You don't have to wait until Good Friday to make a pilgrimage to the Broadway Market. In fact, if you go soon, you will beat the crowds that descend upon this century old marketplace around Eastertime. On this bright but chilly Saturday, we headed over to the Bway Mkt with some family for a little lunch and browsing. We came home with full bellies, some butterlambs, Polish sausage, and horseradish. (I'll have to make another trip for pussywillows in time for "Dyngus Day" - but that is another post entirely.)
If you have never been to the Broadway Market, or it has been awhile, here are some things to know, and reasons to go: 1. There is LOTS of FREE parking. (This is important in light of Buffalo's "ticketing blitz" that has everyone's panties in a bunch.) 2. OPEN six days a week (Monday through Saturday from 8am to 5pm). 3. Bakeries, Meat, Fish, and Produce Markets 4. Gift shops and chotchkeys 5. Restaurants such as the Marketplace Cafe, Netteis Chicken Wings, Perisonis Restaurant, and The Soul Food Shack 6. Save-A-Lot grocery store attached. 7. M&T Bank ATM located near Broadway entrance to the Market.
Our lunch at Perison's was good and affordable ($33 for 7 people). They serve breakfast all day (yay!), Reubens, Sandwiches, Burgers, Hot Dogs, and Polish fare including Pierogi, Stuffed Cabbage Rolls, Polish Sausage, Lazy Pierogi and Czarnina (a.k.a. Duck Blood Soup.)
I've heard many people complain that the Broadway Market isn't what it once was back in the day, so they don't shop there anymore. Well, for better or worse, a lot of Buffalo is not like it once was "back in the day". The Broadway Market might never return to its heyday because both city living and the way people shop have changed. Maybe it is time for the Broadway Market to re-invent itself. Maybe more people should visit and support it while it is still there instead of bemoaning what it once was. Sure, I'd love to see it rival Toronto's St. Lawrence Market. But I'd also love to see the Broadway Market prosper for the quirky market it is now - a mishmash of vendors and flavors and ethnicities. So try to visit it more that just once a year at Easter - I know I'm going to.
For more history about the Broadway Market, read the article below by Ronald Zenon Piaseczny which was published in the current Winter/Spring issue of Buffalo Rising Magazine.
Buffalo Poloniais Easter Tradition: The Broadway Market, by Ronald Zenon Piaseczny
Over its history, Buffalo has been home to wide variety of cultures and ethnicities. Buffalo has seen whole Polish, German, and Italian communities grow and prosper. Over time, the political, socioeconomic, and demographic populations have changed, however, one constant of ithe old worldi still remains, serving as a reminder of the once massive Polish community that settled the Fillmore-Broadway area, but more importantly, continues to serve as a viable shopping and commerce center for the entire community. This important symbol of Buffalois Polonia is none other than the Broadway Market.
The Broadway Market is over 115 years old. It was first established when immigrants began to move to the east side of Buffalo in the late 1800s. Feeling out of place and struggling to adjust to America, immigrants created pockets of the old world in an effort to survive and to preserve their Eastern European traditions and heritage. The Broadway Market was created to meet those needs.
In 1888, a small group of citizens received a donation of a parcel of land by the city, located at 999 Broadway. It was not long before the small market space became a community meeting place, bringing in immigrants for business and commerce while providing them a place to socialize and share information, news, and gossip from the old world. The Market eventually expanded to cover an entire block. Unknown to many is that the first Market structure burned to the ground at the turn of the twentieth century. It was replaced by a high ceiling building, unheated but twice as large as the original market.
iWhat people see today is really the third MarketOethe previous Market was torn down and this one was built around 1956. Itis been handling the east side of Buffalo and the Polish American community since then,i states Richard Fronczak, Executive Director of the Broadway Market.
Today, the Market stands at 90,000-square feet with two levels: the ground level serving as the retail floor and the second level offers free parking space. In the mid 1980s, Buffalo undertook a multi-million renovation of the Market, improving the lighting and access. A not-for-profit corporation manages the Market with an eleven-person board appointed by the City of Buffalo and the Marketis merchants.
Famed for its ethnic old world shopping atmosphere, customers of the Market can find family-owned and operated butcher shops, poultry stands, fruit/vegetable stands, bakeries, delis, and restaurants. Additionally, with major bank branches and a supermarket, the Market continues to serve the residents of the Broadway-Fillmore neighborhood. Although the Market has done a great deal of work to attract businesses, including securing safer parking lots, advertising, and maintaining a website, the Market continues to struggle with bringing in new shops and bringing back Polonia from the suburbs throughout the year. With the recent closing of the nearby K-Mart, the Market has brought in vendors who sell clothing, sneakers, and perfume in an effort to better serve the needs of the community.
Fronczak said, iEaster time is a busy time for the MarketOean additional 30-40 vendors come in especially for Easter, however, during the rest of the year, people tend to forget about the Market. Getting vendors to come in when there arenit many people shopping makes it difficult. Weid like to see people come down year round to the Market.i
iOver the years, the population in the city of Buffalo has decreased, as has the population in the east side resulting in fewer customers. Hopefully, with a new mayor in Buffalo, he and his administration will do more to revitalize the community and do more to help the Broadway Market.i Fronczak adds.
During Easter and Christmas, many of Buffalois Polish community return to the Market to do their shopping and keep their traditions alive. Many return to support their favorite stores like Malczewski Poultry, Baczynski Meats, and Lewandowski Produce. For many Poles, Easter would not be same without the traditional butter lamb, famous Broadway Market horseradish, and the ever popular placek.
Monika Poslinski of EM Chrusciki Bakery stated, iOur bakery has been here for over 20 years. Easter is a big time for us and we have already begun preparing. We look forward to seeing all the people when they come this year.i iI come down here once a year with my partner and our children. We buy our butter lamb and some of these special foods that you can only find here at the Market for Easter. Itis a tradition we want to pass down to our children,i states, Amy Socha of Kenmore.
When asked about Market memories, Julie Gutowski stated, iI remember going to be Market as child with my family. It was fun seeing all the people and the decorations and then going home with all that delicious food. It was just one of those special things we did for the holidays.i
So make this Easter, along with every other day of the year, smacznego (delicious) by checking out the Broadway Market.
The Broadway Market 999 Broadway, Buffalo, NY 14212 (716) 893-0705 www.broadwaymarket.com