a daytrip
12 hours in Buffalo, NY
A film photo of some end-of-bloom peonies at the Martin House in Buffalo. We took a day trip there on June 1st with a friend and had a wonderful time. We’ve been doing this exact trip for over ten years and we always love it. I’ve said it many times before but I have such a soft spot for Buffalo, and now that the AKG is reopened I especially love having an excuse to zip across the border regularly—it’s a gem. If you love the work of Frederick Olsmtead, you will love Buffalo. I personally love escaping the extraordinary congestion and busyness of Toronto for other cities that have their own unique cultures, and I will always champion an underdog (a misunderstood underdog!).
I’ve been asked to share some recommendations, so here are a few.
We had an easy drive with little traffic. Since it was Saturday, we started the day with a visit to the Elmwood Village Farmer’s Market (we like to get sourdough from Breadhive) and then across the street to Talking Leaves, where I picked up a signed copy of Kathleen Hanna’s memoir.
We headed to the Five Points neighbourhood for lunch at Remedy House. I had an excellent jambon beurre. We also stopped in at Butter Block Bakery, Paradise Wine, and had a stroll through the plants at Urban Roots.
My son got a new graphic novel (I can’t remember which one) at Talking Leaves too, and managed to read the whole thing as we waited for our coffees. It was busy but we didn’t mind.
There’s a little cat rescue across from Remedy House that we hadn’t seen open before!
We always like to stop by Rust Belt Books. We didn’t have time to check out Fitz Books on this day, but it’s a nice place to check out also (and to take in the beautiful buildings downtown, which is always a bit eerily quiet on weekends).
We’ve been loitering on the Martin House property for years: one of these days we will take the tour. The grounds are so peaceful. They recently added a small cafe and we sat for a while at a table; it was hard to leave. When we visited last year the peonies were in perfect bloom and we were taken aback by their sheer quantity! This year they were past their peak but still stunning. I love the garden—I took so many photos with my phone to use the plant identification feature.
These diamond paving stones! I love them so much.
A sundae at the Main Street location of Parkside Candy is essential. I don’t know how many photos I have taken of this place over the years. Many.
We just love the AKG so much. My husband and I first visited in 2007, stumbled into a James Turrell piece, and were filled with wonder. I love the tremendous amount of light the new extension lets in.
How could we not take this photo?
We took the time to check out the Japanese Garden and it was well worth it. We met some children who gave my son a crash course in fishing (catch and release only!) and asked if we had Bass Pro Shops in Canada. It was incredibly sweet. Again: so peaceful! I love the History Museum (pictured above) as well. One year we happened to visit in cherry blossom season and the view from the back of the museum out to the garden was so pretty.
A few others: on this particular day we didn’t have time for the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens, but it’s worth a visit if you’re plant freaks like us. More Olmstead work! It features a beautiful Victorian-era conservatory, built around the same time as the conservatory at Toronto’s Allan Gardens, but far larger. We first visited when I was pregnant with my son and I was overjoyed when we took him there and he loved it (they gave him a plant scavenger hunt sheet to fill in: child catnip).
There’s a nice coffee shop in the Hotel Lafayette. We had a great dinner at Dinosaur BBQ. One day we will try the Swan Street Diner! Extra Extra Pizza wasn’t open when we arrived in Five Points, but we’ve heard good things. We had delicious tacos at Casa Azul before. We once tried Sun Cuisines on the recommendation of a clerk at O’Connell’s, and it was well worth the wait we had.
One day we will stay for a Bisons game!