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North America > United States of America > Mid-Atlantic > New York (state) > Niagara Frontier > Buffalo > Buffalo/Allentown and the Delaware District
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The Forman-Cabana House, built in 1893 from a design by prominent local architect E. B. Green for oil company magnate George V. Forman, is representative of the breathtaking mansions of "Millionaire's Row" in the Delaware District.

Allentown and the Delaware District are two neighborhoods in Buffalo that are located adjacent to each other and north of downtown. These two areas are among the most desirable neighborhoods in the city today, and, much more than most other areas of Buffalo, were able to retain their charm, affluence, and safety throughout Buffalo's dark days from the 1960s to the turn of the millennium. Today, Allentown boasts a thriving cultural and artistic scene and a large selection of bars, restaurants, and funky shops, while the Delaware District is a quiet upscale residential area of stately homes, many of which are of great architectural distinction.

Understand

Allentown covers some 160 acres (65ha) north of the Theater District and west of the Medical Corridor. Allentown's main drag, Allen Street, is lined with a wide range of restaurants, bars, and shops catering to the artists, bohemians, upwardly-mobile twentysomethings, punk rockers, and other "alternative" types that have taken up residence here over the past decades. Off Allen Street are found a profusion of charming Victorian residences, largely two-story brick cottages in 19th-century styles such as the Italianate, Gothic Revival, and French Second Empire; it was Allentown's cornucopia of lovely residences that was responsible for the neighborhood's inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.

The Delaware District follows Delaware Avenue and its adjacent streets from the northern border of Allentown to Delaware Park. Though there is little here in the way of entertainment, especially compared to Allentown, the area is of interest to visitors due to the lavish mansions that line its main thoroughfare. Once one of the most prestigious addresses in America, the breathtaking residences along Delaware Avenue are an architecture lover's dream come true: elegant palaces from the Gilded Age that were once home to aristocratic Buffalo families like the Curtisses, the Rumseys, and the Knoxes. The portion of Delaware Avenue between North and Bryant Streets, where the densest concentration of original mansions can be found, is known as Millionaire's Row and has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places; however, huge mansions of this type can periodically be found as far north as Gates Circle.

The Delaware District, such as it is defined in this article, includes a number of peripheral areas that purists might argue to be separate neighborhoods. These include Linwood Avenue, a Local Historic District located a block east of Delaware Avenue that is densely lined with ample wood-frame houses only slightly newer and less luxurious than those on Delaware Avenue, Oxford, a more middle-class, mixed-race neighborhood situated southwest of the corner of Main Street and West Delavan Avenue, adjacent to Canisius College, and Midtown, a term developers have begun to use to describe the newly emerging business district along Main Street between approximately Summer and West Ferry Streets, straddling the Delaware District and the East Side.

History

Allentown takes its name from Lewis Allen, a native of Westfield, Massachusetts who arrived in Buffalo in 1827 and established an orchard and cattle farm on a 29-acre (10.5ha) lot that fronted on Williamsville Road, now Main Street. It was only six years later that Allen moved his farm to a much larger parcel he had just purchased on Grand Island, selling his former plot to developers hungry for new land for development for the growing city of Buffalo. Allen's land was soon joined on the market by a massive portion of the land belonging to future Mayor Ebenezer Walden; located on what is now the southern fringe of Allentown, Walden's land straddled what was then the border between the newly incorporated City of Buffalo and the Village of Black Rock, which was annexed by Buffalo in 1854.

Allen Street was once the path by which Lewis Allen drove his cattle from the pasture owned by his neighbor Thomas Day (where Day's Park is today) to his farmhouse on Main Street.

Meanwhile, the Delaware District, located relatively further from downtown than Allentown, began to urbanize slightly later; it remained farmland until 1868, when Buffalo's northern border was extended from North Street to Ferry Street. Fortuitously for the neighborhood, the following decades saw probably the most rapid growth of population and economy in Buffalo's history. The explosive growth of commerce and industry made millionaires out of many of Buffalo's citizens, and among the newly urbanizing outskirts of the city, the Delaware District was the most popular place for these newly minted aristocrats to build their homes: "Millionaire's Row" was well away from the congestion and bustle of downtown, yet directly connected to it via the broad, straight Delaware Avenue. The development by Frederick Law Olmsted of an extensive system of parks and parkways in Buffalo, with Delaware Park as its centerpiece, brought rapid urbanization to the northern part of the Delaware District, with still more lavish residences constructed along Chapin Parkway and on the streets immediately adjacent to Delaware Park beginning in the 1890s.

The beginning of the 20th Century saw the Delaware District and Allentown at the height of their fortunes, with Delaware Park playing host to the Pan-American Exposition — what many characterize as Buffalo's shining hour — in 1901. However, the area, along with the rest of Buffalo, eventually began to stagnate and decline: the period of deindustrialization and suburbanization that began after World War II, along with the mass exodus of Americans from the often cold and snowy Northeast to the sunnier climates of the West and South, saw Millionaire's Row abandoned by many of its titular residents for the suburbs or (more likely) other cities. Allentown, never having truly recovered from the Wall Street crash of 1929, for several decades verged on being an outright slum before its rediscovery in the 1950s by an emerging community of artists and bohemians (including what would come to be called "beatniks"), a reawakening that culminated in the founding of the North Street Association in 1960, which was soon renamed the Allentown Association.

However, the decline of Allentown and the Delaware District was not nearly as severe as that of other parts of the city; it was the location of this district on the west side of Main Street, and particularly along the still-elegant Delaware Avenue, that was its deliverance. Remarkably, with the exception of the noisy, intrusive Scajaquada Expressway which was routed through Olmsted's Delaware Park in 1961, the urban renewal that permanently scarred or altered other areas of the city barely touched Allentown and the Delaware District. For example, construction of the West Side Arterial, a proposed highway that would have run through Allentown near Virginia Street connecting the Kensington Expressway with Interstate 190, was opposed relentlessly by a grassroots coalition of community groups and was finally cancelled in 1976. Also, IBM's proposal to demolish three of the most sumptuous mansions on Delaware Avenue — the Forman-Cabana House, the George B. Matthews House, and the Richmond-Lockwood House — to make way for corporate offices was stymied and finally cancelled by the Delaware Avenue Historic District's nomination in 1974, and official addition in 1980, to the National Register of Historic Places.

In the present day, the stately homes on Oakland Place, Linwood Avenue, Chapin Parkway, and other streets in the Delaware District, as well as the charming red-brick Victorians of Allentown, are still largely occupied by residents; these neighborhoods, more than most in the city, have gained a new cachet during recent years as urban life has belatedly come back into vogue among citizens of Western New York and elsewhere in the so-called Rust Belt. Also still standing are the mansions of Millionaire's Row, though most of these have been converted to the well-cared-for headquarters of local corporations and not-for-profit groups.

Visitor Information

The Allentown Association is the oldest neighborhood organization in Buffalo, with roots that stretch back to 1960; its website boasts a wealth of information for visitors, such as extensive historical information on many of Allentown's homes, buildings, and streets, a business directory, special event listings, and even a small selection of Allentown-related academic essays and literature.

Get in and around

Map
Map of Buffalo/Allentown and the Delaware District

By car

The Scajaquada Expressway (NY 198) is a short highway that closely parallels the northern border of the Delaware District (largely through Delaware Park), connecting the Kensington Expressway with Interstate 190. Delaware Avenue — the main thoroughfare of the Delaware District and also an important route through Allentown — is the site of one of the Scajaquada's busiest interchanges; those headed for these areas via the Scajaquada should exit via the southbound ramp, proceeding past Delaware Park and Forest Lawn Cemetery toward Gates Circle.

The Kensington Expressway (NY 33) is located on the East Side, but the Delaware District is easily accessible via its Best Street and Humboldt Parkway exits (the latter providing access to Ferry and Utica Streets, among others). Travelers using these interchanges to access the Delaware District should be prepared to traverse some sketchy neighborhoods while heading westward; this changes almost immediately after crossing Main Street, Buffalo's traditional and enduring dividing line between have and have-not.

As mentioned before, Delaware Avenue (NY 384) is the area's main thoroughfare, running north-and-south through the length of both Allentown and the Delaware District. Other main north-south routes through the area include, from west to east: Elmwood Avenue, a small portion of which runs through Allentown, Franklin Street (which becomes Linwood Avenue after crossing North Street into the Delaware District), which runs one-way (south to north) a block east of Delaware Avenue, and Main Street (NY 5), which forms the eastern boundary of the district. Major cross streets include (from south to north) Edward Street, Virginia Street, Allen Street and North Street in Allentown, and Summer Street, West Utica Street, West Ferry Street, Lafayette Avenue, and West Delavan Avenue in the Delaware District.

In Allentown, on-street parking on Allen Street and the side streets adjacent to it, as well as Elmwood Avenue, can be hard to come by — especially on Friday and Saturday nights, when the bars and restaurants are packed. North Street, Delaware Avenue, Virginia Street, and Main Street are better bets. Parking meters charge 50¢ per hour and are enforced on weekdays until 5PM. Additionally, there is a small public parking lot on the south side of Allen Street just west of Elmwood Avenue that charges the same rate as the parking meters. In the Delaware District, on-street parking is prohibited along Delaware Avenue between North Street and Gates Circle, but is generally free and easily available elsewhere.

Rental cars

By public transportation

Public transit in Buffalo and the surrounding area is provided by the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority (NFTA) [1]. The NFTA Metro system encompasses a single-line light-rail rapid transit (LRRT) system and an extensive network of buses. The fare for a single trip on a bus or train is $2.00 regardless of length. No transfers are provided between buses or trains; travelers who will need to make multiple trips per day on public transit should consider purchasing an all-day pass for $5.00.

By bus

Allentown and the Delaware District are traversed by a number of NFTA Metro bus routes:

To and from downtown

NFTA Metro Bus #7 — Baynes-Richmond. Begins at the Richardson-Olmsted Complex on Forest Avenue in the Elmwood Village. Inbound trips enter Allentown via Symphony Circle and pass eastward along Allen Street, turning south at Main Street (with service to the Allen-Medical Campus Metro Rail Station) and proceeding downtown. Outbound trips proceed from downtown northward up Franklin Street into Allentown, then along Allen, Main and North Streets before turning northward and entering the Elmwood Village. Bus #7 does not run Saturdays, Sundays or holidays.

NFTA Metro Bus #8 — Main. Beginning at the University Metro Rail Station, Bus #8 proceeds down Main Street through both the Delaware District and Allentown (with service to all Metro Rail stations in the district) and ends downtown.

NFTA Metro Bus #11 — Colvin. Beginning in Tonawanda, Bus #11 proceeds down Delaware Avenue through both the Delaware District and Allentown and ends downtown.

NFTA Metro Bus #20 — Elmwood. Beginning in Tonawanda, Bus #20 proceeds down Elmwood Avenue through Allentown and ends downtown.

NFTA Metro Bus #25 — Delaware. Beginning in Tonawanda, Bus #25 proceeds down Delaware Avenue through both the Delaware District and Allentown and ends downtown.

Crosstown routes

NFTA Metro Bus #12 — Utica. Beginning on the West Side, Bus #12 proceeds along West Utica Street through the Delaware District, with service to the Utica Metro Rail Station, and ends at the University Metro Rail Station.

NFTA Metro Bus #13 — Kensington. Beginning at the Utica Metro Rail Station, Bus #13 proceeds along Main Street through the Delaware District as far as Ferry Street, where it turns eastward and enters the East Side. It ends at the University Metro Rail Station.

NFTA Metro Bus #22 — Porter-Best. Beginning on the West Side, Bus #22 proceeds along Summer Street through the Delaware District, with service to the Summer-Best Metro Rail Station, and ends at the Thruway Mall Transit Center in Cheektowaga.

NFTA Metro Bus #26 — Delavan. Beginning on the West Side, Bus #26 proceeds along West Delavan Avenue through the Delaware District, with service to the Delavan-Canisius College Metro Rail Station, and ends at the Thruway Mall Transit Center in Cheektowaga.

NFTA Metro Bus #29 — Wohlers. Eastbound trips begin on the West Side and proceed through Allentown via Cottage, Virginia, and Main Streets (with service to the Allen-Medical Campus Metro Rail Station), proceeding thenceforward through the East Side before turning westward again via East Delavan Avenue, ending at the Delavan-Canisius College Metro Rail Station in the Delaware District. Westbound trips traverse Allentown via Virginia, College, and Maryland Streets. Bus #29 does not run Saturdays, Sundays or holidays.

The construction of the cycle track on either side of Linwood Avenue was facilitated by the "Complete Streets" program ratified by the Buffalo Common Council in 2008, which mandated that equal consideration be given to bicyclists, pedestrians, and users of public transportation when resurfacing city streets.

By Metro Rail

The Metro Rail is an LRRT line that extends along Main Street from the University at Buffalo's South Campus in North Buffalo southward to downtown, along the eastern border of Allentown and the Delaware District. The Metro Rail serves as the backbone of Buffalo's public transit system, accessed directly by many bus routes. Like the buses, the fare for the Metro Rail is $2.00 ($4.00 round-trip); the $5.00 all-day passes available on Metro buses are also valid for the Metro Rail.

There are three Metro Rail stations located in the Delaware District, and one in Allentown. From north to south, they are:

  • 1 Delavan-Canisius College Station — Main Street at West Delavan Avenue (Delaware District).
  • 2 Utica Station — Main Street at West Utica Street (Delaware District).
  • 3 Summer-Best Station — Main Street at Summer Street (Delaware District).
  • 4 Allen-Medical Campus Station — Main Street at Allen Street (Allentown).

By bike

Buffalo has been making great strides in recent years in accommodating bicycling as a mode of transportation, with recognition from the League of American Bicyclists as a Bronze-Level "Bicycle-Friendly Community" to show for its efforts. Allentown and the Delaware District are among the most common places in the city to see residents commuting by bike or just enjoying a leisurely ride on a warm day.

In the Delaware District, Linwood Avenue boasts a bike lane on either side of the street for its entire length, as do the "S-curves" of Delaware Avenue between Nottingham Terrace and Forest Avenue. The Delaware Avenue bike lanes reappear further south in Allentown, starting at North Street and extending southward into downtown as far as Niagara Square. Also in Allentown, "sharrows" (pavement markings on roads too narrow to accommodate dedicated bike lanes, indicating that drivers should be aware of bicyclists on the road) are present along North Street from Symphony Circle to Main Street, along Wadsworth and Allen Streets between Symphony Circle and Delaware Avenue, and along Elmwood Avenue south from the Elmwood Village as far as Allen Street, thence continuing further south to Virginia Street as a pair of dedicated bike lanes. Word is that bicycle infrastructure of one form or another will eventually be added to all of Elmwood Avenue, southward into downtown.

Away from the city streets, the 1.1-mile (1.8 km) multi-use trail that circumnavigates Delaware Park's Hoyt Lake is especially popular among cyclists.

Bike sharing

In Allentown, the stretch of Allen Street between Main Street and Delaware Avenue serves as a hub for Buffalo BikeShare. Members can sign in to the Social Bicycles mobile app to find available bikes there.

On foot

Allentown is a safe, pleasant, and compact neighborhood that lends itself particularly well to pedestrians — in fact, with its dense concentration of homes and businesses and relative lack of parking spaces, walking is arguably the most common method of transportation Allentown residents employ for traveling within the neighborhood. Contrarily, the more spread-out nature of the Delaware District makes it relatively less amenable to pedestrians.

See

The Bubble Man

Those who pass by the corner of Elmwood Avenue and Allen Street on a warm day may be surprised to notice a deluge of soap bubbles wafting out of the third-story apartment above Jim's Steakout. Since 2002, Chuck Incorvaia, better known as the Allentown Bubble Man, has been delighting area residents with his unusual hobby, which, according to an interview published in Buffalo Rising, began as a way for him to relieve stress. Now he's a beloved local institution, and Allentowners agree: the simple pleasure of watching bubbles floating above the city streets does go a long way in relieving the minor tensions of the day.

