It was over a year ago when we first wrote about Chuck The Bubble Guy. At that point we all thought that the man behind the bubbles was a temporary thing, and eventually he would run out of steam… or breath. Actually, Chuck started off blowing bubbles out of his third floor apartment building as a way to release steam… it was much safer than the previous form of stress relief that he had undertaken. What I didn’t realize, before talking to him today, was that Chuck has been entertaining Allentown with his bubble blowing for the last five years.
People ask when you can find him overlooking the street, and all I (or he) can tell you is that he’s out there a few times a day seven days a week. The only period of time that he takes a break is when the temperature dips down into the single digits. Otherwise he’s set up to operate his fun-lovin’ operation whenever he feels like it. Occasionally Chuck comes down from his roost to refuel on coffee from Cafe Taza. It’s there where people whisper and point to him and smile… “That’s the bubble guy.”
Even while conducting this podcast a random customer walked in and told a great story of how Chuck influenced the lives of a couple people waiting at the nearby bus stop. The next time you pass by the intersection of Allen and Elmwood, don’t be surprised if you find yourself surrounded by hundreds of bubbles. Stop and wave, and if you’re lucky Chuck will wave back. As if that corner wasn’t interesting enough, we should be thankful to have the bubble guy take it to the next level.
Bill Zimmermann
Bill runs Seven Seas Sailing school, and is a staunch waterfront activist. He is also heavily involved with preserving, maintaining, and promoting the South Buffalo Lighthouse. When Bill first started writing for Buffalo Rising, he wrote an article a day for 365 days - each article coincided with a significant historic event that happened in Buffalo on that same day.