Parkside Candy located on Main near UB’s south campus, is a charming candy shop and ice cream parlor. They moved from their first location on Main Street to this one in 1927. That’s right, 1927- and hardly anything has changed since. Stepping into this fantastically preserved shop is like stepping back in time. The interior is extraordinary, boasting antique tables, chairs, and decor. The old fashioned ice cream fountain is an attraction in and of itself, the vintage wooden cabinet and the display of various sundae dishes hearkens back to the pre-World War II era. The round, inset ceiling is…
Author: William Wright
Snooty Fox Lounge is a wonderful addition to our burgeoning population of chic, upper scale hang outs most likely fostered by the influx of re-pats, ex-pats, and well, new pats. Its next door to Prespa, down the street from Stillwater and around the corner from Scarlet and Mothers. Snooty owner Salvatore Buscaglia refers to this area as Midtown Buffalo. The natty new hot spot has been likened to a Buddha Bar, and is considered by its owner to be an Enoteca-style lounge. But disregard the labels and feel the vibe yourself. The atmosphere is comfortable in a classy, “loungy” way,…
Video commentary with Pierre Wallinder. The Dellenbaugh Block has just gone up for sale. One of the city’s few remaining pre-Civil War buildings, this is an exciting opportunity for a progressive buyer to step up and contribute to the growth of downtown. Just minutes away from the Medical Campus and the Buffalo River, the series of buildings might now join in and become another piece of the urban puzzle. Not far away from this block is where Rocco Termini has planted a number of seeds in the form of the Ellicott District loft units and Oak School Lofts. The Washington…
While biking down Main Street today I ran into these three skaters as they practiced tricks at M&T Plaza. I asked them if they had heard any rumors about an outdoor urban skate-park and they all chimed in, “Yeah, we signed a petition that was going around.” Assuming that the petition was for a park, I asked back, “If there was a park, how many days would you be there?” “Seven days a week,” they answered. “It would be so cool… it’s just wasted land right now and there’s no skate-park downtown. There’s an indoor park on Amherst Street that…
Podcast: Interview by Mark Goldman and Lydia Langer. Interviewee: Michael Morgulis Want to hear a fascinating tale about one of Buffalo’s greatest hometown heroes? Good. Because Mark and Lydia have captured Michael’s attention long enough to record a podcast detailing the artist’s design inspirations. Mark even managed to take advantage of a customer who interrupted the podcast in order to purchase a t-shirt for her son in California. Although we have written a few pieces on Michael, this audio affords you the ability to hear first-hand about the history of the heart design and the famous rose. Where did the…
If there was ever a testament to how much Buffalo needs a dog-park, then Sunday was it. Hundreds of dogs gathered, to bring their owners together at Buffalo’s LaSalle Park. And if you think that a dog-park is all about the dogs, think again. This was a wonderful way to meet other people who have one huge commonality… the love of animals. The dog-park is also the first step towards creating a series of micro-parks downtown. If the organizers succeed in bringing this amenity to our waterfront, then the accomplishment sets a precedent for… say… a skate-park. There are so…
While exploring the West Side Rowing Club (WSRC) today, I was given a brisk tour by club member, Paul Joyce. I had been standing in one of the hallways observing the old photos of legendary West Side rowers when Paul asked, “You want to see a couple photos that not many people have ever seen?” I answered that I did, and we walked down the back staircase where he pointed to two fantastic shots depicting the burning of the former rowing club that was located at the end of West Ferry. He then pointed out (in the left hand corner…
Just a few years ago a day like this would have been unimaginable. Earlier today I ran into Chris Smith (right) who was planting the first commemorative Buffalo Old Home Week (BOHW) tree. He was joined by Dr. Reed Stevens (middle), Micropark Jay McCarthy (left), and (two and four-legged) dog park enthusiasts. Another tree will be planted each year to mark the end of the BOHW event. The trees will eventually form a line from the LaSalle Park road to the entrance gate of the dog park. Over the next few days we will have a wrap-up of the BOHW…
It was only a matter of time before someone capitalized on some sort of city open bus tour. In the past, the idea of trolleys and double-decker buses has been floated around, but that’s about it. Then, a couple of weeks ago Mike Hananel (Horizon Realty) told me that he had taken an awesome open-air bus tour around the city. I had not seen any sort of buses around town and figured that I would eventually see what he was referring to. This past Friday RoBear sent me a text message informing me that the bus was sitting down at…
This is just one of those topics that I have been dreading discussing. The Peace Bridge been a thorn in the sides of Buffalonians for years. It’s been used to gauge progress. It’s been an embarrassment to politicians and the people that they represent. People have argued about design, functionality, neighborhood consequences, traffic, and overall progress regarding the city. This span of steel that crosses the Niagara River was built to represent peace between two countries. And in recent years it has brought nothing but strife. It’s truly one of those, “I’ll believe it when I see it projects.” As…