Buffalo often refers to itself as "the City of No Illusions," and Grant Street lays itself all out for those who visit the street, and the neighborhoods it goes through.
No Disney. No glamour shots. No downtown glass, rectangles, or boxes. "Grit" may be one of the polite terms for this part of the city, but its certainly got character. And it can even be a fun and exciting place to be.
Just one street.
Grant Street is located on the West Side of Buffalo, beginning approximately 2 miles (3.5 km) northwest of downtown, and extends north for about 2 miles, ending at the intersection of Military Road and Austin Street in the Black Rock neighborhood.
Grant Street by
bpawlik, on Flickr
The street and the surrounding neighborhoods date primarily from the period between 1880 and 1920, and beginning in the 1920s it has hosted consecutive waves of new immigrants into the city, starting with Sicilians (West Side), Polish, Ukrainians, and Hungarians (Black Rock) in the 20s, Puerto Ricans in the 80s, and today includes Dominicans, Africans, Burmese, and South Asians among others. For the last 10 years it has also been the first destination for refugees arriving in Buffalo, with many community services available.
Grant Street has been a rough and tumble mix of commercial and residential for decades, often described as sketchy, and is a very eclectic mix of new and redeveloped properties sometimes beside others that are neglected and decaying. In recent years neighborhoods along various sections of Grant have also been undergoing significant upgrading and gentrification, some of it spilling over to Grant, but at the same time new immigrants continue to arrive.
Grant Street begins at Hampshire Street, just south of the intersection of Grant and West Ferry Street.
Starting off politely in the lower numbered addresses of Grant, the West Side Bazaar is a collective of small retail and restaurant businesses primarily by and to serve the most recent immigrants to the community, and will be opening a larger location on nearby Niagara Street next year.
IMG_4459 by
bpawlik, on Flickr
Grant and West Ferry Streets is the center of a local retail district, primarily along West Ferry and includes hardware, furniture, clothing, restaurants, etc along with specialty shops. Shown are only those businesses on or visible from Grant Street.
IMG_4465 by
bpawlik, on Flickr
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bpawlik, on Flickr
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Neighborhoods to the east and west of Grant in this area area are in the process of gentrifying, but the next section of Grant, which was mainly vacant a few years ago, is filling with businesses catering to the most recent immigrant communities, many opening in the last year or two. The apartments along Grant itself are generally lower income residences, while homes on adjacent streets have doubled or tripled in value in the last few years. There is also ongoing improvements and renovations to many of the properties, although obviously many have yet to be touched.
IMG_4454 by
bpawlik, on Flickr
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bpawlik, on Flickr
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Rainbow stores always seem to be the worst about taking care of their properties.
IMG_4478 by
bpawlik, on Flickr
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Preparing for their grand opening in a former rental store.
IMG_4480 by
bpawlik, on Flickr
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A sure sign of gentrification in progress.
IMG_4442 by
bpawlik, on Flickr
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Somali restaurant.
IMG_4439 by
bpawlik, on Flickr
One of the small chain supermarkets also on Grant.
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This section of Grant is adjacent to slightly wealthier neighborhoods, and is between the rapidly gentrifying Niagara Street area and the Elmwood Village neighborhood. It is getting some "spillover" businesses priced out of the higher rents on Elmwood Avenue.
IMG_4424 by
bpawlik, on Flickr
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Lafayette Avenue at Grant Street.
IMG_4416 by
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The last remaining Italian market on Grant Street.
IMG_4404 by
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Another survivor from the past.
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Some new construction, with additional planned on some vacant lots further down.
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bpawlik, on Flickr
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The neighborhood west of Grant in this area has some of the poorest housing on the West Side, and is home to many of the newest immigrants who crowd into the homes and fill the streets with small children.
IMG_4345 by
bpawlik, on Flickr
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bpawlik, on Flickr
Crossing Forest Avenue.
[url=https://flic.kr/p/2nC8Vkz]
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No swimming this year at Rees Street Pool due to shortage of life guards.
IMG_4332 by
bpawlik, on Flickr
Multilingual trash cans.
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bpawlik, on Flickr
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bpawlik, on Flickr
Not Home by
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New student housing near Buffalo State College.
