Pierce-Arrow Showroom

1932 Pierce-Arrow Sedan 

The legacy of beautiful horseless carriages is what most people associate with George N. Pierce, founder of the Pierce- Arrow Motor Car Co. These spectacular vehicles were proceeded by his manufacture of tricycles and bicycles, as well as birdcages and iceboxes. A Victorian era citizen was often judged by their possession of a decent birdcage. Pierce's arrival to Buffalo at a young age and meteoric manufacturing climb is quite a tale, due in large part to his work ethic and marrying well. Several buildings throughout the city are testament to his and Buffalo's place in automotive history. One such structure is the former Pierce-Arrow Showroom at Main and Jewet.

The building has traded owners throughout the years with bankers being the latest occupants. The restoration and bank transformation we see today was started and completed by Greater Buffalo Savings Bank at the beginning of this century. The building's original details; plaster coffered ceilings, Art Deco lighting/ fan fixtures, original tile marble and brass throughout, have been restored to their former glory. The added authentic, antique banking elements like deposit tables and cashier cages, keep the building true to form. There is no plexi- glass in here. The experience of banking in this building makes skipping the drive-thru a must. The pièce de résistance is the 1932 Pierce-Arrow Sedan appropriately gleaming through the giant display windows of the bank.

Another REAL cafe- yes please.

Hearth and Press Café

Minimalism at it's most delicious resides in the heart of the Theater District on Main Street. Heart and Press was making friends and breaking hearts with their fresh take on some classic cuisine. A fine tuned menu delivers exactly what you didn't know you wanted. Simple to the point with fresh ingredients from the French 77 to the most delectable prosciutto arugula pizza you've ever had here in our city. A doting, self-affacing staff just adds to the charm of this well designed, unpretentiously hip spot that can't decide if it's a cafe or a restaurant and we are fine with that. It works.

President William McKinley, Shot on this Day

Memorial plaque on the site where McKinley was shot 

President McKinley was shot in Buffalo in this day in 1901, 115 years ago.  Through a series of missteps in his care, the popular president succumbed to  infection from his wounds . Attending the Pan-American Exposition, the president, who had been stalked by anarchist Leon Czolgosz, was approached and assassinated. The location of the attack was the Exposition's Temple of Music, now marked by a simple stone in the middle Fordham Street. This former Pan-Am location is lined with lovely bungalow -style homes dating back to the neighborhood's development in the years after the fair.

Go Topless

Happy Go Topless Day 

Now comes the time of summer when there are so many events at once it will make your head spin. This weekend we had the Irish Festival at Wilkeson Point, Kanye at First Niagara, Elmwood Arts Fest, Bison's baseball, Maritime Fest, a giant rubber ducky and on and on. To top it off it's also Go Topless Day, corresponding to Woman's Equality Day, which was on the 26th. In New York, it is legal for a woman to go topless in any public park any day of the year. Equal rights protestors in 1986 at Rochester's Cobbs Hill Park took on the laws of the time by having a topless picnic in which several women were arrested and convicted. The case was eventually overturned in 1992,  in what is now referred to as The People V. Santorelli. Others have since used the decision and the legality of park toplessness to expand to anywhere a dude might pop off his shirt, whether you want him to or not. So if you're harassed by park police be ready to recite the penal code and "officer, my eyes are up here."

http://gotopless.org/gotopless-day

A Venture in Burgers and Brew

ABV

If 82 degrees wasn't warm enough for you today you could have headed indoors to sample one to twenty-four of local and international selections of draft at Allen Burger Venture. Taps are adorned with wrought iron sculpture and found objects. To compliment the draft, or visa versa, are some of the most über burgers in the city. Owner Mike Shatzel (Coles, Liberty Hound,Thin Man) has always been passionate about well crafted beer even before it became popular again. Enjoy the "classic rock", as in 80's punk rock in a coolly, rustic vibe nurtured by manager Johnny Chow. Before Prohibition brewing was one of Buffalo's biggest industries.

After Prohibition, big breweries stifled the return of local entities and by the 70's, there were only a couple left. Local draft artisans have brought about a rebirth of production in Buffalo, mirroring the nation's appreciation of quality gourmet drafts and Buffalo's brewing history. 

http://allenburgerventure.com/

http://www.travelandleisure.com/articles/best-buffalo-breweries-craft-beer

The View from 716

View from the Greenway Nature Trail - Outer Harbor- #716

Take a look at the 716 area code and this is how it looks on 7/16. This particular view is from the Greenway Nature Trail on the stretch of waterfront land known generally as the Outer Harbor. The wide expanse of land between Furhman Blvd. and the water,  has been home to a few things over the years and often nothing at all. We like the idea of a big green space down here within the city limits, with possibly some year round indoor active space (i.e. Soccer field, tennis courts, rock climbing, basketball, etc.) People do feel the need to fill up space but I hope they proceed carefully down here, taking care not to encroach thoughtlessly on this windswept, blank canvas. By the way, all photos on the entire blog are shot with an iPhone 6, actually two iPhone 6s, and are original works. Leave us a comment or 29, as we approach our one month anniversary of Buffalo Daily Photo. 

http://outerharborbuffalo.com/

Third Fridays

Party on the Portico - The Buffalo Historical Society 

The gang at Travel and Leisure are at it again, picking on Buffalo. This time they have listed Buffalo number 6 on their list of Friendliest Cities in America. Travel and Leisure have a very rigorous and sophisticated rubric to come up with these things, so we'll take their word for it. I think they know what they're doing. After all they found Buffalo to be America's # 1 Favorite City.  In an age where rudeness rules, it's a tremendous accolade to be considered friendly. Speaking of friendly, we stopped by the Historical Society's Party on The Portico to watch a few hundred Buffalonians and plenty of tourists enjoy another wonderful summer evening above the museum's Japanese gardens .   

Let's face it. You can have all the physical trappings of a great city, but if you're miserable, there will always be something lacking. With all of these positive rankings, I'm asking that y'all sweeten your dispositions just a bit to get us to number one. Hey, we will never be the biggest city in New York, but we will hopefully, always be the nicest.

http://www.travelandleisure.com/americas-favorite-places/friendliest-cities#buffalo

http://buffalohistory.org/Visit/Event-Details.aspx?id=946&type=events

Ship Canal

Union Ship Canal - Outer Harbor

http://www.historicalmarkerproject.com/markers/HM1M6K_the-union-ship-canal_Buffalo-NY.html

At the far end of the Outer Harbor Parkway,  there lies a 22 acre park framing a canal built 117 years ago. The Union Ship Canal was central to Buffalo's glorious past as America's steel maker. The waterway allowed ore freighters to feed the furnaces and steel mills that ringed that area of Lake Erie. Remediation of the canal began in 1999 and today, the only vessels allowed on the canal are kayaks and canoes. Now, fathers and sons fish, hoping to catch some memories, not necessarily fish. From the pathways of the park, one can see the white windmills that stand at the lakes edge, where once furnaces fired around the clock. A bike path cuts through the grounds and will take you as far as the Tonawandas. Historical placards adorn artistically placed iron beams, as an homage to the workers and history of that tremendous, industrial achievement.