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Daytrip to Buffalo - Itinerary suggestions

christiesplits

christiesplits

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I hope to spend about 9 hours in the city. Any itinerary suggestions for a UTer with an interest in architecture?

Thanks!
 
Downtown visit the inside of the Ellicott Square Building.

4245879833_72e374d158_z0-392x392.jpg
 
The many grain elevators in "Elevator Alley" are surprisingly scenic: the Buffalo River flows by monumental old grain elevators that are multiple times bigger than the ones we have in Toronto. It's an industrial area, but it's very historic and unique from an urban perspective.

Of course, you'll want to see the Art Deco masterpiece that is Buffalo City Hall. Frank Lloyd Wright designed some unique buildings in the city. There's only one FLW project still standing in Canada (a modest cottage in Sault Ste. Marie), so it's a treat to be able to see his work so close to home.

Buffalo is a fascinating city. It's gritty, but the buildings and streetscapes are full of character. As far as Rustbelt cities go, it doesn't have the big-city character of Detroit, but it's more intact and better maintained overall.
 
Went to Buffalo on a day trip with the idea of staying downtown buffalo and seeing some of the city while my wife went to some outlets. Told the border patrol man my idea and he laughed. Stayed at a really nice hotel downtown which by the next day when we left I was convinced we were literally the only people who stayed in the hotel. Walked around a bit, saw their transit, their hockey stadium and their downtown movie theatre which was like a rainbow cinemas. When crossing the patrol man asked how our stay was. I laughed.
 
Really delayed response for this thread but I recently had a full day trip in Buffalo. Compared to my previous visit back in 2013, there's definitely been some steady improvements and gradual investment towards its urban scene.

Began the day with the standard outlet mall stop first. On the drive into the city we took the non-toll road, which was slower than the highway but you get to see some of the grittier parts like North Tonawanda. We saw the Buffalo Armory on the way, which was a pretty impressive building.

From there we drove right away towards downtown and further down into the Silo City area. Apparently there was a private event that day, so we couldn't really step in there. But we took some photos from the outside along with the neat steel bridge that connected to it. There's also an adjacent mini-island which with Ganson Street, it's an interesting drive for those who are industrial enthusiasts.

Then drove back north and went to this place called Resurgence Brewing Company for lunch. A newer looking craft brewery that serves food and with a nice outdoor patio space.

After that we walked around the Elmwood Village area checking out the older and for the most part well maintained housing stock. The area felt like a mix of the Annex and Bloor West Village.

Made a quick visit at the Albright-Knox Art Gallery museum. They also have a nice pond behind it which leads into Delaware Park. From there we walked towards the Richardson Olmstead complex which is a former asylum which is now a hotel. A really large and expansive building. It's what I imagine the Toronto asylum may have felt like before it was demolished for CAMH on Queen West. That eventually lead back into Elmwood Village where we grabbed a quick drink at a pretty busy place called Forty Thieves.

After that we drove back downtown and are dinner at this place a few blocks east of their City Hall called Deep South Taco. We walked along the Theatre District which was actually a really dead place on the weekend.

We ended the night at one more place for drinks in Allentown called Allen Street Hardware. Allentown along with Elmwood Village were two of their livelier neighbourhoods with decent pedestrian life. The main street had multiple bars, indie cafes, and live music venues. There's also a good stock of older housing and apartments. I felt it was a similar vibe to the Junction.

One attraction that we ended up missing was the Buffalo Central Terminal which is now revitalized and turned into an event space. Hopefully on another visit soon.
 
AlbertC said:
Really delayed response for this thread but I recently had a full day trip in Buffalo. Compared to my previous visit back in 2013, there's definitely been some steady improvements and gradual investment towards its urban scene.

Began the day with the standard outlet mall stop first. On the drive into the city we took the non-toll road, which was slower than the highway but you get to see some of the grittier parts like North Tonawanda. We saw the Buffalo Armory on the way, which was a pretty impressive building.

From there we drove right away towards downtown and further down into the Silo City area. Apparently there was a private event that day, so we couldn't really step in there. But we took some photos from the outside along with the neat steel bridge that connected to it. There's also an adjacent mini-island which with Ganson Street, it's an interesting drive for those who are industrial enthusiasts.

Then drove back north and went to this place called Resurgence Brewing Company for lunch. A newer looking craft brewery that serves food and with a nice outdoor patio space.

After that we walked around the Elmwood Village area checking out the older and for the most part well maintained housing stock. The area felt like a mix of the Annex and Bloor West Village.

