| Saturday
and Sunday, July 26 and 27 Garden
Walk Buffalo is a free, self-guided tour of more than 300 Buffalo gardens, one
of the largest garden tours in America.
Garden Walk has become one of Western New York's most anticipated summer happenings.
Tens of thousands of visitors join us each year, as we show off our city's beautiful
homes and gardens. You will leave refreshed, entertained, and inspired! Visitors
flock to Buffalo's West Side to pick up their maps and start walking through the
gardens, which are located in clusters within a three-mile radius, with three
headquarters at strategic points along the way. Garden
Walk rejuvenates streets, re-energizes neighborhoods, increases property values,
and takes the chill out of Buffalo's image. Here
are just some of the places and things you're likely to see during the two days
of Garden Walk Buffalo: Flower,
rose, vegetable, herb and organic gardens; Japanese, English and water gardens;
butterfly, pocket, container and rock gardens; sidewalk and community gardens.
Multiple-level
decks, pergolas, espaliers, outdoor kitchens, grape arbors, lighting schemes,
fountains, wall murals, sculpture, koi ponds, waterfalls, potting sheds, carriage
houses, playgrounds, playhouses, treehouses and a putting green. Victorian
homes, Civil War-era cottages, secret houses hidden from view and turn-of-the-century
mansions, homes by Frank Lloyd Wright and McKim, Mead & White, buildings by H.H.
Richardson and Eliel and Eero Saarinen, parkways and traffic circles laid out
by Frederick Law Olmsted. The
place Teddy Roosevelt took the oath of office, the spot where President McKinley
ultimately died, award-winning urban sculpture, unique shopping and dining galore. The
Walk takes place in several communities within the city's limits: Elmwood
Village
A freshly named historic district of the city, the Elmwood Village
includes gracious mansions, century-old restored Victorians, charming cottages,
splendid apartment buildings, landmark churches, synagogues and chapels, institutes,
community centers and an unparalleled array of social services. Its "spine"
is the renowned Elmwood
Strip, Buffalo's premier urban shopping district lined with international restaurants,
quaint boutiques, a legitimate theater, library, small businesses, diverse bars,
bakeries and a new wave of coffee shops. Feel free to wander, for you will find
something unique around every corner. Symphony
Circle & Kleinhans Community
Frederick
Law Olmsted's 1874 Symphony "Circle," now dramatically restored, is
the gateway to a wonderfully integrated social, racial, economic and cultural
community. With Saarinen's Kleinhans Music Hall as its backdrop, this area's historic
Victorian-era architecture sets off an eclectic mix of city gardens. The
CottageÊ District (Summer Street & Union Place)
A close-knit neighborhood
best known for its quaint 1850s-1900s brick cottages and Victorian homes and their
exquisite gardens. Historic
West Village
Contemporary Victorian-style homes with old-fashioned country
and perennial cottage gardens. Prime examples of innovative gardening in small
spaces. City Hall's Art Deco dome lights up the night. Allentown
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, Allentown is the largest
and oldest of Buffalo's historic preservation districts. Architectural styles
include Italianate, Queen Anne, Second Empire, Workman's Cottage, and many more.
Allentown is a quaint urban village mixing quiet residential streets with a bustling
business district of great shops, restaurants, and nightspots. Columbus
Park/Prospect Hill
This beautifulÊ neighborhood offers architecture dating
from the 1850s to the 1950s, as well as a quiet residential oasis steps away from
downtown and the Peace Bridge. Many of the homes were built to take advantage
of Olmsted's Front Park, as well as the Niagara River scenery. A statue of Christopher
Columbus is placed on the southeast side of Columbus Park, facing Porter Avenue.
The neighborhood has been placed on the Preservation League's Seven to Save list,
as a portion of it is threatened with demolition as part of the Peace Bridge expansion
project. |
