Buffalo: more than just chicken wings and funny accents

[ganjavih]

Pics from a mini-UT road trip this past summer. Note the beautiful architecture including the incredible Prudential Building... and note the ruins of the old train station at the end of the thread. An interesting city worth a day's visit... although the locals seemed surprised to see tourists. Enjoy!

 

[tudararms]

Beautiful pictures. Did you see the Frank Lloyd Wright homes? Frederick Law Olmsted Parkway is gorgeous too. And of course don't forget the amazing Albright-Knox Art Gallery.

Buffalo has an amazing architectural heritage that is still very much intact, thanks in part to its economic decline. We usually take a trip there before the holidays to stock up for Christmas. The prices are incredible. Allentown is a nice area too, very gay friendly, with an almost Queen West (pre-gentrification) feel to it.

 

[wyliepoon]

Thanks for the photos.

I really want to visit Buffalo City Hall (my favourite Art Deco skyscraper). Too bad it's going through renovations for the next few years, so it will be a while before I would want to take a trip there.

 

[Mystery White Boy 66]

Even Buffalo has nicer architecture than Toronto. For a city of our size we don't even have any really nice monuments or statues and Buffalo has several.

 

[tudararms]

As with many small Ontario towns that were bypassed by prosperity (NOTL for example) the heritage buildings have had a far greater chance for survival.

 

[Brighter Hell]

Even Buffalo has nicer architecture than Toronto. For a city of our size we don't even have any really nice monuments or statues and Buffalo has several.

No city builds architecture and monuments like that anymore.

 

[bizorky]

Great pics ganja,

Buffalo sure has some nice bones. And look at the overhead wiring for the streetcars! Why does ours have to look like such crap when cities like Buffalo can make the effort to have such utilities look attractive?

 

[cdl42]

"And look at the overhead wiring for the streetcars! Why does ours have to look like such crap when cities like Buffalo can make the effort to have such utilities look attractive?"

Whaaaaa? Toronto's wires for the trolley poles are neat, straight, clean lines, and in many photos simply fade into the background. Two, single parallel lines fading into the distance. Their simple design allows them to be easily integrated in to exisiting structures and light standards. Buffalo's pantograph wires are heavy, mosey from side to side, and require multiple wires.

Now, if you were talking about the state of the poles being used to hold up the wires, I would have to point to places on the TTC network where centre poles are being used, along with the up-and-coming St. Clair ROW.

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EXCELLENT photos, Ganj.

 

[allabootmatt]

If they don't want some of those old buildings, we can take them off their hands for free.

But hey, on the whole I'd rather have an extremely vibrant, successful city without those buildings than a dying city with them.

 

[afransen TO]

If anyone wanted evidence that Buffalo is a world-class city and Toronto isn't:

They have a piano.


Seriously, Buffalo has an amazing amount of great archtecture. Too bad it's not a very good city otherwise.

 

[lovarkitec]

beautiful architecture.... but the whole thing looks empty!

 

[Long Island Mike]

Everyone: Great pictures of Buffalo! I recognize the Liberty Insurance building-with the mini Statues of Liberty on top;Buffalo City Hall-the 2nd largest in size in the USA behind Philadelphia's;The Main Street Mall;The Buffalo Savings Bank Golddome-now M&T Bank-one of the most interesting banks that I have seen anywhere outside and in;The Electric Building;The Ellicott Square Building-a classic;Buffalo Central Terminal-it has been closed since late 1979 and just about every scheme planned for it has fallen thru-but with a dedicated group of people that would like to save it hopefully something can be done-before it becomes too late. Buffalo has a nice share of classic architecture! LI MIKE