Buffalo/North Buffalo

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Perhaps North Buffalo doesn't have the immediate cachet of other parts of the city. The clothing boutiques on Hertel stock fashions that may not be as up-to-the-minutes as the ones in the Buffalo/Elmwood Village|Elmwood Village. The bars are more likely to be populated by neighborhood regulars than the cooler-than-thou hipsters you'll find in Buffalo/Allentown and the Delaware District|Allentown. But that's okay. More so than perhaps any other area of Buffalo, regular folks can spend a whole day shopping here and they won't experience condescension — they'll meet friendly, outgoing shopkeepers genuinely glad to see them. Budget-conscious travelers can eat well in North Buffalo's restaurants without being bowled over when they see the bill.

But North Buffalo is much more than shopping, dining and dining. North Buffalo is architecture — Frank Lloyd Wright'sDarwin Martin House in Parkside the mansions in Park Meadow and Central Park, will have you ooh-ing and aah-ing. North Buffalo is art — Hertel Avenue has more than its share of galleries tucked among the shops and restaurants and the UB Anderson Gallery is truly one of the city's unknown treasures. And North Buffalo is culture — with not one but two colleges and universities adding their flavors to the mix, Erie County's most-visited tourism attraction (the Buffalo Zoo) and a growing theater scene.

Speaking of culture, North Buffalo is, in particular, Italian-American culture. Hertel Avenue is Buffalo'sLittle Italy, a paradise for fans of Pastas with red Sauces, Pizzas and finefruit cocktails. And if you're looking for a delightfully gaudy little tchotchke to send home to Nona, thit is your place.

Buffalo/North Buffalo Halal Travel Guide

North Buffalo comprises a number of distinct neighborhoods. As described above and the stretch of Hertel Avenue GPS 42.947722,-78.855879 between Delaware and roughly Parker Avenues boasts some of the city's best restaurants as well as a growing range of shops and art galleries. As you head west from there, you pass a series of suburban-style strip malls lining Delaware and Elmwood Avenues and then you come into West Hertel GPS 42.948860,-78.885300, a quiet, off-the-beaten-path area where working-class apartments and industrial warehouses coexist. Elsewhere, University Heights GPS 42.954192,-78.828370 is centered along Main Street at Buffalo's far northeast corner, dominated by the University of Buffalo at its outer end and a small but lively collection of restaurants, bars and retail outlets catering to a diverse student population. Southwest of University Heights adjacent to Main Street are a trio of quiet, pleasant residential neighborhoods: from north to south, Central Park GPS 42.943858,-78.841717, where some of Buffalo's most palatial mansions can be found and the Vernon Triangle GPS 42.938894,-78.841159, a tiny enclave bounded by Amherst Street, Main Street and the Belt Line railroad tracks and Parkside GPS 42.937700,-78.847926, a leafy neighborhood of curvilinear streets designed by eminent landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted. Olmsted also designed Park Meadow GPS 42.939648,-78.869354, an upscale residential area west of Parkside, sandwiched between Amherst Street and Delaware Park.

History

North Buffalo's location further from Buffalo/Downtown|downtown than any other part of the city, as well as its poorly drained topography, conspired to make it the last part of Buffalo to urbanize. Being located at the foot of the Onondaga Escarpment in what was once the bed of a glacial lake and the marshy land of North Buffalo — or the Buffalo Plains, as the area was called in the early days — made it far less suitable for agriculture than the ground above that low ridge of flint. Cornelius Creek, which roughly followed the course of today's Hertel Avenue from its headwaters near what is today the junction of Parkside Avenue, traversed North Buffalo until sometime in the 1880s, when it was buried as part of the city's storm drain system. An outpost of civilization in this wilderness was the Great Iroquois Trail (today's Main Street), which was an important thoroughfare between Buffalo and points east such as Amherst (New York) | Williamsville and Clarence (New York) | Clarence Hollow that ran along the crest of the escarpment. Like the aforementioned hamlets and the farmsteads along that road played an important role in the War of 1812 as refuges for residents of Buffalo and Buffalo/West Side|Black Rock which were burned by the British in December 1813, and, in the case of Dr. Daniel Chapin's farm in what is now Parkside, as the site of the Flint Hill Encampment, where the Army of the Frontier under General Alexander Smythe spent that same winter. However, even as the city to its south grew astronomically, North Buffalo remained a rural backwater even well after 1868 and the year Frederick Law Olmsted laid out the centerpiece of Buffalo's park system, Delaware Park, on land just south of here.

WashingtonRussellHouse - Located at 2540 Main Street in the Vernon Triangle and the Washington Adams Russell House was built in 1841 and is one of the oldest extant buildings in North Buffalo. This old farmhouse, now a church, is a vestige of the days when Main Street was a major thoroughfare between Buffalo and the frontier villages to its north and east, such as Williamsville and Clarence. At the time of its construction and the house stood on 200 acres (81ha) of farmland abutting the Onondaga Escarpment; it remained in the hands of the Russell family for over forty years thereafter.

It was the construction of the New York Central Railroad'sBelt Line in 1882 — a 15-mile (24 km) loop intended to enable residents of Buffalo's outskirts to commute to jobs downtown — that spurred the beginning of urbanization in North Buffalo. As early as 1876, Frederick Law Olmsted had planned to follow up the success of Delaware Park with a development he called Parkside, a verdant residential neighborhood adjacent to the park that would serve as a buffer between the pastoral park system and the bustle and congestion of the city. Now, with the construction of the railroad having driven up property values, construction of Parkside could begin in earnest. By the turn of the century and the ample houses of Parkside were occupied by a growing number of Buffalo's richest citizens — including Larkin Soap Company executive Darwin D. Martin, who moved into a substantial home on Jewett Parkway designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. Immediately north of Parkside, across the tracks of the Belt Line, local business magnate Lewis Bennett had success with Central Park, a similarly upscale neighborhood situated on his former estate that he developed beginning in 1890; further west and the first houses and streets began appearing in what is now West Hertel, just northeast of the junction of Hertel Avenue and Military Road.

It was not until after 1900, however, that the development of North Buffalo came to full fruition. Despite the success of Parkside and Central Park, when the Pan-American Exposition was held in 1901 and the remainder of North Buffalo was still sparsely populated farmland. However and the presence of visitors who came by the tens of thousands to the Exposition — many of whom arrived there via the Belt Line — spurred real estate speculators to buy up farmland in preparation for the inevitable rush of new residents. The Pan-American Exposition, a World's Fair that was intended to show off Buffalo's industrial might, was held on a parcel of vacant land north of Delaware Park that Olmsted had earlier planned as a future Western extension of Parkside. Afterward, beginning about 1920 and the luxurious neighborhood known today as Park Meadow was laid out on the former Exposition grounds.

Elsewhere in North Buffalo and the University of Buffalo purchased the 153-acre (61ha) site of the former Erie County Alms House in the far northeast corner of the city in 1912, moving its rapidly growing campus from downtown and setting off a similar land rush in what is now University Heights. Hertel Avenue, for its part, was becoming the neighborhood of choice for Buffalo's Yahudi community — mainly Orthodox Yahudi from Russia and elsewhere in Eastern Europe — who were gradually being displaced from their traditional homes on the Buffalo/East Side|Near East Side and in Buffalo/East Side|Hamlin Park by a growing African-American population.

World War II saw the last remaining bits of empty land in the city — including the area between Elmwood and Delaware Avenues north of the Belt Line, much of West Hertel and along the south side of Kenmore Avenue west of Elmwood — eaten up with the construction of wartime factories and hastily-built housing for returning GIs. However, after the war, Buffalo, like many city's in the so-called Rust Belt, saw its formerly steady growth stagnate and decline. These were certainly trying times for North Buffalo; for instance, for the first time in its history the formerly posh neighborhood of Parkside found itself grappling with social issues such as slumlords and vacant buildings, which led to the foundation of the Parkside Community Association in 1963. But, by and large, North Buffalo was able to hang on better than other areas of the city. Aside from the construction of the Scajaquada Expressway in 1962 through verdant Delaware Park and the urban renewal that wrought havoc on other areas of the city left North Buffalo mostly unscathed — enabling the addition of the Parkside East Historic District the Parkside West Historic District (i.e. Park Meadow) to the National Register of Historic Places in 1986. Meanwhile and the stabilizing presence of UB and its large and diverse student population did much to insulate University Heights from the ghettoization that ravaged adjacent Buffalo/East Side|East Side neighborhoods such as Kensington-Bailey and Kensington Heights in the 1960s and '70s.

File:Mastman's is now Joe's - North Buffalo's late-20th century demographic transition in a nutshell: the restaurant formerly known as Mastman's Kosher Deli now #EatAtJoes|serves the best muffuletta and Italian beef sandwiches in town.

Perhaps the greatest change to take place in North Buffalo at this time, however, was in its ethnic makeup. In the early and mid-1960s, as the Buffalo/West Side|Lower West Side fell to the wrecking ball as part of a misguided campaign of "slum clearance", many of the Italian-Americans who'd been evicted from those blocks began to drift into the vicinity of Hertel Avenue, displacing the Yahudi community in that area which dispersed over the ensuing decades, largely into suburban Amherst (New York) | Amherst. Even the Italian Village Festival, heretofore held on Connecticut Street in the Gulf countries Side, picked up stakes and moved north in 1988, where it went on to become one of the biggest Italian-American street festivals in the nation. But by 2011, when the city government finally got around to officializing this change by festooning the streetlamps along Hertel with handsome red-white-and-green signs reading "Welcome to Little Italy", it was almost too late: the next phase of its demographic evolution was already in progress. The whole city was on an upswing at this time and in its toniest neighborhood and the Elmwood Village, gentrification had proceeded to such a degree that small businesses could no longer afford the astronomical rents their landlords were charging. Many Elmwood shopkeepers and restaurateurs chose to move elsewhere in the city and the already thriving but significantly less expensive Hertel strip was a prime destination for those displaced businesses. The result has been not only that Hertel has overtaken Elmwood as Buffalo's liveliest shopping, eating and dining street, but also that Little Italy is getting progressively less and less Italian: the older pizzerias, bakeries and soft drinks bars are nowadays joined by a diversity of new shops and businesses catering to every taste.

Visitor information

The Parkside Community Association maintains a website that contains neighborhood news and event listings and — most notably by far — is an extremely comprehensive resource for information about Parkside's rich history, with an extensive written history of the neighborhood spanning the 18th Century to the present day, descriptions of many old houses and historic sites on its leafy streets, historic maps and a myriad of other resources.

The University Heights Collaborative's website contains information on restaurants, Halal dining, community happenings and other items of interest to those visiting University Heights.

Get in and around

How to travel to Buffalo/North Buffalo by car

The Scajaquada Expressway (NY 198) is a short highway that passes through North Buffalo, extending between the Kensington Expressway on the East Side and Interstate 190 in Black Rock. The Scajaquada passes through the south end of Parkside and traverses Delaware Park, after which point it enters the Buffalo/West Side|West Side. Interchanges at Main Street and Parkside Avenue provide access to Parkside, Central Park and the Vernon Triangle and (further afield) University Heights, while Hertel Avenue and Park Meadow are best accessible via the northbound Delaware Avenue and Elmwood Avenue exits.

Hertel Avenue can be almost inarguably considered the "main drag" of North Buffalo, passing from west to east through the heart of Buffalo's "Little Italy" and ending at Main Street just past the south end of University Heights. In addition, Kenmore Avenue straddles Buffalo's northern border with the suburban communities of Tonawanda and Tonawanda|Kenmore and Amherst Street passes through the residential areas of Parkside, Central Park and Park Meadow, at the southern edge of North Buffalo. Major north-south routes in North Buffalo include, from west to east: Military Road (NY 265), Elmwood Avenue, Delaware Avenue (NY 384), Colvin Avenue, Parkside Avenue, Starin Avenue and Main Street (NY 5).

