wjag Posted July 12, 2008 Report Share Posted July 12, 2008 I actually went to the Falls over the July 4th break. Took my kids on the Maid of the Mist. The Seneca Casino isn't obvious from the actual park. You can see it when you are coming in the Robert Moses Parkway off the bridge, but once you get close to the state park, you lose site of it. As far as I was concerned, it was somewhere else. From Goat Island, you can see the Canadian Casino prominently from the Top of the Falls restaurant. I might not have been looking in the right direction, but I didn't see the Seneca's Casino from there. I would think American Falls tourism may see a modest uptick with the new border identification rules. I didn't have my kids birth certificates to get them across. I would think that this snags many a folks who forget these rules are now in effect. Still can't believe I can't just drive into Canada. That's crazy. A Casino in Buffalo would bring increased revenue, traffic, and people. True, many would probably stay on site. But like every revitalization project, it takes someone to start, someone with vision and a plan. The folks here in Baltimore revitalized their Inner Harbor. It required moving out people, cleaning up adjacent neighborhoods and increasing the "safety" of the area. Now the Inner Harbor is probably the only area in a high annual homicide city that is "safe" from crime. Buffalo has an untapped waterfront. They should study how Baltimore did it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chief Enabler Posted July 12, 2008 Report Share Posted July 12, 2008 Buffalo has an untapped waterfront. They should study how Baltimore did it. Downtown football stadium would help fo sure! <_< ......and I hate to say it Bass Pro. The only reason I note this is because there was some talk of the Patriots building a "man mall" in the stadium parking lot at Foxboro to take advantage of using the parking facilities year round instead of 10 times a year, whatever. You can fill in the blanks on what could be in your "man mall", anything from truck dealerships, bass pro, Best Buy, Dave & Busters, etc. Call it a crazy thought. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inkman Posted July 12, 2008 Report Share Posted July 12, 2008 The only reason I note this is because there was some talk of the Patriots building a "man mall" in the stadium parking lot... Development has already started: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bmwolf21 Posted July 12, 2008 Report Share Posted July 12, 2008 You mean, driving thru 5 miles of ghettos isn't your thing?? 3/10ths of a mile from the Robert Moses Parkway, and pretty much the same distance from much of the state park. The only way you drive 5 miles through the ghettos is if you start in the LaSalle section of town and drive straight down NF Blvd to Pine Ave and go through the side streets and back roads. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deluca67 Posted July 12, 2008 Report Share Posted July 12, 2008 Are there any examples where a casino, outside of Vegas, was built and it ended up rejuvenating the local economy? I would think if that had happened that the Seneca's would be holding that city up as a model for Buffalo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matter2003 Posted July 14, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 14, 2008 Well, I have no problem with the Niagara Falls State Park - it is the oldest state park in the country. If that park wasn't created the whole area would be filled with industrial buildings and toxic dumps and the only way to see the Falls would be to go to Canada and deal with the whole tourist chaos they have. The problem isn't with the park, its with the fact that the state has basically annexed a local asset for itself. Would you be OK if you had a bunch of oil in your backyard and when you went to attempt to reap the benefits of it, the government stepped in and said, "Sorry, I think we will keep this for ourselves and give you nothing." Of course not. So how is it that Niagara Falls gets none of the revenue that is generated and the state gets all of it?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matter2003 Posted July 14, 2008 Author Report Share Posted July 14, 2008 3/10ths of a mile from the Robert Moses Parkway, and pretty much the same distance from much of the state park. The only way you drive 5 miles through the ghettos is if you start in the LaSalle section of town and drive straight down NF Blvd to Pine Ave and go through the side streets and back roads. Heh, I work in NF, IMHO the entire city is a ghetto.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bmwolf21 Posted July 14, 2008 Report Share Posted July 14, 2008 Heh, I work in NF, IMHO the entire city is a ghetto.... I agree with your previous post, about the state park. It really pissed me off, as a resident of Niagara Falls, that I had to pay to park at a place like Goat Island and that money disappeared into NYS' coffers. But this post is just garbage. I lived in NF for 26 years, the entire city is not a ghetto. There are bad sections to NF, just like most cities. NF is in the same boat as Buffalo -- too many crooked politicians all trying to steal their cut and/or set up their friends & family while crying about the state government. There's no reason in hell that NF and much of WNY should be paying higher electric rates than other cities and regions further away - they sure as hell should be taking care of their own first. NF has tried changing mayors but it's the same story - meet the new boss, same as the old boss. Just like Buffalo, it's going to take a hell of a lot more than an Indian casino to revitalize the city. