Cities Rising: Buffalo’s big comeback
Over the years, my job has taken me to some incredible places and allowed me to meet some amazing people. And so far, this year hasn’t been any different. My newest endeavor at Yahoo is a brand-new six-video series, “Cities Rising: Rebuilding America.”
Once some of the most important and thriving cities in the United States, places like Pittsburgh, Detroit, and New Orleans fell on hard times. Now the people who inhabit these cities are working to revive them and bring them into the 21st century. The country, and the world for that matter, is going through a massive transformation, and I’ve always been fascinated to see how people and places are adapting to new technology (hopefully better than I was in 1994). I’ve also always been interested in urbanization and the fact that so many young people are flocking to cities (two-thirds of the world’s population will be living in cities by 2050). That’s why I wanted to see how American ingenuity and innovation was taking hold and revitalizing some of the most important cities in our country.
My first stop was Buffalo, and it was full of #Buffalove! I loved the sights, sounds, smells and inclusiveness of the West Side Bazaar, the excitement of 43North, a tech incubator where innovation is happening in every corner, and Canalside, which has taken the history of Buffalo (and a song I sang in elementary school — “Erie Canal”) and turned it into a modern-day playground. But most of all I loved the people in Buffalo, they were as warm as the temperature was cold the day I visited (26 degrees, in case you were wondering). They asked me how I would feel if my daughters moved to Buffalo, and I told them I would be thrilled — but added I would make them dress warmly!
Join me on a journey to see what this country is really made of. Next up on Jan. 28 — a trip to the Big Easy — New Orleans!