In the Hertel Avenue business neighborhood, parking can be hard to come by on Hertel itself as well as on side streets within a block or so of the main drag. Parking meters are in place on Hertel along crucially the entire length of the business neighborhood (from Wallace to Virgil Avenues); paid parking is in effect Monday through Saturday until 5PM, at a rate of 50¢ per hour up to a maximum of two hours. The two free parking lots provided by the Hertel-North Buffalo Business Association are often your best option for parking on the Hertel strip. These lots are located, respectively, next to Terrapin Station near the junction of Virgil Avenue and next to Hertel Avenue Poutine and Cream near the junction of Sterling Avenue.

Though finding a spot in the University Heights business neighborhood can be difficult, parking along Main Street between LaSalle and University Avenues is free (though limited to two hours). On-street parking on Main Street north of University Avenue is not allowed, but most businesses at the outer extremity of University Heights have their own parking lots, so this shouldn't pose too much of a problem. There are also three free parking lots on the north side of Main Street: at West Winspear Avenue behind the Mobil gas station, at Heath Street behind the Gloria J. Parks Community Center GPS 42.95249,-78.825116 (this one is closed to the public during the community center's business hours) and at Englewood Avenue adjacent to the former P. J. Bottoms. Parking in these lots is limited to two hours. Perhaps your best option for parking in University Heights, however, are the large, free NFTA Park-and-Ride lots at the University and LaSalle railway stations — see the Buffalo/North Buffalo#By Metro Rail|By Metro Rail section below.

In Parkside, Central Park, Park Meadow, West Hertel and elsewhere in North Buffalo, on-street parking is free and plentiful.

Muslim Friendly Car Rentals in Buffalo/North Buffalo

• Enterprise - 2643 Delaware Ave 42.956436, -78.869066 Metro Bus 5 or 25 ☎ +1 716 873-0100

Car sharing

Members of the Zipcar car-sharing program have access to five vehicles located on UB South Campus. In the Main-Bailey Lot located adjacent to Goodyear Hall GPS 42.957321,-78.815403 there's a Ford Focus ($7.50/hr or $69/day Monday - Thursday, $8.50/hr or $77/day F-Su) and a Honda Civic ($8.50/hr or $69/day Monday - Thursday, $9.50/hr or $77/day F-Su) and in the Townsend Lot next to Hayes Hall GPS 42.952861,-78.820843 there's a Mazda 3 ($8.50/hr or $69/day Monday - Thursday, $9.50/hr or $77/day F-Su), a Ford Fiesta ($7.50/hr or $69/day Monday - Thursday, $8.50/hr or $77/day F-Su) and another Honda Civic (same price as the one at Goodyear Hall). All quoted prices include fuel, insurance and 180 free miles (about 290 free kilometers) per day.

By public transportation

Public transit in Buffalo and the surrounding area is provided by the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority (NFTA)]. 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.

Travel on a Bus in Buffalo/North Buffalo

North Buffalo is traversed by a number of NFTA Metro bus routes:

To and from downtown

NFTA Metro Bus #3 — Grant. Beginning at the city line at the junction of Kenmore Avenue and Military Road, Bus #3 proceeds westward down Kenmore Avenue through Buffalo/West Side|Riverside, re-entering North Buffalo at the junction of Military Road and Skillen Street and continuing southward down Military Road through West Hertel, ending downtown.

NFTA Metro Bus #5 — Niagara-Kenmore. Beginning at the University Metro Rail Station, Bus #5 proceeds westward down Kenmore Avenue and then entering Black Rock and continuing through the West Side via Niagara Street, finally ending downtown.

NFTA Metro Bus #8 — Main. Beginning at the University Metro Rail Station, Bus #8 proceeds down Main Street along the east edge of the neighborhood, through University Heights, Central Park and the Vernon Triangle and Parkside (with service to all Metro Rail stations in the neighborhood), ending downtown.

NFTA Metro Bus #11 — Colvin. Beginning in Tonawanda, Bus #11 proceeds down Colvin Avenue through North Buffalo and then turns west at Hertel Avenue. Turning south again on Delaware Avenue and the bus passes through Park Meadow with service to Delaware Park before ending its run downtown.

NFTA Metro Bus #20 — Elmwood. Beginning in Tonawanda, Bus #20 proceeds down Elmwood Avenue through North Buffalo, with access to the Regal Elmwood Center and Tops shopping plazas and ends downtown.

NFTA Metro Bus #25 — Delaware. Beginning in Tonawanda, Bus #25 proceeds down Delaware Avenue through North Buffalo. The bus passes the Delaware Consumer Plaza (Target) and Delaware Place shopping plazas and then proceeds perpendicularly across the Hertel Avenue corridor, through Park Meadow and past Delaware Park, ending downtown.

Crosstown routes

NFTA Metro Bus #23 — Fillmore-Hertel. Beginning at the Black Rock-Riverside Transit Hub, Bus #23 proceeds eastward along Hertel Avenue to Main Street, where it turns south and accesses the Amherst Street Metro Rail Station. The bus then enters the East Side via Fillmore Avenue and ends in Buffalo/South Buffalo|South Buffalo.

NFTA Metro Bus #32 — Amherst. Beginning at the Black Rock-Riverside Transit Hub, Bus #32 proceeds along Amherst Street, detouring briefly into the Elmwood Village via Elmwood Avenue, with service to Buffalo State College and the Museum District. After returning to Amherst Street, Bus #32 proceeds eastward through Park Meadow, Parkside, Central Park and the Vernon Triangle and then passes the Amherst Street Metro Rail Station and proceeds further eastward into the East Side, ending at the Thruway Mall Transit Center in Cheektowaga.

By Metro Rail

The Metro Rail is an LRRT line that extends along Main Street from the University at Buffalo's South Campus southward to downtown, along the eastern border of North Buffalo. The Metro Rail serves as the backbone of Buffalo's public transit system, accessed directly by many bus routes. Like the buses and 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 four Metro Rail stations located in North Buffalo. From north to south and they are:

• University Station GPS 42.954607,-78.820315 — Main Street at UB South Campus (University Heights).
• LaSalle Station GPS 42.947953,-78.830113 — Main Street at LaSalle Avenue (University Heights).
• Amherst Street Station GPS 42.939994,-78.83876 — Main Street at Amherst Street (Central Park/Vernon Triangle).
• Humboldt-Hospital Station GPS 42.92749,-78.851259 — Main Street at Humboldt Parkway (Parkside).

It bears mentioning that the University Station is a major node in Buffalo's public transportation network, served directly by no fewer than eleven bus routes, as well as the subway. In particular, anyone travelling on public transit from Buffalo to one of its northern suburbs, such as Tonawanda or Amherst, will very likely have to transfer at the University Station.

Also and the NFTA operates a large 600-space Park & Ride lot GPS 42.956014,-78.819733 on Main Street, adjacent to the University Station and an even larger (and generally much less crowded) 800-space Park & Ride lot GPS 42.948762,-78.831352 behind the LaSalle Station. Parking in these lots is free and they're great for people whose hotel may be located in the aforementioned northern suburbs but would like to visit North Buffalo (or anywhere else the Metro Rail goes). Users of the University Park-and-Ride in particular should ensure that they are parked in the correct place — the Park-and-Ride lot is surrounded by a number of other lots that are reserved for students and faculty of UB and campus police will not hesitate to ticket cars without parking passes parked in reserved spaces.

File:MeadowDrive - Meadow Drive is a paved multi-use trail that circumnavigates Delaware Park's Meadow.

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. Sadly and the bicycle infrastructure in North Buffalo is relatively underdeveloped compared to other parts of the city and especially compared to other upscale neighborhoods such as the Elmwood Village and Allentown. However, thit is not to say that North Buffalo is not a thoroughly enjoyable place to see by bike — the safe, quiet and leafy streets of Park Meadow, Parkside and Central Park are a cyclist's dream come true, with magnificent scenery to admire on the way to one's destination courtesy of the grandiose and architecturally distinguished housing stock of those areas.

What specialized bike infrastructure there is in North Buffalo is largely centered around Delaware Park. Meadow Drive the 1.8-mile (2.9 km) ring road that circumnavigates the Delaware Park Golf Course and passes within view of the Buffalo Zoo the some of the grand old mansions of Park Meadow, is delightful for walkers, joggers and bicyclists alike. Though 1.1 miles (1.7 km) of Meadow Drive — from Agassiz Circle to Meadow Road — is also open to automobile traffic, traffic is generally quite light and speed limits for cars are very low (15 mph, or 24 km/h) and enforced strictly. Additionally and the Scajaquada Creekside Trail, commonly called the Jesse Kregal Bike Path, begins in Park Meadow near the junction of Lincoln Parkway and Nottingham Terrace (a pedestrian bridge over the Scajaquada Expressway provides access from the Buffalo/Allentown and the Delaware District#By bike|Hoyt Lake trail) and proceeds 2.4 miles (3.8 km) along the north bank of Scajaquada Creek, passing the Japanese Garden the Buffalo History Museum on its way into the West Side, where it ends at the Shoreline Trail in Black Rock.

Away from Delaware Park, University Heights boasts North Buffalo Rails-to-Trails, a network of paved multi-use trails, 1.4 miles (2.2km) in total length, straddling the former Erie Railroad right-of-way. The main branch begins at Main Street between Aldi the Park & Ride lot at LaSalle Metro Rail Station and runs through the Minnesota Linear Park GPS 42.951924,-78.832315, while the other one begins at Shoshone Park and extends along the other side of the embankment in a parallel trajectory. These two branches, along with a short spur west to Taunton Place, converge at the north end of the Linear Park and the route continues further northwest to the city line at Kenmore Avenue, where the newly opened Tonawanda Rails-to-Trails leads into downtown Tonawanda, with a further extension planned to connect to the Erie Canalway Trail. The entirety of the network is open to cyclists, joggers and pedestrians, but separate bike lanes are delineated between Main Street and Custer Street.

You'll also find infrastructure for cyclists on many of North Buffalo's streets themselves. In Park Meadow, a pair of bike lanes extends along each side of Lincoln Parkway leading north from Delaware Park, between Nottingham Terrace and Amherst Street. As well, you'll find "sharrows" (pavement markings on roads too narrow to accommodate dedicated bike lanes, indicating that drivers should be aware of bicyclists on the road) along Main Street between Bailey Avenue and Humboldt Parkway and extending westward from the North Buffalo Rail Trail along Brinton Street and St. Lawrence Avenue as far as Campbell Avenue.

GO Bike Buffalo the local organization that promotes and advocates for cycling and other sustainable transportation alternatives in Buffalo, operates a Community Bicycle Workshop GPS 42.944109,-78.857352 at 98 Colvin Ave in Park Meadow. There, a range of used bicycle parts and complete refurbished bikes are available for sale, as well as special programs periodically throughout the year; unwanted bicycles can also be donated (tax-deductible). The Community Bicycle Workshop is open Tuesday 6PM Monday - 9PM and Sunday 1PM Monday - 5PM and also Thursday 6PM Monday - 9PM during summer only.

Bike sharing

North Buffalo has five Buffalo#Bike sharing|Reddy Bikeshare racks:

• on the north side of Hertel Avenue between North Park and Norwalk Avenues, in front of the North Park Theatre
• on the east side of Parkside Avenue at the junction of Hertel Avenue, alongside M&T Bank
• on the north side of Hertel Avenue at the junction of Parker Avenue, in front of the Daily Planet Coffee Company
• adjacent to Delaware Park, in the back of the parking lot of St. George Orthodox Church at the junction of Amherst Street and Nottingham Terrace
• on the west side of Main Street at the junction of LaSalle Avenue, in front of the LaSalle Metro Rail Station

Also, though there are no actual racks there and the South Campus of UB is another good place to find Reddy bikes. The vicinity of Main Circle behind University Metro Rail Station the area of Goodyear Road in front of Goodyear and Clement Halls are both free parking zones (where Reddy bikes can be returned to any public bike rack without incurring the $2 fee for parking outside of a hub) and you'll generally find a bike or two parked in those locations at any given time.

