Never the mall. Ever the walkable commercial strip.

At the risk of making like a broken record, let us reiterate the message we bear every year as the holiday season approaches.

It is in fact the same message we try to communicate through our Best of Buffalo issue, and our Summer Guide, and our Fall Arts issue, and our food issues.

Come to think of it, every one of our issues is dedicated to this same proposition: Buy locally made goods and services. Buy them from locally owned businesses. Know the people with whom you spend your hard-earned money. Steer clear of national chains and malls.

There are plenty of solid reasons for this, especially in a troubled economy such as ours, as the folks at Buffalo First! tell us on their website:

• local spending keeps thre times more money in Buffalo.

• locals create the most new jobs.

• locals donate more to nonprofits.

• local businesses often use fewer subsidies to develop.

• locals are less likely to relocate in slow economic times.

• local sourcing often produces less carbon.

• local foods, businesses, organizations and practices make Buffalo unique.

• locals are neighborhood advocates, caretakers, and watchdogs.

• locals can make decisions driven by their conscience, not decisions that maximize shareholder profit.

• local food is fresher and better for you.

Local, of course, is wherever you are: Hamburg, East Aurora, Lancaster, Williamsville, Lackawanna—all have vibrant retail center full of shops, galleries, and restaurants that are owned by your neighbors and employ your neighbors.

In this Holiday Gift Guide, we’ve chosen to shine a spotlight on a handful of Buffalo commercial districts, because that’s the other thing we do every week, every issue: We love and believe in the city.

Neighborly Shopping: Grant Central • Hertel Avenue • Elmwood Avenue • Allentown

One Stop Holiday Shopping
Shopping Online, Locally • Cash Mobbing • City of Light
Celebrate Main Street • Show Your Thanks