Our City, Our People

Why tear down the Skyway when it offers one of the best (and most widely accessible) views of Lake Erie?

What’s with New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg dissing Buffalo?

Who cares about Mo Hassan’s trial, Chris Lee’s bare chest, or Carl Paladino’s endless campaign for governor?

Oh, the questions you ask us, Buffalo, and the answers you give. In this year’s people and places category, we find a lot of old friends (PUSH Buffalo, Shredd & ragan, the yearning for a Stanley Cup) as well as some new ones (welcome, Terry Pegula, Cocktails & Creampuffs, and Gladys Over). We welcomed some new issue to the table, too, most notably concern over hydrofracking in New York State and the financial and functional crisis in city’s schools.

This year we omitted two old staple questions, best and worst politicians, because far too often the names you wrote in each column were identical. But as you look at this year’s results, I think you’ll be able to interpolate the region’s feeling about its elected officials. But here’s food for thought which only those of us who counted the ballots can offer: If you tally all the votes for potential rivals to Chris Collins in the “Next Erie County Executive” category—including, of course, the popular answer “anyone but Chris Collins”—then our informal straw poll suggests a big change in the rath Building this fall…

—geoff kelly

Nominees listed in no particular order. Winners will be announced at the Artvoice Best of Buffalo Party, Monday, May 9, 6-9pm, at Town Ballroom.

Best of Buffalo 2011 Nominees Our City, Our People The Fine Arts Music Dining Out Shops & Services Nightlife & Drinking The 2011 Winners List