WBFO, BRO and Local Shopping
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Newell and I did our weekly bit again with Mark Scott at WBFO's studios. This week's topic was one that Newell was uniquely qualified to talk about, having been a business owner (Thunder Bay) on Elmwood Avenue for several years.
When Mark asked about shopping in Buffalo, it was pretty much a knee-jerk reaction to come up with all the reasons one should shop here, from supporting locally-owned shops, to avoiding the mall rush, to finding unique gifts. The problem then was in everyone we left out when we were naming names and shops. Happily, the list of potential shopping spots is long.
Obviously, a yellow page listing will tell you what you need to know about finding things by category, but for those of you with an open mind, friends and family as unique as the item you may be looking for and a little holiday time on your hands, park your car on a city street and explore the storefronts.
One thing we didn't mention is that there are places that will allow you to make your gifts (jewelry and ceramic) as well as places that sell kits to make fun things (Albright Knox Gift Shop and Tree House Toys).
We also didn't mention antique shops (Allen, Elmwood, Hertel, Connecticut, Niagara), where one can find any number of things that people might never buy for themselves, but would love to receive. Ditto the great area restaurants that offer gift certificates.
Since we can't mention everything that's available, we'll let the comment boards fill in. If you're looking for something special and don't know where to find it, post your query here; there's probably many an avid shopper out there with an answer for you.
What Others Have To Say
What Do You Think?
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comptart_lws
I'll chime in (and encourage other blocks to do so, too)
On the Elmwood block between Potomac Ave and Bidwell Parkway (north) — about 1/2 mile South of the Albright Knox Art Gallery — we have:
#982 Elmwood Village Fabrics – Marimekko gift items for kids & adults, wall-hanging kits (or, we make them!) fat quarters for quilt-makers and crafters, Amy Butler fabrics, patterns and books, Pfaff sewing machines (with free user guide class!) custom pillows and yarn!
#988 "room" – a home store for Michael P Designs, featuring Mitchell Gold & Bob Williams and introducing "baby room" for nursery! Plenty of gift items!
around the corner, on Potomac (behind "room"):
Sunday Skate & BMX – cool boards, wheels, shirts, shoes (check out their video, too!)
Sweet & Dirty – juniors' and missy clothing and accessories. Holly Hue and other "exclusive" lines plus, Gentle Fawn, Spiewak and other sweet threads!
Plenty of parking (especially Bidwell Parkway!)
visit Cosefini and Buffalo Hemp Outfitters the next block north of us, too!
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tudorguy
College Street Gallery on Allen Street Between Days Park and College. Mike Mulley has great photos framed and matted of Buffalo ready to go - including the famous "Lady in White"!!!!
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Joshua
Michael Mulley's gallery is great, I purchased a Freddies Doughnuts pictures from him.
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DelishDish
Delish is now offering the 'holiday special' gift certificate package...buy four classes-get one free. Great gift idea for one person or break them up and give to five friends. This special pack is only offered from Thanksgiving through Christmas.
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DelishDish
One more thing...you should check out the new location of NEO! I shopped there yesterday and found several beautiful gifts. They have a ton of unique, reasonably prices items to choose from and it's a nice way to welcome them to our neighborhood.
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gaustad
WHY CAN'T ELMWOOD GET A GAP, OLD NAVY, BANANNA -
i know it is a long standing question and regardless of "crtical mass" - a Gap or bananna would do very well on Elmwood.
As a matter of fact, many higher end stores would do well
Does the elmwood village block these stores
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al-alo
gaustad,
i think elmwoodies ran off the gap a few years ago, if im not mistaken.
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queenseyes
Not true. elmwoodies were working with a property owner who was trying to get a GAP here. At the same time The GAP ceased all corporate expansions to second tier urban settings.
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scooter
Great idea for stocking stuffers.......Blue Mountain.
Special and unique tea's and coffee.
(i should get a free cup coffee for this plug)
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ChrisRK
Shoppers can visit www.buffalofirst.org/marketplace for an online directory of local businesses from all around the city. You can search by category of just browse. Think Local Be Local Buy Local.
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al-alo
i is corrected - the elmwood rumor mill gots me!
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al-alo
ps- sorry about the "gap" in my knowlege!
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queenseyes
Elmwood stores tend to get labeled as 'anti-chain' easily. People assume that they are naturally against any chain stores. There is an assumption. Most of the businesses that I know would welcome a Banana on the street. Remember when Starbuck's came onto Elmwood. There were a couple coffee shops that were against it so everyone assumed that all the businesses were against it. I remember watching a newscast at the time and some lady was condemning us for not wanting a Starbuck's. That was not the case at all. None of the businesses were happy to see Pier 1 close. Of course it was looked as an opportunity to attract a Crate 'n Barrel... but that never happened.
As an aside, my Aunt from the outskirts of Boston came into town recently and she was overjoyed to see all of the privately owned and operated businesses in Buffalo. Her town has become nothing but malls... and that's where she shops and eats. She was in heaven for her three days in Buff.
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scooter
Just a thought.........
How big is a Gap store? 15,000 sq ft? Where do we put a 15,000 sq ft store on Elmwood?
I think...in order to attract a national chain such as Gap...they'd want to be centerally located on Elmwood, right? Last I checked....there are no 15,000 sq ft availabilities......right? So what neighborhood or corner of elmwood do we demolish to build such a big store? For 15,000 sq ft we wouldn't be just demolishng a couple of commercial buildings, we'd be cutting into residential as well and that assuming they'd live without parking or loading docks.
