Wilkeson Pointe Park

Wind Sculptures Wilkeson Pointe

The formerly desolate storage grounds for the ice boom are now an artistically crafted green space open to the public. Wilkeson Pointe Park along with the adjoining Times Beach Nature Preserve are part of the Outer Harbor and in larger context are integral pieces of the Industrial Heritage Trail along the Lake Erie waterfront. Here you will find fantastic views of the lake, shoreline and the edge of the city. Amidst the surprisingly natural landscaping are wind sculptures, carved marble remnants, Onondaga Limestone groupings, pathways, a fishing pier, as well as several play areas. In the summer months one can find a beer garden on the grounds and kayak /bike rentals are available. The Buffalo Ferry, also makes a stop at the Pointe.

http://outerharborbuffalo.com/

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/

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.