When You’re Alone and Life Is Making You Lonely…

You can always go

DOWNTOWN!

I wasn’t alone or lonely, but I do like going downtown. And, this trip had a special  purpose. I was going to meet up with a college chum and we were going to see SHARK GIRL!

Why a girl with a shark head? Why not?!

It was as good a place as any to meet up with Sue. I’m sure I hadn’t seen her in at least 30 years – probably more. I saw on Facebook that she was in Buffalo staying at a hotel nearby, so we met up there. I needn’t have worried that I wouldn’t recognize her. She’s barely changed at all!

We caught up on where life had taken us – well, at least some of the high points. While we chatted, we strolled about Canalside, Buffalo’s latest amazing development. They have taken an area that was rather utilitarian – or maybe post-utilitarian – and turned it into a place people want to be.

This part of the city is the very end of the Erie Canal. A couple of years ago, my friend Kathy, who you may remember from earlier posts, took me over to a part of this development that is the official end of the canal. If I remember correctly, that is. I didn’t get that far this trip. I’ll have to make sure I check it out the next time I am in town.

The canal in this photo has paddle boats for rent, and in the winter, they have skating on it. There are all sorts of attractive seating and things to do all around it.

I am not sure who were having more fun – the adults or the kids.

A statue commemorating Tim Horton, who played with the Buffalo Sabres from 1972 until his untimely death in 1974. Sue only knew him the name of the donut and coffee shop, which he had founded in 1964 in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The first US shop was opened in 1985 in Amherst, NY. Now they are all over the place, although they’re not everywhere – at least not yet.

Sue and I parted ways, and I decided to take the Metro. Sue told me that the above ground portion was free. Since I had never ridden it, and it was FREE, why not?

The Metro Rail service started in 1985, after about six years of construction. It is about six and a half miles long and was originally intended to be the basis of a region-wide light rail transit system. But, funding dried up and Buffalo’s population dropped from around 550,000 in the 1950’s to around 260,000 in 2010. It will be interesting to see what the future holds in store for Buffalo. The downtown certainly has changed since I was a kid, but some things are still here that I remember.

I hopped off the Metro at Lafayette Square.

This monument was in honor of the military who fought to preserve the Union in the Civil War. It was dedicated in 1884 by then Governor Grover Cleveland. Across the square is the Hotel Lafayette.

The 1904 building was designed by Buffalo architect Louise Bethune, the nation’s first female professional architect. It was a grand building when it opened,  but suffered when the downtown went into decline. It has been gloriously restored and is absolutely lovely. I was getting hungry and decided to give one of their restaurants a visit.

I selected the Pan American Grill and Brewery. It is decked out in the finest turn of the century decor, with heavy wood carvings and decorations from the Pan American Exposition.

I chose the Flatbread Caprese and a seat by the window, so that I could watch all the comings and goings.

Apparently, this is quite the location for weddings. Two separate bridal entourages came and went while I was watching. They were heading out with photographers for their portraits.

After lunch, I went back into Lafayette Square to investigate something I noticed.

They have free WiFi in the downtown and Canalside areas! Way to go, Buffalo!

I headed down Court Street toward City Hall on Niagara Square. Yes, that’s the McKinley Monument in front of the City Hall.

There is always something to see in Buffalo. I was fascinated by this rather Egyptian-motif building.

City Hall is an Art Deco gem. They started building it in 1929 and it was open for business in 1931 at a cost of about $7 million dollars.

The colorful terra cotta tiles are quite distinctive.

Statues of Buffalo’s favorite sons are on either corner.

While I was snapping photos outside, I chatted a bit with a local worker. He encouraged me to go inside an at least check out the lobby – maybe even go up to the observation deck. I thought I might as well. After all, I was in the area and it was FREE.

Wow! Was I glad I did! There were two large murals in the lobby. This one celebrated Buffalo as having benefited from the coming together of agriculture and the railroads. If it had been done about a hundred years earlier, the rail roads would have been replaced with the canals.

Opposite that mural was one celebrating the Buffalo’s special position between  Canada and the United States.

As they say in real estate, “Location, location, location.”

It was only 4:45, and the observation deck was still open and there was a sign, “Elevator to observation deck.” I went up.

The elevator went to the 25th floor and then I had to walk.

I took a turn around the observation deck.

Interestingly enough, the Liberty Bank used to be named the German American Bank.  World War I caused them to change the name to eliminate the connection with the enemy.

After a turn around the observation deck, I headed back down to the lobby.

It is a dazzling building, and there is so much to see. There are treasures all over.

This is the view of the Statler Towers from near where Grover Cleveland’s statue is. Perhaps they thought it would be indelicate to have the statue of Millard Fillmore facing what had been the site of his mansion.

Before it became the Statler, it was the Castle Inn.

Ellsworth Statler built his hotel right on Niagara Square, and it opened in 1923. To insure its success, he bought the other “fancy” hotel in town, the Iroquois Hotel, and closed it down the day the Statler opened. The Statler Hilton closed as a hotel in 1982, although the last I heard was that it was being renovated to serve as a hotel once more.

The photo shoots are in full swing.

And then there are the others who are waiting, not to mention the limo drivers.

So, I headed toward Canalside to pick up  my car.

Hmm. I wonder if it’s open. I’d like to take a look.

My goodness! It certainly must be wedding season. It was a beautiful day for it.

I worked my way back over to where I had left Bart. I couldn’t resist taking a photo of the Skyway.

When I was very young, we had taken a ride out to the “country”. I don’t recall what we were doing, but I do remember that we were driving across a field, and somehow the wheel fell off. Dad managed to get it back on – probably using barbed wire from a fence or something. Coming home, we crossed the Skyway. Just to try to ease the tension and make conversation, I remember saying, “I wonder why they make these bridges so high?”

My mother replied, “Uff da! Shut up!”

I’ve always had a special connection with the Skyway.