BUFFALO, NY – At the time when these photos were taken, Buffalo needed the song “Talking Proud” to remind us to talk proudly about our city because everything seemed to be spiraling out of control.
Area industry was hemorrhaging the good paying blue collar jobs that were the back bone of “who Buffalo was;” so many plants were being left idle.
The city itself had seen better days, too. A once proud downtown was looking sad but hopeful for what the MetroRail might bring. Neighborhoods were slowly being abandoned… or worse, quickly being abandoned.
Bad things were happening all over, and even the calm, cool, and collected types were running out of fingers to plug the holes in the dyke.
That’s the scene in the Buffalo of these photos. Late 70s through the 80s. It wasn’t cool or hip or trendy or interesting to love this place for what it was. Many people focused their love on a single building, like Shea’s or the Darwin Martin House. Many people focused on their love of the people of this city.
But as a whole, the Buffalo that we loved was disappearing. The capital of glitz and glamour, the big city between Chicago and New York, the true Queen City of the Lakes was gone. It was hard to love the remnants of those days gone by, the city we have today. It took us some time to appreciate what we had and have, and we’re there now.
When someone makes a crack about snow or chicken wings, we’re ready to tell them what’s truly great about our city. We talk about our great history, and how we’re moulding that into our promising future.
But as you look at these photos, I hope you don’t simply curse the mistakes that were made. Many of these neat and interesting places no longer exist. But many were taken down in the hopes of replacing the old with something to be proud of tomorrow. No one knew how to do it. Boston made mistakes. Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Chicago. Each made choices now lamented about city planning, or lack of it.
Looking through these, quite a few times I said, “Damn.” Sometimes as in, damn, I wish that building was still here. But also, damn as in, look at how much better Chippewa looks. Damn, I’m glad there are no more porn shops on Main Street.
It’s a mixed bag for sure, but it is a mixed bag. If you through these photos, and see nothing but negative, you might be part of the problem with Buffalo today. You can’t change the past, and you can’t blame people who were trying, for the most part, to make our city a better place.
An early 80s billboard near City Hall asked the last person leaving Buffalo to turn out the light. Luckily, despite umpteen decisions that we wish we had back, it looks like that light will shine brightly for quite a while now.
About these photos:
A tremendous Buffalonian with a great eye for history rescued these amazing photos from certain peril. Yes, Derik Kane garbage picked them, scanned them, and put them up on Facebook.
The photos are popping up piecemeal all over Facebook, but I thought it was important to put them in a single, public place together on the web, so that they could be viewed as a single collection, and Derik was kind enough to oblige.
Personally, this is the earliest Buffalo I remember. Taking the Seneca bus downtown to Main Street with my mom or one of my grandmothers just before the MetroRail went in.
I’d like to gather as much info on these photos as possible. If you have any information or stories about any of the buildings, or neighborhoods, or times spent, or even the great array of vehicles, please note the number of the photo(s) and drop me an e-mail and we’ll update the page.
It’d also be great if anyone thinks to grab a “now” photo from a similar vantage point of any of these photos… Especially places that look drastically different.
Public School 22, Huntington Ave., Central Park neighborhood.
Lovejoy Theater, E. Lovejoy & Gold. 2016: The Lovejoy Pool.
Lovejoy Theater, E. Lovejoy & Gold. 2016: The Lovejoy Pool.
Buffalo Fire, Engine 28, E. Lovejoy at Gold.
LL Berger, Main Street. Gamler’s Jewelers, Genesee Building (now the Hyatt) in the background.
Herdman’s Art Supply, Franklin Street. 2016: Darcy McGee’s
265 Franklin Street, just north of Darcy McGee’s
Chippewa Thrift Center, Cosy Bar. 2016: Across Chippewa from Mighty Taco
House O’ Quinn, Cosy Bar, Chippewa Thrift Center. North side of Chippewa immediately east of Franklin.
Adult Books. Chippewa & Pearl. 2016: Prima Pizza.
Calumet Building, Chippewa at Franklin. 2016: Home of Bacchus and Mighty Taco.
Reuben’s Back Stage. Pearl Street, first building north of Chippewa. Home to the Union Bar, 2007; Barcelona, 2011.
Genesee Picture Frame Co & FT Coppins Company, Pearl Street just north of Chippewa. 2016: Genesee Frame moved next door.
BETSY. 454 Pearl Street. 2007: Michalena’s Bistro. 2014: District Martini Bar.
St. Michael’s Roman Catholic Church. Washington Street.
47 West Huron at Pearl. Replaced with current Augsperger Parking Ramp.
The only building still standing on this block is The Macaroni Company building, which has been the Century Grill for years. In a man-bites-dog type event, the parking ramp in the photo was torn down for a parking lot.
CN Pants, House of D Beauty Salon. Market Arcade Building, 617 Main Street.
Tony’s Texas Red Hots, Salters Restaurant. 617 Main Street, next door to the Market Arcade. 2007: Ya Ya Brew House, 2014: Perfetto Steaks, 2016: Expo Market
615 Main Street, George & Company. One door south from Market Arcade.
Smarty Pants. The Pierce Building. (and the southern edge of the old Main Street McDonald’s). Across Main Street from Shea’s Buffalo.
