Road Trip Down to Buffalo

I'm so happy to see the Hotel Lafayette restored and open again! The Hotel Statler near by, is also under going renovations, the ballroom is now open and used as an event space. Unlike Detroit, Buffalo still has a lot of empty early 20th century buildings downtown still in fairly good shape.

Main st where the LRT runs is always deserted! Even during the week. They have been talking about opening that street for traffic for years now.

PUTOTO · Jan 8, 2013

Thanks for sharing the photos!

Not just the famous Guaranty Building, but it is surprising that the historic architecture in Buffalo overall is very big, robust, and so beautiful! It is as if Buffalo was a city as big/significant as Toronto back then.
Or perhaps, almost every major city in North America (New York, Montreal, Chicago, Washington, Buffalo, you name it) had a good taste& enthusiasm in making great pieces of architecture except Toronto, which was rather enthusiastic about destroying them...?

Seriously, Toronto really needs to catch up now. I wouldn't mind if people make replicas of Cologne Cathedral or HÃ´tel de Ville, Paris, in Toronto today, but I think it's less likely to happen for some reasons. Given that, Toronto needs to grow some extra serious passion for quality (contemporary) architecture. For example, Torontonians should more actively hire architectural masters of the world (since it's more international than ever before) for designing important buildings and landmarks in the city!

Long Island Mike · Jan 9, 2013

AC: Good 37 picture set of Buffalo pictures here!

I have always liked New York's "Second City" and I notice some familiar landmarks like Buffalo's City Hall
(pics 12,14,15) which is the 2nd largest in the US (only Philadelphia's is larger) in Niagara Square...

I noticed some neighborhood pictures taken-I am interested in the row houses in picture #31...
What neighborhoods/areas did you explore? Buffalo again is quite interesting to learn about...

I fully agree Buffalo has some great architecture...and always is a good place to visit...

LI MIKE

drum118 · Jan 10, 2013

Those shot of the LRT line will be history ones once they convert that transit mall back to mix traffic with layover parking. The Shea stop will be relocated.

The city is still dead by the shots and the same the last time I was there about 2 years ago.

A lot of the neighborhoods are run down or don't exist at all these days in the city core area.

There is a lot of old historic architecture building still standing, but a few of them have been torn down due to taxes since they have been empty for years as well a safety issue.

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