Places 🏙️ Buffalo New Yorkers, represent

[Doohickie]

My dad tells the story of how my grandmother would have given her left ear for one of these suburban houses instead of the jerry-rigged together telescoping house they lived in on Sobieski St, but my grandfather was too cheap to move out to Cheektowaga in 1959 from Polonia even though they could have afforded too.

My dad was a high school junior/senior in 1959.

Thinking about it now, I believe $16k was what my grandparents paid for the U-Crest neighborhood bungalow at about that same time (late 50s) that my parents later moved into and I was raised in. It was built in 1955 and they bought from the original owner a couple of years after that. My grandfather died before I was born but my grandmother lived with us (or maybe we lived with her).

 

[JNA]

 

[Doohickie]

 

[Dan]

I think of myself as a pragmatic preservationist. I'm not for willy-nilly destruction for parking lots, or making more holes in an urban fabric we only recently started to patch up. However, it seems like many in Buffalo's preservation community are obsessed with individual buildings that have little or no architectural merit, but they sat on their hands while entire neighborhoods filled with vernacular architecture that's unique to the region got covered in cheap vinyl siding. They're against anything that's new, but never advocated for zoning or architectural requirements that would impose minimum design standards for new buildings.

The house at 598 Lisbon Avenue was built in 1840. That house originally sat on the site of the long-gone Prospect Reservoir (which later became the site of War Memorial Stadium), and was moved to Snyder when the reservoir was built. The house was later moved to Lisbon Avenue in 1901, where it became the first house on the block. It was the lifelong home of Alice Middaugh, a nurse that served with Florence Nightingale in the Boer War. That house is still standing today, covered in vinyl siding.

Most people think Robert Coles house is the only Mid-Century Modern house in Buffalo. At 49 and 55 Godfrey Avenue, there's a pair of Mid-Century modern houses with an interesting story. 55 Godfrey Avenue was built by Roxie Gian, who developed many suburban shopping plazas in the 1950s, as a gift to his mother. He also built 49 Godfrey.

225 Dartmouth Avenue is an original farmhouse that was part of the Eckert Farm. Eckert = anglisized locally as Eggert, as in Eggert Road. But not really; there's no direct relationship to the road's namesake.

If any of these houses were destroyed tomorrow, they would pass without anybody knowing of or caring about their importance. I've never seen any of them mentioned in any inventory of historic buildings in Buffalo, much less mentioned by anyone in the architecture or preservation crowd. Still, folks flip their shit if a few shitty old two-flats get town down for condominiums in Elmwood Village, or a rusted shed along the Buffalo River makes way for a new apartment building.

 

[akepps]

225 Dartmouth Avenue is an original farmhouse that was part of the Eckert Farm. Eckert = Eggert, as in Eggert Road.

As far as I know, Eckerts and the Eggerts are two distinct families here. Maybe way back in Germany, they were related.

 

[Doohickie]

So.


How 'bout them Bills, eh? Eh?

 

[Dan]

How 'bout them Bills, eh? Eh?

Go Bills.

 

[Dan]

Zoning Reform and His Trio. Your Host: Tony Bagadonutzi. The variety of weekend entertainment in mid-1960s Buffalo seems really limited: lots of lounge acts, and a fading old-timey vaudeville scene.

Red Lobster had nightly dancing?

Note the naming scheme of many Italian-American establishments: Frank's Casa Nova, Larry's Delaware Restaurant, Tony Longhino's Billboard, and Frank & Theresa's Anchor Bar -- the sole survivor among all of these 𝓬𝓵𝓪𝓼𝓼𝔂 joints.

Add a zero after the prices for today's rough equivalent.

Below is a full page ad for Buffalo-bsed Marine Midland Bank, that appeared in the February 18 1968 Buffalo Evening News. At the time, construction was beginning on the Marine Midland Center, today Buffalo's tallest skyscraper.

Ironically, Marine Midland Bank, once among the largest banks in the US, got bought out by HSBC: the Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Company. Except for some back office operations, HSBC no longer has a presence in Buffalo.

 

[Doohickie]

...because nothing says America like "red-and-yellow".

Those of us old enough to remember that Bank of America rolled out the first successful "all-purpose" credit card accepted by multiple merchants. That card was called BankAmericard. So they probably felt the need to work American into their product also. (In 1976 BankAmericard was rebranded as VISA... and a few years later Master Charge was rebranded as Mastercard.)

 

[Dan]

No smoking areas now available. Guess they had to note it, since it probably used to be all smoking. Also, no dungarees. Buffalo Evening News, January 24 1975. Not a typo. 1975, not 1965.