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stenbaro Posted July 14, 2008 Report Share Posted July 14, 2008 Heres what it feels like to be a Resident Of Buffalo And New YorK State and a fan of the bills and Sabres http://youtube.com/watch?v=CzoLja5UI0I Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tasker48b Posted July 14, 2008 Report Share Posted July 14, 2008 As a Toronto-based degenerate gambler (craps) who visits the Niagara casinos on the Cdn side on ... ummmm ... occassion here are my comments * I was intrigued by the comments that the Seneca Niagara Falls, NY, casino hasn't been a success. That may be true, however, it sure has hurt the economics of the Cdn casinos in the Falls. For fiscal 2006-07 the Gross Gaming Revenue of the Provincially owned resort casinos in ON (the 2 in NF, 1 in Orillia, 1 in Windsor) was $1.5 billion. In fiscal 2002-03 - before the fancy Fallsview Resort was completed (june 2004) gross gaming revenue at the ON resort casinos was $1.7 billion. (FY ends March 31) http://www.olg.ca/about/who_we_are/perform...ighlights_06-07 * A gambling joint is a gambling joint. As a Canadian I don't so he a whole lot of reason to cross into the US just to gamble. I think the competition from the Seneca NY casinos really hurt the number of US gamblers that cross the border into Canada. Casino Niagara was a resounding success when it first opened because there was a huge supply of gamblers in within a few hours drive that previously had to travel to NJ or NV or CT to get their casino fix. * Also, the CDN dollar and near par in recent years means that Canada isn't a "40% off" value destination anymore * There is some risk that the Seneca casinon in Buffalo will further canabalize the existing gambling market. The same number of gamblers will simply be spread over more casinos. * The NF-area casinos on both sides of the border are making an effort to attract entertainers to their showrooms and giving "other" reasons to visit (comedy clubs, nightclubs, fine dining, etc.). On the Cdn side there has been - and continues to be - huge investment from the private sector in hotels, restaurants, clubs, spas, etc. so there has been some good that has come out of the NF casinos. * Recent talk in ON of allowing Vegas-style sports wagering at the provncially owned casinos. "Allowing Las Vegas-style sports gambling in provincial casinos would give border communities like Niagara Falls and Windsor a much needed competitive edge over its counterparts in Western New York and Michigan, says Welland MP John Maloney" http://www.niagarafallsreview.ca/ArticleDi....aspx?e=1099128 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wjag Posted July 14, 2008 Report Share Posted July 14, 2008 Heres what it feels like to be a Resident Of Buffalo And New YorK State and a fan of the bills and Sabres http://youtube.com/watch?v=CzoLja5UI0I That's pretty funny. Good to be the first guy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inkman Posted July 14, 2008 Report Share Posted July 14, 2008 * Also, the CDN dollar and near par in recent years means that Canada isn't a "40% off" value destination anymore Even when the Canadian dollar was at it's worst, was it ever really a "discount" in Canada? Didn't the exorbitant price gouging offset whatever extra loot you'd get in the exchange? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tasker48b Posted July 15, 2008 Report Share Posted July 15, 2008 Even when the Canadian dollar was at it's worst, was it ever really a "discount" in Canada? Didn't the exorbitant price gouging offset whatever extra loot you'd get in the exchange? In 2002 a US$ bought 1.57 C$ on average IN 2007 a US$ bought 1.074 C$ on average over the year So a C$100/night hotel room in NF, ON in 2002 cost US$63 in 2002 and US$93.1 in 2007 A C$20 lap dance in NF cost US$ 12.73 in 2002 and US$ 18.62 in 2007 A C$10 minimum place the five on craps cost US$ 6.37 in 2002 and US$ 9.31 in 2007 Prices haven't really gone up that much in NF in local currency terms over the past 5 years. You can get a hotel room for C$100 in 2008. You can place the five on craps for C$10 in 2008. You can (or so I've heard) get a lap dance for C$20 in 2008. In USD terms it was much cheaper to travel to NF, ON in 2002 than it is today. If the prices were exhorbitant for US tourists in 2002 they are that much more so in 2007-08. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
R_Dudley Posted July 15, 2008 Report Share Posted July 15, 2008 In 2002 a US$ bought 1.57 C$ on averageA C$20 lap dance in NF cost US$ 12.73 in 2002 and US$ 18.62 in 2007] You can (or so I've heard) get a lap dance for C$20 in 2008. In USD terms it was much cheaper to travel to NF, ON in 2002 than it is today. If the prices were exhorbitant for US tourists in 2002 they are that much more so in 2007-08. Ahhhhh,,, just one more thing along with Bflo wings, Beef on weck, webers horseradish mustard, Teds, That I miss about my old home town... The Canadian Ballet... And yes that's a private lap dance..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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