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Swan St. Diner: A Vintage Diner Given New Life at Larkin

With the combined talents, vision and resources of the Zemsky family and beloved Buffalo diner chef Amanda Amico (Amy’s Place, Amy’s Truck), a vintage diner has been lovingly, faithfully restored—and just like that, with a lot of talent and a bit of magic, the Swan St. Diner is one of Buffalo’s best spots for casual eats.

One of the city’s most popular and busy spots—it seats about 50 guests at a time (during normal service)—hungry breakfast and lunch goers are filling their cravings for the new-twist-on-old-school diner fare. There are big breakfasts (try the house biscuits) and rib-sticking, tummy-pleasing mains like their rotating pot pies (seek out the creamy mushroom chicken if available) with stuffing replacing the top crust.

Co-owners Harry Zemsky and Amico have partnered with the rest of the creative team—dad Howard Zemsky saw the vintage 1937 Sterling Diner while near Newark, NY and cooked up the idea to purchase it and bring it “home” to Larkinville; among other contributions, mom and artist Leslie Zemsky designed the wall paper, featuring classic medallions painted by local artists.

Harry Zemsky is glad to be along for this ride in particular. “The diner is a perfect piece of the puzzle in our plan to add reasons for people to come to Larkin Square,” said Zemsky. “It adds a weekend option. It’s going to be a really solid breakfast and lunch space, with great food and great service.”

The diner was built by J. B. Judkins Co. of Merrimac, MA. Like all Sterling diners, it was originally made in four-foot sections and bolted together on location. At 50 feet, it’s one of the company’s longer models. The original diner was trucked the 100 miles from Newark to Buffalo, and has undergone a complete renovation, as well as had a kitchen added on.

Amico is always excited about the menu. “We’ve brought back scratch diner cooking—we’re not popping hash out of a can,” she said. “The menu is responsive to seasonal and available ingredients. We can make something a little new, like Harry’s idea for pumpkin waffles.”

Versus the process to design and select every element of his other business interior (Hydraulic Hearth), Zemsky said he’s enjoyed the requirements of sticking to the property’s historic décor.

“It’s been fun working on the rehab project in a historic space,” he said. “It’s cool to imagine what it used to be, and see it come back to its former glory. I can’t get enough of being in this place.”

Pies by local company Fairy Cakes add to the nostalgic air. “They probably sold pies in this diner in 1937,” posited Amico.

“Diner breakfast food is the ultimate comfort food,” added Zemsky. “Your body is still waking up, you get some coffee, and I like the classic: bacon or sausage, two eggs over easy, and home fries.”

•  •  •

Swan St. Diner, 700 Swan Street, Buffalo
swanstreetdiner.com / (716) 768-1823

The post Swan St. Diner: A Vintage Diner Given New Life at Larkin appeared first on Visit Buffalo Niagara.

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Boat-making competition held at Canalfest

TONAWANDA, N.Y. (WIVB) — You have four hours, can you and a few friends build a boat that actually floats?

That was the challenge at Canalfest in the Tonawandas on Saturday.

12 teams were given a four-hour window to build their boats, all the materials were already provided, you just had to use your smarts. Many trophies were handed out in different categories, including fastest build, best design, and fastest in the water.

We all love Canalfest, we all love being by the water, building the boats takes a lot of hours, but its a great time, we have a lot of fun doing it. and its always to see everyone’s reactions to the boats as they get in the water,” said competitor Tim Harroun.

One boat was even modeled after the USS The Sullivans and was donated to the Buffalo Naval and Military park after the race to be put on display.

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Providence Farm Collective’s new farmer’s market on Grant Street

Today was the first time that I had a chance to stop by Providence Farm Collective’s new farmer’s market on Grant Street, in the M&T Bank parking lot.

While I was there, I spoke to Beth Leipler (farm director) and Hamadi Ali (market manager) who were busy making sure that everything ran smoothly (lead image).

While I was at the market, I purchased some fresh basil, peppers, and Swiss chard lettuce.

The market is a breath of fresh air for Grant Street. Not only do the farmers-marketeers have some beautiful produce, there are some unusual varieties of vegetables that you just don’t see everyday. That’s because the farmers that sell at the market, who are refugees themselves, grow the produce to sell to their own communities, and those of the West Side (refugees from Somalia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Burundi, Ethiopia, Myanmar, and Liberia).

