Great old pics but you could say that about most "downtown" areas in the US. Of course, Buffalo comes to mind too. It's evolution from; neighborhoods to downtown to the plazas to the malls to the internet etc.
Elmira maybe held on a lot longer than most cities. My parents bought in S Buffalo in 1950. My mother didn't drive at that time, and she could walk 3 blocks to Seneca St, and get most anything she needed.