History

  • 1 Benjamin and Dr. Edgar R. Cofeld Judaic Museum, 805 Delaware Ave. (Metro Bus 11, 22 or 25; Metro Rail: Summer-Best), +1 716 886-7150. Open whenever the building is open, or by appointment. Located inside Temple Beth Zion, one of the oldest and largest Reform synagogues in the country, the Cofeld Judaic Museum encompasses a collection of artifacts and information relevant to Jewish history in Europe and the United States that is impressive given the small size of the facility. Many of these informative exihibits have been bequeathed to the museum by members of the congregation. Free.
  • 2 F. Scott Fitzgerald House, 29 Irving Pl. (Metro Bus 7, 11, or 25). Private residence, not open for tours. A comprehensive list of all the architecturally and historically significant private homes in Allentown and the Delaware District would make this article far too lengthy to be useful; however, the two-story, front-gabled Italianate cottage at 29 Irving Place in Allentown is especially significant for a number of reasons. First and foremost, this is the house where F. Scott Fitzgerald, famous as the writer of The Great Gatsby and other magnificent works of Jazz Age literature, lived for five years during his childhood. Fitzgerald moved with his family to Irving Place at the age of seven, in 1903, after having lived briefly in the Hotel Lenox on North Street and then in Syracuse for a few years. His childhood friends said later that even at this young age, his intellectual curiosity and interest in literature as a student at Nardin Academy were apparent. Though his family was forced to move away after his father lost his job, he remembered his childhood in Buffalo fondly; even today, it does not take much imagination to envision Irving Place as a setting for some of the scenes in his novels. The later history of the house is a testament to Allentown's decline and rebirth after the stock market crash of 1929; by 1970, when its current owners purchased the place and restored it to its former glory, it had degraded into a seedy rooming house rented to scruffy transients. The F. Scott Fitzgerald House is also notable for having one of the few examples remaining in Buffalo of an intact Italianate portico — a style that is ubiquitous in Allentown.
  • 3 Karpeles Manuscript Library (North Hall), 220 North St. (Metro Bus 20), +1 716 885-4139. Th-Sa 11AM-4PM. The brainchild of California real estate magnate David Karpeles, the Karpeles Manuscript Library is the world's largest privately-owned collection of historic documents and manuscripts. The library consists of twelve branches nationwide, including two in Buffalo: North Hall, located in the former First Church of Christ, Scientist in Allentown, as well as Porter Hall on the West Side. Travelling exhibits, highlighting historic documents of all descriptions, rotate among all twelve branches. Free.
Aside from its main significance as the site where Theodore Roosevelt was administered the Presidential oath, the Wilcox Mansion is historically significant as the last remaining building to have been part of the Poinsett Barracks, a military installation built in 1838 to guard against a British invasion from Canada, and as the former home of Buffalo mayor Joseph Masten.
  • 4 Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site, 641 Delaware Ave. (Metro Bus 7, 11, or 25; Metro Rail: Allen-Medical Campus), +1 716 884-0095, fax: +1 716 884-0330. M-F 9:30AM-3:30PM, Sa Su 12:30PM-3:30PM. The only property in Western New York operated by the National Park Service, the Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site is located in Allentown, in a lovely 1838 Greek Revival mansion that was the residence of Ansley Wilcox, a Buffalo lawyer and politico. In September 1901, several days after President William McKinley died in Buffalo of gunshot wounds he sustained while greeting attendees of the Pan-American Exposition, Vice-President Theodore Roosevelt stayed at the home of Wilcox, an acquaintance of his, and the Oath of Office was administered to him there. A planned demolition of the house in the early 1960s was averted at the last minute, and today the Wilcox Mansion has been thoroughly restored inside and out, and features historical displays related to Roosevelt, McKinley and the Pan-American Exposition as well as occasional temporary exhibits. The grounds of the Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site are planted with herb and flower gardens in season. $10, aged 62+ and students $7, ages 6-18 $5, families $25, free for children under 5 and members.

Architecture

More and more, Buffalo's exquisite and well-preserved architecture has grabbed the attention of locals and tourists alike. As of May 2015, there are nine historic neighborhoods in Buffalo listed on the National Register of Historic Places, as well as seven additional ones that have been granted landmark status by the Buffalo Preservation Board. Of those districts, there are three in Allentown and the Delaware District that will be of especial interest to architecture buffs:

  • The 5 Allentown Historic District was the first Buffalo neighborhood to be listed on the National Register. Located north of downtown, Allentown was settled in the middle and late 19th century and is characterized by small but lovely red brick houses in styles that were popular at that time, such as the Italianate and French Second Empire. Among Allentown's most architecturally exquisite buildings are the Allendale Theatre and the seven houses that make up the Tiffts Row, both of which are located on Allen Street; the William Dorsheimer House on Delaware Avenue, and the former Buffalo Catholic Institute building on Main and Virginia Streets that is now home to the Church of Scientology.
  • The 6 Delaware Avenue Historic District consists of the stretch of Delaware Avenue called "Millionaire's Row", between North and Bryant Streets. The opulence of Millionaire's Row testifies to the fact that Buffalo once had more millionaires per capita than any other city in the U.S. Most of the mansions have since been converted to office space for local corporations and not-for-profit groups. Among the many mansions along this stretch of Delaware Avenue are the Butler Mansion (at #672), the Clement Mansion (at #786, now the local chapter of the American Red Cross), the Richmond-Lockwood House (at #844), and the Charles W. Goodyear House (at #888).
In the Delaware Avenue Historic District can be found a large and well-preserved collection of palatial residences, built by Buffalo's aristocratic élite at a time when the city was at the peak of its economic importance. Seen here are, from right to left, the Charles W. Goodyear House, the Harlow C. Curtiss House, and the Richmond-Lockwood House.
  • The 7 Linwood Local Historic District consists of the blocks bounded by Linwood Avenue, North Street, Delaware Avenue, and West Ferry Street, as well as the corresponding properties on the opposite sides of Linwood and West Ferry, and the properties on the opposite side of Delaware north of Bryant Street. Like the adjacent Millionaire's Row, Linwood Avenue rose to prominence after the Civil War as a playground of Buffalo's rapidly growing aristocracy, who built mansions there in a setting that was and is bucolic yet distinctly urban; unlike Millionaire's Row, the majority of the old houses in the Linwood Historic District are still used as private residences. Substantial wood-frame houses in the Colonial Revival, Queen Anne, Shingle, and other turn-of-the-century styles are the rule here; these include the Charles R. Huntley House (#440 Linwood Avenue), the unusual Henry Crane House (#420), and the Albert J. Wright House, otherwise known as the Beau Fleuve Bed & Breakfast Inn (#242).

Forest Lawn Cemetery is also the site of a mausoleum designed by renowned architect Frank Lloyd Wright:

  • 8 Blue-Sky Mausoleum, 1411 Delaware Ave. (Located in Section 15 of Forest Lawn Cemetery, accessible from Delaware Avenue or Main Street entrance; Metro Bus 11, 18, 25, 26 or 29; Metro Rail: Delavan-Canisius College), +1 716 885-1600. Daily 8AM-5PM, summer until 7PM. Forest Lawn Cemetery, whose vast, manicured green space full of sprawling shade trees and songbirds was one of his favorite places in Buffalo, is the site of the mausoleum Frank Lloyd Wright planned some time between 1925 and 1928 as the final resting place of his friend and benefactor, Darwin D. Martin. Though Martin's fortune was obliterated by the great stock market crash of 1929, the Blue-Sky Mausoleum was completed in 2004 to the original blueprints, and supervised by Anthony Puttnam, an architect trained by Wright himself. An exemplary adaptation of Wright's "organic" Prairie-style architecture, the mausoleum consists of twenty-four double-tier crypts contained in sprawling, horizontal slabs of white Vermont granite embedded into a gently sloping lawn next to Crystal Lake, with a stout monolith crowning its summit. The architect described his design as "a burial facing the open sky — a dignified great headstone commune to all." For exceptionally dedicated admirers of Wright, crypts are available for purchase (call for pricing and other details). As for Martin himself, he died penniless in 1935 and was buried quietly in a different grave in Forest Lawn that was long left unmarked, but was finally adorned with a headstone in 2007 courtesy of the Forest Lawn Heritage Foundation.

Art

Allentown boasts perhaps the largest and most longstanding community of artists in Buffalo, with an abundance of galleries for every taste. A good time to experience the art scene there is during First Fridays — a free gallery walk that takes place on the first Friday of each month (hence the name), when the galleries of Allentown and the lower Elmwood Village stay open late and often hold openings and other events, and folks can take in live music and performances or enjoy special deals at nearby shops and restaurants.

The fashionable Delaware District has its share of galleries as well, which tend to be more highbrow than their scruffy, bohemian (and, arguably, more interesting) counterparts in Allentown.

In addition to the places listed here, the Buy section includes a listing of galleries that offer works for sale, rather than display only.

  • 9 Artists' Group Gallery, 1 Linwood Ave. (Metro Bus 11 or 25; Metro Rail: Summer-Best), +1 716 885-2251. W-Th 11AM-5PM, F 11AM-4PM, Sa 11AM-2PM. The Artists' Group Gallery is named for and operated by the Western New York Artists' Group, a not-for-profit organization that promotes both well-known and emerging artists from Buffalo and the surrounding region. These works come in all media, but paintings — especially watercolors — are particularly overrepresented on the walls of this modest-sized gallery space. The Artists' Group philosophy holds that the whole community should have access to a range of artistic voices that speak to them on a personal level; to that end, the gallery puts on about a dozen exhibitions a year (including a series of juried members' exhibitions that is a springtime tradition at the Artists' Group Gallery) and also offers lectures, watercolor classes, workshops, concerts and other programming that's open to the public.
  • 10 ¡Buen Vivir! Gallery, 148 Elmwood Ave. (Metro Bus 7 or 20), +1 716 536-5669. Open for special events or by appointment. The ¡Buen Vivir! Gallery is located in the former B West Studios, right next door to the headquarters of the Global Justice Ecology Project that operates the space under the curatorship of its board chairman, local photojournalist Orin Langelle, an intrepid artist-cum-activist who has risked his life in some of the most geographically and politically inhospitable regions of the world to create works with a focus on the effects of climate change and other environmental catastrophes, as well as other social and human rights injustices — "concerned photography", he has dubbed his genre. The gallery's name in Spanish translates to "living well", which is meant to signify the harmonious coexistence of humans with the Earth, and which is fitting of the hopeful and uplifting message that shines through in the work displayed here despite the harshness of its subject matter.
  • 11 Casa de Arte, 141 Elmwood Ave. (Metro Bus 7 or 20), +1 716 240-9248. M-Sa 10AM-3PM, F also 4:30PM-8PM. Operated under the stewardship of husband-and-wife curators Rick Williams and Maria Odette Guerrero and lauded in a diversity of local publications such as the Buffalo News, Panorama Hispano, Artvoice, and Buffalo Rising, Casa de Arte opened in August 2011 as a combination art gallery/cultural exchange program under the aegis of the Asociación Cultural Buffalo Cuernavaca. The works here encompass paintings, photographs, sculptures, and films by artists from Buffalo and Cuernavaca, Mexico, where its sister gallery is located, as well as exhibitions of architecture, music, and other media, all displayed in one of Buffalo's largest exhibition spaces..
  • Impact Artists' Gallery. Casa de Arte is also the temporary home of Impact Artists' Gallery, which moved out of the East Side's Tri-Main Center in 2015. Founded in 1993 and still the only gallery in Buffalo owned and operated exclusively by women, Impact Artists' Gallery helps to elevate women artists as well as the community at large by fostering an avenue for the unique experiences of female artistic voices to be heard and appreciated.
  • 12 C. G. Jung Center Gallery, 408 Franklin St. (Metro Bus 11, 25 or 29; Metro Rail: Allen-Medical Campus), +1 716 854-7457. The C. G. Jung Center is not only the home of the Analytical Psychology Society of Western New York, but it also doubles as an art gallery featuring works by well-known and up-and-coming local artists, as well as symposia, lectures, and workshops on a wide variety of topics relevant to Jungian psychology.
  • 13 Dreamland, 387 Franklin St. (Metro Bus 11, 25 or 29; Metro Rail: Allen-Medical Campus), +1 716 948-0943. The Allentowner spoke about Dreamland with optimism shortly before its opening as the new epicenter of Buffalo's DIY arts scene, imperiled and losing steam in the wake of the demise of The Vault and the conversion of Elmwood Avenue's Nobody's Gallery into the more conventional art space Filigree's. As advertised, the loose collective that has set up shop in this beautifully restored Italianate mansion is a patchwork of artists, performers and creative types that don't fit comfortably in to any well-defined niche. In addition to private artists' studios and gallery space for solo and group exhibitions, Dreamland hosts events such as pay-what-you-can figure drawing sessions open to the community, as well as avant-garde performance-art acts.
  • 14 Eleven Twenty Projects, 1120 Main St. (Metro Bus 8 or 22; Metro Rail: Summer-Best), +1 716 882-8100. By appointment. Opened in October 2013 with "Electric Primitive", an exhibition by local painter LeRoi Johnson, this brand-new gallery is housed in a stunning 1926 Art Deco building that was built as the REO Motor Car Company's local dealership. This stretch of Main Street was Buffalo's "Auto Row" at that time, and owner John Fatta has done justice to the massive size of this cavernous old showroom by converting it into a sleek and minimalist exhibition space whose "sheer size", to quote the owner in a recent Buffalo Rising article, allows art fans to "stand back and really appreciate the works that are being displayed." The Eleven Twenty Projects will host changing exhibits of works by various artists, as well as Fatta's own collection of antiques and other curiosities.
  • 15 El Museo Francisco Oller y Diego Rivera, 91 Allen St. (Metro Bus 7, 11, or 25; Metro Rail: Allen-Medical Campus), +1 716 578-3782. Th-Sa noon-5PM. El Museo Francisco Oller y Diego Rivera has been open in Allentown since 1981, serving its mission of exhibiting contemporary works by artists of color. Its initial focus on works by Latino artists has been complemented in recent years by representations of African, African-American, Asian, American Indian and Caribbean culture, in visual art as well as other media. El Museo presents six to eight exhibitions per year and is an excellent place to appreciate groundbreaking works created by emerging artists from the local area who reflect cultures that are traditionally underrepresented in the art world. Donation.
  • 16 Glow Gallery, 224 Allen St. (Metro Bus 7 or 20), +1 716 983-2112. Tu-Sa 1PM-5PM. Marcus Wise, the photographer and all-around local arts honcho who has owned and operated the 464 Gallery in Grant-Amherst since 2010, is expanding his footprint: "I always wanted to have multiple [galleries]", he said to Buffalo Rising on the eve of this place's grand opening, and his desire to have an exhibit space away from the events frequently held at 464 was perfect for an "organically more high-traffic" neighborhood like Allentown. So it was that the Glow Gallery opened in summer 2013 at the former site of the Sp@ce 224 gallery on Allen Street. This intimately-proportioned gallery displays paintings, photography, and other works exclusively by artists from outside Western New York — in sharp contrast to the singular focus on local talent at 464 and at the Prism Gallery, with which it shares a building. Included among the featured artists, according to the mission statement of the proudly gay-owned Glow Gallery, will be at least four individuals per year from the LGBT community.
  • 17 Indigo Art, 47 Allen St. (Metro Bus 7, 11, or 25; Metro Rail: Allen-Medical Campus), +1 716 984-9572. Tu-F noon-5PM, Sa noon-3PM, also by appointment. Elisabeth Samuels curates this neighborhood art gallery on Allen Street that opened in 2008 and is located at the former East End Salon. Supporting emerging artists from Buffalo and the surrounding region working in such diverse media as drawing painting, sculpture, photography, textile art and printmaking, Indigo Art displays changing exhibitions of the work of Western New York's vibrant arts community.
  • 18 Nina Freudenheim Gallery, 140 North St. (Metro Bus 11, 20 or 25), +1 716 882-5777. Tu-F 10AM-5PM, Sa & M by appointment. An award-winning art appraiser and philanthropist who was responsible for, among other accomplishments, directing the selection and inclusion of public art displays in the NFTA Metro Rail system, Nina Freudenheim has operated her eponymous art gallery on the first floor of the Hotel Lenox since 1975. Both the permanent collection of the gallery and the traveling exhibitions that are held reflect the curator's enduring commitment to showing the finest contemporary art, craft and photography by both well-established and emerging artists. The Nina Freudenheim Gallery has placed works in a number of prestigious institutions including the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C. as well as Buffalo's own Albright-Knox Art Gallery. In addition, fine art consulting and appraisal services are also offered.
  • 19 Prism Gallery, 224 Allen St. (Metro Bus 7 or 20), +1 716 880-0268. Th-F 1PM-8PM, Sa-Su 1PM-7PM. Mickey Harmon curates this small storefront gallery located inside the offices of LOOP, Buffalo's monthly LGBT-focused magazine. Prism Gallery's stated goal is showcasing "the full spectrum of imagination, innovation and inspiration that makes LGBT Buffalo's light shine white", and to that end it exhibits the work of a different local gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender artist each month (in exclusively two-dimensional media). The same artworks are also featured in that month's issue of LOOP — so if you can't make it to the gallery itself, picking up a copy of the magazine at numerous venues around Allentown is the next best thing.
  • 20 ScenoArt Studio & Gallery, 293 Linwood Ave. (Metro Bus 12; Metro Rail: Utica), +1 716 882-0890. By appointment. In an ample old Queen Anne-style house on historic Linwood Avenue can be found the studio and gallery of Romanian-born artist Ella Joseph, whose works have been displayed at the Museum-Kunst-Palast in Düsseldorf and locally at Hallwalls Contemporary Art Center, as well as at the Buffalo Infringement Festival. In fact, the Infringement Festival is your best bet for access to Ms. Joseph's truly avant-garde installations of video and theatrical performance art which seem to celebrate the ephemerality or transience inherent in the genre; however, interested visitors can contact the artist directly for private showings.
  • 21 TGW @ 497, 497 Franklin St. (Metro Bus 7, 11 or 25; Metro Rail: Allen-Medical Campus), +1 716 949-6604. W-F noon-5PM, Sa noon-3PM. A boutique gallery that opened in March 2014 in the former location of Krudmart on Franklin Street, TGW @ 497 is owned by David Vitrano, a true Allentown Renaissance man: aside from being an active artist and former curator of several similar small neighborhood galleries, he's also known as the former proprietor of Great Wave Antiques and the sadly missed Tiger Lily & Wing Asian Bakery. This small, minimalist, naturally-lit space is the perfect venue to highlight works of local artists — including the owner himself, whose eponymous solo sculpture exhibition did double duty as TGW's official grand opening.

