| My theory is a real traveler is able to discover | | | | woes of the city, has apparently created a flight into |
| interesting things even in the most unlikely of places. | | | | the suburbs that has left the city's core rather lifeless |
| Well, Buffalo probably hasn't made the "top travel | | | | on the weekend.It was really quite sad to see that a |
| destinations" list for a while, but I have been doing | | | | city like Buffalo, which has such a great number of |
| some research on it and I thought it's high time to | | | | outstanding architectural heritage sites, had virtually no |
| explore Buffalo, the closest American city to Toronto, | | | | street life, retail or shopping opportunities in the |
| just south of Niagara Falls and right across the Fort | | | | downtown core. A lot of stores were boarded up and |
| Erie border.So my fellow travel and architecture | | | | the few stores that were there were closed down |
| aficionado Shauna and I headed out early yesterday | | | | tight on the weekend.Well, we had to move on to our |
| morning to make the 2 hour trek to Buffalo. We picked | | | | tour of another architectural jewel, Frank Lloyd |
| the Fort Erie border crossing and fortunately it wasn't | | | | Wright's Martin House. Darwin Martin was a |
| very busy at all. The border crossing was actually a | | | | high-ranking executive with the Larkin Soap Company |
| reasonably pleasant experience as the border guards | | | | and his brother-in-law had encouraged Darwin to seek |
| were in a really good mood and very friendly, a nice | | | | out Wright's work in Oak Park, a suburb of Chicago. |
| foreboding to a good day.Approaching the city we | | | | After familiarizing himself with Wright's work, he |
| immediately took a wrong turn and headed south on | | | | brought him to Buffalo in November 1902 to build a |
| Highway 5 away from downtown. But we got to see | | | | house for his sister, the Barton House, with a size of |
| Buffalo's waterfront, which in this area includes a few | | | | about 4000 feet, and then to build his main house, a |
| rather unspectacular marinas and some old run-down | | | | 15,000 square foot Prairie Style home, characterized |
| industrial buildings. We turned ourselves around and | | | | by Wright's rigorous and consistent use of cruciform |
| headed back towards the downtown area. Because | | | | plans, piers and cantilevers, and other prairie house |
| the tourist information office was closed on Sunday | | | | principles. After many years of neglect, the Martin |
| we figured, we'd stop in at the Hampton Inn & Suites | | | | house is now under renovation to restore it back to its |
| Hotel to pick up some tourist brochures and city maps. | | | | original early 1900's authentic splendour.Right now the |
| Another pleasant experience: The lady at the front | | | | building is empty and a few large photographs illustrate |
| counter was extremely helpful, provided us with | | | | the former decor and furnishings. It's very visible that |
| several brochures and a printout of how to get to 2 of | | | | this building has been neglected for a long time and the |
| the most important architectural heritage sites in | | | | Martin House Restoration Corporation is working very |
| Buffalo: Frank Lloyd Wright's Martin House and his | | | | hard to restore it back to its authentic 1907 |
| other important Buffalo work, Graycliff Mansion.Having | | | | characteristics, even to the degree of rebuilding the |
| parked the car on Delaware Avenue at about 10:30 | | | | pergola and the coach house that were demolished by |
| am, the one thing that struck us immediately was how | | | | a previous owner. The tour lasted about 90 minutes |
| empty the streets were. There was virtually no | | | | and was provided by a very passionate docent and all |
| pedestrian traffic at all and very few vehicles passing | | | | the volunteer staff in the gift shop and the chaperone |
| by. We figured it must be too early for people to be | | | | were very helpful. We even received a glass of water |
| out, and we headed off into a restaurant called | | | | in the 60s style kitchen of the Martin House which will |
| "Flappy's" to strengthen ourselves for the day with a | | | | be torn out and replaced by more authentic furnishings |
| filling brunch. We booked our tour at the Martin House | | | | as the renovation continues.After the humid heat inside |
| for 2 pm, so after breakfast we had about 2 hours to | | | | the Martin and Barton Houses we were glad to get |
| do a walking tour of downtown.As we came out of | | | | outside to cool down. We drove through the Park Side |
| the restaurant we noticed the city had gotten a bit | | | | East Historic District surrounding Delaware Park, a |
| livelier, but not by much. We parked our car close to | | | | creation of the famous landscape designer Frederick |
| Niagara Square and started our exploration on foot. | | | | Law Olmstead, who also designed Central Park. The |
| First on the agenda was the Buffalo City Hall, a | | | | area around Delaware Park and the Forest Lawn |