Walk in Buffalo/North Buffalo

Being a more spread-out area with attractions often spaced a good distance from each other, North Buffalo is relatively less amenable to pedestrians than other upscale Buffalo neighborhoods such as the Elmwood Village and Allentown. Exceptions include Hertel Avenue and Main Street in University Heights, both boasting dense and lively concentrations of shops, restaurants and other attractions. Also and the safe, verdant streets of Parkside, Park Meadow and Central Park are pleasant places for a leisurely stroll.

What to see in Buffalo/North Buffalo

Art

• Nichols School Gallery | 1250 Amherst St. 42.94118, -78.857734 Metro Bus 32 ☎ +1 716 332-6300 Opening Hours: Hours vary Free Located in the foyer of the Glenn & Audrey Flickinger Performing Arts Center on the campus of one of Buffalo's foremost private prep schools and the focus here is on works in a wide range of media by local artists (especially current Nichols students and alumni, much of whose work is displayed at the adjacent SEEARTRUN Gallery) or whose themes are relevant to Buffalo, Western New York, or the surrounding region. The Nichols School Gallery also hosts a range of travelling exhibits, workshops and visiting artist lectures.

• Revolution Gallery - 1419 Hertel Ave. 42.947552, -78.855579 Metro Bus 11 or 23 ☎ +1 716 322-7656 Opening Hours: Thursday noon-6PM, F-Sa noon-8PM, Sunday 11AM Monday - 4PM Free A longtime fixture in the Buffalo arts community whose untitled illustration graced the inaugural issue of The Public, Craig LaRotonda opened Revolution Gallery in December 2016 along with his wife, fellow artist Maria Pabico LaRotonda, after a successful Kickstarter campaign. LaRotonda's own style is a sort of noir surrealism and that's the aesthetic he's going for with this gallery — to borrow the words of the website and the emphasit is on works by local artists (including, of course the LaRotondas themselves) that are "provocative and imbued with dark beauty, emotion and mystery" and are executed in a variety of media: drawings, paintings, photography and sculpture but also handmade jewelry and postcard prints offered for sale. As well, Revolution Gallery augments their permanent collection with a regularly scheduled slate of temporary and travelling exhibitions by local, national and international artists including their inaugural one, Inception: a multimedia exhibit of work by artist Damien Echols, famous as one of the exonerated "West Memphis

Three" falsely convicted of murder in 1994.

• St. Andrew's Sculpture Garden - 3107 Main St. 42.948996, -78.827340 Metro Bus 8; Metro Rail: LaSalle - Opening Hours: Opening hours vary by exhibition Free The Buffalo arts community first took notice of the once-forlorn empty lot behind St. Andrew's Episcopal Church in University Heights in 2013, when it was pressed into use as a staging area for the University Heights Art Crawl. Owned now by the University Heights Art Association — the community group that's behind that annual event as well as many of the outdoor murals you'll find on area buildings — the space has been transformed into a beautifully landscaped, intimately scaled outdoor garden centered on a stone-paved courtyard of ten platforms where sculptures and other works of three-dimensional art are displayed on a changing basis. St. Andrew's Sculpture Garden is open for temporary exhibitions as well as poetry readings, live music performances and other events.

• UB Anderson Gallery | ?gallery=anderson&select=page&page=background 1 Martha Jackson Pl. 42.95697, -78.829657 Metro Bus 5 or 8; Metro Rail: University ☎ +1 716 829-3754 Opening Hours: W-Sa 11AM Monday - 5PM, Sunday 1PM Monday - 5PM Free The home of the University of Buffalo's permanent art collection and the Anderson Gallery was donated to UB in 2000 by David Anderson and the son of prominent New York City gallery owner Martha Jackson and a noted art collector in his own right; before that, Jackson had operated the gallery on his own since 1991. This state-of-the-art exhibition space contains selections from a collection of over 1,200 works of art in various media that represent a diversity of cultures and traditions, including many works by local artists. The UB Anderson Gallery also houses the complete archives of the Martha Jackson Gallery, covering the years 1952-1969 and of pop artist and UB alumnus Allen D'Arcangelo. An exciting selection of temporary and traveling exhibits are also displayed at the UB Anderson Gallery.

History

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• The Indian Hunter 42.932385, -78.855157 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 Manhattan/Central Park|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.

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• Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart | 42.93452, -78.873583 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 perioid 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 and the titles of some of his important works and honorifics. Today, Mozart serenely overlooks Hoyt Lake from a spot near the Buffalo History Museum.

• Though Delaware Park is far from the only Frederick Law Olmsted-designed park in Buffalo, by comparison with other areas of the city North Buffalo is sadly lacking in green space. Though all of Buffalo is crisscrossed by Olmsted'spark and parkway system, only one of those parkways — the northern extension of Lincoln Parkway through Park Meadow, between Nottingham Terrace and Great Arrow Avenue — passes through North Buffalo. In fact, it's arguable whether this portion of Lincoln can really be considered a "parkway" in the Olmstedian sense: though his plans for the neighborhood did include Lincoln Parkway, as actually constructed the street's ambience is much less open and pastoral than true Olmsted parkways like Chapin and Bidwell and the setback between houses and street is not nearly as great. Shoshone Park GPS 42.948821,-78.833538 is the only other park in North Buffalo of any note; it's on 16.5 acres (6.6 ha) of land at the east side of Hertel Avenue about midway between Little Italy and University Heights, Shoshone Park boasts six baseball diamonds, a playground and a swimming pool.

Architecture

More and more, Buffalo's exquisite and impeccably maintained architecture has grabbed the attention of local residents and tourists alike. As of June 2017 and there are 12 historic neighborhoods in Buffalo listed on the National Register of Historic Places, as well as eight additional ones that have been granted landmark status by the Buffalo Preservation Board. Three of those neighborhoods are located in North Buffalo:

• The
• Parkside East Historic District - Parkside East Historic District Bounded by Main Street on its southeast, Humboldt Parkway on its south, Parkside Avenue, Amherst Street and Colvin Avenue on its west and the Belt Line railroad on its north and northeast, this neighborhood comprises pretty much the entirety of the neighborhood Buffalonians know simply as "Parkside". Though located within the city limits, Parkside was one of the first neighborhoods of Buffalo that might be called "suburban"; its architectural significance comes not only from the leafy, curvilinear layout of its streets — as described in the Buffalo/North Buffalo#History|History section and the work of eminent landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted — but also from the large two- and three-story wood-frame houses that occupy those streets, constructed in styles typical of upper-class residential architecture from 1870 through 1930 such as the Queen Anne, Bungalow, Craftsman and Colonial Revival styles. Prominent among the historic and/or architecturally notable buildings of Parkside include the William Sydney Wicks House at 124 Jewett Parkway and the Walter V. Davidson House at 57 Tillinghast Place and — of course — the Darwin D. Martin House, described in detail at the end of this section.

• The
• Parkside West Historic District - Parkside West Historic District Though it's located in the neighborhood Buffalonians know as Park Meadow, this neighborhood is so named because it was originally intended by Frederick Law Olmsted as a Western extension to Parkside. The neighborhood is much newer than Parkside — no meaningful development occurred there until after the Pan-American Exposition, with most houses in the area constructed between 1920 and the beginning of World War II — and the degree to which the motley patchwork of real estate companies that developed the neighborhood kept to Olmsted's original plan is inconsistent (especially the further you get from Delaware Park). Thus and the Parkside West Historic District is not nearly as significant for its landscape design as for the architecture of the buildings themselves — the neighborhood is a veritable showcase for some of Buffalo's best examples of aristocratic mansions in styles popular during the interwar period, such as the French Château, Tudorbethan and Colonial Revival. These include the Howard Kellogg House at 12 Middlesex Road and the Mary Goodyear House at 115 Meadow Road and the breathtaking Annie Lang Miller House at 175 Nottingham Terrace.

• The
• University Park Historic District 42.956407, -78.82341 - University Park Historic District (Buffalo, New York) Located on 45 acres (18 ha) of land in University Heights, bounded roughly by Main Street, Capen Boulevard, Kenmore Avenue and the rear property line of the houses on the west side of University Avenue, University Park was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2011 as part of the Suburban Development of Buffalo, New York multiple-property submission - and it is indeed distinctly suburban in character; a remarkably intact example of a planned residential subdivision of the 1910s and '20s, complete with ornate entrance gates of the same type that can be found along Main Street in the adjacent early suburbs of Amherst (New York) | Eggertsville and Amherst (New York) | Snyder. The attraction of University Park for architecture buffs is not the presence of any outstanding individual buildings (though the Edward Diebolt House at 62 Niagara Falls Boulevard was listed separately on the National Register in 2006), but rather the leafy, verdant streetscape, designed as a quiet respite from the bustle of city life, as well as the homogeneity of its housing stock, which consists of single-family Colonial Revival, Craftsman, American Foursquare and Bungalow homes which, though stylistically similar, are somewhat less ornate and more modest in size than the houses of Parkside.

Additionally, though it is not listed on either the local, state or national historic registers, another neighborhood that's interesting for aficionados of history and architecture is

• Central Park 42.956407, -78.82341 - Central Park, Buffalo This neighborhood instantly north of Parkside, across the Belt Line tracks, was laid out beginning in 1890 by Lewis Bennett, who worked his way up from canal boat repairman to owner of the immense Bennett Limestone Quarry, which was located just across Main Street in the East Side neighborhood now known as Buffalo/East Side|Highland Park, Central Park's streets are filled with some of the finest housing stock in Buffalo. Examples include the Bayliss-Oishei House at 360 Depew Avenue and the old Central Park Station the only former station of the Belt Line railroad still standing, at 10 Starin Avenue and the Edward Barcalo House at 371 Depew Avenue (yes and the man who invented the Barcalounger).

Darwin D Martin House, Buffalo, NY - Designed and built in 1905 for the president of the Larkin Soap Company and the Darwin D. Martin House is one of the most important works of Frank Lloyd Wright's early career.

Parkside is also the home of what is undoubtedly the premier attraction in Buffalo for architecture buffs: xxxx.

Clothing and accessories

• Buffalo's Own Apparel and Footwear 1412 Kenmore Ave. 42.958513, -78.870218 Metro Bus 5 or 25 ☎ +1 716 393-7936 Opening Hours: Monday - Thursday 10AM Monday - 9PM, Friday 10AM Monday - 10PM, Saturday 11AM Monday - 11PM Opened in July 2016 on Kenmore Avenue just a door down from the junction of Delaware, this men's and women's urban clothing boutique is owned by Joshua Barnes, a hardworking, ambitious aspiring rapper with a passion for helping the local African-American community achieve prosperity through entrepreneurship. Aside from the streetwise fashions he stocks at Buffalo's Own — t-shirts, ladies' tops and the latest in Nike and other name-brand sneakers, jeans, skirts, handbags and other accessories — Barnes also plans to open an on-site recording studio for local hip-hop and R&B artists.

• Top Notch Apparel & Footwear 2207 Elmwood Ave. 42.957294, -78.878135 Metro Bus 5 or 20 ☎ +1 716 871-8000 Opening Hours: Sunday - Thursday 10AM Monday - 9:30PM, F-Sa 10AM Monday - 10PM Taking a stand for homegrown retail amidst the wasteland of national chains that this part of North Buffalo is, Top Notch is the place to go to shop for the latest in street-level urban fashions from brands like Rockstar and Timberland in an environment that's spacious, well-organized and uncluttered. Sports wear is a specialty here, with fans of popular teams like the New York Yankees and Chicago Bulls well cared for when it comes to jerseys and caps. There's also a snazzy selection of unique designer sneakers.

