 Tanya Loughead
A professor at Canisius College, Tanya moved to Buffalo last year with her husband. They consider themselves ‘foodies’ who enjoy the urban lifestyle, eating out at interesting restaurants, going to the theatre, to good bookstores, to farmer’s markets, sitting on patios at cafés, etc.
5 Things I love about Buffalo
- Being able to walk or bicycle for everything I need
- I love the independent businesses and restaurants
- I love the people who run those businesses and whom I meet on the street
- I even love the urban dirt and grit of downtown (it gives an air of authenticity).
- The Albright-Knox Art Gallery has a fantastic collection and is a vital part of the community
- I love the architecture throughout the city, especially the shady, tree-lined streets with Victorian houses.
- My favorite part of the day is riding my bike to work through Forest Lawn Cemetery in the early mornings. I suppose that’s more than five things.
I’ve got to run now…the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra is giving a free concert on the parkway in front of my house (on Bidwell) in about 5 minutes, and I want to be there for the opening notes.
My favorite local hidden treasures you shouldn't miss
The diversity of progressive thought and action in Buffalo: the Center for Inquiry, the Subversive Theatre group, Gay Pride weekend, Arissa, publications like the Beast, Worker’s World, and Buffalo Forum, and the many historical preservationist and environmentalist groups. When much of the USA (and increasingly, the world) has flattened to bland and homogenous political thought, Buffalo remains on the edge and socially reflective.
My perfect day spent in the Buffalo area
I had two women friends in Buffalo for 10 days this month. They both spent their only vacation days of the year to come see me in Buffalo. Both women are professional women in their late 20’s/early 30’s. The very first day they were here, we were walking down Bidwell Parkway when we passed two other walkers. After they passed us, my friend Molly noted, “That woman just gave me direct eye contact and a pleasant hello.” This happened throughout their visit. They noted the authentic friendliness of the people in Buffalo. When we were walking downtown with un-folded maps in our hands, searching for the Guaranty Building, people asked if we needed directions and where we were from. At St. Paul’s Cathedral, they pleasantly offered us maps of the stained-glass windows without our having to ask. At Fowler’s Chocolates, the shop girl gave my friend a free dark-chocolate turtle. At Half and Half Clothing, they let my friend in 20 minutes before they opened to make an exchange.
Since I live in the Elmwood Village, we did quite a bit of shopping on Elmwood Avenue -- for books, vintage clothing, new clothing, chocolate, shoes, wallets, jewelry, you name it. Almost every night, we made a leisurely stroll to pick up something at the Lexington Co-op or Danahy’s wine shop. (We played “petanque” on the parkway enjoying said wine.) We also ate dinner out at Off the Wall, India Gate, Brodo, Jim’s Steak Out, Fiddlehead’s, Tru-Teas and Sahara Grill. We enjoyed drinks at Caffe Aroma, Cole’s, Cecelia’s, Le Metro and Allen Street Hardware Café (just to name a few—we were on vacation after all!). Just putting all of these restaurants in a list makes me feel so lucky to live in my neighborhood. We walked or bicycled everywhere. On the evening before they left, sitting on the terrace of Brodo, watching the passers-by, sipping a great glass of wine (at a steal of a price), they both noted, “Yes, you live in a cool city.”
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