Outdoors

  • 22 Forest Lawn Cemetery, 1411 Delaware Ave. (Metro Bus 11, 18, 25, 26 or 29; Metro Rail: Delavan-Canisius College), +1 716 885-1600. Daily 8AM-5PM, summer until 7PM. It may seem strange to place a cemetery on a list of tourist attractions, but Forest Lawn is more than just a burial ground. Located immediately south of Delaware Park, Forest Lawn was founded in 1849 as a rural-style cemetery on what was then the outskirts of town, and serves today as an arboretum, nature preserve, and celebration of Buffalo's rich history. "Sundays in the Cemetery" tours are offered seasonally; conducted variously on foot (sensible shoes are recommended) and on trolleys, each of these themed excursions explores a different aspect of local history through an exploration of the lives of individuals buried at Forest Lawn. Famous people who have been laid to rest here include President Millard Fillmore, Prince Kyril Scherbatow of Imperial Russia, Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm, aviation pioneer Lawrence Bell, Seneca Indian chief Red Jacket, singer Rick James, and many mayors and other prominent citizens of Buffalo. Deer, birds and other native wildlife are commonly seen strolling these 269 acres (108 ha) of impeccably landscaped greenery, and architecture buffs will love the mausoleums and memorials designed by such Buffalo architecture luminaries as Richard Waite and George Cary, and especially the Blue Sky Mausoleum, completed in 2004 from a design by Frank Lloyd Wright. Cemetery grounds free, guided walking tours $15, guided trolley tours $25.
  • Blue-Sky Mausoleum (Located in Section 15 of Forest Lawn Cemetery, accessible from Delaware Avenue or Main Street entrance; Metro Bus 11, 18, 25, 26 or 29; Metro Rail: Delavan-Canisius College). See "Architecture" subsection above.
  • 23 Serenity Falls (Located in Section 20 of Forest Lawn Cemetery, best accessed from Main Street entrance; Metro Bus 8, 18, 26 or 29; Metro Rail: Delavan-Canisius College). Located on the grounds of Forest Lawn Cemetery, where Scajaquada Creek meets the Onondaga Escarpment, Serenity Falls may not have the majesty of other waterfalls in the area like Glen Falls in Williamsville or Akron Falls in Akron — let alone of the mighty Niagara Falls — but this charmingly understated hidden gem is one of only two natural waterfalls within Buffalo's city limits. Located in Section 20 of the cemetery, visitors can park along the side of the road, from which point they'll already be able to hear the rushing water, and walk a short distance upstream along the bank of the creek to the series of rapids and a flight of seven small cascades, 12 feet (3.6m) in total height, that makes up Serenity Falls. The falls are best visited in spring and late autumn, when the leaves on the trees don't block the view — the banks of Scajaquada Creek are very steep, and there are no trails or other methods of approach that lead directly to the falls.
Nearly 150 years after it was constructed, Delaware Park continues to fulfill the intent of its designer, allowing citizens of Buffalo to escape into nature without leaving the city limits.

Parks

  • 24 Delaware Park, North end of Lincoln Pkwy., behind Albright-Knox Art Gallery (Metro Bus 8, 11, 20, 25, or 32; Metro Rail: Humboldt-Hospital), +1 716 838-1429. Dawn to dusk.With an area of 234 acres (93 ha), Delaware Park is the central node in Buffalo's park system, by far the largest park in Buffalo, and one of the largest and best-preserved examples of Frederick Law Olmsted's landscape architecture anywhere. All the classic Olmsted features are present here: a large, grassy Meadow that is now the site of the Delaware Park Golf Course, thick stands of trees, and Hoyt Lake, the 46-acre (18.5ha) pond in the southwest corner of the park that Olmsted originally named "Gala Water". An essay by Charles Beveridge on the Olmsted park system in Buffalo describes how well Delaware Park continues to fulfill its intended role as a place for Buffalonians to experience nature and greenery without leaving the city limits; Delaware Park, as per his essay, is "the only public space designed by Olmsted in Buffalo that met his definition of the term 'park' — a setting of pastoral scenery extensive enough to provide complete escape from the artificiality and noise of the city." Delaware Park is popular year-round, but is most often enjoyed during the warm months, when walking, bicycling, jogging, tennis, golf, and basketball are popular activities, and the renowned Shakespeare in Delaware Park outdoor festival, which takes place here each summer and which is described more thoroughly in the Festivals and Events section below. Hoyt Lake is surrounded by a lovely walking/biking trail and features rowboats and paddleboats for rent at the Marcy Casino during the summer months. Delaware Park is also the site of the Buffalo Zoo.
  • 25 Delaware Park Rose Garden (Metro Bus 20 or 32). Delaware Park's beautiful Rose Garden is located directly off Lincoln Parkway behind the Marcy Casino, and blooms in season with thirty-three beds of beautiful red, purple, yellow and white roses, many varieties of which have been honored in the past as All-America Rose Selections. The rose garden was not part of Olmsted's original design for the park, but was instead added to the park in 1912. Although its formality contrasts incongruously with the quiet, curvilinear naturalism of the park's original features, the Rose Garden is nonetheless lovely and renowned, and was recently subjected to a thorough restoration at the hands of the Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy. The impeccably manicured garden also includes a working fountain and pyramidal trellises, and a grand pergola at its rear. The garden, and Delaware Park in general, is immensely popular with bridal parties during rose season; don't be surprised if you have to dodge gaggles of bridesmaids posing for endless pictures!
  • 26 Japanese Garden (Metro Bus 20 or 32). Inaugurated in 1974 as a gesture of friendship between Buffalo and its sister city of Kanazawa, Japan, Delaware Park's Japanese Garden is located on six acres (2.4ha) on Hoyt Lake, behind the Buffalo History Museum. This beautifully manicured oasis of greenery slopes gently down from Nottingham Terrace to the shore of the lake, also encompassing three small islands in the lake connected to the mainland by a lovely ornamental footbridge. Over the past years, the Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy has been hard at work restoring and maintaining the more than 1,000 plantings of ornamental trees, shrubs and plants in the garden, including a large stand of Japanese cherry trees, and also have added or will soon add a stone garden and an authentic karesansui waterfall. Amid it all there are many benches and other sitting areas perfect for serene contemplation of one's peaceful natural surroundings.
Cast in 1900, this replica of Michaelangelo's David is one of several works of public art displayed in Buffalo's Delaware Park.
  • Public art. There are a number of installations of public art peppered around the grounds of Delaware Park. These include:
  • 27 David (Adjacent to Scajaquada Expressway and Lincoln Parkway, accessible from Hoyt Lake bike trail; Metro Bus 20 or 32). This bronze replica of Michaelangelo's iconic sculpture David is the work of the firm of Sabatino de Angelis and Sons, based in Naples, Italy. In 1903, three years after seeing it on display at the Exposition Universelle in Paris, Buffalo businessman Andrew Langdon purchased the statue from the firm, with the stipulation that no casts of the sculpture would be sold to any other American clients. Langdon donated the statue to the Buffalo Historical Society, and it has been on display near Hoyt Lake ever since.
  • 28 The Indian Hunter (Located next to first tee of Delaware Park Golf Course, adjacent to Meadow Drive; Metro Bus 8 or 32; Metro Rail: Humboldt-Hospital). A bronze figure of a boy in American Indian garb crouching over next to his dog, bow and arrow in hand, The Indian Hunter is a replica of the statue of the same name that's on display in New York City's Central Park. According to the plaque on its pink granite pedestal, Buffalo's Indian Hunter was donated to the city in 1926 by Ella Spencer Darr in memory of her husband Marcus. The original sculpture is the work of artist John Quincy Adams Ward, and was cast in 1866.
  • 29 Spirit of Womanhood (Located along eastbound lane of Scajaquada Expressway near Delaware Avenue interchange, accessible from Hoyt Lake bike trail; Metro Bus 11 or 25). A work of renowned local sculptor Larry Griffis, this 15-foot-tall (4.5m tall) bronze statue is a modernist, stylized rendering of a nude woman holding over her head a metal hoop six feet (1.8m) in diameter. The vertical orientation of the sculpture, and the upward gaze of the figure's head, are symbolic of optimism and hope, and the hoop represents the world, eternity, and the cycle of life. Griffis cast this sculpture in December 1962 in honor of Marian de Forest, the founder of Zonta International, a service organization dedicated to the advancement of women that traces its roots to Buffalo.
  • 30 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Located adjacent to Hoyt Lake and Scajaquada Creekside Trail near Buffalo History Museum; Metro Bus 20 or 32). The first installation of public art to be placed in Delaware Park and one of the first in the entire city, this 4-foot (1.2m) bronze bust of the most prolific, prodigious and influential composer of the Classical era was sculpted by Olin H. Warner for the Buffalo Liedertafel — a fact that bears testament to the profound importance of the German-American community in Buffalo's history, who made up more than half of the city's population when the statue was dedicated in 1894. The statue's pink granite base contains a number of bronze plaques inscribed with biographical facts about Mozart's life, the titles of some of his important works, and honorifics. Today, Mozart serenely overlooks Hoyt Lake from a spot near the Buffalo History Museum.
  • 31 Young Lincoln (At the front of the Rose Garden, facing the Albright-Knox Art Gallery; Metro Bus 20 and 32). Located (appropriately enough) adjacent to Lincoln Parkway, this bronze statue depicts Abraham Lincoln seated on an oak log with an axe at his feet and a book on his right knee, symbolizing his transition in life from humble farm labor to the highest achievement of American statesmanship. The work of sculptor Bryant Baker, Young Lincoln was cast in bronze in 1935; on its pink granite base is inscribed a quote from poet James Russell Lowell: "For him her old world moulds aside she threw, and choosing sweet clay from the breast of the unexhausted west, with stuff untainted shaped a hero new."
  • Delaware Park is far from the only Frederick Law Olmsted park in the city — on the contrary, all of Buffalo is crisscrossed by Olmsted's park and parkway system, designed by him in stages beginning in 1868, and part of which is found in the Delaware District. Olmsted's "parkways" are wide, verdant avenues modeled after the grand boulevards of Paris, and lined with multiple rows of large shade trees. They serve as approaches to the parks, or extend from one park to another, and were intended to enable visitors to travel between parks without ever leaving a green and natural environment (for a long time, automobile traffic was prohibited on the parkways). Running south from the entrance to Delaware Park are three parkways, one of which, Chapin Parkway, is located in the Delaware District. Chapin Parkway's southeastern terminus, 32 Gates Circle, was also originally laid out by Olmsted, but was later redesigned in the Beaux-Arts style by eminent local architect E. B. Green. Early on, the Olmsted parkways became popular places for Buffalo's moneyed aristocracy to build their homes; much like Millionaire's Row and Linwood Avenue, the parkways near Delaware Park are the site of some of Buffalo's most palatial mansions.
Located just south and east of Symphony Circle in Allentown, Arlington Park is arguably the loveliest of Buffalo's three "residential parks".
  • There are also a number of smaller parks and green spaces scattered around the district. Notable among these are the two residential parks located in Allentown. 33 Day's Park is a two-acre (0.9 ha) green space on the site of a former cow pasture at the west end of Allen Street, which its owner, Thomas Day, donated to the city in 1854. Some time later, Day's Park was redesigned by Frederick Law Olmsted, whose plan to eventually integrate it into his park and parkway system never materialized. 34 Arlington Park is a smaller residential park a short distance northeast of Day's Park, which is most famous as the place Frank Lloyd Wright lived while designing the Darwin D. Martin House in North Buffalo. Both of these beautifully landscaped swaths of greenery still boast beautiful and fashionable Victorian cottages around their perimeters, in Italianate, Second Empire, Gothic Revival, and other styles popular in the late 19th Century. They are lovely places for a picnic or leisurely walk on a warm day.

Do

Festivals and events

Delaware Park serves as one of the busiest venues for Buffalo's huge and growing slate of annual festivals, with a wide range of activities taking place there year-round. Additionally, Delaware Avenue and Allen Street in Allentown is the site of the Allentown Art Festival, where Buffalonians kick off the summer each June at the longest-running and best-known annual event in the city.

Spring

  • Buffalo St. Patrick's Day Parade. Since 1940, on the closest Sunday to March 17th, Allentown, as well as downtown, has been the scene of New York State's second-largest St. Patrick's Day celebration, held by the Buffalo United Irish-American Association. Traditionally, Mass is said by the Bishop of Buffalo at St. Joseph's Cathedral on Franklin Street immediately before the participants gather at Niagara Square, marching up Delaware Avenue through Allentown as far as North Street. The grandeur of this event is testimony to the continuing importance of Buffalo's Irish-American community.
  • Buffalo Cherry Blossom Festival. Buffalo's Cherry Blossom Festival serves as both a tribute to the city's sister-city relationship with Kanazawa, Japan, as well as a fundraiser for the continuing upkeep of Delaware Park's Japanese Garden. This weeklong festival usually takes place about three weeks after its much more famous counterpart in Washington, D.C., with peak bloom in early to mid-May. In between admiring the lovely trees, you can also catch live music, take a boat ride on Mirror Lake, and — especially — take a taste of Japanese culture with bunraku puppet theater performances and a traditional tea ceremony on the portico of the Buffalo History Museum. Expanding their scope far beyond the Japanese Garden, the Buffalo Cherry Blossom Festival's organizers also sponsor cherry tree plantings all over the city, and will even sell you one to plant in your own yard.

