A Toast To McBride's Irish Pub

A Toast To McBride's Irish Pub

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Mar 12th, 4:19pm By queenseyes

Think Financial Student Loans

A group of 50 urban explorers will gather together at the site of the demoed McBride's tomorrow to toast to the unfortunate fate of the building. Normally these urban explorers are known for climbing through buildings that are in jeopardy of being demolished... this is the first time that I have heard of a group gathering to toast to the rubble left behind. Then again, in a city like Buffalo, there can often times be no warning before the wrecking crews descend upon a structure... leaving no time to organize a farewell toast while it still stands.

The group Forgotten Buffalo forwarded us the following: McBride’s Pub, located at 115 Chicago Street, ranked as one of the most famous sites in the history of the Irish in Buffalo. The three-story former hotel and Erie Canal era tavern once known as Quinn’s Pub, was the site where the first Buffalo St. Patrick’s Day Parade was organized in 1913. The building, a few blocks east of HSBC Arena, dated back to the 1850s.

Now their intention is to kick off a tour of the Old First Ward and South Buffalo with a toast to one of the buildings that couldn't hold on any longer. Forgotten Buffalo hi-lights many of the structures that our city has lost over the years. By doing this, the hope is that we can learn to preserve more of our historic built environment for future generations.

The toast takes place Thursday, March 13, 2008 at 6:30pm at the corner of Chicago and Miami Streets in Buffalo’s Old First Ward.

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  1. NBJOHN

    1 ratings12345
    Mar 12th, 16:45

    Unfortunately the politicians only care about downstate Until the idiots start giving a S**T about Buffalo and Upstate, and lots of private money flow into the city.... more of this will occur

    Thank you Seneca's for getting something done...

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  2. tommyBluez

    1 ratings12345
    Mar 12th, 17:02

    What exactly do they do at a toast to an old builidng besides drink? lol

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  3. NewBuffalo

    3 ratings12345
    Mar 12th, 17:52

    you would have to be blind and stupid if you could not for see the wrecking ball coming. The building was a day away from falling to the ground..............

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  4. NewBuffalo

    3 ratings12345
    Mar 12th, 17:55

    "the hope is that we can learn to preserve more of our historic built environment for future generations."....if you had not noticed our "future generations" are flocking out of here every year. Maybe this is part of the problem...old falling down buildings with little to no NEW development. With this attitude I guess we will not have to worry about the "future generations"

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  5. RisingDamp666

    1 ratings12345
    Mar 12th, 22:08

    Auld Lang Whine

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  6. AtwaterLouse

    0 ratings12345
    Mar 13th, 01:40

    NewBuffalo's point about future generations reminds me of an article I saw last month. Although it doesn't say anything about preserving old taverns for them, evidently in general they say everything will be fine and don't want us to worry about them.

    http://www.theonion.com/content/news/children_childrens_children_stop

    Children, Children's Children: 'Stop Worrying About Us' February 18, 2008

    WASHINGTON - In a statement channeled back across generations to the present day, the nation's children and the nation's children's children called for an end to decades of passionate oratory over their well-being. The future youth addressed all those who reference them regularly, including presidential candidates, Iraq War protesters, celebrities recording public service announcements, and anyone about to inaugurate a new community center.

    "Put those silly fears aside," the not-yet-conceived children and their offspring wrote, stressing that, while they appreciated concerns over whether they would have access to clean water or ever see a majestic bald eagle, they'd prefer for those currently living to focus on their own lives in the here and now.

    ..."There's been a lot of talk about what kind of world you'll be sentencing us to live in, but, come what may, we children of tomorrow are pretty sure we'll make do," the letter read. "How much damage can you realistically do in one lifetime anyway? In 20 or 30 years any major problems will have blown right over. At the very least, take comfort in telling yourselves that technology will develop a new and ingenious method for counteracting whatever negative impact you do have on our ability to breathe the air, watch the stars, or otherwise live in a world free from fear. Right?"

    "Besides," it continued, "we'd never be able to enjoy our precious future lives knowing you had wasted every waking hour recycling beer bottles on our behalf."...

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  7. bbvdm

    0 ratings12345
    Mar 13th, 07:38

    Boy oh boy...Buffalo will drink to just about anything , won't we?

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  8. Martin

    0 ratings12345
    Mar 13th, 07:46

    " the hope that we can learn to preserve more of our historic environment for future generations" That line is out of wack. I believe at no time more than the present we [the people of Buffalo] are more than aware of the plathora of historic architecture we are gifted with. "We" can "Learn" all we want, but unfortunately, too many buildings are in the hands of private owners who either do not care, or do not have the cash flow to "preserve".

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  9. NewBuffalo

    1 ratings12345
    Mar 13th, 08:53

    Lets toast to the NEW casino and hotel with over 1,000 jobs...........thats a reason to celebrate.....hate it or love it............

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  10. platt4

    0 ratings12345
    Mar 13th, 09:14

    You're right- we're toast. Cheers!

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  11. Themarketwins

    0 ratings12345
    Mar 13th, 09:59

    Perhaps we should transfer private property rights to THE GOVERNMENT, and change our status as a STATE to the the Soviet Socialist Republic of New York. Perhaps, the taxpayer should pay to preserve the likes of buildings that can no long withstand the wild shifts in Buffalo's weather. Let's be reminded of Adam Smith's great remark that has weathered the test of time and all Buffalo wind storms, " it is not by the benevolence of the butcher, baker and brewer that we get our supper, but rather their own self-interest". If the facade that once housed the likes of the newly immigrated Irish to Buffalo's first ward had any value, self-interest NOT the government would have saved this building from the wrecking ball. Sad its all over, the Guinness was certainly tasty!

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  12. reflip

    0 ratings12345
    Mar 13th, 10:23

    sssssssshhhhh comrades....'themarketwins' is on to us!

    Ahem...ahem...so, how 'bout that lucrative exercise in capitalism we all just participated in? Wasn't that something! Indeed, we all contributed capital freely. Quite freely indeed, with much capital to be had by all. Wait...I mean...uh, you know, by only a few of us. Run!

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  13. BfloHighRise

    2 ratings12345
    Mar 13th, 15:28

    This demolition is an absolute disgrace! The owner (a cop), could have put a little money into the place by sealing it up and turning it into a 2-story stucture. He could have eliminated the 3rd floor and put a roof over the second.

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  14. BFLORome

    2 ratings12345
    Mar 15th, 10:06

    It's just not feasible to save everything folks...get real.

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  15. Charger

    2 ratings12345
    Mar 15th, 11:05

    Every time anyone laments a demolition someone drags out the "you can't save everything" red herring.

    No one wants to save everything, and even if they did, most of "everything" has already been demolished.

    We are left with crumbs that barely sustain the character of our community.

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