If you ever want to see someone’s face light up, go support this grassroots farmer’s market. The marketeers are beyond appreciative for the support.

As I browsed the market goods, I waved my hellos to a number of sellers, some of which had young children in tow. One young boy was collecting money at a stand – his mother was teaching him the ins and outs of being a business operator. I ended up tipping him a dollar as he dropped some green peppers into my bag.

The organizers of this market do source some good from other local farmers, to keep the veggie varieties diverse and bountiful. The rest is grown by the refugees at Providence Farm in Orchard Park. It is also USDA funded, which means that the prices are very reasonable, and the market is sustainable. And that’s a great thing, because it’s these types of markets that are the future of Buffalo. We should all be happy – and lucky- to support it.

The market will continue to operate on Saturdays, from 10am to 1pm, through October 15.

Learn more about the market.

Get connected: wnylc.org | providencefarmcollective.org

The different farms that participate

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Right to Repair Law Will Help iPhone and Android Users

One of the quirks of law making in New York State is that most bills are passed by the legislature within a short window near the end of the session.  Laws passed in the frantic last week fall are greeted with a muted shout of joy by supporters as they know it could take months for the bill to be signed into law.  According to the How A Bill Becomes Law page on the NY Senate website, “If a bill is sent to the Governor when the Legislature is out of session, the rules are a bit different. At such times, the Governor has 30 days in which to make a decision, and failure to act (“pocket veto”) has the same effect as a veto.”  In reality, the governor’s office requests the bills on her schedule, so it is possible that the bill may not be signed or vetoed until after the November election.

L-R – Jay Abbott from iRepair Buffalo – an independent Apple device repair shop in Williamsville, Assemblymember Monica Wallace, John Szalasny from the Sierra Club Niagara Group

That is why Assemblymember Monica Wallace held a press conference on Friday to ask Governor Hochul to sign the Digital Fair Repair Act (A7006B/S4104A).  We have all faced the dilemma of what to do with an electronic device that works intermittently, had a non-functioning key on the keyboard or had a working but cracked display screen.  In this day of planned obsolescence, some consumers don’t give it a second thought – you just replace the item with the next best thing.  But for those who would rather keep and repair their well-loved electronic devices, the repair (if you can find an exclusive authorized repair center) is currently often more costly than buying new, forcing the consumer to buy a replacement.  The Digital Fair Repair Act would give third party repairers access to the diagnostic and repair information for these devices.  The competition would drive down the cost of repair and even allow home tool wizards the chance to fix the item themselves.

It is estimated that Americans throw out 416,000 cell phones every day. 

Despite laws that prohibit the disposal or incineration of electronic waste in New York, cell phones and other electronic waste end up in our landfills at an alarming rate.  Electronic waste accounts for 70% of the toxic components in our garbage, such as heavy metals and plastics.   And it is estimated that Americans throw out 416,000 cell phones every day.  In addition to plastic, one cell phone contains valuable commodities like gold, lithium, aluminum, cobalt, copper, lead, nickel, silver, and zinc.  Cutting down on the hundreds of thousands of new replacement cell phones every day eliminates greenhouse gas emissions in the mining and processing of the raw materials, as well as during the production processes.  

With the increasing scarcity of many metals found in electronics, any measure that keeps usable items in service (and out of the trash) is a benefit to the economy and the environment.  The Digital Fair Repair Act was passed nearly unanimously in both chambers.  As Assemblymember Wallace said in her closing remarks, “this is the rare bill that benefits the consumer, small businesses, and the environment.”  With the strong bi-partisan support for this legislation, Governor Hochul should ask for the bill and sign it into law.

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Lions Mane Infusions Looks Towards the Future

The world of CBD is changing fast, for a number of reasons. Not only are people learning more and more about the holistic considerations of cannabidiolum (CBD), they are also looking to new frontiers – mainly New York State’s ongoing play towards legalizing marijuana.

Recently, I got a chance to taste-test some delicious CBD infused honey at The Stagecoach Market. The honey was the first product to be released by Mike Nicosia and Maria Provenzano, owners of Lions Mane Infusions. Today, Mike and Maria have between 10-12 CBD products that they sell to retailers, while traveling to markets and festivals throughout NYS.