Summer

  • Buffalo Greek Fest. The Buffalo Greek Fest serves as the traditional start of the summer festival season in the Buffalo area, and, since 1978, has been held each year at the beginning of June at the Hellenic Orthodox Church of the Annunciation on historic Delaware Avenue. Aside from showcasing the cuisine, traditional music and folk dances of Greece, enlightening exhibits are displayed that encompass aspects of Greek culture, and architectural tours are conducted of this beautiful church which has been inscribed on the National Register of Historic Places.
  • Allentown Art Festival. Every June, the Allentown Art Festival brings throngs of artists, craftspeople, food vendors, and visitors to the streets of one of Buffalo's most charming and historic neighborhoods. What was conceived in 1958 as a small art fair which would raise community pride in a then-dilapidated area, the Allentown Art Festival has grown into arguably the best-known of Buffalo's street festivals, with over 450 artists and craftspeople each year from all over the U.S., Canada and even Europe displaying and selling their wares to tens of thousands of visitors. High-quality paintings, sculptures, jewelry, crafts, and other works are available for purchase each year, often at excellent prices. Cash awards are given to artists in about a dozen different categories, as well as to the winner of the perennially popular competition to design the festival's annual poster. All proceeds from the festival are invested back into community improvement projects by the Allentown Association.
  • Allen West Festival. Running concurrently with the Allentown Art Festival, the Allen West Festival sees local artists, musicians and street performers doing their thing on Allen Street between Elmwood Avenue and Day's Park, providing a freewheeling, bohemian counterpoint to the more highbrow Allentown Art Festival itself.
  • Shakespeare in Delaware Park. Delaware Park's 1 Shakespeare Hill has since 1976 been the setting of Shakespeare in Delaware Park. With a goal of enriching, inspiring and entertaining diverse audiences through performance and educational programming with a focus on the works of William Shakespeare, this not-for-profit professional theatre company performs two selected Shakespeare plays annually from June until August at their striking Tudor-style outdoor stage adjacent to Hoyt Lake, the Albright-Knox Art Gallery, and the Delaware Park Rose Garden. Performances are free of charge at this longstanding summertime tradition, though donations are greatly appreciated.

Autumn

  • Music Is Art Festival. The brainchild of Robby Takac, longtime bass guitarist for Buffalo-based rock band The Goo Goo Dolls, the Music Is Art Festival was founded in 2004 and originally was held in Allentown in June to coincide with the Allentown Art Festival before moving to Delaware Park in 2008, where it now takes place in mid-September. The Music Is Art Festival "celebrates all that is weird and wonderful about [the] arts scene in Western New York" (in the words of a recent feature article in the Buffalo News) by presenting a constant stream of creative performances of live music of all genres by artists of local provenance, on several stages.

Winter

  • Flurrious!. Held annually at Delaware Park, this brand-new addition to Buffalo's growing array of annual events is not only a celebration of the winter season for which Buffalo is well-known, but also has as a primary mission the preservation of, appreciation for, and investment in Buffalo's system of Olmsted parks. The 2012 Flurrious! festival included a foot race around Delaware Park's Ring Road, bike ride, snow golfing, snow tennis, igloo building, kickball tournament, live music all day, and food and drink in a heated tent at the Parkside Lodge.

Golf

  • 2 Delaware Park Golf Course, 84 Parkside Ave. (Metro Bus 8, 11, 25 or 32; Metro Rail: Humboldt-Hospital), +1 716 838-1249. Opened in 1930 on the site of Delaware Park's Meadow, the Delaware Park Golf Course is arguably the most popular golf course in the city. Golfers can enjoy playing a full 18-hole game in a beautifully landscaped environment; the course is par 68 and its longest tees have a yardage of 5,359 yards. The Parkside Lodge is a lovely 1914 Craftsman-style building that houses a snack bar and the course's pro shop. An interesting historical feature of the Delaware Park Golf Course can be found near the fourth hole; a monument there pays tribute to two or three hundred War of 1812 soldiers, who succumbed to disease and were buried on the site in 1812-13, while stationed for the winter on what was then the rural farmstead of Dr. Daniel Chapin. Weekend green fees $15.00.
The Theatre of Youth is housed in the historic 1913 Allendale Theatre, a former silent movie palace in the heart of Allentown that was rescued from demolition in 1986 after having been condemned by the city — another of Buffalo's success stories in the field of revitalization of historic buildings.

Theater

  • Theatre of Youth, 203 Allen St. (Metro Bus 7 or 20), +1 716 819-9653. The Theatre of Youth is a not-for-profit professional theatre company that is the only one in the Niagara Frontier dedicated to presenting works for young people and families. At the 3 Allendale Theatre, the Theatre of Youth stages performances such as "Pinkalicious" and "Charlotte's Web" for 30,000 audience members per year with a goal of instilling in young people an enduring appreciation for the performing arts.

Movies

  • Dreamland, 387 Franklin St. (Metro Bus 11, 25 or 29; Metro Rail: Allen-Medical Campus), +1 716 948-0943. The new nucleus for Buffalo's DIY arts community puts on occasional screenings of arthouse, avant-garde and cult films.

Live music

Allentown's bars are some of the best places in Buffalo to see local singer-songwriters and rock bands play. The scene here is brimming with talent, and very tight-knit: the bands all know each other socially and from sharing bills, and tend to gig around all the venues in the neighborhood, musical chairs-style. These places are all fairly interchangeable — laid-back, intimate venues populated by typical Allentowners. In addition, a few other venues present a more eclectic range of performances.

  • Allen Street Hardware Café, 245 Allen St. (Metro Bus 7 or 20), +1 716 882-8843. In addition to the local rock bands and stand-up comedians that perform at Hardware on a frequent basis, the "Back Room" plays host to free jazz concerts every Monday night.
  • Dreamland, 387 Franklin St. (Metro Bus 11, 25 or 29; Metro Rail: Allen-Medical Campus), +1 716 948-0943. This brand-new art gallery doubles as a venue for a dizzying variety of live music with an emphasis on the avant-garde: this is the place to take in performances of psych-folk, free jazz, experimental noise, tribal music, dance, performance art and more.
  • Duke's Bohemian Grove, 253 Allen St. (Metro Bus 7 or 20), +1 716 240-0359. The small concert space at the rear of Duke's presents local rock, hip-hop, dance, and soul musicians seven nights a week — and, increasingly, nationally famous acts from time to time.
  • 4 Kleinhans Music Hall, 3 Symphony Cir. (Metro Bus 7 or 22), +1 716 883-3560. Designed by the internationally-famous father-and-son team of Eliel and Eero Saarinen, Kleinhans Music Hall is among the most architecturally distinguished buildings in Buffalo (it has served as a model for Festival Hall in London, among other venues), and boasts world-renowned acoustics. Aside from the several-times-weekly performances of the Buffalo Philharmonic itself, Kleinhans also features performances by other orchestras, small theatrical shows, and popular music acts — which have included Natalie Merchant, Johnny Mathis, and the Indigo Girls — performing either on their own or backed by the Philharmonic as part of the BPO Rocks! concert series.
  • Merge, 439 Delaware Ave. (Metro Bus 11, 20, 25 or 29; Metro Rail: Allen-Medical Campus), +1 716 842-0600. Merge frequently features live music including local rock bands, light jazz, piano music, and slam poetry, all presented in an atmosphere that is far more laid-back and pleasant than other Allentown music venues.
  • Nietzsche's, 248 Allen St. (Metro Bus 7 or 20), +1 716 885-8539. Nietzsche's stands out from the pack on Allen Street through sheer longevity; it's been presenting first-rate live music since well before most of the hipsters at the bar were born. In addition to the usual slate of local rock bands and singer-songwriters, Nietzsche's has been known to sneak in a nationally-known name here and there.
  • 5 PAUSA Art House, 19 Wadsworth St. (Metro Bus 7 or 20). This brand-new combination café, art gallery and boutique concert hall opened in February 2013 in a beautifully restored Italianate cottage on Wadsworth Street. Presented here is an exciting range of music that is more adventurous than the typical Allentown fare, with chamber music, Latin jazz, tango, and a diverse range of other artists sharing space on the schedule. The work of local artists hangs on the walls, and the bar features a selection of fine wines and a limited menu of light meals.

Buy

Allentown

Clothing

  • 1 Allen Street Dress Shop, 89 Allen St. (Metro Bus 7, 11 or 25; Metro Rail: Allen-Medical Campus), +1 716 883-0871. M-Fr 10:30AM-6PM, first F of each month till 9PM, Sa 10AM-6PM, Su noon-5PM. A purveyor of "beautiful clothing for interesting women", the Allen Street Dress Shop is the place to go in Allentown for creative and chic clothing and accessories at reasonable prices, from such brands as Kiko, Anthropologie, and Cut Loose, as well as by new designers on the cutting edge of fashion whose lines are displayed on the store's website.
  • 2 Black Cat Vintage, 85 Allen St. (Metro Bus 7, 11 or 25; Metro Rail: Allen-Medical Campus), +1 716 885-1088. Th-Fr 11AM-5PM, Sa 11AM-4PM. Black Cat Vintage is a highly regarded Allen Street institution that sells a wide range of vintage clothing, jewelry and accessories for men and women.
  • 3 Class Act, 40 Allen St. (Metro Bus 7, 11 or 25; Metro Rail: Allen-Medical Campus), +1 716 602-8128. M-Fr 11AM-7PM, Sa noon-6PM. At Class Act, fans of urban fashions will be in heaven among a selection of bold apparel for the trend-setting urbanite: the colors are bright (if you look good in gold, this is your place), the patterns are vibrant and often display a hint of Afrocentric flair, and the styles are sassy and make a strong statement. Accessories such as handbags and jewelry continue along those lines, and perfumes, colognes and stylish gifts are available from J's House of Fragrances co-located in the same storefront. The interior is interesting, too: the walls are panelled with dark wood and the illumination is shadowy, making for an off-the-beaten-path "basement rec room" ambience that's strangely hip.
  • 4 Freshly Dipped Clothing, 93 Allen St. (Metro Bus 7, 11 or 25; Metro Rail: Allen-Medical Campus), +1 716 909-5975. Su-M noon-4PM, Tu-F noon-8PM, Sa noon-9PM. Owners Bridget Hodges and Eddie Patterson Jr. launched Freshly Dipped Clothing in 2008 as an online boutique selling a carefully curated inventory of premium, limited-edition streetwear, skatewear, and accessories such as caps and athletic shoes. Then, in January 2015, they followed that up with a brick-and-mortar "flagship store" on Allen Street in the former location of It's a Mod Mod World. If you're in the market for clothes that boast a streetwise urban style without skimping on quality, Freshly Dipped is the place to go: brands like Crooks and Castles, Rastaclat, and Sprayground fill the racks and shelves on their brightly lit, handsomely decorated retail floor.
  • 5 Lace & Day, 445 Franklin St. (Metro Bus 11, 15 or 29‪; Metro Rail: Allen-Medical Campus), +1 716 884-1580. Tu-Sa 10AM-6PM. Named for the versatility of the shop's inventory — these items are suitable for any environment from the boardroom to the bedroom — Lace & Day is an upscale lingerie and ladies' sleepwear boutique run by sisters Holly Ortman and Emily Doren in a handsome old Italianate cottage on a leafy Allentown side street. You've got two floors of retail space here — airy, high-ceilinged rooms bathed in natural light for a pleasant, relaxing shopping experience — in which you can browse intimate apparel from some of Europe and North America's top designers and brands, such as Marie Jo, Empreinte, and Bedhead, as well as a small selection of men's underwear including boxer-briefs from Saxx. The knowledgeable sales staff will not only happily direct you to the right product, but also offers custom bra fitting.
  • 6 Picasso Moon, 260 Allen St. (Metro Bus 7 or 20), +1 716 882-6666. M-F 7:30AM-6PM, Sa 9AM-5PM. Recently moved to Allentown from its former location in downtown Lockport, in the words of its website, "the idea of Picasso Moon isn't just to be a groovy boutique, but to be a groovy experience!" A wide range of unique, hard-to-find t-shirts is stocked here, with band tees, hoodies and hats a particular specialty. As well, women's clothes, accessories such as wallets and belts, jewelry, gifts and novelties are available, all sold for affordable prices by a friendly and attentive staff.
  • 7 Rick's Sports Apparel, 201 Allen St. (Metro Bus 7 or 20), +1 716 883-8615. M-Sa 10AM-7PM, Su noon-4PM. Rick's Sports Apparel has been, in their own words, "Allentown's Athletic Footwear Store Since 1984". Shoes are the main stock in trade here — the newest and best from brands like Nike, Timberland, and K-Swiss — but Rick's also carries athletic apparel like Champion tracksuits and jogging pants, New Era caps, as well as track and dugout jackets.

Art and art supplies

  • 8 Avenue Art & Frame, 441 Delaware Ave. (Metro Bus 11, 25 or 29; Metro Rail: Allen-Medical Campus), +1 716 842-1450. Tu-Th 10AM-6PM, F-Sa 10AM-5PM. Housed in the understated yet lovely Art Deco-style Buffalo Design Collaborative Building, Avenue Art & Frame is a well-loved Allentown institution that specializes in custom framing of original art and prints. Avenue Art & Frame's professional staff take great care to help customers pick out the right frame and matte boards for each individual piece. Avenue also sells pre-framed prints that trend heavily toward work by local artists as well as vintage postcards and posters of Buffalo scenes.
  • 9 Buffalo Big Print, 78 Allen St. (Metro Bus 7, 11 or 25; Metro Rail: Allen-Medical Campus), +1 716 884-1777. M-F 9AM-5:30PM, call for Sa hours. Since 1985, Buffalo Big Print's focus has been the production of custom prints for such industries as fine art, advertising, and pre-press. A wide variety of specialty films and papers are used, such as digital photobase papers of the highest quality, artists' canvas, and 100% cotton rag papers. As well, services such as high-resolution digital image capture, digital restoration and enhancements, and custom finishing are provided to local artists. Buffalo Big Print also boasts a large gallery where the work of many local artists is displayed.
  • 10 Dana Tillou Fine Arts, 417 Franklin St. (Metro Bus 11, 25 or 29; Metro Rail: Allen-Medical Campus), +1 716 854-5285. W-F 10:30AM-5PM, Sa 10:30AM-4PM. Situated in a breathtaking three-story French Second Empire-style house at the corner of Virginia and Franklin Streets that dates to 1870, Dana Tillou Fine Arts is a combination art gallery and antique shop that specializes in American and British paintings from the 19th and early 20th Centuries, folk art, and 19th-century English antique furniture. Dana Tillou also has over 47 years of experience in professionally appraising art and antiques for insurance, estate, or personal purposes. In addition to works for sale, Dana Tillou's art gallery features a variety of works by artists from Buffalo and the surrounding region, including works by such locally famous names as Martha Visser't Hooft, Carlo Nisita, and Evelyn Rumsey Cary.
  • 11 El Buen Amigo, 114 Elmwood Ave. (Metro Bus 7 or 20), +1 716 885-6343. M-Sa 11AM-7PM, Su 11AM-5PM. El Buen Amigo — "The Good Friend" in Spanish — is the name of the storefront gallery in Allentown run by the Latin-American Cultural Association of Buffalo. Aside from the works of art that are on display and for sale in the gallery, El Buen Amigo also hosts a wide variety of activities and programs reflective of the vibrancy of the local Hispanic community, including music, cultural enrichment programs, and Spanish language classes. El Buen Amigo also offers fair-trade crafts, clothing, and coffee for sale.
  • 12 Hyatt's All Things Creative, 910 Main St. (Metro Bus 7, 8 or 29; Metro Rail: Allen-Medical Campus), +1 716 884-8900 x637. M-F 9AM-6PM, Sa 10AM-5PM. Founded in 1959 by graphic artist Charles W. Hyatt, Western New York's leading purveyor of art supplies now boasts an additional location in Clarence as well as their original one in Allentown. In addition to such supplies as oil, acrylic and watercolor paints, brushes, canvas, pens, inks, papers, easels, ad nauseam, Hyatt's also offers picture framing services, classes and workshops, and miscellaneous gifts. Hyatt's is also a regional leader in the field of computer signmaking and is one of the world's leading distributors of Pantone color-matching products.
  • 13 Studio Hart, 65 Allen St. (Metro Bus 7, 11 or 25; Metro Rail: Allen-Medical Campus), +1 716 536-8337. Tu-F 11:30AM-3:30PM, first F of each month also 6PM-9PM, Sa noon-4PM, also by appointment. Studio Hart is the brainchild of Daniel and Barbara Hart, whose lifelong dream of operating a small contemporary art gallery has been realized with this charming space in the heart of Allentown. In addition to the gallery space which features the work of the owners as well as exhibitions by artists from the local area, Studio Hart doubles as the working studio of owner Barbara Hart, whose jewelry and wooden figurines take a prominent place among the displayed works. Musical performances and poetry readings in the adjacent Café 59 are held frequently; and greeting cards, jewelry, and other unique merchandise is offered for sale.

