What’s in a name? A lot, to some residents of Buffalo’s East Side, who are hoping that plans to rename the area East Buffalo will come to fruition.

“If we could change the name and it could better our neighborhood and kind of get that gangster, hood-type stigma off of our neighborhood, I think that would be for the better," said resident Demetrius Jordan.

What You Need To Know

  • Masten District Councilman Ulysses Wingo filed a resolution to call Buffalo's East Side "East Buffalo" instead

  • Those in favor of the new name say it could promote inclusivity and destigmatize the city's predominately Black neighborhoods

  • Some argue that the region has always been known as the East Side and should stay that way; the city should address other issues instead

That’s the motive behind conversations surrounding “East Buffalo,” that the new name would fully bring Buffalo’s predominately Black neighborhoods into the fold in a positive way, according to a number of state and local leaders like Masten District Councilman Ulysses Wingo, who filed a motion in June for the new name. Some residents, however, say the push for a name change is unnecessary.

“Everybody knows it as the East Side. Not East Buffalo, not South Buffalo, the East Side,” said resident Gina Crosby.

Perhaps, as East Side native Raheem Haqq explained, the name change would be more for the next generation, as those who have lived on the East Side for years not only refer to it in that way, but acknowledge the breakdown of historic individual neighborhoods that make the East Side what it is.

“I mean, in Cold Springs, where the Tops was, they call that area Cold Springs,” Haqq said. “The East Side that’s down by William Street, they call that Downtown. So, they’re not going to ever call it all the East Side because they never call it all the East Side now, just like I don’t see them calling it East Buffalo.”

While some in favor of the change point to the suburbs of North and South Buffalo as an incentive to give the east side the same respect, some residents feel indifferent about the change, as no matter what district you refer to, we’re all Buffalonians.

“I guess it’s from everybody’s perspective how you see the world, through what lens you look at,” said Paulette Hayles, co-pastor of Seventh Day Church of God Outreach Ministries. “I don’t think that if you live in North Buffalo you’re better than the person that lives on the West Side. I think people choose to live wherever they want and they’re free to.”

Some residents say there are bigger problems within the East Side than its name, like the roads and houses that residents have voiced concerns about for years.

“It’s always something. If it ain’t rodents, or roaches, or bugs, or ceilings falling down, or lead poison, or you can’t have access to your backyard, people putting garbage in hallways until garbage day and stuff like that. It’s a lot,” said East Side resident Toya Jones.

As the community continues to build and rebuild, residents are hoping to see improvements. Whether those will come with a name remains to be seen.