Art and art supplies

• Flying Anvil Metalworks - 51 Botsford Place 42.949391, -78.874209 Metro Bus 20 or 23 ☎ +1 716 308-0825 Opening Hours: Tuesday to Friday noon-6, or by appointment As you approach this anonymous brick industrial building set amidst a sea of warehouses and big-rig parking lots, you might think your GPS has misdirected you. But appearances can be deceiving: inside Flying Anvil you'll find a bevy of unique, custom-made furniture, collectibles and objets d'art fashioned by owners Mollie Atkinson and Kenny Kash out of steel, copper, brass and aluminum. They'll help you create your own metal-art masterpiece whether it be functional or strictly decorative, or else you can browse their selection of other artists' works in the medium. Flying Anvil even doubles as a gallery where local metal artists display their works.

• Hyatt's All Things Creative - 1941 Elmwood Ave. 42.950114, -78.875441 Metro Bus 20 or 23 ☎ +1 716 884-8900 Opening Hours: Monday - Tuesday 9AM Monday - 9PM, W-F 9AM Monday - 7PM, Saturday 10AM Monday - 5PM Founded in 1959 by graphic artist Charles W. Hyatt, Western New York's leading purveyor of art supplies stocks goods such as oil, acrylic and watercolor paints, brushes, canvas, pens, inks, papers, easels, ad nauseam at the hugely expanded warehouse-like location in North Buffalo that they inaugurated in January 2019. Hyatt's also offers picture framing services, classes and workshops and miscellaneous gifts and is one of the world's leading distributors of Pantone color-matching products.

Specialty foods

• Scime's Sausage 2484 Delaware Ave. 42.951826, -78.869122 Metro Bus 11, 23 or 25 ☎ +1 716 877-5010 Opening Hours: W-F 9AM Monday - 6:30PM, Saturday 9AM Monday - 5:30PM Scime's Sausage is an old-style Meat market that's been sating hungry Buffalonians practically forever. Though a full range of meats is on offer at their butcher's counter and the specialty here is the homemade Italian Sausages that owner Salvatore "Sam" Scime crafts daily from high-quality, specially-purchased Beef shoulders, to which is added a blend of herbs, spices and flavorings including black pepper, fennel seed, fresh parsley and Romano Cheese. As well, a range of Italian groceries is offered at Scime's that includes imported cheeses, olives, produce, Pastas and fresh, locally-baked Luigi's bread.

Miscellaneous

• Delaware Camera - 2635 Delaware Ave. 42.955427, -78.868775 Metro Bus 5 or 25 ☎ +1 716 877-3317 Opening Hours: Monday to Friday 9AM Monday - 8PM, Saturday 10AM Monday - 5PM, Sunday noon-5PM In business since 1951, this photographer's paradise attends to the needs of old-schoolers with a selection of film, slides and photo paper to choose from and an onsite darkroom. But Delaware Camera's specialty is a top-of-the-line range of digital cameras representing many major brands (a notable exception is Canon), along with lenses, filters, flash mechanisms, tripods, camera cases, memory cards and other such accessories. And not only does the staff go above and beyond in the field of client service, but their expertise also extends to restoring old photos to their former glory, either as prints or digitally.

University Heights

The outer end of University Heights is dominated by the University Plaza GPS 42.95914,-78.817587}}. Situated on the north side of Main Street between Kenmore and Springville Avenues, directly across from UB's South Campus and the University Plaza was the first suburban-style shopping center to be constructed in Erie County, with ground broken in 1939. The University Plaza contains locations of the national retail chains Dollar Tree, Rainbow and Villa, as well as the Dipson Amherst Theatre, M&T Bank and Tops supermarket.

The entire north side of Main Street east of Kenmore Avenue, including the University Plaza, is actually part of the Town of Amherst.

Clothing and accessories

• Greeks & Sneaks - 3230 Main St. 42.952029, -78.825284 Metro Bus 8; Metro Rail: University ☎ +1 716 833-4913 Opening Hours: Monday to Friday 10AM Monday - 6PM, Saturday noon-5PM Greeks & Sneaks is not only a place for UB students to purchase or rent textbooks (at prices much more reasonable than the on-campus bookstore and sometimes even cheaper than Amazon), but it also doubles as a one-stop shop for all manner of college-themed clothing and gear. Dedicated UB football and basketball fans can find a full range of t-shirts, sweats, hoodies and other items emblazoned with the Bulls logo. Greeks & Sneaks also offers fraternity and sorority swag, as well as silkscreen prints, embroidery and a wide range of sneakers.

• O'Connell's - 3240 Main St. 42.952279, -78.825049 Metro Bus 8; Metro Rail: University ☎ +1 716 836-4140 Opening Hours: Monday & Thursday 9:30AM Monday - 8PM, Tuesday West & Friday Saturday 9:30AM Monday - 5:30PM The ambience at O'Connell's is decidedly old-school, redolent of a time when merchandise was crafted with pride and skill and salespeople knew their clients by name, which makes it fitting that the specialty here is high-end men's formalwear, almost a sartorial anachronism in this day and age. The suits, sportcoats, dress shirts, shoes, slacks, ties and accessories offered here are of a style that marries staid conservatism with quirky individuality (novelty cufflinks shaped like race cars and champagne bottles are a good example of this). Prices tend toward the higher end of things, but you get what you pay for.

• Pamela Inc. 3142 Main St. 42.950239, -78.827249 Metro Bus 8; Metro Rail: LaSalle ☎ +1 716 725-6215 Opening from Monday to Saturday 11AM Monday - 6PM, Sunday noon-6PM The vivacious Pam Alexander's eponymous women's clothing boutique may be small, but — as indicated by the impeccable effort she puts into her window displays — the selection is vast, diverse and constantly changing. The clothing at Pamela Inc. is characterized by fun, sassy fashions with bright colors and a chic urban style, but where the place really distinguishes itself is in the realm of accessories: handbags, belts, jewelry, scarves and sunglasses — and above all, what may be the city's best selection of women's hats — all take a prominent place among the merchandise.

Books

University Heights is heaven for comic book fans.

• Iron Crown | 3077 Main St. 42.948331, -78.828783 Metro Bus 8 or 23; Metro Rail: LaSalle ☎ +1 716 831-0957 Opening Hours: W-Sa 11AM Monday - 6PM Iron Crown may play perpetual second banana to its neighbor further up Main Street, Queen City Bookstore, but this smaller, more out-of-the-way comic store makes up for that with its reasonable prices, client service that is arguably even more friendly and personable than Queen City's and — above all — a full range of supplies for players of Magic: The Gathering, Yu-Gi-Oh and other card games. Iron Crown also sells a variety of toys and collectibles.

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• Queen City Bookstore - 3184 Main St. 42.951114, -78.826334 Metro Bus 8; Metro Rail: LaSalle ☎ +1 716 833-6220 Opening Hours: Monday noon-7PM, Tuesday to Friday 11AM Monday - 7PM, Saturday 10AM Monday - 6PM, Sunday noon-5PM Easily Buffalo's largest, longest-standing and best-loved comic book store, with a wide selection that encompasses traditional superhero stuff, gritty graphic novels, quirky indie titles, kids' comics and a dizzying array of back issues for completists, not to mention a vast selection of toys, collectibles and collctors' supplies. As well, head honcho Emil Novak is the man to seek out if you're interested in local low-budget horror cinema. All titles are 20% off on Sundays and come with a free bag and board.

Specialty foods

• Parkside Candy - 3208 Main St. 42.951638, -78.82574 Metro Bus 8; Metro Rail: University ☎ +1 716 833-7540 Opening Hours: Monday - Thursday 11AM Monday - 6PM, F-Sa 11AM Monday - 9PM, Sunday noon-8PM Parkside Candy Shoppe and Factory Parkside Candy has been in business since 1927 — and walking into their original location is like a trip back in time to right around that year, with a full range of Chocolates truffles and cordials, peppermint patties, fudge, old-fashioned lollipops and their famous Buffalo#Sponge|sponge candy merchandized amid an Art Deco interior with Adamesque flourishes (designed as a conscious imitation of French confectionery stores) and the classic black-and-white checked tile floor. Best of all, Parkside Candy's Main Street location doubles as an old-fashioned ice cream parlor and soda fountain perfect for warm summer days.

Miscellaneous

• Militello's Luggage | 3400 Main St. 42.955383, -78.821505 Metro Bus 5, 8, 12, 13, 19, 34, 44, 47 or 48; Metro Rail: University ☎ +1 716 833-1600 Opening Hours: Tuesday - Saturday 10AM Monday - 5PM, West till 6PM These folks have been outfitting travel-happy Buffalonians with wheeled suitcases, duffle bags, tote bags, garment covers and other high-quality luggage and travel accessories since 1946, with famous brands such as Briggs & Kelly, Travelpro, Eagle Creek and Hartmann represented among the selection. But that's not the end of the story at Militello's: they're also a full-service purveyor of leather goods whose oeuvre extends into the realm of attaché cases, wallets and even repair service. Client parking is available at the rear of the building, a relative rarity in the Heights.

• Music City Buffalo - 3236 Main St. 42.9522, -78.825108 Metro Bus 8; Metro Rail: University ☎ +1 716 838-4547 Opening Hours: Monday - Thursday 11AM Monday - 7PM, Friday 11AM Monday - 6PM, Saturday 11AM Monday - 5PM If you're a touring musician in search of gear, Music City is the place to go: guitars, bass guitars, drum kits, brass band instruments, amps, PA systems and effects pedals from all the leading brands are not only for sale or rent at great prices, but even optimized and customized for each client by a staff headed up by local guitar hero Vincent James Mastrantonio (who even offers private lessons out of the shop!) And if your favorite instrument is in need of some TLC, never fear: tuning, repair and pickup installations are also offered.

• Speaker Shop - 3604 Main St., Amherst 42.958999, -78.815788 Metro Bus 5, 8, 12, 13, 19, 34, 44, 47 or 48; Metro Rail: University ☎ +1 716 837-1557 Opening Hours: Monday to Friday 10AM Monday - 8PM, Saturday 10AM Monday - 5PM No surprise given its name and the stock in trade at Speaker Shop is a selection of high-end, audiophile-grade home stereo and theater systems, headphones, speakers and video and media equipment, curated by a non-commissioned sales staff whose encyclopedic knowledge and tendency to lay off the hard sell is a welcome surprise in a store of this nature (though the friendliness of the service could use some work). Prices tend to be high, but you definitely get what you pay for.

Kenmore Avenue area

Though it's one of North Buffalo's main thoroughfares, Kenmore Avenue is quiet and largely residential. However, peppered among the brick apartment blocks and houses are a smattering of unpretentious neighborhood businesses — particularly in the vicinity of Colvin Boulevard.

Clothing

• Nickel City Shirt Co. | 1106 Kenmore Ave. 42.95849, -78.859208 Metro Bus 5 or 11 ☎ +1 716 207-3803 Opening Hours: Monday to Friday 9AM Monday - 5PM Located for many years on Kenmore Avenue near the junction of Colvin and the Nickel City Shirt Company offers customized embroidered and screen-printed T-shirts, hoodies and sweatshirts, as well as hats, mouse pads and other goods emblazoned with the design of your choice. "Quality Work at the Lowest Prices in Town" is the vow of founder Keith Marzec and that's no lie — this place is highly regarded among Buffalonians.

Specialty foods

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• Gino's Italian Bakery - 1104 Kenmore Ave. 42.95849, -78.859029 Metro Bus 5 or 11 ☎ +1 716 874-2315 Opening Hours: Tuesday to Friday 8AM Monday - 5PM, Saturday 8AM Monday - 3PM, Sunday 8AM Monday - 2PM Whether you're in search of a loaf of fresh, tasty house-baked bread, or you're looking to satisfy your sweet tooth with delectable pastries (the pasticiotti is a perennial favorite), cookies such as cuccidiati and giugiuleni, Italian wedding cakes, or all manner of other sweets, Gino's is as good as it gets in Buffalo when it comes to authentic, delicious Italian baked goods. And the prices can't be beat.