Antiques

  • 14 Antiques Allentown, 146 Elmwood Ave. (Metro Bus 7 or 20), +1 716 882-9535. Tu-Sa noon-5PM and by appointment. Antiques Allentown is a funky shop that's housed in an unmissable white and pink cottage on Elmwood Avenue just north of Allen Street. Specializing in primitives as well as small items from the 1960s and earlier, Antiques Allentown stocks antiques and collectibles for all budgets in a friendly environment. Layaway and estate management is also offered.
  • 15 The Antique Man, 234 Allen St. (Metro Bus 7 or 20), +1 716 883-2121. M-Sa noon-8PM. A frequent winner in the "Best Antique Shop" category in Artvoice's annual "Best of Buffalo" poll, the Antique Man's specialty is music: LPs, cassettes, and CDs hang in the window and occupy a prominent place on the shelves here, with timeless classics from the likes of Jimi Hendrix, Bob Dylan, and Frank Sinatra for sale or even playing on the turntable in the store. As well, the Antique Man stocks a quirky selection of books, pamphlets, magazines, comic books, art, and miscellaneous trinkets to accompany the records.
  • 16 Carl Slone - L'Été Antiques, 65 Elmwood Ave. (Metro Bus 7 or 20), +1 716 884-0211, . Tu-Th by appointment, F-Sa 11AM-5PM. Founded in 1978 by its eponymous owner, Carl Slone, and located in an 1883 wood-frame Stick-style house, L'Été Antiques specalizes in a wide variety of gas and early electric light fixtures, with a particular emphasis on Art Nouveau, Art Deco, and Sheffield-style chandeliers and sconces, as well as stained and leaded glass of all varieties. Restoration and estate consultations are also offered.
  • 17 Larry's Antiques, 181 Elmwood Ave. (Metro Bus 7 or 20), +1 716 883-6255. "Top Dollar Paid On the Spot" is the credo at Larry's Antiques. Since 1980, a wide range of unique and interesting antiques and collectibles has been on display and for sale at this charming store on Elmwood Avenue. Items such as fancy leaded glass and lamps, clocks, garden items, cabinets and furniture of all types are specialties at Larry's.

Tattoos and piercing

  • 18 CowPök, 177 Elmwood Ave. (Metro Bus 7 or 20), +1 716 885-0252. M-Th noon-8PM, F-Sa noon-10PM, Su 2PM-7PM. Founded by Buffalo State College alum Paul Bierker, CowPök has garnered a reputation as Buffalo's favorite piercing studio, having won more awards in its category in Artvoice's annual "Best of Buffalo" poll than any other. CowPök provides its customers with a friendly, laid-back, clean, and safe experience, and sources its jewelry from some of the best suppliers around. In 2006, CowPök hired its first tattoo artist and has since gone on to similar acclaim as home to some of Buffalo's best tattooists.
  • 19 Divine Machine Tattoo, 84 Elmwood Ave. (Metro Bus 7 or 20), +1 716 883-1300. M-Sa noon-8PM. Divine Machine Tattoo is the brainchild of Cory Cudney, perhaps the most renowned tattoo artist ever to hail from Buffalo: his work was featured in Mike DeVries' book "Tattoo Prodigies". Though Cudney has since struck out on his own, the stable of acclaimed professional artists who staff Divine Machine are among the best Western New York has to offer, offering extensive consultations with the customer to work out tattoo ideas and plying their trade in a safe and pleasant environment.
  • 20 The Parlour, 437 Franklin St. (Metro Bus 11, 15 or 29; Metro Rail: Allen-Medical Campus), +1 716 783-9192. Tu-Sa noon-8PM. Passersby on Franklin Street who happen to wander in to The Parlour would be forgiven if they mistake the place for a fancy-schmancy Beverly Hills-style spa, or somesuch. In reality, this is arguably Buffalo's most upscale tattoo and piercing studio, the brainchild of James Wisniewski, a West Seneca native who cut his teeth in the world of body piercing in Los Angeles and Brooklyn before striking out on his own with an Allentown storefront that's as notable for its up-to-the-minute interior ambience (featuring local touches such as a vintage Kittinger desk in the waiting room and a veritable mini-gallery of Buffalo artists on the wall) as it is for the high-quality piercings and tattoos that are its main claim to fame. The tattoo end of the business is handled by a trio of artists carefully selected for their preferred styles which serve as an extension of Wisniewski's own upscale aesthetic. As for the owner-cum-piercing technician himself, his skill with customers is as impeccable as the shop he's established — his "chairside manner" is gentle and relaxing, and he's more than willing to answer any questions or concerns his clients may have. All piercings are performed using hypoallergenic, implant-grade titanium tools to minimize the chance of infection, and to go with the piercing itself The Parlour also sells high-quality body jewelry — simple, elegant pieces all handcrafted in the United States.

Gifts

  • 21 Essence of Nature, Etc., 168 Elmwood Ave. (Metro Bus 7 or 20), +1 716 319-1052. Tu-Sa 1PM-7PM. Essence of Nature's owner, Linda, has been in business online since 1996, but her brick-and-mortar storefront on Elmwood Avenue in Allentown is newly opened. This charming boutique sells a mind-boggling range of goods united by an African and African-American flair: the specialty at Essence of Nature is incense (a wide variety of both imports and handmade, custom-blended domestic incense), as well as shea butter and other all-natural soaps, scrubs, creams and lotions, high-quality attars and other body and fragrance oils, and a hodgepodge of unique decorative items and gifts. The apparel sold here tends toward summery dresses and other casualwear in loud, bold patterns (animal prints are a common trope), as well as handcrafted, one-of-a-kind knitted woolens, shawls and headwraps, jewelry, and other accessories. Gift certificates are also available.
  • 22 HeadSpace Glass & Gifts, 67 Elmwood Ave. (Metro Bus 7 or 20), +1 716 844-8907. M 1PM-9PM, Tu-Sa noon-9PM, Su 1PM-6PM. Located on Elmwood Avenue just south of Allen Street, HeadSpace is Allentown's premier "head shop", stocking a wide variety of scientific glass pipes, artistic and decorative glassware, vaporizers, and other smoking accessories, as well as (interestingly enough) a modest selection of baseball caps.
  • 23 Lonnie B' Beads, 81 Allen St. (Metro Bus 7, 11 or 25; Metro Rail: Allen-Medical Campus), +1 716 884-9481. Lonnie B' Beads is a pleasant shop that deals in unique fashion accessories and other gift items with an African flair. Aside from the hand-crafted necklaces, jewelry, bangles, earring, sterling silver rings, and (of course) beads that are available, Lonnie B' Beads features a selection of Afrocentric literature, handbags and other accessories, toiletry items such as shea butter and essential oils, and hand-carved art imported from Mali, Senegal, Ghana and elsewhere. Customized items are also offered on a made-to-order basis. Lonnie himself is a friendly and interesting fellow who's always around for a chat about politics, art, or current events, and often hosts readings of poetry and literature in his shop.
  • 24 Maverley's, 625 Delaware Ave. (Metro Bus 7, 11 or 25; Metro Rail: Allen-Medical Campus), +1 716 881-1188. M-F 10AM-5:30PM. Lots of locals don't know about this purveyor of "Always Unique Gifts", but Maverley's has been hidden in plain sight since 2003 in an unassuming storefront on busy Delaware Avenue. The stock in trade here is locally-oriented gifts manufactured in Western New York, which run the gamut from silkscreened t-shirts and hoodies, to decorative tchotchkes, to gourmet chocolates, to Buffalo-themed mugs and wine glasses, to customized greeting cards, wedding invitations and party favors. If you're on the hunt for a perfect souvenir or gift that could only have come from Buffalo, go for the personalized "Best of Buffalo" gift baskets where you can mix and match from a bevy of local favorites like locally-produced sponge candy, Anchor Bar wing sauce, Weber's horseradish mustard, PJ's Crystal Beach loganberry, and Chef's pasta sauce. Maverley's also does school fundraisers and corporate promotions, and if you're looking for something specific they don't have in stock, they can often custom-produce it for you!

Liquor, beer and wine

  • 25 Elmwood Discount Liquor & Wine, 171 Elmwood Ave. (Metro Bus 7 or 20), +1 716 882-1700. Elmwood Discount Liquor & Wine opened in summer 2011, when Singh Lakhi purchased Claiborne Liquors, open for over forty years in a storefront a few doors down Elmwood Avenue, and moved the business to the larger location it boasts today. A full range of liquors, wines, and other beverages are offered at this festively decorated store near the corner of North Street, with occasional events held including tastings of Upstate New York wines.
  • 26 Spirits of Allentown, 257 Allen St. (Metro Bus 7 or 20), +1 716 884-4357. M-Sa 9AM-midnight, Su noon-9PM. One of the first "package stores" to reopen in Buffalo after the repeal of Prohibition, the erstwhile Day's Park Liquor has been reborn as Spirits of Allentown, a wine store located directly on "The Bend", at the west end of the Allen Street strip. Open until midnight daily except Sunday (much later than other such stores in Buffalo), a mind-boggling variety of vintages are on offer at this longstanding neighborhood staple, curated by a staff whose knowledge of wine is second to none in the Buffalo area. A small selection of other liquors are also sold in a bohemian ambience that is classic Allentown.

Furniture and home decor

  • 27 Manuel Barreto Furniture, 430 Delaware Ave. (Metro Bus 11, 20, 25 or 29; Metro Rail: Allen-Medical Campus), +1 716 837-8937. Pedro Manuel Friere wasn't always a designer of high-concept furniture, lighting, and interior elements — back in his native Portugal, he was a university student majoring in architecture when he fell into interior design, creating custom furniture for his clients to go with the homes he drafted for them. After moving to Buffalo on the advice of his wife Christina, who spent several years of her youth here, Friere immediately made a splash with Manuel Barreto Furniture, the shop he opened in 2014 on Delaware Avenue on the southern edge of Allentown. The midcentury-inspired furniture available at Manuel Barreto boasts a striking aesthetic that embodies Friere's philosophy of "furniture as fine art" — the sleek, functional linearity of the designs has been compared with Le Corbusier, yet also reflects Buffalo's newfound swagger as a 21st-century city on the move. Friere's eye-popping pieces encompass designs for both home and office and are all individually custom-crafted by local artisans to a high standard; Manuel Barreto is also one of the Buffalo area's only authorized dealers of FLOS brand lighting. Friere's "atelier and showroom" even doubles as an art gallery, where a different exhibit of work by local artists (including Friere himself) debuts each First Friday.
  • 28 Nest Interiors, 443 Delaware Ave. (Metro Bus 11, 25 or 29; Metro Rail: Allen-Medical Campus), +1 716 445-6163. Tu-Sa 11AM-6PM, Su noon-4PM. A component of the Buffalo Design Collaborative, Nest Interiors was founded by Brooke Pelc, a Buffalo State College graduate who sees her hometown as (to quote a recent write-up in Buffalo Rising) "a great canvas to work with", onto which she and her talented staff "paint" their truly innovative and lovely design ideals. Nest Interiors' retail store on Delaware Avenue sells a bevy of unique and original furniture, window treatments and other interior elements, with employees on hand to help customers brainstorm ideas on interior design and space planning using conceptual rendering and other state-of-the-art technology.
  • 29 P.L.U.M. Works, 138 Allen St. (Metro Bus 7, 11 or 25), +1 716 885-7975. P.L.U.M. Works is the collaboration of Ellen Markel and Christopher Bretschneider, a longstanding team of talented artisans who came to Buffalo in 1999 after a decade working together in Shoreham, Vermont. Today, P.L.U.M. Works is the place to go for 100% original wooden furniture that is traditional yet unique, and custom-designed in full partnership and collaboration with the client. Those who come to P.L.U.M. Works can know that their table, bed, desk, case, chair, or other piece is crafted artfully from scratch, and no other piece of furniture is identical to it. These two do truly magnificent work.
  • 30 Très Beau Interiors, 489 Delaware Ave. (Metro Bus 11, 25 or 29; Metro Rail: Allen-Medical Campus), +1 716 912-5646. M-F 8AM-9PM, Sa 9AM-1PM. Connie Cavanaugh's Très Beau Interiors is located on Delaware Avenue's Midway, a block of posh row houses of the type that is commonly seen in East Coast cities such as New York and Philadelphia, but is comparatively rare in Buffalo. Amid this architectural splendor can be found the splendor of some of the highest-quality contemporary and traditional furnishings, lighting elements, garden decor, and other interior elements in Buffalo. More than just a store, however, Très Beau Interiors' staff has almost thirty years of experience working with their clients every step of the way in crafting the optimum interior space in terms of aesthetics, individual needs and budget.

Miscellaneous

  • 31 Bloom Floristry, 846 Main St. (Metro Bus 7, 8 or 29; Metro Rail: Allen-Medical Campus), +1 716 896-6170. M-F 8AM-6PM, Sa 8AM-3PM. The self-proclaimed "best florist choice in Buffalo", Bloom Floristry takes great pride in carefully selecting the most beautiful and freshest flowers for their customers' arrangements. Aside from bouquets, Bloom offers a wide array of potted plants, terrariums, and other products, and is happy to prepare displays for weddings, anniversaries, birthdays, and other special events.
  • 32 Elmwood Village Fabrics, 543 Franklin St. (Metro Bus 7, 11 or 25; Metro Rail: Allen-Medical Campus), +1 716 881-2866. M-Sa noon-6PM. Accurately describing itself as "a refreshing alternative to chain stores and traditional quilt shops", Elmwood Village Fabrics is a one-stop shop in Allentown (don't let the name confuse you!) for reasonably-priced fabric for curtains, clothes, quilts, and all other needs, as well as accessories and implements such as buttons, thread, needles, and even a small selection of sewing machines. Elmwood Village Fabrics also sells decorative items pre-made from fabrics that are available in the store.
  • 33 Rick's Cycle Shop, 55 Allen St. (Metro Bus 7, 11 or 25; Metro Rail: Allen-Medical Campus), +1 716 852-6838. M-F 10AM-6PM, Sa 10AM-5PM. Located on Allen Street since 2010, Rick's Cycle Shop is actually the country's second-oldest independent cycle shop in continuous operation, opened in 1898 on Main Street downtown by brothers Frederick, Otto, and Thomas Rick. In fact, Buffalo native Albert Krushel, who helped the American time trial team to a bronze medal in the 1912 Olympics in Stockholm, rode a bicycle from Rick's. Today, Rick's stocks new and used bicycles from such well-respected brands as Diamondback, Haro, Redline, S&E, Torker, and Fuji, and is one of the top 100 dealers of Raleigh bicycles in the nation. Professional staff are on hand to recommend the right bike for each customer's individual preferences and needs. In addition, Rick's also carries clothing, gear and accessories such as helmets, bicycle shorts, patches, pumps and tool kits, lights and reflectors, and water bottles.
  • 34 Sweet Temptations du Jour, 220 Allen St. (Metro Bus 7 or 20), +1 716 536-0567. Tu-Th 11AM-6PM, F 11AM-8PM, Sa 10AM-6PM. A fixture at the Broadway Market for many years, as of May 2015 Barbara Keating has finally brought her eclectic mix of delicious baked sweets from across the European map — German pfefferneusse spice cookies, Russian teacakes, Italian cugidati, Croatian-style apple strudel, and of course, the Polish specialties she got her start with — to the former location of Lagniappe's in Allentown. Unlike the abbreviated Broadway Market selection, the whole range of Sweet Temptations du Jour's offerings is on sale at the brick-and-mortar shop, including of course the specialty of the house: light, crunchy sugar waffles dipped in chocolate and topped with candied nuts, dubbed "Sweet Nuthings". The odd opening hours can be irksome to those who look forward to a traditional morning trip to the bakery, but advance orders can be picked up by prior arrangement at any time of the day or week.

