By Joseph Verrastro
Cazenovia Park is an overlooked jewel in the Olmsted system. It is located in the southern end of the city between Seneca Street and Abbott Road at the city’s border. “Caz” as it is known to its southern residents was named after Theophilus Cazenove, a land agent for the Holland Land Company. Cazenovia Creek roughly cuts the park in half on its journey downstream where it converges with Buffalo Creek to form the Buffalo River.
Local anglers are familiar with the creek and cast the waters for smallmouth bass, steelhead and brown trout, as well as rock bass to name a few of the fishes. The park’s face has changed several times over the years, swimming pools have come and gone, lakes have become baseball diamonds and farmland has turned to golf course. There is an ice rink, an indoor pool, basketball and tennis courts, wading pools, playgrounds and paths galore for the users of the park. A real playground for the common man!
The park is a stone’s throw from my house and when the light is good I grab my camera and head out for a walk. The creek is a magnet for wildlife as well as the residents. In my travels I have seen whitetail deer, raccoons, snapping turtles, herons, kingfishers, red tailed hawks, rabbits, ducks, geese and groundhogs. The waterfalls (which are the only ones in city limits to my knowledge) are a focal point of the majestic landscape. A good morning sunrise can accentuate the lay of the land and bring to life Mr. Olmsted’s grand vision. The meadows and bramble, the creek with waterfall, and the stands of trees in a variety of shapes, varieties and sizes make the park a must see place for city folk unfamiliar with the south end of the city.
A few blocks from the Seneca Street entrance you can get a bite to eat at the Blackthorn Pub. The food is good and a wide variety of Irish whiskey is readily available. A block from the Abbott Road entrance on Abbott, Caz Coffee Cafe is a cozy spot to grab a cappuccino and see some local artwork and hear some local music.
BRO Reader Submission
We love to hear what the Buffalo community has to say. We offer a space to those who feel that they want to share their stories, without committing to writing ongoing articles. Typically reader submissions are one-offs that contribute to the broader Buffalo conversation.