hkskyline's 2018 in Buffalo, New York

hkskyline · #1 Posted **Apr 16, 2018, 3:09 AM**

Buffalo has been portrayed in recent tourist literature as an underrated gem. Even in the city, they talk about revitalization. Downtown has a lot of nice art deco buildings from a glorious recent past that are worth a visit. After a 14-year hiatus, I returned to see how their rebirth continues. I seemed to be the only tourist in town.

City Hall has intricate interior decor and a free observation deck to get your bearings.

With clear, blue skies, Niagara Falls' skyline is easily identifiable. A public bus leaves from Buffalo's downtown to near the Canadian border, taking almost an hour.

Downtown's radial street pattern is quite unique and shows the planners had a grand plan for this boomtown when the Erie Canal and Niagara Falls kept the ships and rails going.

Many buildings were devoted to the legal profession. This one didn't allow photography inside, although it is still worth a poke, seeing the courtroom where a presidential assassin was tried.

Grand churches continue to operate.

The Guaranty Building has a small museum inside showcasing the architectural highlights. Visitors are allowed on the ground floor, and there was plenty to see and amaze already. Hillary Clinton once kept an office here as Senator.

A few blocks down, staff chased after me to sign a waiver that I'm photographing this beautiful courtyard for personal purposes.

More on my website, which has been extensively updated with much more of Buffalo!

http://www.globalphotos.org/buffalo.htm

jdcamb · #2 Posted **Apr 16, 2018, 3:24 AM**

Thanks they made me smile to see my hometown in your light. Spectacular. Thanks.

cityskyscrapers · #3 Posted **Apr 16, 2018, 7:26 PM**

City Hall and the Guaranty Building are real gems, so beautiful.

isaidso · #4 Posted **Apr 16, 2018, 11:00 PM**

Thanks for the glimpse. I've still not made it to Buffalo despite living in Toronto since 2001.

Murphy de la Sucre · #5 Posted **Apr 17, 2018, 12:19 AM**

Best Buffalo thread ever with the clearest and bluest sky condition.

The North One · #6 Posted **Apr 17, 2018, 12:31 AM**

The ornate details on the Guaranty Building are incredible.

hkskyline · #7 Posted **Apr 17, 2018, 3:58 AM**

Built in 1904, Hotel at the Lafayette was designed by Louise Blanchard Bethune, the first American female architect.

Across the street, Lafayette Square is a great place to look down the avenue to see City Hall. Joseph Ellicott had laid this square in his original city plan from 1804.

The Rand Building was built in 1929 and named after a Buffalo financier. Could this have inspired the Empire State Building?

From here, walk north along the Main Street train line for 2 blocks to reach the Buffalo Savings Bank, with 140,000 sheets of gold leaf on its dome. It is still a functioning bank today and the interior is worth a visit as well.

Next door is the Electric Tower, which opened in 1912. This is the location where the New Year's eve ball drop takes place every year. It has been renovated and is now a Class A office building.

ColDayMan · #8 Posted **Apr 20, 2018, 8:20 PM**

I adore Buffalo.

LAsam · #9 Posted **Apr 20, 2018, 9:22 PM**

Wow. This is the definitive Buffalo photo tour! Thanks, as always, for sharing.

hkskyline · #10 Posted **Apr 21, 2018, 2:38 AM**

Delaware Avenue was the place for the rich in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Leaving downtown, several large churches lined the street.

boden · #11 Posted **Apr 25, 2018, 1:41 AM**

" I seemed to be the only tourist in town."......

Good post HK.

reos · #12 Posted **Apr 25, 2018, 5:56 AM**

Buffalo City Looking Truly Amazing. What is the name of this Church?

hkskyline · #13 Posted **May 7, 2018, 10:02 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by reos

Buffalo City Looking Truly Amazing. What is the name of this Church?

Which church? Can you repose the picture? I had visited a few in the sets.

For tourists, getting around Buffalo is not too difficult. The downtown is very walkable and even a day trip to Niagara Falls is possible with the bus network. Route 40 leaves from the Greyhound terminus downtown for the 1-hour journey north. Note that there are no transfers available between buses and with trains. If you will ride more than twice a day, just buy a day pass for $5, which works on both buses and trains.

The metro rail system is quite easy to use. The above-ground section downtown is free to use, while you need to buy a $2 ticket to use the underground portion outside downtown (after Fountain Plaza).

Underground stations look just like a subway system, although the vehicles used are light rail cars.

The Erie Canal was built in the early 19th century and it ended in Buffalo. Being a major port between the Great Lakes and the Atlantic, the city boomed around the riverside until the 20th century. The bustling riverside disappeared until 2005, when the government decided this area needed a revival.