this is bflo

This portrait + interview mark the debut of a new series I’ll be featuring at the beginning of every month: This is a Buffalonian (or, in some cases, These are Buffalonians). I will be photographing individuals, families, and couples throughout Western New York and asking them about their life in the Queen City. Look for a new post during the first week of each month, and let me know what you think.

where do you spend most of your time? 
Our little pack spends most of our time together in our Parkside living room around the coffee table, or in the backyard and on the deck when the weather’s nice (or not!). Our weekdays are usually spent apart and so jam-packed with work (community organizing, non-profit admin and preschool) that we cling to chances to spend time together, usually centered around yummy food, lots of conversation and ridiculous dance moves. Plus, we’re usually broke, so we’ve become our favorite form of entertainment. Versus NYC (our previous stomping grounds), Buffalo is an easy place to be broke in.

what moments or events epitomize Buffalo for you? 
Everyone yaps on about our winters, but Buffalo is the BEST in summer. There is a festival every weekend and you get to give your toes a break from heavy boots and set out on cheap adventures.  Bouncing between farmers markets, outdoor concerts, country drives, camping, barbecuing – it’s the best. Watching Oliver tear down the street on his training wheels, downing an ice cream cone on a perfectly blue-sky day and playdate picnics on Shakespeare Hill are particular highlights.

what does your ideal Saturday involve?
Coffee, green tea and a huge homemade brunch are musts. We’re reluctant weekend warriors, so we’ll usually tackle one home improvement/maintenance project or another (there will be groaning).  There’s often a preschool birthday party or two smashed in because Oliver’s social calendar is crazy cakes and we’re mostly just his entourage.  In the evening, we love to catch up with friends or maybe sneak in a desperately-needed date. Or, watch copious amounts of Netflix in our jams (we’re currently tethered to The Killing) with a boatload of tasty snacks.

how did your family come to live in Buffalo?
We moved to Buffalo in 2004 from NYC. We couldn’t think of a better place to start a family, buy a home or deepen our connections to local communities.  No one from the city understood why we chose Buffalo, but you really do have to live here to “get it.”  There’s a closeness here and a concentrated network of really good, talented people who are working hard to make something great in Buffalo.  It’s the Rust Belt, yes, but there is freshness, vibrancy and an eclectic sensibility that just feels like home to us. We’ve lived in Atlanta, Boulder, Denver and several hoods in NYC and we can’t see ourselves living anywhere else anytime soon.

what is your greatest wish for Buffalo?
Our wish is for Buffalo to get serious about solutions – for public education, industry, the environment, racial/economic equity and retaining young families like ours.  We who love the area fondly refer to Buffalo as the country’s “best kept secret,” but we are also clearly aware of the barriers that isolate residents from many of its amazing attributes (and, quite frankly, give us a bad rap nationally).  We want the best of all possible things for every Buffalonian, not just those privileged enough to grasp them.