It was originally Mike’s idea to launch Lions Mane Infusions. After injuring his shoulder, he decided not to take pills to ease the pain, as they made him feel like garbage. Instead, he opted to go the CBD and THC route. Realizing the potential of these oft-misunderstood remedies, he attended a medical marijuana conference in NYC. That’s where and when his eyes were opened to the future of the products, and the potential at hand. Mike was already familiar with brand development, the distribution process, and how to launch a product, as he was formerly a liquor rep. That meant that he was also familiar with NYS regulations, and how to cut through the red tape.

“My daughter had Hand, Foot, and Mouth Disease when she was young,” Mike told me. “I referred to the doctor, who told me that he was OK with me giving her CBD, and the sores in her mouth disappeared. I began to research how CBD could balance your body without pharmaceuticals.”

“When I first met Mike, I was still in pain from a car accident,” said Maria, who is Mike’s partner in life as well as his business partner. “I took CBD and it helped my neck pains. Then, during the pandemic, my entertainment business was sidetracked, so I decided to jump onboard with Mike, to help him do research and marketing. It was the infused honey that sparked my interest, but then we began thinking about other products, to broaden the potential of the business. We create our products based on personal experiences – our products are designed to help people to combat pain and anxiety.”

Mike at a Lions Mane market table – Photo by Jaimie Woodarek

Mike and Marie told me that they love attending the events and the markets, because they get to interact directly with customers, many who don’t understand the differences between CBD and THC. This is where the CBD-infused honey tastings come into play. It gives them a chance to tell customers that the honey is sourced from a beekeeper in Lockport, and that the CBD is third party lab tested and GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) certified. The more that Mike and Maria can educate people about the products and their applications, the likelier people are to try sample them.

Lions Mane Infusions uses cannabis sourced from New York State licensed farms.

The market is also where Mike and Maria find like-minded makers to collaborate with. Their most recent mash-up was with Nickel City Nitro, where they brewed a CBD honey infused peach blueberry nitro tea (on tap). They have also collaborated with Flat #12 Mushrooms for their Lions Mane CBD mushroom tinctures. The lion’s mane mushroom, considered a “brain booster” mushroom, is said to help with cognitive and memory functions.

Aside from collaborating with marketeers, they are also discussing ways to work with local chefs. They are in talks with Jay Manno from Soho, about playing around with a dish such as: Stuffed French toast filled with bananas, and CBD infused honey, topped with the NYS maple syrup, powered sugar, and orange zest.

CBD honey – Photo by Will Bates

Mushroom and CBD Tincture

Then there’s Munch gastropub located inside Froth Brewing and Wingnutz – additional restaurants that are looking into ways of potentially incorporating Lions Mane Infusions products (including a CBD olive oil) into their menus. So be sure to keep a lookout, as these relationships begin to solidify further, into delicious, healing meals.

Mike and Maria try to source as much as they can locally (including hemp) while choosing ingredients that are ethically sourced, chemical free, and fragrance free. They also try to use as much biodegradable packaging as possible, thus creating more sustainable products in the process.

CBD is one thing. THC is another. Mike and Maria feel that they are perfectly positioned to smoothly enter into that new marketplace, as soon as they get the green light. Their production partners have already applied for a conditional Processing and Manufacturing License.

“We are planning on transitioning our products into the adult-use market,” said Mike. “NYS just opened up the application for the Conditional Dispensary License by OCM (Office of Cannabis Management). They are actively setting up meetings, especially in Buffalo, to inform people in the industry, including those in the legacy ‘street’ market to go legit. There will hopefully be a dispensary in Buffalo by the end of the year. Our goal would be to have our products in those shops, as they open.”

While the THC market is a priority, Mike and Maria said that they would continue to sell CBD products, although they might not be able to sell both under the same label. There are a lot of uncertainties at this juncture in time. The rules and regulations are changing as the wind blows.

“Since the MRTA (Marihuana Regulation and Taxation Act) passed over a year ago, it’s been a constant adjustment on our end,” Mike explained. “Prior to that, CBD and hemp were under the Department of Health and Department of Agriculture. Now, it’s under OCM. Our packaging and labeling is always changing, to stay compliant. Hopefully things are starting to settle down, and we won’t have to change too much moving forward, but the industry will continue to evolve (in ways that no one can imagine at this point).”

