Now I know your first impression of “Buffalo” is probably somewhat negative, but hold that thought. I think I might change your point of view.

Now like some of you, I’ve been to a couple Buffalo Sabres games, but I’ve never actually been able to play the tourist role in Buffalo. I was always impressed with some of the architecture that I saw coming into the city, but I really knew nothing about Buffalo.

Working in tourism here in Niagara, just across the border from NY state, I was curious one day awhile back and I checked out Buffalo’s website www.visitbuffaloniagara.com. The site profiled, and really singled out one neighbourhood in particular called Elmwood Village. It sounded like a vibrant, creative neighbourhood with some cool things going on, so I figured it would be a great area to check out first to get introduced to Buffalo. And I finally got to this past Sunday.

Note: This is a longer blog post than usual, but if you keep reading and hang in there, I want to tell you about a couple of the cool places I visited, and also tell you a funny story about how I was confronted twice by a security guard during my visit to an art gallery.

Still here? Ok, so after dropping my Dad off I made my way (quite easily driving wise) to Elmwood avenue and decided to drive up and down it to get a feel for the street. I passed some cool restaurants and shops and a Starbucks. I figured worse come to worse I could just hang out at old faithful. The only place I had really penciled in to visit was the Albright-Knox Art Gallery, which was also on Elmwood Avenue, and seemed established, but otherwise I was open to inspiration!

After driving back up the street towards my main destination, I finally decided to stop and head into a coffee shop called Spot Coffee. I went in and was totally surprised. The cafe was way bigger, and way more vibrant than I ever would have suspected. It was like a big, high ceiling’d sports bar, but cafe style with vintage chairs, couches and tables and it was packed. I grabbed a bagel (which was really tasty) and a coffee (which was also really tasty) and had myself a seat. I felt like I was right where I was supposed to be.

I was so happy that my first stop was such a cool place. At Spot Coffee I read a little bit of the Sunday Buffalo newspaper, and go figure, the paper actually had an article about Elmwood Village. The article spoke of the thriving and changing strip, and I could feel it, and was glad to be there. I also read another article about a new exhibit at the Burchfield Penney Art Center which, go figure, is also on Elmwood avenue, right across from the other gallery I had planned to check out. I had noticed it on my way in but didn’t have a clue about what it was.

The story talked about a featured exhibit at the Burchfield Penney Art Centre called “Heat waves in a Swamp: The paintings of Charles Burchfield – March 7 – May 23, 2010.” It sounded intriguing because the article talked about Charles Burchfield (who the art centre is actually named after) and how Charles really hasn’t got the recognition that he’d supposedly deserved, but that essentially he’s right up there in America’s founding art world with the likes of Frank Lloyd Wright (architect) and Frederick Law Olmstead (designer). Burchfield was predominantly a watercolour painter, but I learned later that day, not the light kind of watercolour, the opaque (thick) kind. And he was famous in the States back earlier in the 20th century.

So after my coffee, and education from the paper, I went for a little walk to get a feel for the street. It was a nice, brisk and sunny day. I then hopped in my car and drove up the street to the art gallery, which I had passed on my way in.

Originally I had planned to visit the Albright-Knox Art Gallery, which is right across from Burchfield Penney, but what sold me on Burchfield was that they had a special exhibit going on and that there was a special panel discussion (to my luck) planned for Sunday featuring the curator of the exhibit Robert Gober, as well as two other curators Cynthia Burlingham and Nancy Weekly. So that was that.

The exhibit was only $9 admission and it was worth every penny – pardon the pun.

Burchfield’s artwork was really great. The panel discussion provided some good insight and added value. I also had a delicious lunch at the gallery’s cafe – grilled vege sandwich with a side of Terra chips (amazing chips!) and a Perrier.

The gallery’s architecture was good, although I wish they had a more stylish exterior entrance to the gallery. The back of it (seen in the picture above) is cool, but the front is very plain. I also felt that it was a more traditional gallery, lots of white – I missed the warmth of the AGO.

I felt very comfortable visiting Elmwood Village, although I did have one major annoying thing happen on my adventure.  I was interrupted twice by the “security” guy at the gallery. Once for leaning on a plastic casing. Fine, I probably deserved that, I guess, but the second time really got to me.

I was making a quick note of the name of a wallpaper design that Burchfield designed (part of the exhibit) and the same dude came over to me and said sorry you can’t use a pen in here. I looked at him in complete disbelief. I said “are you serious?” I thought he was joking. He said “no I’m not, sorry, no pens are allowed in the gallery. I can get you a graphite pen if you want.” I said, forget it, I won’t write anything then. I was really shocked at getting nagged at twice. I got over it, but if the first comment didn’t do it, the second made me uncomfortable pretty much the whole time looking around the gallery. Was he going to say something again to me I thought? Would he call back up? Would he kick me out? haha. I felt like a little kid with every move I made being watched. I tried to change my energy to a more confident one and it may have worked a little bit because fortunately I wasn’t bothered again after that.

Potential y=tip for the gallery. Please don’t have a pencil rule! Please let people use a pen. I was so far away from the piece. I mean if someone is suspicious and is really close to a piece of artwork sure, but if it’s just someone obviously making a little note, let it go.  Also, think about having fewer security guys walking around you – it was bordering on prison atmosphere. Lastly, if you’re adamant about your rules and enforcement, try not to have the same security guy confront visitors more than once. It can be creepy and rude, and turn people, like me, off.

That said, overall I was very impressed with Elmwood Village and I definitely plan to go again. I’m sure that the spring and summer will only get more vibrant and fun too. I also want to expand and check out more of the city. There’s an open air architecture bus tour that I’d like to do.

Have you been to Buffalo’s Elmwood Village? Sabres game? Let me know and share a comment here>>

Notables:

• Buffalo’s Proximity to Niagara – Only about 45 minutes away, almost half the trip to Toronto – for me anyway.
• Buffalo Airport has much cheaper flights
• Hockey fan? Think Sabres
• A nice change in culture from Canada
• Parking is in many cases free,  or super cheap

More info:

www.elmwoodvillage.org

www.facebook.com/elmwoodvillage

Elmwood Villagege video >>

www.ExperienceHeatWaves.com – Exhibit Site