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bpawlik, on Flickr
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bpawlik, on Flickr
For decades Grant Street was ignored by Buffalo State College, mainly used for utility vehicles and later parking. In the last decade efforts have been made to make it more welcoming, with the addition of sports fields, dorms, apartments, and an alumni center. The school also purchased land across the street from the campus, and is developing plans for use. In decades past the west side of Grant by the school was heavily industrial, including steel mills, paint factories, and other dirty industry which closed or moved from the area in the 70s and 80s, but has remained mainly vacant.
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bpawlik, on Flickr
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Approaching the Scajaquada Creek Bridge. The creek separates the West Side from the Black Rock neighborhood of Buffalo, and was also the site of War of 1812 battles, and a naval shipyard of that era. Beginning in the 1830s it was also the site of some of the earliest metal foundries in the area, which attracted Eastern European immigrants to Black Rock in the 1800s and early 1900s.
IMG_4306 by
bpawlik, on Flickr
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bpawlik, on Flickr
Church of the Assumption, which served the Polish community, as seen from the bridge.
IMG_4297 by
bpawlik, on Flickr
Grant-Amherst intersection, and Polish Cadets Hall.
IMG_4298 by
bpawlik, on Flickr
Grant-Amherst intersection, looking east down Amherst Street. This area of Amherst Street is about a 1 mile long business strip, extending on both sides of Grant, and includes the only Wegmans located in the city limits, along with various restaurants and music venues.
IMG_4289 by
bpawlik, on Flickr
Grant-Amherst.
IMG_4290 by
bpawlik, on Flickr
Grant-Amherst was also at one time the site of the Black Rock Public Market. It is now a plaza and includes a large supermarket. Adjacent streets are still lined with small shops, restaurants, and taverns.
IMG_4293 by
bpawlik, on Flickr
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The final section of Grant as it heads north toward Military Road.
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bpawlik, on Flickr
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Former public grade school converted to apartments and YWCA.
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bpawlik, on Flickr
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St. Elizabeth's served the Hungarian community of Black Rock.
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bpawlik, on Flickr
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bpawlik, on Flickr
I spoke with the owner of this store, who also owns the store across the street. He said he had been there 17 years, but that his business dropped off in the last 5 years and he is struggling. I suspect that the demographics of the neighborhood made the biggest difference, as 2 miles further up Grant there are dozens of new African businesses opening, and nearby there are Asian and Arab grocers moving in. He did say that the "large stores" are taking away his business. Neighborhoods change...
IMG_4267 by
bpawlik, on Flickr
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The 111-year-old Showplace, originally called the Unity Theater. Now used for concerts and events. My parents actually met there in the early 1940s, and one of my aunts was a popcorn girl who met her husband there around the same time.
IMG_4262 by
bpawlik, on Flickr
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The intersection of Grant-Military-Austin streets, where Grant Street ends. Military Road had its origin prior to the War of 1812, constructed as a road connecting Black Rock with Fort Niagara to expedite troop movements, and is now designated NY Route 265.
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The immediate streets near the intersection reflect the industrial and working class of the late 19th and 20th century in its architecture, and current working class residents.
Former Police Precinct 13, where McKinley assassin Leon Czolgosz was held in 1901 after shooting the President at the Pan American Exposition.
IMG_4252 by
bpawlik, on Flickr
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bpawlik, on Flickr
Ukranian roots are still visible in the community.
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bpawlik, on Flickr
Remaining industrial is still in use, as this image shows, but nearby similar streets are undergoing conversion and transformation to residential, commercial, and office/startup uses. This street will probably follow in just a few years.
IMG_4242 by
bpawlik, on Flickr
Grant Street hit bottom about 10 years ago, and has been picking itself up in fits and starts ever since. For whatever reason, many landlords are reluctant to do anything to improve their properties, even with the availability of local grant money, and willing buyers. As I said earlier, there are 2 significant push-pulls on the neighborhood right now, which is the continued influx of poor refugees, and the ongoing gentrification happening from both the east and west of Grant, that will continue to bolster changes on the street. Niagara Street, a few blocks away, seems to be getting a larger piece of the gentrification crowd right now as it was more of a clean slate than Grant, but Grant will continue to be the core of the West Side.