I think many national chains similar to Gap would kill to be on Elmwood. Elmwood boost demographics very simialar to Amherst, I think the reason we don't see these medium size national retailers is because there are no "development" opportunities there.
Making it a perfect place for small local businesses. The engine of any strong economy.
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queenseyes
Scooter, the ideal locations (that I can think of) would be the parking lot across from Blockbuster. Or the proposed multi-use buildings at the Richardson-Olmsted Complex. Or taking that Stuyvesant Plaza and ripping it to shreds while building a midway of sorts. Or knock down the Kentucky fried Chicken if given the opportunity.
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al-alo
dont forget, buildings can go up instead of out.
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scooter
I could see the parking lot across from blockbuster....that would be a great site for anyone. Who owns that?
I don't see the other sites as something a national retailer would be intrested in. Just my opinon, good thoughts though.
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scooter
I'd be curious to see how much the elmwood retail district brings in compared to the galleria mall or maybe the shops along main street in williamsville. I bet elmwood holds it own.
Small local business vs national chains.
thoughts?
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AtwaterLouse
Scooter, I'd take that bet. Have you ever been to Walden Galleria? Have you seen the thousands and thousands of cars in the lot and mentally imagined where they'd even park along Elmwood? In their slowest one hour of any Saturday afternoon any week of the year, I'd bet the Galleria as a whole takes in more money than all EV stores over the whole preceeding week. Or maybe it would take two hours of Galelria vs a week of EV, but not much more than that.
I also think your previous comment's guess that EV's demographics match Amherst's is way off, and also disgree that national chain stores such as those mentioned want to be in EV this point. if they wanted to be there, they'd have found a way. Maybe that will change at some point, who knows.
None of this is to insult EV, but it just seems to me it has much less average income than Amherst and its number of customers and spending is much much smaller than Galleria's. Doesn't make it worse, just different.
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buffaloed
Not that this was about GAP but GAP stores do not have to be huge, and they are small when they are not accompanied by a Gap kids, BabyGap, Gap maternity and GapBody.
But as for gift ideas, a few pounds of whole-bean coffee from SPOT, anything from Everything Elmwood, make great gifts. I also agree that the College Street Gallery would be another great place for gifts. My mother is receiving a 5x7 of the 'white ninja' from my sister. When we were kids, my mother would tell tales of this 'white ninja' that she encountered when she worked at the Federal Building downtown.
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al-alo
i think by square footage gaps kids is smaller, baby gap is even smaller, and zygote gap is the smallest.
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gaustad
I heard the "Elmwood Village" and community blocked The Gap years ago because it would take away from the "charm" of the neighborhod and would bring too much traffic to the houses in the surronding area.
Is this true?
Sometimes Buffalonians can be their own worst enemy
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gaustad
Elmwood Ave could be and should be very similar to Newbury street in Boston or Yorkville in Toronoto - it doens't take much -
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al-alo
gaustad. thats what i had heard too. actually from somebody i thought a pretty reliable source. i guess that version was sexier. queenseyes says that wasnt the case, and im inclined to believe him.
that said, perhaps the saga of soliciting a chain store would hold some good lessons. why wasnt another retailer pursued? why the gap? what were the proposed locations?
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zen
Yeah, why isn't there a Gap or Banana on Emwood? kidding. Didn't anyone read QE's comment abt the Gap not wanting to committ to urban areas? In NY, SF, LA, etc. yes but not small urban areas like Buffalo. I think it's a combination of not a large enough concentrated buying population as well as concerns over shoplifting, sad but true. Also, don't forget KFC gift certificates for the holidays. Let's not lose that anchor store.
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buffalocat
Last year was my first holiday season back in Buffalo after several years of living in the south (chain store heaven). I went EV-crazy and bought all my gifts in the shops there. Perhaps the best part was the ability to buy unique gifts that my out-of-town friends hadn't come across during their holiday shopping in the malls of America. Newell touched on this in the WBFO interview - the smaller shops can offer different gifts than the bigger chains that typically supply the same items in every one of their stores across the country. I think that's great.
The other thing that's really cool is that the stores in EV tend to be affordable. NYC, Raleigh, New Orleans (other places I've lived) have had small local shops, but their offerings are often too expensive for me to purchase. It's nice to see little shops that can compete with 'big box' prices, and not charge $189 for a pair of slippers!
Anyway, stores that I loved last year include Diggin It at 801Elmwood (for great garden and outdoor decorations) and Spoiled Rotten at 831 Elmwood Ave (for funky and distinct ornaments and stocking stuffers). I have friends in various parts of the country who regularly sport Buffalo-themed clothing even though they've never even been here, thanks to the incredibly cool t-shirts and really soft, cute sweatshirts from Pavlov's Togs at 734. Oh - and for the consumable gifts, I hit Watson's and/or Fowlers and Blue Mountain Coffee.
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Joshua
I am going to vent here...OK? Everytime I go to the Galleria, I picture all of those stores in Buffalo, elmwood, -- I get myself a bit upset when I go to the mall.
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Joshua
zen - I know you were joking about the KFC. But in all reality, if KFC closed who cares. I've only been to a KFC possibly once or twice in 24 years.
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EDU416
White cow dairy lemon drink sold at the Bidwell market and the lexington co-op is a refreshing semi sweet creamy sinsation which is departure from the tasteless overly sweet commercially yogurt products found in the store. The Maple yogurt is lightly sweetened from the natural offerings of our local maple trees. The thick interseting vivacious texture has a substantial consistancy that brings the pallet to life. This isn't yogurt for the masses. This is "date" yogurt.
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