| monumental Art Deco skyscraper completed in 1931, | | | | Cemetery is a beautiful part of the city with gorgeous |
| built of orange-hued sandstone with intricate details | | | | mansions and manicured lawns, and this beauty is |
| and colourful ornamentation. An immensely impressive | | | | most visible on Millionaires' Row along Delaware |
| building. We examined all the facade details and | | | | Avenue. There was much more traffic and street life |
| friezes which display images related to agriculture.We | | | | in this part of Buffalo, the atmosphere was pleasant |
| did a little downtown circle and covered a few really | | | | and the residential areas impressive.We headed over |
| interesting buildings. The red colour and detailed | | | | closer to the Niagara River and drove along the |
| ornamentation of Louis Sullivan's Guaranty Building | | | | Seaway Trail, crossed Grand Island and continued on |
| really captured our imagination. We passed by St. | | | | the outskirts of Niagara Falls, NY, right along the |
| Paul's Cathedral and past the trolley tracks of Main | | | | Niagara River towards Lewiston. The drive north of |
| Street we discovered the Elicott Square Building. The | | | | Niagara Falls to Fort Niagara State Park on Lake |
| east entrance to the building was actually open so we | | | | Ontario is gorgeous, with beautiful old homes |
| went inside. This building was erected in 1896 | | | | overlooking the Niagara River, huge trees overhanging |
| according to a design by Daniel Burnham, one of | | | | the 2-lane country road, with well-kept properties on |
| Chicago's most famous architects. This building is | | | | either side of the road. We stopped for a snack just |
| constructed around a large interior court covered by a | | | | outside the very quaint town of Lewiston, in a place |
| glass block ceiling held up by ornamented steel girders. | | | | called the Silo, which is right next to the river, |
| We commented on how similar this design was the | | | | overlooking a launch area for the high-speed boats |
| one of Chicago's most famous buildings, the "Rookery", | | | | that whisk visitors into the rapids of the Niagara Gorge. |
| and it wasn't until this morning that I realized that both | | | | We had a lovely greasy lunch outside, enjoying the |
| buildings were created by the same architect.It's an | | | | breeze (hey, you don't have to eat healthy every day) |
| amazingly impressive building with gorgeous sweeping | | | | and then continued our drive all the way to Fort |
| staircases and an intricate mosaic covering the entire | | | | Niagara State Park, admiring the villas and estates.We |
| courtyard. From the Ellicot Square Building we headed | | | | had chosen to cross the border at the |
| towards the Lafayette Hotel, a handsome red brick | | | | Queenston-Lewiston Bridge, but construction work had |
| and white terra cotta French Renaissance-style | | | | caused confusing detours and a local New York State |
| building which was built in anticipation of the expected | | | | father and son team stopped their car when they saw |
| influx of visitors at the Pan-American Exposition in 1901. | | | | us by the road, staring at the map, trying to figure out |
| Due to financial difficulties, however, it was not opened | | | | how to get to the border crossing. They rolled down |
| until 1904. From there we checked out the General | | | | the window and said they'd guide us to the bridge, |
| Electric Tower, a handsome white Terracotta-clad | | | | which they did. We followed them for about 10 minutes |
| structure dating back to 1912.The Electric Tower | | | | through the maze of detour signs until we found the |
| happens to be right beside another fascinating building: | | | | bridge and headed back over to Canada. Both of us |
| the Buffalo Savings Bank, a building manifesting | | | | were very impressed with the friendliness and |
| Buffalo's boom of the second half of the 19th century. | | | | helpfulness of the locals.Back on the Canadian side we |
| In the late 1890s - the peak of Buffalo's golden age - | | | | drove along the Niagara Parkway and stopped in the |
| the bank held a competition for a grand new | | | | beautiful little village of Niagara-on-the-Lake. NOTL calls |
| headquarters. The contest was won by Green & | | | | itself the "prettiest village in Ontario", and they might |
| Wicks, Buffalo's premier turn-of-the-century | | | | just be right. The village is home to beautifully |
| architectural firm. Their design projected stability, | | | | maintained Victorian homes, overflowing flower |
| security, and aspiration.The building's signature feature | | | | baskets, souvenir shops, cafes, bed and breakfasts, as |
| is the gold-leafed dome.After the Buffalo Savings | | | | well as the famous Shaw Festival, and for many |
| Bank we explored the Genesee Building which today | | | | Ontarians it is a favourite destination for a quick |
| is the Hyatt Regency Hotel. Just as we finished | | | | weekend getaway.From Niagara-on-the-Lake we |
| exploring that building the heavens opened up and | | | | headed through vineyards and orchards to St. |
