Grilling (one of my favorite summer pastimes) outdoores at our apartment.
Provided by: tom waters
We've had an apartment in Lancaster for over three years now and I was writing a bar review on Friday morning when it hit me: I really love it out here! There's something about me and Lancaster that just clicks. It's a small town with a big heart and some great people and places.
I grew up in Clarence and now Clarence is so overdeveloped and traffic congested that I can't stand it anymore. Every time I go to visit my parents I'm reminded of the game Sim City, because businesses go up and get torn down almost every week. There's always something new that pops up. Did Buffalo really NEED another Best Buy with a Barnes & Nobles superstore crammed right next to it? I won't even take that entrance to the Eastern Hills Mall anymore because there are forty stop signs in the span of forty feet. it's ridiculous! Does anyone even GO to Tully's Good Times bar? I went once and it seems like the most generic sports bar franchise I've ever seen, and I've been to more than my share. The intersection at Main and Transit is ridiculous with traffic and I'm glad my work commute is five times removed from that area. Clarence was a great place to grow up circa 1975-1980 but the developers have gone overboard with the area and house prices and property taxes are at a point where a lot of the natives are selling. We used to have some beautiful woods behind Ericson near my parents home and those got torn down to put up a block of ritzy houses. It makes me sad to think that the few wooded areas we have left in the community are getting bought out and ripped down to build more houses when we've already got more than enough houses, but that could be another blog entirely.
When I initially moved out in 2002, I split an apartment out in Amherst and I didn't feel a very strong sense of friendliness or community. Maybe it's different elsewhere, but at Ransom Oaks (the townhouse community I lived in for a year and a half), I can honestly say that not even one person said hello to me. I used to take walks in the morning with a cup of coffee to stretch my legs and get exercise and my grandfather raised me with the notion that saying hello never hurt anybody. So I'd say hello to passers by walking with their kids and walking their dogs and I wouldn't get one return hello. Snobby. I got the same attitude at the supermarkets and shops, too. I had a little loft apartment in Clarence after that, but after I met Lindsay, we moved to Lancaster because it was a nice halfway point between her parents and my parents. I'm glad we did.
It's funny how you can live so close to a neighboring town and not really know anything about it. This town is perfect for me. There are dozens of great bars, restaurants and clubs and they all have their own unique personality. We can visit ten different restaurants within a five mile radius: Frank's Grill, Desiderio's, Magruder's, The Fireside Inn, Eddie Ryan's, Mazariello's, Longneckers; they're all just a few miles away. Every eight weeks or so, I get my haircut at the Salon On The Avenue. Lindsay's been going there for years and she talked me into going there and I love it. They're cheap, they're fast, and I enjoy hearing Kim (the owner) and her daughter (Jessica) bickering playfully while I get my hair cut. Como Park is a gorgeous place to take your family, walk your dog, or just go for a walk. The Lancaster Public Library is very clean, well stocked, and there are always people in there. As a writer, it makes me feel good to know that I live in a town of readers. And in the summer, I try and make at least a couple trips to Havana Harry's to grab some cigars. The owner (or owners, I'm not sure) are more than happy to chat with you for a while and take the time to find out what sort of cigars you like. You don't get that sort of service at corporate chains. It's not in their DNA. Lindsay and I have started taking walks in our neighborhood and other people walking (and there are plenty) are more than happy to say hello in return. That's what community means to me.
The funny thing is, we think a lot of people in the area take a walk in the spring, summer and fall as an excuse to go to Frosty's (the ice cream shop) on Broadway. That place is PACKED every day once the weather perks up. Andevery Sunday, my buddy Ron and I get chicken wings from Ronnie's over on Aurora. They make a mean batch of wings.
Lancaster reminds me of what Akron, Clarence and a lot of other small towns used to be like before they becametoo overcrowded and overdeveloped for their own good. These little towns lose something in the translation once they get too big for their britches. The traffic on Central can get pretty out of control during 9 and 5, but I think a lot of it comes from people skipping Transitor driving through the town from their homes somewhere else to work. Aside from that, I've got no complaints.
After we get married and buy a home, I wouldn't mind living out here one bit. Lancaster feels like home to me. We might get a house out near Corfu or Alden for the lower property taxes, but I'd still like to get something nearby so that we can visit even if we don't live here. So this is my love letter to you, Lancaster. Thanks for putting up with me for over three years.