The picture on the left is what Wasson Street looked like in May, and on the right is what it looks like today. The green house in the middle was vacant for a year before Buffalo ReUse was given the opportunity to deconstruct their second house, and today it is a well-maintained garden and relaxation space in the Seneca-Babcock neighborhood.

This afternoon I went to visit Bob on Wasson Street, who lives in the blue house next door and now owns the lot. As I parked on the cobblestone road I saw a man pulling garbage cans down the sidewalk. Not wanting to look suspicious with my camera nor having met him before, I walked over to him as he met me on the sidewalk and told him who I was. Gladly he said I could go anywhere I wanted to take some shots of his now-beautiful garden and lot, where just months ago stood a vacant house, in need of demolition.

Bob and his neighbors are more than pleased with the condition of their street today. The former owner of the house passed away and their daughter found out about ReUse on the web. Not knowing what the fate of the property would be, since it needed a great deal of work, Bob partnered with the daughter and truly has demonstrated that he is invested in his neighborhood.

The lush green grass and stone pathways compliment the archways and swings that are set up on the property. Bob takes pride in his work, and actually helped with the deconstruction. He told me to wait while he pulled the plants out from hiding (it was windy) so I could get a good picture of his porch. He says he tells everyone about Buffalo ReUse, to local friends and those in California.

“I say, ‘Hey, look at what these people are doing in Buffalo,’” he tells me as we walk on the grass where the empty house once stood. The neighbors are all happy to see the green space and he now enjoys the occasional bar-b-q in his back yard. I filled him in on our updates: ReArt, the new warehouse, The Sundance Channel. Bob was happy to hear it all.

“Keep in touch, ” he says as I leave. “Buffalo ReUse has a bright future ahead of it.”

Thanks Bob, we couldn’t agree more . . . www.buffaloreuse.org

-Jessica