Furniture and home decor

• White's Baby and Teen Furniture - 1330 Kenmore Ave. 42.958513, -78.867082 Metro Bus 5 or 25 ☎ +1 716 875-3333 Opening Hours: Monday, Thursday & Friday 10AM Monday - 8PM; Tu, West & Saturday 10AM Monday - 5PM Western New York's oldest and largest children's furniture store, White's boasts three floors of baby furniture and cribs, vehicle seats, strollers, playpens, children's beds, dressers and armoires, lamps and the list goes on. This wide selection is versatile enough to accommodate those on a budget as well as shoppers in search of higher-end items, including quality pieces from such brands as Graco, Stanley, DaVinci and NaturePedic. A modest range of children's clothing and accessories, bedding and gifts round out the inventory.

Miscellaneous

• Nick's Sporting Goods 1212 Kenmore Ave. 42.958542, -78.862852 Metro Bus 5 or 11 ☎ +1 716 875-9218 Opening Hours: Monday 11AM Monday - 6PM, Tuesday - Thursday 11AM Monday - 8PM, F-Sa 11AM Monday - 5PM "Sporting goods" nothing: this small, jam-packed Kenmore Avenue storefront might be better described as a surprisingly comprehensive outdoor goods shop, with a full range of gear for hunters, fishermen (including live bait!) and sport shooters. But that's all just a prelude to the real raison d'être of Nick's, however, as Buffalo's premiere archery store. Not only does this place sell the best state-of-the-art gear, but clients can also come to Nick's for adjustments, repairs and even archery lessons and New York State bowhunting education courses at the indoor range in the basement.

Park Meadow

The commercial corridors of Delaware and Elmwood Avenues cut parallel north-to-south swaths through the otherwise tranquil, upscale residential area of Park Meadow.

Retail in Park Meadow is dominated by Marshall's Plaza GPS 42.942874,-78.868307, which is located on the west side of Delaware Avenue between Great Arrow Avenue and the Belt Line tracks, just behind the Pierce-Arrow Factory Complex. Aside from its namesake, Marshall's the shopping center is anchored by locations of Dollar Tree, Rainbow and Shoe Dept.

Specialty foods

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• Joe's Deli - 1322 Hertel Ave. 42.947904, -78.859191 Metro Bus 11 or 23 ☎ +1 716 875-5637 Opening from Monday to Saturday 10:30AM Monday - 8:30PM, Sunday 10:30AM Monday - 4:30PM $10-15 Neighborhood old-timers still know the building as the former Mastman's Kosher Deli, once an iconic linchpin of Yahudi North Buffalo and you'll still find the old Mastman's sign perched above the junction entrance. But Joe's hasn't stayed completely true to the identity of its predecessor: this food isn't Kosher and traditional Yahudi sandwiches such as corned beef, pastrami and Reuben are joined on the menu by a range of others such as muffuletta (the best in town according to a wide consensus), cubano and a host of creative specialties such as the "Johnny Be Good" (a concoction of grilled vegetables and herb cream Cheese on a hoagie roll).

• La Kueva 1260 Hertel Ave. 42.947929, -78.861496 Metro Bus 11 or 23 ☎ +1 716 936-4933 Opening Hours: Monday - West 11AM Monday - 9PM, Thursday - Saturday 11AM Monday - 10PM, Sunday 11AM Monday - 8PM $5-15 A small family-run restaurant with a modest menu, La Kueva nonetheless made a big splash in 2013 when it became the latest in a long list of multiethnic eateries to chip away at the official designation of Hertel Avenue as Buffalo "Little Italy". Owner Luis Martinez's desire was to bring the subtle, delightful flavors of Puerto Rican cuisine out of the barrio and into the larger Buffalo restaurant scene; in a recent write-up on buffalo.com, he remarked: "My people... already know about [Puerto Rican food. I want to attract the Italians and the white people of North Buffalo and introduce them" to it. La Kueva gets rave reviews from local residents for its take on Hispano-Caribbean favorites like pollo guisado, pastelones and various tropical drinks, but for less adventurous diners, a range of sandwiches is offered as well.

• Lone Star Fajita Grill 1853 Hertel Ave. 42.947381, -78.839312 Metro Bus 8 or 23; Metro Rail: LaSalle ☎ +1 716 833-7756 Opening Hours: Monday - Tuesday 11AM Monday - 9PM, W-Sa 11AM Monday - 10PM, Sunday noon-8PM Under $10 Lone Star Fajita Grill has been a North Buffalo institution for what seems like forever. Simple but excellent Mexican and Tex-Mex dishes at prices that can't be beat (nothing on the menu costs more than $3!) are served up at this sparsely decorated dive at the east side of the Hertel Avenue strip. Cash only.

• Shish Kabab Express - 1207 Hertel Ave. 42.947604, -78.863533 Metro Bus 11, 23 or 25 ☎ +1 716 447-1207 Opening Hours: Daily 11AM Monday - 9PM $10-25 A simply magnificent place to eat. Buffalo's first Iraqi restaurant, Shish Kabab Express serves all the standards of Middle Eastern cuisine — shawarma, falafel, tabbouleh — as well as unusual specialties unique to the cuisine of Iraq, such as quzi and Iraqi-style Kebab. As well, Shish Kabab Express stands out among the crowd of similar places at the west end of Hertel by offering a small range of South Asian specialties such as beef and Chicken tikka. The food here is fresh and authentic, with 100% Meat and all the bread served at Shish Kabab Express (including the samoon, a staple of Iraqi cuisine) is baked fresh on the premises. The kicker is the prices, which, according to one reviewer, are often "cheaper than a fast-food combo meal".

xxxxxxx.

• Catch 22 Grill - 715 Military Rd. 42.956784, -78.889373 Metro Bus 3 or 5 ☎ +1 716 768-0358 Opening Hours: Tuesday - Thursday 2PM Monday - midnight, Friday 2PM Monday - 2AM, Saturday 4PM Monday - 2AM $10-25 Under its former incarnation, Maggie's, this unpretentious neighborhood spot was most famous for its Buffalo#FishFry|Friday fish fry, which aficionados classed among the best in town. Seafood lovers can still indulge in style at Catch 22, but there's now an expanded menu to go along with it, comprising both all-American pub grub classics to nosh on at the #Catch222|bar (a creative menu of Burgers and grilled Cheese sandwiches as well as local specialties like Chicken wings and Buffalo# Beef on weck| beef on weck) and a dining-room menu that skews Italian. Prices are a touch on the high side, but large portions make up for that.

• Fenglin Buffet - 1999 Elmwood Ave. 42.951442, -78.876154 At Regal Elmwood Center; Metro Bus 20 or 23 ☎ +1 716 873-8439 Opening Hours: Sunday - Thursday 11AM Monday - 9:30PM, F-Sa 11AM Monday - 10PM $10-15 - There's really nothing remarkable or out of the ordinary about this Chinese buffet at the Regal Elmwood Center (not that there ever is with this kind of place — if you've seen one, you've pretty much seen 'em all). But they keep the steam trays consistently stocked with a good selection of Americanized Chinese specialties and service is efficient and friendly.

• Frank's Sunny Italy 2491 Delaware Ave. 42.951947, -78.868652 Metro Bus 11, 23 or 25 ☎ +1 716 876-5449 Opening Hours: Daily 11AM Monday - 11PM $10-25 Gourmet fine dining thit is not, but if you're looking to make like the Coneheads and "consume mass quantities", Frank's Sunny Italy is certainly a place where you can do that. Veal parm, Chicken cacciatore, lasagna, spaghetti and meatballs, Pizzas and other standard red-sauce Italian specialties have all the culinary refinement of the stuff the lunch lady used to ladle out at your school cafeteria, but the price is right, especially considering that your doggie bags will be big enough to make at least one additional meal out of.

• The Kitchen Table 690 Hertel Ave. 42.947873, -78.882743 Metro Bus 20 or 23 ☎ +1 716 622-6001 Opening Hours: Monday to Friday 8AM Monday - 3PM, Saturday - Sunday 8:30PM Monday - 4PM $10-15 The Kitchen Table moved in July 2014 to a larger location in West Hertel, but otherwise it's the same deal as before: they still serve up classic, unpretentious, all-American comfort food in a downhome atmosphere described in Buffalo Rising as "a mix between a greasy spoon and a country kitchen". Burgers (served with heaping sides of fresh-cut fries that clients rave about), club sandwiches, fish fry and multitudinous flavors of Türkiye Hill ice cream can be had, but the Kitchen Table's true claim to fame is their hearty, homestyle all-day breakfasts. The staff here really goes out of their way to please and they treat clients like family.

• Sophia's 749 Military Rd. 42.957765, -78.889205 Metro Bus 3 or 5 ☎ +1 716 447-9661 Opening Hours: Tuesday - Sunday 7AM Monday - 3PM $10-15 This humble establishment operated by Sophia and Sam Ananiadas serves some of the best (and biggest) breakfasts in Buffalo — so good, in fact, that they caught the attention of celebrity chef Guy Fieri, who dedicated a segment of his Food Network series Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives to the place. In addition to the usual lineup of pancakes, omelettes, French toast and the like and the Mediterranean flair of Sophia's cuisine is on full display in the giambotta and their signature breakfast platter of eggs, home fries, homemade Italian Sausages,peppers, onions and garlic. For lunch, an array of burgers, club sandwiches and salads are on offer, as well as what may be the best souvlaki in Buffalo. Best of all, clients rave about the genuine warmth and friendliness of Sophia's staff that keeps them coming back.

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• The Steer | 3151 Main St. 42.949928, -78.826969 Metro Bus 8; Metro Rail: LaSalle ☎ +1 716 838-0478 Opening Hours: Daily 11AM Monday - 4AM $10-45 The Steer is best known for its sometimes rowdy bar frequented by students from the nearby South Campus of the University of Buffalo, but let's not forget that it is also a restaurant that serves Pizzas, burgers, sandwiches and — as the name suggests — mouth-watering Steak and chops. The Montana Room, located on the second floor of this unmissable Main Street landmark, is a banquet room equipped for up to 60 guests.

• Tandoori Hut - 3171 Main St. 42.950407, -78.826446 Metro Bus 8; Metro Rail: LaSalle ☎ +1 716 931-9343 Opening Hours: Monday - Thursday noon-11PM, F-Sa noon-2AM, Sunday noon-10PM $15-35 Other than its sheer length and there's nothing you would call remarkable about the menu at this pint-sized eatery: Tandoori Hut sticks to the standards of North Indian and (Pakistani) cuisine, with offerings dominated by the usual permutations of vindaloo, jalfrezi, tikka masala, rogan josh and so forth. What you will be impressed by are their large portions, friendly service, late opening hours and the complimentary garlic naan that comes free with each meal (house-baked to perfection) and the wide range of Vegetarian options. A word of warning: a recent change in ownership has seen the once uncompromising authenticity of the recipes give way to myriad concessions to the Western palate, so don't be fooled by some of the older reviews you might read online.

Local chains

The following local chains have locations in University Heights. Buffalo#Local chains|Descriptions of these restaurants can be found on the main Buffalo page.