Delaware District

Clothing

  • 35 Ragamuffins, 201 W. Utica St. (Metro Bus 12), +1 716 803-3046. M-Sa noon-6PM. Gina Vallone's vintage clothing store on West Utica Street between Elmwood and Delaware Avenues was described in a write-up in Buffalo Rising as being "just like the merchandise that you'll find inside — obscure and definitely not on the main drag". A quirky selection of handpicked vintage and consignment clothing for women can be found in the front room of this old house, jumbled but amazingly wide-ranging and just waiting for bargain hunters to comb through. Shoes and accessories are a specialty at Ragamuffins, and the sign on the door that reads "we buy and sell Dior, Pucci, LV, Lilly, St. John, Gucci and Chanel" is no exaggeration — there are some great bargains to be found here on designer items.

Art

  • 36 Art Dialogue Gallery, 5 Linwood Ave. (Metro Bus 11 or 25; Metro Rail: Summer-Best), +1 716 885-2251. Tu-F 11AM-5PM, Sa 11AM-3PM. Curated by Donald J. Siuta, a noted artist, educator and consultant who also serves on the Board of Directors of the Buffalo Arts Commission and as head of the Western New York Artists Group, the Art Dialogue Gallery exhibits a small but magnificent collection of paintings, drawings, photographs, sculptures, and works in other media by local artists. In addition, there are antique prints for sale, and Siuta puts his nearly forty years of experience to good use in offering the most comprehensive selection of custom framing in Western New York, with hundreds of mouldings to choose from.
  • 37 Kepa3 Gallery, 31 Barker St. (Metro Bus 22; Metro Rail: Summer-Best), +1 716 884-2606. M by appointment, Tu & F 11AM-5PM, W 11AM-4PM, Th 11AM-3PM, Sa 11AM-3:30PM. One of several galleries and studios in the emerging neighborhood that has come to be called Midtown, Kepa3 Gallery is the latest venture of artist Peter Fowler, who came to Buffalo in 2001 after spending time in Spain, absorbing the influences of the rich artistic tradition of such luminaries as Diego Velazquez and Bartolomé Murillo. At Kepa3 are displayed and sold not only Fowler's own original oil paintings, sculptures, and mixed-media works, but also handmade jewelry by local artisan Kathi Roussel as well as works by various other Buffalo artists.

Books

  • 38 Book Outlet & More, 1700 Main St. (Metro Bus 8; Metro Rail: Delavan-Canisius College), +1 716 931-9866. M-Sa 11AM-7PM. The newest location of this small local chainlet opened in the Oxford area in 2010. Though a vast array of used books on a wide variety of subjects, vinyl records, old toys, and other items are for sale, it's their main stock in trade that led a Buffalo Rising contributor to describe Book Outlet & More as the "Fort Knox of comics". Indeed, at Book Outlet & More can be found a vast, well-organized bounty of comic books of all genres purchased in bulk by the owner at auctions and through other means; by his estimation there are over 100,000 titles onsite at any given time, including 20,000 on the sales floor. Despite the ponderous bulk of their inventory, Book Outlet & More's staff does an excellent job ensuring that collectors are offered only high-quality, well-sought-after comic books in good condition and at reasonable prices.

Music

  • 39 Record Theatre, 1800 Main St. (Metro Bus 8, 18 or 26; Metro Rail: Delavan-Canisius College), +1 716 883-1355. M-Sa 10AM-9PM, Su 11AM-6PM. Record Theatre — whose original location on Main Street in the Delaware District has been open since 1976 — is one of the only locally-owned record stores remaining in Buffalo today, which some might say is reason enough in itself to stop in. Record Theatre boasts nearly 20,000 square feet of new and previously-owned CDs, DVDs, and vinyl records, with a still-impressive selection especially in terms of hip-hop, R&B, and other urban music genres. Record Theatre will also purchase your used CDs or specially order from their distributors any title that is not in stock.

Liquor, beer and wine

  • 40 Gates Circle Wine & Liquor, 1430 Delaware Ave. (Metro Bus 11, 25 or 26), +1 716 884-1346. M-Sa 9AM-10PM, Su noon-6PM. Family-owned and operated for nearly 75 years, Gates Circle Wine & Liquor is one of Buffalo's favorite purveyors of wines of all kind, specializing in rare and high-end vintages stored in their own controlled-temperature room to ensure the highest quality. Gates Circle Wine & Liquor hosts free wine tastings weekly that feature the best local wines from the Finger Lakes and the Niagara Peninsula, and their knowledgeable staff can even advise on the best wine to pair with a special meal you are planning. Gates Circle Wine & Liquor also offers a large selection of domestic and imported spirits to suit all tastes.

Miscellaneous

  • 41 The Floristry, 1385 Delaware Ave. (Metro Bus 11, 25 or 26), +1 716 885-6037. M-F 9AM-4:30PM, Sa 9AM-noon. An immensely popular neighborhood flower shop owned for years by the inimitable Fann Markel, in the words of its website, The Floristry is "committed to offering only the finest floral arrangements and gifts, backed by service that is friendly and prompt". To that end, The Floristry offers pre-made bouquets or customized arrangements of fresh, dried and silk flowers, potted plants, tropical plants, and terrariums. In addition, an array of gifts and other items such as greeting cards, candles, and gift baskets of various types are offered. The Floristry's professional staff is always on hand to answer any questions customers might have, and delivery service is available to most locations in the metro area.

Eat

This page uses the following price ranges for a typical meal for one, including soft drink:
Budget Under $20
Mid-range $20-40
Splurge Over $40

Allentown

Budget

  • 1 Allen Street Poutine Company, 242 Allen St. (Metro Bus 7 or 20), +1 716 883-7437. Tu-Th 11:30AM-1AM, F-Sa 11:30AM-3AM, Su 11:30AM-midnight. After a few preliminary rumblings over the past few years, with interpretations of varying accuracy popping up on the menu of local restaurants such as Blue Monk and (716), Buffalo's proper introduction to Canada's favorite (or is that favourite?) comfort food came in March 2015 with the opening of the city's first-ever poutinerie. The Allen Street Poutine Company is run by a pair of Fort Erie natives who cut their teeth working at a poutinerie in Montreal — the birthplace of the dish — before coming south of the border to ply their trade. Like any poutinerie worth its salt, Allen Street offers not only the traditional fries/gravy/cheese curd setup but also a host of different specialty toppings including General Tso's (with hot peppers and the titular Chinese chicken preparation), Montreal Smoked Meat (another classic of Canadian cuisine making its Buffalo debut here), and the gargantuan "Boss Poutine" smothered with five kinds of meat. Sadly, while the vibe is spot-on — a trendy Allentown take on the greasy-spoon snack bar template familiar to native Canadians — the food often misses the mark. While the hand-cut French fries and locally produced Yancey's Fancy cheese curds are delightful, and they along with the toppings carry the day for some of the specialty poutines, there's the problem of the gravy. The fact that most local eateries don't seem to grok is that poutine is a blue-collar food at heart, not meant to be tarted up with upscale accoutrements — and while Allen Street Poutine is a giant step forward in this regard, the gravy they serve, which would ideally come from an institutional-sized can, is instead scratch-made daily from bone broth and a secret blend of herbs, for a result that is thick, floury, and lacking in flavor. Still, bonus points for the service — these guys really live up to the stereotype of Canadians as unfailingly friendly, polite, and self-effacing — and the interior, which is a fabulous reimagining of the space that once housed Crust Pizza, eschewing the bright, warm colors for trendy dark hues and dim lighting, with a majestic picture window looking onto Allen Street and a huge, snazzy interior neon sign above the counter. $10-20.
  • 2 Cantina Loco, 191 Allen St. (Metro Bus 7 or 20), +1 716 551-0160. M-Th 4PM-10PM, F-Sa 4PM-11PM, Su 4PM-8PM. Cantina Loco is arguably Buffalo's most highly-anticipated new restaurant in recent memory, with myriad local sources such as the Buffalo News, Artvoice, and Buffalo Rising keeping Buffalonians abreast of the progress of chef and owner Mike Andrzejewski. Now open for business in the heart of Allentown, Cantina Loco offers an upscale and eclectic take on Mexican cuisine that's among the most interesting and best-loved in the city. Tacos, burritos, and carnitas are prepared with aplomb using high-quality ingredients; one of the more interesting choices on the menu is the fusion-style Koreatown Taco, with barbecue short ribs and kimchee served in a flour tortilla. $15-25.
Gabriel's Gate, a popular Allentown bar and restaurant, is part of the Tiffts Row, a group of seven nearly-identical two-story brick Italianate residences built in 1870 by real estate speculator W. Tiffts. The buildings on the left, in particular, are a good representation of what Allen Street looked like in the late 19th Century.
  • 3 Gabriel's Gate, 145 Allen St. (Metro Bus 7, 11, 20 or 25), +1 716 886-0602. Su-Th 11:30AM-midnight, F-Sa 11:30AM-2AM. Located in a two-story brick house on the historic mid-19th-century Tiffts Row, Gabriel's Gate has been a popular restaurant and bar in the heart of Allentown practically forever. Though Buffalonians continue to sing the praises of this place, in this reviewer's opinion the luster of Gabriel's Gate has dimmed now that there are so many other interesting and charming eateries in Allentown to choose from. Still, entrees such as ribs, sandwiches, and souvlaki are perfectly good; their wings, though a bit different from the traditional Buffalo style, are still renowned; and the back patio is undeniably a pleasant place to enjoy food and drink on a summer evening. $10-30.
  • 4 Melting Point, 244 Allen St. (Metro Bus 7 or 20), +1 716 768-0426. Tu-Th 11AM-8PM, F-Sa 11AM-2AM. The long-awaited Melting Point is finally open, and early reports indicate that it's everything Allentowners had been hoping for since plans first hatched in 2012. The concept is simple, but executed with aplomb: its menu is a series of creative, upscale takes on everyone's favorite grade-school lunchbox treat, the grilled cheese sandwich, made with high-quality ingredients sourced locally. The classic recipe — American cheese on white bread — is on hand for the unadventurous (at six for $9.99, no less), but what you really came for are the gourmet options. They're ordered by number, not name; highlights include No. 17 (Swiss cheese on pumpernickel bread with hand-carved Virginia ham, mustard, and a pickle), No. 25 (chèvre with arugula and house-pickled beets), and the ineffable No. 50 (ricotta on cinnamon swirl bread with banana coins, Nutella, and — get this — candied bacon). The daily soup special, available in cup, bowl, or quart sizes, is more often than not tomato-based — appropriately enough — making for the kind of meal that can really warm you up on a dreary winter day in Buffalo. $10-15.
  • 5 Panaro's, 571 Delaware Ave. (Metro Bus 7, 11 or 25; Metro Rail: Allen-Medical Campus), +1 716 884-1033. M-F 11AM-6:30PM (take-out only after 3PM). Panaro's is a small, family-owned and operated Italian restaurant open weekdays for lunch, with a take-out window available through dinnertime. The menu is surprisingly diverse, with a dizzying range of sandwiches, focaccias, entree salads, pasta dishes, and homemade specialty pizzas offered. Panaro's slate of appetizers includes a pasta fagioli soup that is beloved by many locals, as well as one of Buffalo's best Caprese salads. The dessert selection includes Italian specialties such as cannoli, pasticotti, and cassata cake prepared in-house. $10-20.
  • 6 Roly Poly Sandwich Shop, 846 Main St. (Metro Bus 7, 8 or 29; Metro Rail: Allen-Medical Campus), +1 716 885-7659. M-F 10AM-6PM. The only Western New York location of this little-known but delightful national chain serves a delicious assortment of wrap sandwiches, salads and other light fare in the historic Granite Works buildings on Main Street at the east edge of Allentown. Roly Poly's strong point is the service — you'll rarely find a staff that's so friendly, attentive, and knowledgeable about what's on the menu, or so accommodating with special requests. Speaking of the menu, the wraps are divided into hot-pressed and cold-rolled options, of which the former are decidedly more popular: standouts include the "Chicken Popper" with assorted veggies, sliced jalapeño, and ranch dressing with a side of salsa, and the "Texas Tuna Melt" with spicy pepper-jack cheese, bacon, onion, avocado and barbecue sauce. Everything on the menu comes gluten-free on request (for no upcharge!), changing specials are available frequently, and an array of soups and salads — such as a delicious walnut spinach salad with crumbled blue cheese and avocado — round out the offerings. Though everything is prepared from fresh and high-quality ingredients, the finished product gets mixed reviews: some have complained of unpleasant temperature contrasts in the filling of the hot sandwiches, which are stored chilled and heated after assembly, and many find the chicken to be bland and flavorless. Still, Roly Poly is nothing if not reasonably priced and conveniently located (the Theater District and the Medical Corridor are both just short walks away), and they deliver too. $10-15.
  • Savoy, 149 Elmwood Ave. (Metro Bus 7 or 20), +1 716 768-3100. W-Th 5PM-midnight, F-Sa 5PM-2AM. First of all, don't be fooled by the fact that this place is in the "Budget" section — though the low prices reflect the light fare on offer, the Savoy experience is a decidedly upscale one. The small menu is divided about equally into appetizers (from classy takes on Buffalo standbys like chicken wings, stuffed banana peppers, and "loaded potato bites" to exquisitely executed truffle frites and a luxurious cheese plate) and delightful sandwiches, flatbreads and main-course salads. "Free Chicken Wing Fridays" pack the house (not a difficult thing to do at a place as small as this) until 8PM. But the real attraction here are the creative, award-winning cocktails crafted with pride by owner/bartender Noel Sutton and served in an ambience that's a careful, Art Deco-inflected recreation of a Prohibition-era speakeasy: fitting for a restaurant named after London's Savoy Hotel, where American tourists flocked in the 1920s to enjoy legal booze and concerts by jazz greats like George Gershwin and Lena Horne. $10-20.
  • 7 Towne Restaurant, 186 Allen St. (Metro Bus 7 or 20), +1 716 884-5128. Su-M 7AM-10PM, Tu-Th 7AM-2AM, F-Sa 7AM-3AM. A Greek restaurant located at the corner of Allen Street and Elmwood Avenue in the heart of Allentown, the Towne has been a neighborhood fixture for many years. Though its souvlaki leaves much to be desired compared to places like Pano's, Alton's, and the Acropolis, the Towne makes up for this with its avgolemono and Greek salad, which are to die for. $10-25.

