User:AndreCarrotflower/Black Rock-Riverside

'Black Rock and Riverside are in Buffalo. blah blah blah'

Understand
EDIT AS NECESSARY, incorporating the following


 * There are two halves to, separated by the former Belt Line of the New York Central Railroad: the older part west of the tracks is a quiet, historic residential area still populated by... working-class Germans and Poles... today affectionately known as "river rats", while the business district to the east, centered around the corner of Grant and Amherst Streets, has always had a distinct identity... immigrants, Hispanics, college students, urban pioneers, and blue-collar whites like those in Black Rock all rub shoulders.


 * Further north, is an off-the-beaten-path area of working-class homes and neighborhood shops whose centerpiece, Riverside Park, boasts wonderful views over the Niagara River.


 * ..., a quiet, off-the-beaten-path area where working-class apartments and industrial warehouses coexist.

History
write this out and incorporate the following facts

(early history of Black Rock, summarized from UWS article)


 * ...the smaller Lower Black Rock (later also known as Black Rock Dam for the lock and dam that was installed on the Erie Canal in 1833), which corresponds to today's neighborhood of Black Rock


 * ...Between Upper and Lower Black Rock was the harbor, located at the mouth of Scajaquada Creek and dominated by a shipyard owned by Porter. don't use this verbiage here if it's already used in UWS article

(War of 1812, construction of the Erie Canal, panic of 1837)


 * ...Lower Black Rock was able to retain much more of its distinct identity and pastoral character, with a small-town feel to the streets around Market Square...

(Annexation of Black Rock by Buffalo)


 * The New York Central Railroad's Belt Line, a commuter loop built in 1883 through Buffalo's outer neighborhoods, attracted residents to the undeveloped eastern outskirts of Black Rock: a community of industrial workers from Poland, Hungary and Ukraine gathered around the new Church of the Assumption near the corner of Grant and Amherst Streets. Meanwhile, as the more affluent Germans and Irishmen continued to push outward, the land north of increasingly industrial Black Rock also began to develop, with a second Olmsted park, Germania Park (soon to be renamed Riverside Park), built around 1900 as the centerpiece of the area in Buffalo's far northwest corner now known as Riverside. Originally the site of many summer homes belonging to Buffalo's elite aristocracy, Riverside became a pleasant "suburb" of Black Rock, with a greener, more countrified ambience, larger homes on more spacious lots, and a wealthier citizenry.


 * Also around the same time: "further west, the first houses and streets began appearing in what is now West Hertel, just northeast of the corner of Hertel Avenue and Military Road" (from NoBu article).

(peak years, WWII - isn't this when much of West Hertel was developed with wartime factories and GI housing? - then late-20c decline)


 * Riverside Park's serene river views were replaced by that of a noisy expressway. Don't use this verbiage if used in LWS article

(end of decline, gentrification, arrival of immigrant presence)

By car
I-190:


 * Exit 12 (Amherst Street) and Exit 13 (Austin Street) are accessible from the northbound lanes only, providing access to Black Rock and, in the former case, also to Grant-Amherst slightly further afield.
 * Exit 14 (Vulcan Street via northbound lanes; Ontario Street via southbound lanes) is located in Riverside.

As well, the Scajaquada Expressway (NY 198) is a short highway that begins at Exit 11 of I-190, passing eastward through Black Rock and North Buffalo and ending on the East Side at the Kensington Expressway. There's also a Niagara Street exit accessible to westbound traffic only.

surface streets: Niagara Street as main thoroughfare

Ontario and Tonawanda Streets as diagonal arteries branching off Niagara

Military Road and Grant Street

Cross streets: Amherst, Hertel, Vulcan, Skillen, Kenmore - NYCRR tracks as barrier to much traffic between western & eastern halves of district

Parking meters are in place in Riverside along Tonawanda Street between Hunt and Crowley Avenues. Signs indicate that paid parking in Riverside is in effect till 6PM every day but Sunday with rates of 50¢ per hour to a maximum of 2 hours, but word is that some or all of the meters don't work and are slated to be removed. verify the continued existence of these As well, the 2-hour maximum rule is also in effect along Ontario Street between Tonawanda Street and Kenmore Avenue

Curiously, Amherst Street in downtown Black Rock has no parking meters or restrictions of any kind, but visitors to that neighborhood should keep in mind that the lot on the north side of Amherst Street between Howell and Bush Streets is for the exclusive use of customers of Casey's Tavern and Nick's Place, and enforcement is vigilant. If you can't find on-street parking along Amherst (unlikely), try the large lot at Tops Plaza at the corner of Grant Street.

