Seeing as I’ve been up for almost two hours (I did go to bed at 930) and I’m inbetween loads of laundry, here are some photos I took in early fall.
To start things off, I think we should enter The Time Machine.
This IS The Train. One train. It goes in one direction.
No, this is not a photo from 1986, this was from early fall 2008.
Hooray for the highest taxes in the state!
P.S. The bustling street is Main.
And a look at our not-at-all-phallic City Hall.
Lucky it’s art deco or I’d have major issues.
For you art junkies, perhaps this looks familiar…
Not so much?
Granted, we’re working with a different angle here, but this/that would be the Charles Burchfield painting “Rainy Night”.
Way to go Buffalo…save this building but knock down The Larkin Building.
(bitter? naw!)
Continuing on with the mothball that is Downtown, you can tell how used this building is.
Yes, that would be a fallout shelter sign.
I think I would take my luck and “duck and cover”. If the fallout didn’t kill me, I’m sure the asbestos would.
So, rounding out the trip, lets take a gander inside an actual working office building.
Most of Downtown used to be retail on the first floor(s) and offices on the upper floors.
This building is no exception.
At one point, this was a Kaufman’s store (nowadays Macy’s and back in the day a men’s store).
Set apart by it’s curved windows, this building now houses a Sprint store, Ghetto jeweler, Armed Forces Recruitment, etc.
At one point, the main entrance was located around here.
The store took up the first and second floors and this is evident in the two styles of handrails.
First Floor to Second Floor:
Second to Seventh Floors:
And there used to be a solarium as buildings in this period were trying to harness the natural light.
And thus, the solarium was covered. Nice.
No trip would be complete without the customary “You’re going to hell” street-preacher (located almost on the tracks).
please, stop bouncing 
What a nice tour.
I am going to imagine “Mr. Street Preacher” got out of the way before THE train sent him home early.
SB Sez: Look out! It’s very approaching very slowly! Get out of the way man!
HAHAHHAHAHHAHAH! MTAE is fuuuunnnny.
Thanks for the tour Bouncy babe. Buffalo has some lovely architecture. had to laugh over the phallic comment. Too true. Are you buried in 3 ft of snow yet??
SB Sez: Some days, I think that architecture is the ONLY things Buffalo has going for it. And we’ve been spared the snow way… in fact, no one on my ride in got snow either.
it’s a shame so many city centers are struggling. there was…and as your picture shows, still is…a grandeur to what used to be. very few cities are able to maintain or reinvigorate their downtowns. thanks for sharing… oh, and that City Hall picture bears a striking similarity to the Los Angeles city hall…
SB Sez: I’m not a politician or anything, so less me be the one to tell anyone how to do their jobs, but it seems like EVERYTHING is Buffalo is covered in red tape. You know that movie “PCU”? Reminds me too much of my hometown. Group A:”Tear down the eyesore!” Group B:”It has historical value!” Group A:”It’s also covered in asbestos and lead.” Group C:”Think of the environment!” Group B:”You can’t tear down history.” Group A:” Then you pay to have it reto-fitted.”
Group B:”No new taxes!” Group C:”Won’t someone think of the children!?!”
We had out first “snow” Friday. Beautiful puffy flakes which were gone by the afternoon. Of course, being sick I could only watch from the window… Thankfully after being housebound 3 days, I am FINALLY BETTER! Woohoo!