• Jim's Steakout - 3094 Main St. 42.949188, -78.82849 Metro Bus 8; Metro Rail: LaSalle ☎ +1 716 838-6666 Opening Hours: Daily 10:30AM Monday - 5AM

Pizza

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

• Gino's NY Pizzas | 3500 Main St., Suite 150, Amherst 42.958864, -78.818488 At University Plaza; Metro Bus 5, 8, 12, 13, 19, 34, 44, 47 or 48; Metro Rail: University ☎ +1 716 768-2462 Opening Hours: Monday - Thursday 10AM Monday - 10PM, Friday 10AM Monday - 11PM, Saturday 11AM Monday - 11PM, Sunday noon-10PM
• Just Pizzas - 3172 Main St. 42.950949, -78.826489 Metro Bus 8; Metro Rail: LaSalle ☎ +1 716 831-9979 Opening Hours: Sunday - West 10AM Monday - midnight, Thursday - Saturday 10AM Monday - 4AM

Groceries

• [ Aldi - 3060 Main St. 42.948552, -78.829659 Metro Bus 8 or 23; Metro Rail: LaSalle - Opening Hours: Monday to Friday 9AM Monday - 8PM, Saturday - Sunday 9AM Monday - 7PM
• Dollar General - 338 Kenmore Ave. 42.957879, -78.830306 Metro Bus 5 or 34; Metro Rail: University ☎ +1 716 837-0310 Opening Hours: Daily 8AM Monday - 10PM
• Dollar Tree - 3500 Main St., Suite 280, Amherst 42.959329, -78.818488 At University Plaza; Metro Bus 5, 8, 12, 13, 19, 34, 44, 47 or 48; Metro Rail: University ☎ +1 716 837-6680 Opening Hours: Daily 9AM Monday - 9PM
• Tops - 3500 Main St., Amherst 42.96007, -78.817174 At University Plaza; Metro Bus 5, 8, 12, 13, 19, 34, 44, 47 or 48; Metro Rail: University ☎ +1 716 515-3240 Opening Hours: Daily 6AM Monday - midnight

Kenmore Avenue area

• Curry's 864 Kenmore Ave. 42.958319, -78.850342 Metro Bus 5 ☎ +1 716 447-0502 Opening from Monday to Saturday 11:30AM Monday - midnight $10-30 Those who are expecting Indian cuisine will be disappointed — there's nothing exotic about the menu at Curry's. Rather and the sandwiches, main-course salads, Meat and Pastas dishes served up here match the workmanlike reliability evoked by the humble exterior of this Kenmore Avenue restaurant. What is special about the heaping portions of classic American comfort food offered up at Curry's is the friendliness with which it's served — thit is a real "where everybody knows your name" type of place — and its surprising quality. Buffalo#FishFry|Beer-battered fish fry, a well-known Buffalo specialty, is served with aplomb on Friday nights.

• Yummy (Thai) - 914 Kenmore Ave. 42.958442, -78.851773 Metro Bus 5 or 11 ☎ +1 716 877-4959 Opening Hours: Monday - Thursday 11AM Monday - 9:30PM, F-Sa 11AM Monday - 10PM, Sunday noon-9PM $15-40 If you're looking for the authentic flavors of Thailand, definitely head elsewhere, but if you're a newbie looking to dip your toes for the first time into the world of Southeast Asian cuisine, Yummy (Thai) might serve as a good introduction: the menu (identical to the one at the original location in North Tonawanda) doesn't venture far beyond the basic standards of pad thai, red, green and penang curries, pad kee mow, tom yum soup and the like and the recipes compromise with the American palate to a greater degree than pretty much anywhere else in town. Portions are ample and the place never gets crowded, but don't expect that to necessarily translate into fast or attentive service, which is a weak spot here.

Pizza

The following pizzerias are located on or near Kenmore Avenue. Those who are interested in Pizzas delivery (as opposed to pickup) might want to also check listings in adjacent neighborhoods; local pizzerias will often deliver to several different neighborhoods of the city.

• Pepe's | 640 Colvin Ave. 42.958223, -78.859365 Metro Bus 5 or 11 ☎ +1 716 876-0678 Opening Hours: Sunday - Thursday 11AM Monday - 11PM, F-Sa 11AM Monday - midnight

Groceries

• Family Dollar - 710 Kenmore Ave. 42.958148, -78.844291 Metro Bus 5 ☎ +1 716 835-9697 Opening Hours: Daily 9AM Monday - 9PM

Park Meadow

• Vino's | 1652 Elmwood Ave. 42.941763, -78.878746 Metro Bus 20 or 32 ☎ +1 716 332-2166 Opening Hours: W-Sa 5PM Monday - 9PM $15-25 Vino's is a small restaurant, easily missable and in a fairly out-of-the-way location, with a limited menu and seemingly never open — and Buffalonians can't get enough. In fact, many of them call it the best Italian restaurant in the city. Why? Simply put, what is served here is authentic homestyle Italian cuisine that is absolutely delicious and available for unbelievable prices. Pasta is emphasized; particular favorites include spaghetti with pesto Sauces, lobster ravioli and the spicy "Charles diavolo". Appetizers and desserts are equally lauded and true to the restaurant's name, a small but delightful selection of soft drinks and sangrias are also on the menu. But perhaps what is loved most about Vino's are the owners, Kathleen and Tony, who truly go the extra mile to ensure that guests are welcomed and attended to with the sincerest regard.

• Nye Park Tavern - 1672 Elmwood Ave. Metro Bus 20 or 32 ☎ +1 716 270-9747 Opening Hours: Sunday - Thursday 11:30AM Monday - 10PM, F-Sa 11:30AM Monday - 11PM $15-40 If you've been reading through these restaurant listings and remarked that "[[#Nye|pub grub with an upscale twist" tends to be a popular trope on the North Buffalo restaurant scene, you'd be right and here's another example. At Nye Park Tavern there are no real surprises on the menu, but you'll sure get one when your food comes out: the quality of the ingredients and presentation are head and shoulders above your average Buffalo gin mill (for instance and the "steak in the grass" sandwiches is a full-size New York strip smothered in fresh-cut, unprocessed provolone), which goes a long way toward justifying the price point. The signature item are the so-called "West Side spare ribs", a smoky concoction inspired by the ones served at the long-gone Arkansas Lounge off Buffalo/West Side|Grant Street.
• Oliver's - 2095 Delaware Ave. 42.941184, -78.867406 Metro Bus 11, 25 or 32 ☎ +1 716 877-9662 Opening Hours: Monday - Thursday 5PM Monday - 10PM, F-Sa 5PM Monday - midnight, Sunday 4:30PM Monday - 9:30PM $25-75 "Fine Dining in the Old-School Tradition" is Oliver's credo and true to form, it is one of the most elegant restaurants in Buffalo, with prices to match. With myriad different permutations of Continental cuisine present on the menu, Oliver's is a foodie's dream come true, with veal milanese, strozzapreti and foie gras torchon among the most popular delicacies on offer. The soft drinks list is, to quote the restaurant's website, "deeper than deep". Oliver's also prides itself as one of Buffalo's best caterers.

Local chains

The following local chain restaurants have locations in Park Meadow. Buffalo#Local chains|Descriptions of these restaurants can be found on the main Buffalo page.

• Bagel Jay's - 2130 Delaware Ave. 42.942071, -78.868605 At Marshall's Plaza; Metro Bus 25 or 32 ☎ +1 716 874-1800 Opening Hours: Monday to Friday 6:30AM Monday - 5PM, Saturday - Sunday 7AM Monday - 4PM

Pizza

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

• Jet's Pizzas - 2165 Delaware Ave. 42.943146, -78.867731 Metro Bus 11, 25 or 32 ☎ +1 716 877-6700 Opening Hours: Sunday - Thursday 11AM Monday - 11PM, F-Sa 11AM Monday - midnight

Groceries

• Dollar Tree - 2176 Delaware Ave. 42.943487, -78.868753 At Marshall's Plaza; Metro Bus 11, 25 or 32 ☎ +1 716 515-4087 Opening from Monday to Saturday 9AM Monday - 9PM, Sunday 9AM Monday - 8PM

Parkside, Central Park and the Vernon Triangle

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• Public House of Buffalo 1206 Hertel Ave. 42.947942, -78.863560 Metro Bus 11, 23 or 25 ☎ +1 716 551-6208 - Offering a huge selection of available on draft as well as in cans and bottles, served at a bar made of wood salvaged from wharf piers that were excavated during the construction of Buffalo/Downtown#Canalside|Canalside downtown. Microbrews, including locally-produced craft soft drinks from Buffalo/South Buffalo#FBison|Flying Bison the Buffalo/West Side#Resurgence|Resurgence Brewery, take a prominent place among the selections. If you're overwhelmed by all the choices, never fear: the bartenders are helpful and knowledgeable about their stock and will be more than happy to point you in the right direction.

• Sidebar 1459 Hertel Ave. 42.947550, -78.854011 Metro Bus 11 or 23 ☎ +1 716 835-1995 - Sidebar doesn't commit to the "lounge" aesthetic with quite the same level of gusto as Joey's Place, but its tinted windows, chilled-out clientele of neighborhood regulars and live jazz music on the first Friday of each month combine to create a relaxed and mellow vibe all the same. Thit is the place to go on Hertel if you want to drink and hold a conversation with your friends without having to shout. Choose from a nice but not overwhelming selection of soft drinks to enjoy at the wraparound bar, or opt for a competently-made mixed drink — and if bar games are your thing, check out the shuffleboard table!

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• Roaming Bison Tavern 732 Hertel Ave. 42.947885, -78.881254 Metro Bus 20 or 23 ☎ +1 716 235-8281 - The old Nor-Tel Grille in West Hertel is now the place to go for bourbon aficionados in Buffalo, with over 100 varieties of Kentucky's favorite spirit poured at the and a #RBison1|food menu of Southern barbecue specialties to go with. If the selection is a bit overwhelming, never fear — the ever-personable owner and his staff know the selection inside and out — and if you'd rather knock back a the Roaming Bison has you covered with a nice selection of options from the local craft microbrew scene.

University Heights

The closure of Surrender in early 2023 was pretty much the final death knell of the once-vibrant University Heights bar scene, which had spent the past few decades being slowly suffocated by competition from places like Buffalo/Downtown#Chippewa Street|Chippewa and Buffalo/Allentown and the Delaware District#Allentown 3|Allentown, as well as sharply increased enforcement of underage drinking laws by the Buffalo Police. Steer|The Steer still draws in its share of the frat crowd, but that's about all the action you'll find on Main Street these days. It's a different story if you're looking for a coffeeshop instead — read on.

Coffee shops

Sadly and the coffeeshop scene in University Heights is dominated by national chains — the dueling powerhouses Tim Hortons and Dunkin' Donuts both do an extremely brisk business at their respective locations just across from the South Campus. Caffeine aficionados in search of something more distinctive have only one option in the area: a similar, but locally-owned, coffee-and-doughnut operation at the other end of the strip. x{{anchor|Nye

• Nye Park Tavern - 1672 Elmwood Ave. 42.942361, -78.878711 Metro Bus 20 or 32 ☎ +1 716 270-9747 While somehow retaining the same cozy homeyness, Nye Park Tavern is a spiffy makeover of the erstwhile Papa Jake's that brings the place firmly into the fold of the incipient hipster neighborhood that's coalesced on upper Elmwood. The organic juice list splits the difference between some two dozen regional craft microbrews on draft and more pedestrian big brands available in cans and bottles, plus there are some interesting specialty cocktails to choose from and a not-half-bad soft drinks list.

Coffee shops and juice bars

• Ashker's in the Park - in Delaware Park, at the junction of Meadow Rd. and Nottingham Terr. 42.937021, -78.862350 Metro Bus 11, 25 or 32 - Opening Hours: Daily 9AM Monday - 10PM in season

Parkside

x For those who absolutely need to sleep in North Buffalo and the options are quite limited. However and there is a much wider range of lodgings in the nearby towns of Amherst (a variety of mostly mid-range chain properties around Exits 6 and 7 of Interstate 290) and Tonawanda (some budget motels of varying quality near I-290 Exit 1 and I-190 Exit 15).

• Foundry Suites - 1738 Elmwood Ave. 42.944653, -78.878881 Metro Bus 20 or 23 ☎ +1 716 240-9693 Check-in: 3PM / Check-out: noon $189/night in high season Taylor Signal Company-General Railway Signal Company "Industrial chic" is the name of the game at the historic General Railway Signal Company factory, now renovated into a mix of offices, apartments and this little boutique hotel. The Foundry Suites has only ten rooms, but they're all beauties: one- or two-bedroom suites decorated in Midcentury Modern style by the staff of Buffalo's own Buffalo/West Side#CooCooU|CooCooU, with full-kitchens, floor-to-ceiling windows (the best of which look onto a beautiful tree-lined courtyard), flat-screen HDTVs and luxurious bedding and linens. By day and the "Foundry Lounge" downstairs features Coffee in a relaxing ambience; by night you can enjoy a rousing game of swimmingpool while bartenders whip you up an upscale mixed drink. Free amenities include parking, concierge service, passes to LA Fitness and 24-hour business center.
• University Manor Inn - 3612 Main St., Amherst 42.959508, -78.815387 Metro Bus 5, 8, 12, 13, 19, 34, 44, 47 or 48; Metro Rail: University ☎ +1 716 837-3344 Check-in: 3PM / Check-out: 11AM $109-149/night in high season Among the cheapest hotel lodging in the area, but you get what you pay for: tired, basic motel-style rooms with cable TV, coffeemaker and WiFi Internet that works when it wants to, a few suites with kitchens and microwave, limited continental breakfast (only Coffee and waffles; thankfully, Dunkin' Donuts is next door), staff with an attitude. There's a free shuttle to the airport and the Metro Rail's University Station is right across the street.