| there was a torrential downpour so we sat down in | | | | Catharines, and to its Port Dalhousie waterfront |
| front of the Hyatt and took in the street scene. We | | | | entertainment area, not forgetting to stop by a |
| were facing Main Street, the street that is now a | | | | road-side fruit stall to buy ripe red cherries and |
| pedestrian zone and accommodates Buffalo's light rail | | | | nuclear-size apricots fresh from the tree. About 20 |
| rapid transit line. One thing we consistently noticed in | | | | minutes from NOTL, Port Dalhousie harbours a marina |
| Buffalo was the absence of street-level stores and | | | | and a long pier and numerous outdoor patio |
| restaurants. In the downtown core, as a matter of fact, | | | | restaurants, ice cream parlors, souvenir shops and |
| most of the modernist office and government buildings | | | | other entertainment. Hundreds of people were |
| did not have any street level retail at all. A lot of the | | | | parading along the pier, couples, parents with children, |
| modern administrative buildings in Buffalo have a rather | | | | dog owners, retired folks and a very interesting young |
| austere and non-welcoming feeling and some of the | | | | lady with red hair, whose friend had given her poodle a |
| newer buildings dating back to the 50s and later have | | | | matching-colour hairdo with the leftover hair dye.The |
| an almost penitentiary feeling to them. The resulting | | | | atmosphere in Port Dalhousie was almost like in a |
| scarcity of street-level store fronts combined with the | | | | Californian seafront resort town with rollerbladers, |
| utter lack of pedestrians (certainly on the weekend) | | | | walkers, beach volleyball players, boaters and relaxed |
| really gives downtown Buffalo a rather eerie deserted | | | | pedestrians taking a stroll through the village and on the |
| feel, and the absence of people downtown was our | | | | pier. I did not even feel like I was in Ontario. The sun |
| most striking impression of Buffalo. Judging from the | | | | was starting to set and lake was laid out in front of us |
| classically styled street lamps with blooming planters, | | | | like an ocean, with no shoreline visible on the other side. |
| however, the city appears to have been working on | | | | It was a beautiful hot evening and I felt like I wanted to |
| beautifying the downtown core.We started heading | | | | spend a whole week in this happening spot. But no |
| back to the car and passed by the Statler Hotel, which | | | | such luck, we had to get back to Toronto after our |
| isn't really a hotel any more, but apparently a building full | | | | exciting girls-only excursion to Buffalo and the Niagara |
| of lawyer's offices. We had a look inside the | | | | Peninsula.We got to explore some fabulous |
| impressive lobby which features French chandeliers | | | | architectural gems, connected with the legacy of Frank |
| from the early 20th century. I took a couple of pictures, | | | | Lloyd Wright, had a lovely greasy lunch right next to |
| but the security guard stopped me, telling me no | | | | the Niagara River, enjoyed the hospitality and the |
| photography was allowed. We had a really interesting | | | | helpfulness of the local New York State residents, and |
| chat after this and he commented on long-standing | | | | back on home territory, we hopped along the Lake |
| economic problems of Buffalo and how in his opinion, | | | | Ontario shoreline to enjoy fresh fruits, frozen yogurt |
| the current mayor had only made things worse. One | | | | and an amazingly relaxing late afternoon by the |
| example of the city's economic problems is that the | | | | waterfront. It doesn't get much better than |
| stately ballroom of the Statler Hotel had only been | | | | that...Susanne Pacher is the publisher of a website |
| recently reopened after having been closed down | | | | called Travel and Transitions( Travel and Transitions |
| since 1957. Furthermore, a previous owner of the | | | | deals with unconventional travel and is chock full of |
| building had tried to create a food court in the | | | | advice, tips, real life travel experiences, interviews with |
| basement and had opened up the main floor, but ran | | | | travellers and travel experts, insights and reflections, |
| out of money before the food court could be built. So | | | | cross-cultural issues, contests and many other |
| now you have a rather obtrusive opening on the | | | | features. You will also find stories about life and the |
| ground floor with a view into an empty basement | | | | transitions that we face as we go through our own |
| without stores or food outlets. Our local contact also | | | | personal life-long journeys.Submit your own travel |
| commented on the reasons why downtown Buffalo | | | | stories in our first travel story contest( and have a |
| was so devoid of people, and he said that all the locals | | | | chance to win an amazing adventure cruise on the |
| did their shopping at the suburban malls and big | | | | Amazon River. |
| warehouse stories. That, combined with the economic | | | | |