By public transportation
Public transit in Buffalo and the surrounding area is provided by the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority (NFTA). The NFTA Metro system encompasses a single-line light-rail rapid transit (LRRT) system and an extensive network of buses. The fare for a single trip on a bus or train is $2.00 regardless of length. No transfers are provided between buses or trains; travelers who will need to make multiple trips per day on public transit should consider purchasing an all-day pass for $5.00.

If you'll be doing a lot of coming and going via public transportation during your visit to Buffalo, you're likely at some point to have a transfer at the, located at the corner of Niagara and Ontario Streets. It's a major nexus for many of the Metro buses that serve the West Side, North Buffalo, and the northwestern suburbs of Tonawanda and Amherst.

By bus
Black Rock and Riverside are traversed by a number of NFTA Metro bus routes:

To and from downtown
NFTA Metro Bus #3 — Grant. Beginning at the city line at the corner of Tonawanda and Vulcan Streets, Bus #3 serves Riverside via Vulcan and Skillen Streets, proceeding thenceforward through West Hertel and Black Rock via Military Road and Grant Street before ending its run downtown.

NFTA Metro Bus #5 — Niagara-Kenmore. Beginning at the University Metro Rail Station, Bus #5 serves West Hertel via Kenmore Avenue, then meanders through Riverside via Ontario, Tonawanda, and Vulcan Streets. At Niagara Street the route veers sharply southward and passes through Black Rock, with service to the Black Rock-Riverside Transit Hub. Bus #5's run ends downtown.

NFTA Metro Bus #40 — Buffalo-Niagara Falls. Beginning at the Portage Road Transit Center in Niagara Falls, Bus #40 proceeds through both Riverside and Black Rock via Niagara Street, serving the Black Rock-Riverside Transit Hub on its way south toward downtown, where it ends. It is important to note that Route #40 does not serve passengers whose trips are located entirely south of Hertel Avenue.

Crosstown routes
NFTA Metro Bus #23 — Fillmore-Hertel. Beginning at the Black Rock-Riverside Transit Hub, Bus #23 serves Black Rock via Niagara Street before turning eastward at Hertel Avenue with service to West Hertel. From there, the bus enters North Buffalo, continues through the East Side via Fillmore Avenue, and finally ends in South Buffalo.

NFTA Metro Bus #32 — Amherst. Beginning at the Black Rock-Riverside Transit Hub, Bus #32 serves Black Rock via Niagara Street and Amherst Street, with service to the business district. From there, the bus enters North Buffalo before finally ending its run at the Thruway Mall Transit Center in Cheektowaga.

NFTA Metro Bus #35 — Sheridan. Beginning at the Marina Vista Apartments, Bus #35 heads northward on Niagara Street, passing through Black Rock and Riverside with service to the Black Rock-Riverside Transit Hub. From there it crosses the city line into Tonawanda and ends its run in Amherst at the North Campus of the University at Buffalo.

By Metro Rail
doesn't come anywhere near Black Rock or Riverside - easiest access is via Amherst Street Station --> #32 or University Station --> #5 but that's a pain in the ass, do we want to even bother mentioning this?

By bike
standard section lede

photo of Riverwalk in Riverside Park?

replace the following verbiage Buffalo's oldest, largest, and best-known bike path is the Shoreline Trail, a multi-use trail that connects the Bethlehem Steel site in Lackawanna to Gratwick Park in North Tonawanda via the West Side waterfront, for a total distance of 22.6 miles (36.4 km). The Shoreline Trail passes into Black Rock via the International Railroad Bridge from Unity Island, then along the shore of the Niagara River through some newly created waterfront parkland - Tow Path Park, Black Rock Canal Park - and into the older, Olmsted-designed Riverside Park

entire stretch through BRR is along its own off-street ROW, paved w asphalt, 15 mph/24 kph

As well as being a lovely trail in itself, the Shoreline Trail also serves as a central spine for Buffalo's larger network of bike paths. Branching off of it is the Jesse Kregal Pathway. The path follows the north shore of Scajaquada Creek opposite the expressway for a distance of 2.4 miles (3.8 km), with the attractions of Black Rock within easy striking distance. Passing eastward, the Scajaquada Creekside Trail enters Delaware Park and ends near the Buffalo History Museum. Near its northern terminus in Tonawanda, the Shoreline Trail also connects with the Erie Canalway Trail.

On-street bike infrastructure: scanty


 * Niagara Street - bike lanes from Ontario St north to Riverside Park and city line
 * Amherst Street - from Bridgeman Street east into North Buffalo.