Yeah, my folks took me there when I was little. Booooooring.

Half the menu items look like they were pulled straight from a kitschy 1950s cookbook. Glorified rice Tomato Aspic? Cold meat loaf? Eww.

 

[Whose Yur Planner]

No smoking areas now available. Guess they had to note it, since it probably used to be all smoking. Also, no dungarees. Buffalo Evening News, January 24 1975. Not a typo. 1975, not 1965.

View attachment 58401

Yeah, my folks took me there when I was little. Booooooring.

Half the menu items look like they were pulled straight from a kitschy 1950s cookbook. Glorified rice Tomato Aspic? Cold meat loaf? Eww.

I remember when they first started having no smoking areas when I was a kid. Now smoking is pretty much verboten everywhere. Big change from when I was a kid.

 

[Maister]

I remember when they first started having no smoking areas when I was a kid. Now smoking is pretty much verboten everywhere. Big change from when I was a kid.

It's difficult to convey just how ubiquitous smoking and smoking culture was when we were kids. I mean every lobby in every hotel had a half dozen ashtrays present. Same with all the airports, bus terminals, work places, stores, restaurants, government offices, bars, ball parks, bowling alleys, dentists offices...people smoked virtually everywhere. Lots and lots of cigarette advertising on tv and radio. Cigarette vending machines where in most restaurants.

 

[Whose Yur Planner]

It's difficult to convey just how ubiquitous smoking and smoking culture was when we were kids. I mean every lobby in every hotel had a half dozen ashtrays present. Same with all the airports, bus terminals, work places, stores, restaurants, government offices, bars, ball parks, bowling alleys, dentists offices...people smoked virtually everywhere. Lots and lots of cigarette advertising on tv and radio. Cigarette vending machines where in most restaurants.

I remember the anti smoking campaigns. I was part of the junior optimist in Middle school when they started the anti smoking campaign. I especially remember the one where the dad is smoking and the little kid started picking up cigarettes. Ironically, I was diagnosed with asthma several years later.

 

[Doohickie]

I remember the anti smoking campaigns. I was part of the junior optimist in Middle school when they started the anti smoking campaign. I especially remember the one where the dad is smoking and the little kid started picking up cigarettes. Ironically, I was diagnosed with asthma several years later.

This ad is the reason I am not a smoker. I remember watching this as a boy and deciding that smoking was not for me.

 

[Dan]

I like this old ad from 1924. It reduces all the marketing speak into just two words: "PATRONIZE US". These are the kind of folks Ron Swanson would do business with. Competitive prices? Good service? Do you even need their product? None of that matters. Just skip all the chit chat, offer a firm handshake, buy some wood, and leave.

I only noticed the swastikas after I reduced the image size. Again, 1924.

On a related note, 40 years ago, Schiller Park was a much different neighborhood.

Things get done when you use a Dyke.

A new house for only $75,900 ...

... In 1982 dollars. That's $232,946.93 today. There's also the mortgage with 12% interest.

The first feature the ad mentions is a "luxurious dining room". So Old Buffalo. A house could have six bedrooms and one tiny bathroom, but as long as the dining room can fit three generations of parents, grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins, and nephews for a St. Joseph's table or extended wake, it's all good.

 

[jsk1983]

I like this old ad from 1924. It reduces all the marketing speak into just two words: "PATRONIZE US". These are the kind of folks Ron Swanson would do business with. Competitive prices? Good service? Do you even need their product? None of that matters. Just skip all the chit chat, offer a firm handshake, buy some wood, and leave.

View attachment 58447

I only noticed the swastikas after I reduced the image size. Again, 1924.

On a related note, 40 years ago, Schiller Park was a much different neighborhood.

View attachment 58448

Things get done when you use a Dyke.

View attachment 58456

A new house for only $75,900 ...

View attachment 58449

... In 1982 dollars. That's $232,946.93 today. There's also the mortgage with 12% interest.

The first feature the ad mentions is a "luxurious dining room". So Old Buffalo. A house could have six bedrooms and one tiny bathroom, but as long as the dining room can fit three generations of parents, grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins, and nephews for a St. Joseph's table or extended wake, it's all good.

I vaguely recall my Dad taking me to German fest at Schiller Park, though I think it moved to Cheektowaga in the early 90s at the latest. I also remember him taking mw to a lawn fete at Villa Maria, not sure if either still happens.

 

[Doohickie]

Dang, late summer was lawn fete season. We went to several. Oddly my home church (Our Lady Help of Christian aka Chapel) didn't do one. We never missed the one at St. Barnabas in Depew though and we'd usually hit two or three others.

