Walking Tours

• Allentown Amble
• Elmwood Village
• Walk Buffalo
• Buffalo Tours

The Allentown and Elmwood Amble:
A Walk through scenic and historic neighborhoods

The Allentown and Elmwood Amble will take you from the corner of Delaware Avenue and Chippewa Street in downtown Buffalo into the heart of one of the first and largest residential historic districts in the United States. You’ll pass Babeville, the new home of Ani DiFranco’s Righteous Babe Records, the Wilcox Mansion, site of Teddy Roosevelt’s inauguration, the venerable Allendale Theatre, the First Presbyterian Church, the National Historic Landmark Kleinhans Music Hall, Frederick Law Olmsted’s Symphony Circle and a vast array of Victorian, Italianate and Queen Anne style homes. Occupying a portion of the city that was once the farm of Lewis Allen, Allentown today is known for its antique stores, quirky streets, distinctive architecture and eclectic bars and restaurants. The lower Elmwood Village also offers the charm and appeal of historic streets and distinctive architecture.

The Allentown and Elmwood Amble is 4.5 miles in length and should take approximately 2 hours.

Starting Out: The tour begins at the corner of Delaware and Chippewa. Brace yourself for the walk ahead with a cup of coffee at Spot Coffee or Starbucks before heading north on Delaware Avenue. The first notable landmark you’ll encounter is the former Delaware Asbury Methodist Church, now known as Babeville. Folk-rock recording artist Ani DiFranco saved the landmark from the wrecking ball and has made it the home of her Righteous Babe Records. Hallwalls Contemporary Arts Center shares the building with RBR and regularly presents exhibits, film screenings and musical performances by the most adventurous and provocative artists working today.

Continuing north on Delaware you’ll cross Tupper Street and immediately come upon Trinity Church. Trinity is known for its breathtaking collection of stained glass windows. It is one of only two places in the world where the work of John LaFarge and Louis Comfort Tiffany, two world-renowned art glass pioneers, sit side by side. Trinity Church is home to five Tiffany windows and ten superb works by LaFarge. The church happily welcomes visitors who come to admire its legendary windows.

As you exit Trinity Church, you’ll note two prepossessing buildings on the other side of Delaware Avenue. The first is the Buffalo Club, founded by former President Millard Fillmore and 92 like-minded gentlemen in 1867. It has served as a gathering spot for Buffalo’s movers and shakers ever since. Immediately north of the Buffalo Club, you’ll notice the Mansion on Delaware Avenue, a boutique hotel that recently received a Zagat Award as one of the best small hotels in America. After standing vacant for more than 20 years, the building was restored and returned to use as a hotel in 2002.  Legend has it that at some point in its long history, the building now known as the Mansion was the site of a notorious bordello that numbered among its clients the distinguished gentlemen of the Buffalo Club.

One block north on Delaware, turn right onto Virginia Street. You’ll pass a variety of notable 19th century residences before turning left onto North Pearl Street. North Pearl is one of the finest examples of a Victorian residential street left in Buffalo. The shaded street offers passersby a charming ambience in which it is nearly possible to hear the clatter of carriage wheels in the alley behind. One of the main attractions of Buffalo’s annual Garden Walk, North Pearl residents clearly pride themselves on cultivating their modestly-sized urban gardens.

At Allen Street, go left to continue your walk down what was once a well-trod cow path belonging to farmer Lewis Allen. You’ll find shops selling everything from dresses to furniture to books. Plan to stroll slowly along this stretch of the walk since the window-shopping is superb. If hunger should hit, you’ll find numerous dining options ranging from Fiddleheads to K. Gallagher’s, Colter Bay, La Tee Da, Allen Street Hardware and more. (Insider’s tip: Gabriel’s Gate at 145 Allen is a place many locals swear by when asked to name Buffalo’s best chicken wings.)

After crossing Elmwood Avenue, you’ll pass the Allendale Theatre. Built in 1913, the theater was restored in 1999 and is now home to the Theatre of Youth, a critically acclaimed company that entertains thousands of parents and their children every year. Immediately across the street is Rust Belt Books at 202 Allen. Here you’ll find a cornucopia of used books, ranging from classic literature to romance novels and contemporary fiction. Stop in and browse awhile.