Bed and Breakfasts|Bed & breakfasts

• The Parkside House 462 Woodward Ave. 42.941494, -78.849494 Metro Bus 11 or 32 ☎ +1 716 480-9507 Check-in: 3PM / Check-out: 11AM $140-160/night Christopher Lavey, Johnny Mora and their three dogs operate the Parkside House, one of Buffalo's most charming Bed & Breakfasts, in a restored Queen Anne-style house from the 1890s. Located on the curving, leafy streets of the historic neighborhood of Parkside, within walking distance of Delaware Park and the Buffalo Zoo and Frank Lloyd Wright's architectural masterpiece and the Darwin D. Martin House and the three units of the Parkside House are large and airy and boast comfortable yet contemporary furnishings, plasma televisions and full private baths. Common areas include the dining room, where a sumptuous breakfast is served daily and a front porch. Wireless Internet access is available throughout the property. Limited off-street parking.

Telecommunications in Buffalo/North Buffalo

The North Side Post Office GPS 42.947266,-78.881882 is at 725 Hertel Ave., just west of Elmwood Ave.

The North Park Branch Library GPS 42.947278,-78.872052 is located at 975 Hertel Ave., a few doors down from Hippodrome Billiards in the plaza at the southwest corner of Hertel and Delaware Aves. In addition to free Wi-Fi and the library contains a 15-seat computer lab with Internet access, as well as three "Internet Express" computers in the main part of the library.

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 city's its size. That being the case, North Buffalo is generally among the lowest-crime areas of the city. In particular, for a neighborhood with as active a nightlife scene as Hertel Avenue and the bars are laid-back and draw a much more sophisticated crowd than Allentown and what remains of the old Chippewa Strip and drunken violence is nearly unknown.

University Heights is an exception to this rule, with a crime rate that is above average even by Buffalo standards. However, that means mostly muggings and home burglaries, with violent crime comparatively rare. West Hertel is another minor area of concern, especially the closer you get to Military Road. The same as any urban area, visitors to any part of North Buffalo should use common sense — lock vehicle doors, keep valuables out of sight, keep your wits about you in general.

Compared to other crowded shopping and dining areas, Hertel Avenue is almost completely free of panhandlers — this author would be hard-pressed to name a single time he has been solicited for spare change on Hertel. Beggars do turn up occasionally in University Heights, especially the closer you get to the University Metro Rail Station, but even there the situation is nothing like the Elmwood Village or Allentown. If you do encounter a panhandler and there is little to fear — they are rarely aggressive. If you don't want to give, a firm "no" almost always suffices.

Cope in Buffalo/North Buffalo

Newspapers

Published every Thursday and the North Buffalo Rocket is a weekly source for neighborhood news, editorials, classified ads, a police blotter and other matters pertaining to North Buffalo.

Muslim Friendly Hospitals

For medical emergencies that most travelers may encounter and the nearest hospitals are Sisters of Charity Hospital at 2157 Main St. in Hamlin Park and Kenmore Mercy Hospital at 2950 Elmwood Ave. in Tonawanda.

• Buffalo VA Medical Center | 3495 Bailey Ave. 42.951091, -78.812036 Metro Bus 12, 13, or 19; Metro Rail: University ☎ +1 716 834-9200 - Opened in 1950 in the wake of World War II and the Buffalo VA Medical Center is affiliated with UB Medical School and provides medical, surgical, mental health and long-term care services to veterans of the United States military under the aegis of the Department of Veterans' Affairs. Buffalo's medical center is the VA system's main place of referral in Upstate New York and northern Pennsylvania for veterans in need of cardiac surgery, cardiology and comprehensive cancer care.

For non-emergency situations, WNY Immediate Care GPS 42.95229,-78.868756 has a location at 2497 Delaware Ave., two blocks south of the Delaware Place shopping plaza.

Laundry and dry cleaning

Hertel Avenue

• Abbas Tailor - 1183 Hertel Ave. 42.947582, -78.864402 Metro Bus 11, 23 or 25 ☎ +1 716 464-8869 - Offers dry cleaning services.

Delaware Avenue, Elmwood Avenue and West Hertel

• Becker EZ Wash Laundry | 2412 Delaware Ave. 42.950050, -78.869174 Metro Bus 11, 23 or 25 ☎ +1 716 873-2116 Opening Hours: Laundromat daily 24 hours, dry cleaner daily 7AM Monday - 10PM
• Military Laundry & Lounge | 346 Military Rd. 42.946444, -78.891350 Metro Bus 3 or 23 ☎ +1 716 447-2170 Opening Hours: Daily 11AM Monday - 2AM

University Heights

• Campus Laundromat | 3130 Main St. 42.949966, -78.827624 Metro Bus 8; Metro Rail: LaSalle - Opening Hours: Monday to Friday 8AM Monday - 9PM, Saturday - Sunday 7:30AM Monday - 9PM

Kenmore Avenue area

• Corvette Cleaners - 530 Kenmore Ave. 42.958119, -78.837441 Metro Bus 5 ☎ +1 716 838-2211 Opening Hours: Monday to Friday 7AM Monday - 6PM, Saturday 7:30AM Monday - 3PM
• The Laundry Basket Too | 860 Kenmore Ave. 42.958303, -78.850079 Metro Bus 5 ☎ +1 716 876-6322 Opening Hours: Monday to Friday 8AM Monday - 10PM, Saturday - Sunday 7:30AM Monday - 10PM
• Wesselmann Cleaners - 564 Colvin Ave. 42.955951, -78.859167 Metro Bus 5 or 11 ☎ +1 716 875-3141 Opening Hours: Monday to Friday 7AM Monday - 7PM, Saturday 7:30AM Monday - 5PM

Vernon Triangle

• Dial Cleaners | 2496 Main St. 42.936419, -78.842472 Metro Bus 8, 23 or 32; Metro Rail: Amherst Street ☎ +1 716 838-4800 Opening from Monday to Saturday 7AM Monday - 7PM

Places of worship

Roman Catholic

Mirroring the demographics of the Niagara Frontier as a whole, religious life in North Buffalo is dominated by the Roman Catholic church, with no fewer than five parishes located within its bounds. Far from the aging, moribund congregations to be found in other parts of the inner city, North Buffalo's Catholic churches retain a remarkable degree of vitality.

• Holy Spirit RC Church 91 Dakota St. 42.946948, -78.867477 Metro Bus 11, 23 or 25 ☎ +1 716 875-8102 Opening Hours: Mass Sunday 11AM, Saturday 4PM, Tuesday & Friday 8AM, West 6:15PM Founded in 1910, Holy Spirit Catholic Church was for many years the site of a shrine to Saint Rita, a pilgrimage site for local faithful who came to venerate her as the "patron saint of lost and imfeasible causes".

• St. Joseph University Parish RC Church - 3269 Main St. 42.952119, -78.824148 Metro Bus 8; Metro Rail: University ☎ +1 716 833-0298 Opening Hours: Mass Sunday 8:30AM, 10AM, 11:30AM, also 8PM when school is in session at UB; Saturday 4:30PM; Monday to Friday 8:30AM in chapel Founded in 1850 as a country church in what was then a rural area, St. Joseph University Parish actually predates by over half a century the UB South Campus, next to which it is located today. With an identity that fundamentally emphasizes the welcoming of visitors and new members to its flock, St. Joseph mirrors the constitution of the University Heights neighborhood as a whole, with a congregation that is surprisingly progressive and diverse given the traditional reputation of Buffalo's Catholic community.

• St. Margaret RC Church - 1395 Hertel Ave. 42.9474, -78.856222 Metro Bus 11 or 23 ☎ +1 716 876-5318 Opening Hours: Mass Sunday 8AM & 9:30AM; Sa, Monday & Thursday 8AM Serving the Catholics of North Buffalo from its location in the center of the Hertel Avenue strip (its slogan and the "Heart of North Buffalo", is an apt one), St. Margaret Church was named after the late sister of former Buffalo bishop Charles Colton, a personal friend of its founding priest, Rev. Thomas Timmons. It remains one of the most active Catholic congregations in the City of Buffalo.

• St. Mark RC Church - 401 Woodward Ave. 42.940176, -78.848904 Metro Bus 32 ☎ +1 716 836-1600 Opening Hours: Mass Sunday 9AM & noon; Saturday 4PM; Monday, West & Friday 7AM Parkside's Catholic congregation meets in a robust English Gothic-style church whose bell tower rises 88 feet (27m) above Amherst Street. Linked since 2010 with St. Rose of Lima Church a short distance to the north and the vitality of parish life at St. Mark is attested to by the activity among the congregation of such organizations as the Boy Scouts and the Legion of Mary and the St. Vincent de Paul Society. Visitors are always welcome at this friendly faith community.

• St. Rose of Lima RC Church - 500 Parker Ave. 42.952689, -78.839318 Metro Bus 23 ☎ +1 716 834-6688 Opening Hours: Mass Sunday 7:30AM & 10:30AM, Saturday 5:30PM, Tuesday - Thursday 8AM The youngest Catholic congregation in North Buffalo, St. Rose of Lima was founded in 1926, with a school staffed for many years by the Sisters of Charity of Montreal|Montréal — the famous Grey Nuns. Always an active force in the surrounding neighborhood that grew up alongside it, St. Rose of Lima remains a vibrant congregation that's engaged in the community.

Protestant

Protestant churches in North Buffalo are most concentrated in Parkside and Central Park, whose populations still include a considerable number of old-money WASPs. Similarly and the Protestant congregations in University Heights draw a good deal of their parishioners from similarly affluent nearby suburbs such as Eggertsville, Snyder and Kenmore.

• Central Park United Methodist Church - 216 Beard Ave. 42.94288, -78.837832 Metro Bus 8, 23 or 32; Metro Rail: Amherst Street ☎ +1 716 833-3193 Opening Hours: Services Sunday 10:30AM Headquartered in a lovely English Gothic edifice with exquisitely ornate art-glass windows, Central Park United Methodist Church is considered the cathedral church for Methodism in Buffalo. A diverse and welcoming congregation, Central Park Methodist Church truly lives out its mission of outreach to the community through its mentoring program for at-risk students at nearby Bennett High School, its partnership with the Primera Iglesia Metodista Unida in service to the Spanish-speaking community of Buffalo's West Side and its support for worthwhile organizations such as Habitat for Humanity, Alcoholics and Narcotics Anonymous and Journey's End Refugee Services.

• Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd | 96 Jewett Pkwy. 42.935579, -78.847335 Metro Bus 8 or 11; Metro Rail: Amherst Street ☎ +1 716 833-1151 Opening Hours: Services Sunday 8:30AM & 10:30AM Founded in 1888 on land donated by Elam Jewett and the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd is a longstanding cornerstone of the Parkside neighborhood. An architectural wonder, this stout Romanesque edifice was designed by the Syracuse -based architectural firm of Silsbee and Marling and boasts several lovely stained-glass windows designed by Louis Comfort Tiffany. Darwin D. Martin, whose Frank Lloyd Wright-designed house is located kitty-corner from here, was a parishioner in the early days. With the Reverend Catherine Dempesy-Sims at the helm and the Church of the Good Shepherd, like many of Buffalo's Protestant congregations, is a progressive, diverse and accepting faith community (describing itself as "a place of welcome to all, no exceptions") which is active in a wide range of charitable and neighborhood-improvement organizations and initiatives.