CBD Pet Oil

For anyone interested in sourcing Lions Mane Infusions products, you can head to their website, or find them locally at The Kratom Shop, Rustic Buffalo Artisan Market, Nature’s Remedy in Ellicottville, Buffalo Artisan Food Traders, or Smokin’ Joes in Sanborn. You can also find them at places like The Stagecoach Market, where they will be setting up this coming Sunday (9am-1pm). The massage oils are now available at Harlow Spa @ Curtiss Hotel.

Products include blood orange lip balm, massage oil, olive oil, elderberry gummies, mushroom tincture, pet oil (calming, for dogs that are afraid of fireworks), and honey.

Get connected: lionsmaneinfusions.com | Facebook | Instagram

The Stagecoach Market

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Bitters | Saturn 5, A Spicy Hibiscus Margarita

I often feel a unique and transcendent sensation on the grounds of Silo City. It is a feeling of the past repurposed for the present, and all are welcome. Salvaged from intimations of Buffalo’s golden age amidst old grain silos, you will find Duende. In this episode of Bitters, we highlight just one of the many note-worthy cocktails Duende has to offer. Duende Bartender Caroline Toohill designed the Saturn 5 cocktail, which had initially called for Mezcal. Duende offers multiple Mezcal cocktails, so the recipe has been adjusted for Tequila. Hibiscus and lime juice are responsible for the breathtaking rubicund appearance. The bright flavors of this drink are balanced brilliantly and pack a spicy little high kick towards the finish. The word “Duende” comes from the Spanish poet and playwright Federico García Lorca, who believed true art would only happen when the three elements, wisdom, inspiration, and the Duende, are united.

Duende is a quality of passion and inspiration. A most considerate and apt name for this inspiring establishment. The retrofitted bar design honors the past with things like repurposed garage doors and workbenches from the early 1900s. These uniquely crafted and rustic features echo a symbolic dialogue of industrial infrastructures and the products of what was once “The City of Light.”

In addition, it offers a glimpse at Buffalo’s renewing cultural community. Duende @ Silo City simultaneously acknowledges our dusty rust belt past by illuminating our present with artists and entrepreneurs.

Duende at 85 Silo City Row is open year-round Tuesdays through Sundays starting at 3 pm. It hosts live music, visual art, poetry, and a persistent feeling of rich culture and connectivity.

Ingredients:
2 jalapeno slices
2 dashes Saline
Splash of Orange Juice
1/2 oz hibiscus syrup
1/2 oz dry triple sec
3/4 oz lime juice
1.5 oz tequila

Fill a glass with ice. In a shaker add jalapeno slices, saline, orange juice and hibiscus syrup. Muddle the jalapenos. Add dry triple sec, lime juice and tequila to shaker with some ice and shake. Strain into glass with ice and garnish with a lime.

About Duende

Duende is a bar and restaurant located on the grounds of Silo City in Buffalo, New York. Surrounded by towering grain silos, Duende was once a 1940’s office building owned by American Malting Company. The bar’s design was inspired by its unique location at Silo City: from the manufacturing legacy to the ever-growing urban gardens. Using materials salvaged from the silos, Duende features a unique handcrafted bar and rugged industrial design.

85 Silo City Row, Buffalo, NY 14203 | 716-235-8380
Website | Facebook | Instagram

Author and host, Michelle Merlo
Photography by Vincent Berbano & Addison Schoonmaker
Executive Producer, Jessica Marinelli
Special thanks to Caroline Toohil & Kevin O’Brian Cain

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Peace… Bridge.

The Peace Bridge Apartments – a fairly nondescript red brick building that was recently painted white – now boasts a bold new mural that faces Porter Avenue.

Located directly across from Front Park, and in close proximity to the Peace Bridge, the building has taken its metamorphosis to an entirely different level… going from relatively nondescript to whitewashed, to boldly making a statement of peace.

Speaking of Porter Avenue, it’s one of the streets with the most potential in Buffalo. Unfortunately that potential has never been realized, although there are signs of hope, with D’Youville’s ongoing investments, and the recent groundbreaking of Ralph Wilson Park (LaSalle Park).

That said, Porter Avenue should now be prioritized, and the Buffalo and Fort Erie Public Bridge Authority should take an active role in ensuring that the street is rejuvenated accordingly. It will be a great day when the storage facility for Duty Free Americas (Porter and Busti) is relocated to another parcel, so that the lot can be sold to a developer who will take the reins and lead the way.