I'm not sure where this picture was taken of me (right), my mom and my two brothers, but if I had to guess it was at St. Barnabas Lawn Fete and I'm guessing my dad was in the beer tent behind me.

 

[Dan]

You know my earlier posts about what seems like an endless "renaissance?" Well, I found this in a 43-year old edition of the Buffalo Evening News.

Back in my day, we carved TV sets out of trees. 1981 US$699 is 2022 US$2,277, which today would pretty much get you a stadium scoreboard-sized TV set.

 

[Doohickie]

1981 US$699 is 2022 US$2,277

True, but in-home electronics consisted of a television and console stereo (unless you were an audiophile or younger then it was a component set), and maybe a few desktop or portable radios. Not everyone had cable; VCRs were just starting to become common; a second or third TV would have been significantly smaller, maybe 19". So when you talk about $2,277, bear in mind that was probably the biggest in-home entertainment expense.

Today sure, everyone has stadium sized TV screens, but each person has their own phone (with connection plan), most have their own computer, and instead of a possible modest cable bill, most people have internet connections plus several cable or streaming subscriptions.

So my point I guess is that while that seems expensive, that was the pinnacle of the entertainment setup; once purchased you were set.

Thinking about how people lived a generation or two ago compared to today, there was a let less to spend your money on.

 

[Maister]

So my point I guess is that while that seems expensive, that was the pinnacle of the entertainment setup; once purchased you were set.

And yet.....it seems we were not, ultimately, 'set'. VHS players began to make their way into our homes a year or two later. Same with CD players, satellite dishes.....

 

[Doohickie]

True. But that kind of reinforces my point: in-home entertainment tech evolves; it takes a certain percent of our income, but what we actually spend it on evolves with the technology. In 1981, CD players and VCRs were still in the future for most people and were only being bought by early adopters. My parents were still several years from even considering such "luxuries."

 

[Dan]

Affordable funerals because there's two bodies in that casket.

 

[Dan]

Cheektowaga valentine. Buffalo News, February 14, 1994

 

[Maister]

Cheektowaga valentine. Buffalo News, February 14, 1994

View attachment 58580

Stosh is quite the wordsmith, no?

 

[Doohickie]

Stosh is quite the wordsmith, no?

You betchur dupah!

 

[Dan]

The English language was a lot different back then.

 

[Dan]

Glad I snagged a 716 number for Google Voice years ago.

New 624 area code coming to Western New York by 2024

The 624 area code will start being assigned as early as April 2024 to residential and business customers requesting new service or additional lines throughout the 716 area code region – all or portions of Erie, Niagara, Allegany, Cattaraugus and Chautauqua counties.

buffalonews.com

It should have been "426", because like Buffalo, the number is close to Toronto's 416.

Other rejected area code numbers:

• 462. It spells out "GOB", as in "Go Bills".
• 998. It would have made Boomers cry every time they hear someone say it.
• 362. Spells out F'N A.
• 420. Just because.

 

[Dan]

Bar hopping on Bailey Avenue in 1985. I was 19 and of legal drinking age when this article was written, and I've been to a few of these places way back in the day. My friends in the neighborhood hung out at Jimmy J's, at the northeast corner of Bailey and Dartmouth. A lot of the old school gin mills in my neighborhood either wouldn't serve anybody under 21, or let them in the place to begin with, so I never got to experience them before I left Buffalo in 1989.

Although many considered the neighborhood "well integrated", and new black residents at the time reported feeling comfortable and welcome, there was something of a self-imposed color line in Kensington's third places and institutions. It wasn't discrimination or racism at work. There were no remote door locks, like in the Broadway-Fillmore area. The occasional black resident would happily drink and party among a mostly white crowd at the bars catering to younger locals, and nobody thought anything of it. However, black folks felt out of place in some other traditionally "white spaces" like old fart gin mills, mainline Catholic and Protestant churches, and fraternal and service organizations. White residents generally avoided visiting black bars, or stores catering specifically to a black clientele.

Racial transition in the Kensington area was very slow, but in a period of a few years during the mid-1990s, many long-established third places and institutions -- "white" bars and churches that were never a draw for the area's growing black population -- dropped like flies. When I returned home in 1993 for grad school, only a few of the places mentioned in these articles on the stretch of Bailey between Winspear and the Kensington Expressway remained. The loss of those third places seemed like the final indicator that the neighborhood's 25-plus year experience of peaceful racial integration was breaking down past a point of no return.

 

[Maister]

It's funny how certain ephemera can instantly transport you to a different time. For me, it's unexpected things like looking at old newspapers. I never once thought at the time: 'boy, this random newspaper page sure is emblematic of multiple facets of the time and place we live in'

 

[Dan]

Traffic calming in Williamsville, 1905.