Cinema and Swiss Chalet. 2016: The Bijou Grill, Main Street.
Swiss Chalet, Filmart. 633 Main Street.
Filmart, 633 Main Street. 2016: Andrews Theatre. Building is also two floors shorter. 629 Main, Flair Lounge & Bar. 2016: Irish Classical Theatre.
George & Co, Theatre Lounge, Nu-Look II. Nu-Look storefront was altered from this look in 1982. Eventually, buildings to the right of George & Co. were torn down to make way for Holiday Inn & TGIFriday’s building at Main & Chippewa.
Book Art, Adult magazines, 4 E. Chippewa Street. NE corner of Main & Chippewa. These buildings gave way to the Holiday Inn/ TGIFriday’s.
Marn Branti Men’s Shop, 605 Main, Jack’s Submarines, Book Art, Adult magazines, 4 E. Chippewa Street. NE corner of Main & Chippewa. These buildings gave way to the Holiday Inn/ TGIFriday’s.
rail freight depot, Exchange & Chicago
rail freight depot, Exchange & Chicago
rail freight depot, Exchange & Chicago
rail freight depot, Exchange & Chicago
New York Telephone Building, 46 Church Street. Built in 1914 in Beaux Arts style. The 80-foot antenna array was atop the building from 1961-2011 to aid in the transmission of long distance calls.
Dun Building, Pearl & Swan. Designed by Green & Wicks, it was Buffalo’s first highrise
Corner of Swan & Pearl
The Bank of Buffalo building, 234 Main Street. Built in 1895, torn down in numbered pieces for assumed future use in 1989. Lot at Main and Seneca is the parking lot out the front door of the Pearl Street Brewery.
Sinatra’s Restaurant & Bar, 97 S. Elmwood. Site is now the back lawn of the Robert Jackson Federal Court House
Valentine’s, on Niagara Square, 2016: Site of the Jackson Federal Courthouse
Statler Hotel, Buffalo Convention Center, New York State Office Building.
From a high City Hall window: The Rath Building, The Guaranty Building. Old County Hall clock tower, steeple of St Joseph Cathedral, Skyway onramp, Memorial Auditorium.
From a City Hall window: the BAC, Delaware at Niagara Square.
From the Skyway onramp: Erie County Court Building, at Delaware & Church
Delaware & Church: Sheriff’s Office Headquarters, before addition to the Holding Center next door
Main & North Division
Delaware Avenue, Sheriff’s Office Headquarters, before addition to the Holding Center next door. 42 Delaware in the foreground.
42 Delaware Ave at Eagle Street.
The Bank of Buffalo building, 234 Main Street. Built in 1895, torn down in numbered pieces for assumed future use in 1989. Lot at Main and Seneca is the parking lot out the front door of the Pearl Street Brewery.
Pearl & Cathedral Place. St. Paul’s, M&T Tower.
Dennis Building, 251 Main Street just south of Swan… Across Washington Street from Coca-Cola Field 2016: Being renovated for condos
Dennis Building, 251 Main Street from corner of Washington and Swan…. 2016: Across Washington from Coca-Cola Field, being renovated for condos
Buffalo Savings Bank, Goldome. Main at Genesee. EB Green designed building, in 2016 an M&T Branch. Liberty Shoes to the left, The Niagara Mohawk Building (previously known as the Niagara-Hudson Building, 2016– The Electric Building.)
Buffalo Savings Bank Headquarters, Liberty Shows, Main Street, NE of Genesee. Both buildings torn down for Goldome headquarters building, now “M&T Center.”
Buffalo Savings Bank “Goldome” building from Genesee Street. Former Edwards/Grants store building to the left across Main Street torn down for Fountain Plaza.
TC Tank, Buffalo Optical, Brownie’s Army Navy Surplus. Main Street, NE of Genesee, SE of Chippewa. Block torn down for Goldome headquarters building, now “M&T Center.”
295 Niagara Street
El Rancho Social Club, 257 Virginia Street. 2007: Cosmopolitan 2016: Cross Fit Nickel City.
165 Prospect Ave near Virginia
10 Prospect Ave (now Rabin Terrace)
Lovejoy Theater, E. Lovejoy & Gold. 2016: The Lovejoy Pool.
Lovejoy Theater, E. Lovejoy & Gold. 2016: The Lovejoy Pool.
Reformatted & Updated pages from staffannouncer.com finding a new home at buffalostories.com
Published by
Steve Cichon
Steve Cichon writes about Buffalo’s pop culture history. His stories of Buffalo's past have appeared more than 1600 times in The Buffalo News.
He's a proud Buffalonian helping the world experience the city he loves. Since the earliest days of the internet, Cichon's been creating content celebrating the people, places, and ideas that make Buffalo unique and special. The 25-year veteran of Buffalo radio and television has written five books and curates The Buffalo Stories Archives-- hundreds of thousands of books, images, and audio/visual media which tell the stories of who we are in Western New York.
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