Buffalo, New York: 20 Surprising Reasons Culture Vultures and Foodies Should Visit Now
Read what Malerie Yolen-Cohen writes in The Huffington Post at www.HuffingtonPost.com
Coach bus tours routinely make two stops out in the northwestern region of New York State -- Niagara Falls and the Corning Glass Museum -- avoiding Buffalo, once the wealthiest city in the country with the most innovative architecture, entirely. These grand buildings stood steadfast, having missed out on the urban renewal boom in the '60s and '70s due to lack of funds, and are now being recognized, renovated and restored. These include several Frank Lloyd Wright properties that rival or exceed Fallingwater in size and importance. Whole neighborhoods and waterfronts have been revitalized, and there's a growing cultural and culinary scene that goes far beyond the chicken wings that bear the city's name (and were invented here). An industrial center at the terminus of the Erie Canal, Buffalo was never a tourist destination. But it is now growing into one. Proud locals are more than happy to show and tell you about the most surprising, engrossing and delicious aspects of their city, starting with these 20:
Read the complete list here.
The Burchfield Penney Art Center highlights the trippy, moody Audubon-on-drugs compositions of Charles Burchfield, the first artist to have a solo show at NYC MoMa in 1930. It also showcases the American "Craftsman" or "Arts and Crafts" movement, established by Elbert Hubbard just west of Buffalo. Impressed by the crafts movement in England and its push-back-against dark and fussy Victorian décor, Hubbard founded the Roycroft (Royal Craft) movement in Aura, NY, which focused on the use of wood, stone, iron, copper and other natural elements in sleek home design.