Mid-range

  • 8 Allen Burger Venture, 175 Allen St. (Metro Bus 7 or 20), +1 716 768-0386. M-Th 11:30AM-midnight, F-Sa 11:30AM-1AM, Su 11:30AM-10PM. Occupying the former location of Quaker Bonnet, Allen Burger Venture is the brainchild of Mike Shatzel, the veteran local restaurateur behind the Elmwood Village's Blue Monk and Cole's. ABV's lengthy menu incorporates burgers of dry-aged, grass-fed, hormone-free Angus beef ordered by number — standouts include #2, which betrays the local delicacy of beef on weck as its inspiration with its slather of caraway horseradish aioli and its side of au jus, and the ineffable #5, topped with bacon, jalapeños, and peanut butter — as well as "alternative burgers" made from pretty much every kind of ground meat (and meat substitute) imaginable, from lamb and chorizo to salmon and chickpea fritters. Sides include a variety of gourmet mac-and-cheese platters, truffle fries, and an upscale take on poutine that holds its own with the Allen Street Poutine Company down the street. And it's not for nothing that this place shares an acronym with the phrase "alcohol by volume": while it's not quite as expansive or eclectic as Blue Monk, ABV's beer list is impressive, with an emphasis on craft beers from the local area and elsewhere around the Northeast plus a few West Coast microbrews and imports thrown in for good measure. As for ambience, ABV has a dimly-lit, "Brooklyn hipster bar" feel whose idiosyncratic interior has been described in Buffalo Rising as "medieval meets the farm": seating is at long, warehouse-style tables and benches made of salvaged wood, walls are covered from floor to ceiling in vinyl album covers, and found objects are employed in novel ways as decorative baubles. Sadly, for all its ambition, ABV's execution is uneven — in terms of food quality, diners report everything from delicious perfection to burgers served half-raw, and service is clueless as often as not — but keep in mind that the place has only been open a month as of this writing, so it's equally likely that these kinks will be worked out in time. $15-45.
  • 9 Allen Street Hardware Café, 245 Allen St. (Metro Bus 7 or 20), +1 716 882-8843. Daily 5PM-10PM. Owned by eminent Buffalo restaurateur and historian, Mark Goldman, "Hardware" is a great small place located in a former hardware store on Allen Street, with a good seasonal menu and a stellar beer and wine selection available at their always-packed bar. Highly recommended for a true Allentown experience. $15-40.
  • 10 Betty's, 370 Virginia St. (Metro Bus 20 or 29), +1 716 362-0633. Tu-Th 8AM-3:30PM and 4:30PM-9PM, F 8AM-3:30PM and 4:30PM-10PM, Sa 9AM-3:30PM and 4:30PM-10PM, Su 9AM-2PM. Betty's opened on Virginia Street in 2004 and quickly won the hearts of Allentown's hip community of bohemian urbanites with their friendly and funky staff, their cheerful ambience, and — of course — their fine food, including a legendary breakfast and Saturday and Sunday brunch. For dinner, Betty's serves a wide variety of entrees with a Mediterranean bent; the lentil salad plate is a personal favorite. Sandwiches, salads, and a kids' menu flesh out the offerings. $20-35.
  • 11 Café 59, 62 Allen St. (Metro Bus 7, 11 or 25; Metro Rail: Allen-Medical Campus), +1 716 883-1880. M-Th 8AM-10PM, F-Sa 8AM-midnight, Su noon-10PM. Allentown watchers may have been rooting for a more favorable end to the drama between restaurateur Chris Connolly and the landlord at this place's titular former location at 59 Allen Street. But all is not lost: across the street at Connolly's other venture, the former Madonna's Ristorante, Café 59 has been reborn with a new identity, grafting the name of the erstwhile coffee shop onto a slightly revamped version of Madonna's menu. Though the heart and soul of the menu is still elegant yet affordable Italian fare, the slate of offerings has diversified considerably: rubbing shoulders with the pasta-and-sauce mains are delightful specialties such as sweet-and-spicy boneless fried chicken, Puerto Rican vegetable stew, and a salmon niçoise salad. Café 59's appetizer selection is no less intriguing, highlighted by ingenious options like fried smelt and a ratatouille tart, as well as excellent tabbouleh. Lunch features a range of specialty sandwiches as well as a build-your-own-sandwich option. The ambience is airy and minimalist, and there's an ambitious range of local craft beers, imports and microbrews available at the bar, as well as a modest selection of Italian wines and locally bottled Johnnie Ryan sodas. $15-30.
  • 12 Coco, by Le Metro, 888 Main St. (Metro Bus 7, 8 or 29; Metro Rail: Allen-Medical Campus), +1 716 332-1885. Daily 8AM-11PM. Fans of French food in the local area have faithfully followed the seemingly neverending saga of local restaurateur Maura Crawford, from the original Le Metro in the Elmwood Village, to the suburb of Williamsville, and finally to its newest incarnation, "Coco", on Main Street in Allentown at the former site of The Eights Bistro. Compared to other French restaurants in Buffalo, the cuisine at Coco trends more toward lighter bistro fare, offered at correspondingly more reasonable prices. The moûles frites are the star of the show on the dinner menu, which also includes a variety of salads, ciabatta, pasta, pizza, and — in a nod to France's former colonies in Indochina — an innovative (and vegetarian-friendly) take on Vietnamese pho. $15-35.
  • 13 Don Tequila, 73 Allen St. (Metro Bus 7, 11 or 25; Metro Rail: Allen-Medical Campus), +1 716 562-6224. M-Sa 11AM-11:30PM, Su 11AM-9PM. Genuine Mexican cuisine — not to be confused with the delicious but Americanized fare at Gramma Mora's or the upscale Mexican fusion of Cantina Loco — has always been elusive in these parts. It wasn't until May 2014, with the opening of Valle of Mexico in South Buffalo, that Buffalonians could really avail themselves of the true flavors of Mexico. But Don Tequila, the taquería opened by the same owner a year earlier in the former K. Gallagher's building on Allen Street, was a massive step forward. There, chef Sergio Mucino cooks up the usual slate of tacos, burritos, enchiladas, and fajitas, as well as fare like carne asada and mole poblano that bridges the gap between the bastardized and the uncompromisingly authentic. The ambience is chic yet friendly and redolent of old Mexico, and the staff displays a genuine flair for customer service. All meals are preceded by a delicious serving of complimentary chips and salsa, with guacamole also available for a nominal upcharge. But the real pièce de résistance here is the bar, which boasts not only a range of Mexican beers such as Pacifico and Tecate, but over 75 different varieties of tequila — true to its name, this place boasts what must be the best selection of tequila in Buffalo. $10-35.
  • 14 Fast 'N Tasty (formerly Gatur's), 69 Allen St. (Metro Bus 7, 11 or 25; Metro Rail: Allen-Medical Campus), +1 716 881-1832. M-Th 11AM-9PM, F-Sa 11AM-10PM. This place has always been a conundrum for Buffalonians: opened in 2012 under the name Gatur's as Buffalo's second Ethiopian restaurant (a genre of cuisine long awaited in the city), locals were torn between, on the one hand, food which stood head and shoulders above its competition, and on the other hand, maddeningly unreliable opening hours and service that ranged from merely adequate to downright surly. As time went by and more options for local fans of Ethiopian food emerged, the owners responded by jettisoning half of the menu and replacing it with Middle Eastern specialties such as fatoush, kofta, and shawarma, which further complicated matters. The state of affairs today is a menu that, while awkwardly disjointed, still delivers food that's above average on the scale of Buffalo Ethiopian restaurants, and service that still depends to a great degree on which server you happen to get. If you don't feel like making the trip to the West Side for Abyssinia (Buffalo's odds-on favorite today for Ethiopian food) — or if you're arguing with a traveling companion who has a hankering for Lebanese — Fast 'N Tasty is still recommendable. Bonus points for some of the most deliciously spiced milk chai in town. $10-35.
  • 15 Fat Bob's Smokehouse, 41 Virginia Pl. (Metro Bus 7, 11, 25 or 29; Metro Rail: Allen-Medical Campus), +1 716 887-2971. M-W 11:30AM-10PM, Th 11:30AM-11PM, F 11:30AM-midnight, Sa 2PM-midnight. Generous helpings of slow cooked southern comfort food. A carnivore's paradise of St. Louis pork ribs, pulled pork, beef brisket, barbecued chicken, catfish & more. Sinful sides include collard greens, cornbread, creamy mashed potatoes, baked beans, sausage gravy, and mac & cheese. Come hungry. Decent selection of domestic and imported beers. $15-35.
  • 16 Hamlin House, 432 Franklin St. (Metro Bus 11, 15 or 29; Metro Rail: Allen-Medical Campus), +1 716 885-8084. Tu-F 11AM-3PM, F also 4PM-9PM, Su brunch 9AM-1PM. Located in a handsome two-and-a-half-story Italianate villa built in 1866 for Cicero Hamlin, a wealthy investor and patriarch of one of Buffalo's most storied blue-blood families, Hamlin House Restaurant preserves the dignified, old-school ambience expected in such a place while also offering serviceable food at surprisingly reasonable prices. Hamlin House is open four days a week for lunch but for dinner only on Friday nights. The lunch menu can be accurately described as a slightly more upscale take on pub grub, with the usual assortment of burgers, and sandwich and salad selections that each include some interesting choices — but it's dinner where all the stops are pulled out; delicious steaks, chicken dishes, and seafood selections are the rule on Friday nights. A modest brunch is offered on Sunday. $15-30.
  • 17 Lenox Grill, 140 North St. (Metro Bus 11, 20 or 25), +1 716 884-1700. M-Th 3PM-2AM, F-Sa 3PM-4AM, Su 11AM-2AM. Nestled inside the Hotel Lenox on North Street well off the beaten Allentown path, even many neighborhood regulars have never heard of the Lenox Grill. That's a shame, too, because the late-night menu at this place is expansive and perfect for sobering up after a night of Allen Street bar-hopping. (Not that sobering up is the only option — their huge roster of over 400 beers, including local microbrews from Community Beer Works and others, is great for doing the opposite.) The Lenox Grill opened in 2012 with a menu that, aside from a range of creative specials that change weekly, consists of sturdy, blue-collar favorites reinterpreted in an upscale style. Start out with one of their slate of appetizers, mostly deep-fried offerings (including some great calamari) as well as stuffed banana peppers with Italian sausage and two kinds of cheese, then move on to a juicy steak, delicious pork chop, or one of a range of chicken and pasta selections for the main course. If you'd prefer something lighter, the Lenox Grill also serves a wide variety of sandwiches and burgers, including a "Pittsburgh-style" steak sandwich garnished with coleslaw and French fries in an imitation of the Primanti Brothers chain. Thumbs up for consistently friendly and attentive service and for the cozy interior ambience, which is done up in dark wood and dim lighting yet manages to be utterly free of pretension ("it feelks like it was carved out of an old Elks lodge", says one reviewer); thumbs down for inconsistent food quality and prices that are a tad high for what you get. $15-45.
  • 18 Merge, 439 Delaware Ave. (Metro Bus 11, 20, 25 or 29; Metro Rail: Allen-Medical Campus), +1 716 842-0600. Tu-Sa 5PM-10PM. A hip Allentown destination for trendy young urbanites, Merge offers not only high-quality food at great prices, but also displays paintings, photography, and other work by local artists, and is a venue for live music where local bands strut their stuff. As for the food, healthy and upscale gourmet sandwiches, wraps, salads, and entrees abound, with the menu utterly dominated by vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options. $15-35.
  • 19 Mother's, 33 Virginia Pl. (Metro Bus 11, 25 or 29; Metro Rail: Allen-Medical Campus), +1 716 882-2989. M-Sa 5PM-3AM, Su 5PM-midnight. Dominated by its lively wood-panelled bar and with a patio that is one of Allentown's hottest spots on warm summer nights, Mother's boasts a menu that makes up for in quality and creativity what it lacks in length (it is one page long). An upscale restaurant equally popular with downtown businesspeople as with hip Allentown bohemians, Mother's menu features exciting takes on chicken and steak, as well as a host of seafood options. Look for the image of the classic "Mother" tattoo that serves as the restaurant's sign. $25-40.

Splurge

  • 20 Tempo, 581 Delaware Ave. (Metro Bus 7, 11 or 25; Metro Rail: Allen-Medical Campus), +1 716 885-1594. M-Sa 5PM-11PM. The brainchild of locally famous chef Paul Jenkins, Tempo is a new addition to Buffalo's dining scene. Tempo serves innovative Italian-inspired cuisine in an upscale environment, with an extensive and high-quality wine list. Dinner is served nightly at 5PM; reservations are recommended. $30-65.

Local chains

The following local chains have locations in Allentown. Descriptions of these restaurants can be found on the main Buffalo page.

Pizza

The following pizzerias are located in Allentown. Those who are interested in pizza delivery (as opposed to pickup) might want to also check listings in adjacent districts; local pizzerias will often deliver to several different neighborhoods of the city.

  • 22 Allentown Pizza, 94 Elmwood Ave. (Metro Bus 7 or 20), +1 716 885-0529. Su-W 11AM-midnight, Th-Sa 11AM-4PM.
  • 23 Lovejoy Pizza, 900 Main St. (Metro Bus 7 or 8; Metro Rail: Allen-Medical Campus). M-Th 11AM-10PM, F-Sa 11AM-10:30PM, Su noon-9:30PM.

Groceries

Farmers' markets
  • 26 Allentown Farmers' Market, West side of Elmwood Ave. between Virginia and Edward Sts. (Metro Bus 20 or 29). F 4PM-7PM, Jun-Oct. The Allentown Farmers' Market is by no means the biggest one in Buffalo — generally speaking, it consists of about four to six booths set up along Elmwood Avenue on the front lawn of the Buffalo Public Schools Adult Learning Center — but it's growing steadily, and in summer and autumn it's by far the best place in Allentown to find farm-fresh produce. More than that, though, the Allentown Farmers' Market also offers up locally-sourced eggs, baked goods and other specialty foods, and even prepared soups, dinners, and desserts to take home. Best of all, unlike many farmers' markets in the area, you don't have to get up early on a weekend or skip work to attend — it happens on Friday evenings, perfect for folks who want to pick up something for dinner on their way home from work (or a long day of sightseeing!)

Delaware District

Splurge

  • 27 Hutch's, 1375 Delaware Ave. (Metro Bus 11, 25 or 26), +1 716 885-0074. M-Th 5PM-10PM, F-Sa 5PM-midnight, Su 4PM-9PM. Arguably the best, and best-loved, upscale city restaurant in Buffalo is the brainchild of chef Mark Hutchenson. In the shadow of Olmsted's magnificent Gates Circle, the cuisine served at Hutch's is wide-ranging and of unrelentingly high quality. Appetizers are dominated by seafood selections as diverse as "Thai-high" calamari, Moroccan spiced shrimp salad, and mussels Scampi; these are accompanied by more typically Buffalo fare such as the stuffed poblano pepper that is a beloved regular on the specials list. Mains include a respectable stable of steaks and chops, chicken dishes, and seafood entrees, as well as the jambalaya pasta that is another favorite. Sandwiches and salads are also featured, and don't forget to save room for the delectable desserts including Hutch's homemade gelato and sorbet. $30-120.

Groceries

Allen Street boasts one of the densest and liveliest concentrations of bars in Buffalo.

Drink

For a long time, Allentown has been a mecca for artists, hipsters, and bohemians of all kinds; the bars in this neighborhood reflect this to a great degree. As the longtime epicenter of Buffalo's LGBT community, Allentown (in particular, near the corner of Main and Allen Streets) is also the home of the majority of Buffalo's gay bars.

Allentown

Coffee shops

Allentown's long-lackluster coffeeshop scene got a major shot in the arm in 2015, when not one but two new cafés opened their doors to accompany longtime neighborhood stalwart Café Taza.

  • 17 Café Taza, 100 Elmwood Ave. (Metro Bus 7 or 20). Daily 7AM-8PM.
  • 18 Cafféology, 23 Allen St. (Metro Bus 7 or 29; Metro Rail: Allen-Medical Campus), +1 716 427-3147. Daily 6AM-10PM.
  • 19 Grindhaus Café, 160 Allen St. (Metro Bus 7, 11, 20 or 25), +1 716 725-6300. M-Th 7AM-7PM, F 7AM-8PM, Sa 8AM-8PM, Su 8AM-6PM.

Delaware District

The Delaware District is quiet and residential, and does not have nearly the level of nightlife that Allentown has. A small cluster of establishments can be found north of Gates Circle.

Coffee shops

There's a 20 Dunkin' Donuts at the Delta Sonic gas station at 1264 Main St. Other than that, your best bet is to head a few blocks west to the Elmwood Village.

Sleep

This guide uses the following price ranges for a standard double room:
Budget Under $100/night
Mid-range $100-150/night
Splurge Over $150/night

Allentown

Allentown boasts a modest selection of accommodations, including a pair of chain hotels along Delaware Avenue that are similar to, but somewhat less expensive than, the properties downtown. Perhaps more interestingly, Allentown also boasts a few grand old historic hotels that have soldiered on to the present day, catering to travellers in search of a more distinctive experience.