 

[Dan]

Buffalo Evening News, September 21, 1974.

Fun fact: at the time, Harvey Weinstein lived a few blocks away from me, at the northern end of the Kensington neighborhood.

 

[ExRocketSci]

I never got to see any of the concerts there, but I did go to some late-night movies there before it was unfortunately torn down. The interior was in pretty bad shape by then with wallpaper and upholstery falling off the walls, lighting was bad with dark hallways, etc, but you could tell that it was a grand theater in its prime. The movies were as much an experience as a concert, hundreds of wasted teen agers, lots of the usual 70s drug activity, lots of smuggled liquor, empty beer and wine bottles flying and rolling down the aisles.

 

[Dan]

There were unions for everything back then!

Imagine what the proud members of Stereotypers Union Local 25 did for a living. "Those damn Irishmen in South Buffalo! They do nothing but drink and fight! That'll be $1.25, based on our hourly rate."

A bill posters' union! That's a violation.

What's a hod carrier? A malster? A market driver?

 

[Super Amputee Cat]

There were unions for everything back then!

Imagine what the proud members of Stereotypers Union Local 25 did for a living. "Those damn Irishmen in South Buffalo! They do nothing but drink and fight! That'll be $1.25, based on our hourly rate."



A bill posters' union! That's a violation.

What's a hod carrier?

hod carrier (noun)


: a laborer employed in carrying supplies to bricklayers, stonemasons, cement finishers, or plasterers on the job

From Wikipedia

"A brick hod is a three-sided box for carrying bricks or other building materials, often mortar. It bears a long handle and is carried over the shoulder. A hod is usually long enough to accept 4 bricks on their side. However, by arranging the bricks in a chevron fashion, the number of bricks that may be carried is only limited to the weight the labourer can bear and the unwieldiness of that load. Typically, ten to twelve bricks might be carried.[1][2]

Hod carrying is a labouring occupation in the building industry. Typically the hod carrier or 'hoddie' will be employed by a bricklaying team in a supporting role to the bricklayers. Two bricklayers for each hod carrier is typical. A hoddie's duties might include wetting the mortar boards on the scaffolding, prior to fetching bricks from the delivery pallet using his hod and bringing them to 2x2 wide 'stacks' upon the scaffold that may then be easily laid by the bricklayers. The carrier should plan the deliveries of bricks with deliveries of mortar—also carried in the hod—to ensure the bricklayers can maintain a constant work rate. At sites without premixed mortar, the mortar will also be mixed by the hod carrier...

 

[Gedunker]

I remember running across "hod carriers" in a Davis-Bacon wage report way back in the day. I did have to ask what a hod carrier did to earn $29.85/hr.

 

[Maister]

What's a hod carrier?

ooh ooh, I actually know this one. A 'hoddie' was someone who used a 'hod' to carry supplies for masonry work.

Brick hod - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

As it happens I have wanted a Maine garden hod for years to carry and clean off the veggies from our garden, but have never gotten one as these suckers are expensive.

Edit: guess I didn't see SAC's post above.

 

[Planit]

This is from uni-watch website in an article about uniform designs for defunct NFL teams.

Tonawanda Kardex

Tonawanda played one game as an NFL team and were beaten so badly they left the league afterwards. The Kardex part of their name comes from American Kardex, a highly successful indexing card manufacturer. IF the owner of the company had decided that having a football team named for his company, the team could have been the most cash rich and corporately backed team in the NFL.


Buffalo All-Americans

Buffalo features another new logo. It’s partially based on the image of a buffalo on their letterhead. It took some multiple attempts to get something that looks like a solid logo.

 

[Dan]

Our elders seem to take delight in saying "Everything was so cheap back in the good 'ol days." "Why, you could buy a cold bottle of Coke for a nickel, or a pack of filterless extra tar Chesterfields for a dime!" Uh huh. Take the dollar prices on this page, and add a zero. That's the price in 2015 US dollars. Multiply by 12 for 2022 dollars.

Add a zero.

Add a zero.

Add a zero.

Also, in 1949, you have the option of heating your house with delicious anthracite coal! MMMMMM! Say, that hits the spot!

And ladies, don't feel like you have to sit on the sidelines during these boom times! Even though you got canned from the tank factory when Johnny came marching home, there's now exciting careers waiting for you!

 

[Doohickie]

$329.500 is pretty affordable if you ask me.

 

[The Terminator]

I AM IN BUFFALO THIS WEEKEND!!!!