Moving west on Allen, turn right on College Street before turning left into the delightful Arlington Park. This charming Victorian-era square dates from 1866 and is surrounded by Italianate and Second Empire houses. Linger for a moment in the peace and quiet of this urban sanctuary, secluded from the bustle of the nearby streets.

Leaving the square from its northwest corner, go a half black north and turn left onto North Street. A few steps more and you have entered Frederick Law Olmsted’s Symphony Circle, so called due to the presence of Kleinhans Music Hall on the circle’s southwest corner. Symphony Circle is part of the visionary parks and parkways system designed by Olmsted and his partner Calvert Vaux for Buffalo in the second half of the 19th century. Walk along the left edge of the circle to get a better look at Kleinhans, a National Historic Landmark designed by the renowned father and son team of Eliel and Eero Saarinen from 1938-1940. This modernist masterpiece is home to the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra and the Buffalo Chamber Music Society. For much of the year, the reflecting pool at the building’s eastern end offers one of the great urban vistas in Buffalo, creating a mirror for the towering and elegant First Presbyterian Church that lies across Pennsylvania Street. A great photo op, without a doubt.

Cross Porter Avenue and move around Symphony Circle’s northwest edge. Admire the lovely Birge Mansion on the opposite corner. Built in 1897 for George Birge, the founder of the Pierce-Arrow Motor Car Company, the Georgian style mansion was modeled on the lines of a villa Mr. Birge had seen on the Riviera.

Two blocks north on Richmond Avenue, turn left on Summer Street into what is known as the “Cottage District,” a collection of quaint brick cottages dating from as early as the 1850s. “Little Summer” as it is sometimes called is another highlight of the Garden Walk held every summer on the last weekend of July.

Turn right on York Street and return to Richmond. Go left on Richmond, noting the presence across the street of the former home of Temple Beth El, a synagogue dating from 1910. One block north, turn right onto Bryant Street. At the corner of Bryant and Ashland Avenue, you’ll pass by Trattoria Aroma, a highly regarded Italian restaurant known for al fresco dining on its inviting veranda in summertime.

Continuing east on Bryant, cross Elmwood before turning right onto Oakland Place, a charming enclave of truly gracious and impressive homes representing a wide variety of architectural styles. This street is without a doubt one of Buffalo’s treasures, hidden in plain sight. A stroll down this leafy lane is a step back to a bygone America that prized craftsmanship, quality and solidity.

Turn left on Summer Street for one block before making another left onto Delaware Avenue and “Millionaire’s Row.” This section of Buffalo’s grand 19th century boulevard was once home to the city’s wealthy businessmen, merchants and entrepreneurs. The homes they constructed were symbols of the city’s rising fortunes and the status their owners had attained in the then burgeoning metropolis. Moving north along the avenue you’ll pass the Clement Mansion designed by Buffalo’s foremost architect, E.B. Green. Next door, stands the Knox Mansion, the work of the renowned C.P.H. Gilbert, best known for his work along Fifth Avenue in New York City. Directly across the street from these monuments to 19th century commerce stands the counterpoint of Temple Beth Zion, an uncompromising modernist statement built in the mid-1960s that’s highlighted by two enormous stained glass windows designed by Ben Shahn. Tours are available by appointment and include the Cofeld Judaic Museum.

Moving north on Delaware, stop to admire the grandeur of the Campanile, one of Buffalo’s finest apartment buildings, at the corner of Bryant Street. Dating from 1929, the building features Italian Renaissance Revival details.

Proceed down Bryant one block to Linwood Avenue. Turn right on Linwood to explore another wonderful neighborhood. Consisting of Vernacular, Second Empire, Gothic Revival, Italianate, Stick, Shingle, Queen Anne, and Georgian and Colonial Revival style homes, Linwood is yet another architecture lover’s tour de force. (Insider’s hint: The Beau Fleuve Bed & Breakfast at 242 Linwood offer visitors warm and inviting accommodations.)

Proceed south on Linwood before turning right on North Street. At Delaware Avenue turn left to return downtown. On your left you’ll pass the Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site. It was here that Teddy Roosevelt took the oath of office as the 26th President of the United States after the assassination of William McKinley at the Pan-American Exposition in 1901. Although currently closed for an extension restoration, the former Wilcox Mansion will re-open for tours in 2009.