Bike sharing
Black Rock has two Reddy Bikeshare racks:


 * on the north side of Amherst Street between Bush and Howell Streets, across from The Dapper Goose
 * on the east side of Military Road just north of Amherst Street, on the side of Hot Mama's Canteen

On foot
blah blah blah

Art
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Parks
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listingify:

- explain meaning of name - also monument to Fenian raids, views over river, greenery in general

contains a dog run, fishing pier, and boat launch and boasts lovely views of the Buffalo waterfront, Grand Island, and Canada.

Architecture
standard section lede



Festivals and events
section lede?



Live music
Amherst Street is one of Buffalo's main destinations for live music especially if you like rootsy rock, blues, etc.?, with a trio of venues that are among the best-loved in Buffalo.



Learn
If art classes are your bag, check out...



Black Rock
Amherst Street has made a name for itself in recent years as a small-business shopping district that, despite its upswing, proudly retains a blue-collar, "real Buffalo" feel. Art and antiques are a particular specialty in the area.

Additionally, proximity to campus makes Tops Plaza, on the southwest corner of Grant and Amherst Streets just across the bridge, a handy destination for the everyday shopping needs of Buffalo State students — it contains locations of Family Dollar and Tops supermarkets, as well as Burger King, a pizzeria, and a Chinese take-out.

Clothing and accessories
Among the small neighborhood shops of Black Rock are a number of purveyors of urban fashions.



Antiques
Black Rock is an emerging local destination for antique enthusiasts.



Specialty foods
Though it's of decidedly less interest to foodies than Grant-Ferry and the Lower West Side, Grant-Amherst's variety of specialty food markets ably mirrors the diversity of the West Side.



Riverside
Riverside's shopping district is centered around the corner of Tonawanda and Ontario Streets in Riverside.

Clothing and accessories
When the storied Riverside Men's Shop packed up and moved to a suburban strip mall in 2004, it left in its wake a retail scene much reduced in size and vibrancy, which consists today mostly of small thrift stores and urban fashion boutiques.



Specialty foods
It was only a matter of time before the ethnic food markets that are commonplace elsewhere on the West Side began to filter north. In Riverside the balance is tilted a bit more toward African groceries rather than Asian, but there's plenty of variety to choose from nonetheless (and more and more options each year, it seems).



West Hertel
nothing of note directly in West Hertel, but head east to Elmwood and Delaware for suburban-style strip-mall shopping aplenty

Black Rock
section ledethere are some interesting options on the strip, at generally more reasonable prices to boot.

Pizza
The following pizzerias are located in Black Rock. Those who are interested in pizza delivery (as opposed to pickup) might want to also check listings in adjacent districts; local pizzerias will often deliver to several different neighborhoods of the city.



Riverside
section lede - start with something that contrasts with the followingBut meanwhile, the dazzling multicultural diversity of the West Side has been bleeding northward, and there's now a healthy roster of Asian, African, and Latin American options to choose from as well.

Pizza
The following pizzerias are located in Riverside. Those who are interested in pizza delivery (as opposed to pickup) might want to also check listings in adjacent districts; local pizzerias will often deliver to several different neighborhoods of the city.



West Hertel
section lede

Black Rock
The ascent to hipness of the Grant-Amherst bar scene is still in its early stages, so a night out here is still a good way to experience Buffalo's unpretentious, blue-collar side. These places really pack 'em in during Bills and Sabres games, and if you're on the lookout for a good fish fry, you're in luck.



Riverside
The bars of Riverside are real, honest-to-goodness blue-collar gin mills. No fancy microbrews or other pretenses here, just a room full of neighborhood Joes knocking back cold ones after a long day on the job. If you want local color, you can do no better.



West Hertel
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Sleep
'nothing in the district itself. Motels along I-190 in Tonawanda are the nearest if you want something cheap; try the Foundry Suites on Elmwood in NoBu if you want something distinctive & hip'

Connect
The is located in West Hertel at 725 Hertel Avenue, just west of Elmwood Avenue.

located at 820 Tonawanda St. for WiFi; 11 comps free of charge and available to all

Stay safe
blah blah

crime hotspot @ Black Rock - Niagara Street between Austin Street and Hertel Avenue - can you be more specific re type of crimes?

West Hertel is another minor area of concern, especially the closer you get to Military Road.

By contrast, Riverside is merely average in terms of crime, and Amherst Street's crime rate is downright low.

Panhandling isn't nearly as big a problem around here as in other areas of Buffalo. You'll occasionally see a few of them near the shelter on Tonawanda Street in Riverside blah blah, don't worry about aggressiveness among panhandlers either

Newspapers
The Riverside Review kis the neighborhood paper of record, with news, business listings etc

Hospitals
Nearest hospital is Kenmore Mercy Hospital, at 2950 Elmwood Ave. in Tonawanda.

Places of worship
ledes for this section and its various subsections as nec

Go next
Upper West Side, North Buffalo, Kenmore/Tonawanda