Buffalo’s development boom is
creating more opportunities for young people to prosper than at any point in
decades. Making a mark in Buffalo may be the way to go for many young people. Living
through this year’s harsh winter, many of them are flocking down to warmer
weather. But others who are recent college grads do not agree.
“It
seems depressing when I come home which is why I don’t care to come back often
anymore,” says Darryl Lewis, a Buffalo native, but who now is a resident of
Charlotte, North Carolina.
However,
after learning of recent urban development plans, many are all for making a
living here in Buffalo. Even with talk
of the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, the new HarborCenter, and even
investments for the Eastside, some young people simply want to move away. Jobs
and the prospect of a career are crucial to one’s consideration of staying
here. But if one decides to stay, is it
necessarily a bad thing?
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| Photo Credit: Huffington Post |
In a city where urban development
has been slow to come (or in some cases not at all), after listening to Mayor Byron
W. Brown discuss the plans at the State of the City Address, one may
immediately be overcome with excitement. But in the same moment, it is still
tough to find work now. How would young people know if the changes the Mayor promised
will come to fruition and affect them positively? This question runs through
the minds of many college graduates. So what is the solution for so many young
people who live here and get their education but are eager to move? The key is
to “find your destiny within yourself,” says Henry L. Taylor, doctor and professor
for the Department of Urban and Regional Planning at the University of Buffalo.
He said, “Each and every one of us has a destiny and it is our responsibility
to discover it.”
Sometimes people are led to believe
that where they live can determine their future. This is not necessarily true, especially
within the African American Community. With historic establishments such as The
Buffalo Colored Musicians Club, Nash House and Michigan Street Baptist Church
in the Michigan Avenue Heritage Corridor, cultural heritage tourism is real and
promising. There are also countless
black businesses and young entrepreneurships growing and blossoming. To put it differently, there are many more opportunities
for growth and leaving a mark in the city of Buffalo, more than people may
think. Companies like Buffalo’s only
black-owned and operated radio station WUFO1080, have a deep connection to the
city. Its location in downtown Buffalo is steps away from the African American
Heritage Corridor and already has plans for the future. “We want to do some
youth programming…a talk show…a youth being the host of their own show,
moderating their own show and them bringing in their own guests,” says Sheila
Brown, CEO of Vision Multi Media company. With opportunities expanding for
Buffalo’s youth population, it all comes down to a matter of being patient as
they chart their destinies.
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| Photo Credit: Ussamerica.org |
On the other side, at what point is
it a better choice to move away and pursue goals in another city? With big
plans underway for the city, it is important that young people focus on
achieving their goals and to not only look at what is going on in Buffalo, but
to look beyond if necessary. According to Claire Miller of New York Times, “The effects of the migration of the young and the
restless are most vividly seen in urban cores.” These would include New York
City, San Francisco, Washington D.C., Chicago and Boston. Sometimes choosing to
leave is not always a negative thing.
Young people’s decisions to leave
or stay in Buffalo are reflected solely on their personal goals in life. Taking
time out every once in a while to reevaluate goals and plans for the future are
crucial to staying in tune with what they truly want out of life. Regardless of
the plans for developments or other positive changes occurring in the city, the
decision young people will make to leave or stay in the area will also affect
the future of the city itself. Being young and having options about where to
live and what to do with their lives is a powerful tool. So stick around and give Buffalo a second
look. People never know what dreams they
can fulfill until they start reaching and believing.