Taking Amtrak up tomorrow, and back Monday. I have a party to attend tomorrow evening, but saturday and sunday will be dedicated purely to exploring the city/region on the NFTA.

Im planning on staying in a Hostel that I particularly like downtown, but on the very very phat off chance - any Cyburbians or their local acquaintances in the area who could host me lol ?

 

[Dan]

As far as I know, Eckerts and the Eggerts are two distinct families here. Maybe way back in Germany, they were related.

Post fixed!

Cheektowaga valentine. Buffalo News, February 14, 1994

A really old, obscure memory came back to me. There used to be a retro diner in the Walden Galleria called "Stash & Stella's". It had a kitschy old Polish Buffalo theme. However, doing some research, it was actually the first location of a diner concept from O'Toole's, a Canadian restaurant chain. Kind of like how the American-based Outback Steakhouse chain adopted an Australian theme, Stash & Stella's appropriated Polish Buffalo for its branding and trade dress! Stash & Stella's spread throughout malls in Canada and the northeastern US through the early 1990s, but quickly vanished by the middle of that decade. Stash & Stella's closed before the personal ad appeared.

Here's an article from the Baltimore Sun in 1991.

Speaking of the Walden Galleria, this photo of the place from 1990 is, like, totally peak mall.

From a YouTube video about the mall opening. (Fixed the aspect ratio.)

Check out the shoulder pads of the woman behind Joanne.

 

[Dan]

I AM IN BUFFALO THIS WEEKEND!!!!

If I was in Buffalo then, I'd come say "hi!" However, we'll be in south Florida, visiting the inlaws for a long weekend.

 

[The Terminator]

If I was in Buffalo then, I'd come say "hi!" However, we'll be in south Florida, visiting the inlaws for a long weekend.

Nice, Enjoy! Take the Brightline train!

Worked out in the end that Im staying at a Punk House off of Bailey. The first stop my host will be taking me.....THE HAPPY SWALLOW!

 

[akepps]

Im planning on staying in a Hostel that I particularly like downtown, but on the very very phat off chance - any Cyburbians or their local acquaintances in the area who could host me lol ?

If you stay at the Hostel, tell the staff that the Vice President (me) said to take good care of you!
Our Downtown Christmas Tree lighting is on Saturday at Rotary Rink, one block south of the hostel from 5 to 8. Tree lights at 6.

 

[Dan]

Elmwood Village wasn't always so progressive. From the Am-Pol Eagle, 1 February 1962

For some reason, I'm reading this ad in a very, very loud voice. Like, YELLING.

 

[Maister]

Elmwood Village wasn't always so progressive. From the Am-Pol Eagle, 1 February 1962

View attachment 59139

 

[Doohickie]

I watched It's a Wonderful Life last weekend and focused on the character of Mr. Potter and I have to say that Drew Barrymore's great uncle Lionel really nailed the part.

 

[Maister]

I watched It's a Wonderful Life last weekend and focused on the character of Mr. Potter and I have to say that Drew Barrymore's great uncle Lionel really nailed the part.

Did you notice there was a bust of Napolean behind his desk?

 

[Doohickie]

Did you notice there was a bust of Napolean behind his desk?

No, but in reading about Barrymore I saw that he broke his hip twice and had trouble walking which is probably why they put him in a wheelchair for this movie. The wheelchair is integral to the character who bosses other people around even to effect his own mobility.

 

[MD Planner]

hod carrier (noun)


: a laborer employed in carrying supplies to bricklayers, stonemasons, cement finishers, or plasterers on the job

From Wikipedia

"A brick hod is a three-sided box for carrying bricks or other building materials, often mortar. It bears a long handle and is carried over the shoulder. A hod is usually long enough to accept 4 bricks on their side. However, by arranging the bricks in a chevron fashion, the number of bricks that may be carried is only limited to the weight the labourer can bear and the unwieldiness of that load. Typically, ten to twelve bricks might be carried.[1][2]

Hod carrying is a labouring occupation in the building industry. Typically the hod carrier or 'hoddie' will be employed by a bricklaying team in a supporting role to the bricklayers. Two bricklayers for each hod carrier is typical. A hoddie's duties might include wetting the mortar boards on the scaffolding, prior to fetching bricks from the delivery pallet using his hod and bringing them to 2x2 wide 'stacks' upon the scaffold that may then be easily laid by the bricklayers. The carrier should plan the deliveries of bricks with deliveries of mortar—also carried in the hod—to ensure the bricklayers can maintain a constant work rate. At sites without premixed mortar, the mortar will also be mixed by the hod carrier...

That's interesting. I think I had that job during the summer when I was 17 and 18 but they called me a mason tender.