Polaroid of the week: Buffalo in Bloom

Last Updated on October 28, 2021

I just returned to New York City from Buffalo, where I spent nearly a week. A welcome escape from the Big Apple, where life has felt pretty rushed lately. (That might be because I am trying to fit in as much as possible before I leave next month.)

Buffalo was a complete surprise – I had no idea the city was filled with groundbreaking architecture, world class art, historic sites, quirky neighborhoods and good food! I’ll tell you all about my visit shortly but as a quick teaser: I saw five (!) Frank Lloyd Wright houses – plus one mausoleum designed by him -, paintings by the who’s who in the art world (think Picasso, Miro, Matisse, Warhol, Monet, Van Gogh …), cycled 30 kilometers through the town’s different neighborhoods, visited Niagara Falls, toured the beautiful Forest Lawn cemetery and saw the fascinating abandoned grain elevators on a river cruise, marveled at Art Deco buildings and Victorian houses, sampled local micro-brews and in lieu of famous Buffalo chicken wings I tried Buffalo eggplant wings, which – trust me – are just as delicious.

I also happened to be in town for the annual Garden Walk Festival, during which 380 locals open up their gardens to the public. You can just wander around town with a map and go on a self-guided garden tour, pop into the houses that participate in the festival, and admire their fabulous and well-designed gardens, which range from artistic and exotic to more traditional Japanese and rose gardens. I loved seeing the garden owners proudly show off their gardens, offer lemonade and talk with visitors about flowers and gardening. I am a huge flower lover, so the sight of all these gardens made my heart smile.

How did you spend your week?