Mid-range

  • 1 Best Western Inn on the Avenue, 510 Delaware Ave. (Metro Bus 7, 11 or 25; Metro Rail: Allen-Medical Campus), +1 716 886-8333. Check-in: 4PM, check-out: noon. Business center, free wired and wireless Internet in all rooms. $146-169/night in high season.
  • 2 Holiday Inn Buffalo Downtown, 620 Delaware Ave. (Metro Bus 7, 11 or 25; Metro Rail: Allen-Medical Campus), +1 716 886-2121. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: noon. Newly renovated. Business center as well as wired and wireless Internet access in all rooms. Fitness center, outdoor pool, laundry and dry cleaning, restaurant ("Grille 620"). $149-239/night in high season.
  • 3 Lenox Hotel & Suites, 140 North St. (Metro Bus 11, 20 or 25), +1 716 884-1700. Check-in: 2PM, check-out: 11AM. The oldest continually operating hotel in Buffalo (opened in 1896), the Lenox Hotel and Suites began its existence as a luxurious hotel and apartment building that counted a young F. Scott Fitzgerald among its early residents. Under new ownership, this stately old beauty has recently been renovated to its former glory. The Lenox's ground floor is occupied by the Nina Freudenheim Gallery and an elegant restaurant, the Lenox Grill, and it also boasts lovely views of downtown Buffalo and the waterfront from its upper floors. A limited number of executive suites with kitchens are available. $109-119/night in high season.

Splurge

  • 4 The Mansion on Delaware Avenue, 414 Delaware Ave. (Metro Bus 11, 20, 25 or 29; Metro Rail: Allen-Medical Campus), +1 716 886-3300. Check-in: 4PM, check-out: 11AM. Rated 4 diamonds by AAA and named one of the top 5 hotels in the United States by the 2007 Zagats survey. Buffalo's finest luxury boutique hotel is located in the Sternberg House, a beautifully restored 1870 French Second Empire-style mansion near the border of Allentown and downtown that was owned by a succession of wealthy Buffalo aristocrats of the 19th Century. Free WiFi and wired Internet access, as well as a business center. Butler service, fine dining, working fireplaces in most rooms. Popular for formal receptions such as weddings. $250-450/night in high season.

Delaware District

Historic Linwood Avenue has a pair of superlative B&Bs where the themes of local history and culture come out in full force.

The Beau Fleuve Bed & Breakfast Inn is situated in an 1882 Stick-style home that once belonged to local stockbroker, economist and novelist Albert J. Wright. This beautifully restored wood-frame building is also a typical example of the architecture that can be found in the Linwood Preservation District.

B&B's

  • 5 Beau Fleuve Bed & Breakfast Inn, 242 Linwood Ave. (Metro Bus 11, 12 or 25; Metro Rail: Utica), +1 716 882-6116, toll-free: +1 800 278-0245. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: 11AM. Legend has it that the city of Buffalo owes its name to French explorer Louis Hennepin, who, when he passed by the mouth of the Buffalo River in 1679 on his ship Le Griffon, exclaimed joyously about the "beau fleuve" (beautiful river) that lay before him. The Beau Fleuve Bed & Breakfast Inn has operated since 1990 in the former Albert J. Wright House on Linwood Avenue. The themes of the Beau Fleuve's five guest rooms were chosen in honor of the immigrant communities who populated Buffalo over the course of the 19th century and fueled its industrial might — French, Irish, German, Italian, and Polish people predominant among them. The Beau Fleuve offers its guests central AC, minibars, coffeemakers, and other amenities in their impeccably decorated and luxuriously appointed rooms. Large, sumptuous breakfasts are served daily in an upscale atmosphere in the American Indian-themed dining room. On-site or on-street parking. $90-145/night.
  • 6 Oscar's Bed & Breakfast, 288 Linwood Ave. (Metro Bus 8, 11, 12, 13 or 25; Metro Rail: Utica), +1 716 381-8605. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: 11AM. Situated in the three-story, circa-1884 George E. Newman House within easy striking distance of Allentown, the Elmwood Village, and downtown, Oscar's B&B is the brainchild of Michael and Lisa Parks, a couple of former teachers who fell in love with Buffalo in the early '90s (when few others were) and decided to stay here after their retirement. Buffalo architecture is the running theme of this place, and you get an eclectic smorgasbord of it: while the exterior is textbook French Second Empire, inside you have a pair of common rooms daringly updated in a trendy Midcentury style, as well as three individually styled, fully handicapped-accessible guest suites decorated with the original works of some three dozen Buffalo-area artists and sporting names that pay homage to some of the design honchos of Buffalo's past. The Wade Room lives up to its namesake, the designer of Buffalo's City Hall, with Art Deco-inspired light fixtures and artwork; the Beebe Suite is a Victorian dreamscape of two adjoining rooms with an antique brass bed, French armoire and Eastlake-style marbletop table whose name honors the designer of downtown's Brisbane Building (where subsequent owner T. C. Tanks kept his jewelry shop); and the decor in the top-of-the-line Wright Suite is inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright's work in Japan, with Asian motifs colliding with his unmistakable Prairie style and a delightful original leaded-glass window as a centerpiece. All rooms have one queen bed and full private baths, and come with air conditioning, WiFi Internet, flat-screen cable TVs, a coffeemaker, full breakfast, parking for one vehicle per room, and (on request) an iron and ironing board. Those with allergies should know that there are cats and a dog in the Parks' private living space on the top floor; however, while the dog may put in an appearance in the common room at breakfast, at no time do the owners allow their animals in the guest rooms. $130-160/night.

Connect

The 3 Mid-City Post Office is located at 1245 Main St. in Midtown. Other nearby post offices can be found downtown at 229 W. Genesee St. and 701 Washington St.

Free WiFi is available in Allentown at Café 59 on Allen Street and Tim Hortons/Cold Stone Creamery on Delaware Avenue, and in the Delaware District at Delta Sonic and McDonald's on Main Street.

Stay safe

Despite the fact that Buffalo's crime rate has fallen steadily since the 1990s, it is still higher than the national average for cities its size. By Buffalo standards, Allentown has a moderate-to-high crime rate. The general rule for Allentown is that the closer you are to Delaware or Elmwood Avenues, the safer you are. Despite (or perhaps because of) the rapid gentrification that is taking place there, a particularly troubled area is the blocks west of Wadsworth Street, straddling Allentown and the Lower West Side. Reports of assaults and robberies in Day's Park occur with some frequency. That being the case, visitors should by no means allow these occasional incidents to put them off from experiencing this part of Allentown — the lush greenery of the park and the splendid Victorian cottages surrounding it are simply magnificent, police patrols have increased sharply, and perhaps more than any other area of Buffalo, residents of the Day's Park area are working diligently to "take back their streets". Those who exercise common sense — locking car doors, keeping valuables out of sight — will be fine. The Main Street corridor is another problem area.

The Delaware District boasts an extremely low crime rate. Visitors should not experience problems of any kind there.

Many longtime fans of the Allentown bar scene lament the fact that, especially since the decline of the rowdy, often violent club scene on Chippewa Street in the face of a sharply increased police presence there, Allentown's bars have lately begun to attract a rougher crowd. That being said, the Allentown scene is still far more laid-back than Chippewa was in its prime — and the Buffalo Police are ubiquitous on the Allen Street strip on weekend nights to make sure of that. Visitors to Allentown bars are far more likely to be annoyed by cooler-than-thou hipsters than by belligerent drunks.

As in downtown and the Elmwood Village, panhandlers are present in Allentown. The homeless tend to congregate around "The Bend" — that is, the west end of Allen Street where it veers right and becomes Wadsworth Street — near which there is a soup kitchen. As elsewhere in Buffalo, aggressive panhandling in Allentown is unheard of; a firm "no" will usually do the trick. Panhandlers are almost completely absent from the Delaware District.

Cope

Newspapers

The Allentown Association publishes a quarterly newspaper, the Allentown Neighbor, that covers neighborhood news such as business openings and closings, urban development and historic preservation, Buffalo Common Council proceedings, community events, and other issues.

Hospitals

The nearest hospitals are Buffalo General Hospital, at 100 High St. in the Medical Corridor, Erie County Medical Center at 462 Grider St. on the East Side, and Sisters of Charity Hospital at 2157 Main St.

Places of worship

This is one of the few remaining areas of Buffalo where white, mainline Protestant churches still predominate.

Roman Catholic

  • 4 Blessed Sacrament RC Church, 1029 Delaware Ave. (Metro Bus 11, 12 or 25; Metro Rail: Utica), +1 716 884-0053. Mass Su 9AM & 11AM, Sa 8AM & 4:30PM, M-F 8AM. At the current site of the Timon Towers apartments just next door stood from 1915 to 1978 the seat of the Catholic Diocese of Buffalo, the so-called St. Joseph's New Cathedral. Though chronic problems stemming from shoddy construction eventually forced the demolition of the palatial church, whereupon the old cathedral downtown reverted to its former role, Blessed Sacrament Church — whose parish predated the cathedral by about a dozen years, and whose building had served as the Cathedral's chapel — is still an active congregation in the Delaware District.
  • 5 St. Louis RC Church, 35 Edward St. (Metro Bus 7, 8 or 29; Metro Rail: Allen-Medical Campus), +1 716 852-6040. Mass Su 9AM & 11AM, Sa 4PM, M-F 12:05PM. St. Louis, the first Catholic church in Buffalo, was founded in 1829. At this early date in Buffalo's history, most of the city's Catholics were of French descent, and it was Louis Stephen LeCouteulx de Chaumont, a French nobleman from Rouen who had settled in Buffalo, who donated the land where the church stands today.

Protestant

  • 6 Delaware Avenue Baptist Church, 965 Delaware Ave. (Metro Bus 11, 12 or 25; Metro Rail: Utica), +1 716 884-0070. Services Su 11AM. This beautiful Richardsonian Romanesque church in red sandstone, the most significant remaining work of local architect John Coxhead, now houses a large, active, friendly, and ethnically diverse congregation affiliated with the American Baptist Convention.
  • 7 First Presbyterian Church, 1 Symphony Cir. (Metro Bus 7 or 22), +1 716 884-7250. Services Su 11:15AM. The name of this church, as well as its nickname, the "Mother of All Churches", is literal — founded in 1812, this is the oldest religious congregation of any denomination in Buffalo. Since 1891, the members of First Presbyterian have worshiped in a sandstone church on Symphony Circle designed by the eminent local firm of Green & Wicks, which contains several Tiffany stained-glass windows and which once counted Teddy Roosevelt among its worshipers.
The Hellenic Orthodox Church of the Annunciation, at the corner of Delaware Avenue and West Utica Street, took ownership of the former North Presbyterian Church very quickly after that congregation's move to the suburb of Williamsville — in fact, the first Greek Orthodox Mass in the building took place on Sunday, December 28th, 1952, just after the conclusion of the final Presbyterian service there!
  • 8 Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, 1080 Main St. (Metro Bus 8 or 22; Metro Rail: Summer-Best), +1 716 886-2400. Services Su 8:30AM & 10:30AM. A fixture on Main Street in Midtown since 1899, this was the first church in Buffalo of its denomination to conduct services in English rather than German, borne of a language-based schism in the no-longer-extant St. John's Lutheran Church led by the prominent Buffalo merchant, William Hengerer.
  • 9 Religious Society of Friends Buffalo Meeting, 1272 Delaware Ave. (Metro Bus 11, 25 or 26), +1 716 892-8645. Meetings Su 10:30AM. Established in 1939, Buffalo's Quaker congregation meets at the Network of Religious Communities building on Delaware Avenue for about an hour every Sunday morning "to seek an inner light and peace". There's no pastor or pulpit — just silent prayer and meditation, interrupted every once in a while by testimonies and other impromptu messages spoken out by congregants whenever the inspiration catches them. Meetings end with a potluck lunch at noon. The Society of Friends is also active in community programs, especially those that foster nonviolence.
  • 10 Westminster Presbyterian Church, 724 Delaware Ave. (Metro Bus 11, 22 or 25; Metro Rail: Summer-Best), +1 716 884-9437. Services Su 8:45AM & 11AM. Westminster Presbyterian Church was founded in 1854; many members of Buffalo's élite aristocracy of the 19th and early 20th Centuries, including Jewett Richmond and Jesse Ketchum, have worshiped in this massive Gothic edifice that still boasts a number of Tiffany stained-glass windows. Today, Westminster Presbyterian's commitment to inclusion has led it to affiliation with the "More Light" movement, as well as to interfaith collaborations with Temple Beth Zion, the Muslim Public Affairs Council, and other congregations and groups.

Black churches

  • 11 Fellowship Christian Center, 1420 Main St. (Metro Bus 8, 12 or 13; Metro Rail: Utica), +1 716 299-8476. Services Su noon. This dynamic church is led by Pastor John Young, a veteran leader of a number of predominantly African-American congregations who styles himself "The Comeback Kid". Pastor Young now leads services in a building most famous for housing the WKBW television studios for the first couple of decades of the station's existence. In addition to church services and a myriad of community programs, Fellowship Christian Center also operates the Totally Gospel Radio Network, which broadcasts locally on WFWO 89.7 FM.
  • 12 Midtown Bible Church, 1722 Main St. (Metro Bus 8; Metro Rail: Delavan-Canisius College), +1 716 884-5203. A nondenominational Christian church founded in 1994 and located on Main Street in Oxford, near Canisius College.

Eastern Orthodox

  • 13 Hellenic Orthodox Church of the Annunciation, 146 W. Utica St. (Metro Bus 11, 12 or 25; Metro Rail: Utica), +1 716 882-9485. Su-F Orthros 9AM, Divine Liturgy 10AM. Located since 1952 in a beautiful English Gothic edifice listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Hellenic Orthodox Church of the Annunciation is not only the place of worship for the Buffalo metro area's Greek Orthodox population, but is also well-known as the site of the Buffalo Greek Fest, where Buffalonians kick off the summer festival season each June.

Jewish

  • 14 Temple Beth Zion, 805 Delaware Ave. (Metro Bus 11, 22 or 25; Metro Rail: Summer-Best), +1 716 836-6565. Services F 6PM & Sa 10:30AM, check website for additional. Soon after its foundation in 1850, Temple Beth Zion became one of the first shuls in America to embrace the new movement of Reform Judaism, and it is still one of the largest Reform synagogues in the nation. The current Temple Beth Zion, built in 1961 after a fire claimed its old building, is a breathtaking work of modern architecture that stands out among its neighbors on Delaware Avenue. A truly magnificent place to worship, Temple Beth Zion's interior is lit naturally with skylights as well as magnificent stained-glass windows by noted artist Ben Shahn.

Other

  • 15 Church of Scientology, 836 Main St. (Metro Bus 7, 8 or 29; Metro Rail: Allen-Medical Campus), +1 716 856-3910. The Buffalo chapter of Scientology has occupied the wonderfully restored former Buffalo Catholic Institute Building since 2003.

Go next

If you like the nightlife in Allentown, you'll want to make the Elmwood Village your next stop. The range of bars, restaurants and shops that line Elmwood Avenue is even greater than Allen Street, and their vibe is influenced by the student life at nearby Buffalo State College in much the same way that Allentown is flavored by its artists and bohemians. Aficionados of art and history are in luck, too, with a vibrant Museum District at the north end of the strip.

Check out the West Side to see Buffalo's next Allentown in the earliest stages of its revival. Instead of hipsters and well-heeled young urbanites congregating in a relatively "safe" gentrified area, the West Side has a creative community that is far closer to "starving artists" than anything in Allentown, urban pioneers snapping up beautiful but dilapidated Victorian houses and restoring them to their former glory, a vibrant Latino community centered on Niagara Street, and a veritable United Nations of immigrants in Grant-Ferry that each add their bit to an ambience that is wonderfully gritty and chaotically fascinating.

On the far side of Delaware Park, North Buffalo is a part of the city where the pleasures are subtler. The shops and restaurants on Hertel Avenue are pleasant without the pretension of the hipster hangouts on Allen Street, the mansions of Park Meadow and Central Park are elegant without the in-your-face ostentation of Millionaire's Row, and the college dives in University Heights are lively without the crowds and chaos of the ones on the Elmwood Strip.


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