Same goes with the vacant lot on the opposing side of Busti (at Porter). This is the site of a former gas station, I am told. So there are most likely tanks underground that have to be dealt with, and possibly other environmental disturbances, but heck, this is the gateway to the “new” waterfront park that will be a crown jewel when it is complete. Both of the aforementioned sites have been – most recently – utilized for pop-up stations for rapid covid testing, which is silly, especially when you consider the potential of these corner lots.

If both of these lots were to be addressed, it would help to transform the entirety of Porter Avenue, by creating a gateway to the waterfront that we could all be proud of.

Peace.

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Next Phase of Lancaster Square up for Review

The next phase of Lancaster Square on the Gates Circle Hospital site is heading to the Planning Board for review on Monday.  Belmont Housing Resources is planning to redevelop the northern portion of the historic former Gates Circle Homeopathic Hospital at the corner of Linwood and Lafayette avenues into 80 apartments.  The project, designed by CJS Architects, carries a $33 million price tag.

From the project application:

The Project is an affordable multifamily housing project that includes 80 units of family rental housing in the MFG Hospital complex. The 103,593 sq. ft. Project will not only have the capacity to provide affordable housing opportunities for families, but will also provide twelve affordable accessible units for persons with mobility and hearing/vision impairments. Building amenities include a community room with a kitchen area, laundry rooms, indoor bike storage, computer room, fitness room, and bulk storage for each unit. The central courtyard will be accessed from two locations within the building, or from the exterior through an access-controlled gate. The courtyard will include a playground and multiple seating areas for resident enjoyment.

A new glass entry vestibule will be constructed on the northwest corner of the building, where it was once connected to the now demolished portion of the hospital. This entry will serve as the fully accessible entry and will be adjacent to a new elevator. On the floors above the entryway, new fiber cement panels will be installed where the demolition had occurred. On the southwest corner, a small portion of the building will be demolished to provide an exterior entryway to the courtyard and separate the building from the adjacent buildings, which are to be renovated by Montante. This area will also feature a shared driveway to allow for dumpster access for each project. On the southeast side, the buildings cannot be structurally separated. However, all current openings will be closed with appropriate fire rated construction to allow the buildings to function independently.

TM Montante Development plans to redevelop the southern portions of the former Homeopathic Hospital into a mix of uses, which is anticipated to include approximately 40 new apartments, as well as up to 15,000 square feet of new retail and commercial space.

TM Montante acquired the hospital site in 2013.  Much of the hospital was demolished besides the historic properties along Linwood Avenue.  The six-story Canterbury Woods Gates Circle project in 2017.  People Inc. constructed a 39 unit, three-story low-income senior development on a former hospital parking lot at the southeast corner of Linwood and Lafayette Avenue.  Most recently, and south of the hospital campus, TM Montante completed the residential conversion of a former office building at 1275 Delaware into 33 apartments.  The developer also completed upgrades to the existing parking ramp on the site.

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TLC for Nikola Tesla

The Nikola Tesla Legacy Corridor

Nikola Tesla died 79 years ago alone in his suite in the Hotel New Yorker. His body was cremated and the remains were sent to the land of his birth Serbia which had become Yugoslavia and is now Croatia.

The day after Tesla’s body was discovered, his nephew, Sava Korsanovic, a Yugoslavian ambassador and Kenneth Swezey, a journalist and friend of Tesla, entered his room in search of a will. In Tesla’s safe, they found some notes, keys, and certificates of his US citizenship and several of the13 honorary PhD degrees he had received from around the world, and the gold Edison medal that had been awarded to Tesla a quarter of a century earlier by the American Institute of Electric Engineers.

The next day, the US Justice Department ordered its Office of the Alien Properties Custodian to search Tesla’s room for any possible war-related documents since this was 1943, the height of WWII. This Office had the function of confiscating enemy property in wartime. A few years before, Tesla had announced that he had invented a devise that would put an end to all wars. He called it a “Particle Beam Weapon” and the press referred to it as a “Death Ray.” He had written to President Roosevelt about it and just a week before Tesla died, President Roosevelt made arrangements to meet with Tesla regarding this invention.

After Tesla’s room and some 60 storage trunks that he had stored around the city were examined, the Agency sent its report to the FBI. They had found no weapon designs. So, since nephew Sava found no will he ordered all of Tesla’s effects shipped to Yugoslavia. But when the safe was opened in Belgrade, the Edison gold medal was missing. Ken Swezey failed to recover the missing medal and therefore turned to J Edgar Hoover to have the FBI pay the $400 to recast the Edison medal. He wrote to the director:

By giving us a system which made electric power universally available, Nikola Tesla —

more than any other one man — helped put America on top of the world.