Made a quick visit at the Albright-Knox Art Gallery museum. They also have a nice pond behind it which leads into Delaware Park. From there we walked towards the Richardson Olmstead complex which is a former asylum which is now a hotel. A really large and expansive building. It's what I imagine the Toronto asylum may have felt like before it was demolished for CAMH on Queen West. That eventually lead back into Elmwood Village where we grabbed a quick drink at a pretty busy place called Forty Thieves.

After that we drove back downtown and are dinner at this place a few blocks east of their City Hall called Deep South Taco. We walked along the Theatre District which was actually a really dead place on the weekend.

We ended the night at one more place for drinks in Allentown called Allen Street Hardware. Allentown along with Elmwood Village were two of their livelier neighbourhoods with decent pedestrian life. The main street had multiple bars, indie cafes, and live music venues. There's also a good stock of older housing and apartments. I felt it was a similar vibe to the Junction.

One attraction that we ended up missing was the Buffalo Central Terminal which is now revitalized and turned into an event space. Hopefully on another visit soon.
Click to expand...

The Central Terminal is often open on weekends for public events, usually from Dyngus Day (Easter Weekend) through October. They have an active Facebook page; check it out to see when you can get inside.

I had my bachelor party in Buffalo earlier this year, and hit a few of the places you mentioned. We went on a boat tour of Silo City, including a walk around and in some of the grain elevators. I've heard that Buffalo Bisons games (the AAA affiliate of the Blue Jays) are fun too, but I haven't been there yet.
 
ShonTron said:
The Central Terminal is often open on weekends for public events, usually from Dyngus Day (Easter Weekend) through October. They have an active Facebook page; check it out to see when you can get inside.

I had my bachelor party in Buffalo earlier this year, and hit a few of the places you mentioned. We went on a boat tour of Silo City, including a walk around and in some of the grain elevators. I've heard that Buffalo Bisons games (the AAA affiliate of the Blue Jays) are fun too, but I haven't been there yet.
Click to expand...

I ended up finding out that the Central Terminal had a train show festival on the exact Saturday we were in town. It was also the venue for Buffalo's Oktoberfest recently.

Overall, I found the social and activity scene in Buffalo to be decent as a visitor. Another positive is that there aren't many chain stores or restaurants. Independent places are more common from what I've noticed.

Although, it does get limited after you experience everything. The main handful of hotspots are nice. But I think after a while you get the feeling that you've seen and done it all. There's some good new ideas and concepts going on there, but they need more people who are active in the urban aspect of their city.

I wouldn't mind making a visit on a more frequent basis. Perhaps once every summer. There have been noticeable signs of improvement. Hopefully they continue to make forward strides.
 
AlbertC said:
I ended up finding out that the Central Terminal had a train show festival on the exact Saturday we were in town. It was also the venue for Buffalo's Oktoberfest recently.

Overall, I found the social and activity scene in Buffalo to be decent as a visitor. Another positive is that there aren't many chain stores or restaurants. Independent places are more common from what I've noticed.

Although, it does get limited after you experience everything. The main handful of hotspots are nice. But I think after a while you get the feeling that you've seen and done it all. There's some good new ideas and concepts going on there, but they need more people who are active in the urban aspect of their city.

I wouldn't mind making a visit on a more frequent basis. Perhaps once every summer. There have been noticeable signs of improvement. Hopefully they continue to make forward strides.
Click to expand...

Yeah. It's the type of place that you will have done everything worth seeing in three full days, tops. But that really doesn't make it different from any other city in its weight class - or even larger cities like Cleveland or St. Louis.
 
ShonTron said:
Yeah. It's the type of place that you will have done everything worth seeing in three full days, tops. But that really doesn't make it different from any other city in its weight class - or even larger cities like Cleveland or St. Louis.
Click to expand...

The cities on my to-do list next are Cincinnati and Pittsburgh. Hope to check them out one of these days on a road trip.
 
OT, but I recently discovered the beautiful farm country west of Buffalo. The country roads towards Lucknow and small towns. I’m thinking of doing a motorcycle run around Lake Ontario to take it all in.
 
Some gradual renewal among Buffalo's historical building stock:

The Wurlitzer Flats revitalization at 674 Main Street. From Buffalo Rising:

www.buffalorising.com

Construction Watch: Wurlitzer Flats - Buffalo Rising

The former Tent City Building at 674 Main Street is looking sharp. The landmark Theater District property is being renovated for commercial and residential uses. Two commercial spaces are planned
www.buffalorising.com www.buffalorising.com


wurlitz.JPG
wurlitz2.JPG
wurlitz3.JPG
 
As soon as Canada lifts the antigen testing requirement (or at least replaces it with a simpler and cheaper rapid test, like the US requires for air entry) I'm due for a return visit. My wanderlust has been partially satisfied by road trips within Ontario (and a train ride to Montreal) but a reopened border unlocks many more places to go for a quick day or overnight trip.
 
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