Returning to our starting point at Delaware and Chippewa, you’ll pass the venerable 20th Century Club at 595 Delaware Avenue. Designed by Buffalo’s Green and Wicks, the 20th Century Club remains an exclusive social club of considerable old Buffalo charm.

Between 471-499 Delaware Avenue stands the Midway, a group of row houses that, while common in many Eastern cities, are rare in Western New York.

If you’re famished after your long walk, stop in at the Stillwater, a well-reviewed restaurant that serves lunch and dinner in beautiful surroundings smack in the middle of the Midway. If something a little less upscale is more to your liking try Chris’s New York Sandwich Company at 395 Delaware.

Chippewa Street – and the end of your walk – lies two blocks south of this location. To download a printer-friendly map, click on the Download PDF link to the left.

One of America’s Great Neighborhoods:
A Walk Through the Elmwood Village and Delaware District

Recently voted one of the country’s top ten neighborhoods by the American Planning Association, Buffalo’s Elmwood Village shares this heady designation with the likes of Brooklyn’s Park Slope, San Francisco’s North Beach and the Pike Place Market in Seattle. The APA selected the Elmwood Village because of its “broad spectrum of cultural and social assets.” This walk is designed to introduce you to many of these very assets.

A stone’s throw from downtown hotels, the Elmwood Village is a great place to stroll and shop. You’ll find all manner of bistros, bars and cafes nestled among the clusters of galleries, boutiques, salons and shops. As The Chicago Sun-Times recently noted, “Browsers can find everything from vintage clothing…to an extensive fiction section at Talking Leaves, an independent book store with attitude. The cozy neighborhood features international cuisine choices of Indian, Vietnamese, Japanese, Caribbean and Spanish food.”

The Walk is 3.7 miles in length and should take approximately one hour and 45 minutes.

Starting Out: The tour begins at Spot Coffee in the heart of the Elmwood Village at the corner of Elmwood Avenue and Cleveland Avenue. As you set off east on Cleveland you’ll immediately come across the Chemical No. 5 Firehouse. This striking edifice has been adapted for use as a residence and is one of the few buildings in Buffalo with Art Nouveau details. The station was originally built to accommodate horse-drawn fire-fighting equipment.

Turn right on Tudor Place, a street of beautiful turn-of-the-century mansions. Go left on West Ferry Street, so named for the ferry that once took travelers across the Niagara River to Fort Erie, Ontario on the river’s far shore.

To your left you’ll notice one of Buffalo’s most impressive apartment buildings, 800 West Ferry. Built in 1929 by Darwin R. Martin, 800 West Ferry is a luxury apartment building featuring two-level units, fireplaces, beamed ceilings and large terraces. It remains one of Buffalo’s most fashionable addresses to this day. Constructed just before the stock market crash of 1929, the building’s unfortunate timing meant financial ruin for its underwriters, including the developer’s father, Darwin D. Martin, the man who brought Frank Lloyd Wright to Buffalo and whose foundering fortunes would soon thereafter force him to abandon the Wright-designed Martin House forever.

Turn left on Delaware Avenue and pass the gracious campus of Canisius High School, which numbers the late television journalist and best-selling author Tim Russert among its graduates. It was on this site, in the long-demolished Milburn House, that President William McKinley died after being shot at the Pan-American Exposition of 1901.

Continue north on Delaware to Gates Circle, one of many traffic circles that are a part of Buffalo’s Frederick Law Olmsted-designed parkways. The circle’s ornate light standards and fountain originated on the drawing table of E.B. Green, the man responsible for many of Buffalo’s greatest landmarks, including the 1905 building of the Albright-Knox Art Gallery.

Walk along the western rim of the circle and proceed to your left down Chapin Parkway, one of the city’s most gracious avenues. Named in honor of Col. Edward Chapin, who was killed during the Civil War, Chapin Parkway is a street of impressive homes dating from the early 20th Century, including an example (at No. 121) of work by Esenwein and Johnson, one of Buffalo’s most notable local architectural firms from its turn-of-the-century hey day.

At West Delavan go left and make a slight detour to the beautiful home and gardens of Jennifer Guercio at number 755. This lovely Victorian home is known for its spectacular gardens and is considered one of the highlights of the annual Garden Walk. Stop and admire the incredible plenitude of flowers.

