing the Buffalo Rising site. We’re almost there as we expect to launch the new site on Friday, December 19th.
In the meantime, posting will be light as we log new stories in the new publishing system which will only be viewable when we launch on Friday.
As always, we appreciate our users’ patience as we make this transition but we promise it will be well worth it. With faster load times, a comment view … 




Comment Options
sbrof
Is that a birch tree? Has to be one of the biggest around if so. They typically don't get so thick in these parts. Do we have a winner for species to plant along the whole length of the basin. Would be kind of cool to see a long row or glowing white 'birch' trees.
Either way I do agree with you on this what if scenario. Putting a place to grab a beer after making the trek out to the tower would be fantastic. It is not always the easiest to convince people to make the walk out there because of the lack of shade and being such a big dead end. A place to chill, relax, grab a beer in some shade to overlook the water and maybe even grab a clam / snack of sorts would be perfect.
It is a long walk for many and the best way to get people to enjoy it is with a little reward.
Report this
sayvanderlay
The nocturnal migratory birds that nest in the birch tree could accidentally mistake a French Fry for a worm. The ensuing high cholesterol would surely kill them. Not to mention the carbs.
Report this
impressingagent
this would make a better french fry stand. a bunch of round seating and the combonation of homemade frys with cheap labatt beer.
Report this
sbrof
man two stars. I just can't win with you people ;-)
Report this
RisingDamp666
Have a third, punk.
Report this
Deliking
Better have a bike rack installed, with the cost of clams, the cost of gas to get there may limit the exposure, besides there is a clam stand already close by at the hatch, Mike wouldn't want the competition.
Report this
LivingForge
Might be an option for a seasonal downtown location for Teds or Anderson's.
Report this
300miles
Yeah... a restaurant / bar there would be excellent. But it should be something a little more affordable and popular that a Clam Bar.
Question though - what was originally there? What was behing those doors after they originally completed the Marina in the 70's ???
Report this
gaustad
Can we put a Hooters in there?
Report this
PDB
when the Hatch made the seating area on the North side more stable and enclosable, I thought they should go onto the new roof area and open a bar- Happy Hour - type operation. Great to for the summer overflow that ocurs there too.
Report this
Joshua
After having been in two city's (Nashville, TN and Columbus, OH) in the past 2 weeks for work, I can see how things are done and how things aren't. Nashville is a growing city with people downtown during the day - a lot of them that don't even work there - imagine that! There is a boom in the amount of people moving there and all the restaurants are packed. Columbus was another city that had a lot of exciting things happening. In there arena district (which would be our cobblestone district, in comparison) they already have businesses, a multitude brew pubs, bars, resturants, and best of all awesome architecture. They "built up" and developed their arena district much faster that Buffalo's. There is a lot to learn from these two city's, I wish I took some more pictures.
Now getting back to this article, the two city's I went to - Nashville has a river going through it, NHL and NFL downtown - no beach though. Buffalo has the upper hand here. Columbus has NHL and no water at all going through the city.
Buffalo needs to take advantage of it's resources, politicians need to stop sitting on there hands and work some magic here. Besides the waterfront issue - the two other city's also have businesses with MAJOR corporate headquarters. Columbus is home to Nationwide Insurance - everything in their downtown is Nationwide. Why isn't there more of a presence of M&T in Buffalo??? Nashville is home to major Bible publication companies and possibly At&T. These areas are growing. Buffalo needs to attract more major corporations to move here (M&T and Labatt's is a start, but it can't end there).
I'm going to repeat - Buffalo needs to make the best of it's waterfront. Every one I talked to from the other city's through that it was still snowing here; they did not realize that it can be a warm place - in terms of temp.
I could go on and on - but I think you guys get my drift. Comment back if you'd like to talk to me.
Report this
xosder
I understand that was thought about, but I believe it would have required an elevator, which was an expense they apparently didn't want to consider.
Report this
Sal
What is that place? A storage shed? Maybe it's part of the Mayor's $4.5 billion program.
Report this
AtwaterLouse
Sal - The mayor's renaissance scoreboard total is now over $4.522 billion. The astounding $4.5B as analyzed by the Buffalo News Sunday, plus the latest $22 million bus station upgrade for which the NFTA announced they're seeking funding. And yes the total should jump up even higher later today or tommorow as soon as City Hall can price tag all of QE's long range ideas for Erie Basin Marina and add in those. Stay tuned.
Report this
Prodigal-Son
When I was a kid, the area under the tower was a little ice cream stand where we bought popsicles. I don't know why it closed. It may not be the best place for such a snack bar after all.
I'm just waiting for someone to say that the snack bar would do better if the ring was closed and turned into a beach. This is the kind of thinking that drives me nuts - half the time we want to shut down roads to make people walk and bike, and the other half of the time we're saying cars need to be back on Main Street so people will go there. Pick one.
Report this
nascarinbuffalo
A clam bar at the Erie Basin Marina sounds like a great idea. Perhaps that is why there already is one there at the other end (next to the Hatch).
Report this
wizardofza
Love the architecture! Makes easy to imagine what it would have looked like if UB was built on the waterfront. Imagine that tower x100
Report this
MiesvanderDoh
I agree on the nashville front, many similarities to buffalo. however they are much further along in their conversion of warehouse space into lofts, way more people living downtown. also, the architecture on the east side of nashville is very similar to allentown. not to mention places like the bb king blues club and that whole district. they seem to have a lot based on tourism though (that street of a ton of crappy shops wasn't too appealing to me, but i mean it works).
isn't there a restaurant that serves beers like a stones throw away from the tower? I remember riding my bike down there with a friend last summer and we stopped somewhere very nearby for food and beers
Report this
AtwaterLouse
Their residential growth is following a lot of private sector corporate growth there.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nashville#Economy
Report this
gaustad
Buffalonians, esepcially the ones that have never traveled, need to understand that the vast majority of people in this country believe it is still snowing here and that it snows in Buffalo all year.
Their ignorance is beyond comprehension; most people are not trying to be funny or insulting, they sincerely believe that is snows here all year. the first thing outsiders think of Buffalo is snow and 4 super bowl losses.....in a row
It is our responsibility and our leaders to market this town better and change our image......
Report this
Joshua
Yup, you guys got it - AtwaterLouse, gaustad, MiesvanderDoh. It's not to say good things are not happenings at all, but more development, private and public, is happening is just about every other city.
Report this