When I first came across this red box near the Marriott Courtyard and the East Canal, I thought to myself how out of place it was. Who was going to rent a movie at a charming location such as this? I soon realized that the miniature station was not a ‘Red Box’, but a ‘Read Box’. It’s part of a public reading program through the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library that promotes reading in unexpected places.
Think of all the times that you have come across a magical, serene spot, and wished that you had book with you. In the case of the Read Box, the books are available on the fly. Since this particular setting is situated in close proximity to a hotel, travelers can even take a book back to their rooms before returning it at a later day and time, back to the box.
In a day and age when so many organizations are attempting to promote reading over playing video games and watching TV, this inspirational and convenient box makes it easy to choose good over evil. Of course I’m referring to the type of reading material that you prefer.
Sometimes it’s the small things that can add so much character to an area. In this case, I was pretty happy to discover that someone had taken the time to think about who would be sitting down to enjoy this quiet little plaza, next to a captivating water feature display. Now that I know that this is here, my next Saturday bike ride to the waterfront could include grabbing a cup of coffee from the Marriott (neat little café) and sitting down to enjoy a good book.