My Favorite Buildings: All Lined Up
As commonly happened in this part of town, the five once elegant, single-family houses gradually slid downward until they had become decrepit rooming houses. Thankfully, architect Bruce Garver, with rare early appreciation for the city's architectural treasures, saw great potential and completed a very fine restoration of the buildings in 1973.
His work brought back the beauty of their historic details while adding some contemporary elements that have withstood the aesthetic test of time. Though at first glance these houses look identical, there are actually two alternating types. Subtle shifts in detailing on the prominent bay windows give each a distinctive appearance.
The repetition of the bays and the wide first floor aches adds a rhythmic visual motion to the facades Though the detailing of these buildings is sparse, it is highly refined - especially the beautiful iron tracery around the inside face of the arch, which focuses attention on a lone ionic column at the center.
The arches themselves are composed of a beautiful fan of brick with a gentle bull-nose edge. These are the kind of simple elegant buildings that make up great cities.
Stay tuned. This little corner of the city's most historic neighborhood is packed with great buildings and spaces. More to come.
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Comment Options
dagner
North Pearl is a top suggestion for Garden Walk visitors. These truly urban green spaces surprise many when they realize how intergral they can be to a resident's daily home life. Tx for the feature descritpion.
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onestarmartin
These buildings are always pleasant to look at and prove what can be built on a small plot of land over cookie cutter "clapboard" condo's and apartments. North pearl has come a long way over the years. If we could only get the corner of North Pearl and Allen cleaned up now. The "Fairmont" is nothing more than a slum, Bill's Deli building speaks for itself and the stunning [run down] pink masion with so much potential.
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sbrof
these are fantastic structures and a gorgeous part of Allentown. I really wish that more people considered these types of structures from homes. They can come with yards, alleys for garages, green roofs. Many things that would give people the amenities they want but energy efficiencies we all need or deserve for the future.
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GDC
These remind me of some of the housing options here in Brooklyn, NY
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buffgayguy
Did you know they have roof top patio's? Went to a party once on one, simply wonderful! I agree with you on the corner onestarmartin, holds back Allen in a pretty big way, You forgot those rank bars on the corner though. Moving back to Buffalo I can't believe they still exist or that the gay community actually still patronizes them! [they smell inside]
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budbailey
Those are nice! They are building something similar in Maryland (on 270) and are selling for over 800K.
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wizardofza
I wish more of these would have been built in the city back in the day. The endless streets full of detached tinderboxes get kind of tiresome.
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pgf1948
After more than a century, still beautiful, livable, and better than anything we've been putting up for decades.
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RisingDamp666
How can anyone building new housing in Buffalo not be inspired by these? Look at those Elmwood Village condos. What if there had been this kind of creativity and commitment to materials and workmanship?
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chris69
I feel as though I must put this in CAPS
"Look at these rowhouses.....and then look at the rowhouses on Delaware....these are distinctively and uniquely Buffalo, NY"
IF ONLY OUR ARCHITECTS AND DEVELOPERS COULD LOOK AT THE BEST EXAMPLES OF ROWHOUSES AND URBAN TOWNHOMES FOR INFILL URBAN AND INNER CITY NEIGHBORHOODS
Yes we can have new and modern apartments, townhomes and rowhouses but we can also pick the best designs from the period and blend them into the architectural diversity of the neighborhood!!!!
When will Buffalo architects and developers learn?
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Eisen
If having gay bars on the east end of Allen is what is considered whats holding it back is official I completely give up. I have lived on this end of Allen for a year and some odd months and I have called the police on crack heads, thugs, hoodlums, and vandals breaking windows, destroying street scape, pulling up plants, and breaking whatever they can as they walk along more times that I would like to admit.
It's fucking retarded to blame dive bars instead of the real problem like oh I don't know.... drugs, poverty, vandalism... the kind of shit that you expect to spill over from the east side. The real problems that plague Buffalo. But go ahead and blame a few bars if it makes you feel better about Buffalo.
And danger thats the other side of North Pearl, this side of North Pearl has more parking lots on it than your local WalMart.
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sbrof
"When will Buffalo architects and developers learn?"
When will politicians learn... and listen to the architects for once instead of relying on their own judgment when it comes to architecture and urban planning. We don't allow politicians decide what it best in a biology lab or restaurant kitchen, why are they allowed to make and veto urban design and architectural decisions from their own staff or private sector?
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tudorguy
Eisen - I have to agree with you AND Buffgayguy here. BOTH situations are a problem. There are bars in residential neighborhoods that stay open until 4 a.m. That's very, very, late (or should I say loud) for residents, especially when the only place to smoke is outside. ALONG with that, you have the problems you describe - which are very real and on-going (as in 24 hrs. a day, it seems). So, you have drugs, poverty, vandalism happening concurrent with the loud bars open until early morning hours. I don't think Buffgayguy was saying the bars were the only problem - just the one that maybe vexes him the most. That does not make him "fucking retarded," in my opinion.
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tudorguy
Oh and yes, the buildings are beautiful.
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buffgayguy
Nice mouth Eison. you are correct that there are other issues, but in all honesty "dive" bars do not help an area at all. From what I have heard these bars are actually not good neighboors anyway. Also, don't turn this into a gay issue as I am gay myself just making a comment such as you are.
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onestarmartin
Developers should look at building's such as these and learn from them. A new building designed in this manor would look great in Buffalo and could easly be 5 town homes, 8 condoes or 15 apartments, yet fit the city scape. Guess they really do 'not build them like they used to".
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