We heard a rumor around the time we were waiting to close on our house in early 2011 that the former Accessories on the Avenue shop was going to become a Spot Coffee. It was a grueling summer watching and waiting, but it happened as promised and I’m now regularly wired with caffeine and happily contributing to the Spot Coffee share price.

But putting aside my selfish desire for a coffee fix, the opening of Spot Coffee started a bit of a movement on Hertel Ave. Coffee shops attract people, and people are what other businesses need to succeed. Since that time we’ve enjoyed quite the boom in my opinion.

Here’s an off-the-top-of-my-head list of new or expanded places that have popped up in the past few years:

• Blue Hill Kitchen & Home
• Blue Collar Men’s Shop
• Chic and Sweet
• Canvas@1206
• CRAVing
• Village Beer Merchant
• Globe Market
• Mes Que
• Caramici’s Bistro & Bakery
• House of Olives
• La Tavola
• Encompass Coffee
• Vasilis Express

And on the docket for later this year, Belsito.

While I stuck to strictly Hertel Ave. locations in the above list, I think it’s noteworthy to also mention the new Colvin Estates housing development (Rachel Vincent Way) that’s nearing the completion of phase one, as well as the partial demolition and residential plans of the former Korean Methodist Church (Colvin & Tacoma).

There’s also hope and secret plans in the works for the two schools that closed down. And I’m sure I’m forgetting some other places or newsworthy plans, but I suppose having too many things to list is a great problem.

All in all, it’s been an incredible 2+ years for Hertel Ave. It’s an exciting time to live and play in North Buffalo and I just wanted to post this to say how awesome that it is.