…his gold Edison medal was the only material evidence left of this country’s appreciation.

A remarkable statement, but the fact is, the appreciation was not from this country. It was from Tesla’s scientific colleagues. Has this country shown any appreciation to Nikola Tesla since his passing?

Since 1896, AC electricity first flowed from Niagara Falls to North Tonawanda and on to Buffalo through the genius of Nikola Tesla.

At Niagara Falls, the birthplace of the electric age, there was absolutely nothing for 80 years until the communist government of Yugoslavia donated a statue of Tesla. It was originally placed in front of a parking lot with no mention of who this man was and what he did for humanity.

In Buffalo, NY, the first Electric City on the planet, where Tesla’ spark that lit the entire world, first started its journey, there was amazingly no public mention of Tesla for one and a quarter centuries.

So, four fellow New Yorkers, private citizens decided to do what no one else had done: no nation, no state, no municipality, no scientific society. We started by creating a non-profit group, the Buffalo Niagara Nikola Tesla Council (Martin McGee, Paul Swisher, Stephen J Lestingi, and Francis S Lestingi, PhD) and embarked on an endeavor to develop a Triptych Tribute of Appreciation here in Western New York where it all first happened. We named our tribute the Nikola Tesla Legacy Corridor. We believe it is profound and powerful, elegant and educational, unique and unprecedented, acutely long-overdue, and above all, it is appreciative!

The Yugoslavian statue of Tesla on Goat Island recently was moved to a more prominent place but it still sat for 45 years without a word about Tesla other than his name and dates.

Information Panel describing who Tesla was and what he did to transform our civilization

So we designed and donated an attractive Information Panel describing who Tesla was and what he did to transform our civilization. It now accompanies the statue, so visitors from around the world can learn more about our fellow New Yorker.

And in Buffalo…

We designed and donated to the City of Buffalo an elegant 7-ft bronze statue along with a beautiful Information Panel and even got the City to name the area where the statue resides as Nikola Tesla Park, the only park in the entire United States named in his honor.

Nikola Tesla Park, the only park in the entire United States named in his honor.

And finally, just 3-miles from the original North Tonawanda Transformer House we designed and gifted a monumental, stylized art structure of a Tesla Coil to the City of North Tonawanda in Gratwick-Riverside Park.

Stylized art structure of a Tesla Coil in Gratwick-Riverside Park

Thus, our Triptych Tribute of Appreciation, the Nikola Tesla Legacy Corridor is complete for all the world to behold. We have honored our fellow New Yorker, our fellow American, the man who put New York on top of America, and America on top of the world, in the location where  it all started right here in western New York.

7-ft bronze statue at Nikola Tesla Park in Downtown Buffalo

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East Side Garden Walk: Building Community with Plants, Flowers & Stories

Map Your Walk 

Walk through the gardens of East Buffalo, meet the people who planted them and learn about the culture and history of the city’s Black community. Print a map. And plan a route to the blooms and plantings at the private homes, community gardens and urban farms throughout the 70 listed stops on this year’s expanded, East Side Garden Walk from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, July 23 and 24. 

“It’s where the music comes from. It’s where the art comes from,” said Jillian Hanesworth, Buffalo’s first poet laureate who grew up in East Buffalo. “There’s a lot of power there and there’s a lot of culture there. I always describe it as beautiful and colorful and loud.”

As part of this weekend’s programming, she will perform two of her poems at the new Children’s Garden Festival and school bookbag giveaway on Saturday, July 23, at the Box Avenue Park between Fillmore Avenue and Kehr Street.

East Side Garden Walk volunteers will be out to guide from garden to garden

This year’s walk will go on for two days instead of one. It features more than triple the number of gardens than the first 2018 walk. The Futures Garden on Carlton Street is among the new listings this year. Henry Taylor, a professor of urban and regional planning at the University at Buffalo, will be there on Sunday, July 24 to talk about how he worked with students to create it 20 years ago. 

The park-garden spans a city block and, said Taylor, is the largest in Buffalo designed by children. He began collaborating with students at the Marva J. Daniel Futures Preparatory School across the street, at 295 Carlton, when he was working on a university project in the Fruit Belt neighborhood. 

