Getting closer to the big visit!

The big visit to Buffalo that we've been planning for the past few years is set for Mothers Day weekend this month. 4 family members are converging from our homes across the USA to visit. We've planned an extensive drive past old family homes, favorite places, and with a special emphasis on the architectural aspects of Buffalo that are in decline or are being saved.

We've marked everything in Streets & Trips software, rented a big car, and finalized our arrangements.

2 disappointments:

1. my Mom's old school on Masten Avenue has survived - and that's a good thing. But there are some special activities taking place and we can't get into them then. The marble stairs are still there, the inner courtyards, very tall doors with lovely pediments over them, etc. Band room gone though. Basement and cafeteria the same. Everything my Mom would love to see... but the timing is wrong. Instead we'll go by her old childhood home in the Fruit Belt, as well as the armory and stadium nearby. I don't think I've seen those places in 20+ years myself.
2. I really wanted to see how Central Terminal looks - I never got to see it during my 33 years in Buffalo (although I think I did as a child - my Mom claims I couldn't of seen it). We've all been following the restoration (great job folks!) intently. We may have to settle for a drive-by instead, unfortunately.

Of course when I left Buffalo in 1989, the Canadiana was being restored. I would have liked to see how it turned out... but that is gone too. I have some pictures of it's final resting place (before being cut up) in Canada that are very sad.

The purpose of this visit is just to attempt to catch up on what's happening in Buffalo since we did spend most of our lives there. As I say in my personal intro to ex-Buffalo.com, we've always been interested in the city and especially in it's rebuilding. Several very nicely-written blogs from the Buffalo area have kept us informed - many of the locations we're driving past are architectural gems that have been detailed on these sites.

And of course we're also planning on lots of pictures to illustrate this site - to which we'll add our recollections over the next several months. Hopefully some other ex-residents will see some places they recognize.

-Jeff Fisher