Return to Chapin Parkway and continue left to Soldier’s Circle. As you make your way around the western perimeter of the circle, you’ll come across another of Buffalo’s many Frank Lloyd Wright buildings. Built in 1905 for William R. Heath, another Larkin Company executive (along with Darwin D. Martin) who took a chance on the still relatively unknown Wright. The Heath House is best known as a stylistic precursor to Wright’s renowned Robie House in Chicago.

Moving around the circle, you are now on Lincoln Parkway, a street of truly lavish and magnificent mansions. Cross Forest Avenue and continue to the rear of the Albright-Knox Art Gallery, home of one of the great collections of modern and contemporary art in the world. Climb the steps of the neo-classical portico for a view of Hoyt Lake and Delaware Park, the crown jewel of Frederick Law Olmsted’s Buffalo Parks System. Across the street you’ll find Shakespeare Hill, the site of one of the largest free outdoor Shakespeare festivals in the country, held every summer from June through August, as well as a lovingly-maintained rose garden that’s worth a stop.

Take a left on Iroquois Drive and go left again on Elmwood Avenue. From here you’ll see the clock tower of Rockwell Hall to your right on the campus of Buffalo State College. If your schedule allows, stop in and peruse the Albright’s magnificent collection that includes the likes of Warhol, Pollock, Van Gogh, Modigliani, as well as a host of provocative contemporary artists. As you cross Rockwell Road, note the construction of the new home of the Burchfield-Penney Art Center on the opposite side of Elmwood Avenue. Designed by Gwathmey Siegel Associates, the new museum will house an outstanding collection of the work of Charles Burchfield, the legendary landscape artist and watercolorist who made Buffalo his home for many years, as well as many other outstanding regional artists. The building is scheduled to open in November 2008.

Turn left on Penhurst Place and then right on Penhurst Parkway. This lovely street with a grassy median is another of Buffalo’s hidden residential gems.

Take a right at Forest Avenue and cross Elmwood Avenue for a view of the National Historic Landmark Richardson-Olmsted Complex. Designed by Henry Hobson Richardson and constructed between 1870-1896, the former Buffalo State Hospital features grounds by Frederick Law Olmsted. Built of locally quarried red Medina sandstone, this was Richardson’s first major commission and contains many of the elements that characterized what came to be known as the Richardson Romanesque style. Currently undergoing a massive multi-million dollar restoration and re-use, the buildings can be best viewed from lawn near the corner of Richmond Avenue.

Cross Forest Avenue and proceed down Richmond Avenue to Dorchester. Turn left onto Dorchester, a gem of a street that will connect you to Bidwell Parkway. Bidwell Parkway, named for local Civil War hero Daniel Davidson Bidwell, is home to a farmer’s market from May through October and a regular schedule of concerts throughout the summer. Go left at Bidwell and then right onto Elmwood Avenue.

After such a lengthy walk, you may be in need of refreshment. Stop at Caffe Aroma at the corner of Bidwell and Elmwood for a cup of coffee and afterwards browse the well-stocked shelves of Talking Leaves Books next door.

Continue south on Elmwood and window shop your way back to our starting point at Cleveland Avenue. You’ll pass a variety of restaurants, coffee shops, cafes and boutiques, including the Neighborhood Collective, Presence, Positively Main Street, Treehouse Toys, Buffalo Fleece and many other shops.

Lunch or dinner at Brodo, 765 Elmwood Avenue, would be a fitting conclusion to this invigorating walk. To download a printer-friendly map, click on the Download PDF link to the left.

WALK BUFFALO TOURS

Walk Buffalo is a 2.5 miles self-guided walking tour. Depending on your pace, it takes between 90 minutes and two hours to complete. The tour begins at the Market Arcade building, 617 Main Street, in the heart of downtown Buffalo’s Theatre District. There are 28 stops on the main tour, including such renowned landmarks as Louis Sullivan’s Guaranty Building, Richard Upjohn’s St. Paul’s Cathedral, Daniel Burnham’s Ellicott Square Building and Buffalo’s magnificent Art Deco City Hall. Pick up your Walk Buffalo book at the Buffalo Niagara Visitor Center at 617 Main Street, Buffalo, NY 14203
www.walkbuffalo.com