At the time, the young people wanted to transform the weedy, empty lots where the Futures Garden is now. Taylor helped them develop and execute their garden ideas like the berm growing with grasses and flowers: They asked for that because they thought the beauty of the plants should be elevated and up high.

Photo courtesy of East Side Garden Walk on Facebook

“It’s a garden that symbolizes their spirit and inventiveness and there’s no other place that I know of in this city that you can point to at this level and say, ‘The children made this happen,’” said Taylor.

The garden walk and its collection of stops, produced by Gardens Buffalo Niagara, was designed to share stories like these. “We use our love of gardening and community to create connections between gardeners, neighbors, and visitors,” organizers wrote in this year’s announcement. “This event is transforming our neighborhood by providing the spotlight for gardeners to ‘show out,’ by encouraging change, and inviting new ideas …” 

Discover the garden stories

Samantha White, chair of this summer’s East Side Garden Walk, has been pleased to see how the gardening in the neighborhood has been bringing people together. 

White lives on Box Avenue, where she got lots of help as she worked to clear out and plant five vacant lots during the pandemic. It is now full of the pinks, purples, yellows and whites of hostas, Shasta daisies, yarrow and roses. 

She was amazed when a neighbor came from two blocks away with his grandson and planted a bed there with flowering bushes, coneflowers and bee balm. Family and friends and people who saw photos of the project on Facebook donated too. Soon the collards, okra, tomatoes, kale and peppers will be ready to harvest from the raised beds there. 

“We’ve named that garden, ‘The Good Neighbors Garden,’” said White. “It’s a beautiful thing.” 

Photo courtesy of East Side Garden Walk on Facebook

She hopes the weekend garden walk will also encourage visitors to spend money in East Buffalo. “This little walk is an opportunity for people to help create a financial impact,” White said. “Come to the East Side and support a Black-owned business while you’re there looking at our gardens.”

Consider stopping for crisp seasoned fish, creamy grits or something on the breakfast menu at Manna@Northland in the Northland Center at 683 Northland Avenue. Find more local business listings at brownbagcertified.com

The 2022 East Side Garden Walk promises to be the most well attended since its 2018 debut, said White. Because of the pandemic, the 2020 walk was virtual – photos are still posted online. Then, torrential rains during last year’s in-person tour kept some away. White was pleased to see that the current weather forecast was more promising.  Chance of showers: 11 percent. “That’s an 89 percent chance of no rain,” White said with a laugh. 

One of the many elaborate gardens you’ll see on the East Side Garden Walk

This year, Buffalo’s poet laureate has been looking forward to walking through the gardens with her mother and nephews. The dazzling house and yard at 821 Humboldt has been one of Hanesworth’s favorites since she noticed it on her commute to work. The green and white Victorian house is festooned with flags, patriotic bunting and hanging flower baskets. Impatiens and petunias in pink, red, purple and white bloom around the porch. The yard’s photo placards of civil rights figures – from the late Congressman John Lewis to journalist Frederick Douglass and activists Rosa Parks and Angela Davis – align with her own philosophy as a poet.

“I think that’s powerful … Remembering to use what we have, our land, to pay tribute to those who came before us, those who did the work and fought for our communities, is crucial,” said Hanesworth. “I’m a storyteller and a lot of what I do is about making sure that we keep legacies alive, and that garden does that in a different way than how I do it. And I really appreciate it.”

Getting the most out of this year’s East Side Garden Walk

• Check the listings at EastSideGardenWalk.com.

• Plan a route with the website’s map, updated with new gardens throughout the week.

• Stop by one of two headquarters for more information. People’s Park on Main Street and Jewett Parkway or the Martin Luther King, Jr. Park entrance by Fillmore and North Parade avenues, where t-shirts will be sold. 

• Donate a backpack with school supplies to one of the headquarters. See the recommended supply list posted at EastSideGardenWalk.com.

• Stop by the Children’s Garden Festival, sponsored by M& T Bank and the Erie County Children’s Foundation, Saturday, July 23, from 3:30 to 7:30 p.m. at Box Avenue between Fillmore and Kehr Street. Come for free bike repair by Colored Girls Bike Too and GObike Buffalo, bounce houses, aerial dancers, games and a bookbag giveaway following a 5 p.m. poetry reading by Buffalo’s Poet Laureate Jillian Hanesworth.

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