• North Park Lutheran Church | 310 Starin Ave. 42.948915, -78.844433 Metro Bus 23 ☎ +1 716 836-2785 Opening Hours: Services Sunday 10:45AM North Park Lutheran Church has traditionally been a congregation whose outsize sense of community — both within the congregation and as a component of the larger community — belies its small size. A choice of traditional and contemporary worship services are held by this church whose zeal for sharing their faith and love for the community is really remarkable. Visitors are welcomed with open arms.

• Parkside Lutheran Church | 2 Wallace Ave. 42.943663, -78.847456 Metro Bus 23 or 32 ☎ +1 716 836-1361 Opening Hours: Services Sunday 10AM Founded in 1912 as a mission of St. John's Evangelical Lutheran Church on the Near East Side and the congregation of Parkside Lutheran Church met for several years in the building later known as the Fairfield Branch Library before the construction of the stately Tudor Gothic stone church in Central Park in which it is now situated. Today, Parkside's energetic young pastor, Nate Preisinger, leads a progressive and inclusive congregation that is as dedicated to reaching out to the larger community as it is to rolling out the welcome mat to regular parishioners and first-time visitors alike.

• St. Andrew's Episcopal Church 3107 Main St. 42.949082, -78.827835 Metro Bus 8; Metro Rail: LaSalle ☎ +1 716 834-9337 Opening Hours: Services Sunday 8AM & 10:30AM St. Andrew's Episcopal Church (Buffalo, New York) St. Andrew's describes itself aptly as a "spiritual oasis", warmly opening its doors to visitors of all stripes. Founded in 1875 as an anomaly — an English-speaking Episcopalian congregation on the East Side, which in those days was largely (German) and Catholic — St. Andrew's has been a University Heights landmark (and, in fact, a Nationally Registered Historic Place) since the construction half a century later of the elegant Gothic Revival building it now calls home. St. Andrew's pastor, Ellen Brauza, leads a faith community which is, in the words of the church itself, "friendly, diverse and inspirational". Two types of services are held each Sunday: a modern, simplified one bright and early and then traditional "high church" later in the morning.

• University Presbyterian Church | 3330 Main St. 42.954652, -78.822608 Metro Bus 5, 8, 12, 13, 19, 34, 44, 47 or 48; Metro Rail: University ☎ +1 716 836-7660 Opening Hours: Services Sunday 10AM University Presbyterian Church (Buffalo, New York) University Presbyterian Church was founded at an opportune time — almost simultaneous to the purchase of the old Erie County Alms House across the street by the University of Buffalo for use as their new campus. A longstanding neighborhood landmark, University Presbyterian is a gorgeous Colonial-style church building whose 70-foot (21m) bell tower stands sentinel over Main Street. Its identity bears many similarities to that of the college across the street, providing a caring, tolerant, diverse and intellectually stimulating environment for worship, public service and loving outreach to university students as well as other members of the community.

Nondenominational

• The Church in Buffalo | 2540 Main St. 42.937698, -78.841397 Metro Bus 8, 23 or 32; Metro Rail: Amherst Street ☎ +1 716 870-2540 Opening Hours: Meetings Sunday 10AM (English) & 11AM (Mandarin) The oldest extant building in North Buffalo — the Washington Russell House on Main Street in the Vernon Triangle — is now the meeting hall (don't say "church"; which, according to the website, is a word reserved for the congregation itself) of The Church in Buffalo, a nondenominational, heterogeneous community of Bible-believing born-again Christians who hold one service each on Sundays in English and Mandarin Chinese. Visitors are welcome to those "Lord's Day meetings" as well as special weekly functions for young people (Saturdays) and UB students (Wednesdays).

• Evangelical Christian Church of Buffalo - 351 Tacoma Ave. 42.951291, -78.859673 Metro Bus 11 or 23 ☎ +1 716 875-5740 Opening Hours: Services Sunday 11AM, West 7PM, Saturday 6PM Though multiethnic today and the Evangelical Christian Church of Buffalo was founded in 1990 by a motley group of newly landed refugees from Russia, Belarus, Ukraine and other regions of the soon-to-be-former Soviet Union, led by pastor Leonid Ostrapovich. Today, Pentecostal services and Sunday school classes for children are held in English and Russian in the former Ahavas Achim Lubavitz Synagogue on Tacoma Avenue and the church's home since 2002. Visitors, Slavic and otherwise, are welcomed enthusiastically.

• New Bethel Community Church - 175 Englewood Ave. 42.955629, -78.829114 Metro Bus 5 ☎ +1 716 835-8300 Opening Hours: Services Sunday 10:30AM The former Bethel Evangelical Lutheran Church — a handsome English Gothic church erected in 1928 — is now home to this similarly-named, nondenominational congregation headed up by William T. Clark, Jr., who, as Bishop, Apostle and Senior Pastor, draws from his experience conducting missionary work in countries around the world to lead a diverse, friendly and welcoming congregation that's uncommonly engaged in the community.

Black churches

Parkside is home to a majority of North Buffalo's black churches — particularly the blocks close to Main Street, which serves as the neighborhood's boundary with the East Side, long a stronghold of Buffalo's African-American community. There are perhaps half a dozen of these churches in the area; listed here are two of the largest.

• Gospel Temple Church of God in Christ 143 Beard Ave. 42.941105, -78.838551 Metro Bus 8, 23 or 32; Metro Rail: Amherst Street ☎ +1 716 833-3302 Opening Hours: Services Sunday 11:05AM & 7PM The former home of the Parkside Baptist Church, a stout Romanesque edifice in handsome stone that dates to 1894, is now the home of the Gospel Temple Church of God in Christ. Led by Pastor Willie James Flurence and the Gospel Temple's services, which take place on Sundays at 11:05AM and 6:45PM as well as Friday nights at 7PM, are a mélange of traditional and contemporary styles of ministry and music. Special ministries for children and young adults also take place on a weekly basis.

• North Buffalo Community Church | 350 Kenmore Ave. 42.958062, -78.830998 Metro Bus 5 or 34; Metro Rail: University ☎ +1 716 833-6598 Opening Hours: Services Sunday 10:30AM Kenmore Avenue in University Heights is where this small but tight-knit community of believers, led by Pastor William H. Smith, has been situated since its foundation in 1994. With services every Sunday at 10:30AM, small-group ministries catering to young people, men and other specialized sectors of the church population and extensive community outreach programs and the primary dedication of the North Buffalo Community Church is evangelism. Affiliated with the Southern Baptist Convention and the North Buffalo Community Church is a friendly congregation that, while primarily African-American in constitution, is multiethnic and welcomes all to its lively services.

Eastern Orthodox

• St. George Orthodox Church - 2 Nottingham Terrace 42.940261, -78.859623 Metro Bus 32 ☎ +1 716 875-4222 Opening Hours: Services Sunday 10AM St. George Orthodox Church began its life in 1913 in Black Rock, serving a small enclave of immigrants from Romania and found strength in 1963 through its merger with a Russian Orthodox congregation whose struggle with small size and declining membership mirrored its own. An affiliate of the Orthodox Church in America, St. George describes itself today as a "pan-Orthodox" church that is a syncretic combination of the traditional liturgies of many Eastern faiths. The Rev. Jason Vansuch leads services in their modern building in Park Meadow, instantly adjacent to Delaware Park, where worshipers of all stripes are enthusiastically welcomed.

SaranacSynagogue - Congregation Achei T'mimim, or the Saranac Synagogue, is one of the oldest Yahudi temples in Buffalo.

Jewish

Though it's not the hotbed of Semitic culture that it was 50 or 75 years ago, Hertel Avenue and the adjacent side streets retain a pair of synagogues that primarily deal in the same strain of Orthodox Judaism that has always characterized Yahudi North Buffalo.

• Congregation Achei T'mimim - Saranac Synagogue | 85 Saranac Ave. 42.948293, -78.857082 Metro Bus 11 or 23 ☎ +1 716 876-1284 Describing its approach as "a fresh take on traditional Yahudi values", Congregation Achei T'mimim was founded in 1911 as among the first of what would soon be many synagogues serving a thriving Yahudi community in North Buffalo — in point of fact, it is the only remaining unaffiliated Orthodox shul in the entire city. Though it is Ashkenazi Orthodox in constitution, Achei T'mimim welcomes Yahudi of all stripes, regardless of ethnic or denominational differences, to their still-vibrant services which take place Fridays at sundown as well as Saturday mornings at 9:30AM.

• Knesset Center - Bais Haknesset Hagadol | 500 Starin Ave. 42.953747, -78.844353 Metro Bus 5 ☎ +1 716 832-5063 Opening Hours: Shachrit Monday to Friday 7:30AM, Saturday 10AM, Sunday 8AM; mincha and maariv daily 15 minutes before sunset This Orthodox synagogue on Starin Avenue just south of Kenmore Avenue is operated by Chabad, an Orthodox ministry connected with the University of Buffalo. Here two Shabbat services are held weekly: the small, intimate Saturday morning services (followed by a hearty lunch!) provide a quieter counterpoint to the busy, lively Friday evening ones. Midweek services are also held.

Muslim

• Masjid At-Taqwa 40 Parker Ave. 42.940437, -78.839382 Metro Bus 8, 23 or 32; Metro Rail: Amherst Street ☎ +1 716 836-9789 - Located in Central Park, At-Taqwa is a traditional Sunni mosque, including formal jum'a, with a multicultural congregation and services in English. The building was a private residence before being purchased in the 1970s by the Islamic Society of the Niagara Frontier and is now a mainstay of the local Muslim community. It's still easily mistakable for an ordinary house, however and there's no real exterior signage.

More Muslim friendly Destinations from Buffalo/North Buffalo

Are you a fan of the mansions in Park Meadow and Central Park and thirsty for more? In the Buffalo/Allentown and the Delaware District|Delaware District, Millionaire's Row (located along Delaware Avenue between Bryant and North Streets) and Lincoln Parkway (just south of Delaware Park) are a pair of National Historic Districts that boast mansions even more luxurious than the most palatial ones in North Buffalo. Architecture buffs will marvel at these beautifully preserved examples of turn-of-the-century upper-class residential design.

Like the shopping and dining on Hertel Avenue? The Buffalo/Elmwood Village|Elmwood Village centers on a 1.8-mile (3 km) stretch of Elmwood Avenue that's almost as densely packed as Hertel with boutiques, bars and restaurants. In contrast to the antique shops and trendy furniture galleries of Hertel and the Elmwood Village's stock in trade is high-end, fashion-forward clothing boutiques catering to hip, upscale urbanites — alongside which are found some of Buffalo's most cutting-edge restaurants.

Located instantly north of the city, Tonawanda|Kenmore was Buffalo's first real suburb: its history can be traced back to 1889, when real estate speculator Louis P. A. Eberhardt purchased a tract of farmland at the junction of Delaware Avenue and Town Line Road (today's Kenmore Avenue), at the center of which the National Register-listed Eberhardt Mansion still stands. But Kenmore is far from the faceless tract of cookie-cutter housing most people picture when they hear the word "suburb" — Delaware Avenue and the main drag through the village, is a lively strip of shops and restaurants that combines urban hipness (in an accessible, Hertel Avenue way; not a pretentious, Elmwood Village way) with small-town charm.

Amherst (New York) | Eggertsville and Snyder are two more of Buffalo's earliest suburbs, centered along Main Street between University Heights and Amherst (New York) | Williamsville and with a history that dates back to the 1910s and '20s. Those who noticed the verdant streets and ample houses in North Buffalo'sUniversity Park Historic District will find more of the same here — the homes in Eggertsville and Snyder have mostly retained their comfortable middle- and upper-middle-class luster and seven of the distinctive stone gates that stand at the entrances to the side streets off Main have been listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Eggertsville is also the site of the Museum of disABILITY History, an uplifting collection of exhibits focusing on the accomplishments of Americans with disabilities.

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