Lovejoy and Kaisertown

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Lovejoy and Kaisertown are two adjacent neighborhoods on the Far East Side of Buffalo. This article also covers the Clinton-Bailey area on the western periphery of Kaisertown.

Understand

History

Churchyard Farm, Kazimierzowo, the coming of the Germans and Irish, then the Italians

Get in and around

42°52′53″N 78°49′6″W

Map of Lovejoy-Kaisertown

By car

streets - Bailey Avenue and William Street are, respectively, the main north-south and east-west thoroughfares in the district but, surprisingly, this is not where you'll find most of the POIs.

Clinton Street is the main shopping street in Kaisertown and also passes by the Clinton-Bailey Market and Niagara Frontier Food Terminal on its way toward downtown. East Lovejoy Street is the center of the action in Lovejoy. Ogden Street runs north and south at the outer edge of the district, at or near the city line; easy access from I-190

I-190 via Exits 1 (Ogden St.) and 2 (Clinton St./Bailey Ave.)

parking - disallowed on Bailey, but restriction-free on Lovejoy and Clinton & spots never hard to find

By public transportation

Public transit in Buffalo and the surrounding area is provided by the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority (NFTA). The NFTA Metro system encompasses a single-line light-rail rapid transit (LRRT) system and an extensive network of buses. The fare for a single trip on a bus or train is $2.00 regardless of length. No transfers are provided between buses or trains; travelers who will need to make multiple trips per day on public transit should consider purchasing an all-day pass for $5.00.

By bus

The district is traversed by a number of NFTA Metro bus routes:

To and from downtown

NFTA Metro Bus #1 — William. Beginning at the AppleTree Business Park in Cheektowaga, Bus #1 crosses the city line on William Street, serving Lovejoy via North Ogden Street, East Lovejoy Street, and Bailey Avenue. Returning to William Street, the route passes westward into Polonia before ending on the Lower West Side.

NFTA Metro Bus #2 — Clinton. Beginning at the Bank of America Operations Center in West Seneca, Bus #2 proceeds down Clinton Street through Kaisertown and Clinton-Bailey, ending on the Lower West Side.

NFTA Metro Bus #4 — Broadway. Beginning at the Thruway Mall Transit Center in Cheektowaga, Bus #4 proceeds down Broadway through the northernmost reaches of Lovejoy. It ends on the Lower West Side.

Crosstown routes

NFTA Metro Bus #19 — Bailey. Beginning at the University Metro Rail Station, Bus #19 passes down Bailey Avenue through Lovejoy and Clinton-Bailey before ending in South Buffalo.

By Metro Rail

The Metro Rail doesn't come anywhere near Lovejoy or Kaisertown, but the Church Street station downtown is just a block or two from the Metropolitan Transportation Center, where you can catch the 1 or 2. Also, at the other end of the line, the University Station is the 19's point of departure.

By bike

standard section lede - notwithstanding that, Lovejoy and Kaisertown are both woefully bereft of bike infrastructure

In Kaisertown, South Ogden Street has "sharrows" (pavement markings on roads too narrow to accommodate dedicated bike lanes, indicating that drivers should be aware of bicyclists on the road) between Seward and Griswold Streets, continuing north of there as a pair of parallel bike lanes on each side of the street as far north as Dingens Street.

On foot

Bucking the trend among East Side neighborhoods, Lovejoy and Kaisertown are both pleasant places for travellers on foot. Clinton-Bailey much less so, especially due to heavy semi-truck traffic

See

Museums

Lovejoy has a couple of pleasant OtBP museums, one reputedly haunted

42.885041-78.8022561 ^{[dead link]} Buffalo Fire Historical Society Museum, 1850 William St. (Metro Bus 1), ☏ +1 716 892-8400. Sa 10AM-4PM and by appointment. The Buffalo Fire Historical Society Museum is located in Lovejoy, a blue-collar neighborhood that is home to many Buffalo firefighters. This modest-sized building houses an amazingly extensive collection of antique fire trucks, apparatus and other artifacts, as well as historic photographs and exhibits related to the history of the Buffalo Fire Department. The museum's mission also encompasses educating the public about fire safety and prevention, as well as firefighting as a career. Donation.
42.889932-78.8114182 Iron Island Museum, 998 E. Lovejoy St. (Metro Bus 1 or 19), ☏ +1 716 892-3084. M 2PM-6PM, Th 5PM-9PM, F-Sa 10AM-1PM, also by appointment. With a history linked closely to the railroad industry that was so prominent in Buffalo at the turn of the century, the neighborhood of Lovejoy is nicknamed "Iron Island" because it is surrounded by railroad tracks on all four sides. The Iron Island Museum was opened in 2000 by the Iron Island Preservation Society and is dedicated to retelling the history of Lovejoy with a particular emphasis on the railroads that have shaped its identity. Formerly a funeral home, the Iron Island Museum's reputation for ghost sightings has attracted the attention of paranormal researchers from around the region and further afield, as well as the television shows "Ghost Lab" and "Ghost Hunters". Accordingly, overnight ghost hunts, conducted periodically by reservation, are a popular offering of the Iron Island Museum. $2, ghost tours $5.

Art

42.872091-78.813753 The Rabbit Hole Gallery, 1700 Clinton St. (Metro Bus 2 or 19), ☏ +1 716 529-3424. Tu-F 11AM-5PM, Sa 11AM-4PM. Offering an experience that's somewhat but not completely different from the rest of Buffalo's roster of small art galleries, where the somewhat insular local scene is focused on to an almost solipsistic degree, the programming at this off-the-beaten-path exhibition space in Kaisertown comprises an interesting mix of both locally-based and nationally- and internationally-famous artists. A good example of the latter is the exhibition of Romero Britto sculptures that kicked off just a month after the gallery itself opened for business; as for the former... let's just say that if you've visited Canalside and duly fallen head over heels for Shark Girl, you'll be delighted to learn she also puts in frequent appearances in the works on display here, courtesy of Casey Riordan, her creator and Rabbit Hole part-owner. (updated Mar 2020)

Parks

42.887599-78.8119294 Hennepin Park and 42.879601-78.8307555 Franczyk Park in Lovejoy and 42.86851-78.8132186 Houghton Park in Kaisertown - neither are anything special per se, but they're pleasant neighborhood gathering places, they'll do the trick if the kids want to burn off some energy on a playground or whatnot; I think Hennepin Park has a pool even - probably listingify these

Do

can we find some festivals/events to fill out this section? (Dyngus Day venues, maybe?)

Lovejoy Pool

Bowling

42.874358-78.8179381 Bowl Inn, 727 Bailey Ave. (Metro Bus 2 or 19), ☏ +1 716 824-9074. M-F 4PM-1AM, Sa 11AM-1AM, Su noon-1AM. No one would ever call this place huge — it's not much more than a dozen bowling lanes, a tiny bar and a kitchen — but the Bowl Inn turns its small size to its advantage, offering friendly service with a personal touch. Also, the prices here are cheap — a 3-game outing usually runs between $5.50 and $7.50, and if you're a family with kids you save even more. The food is great, too.

Buy

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Lovejoy

section lede

In addition to the small neighborhood shops listed throughout this section, the South Ogden Plaza just off William Street contains a location of the national big-box discounter, 42.881012-78.8025941 Big Lots.

42.877666-78.8114882 Cedars Bakery, 111 Dingens St. (Metro Bus 19), ☏ +1 716 551-0584. M-F 10AM-5PM, Sa 10AM-3PM. Hidden away in a nondescript, easily missable, low-slung brick building in an industrial section of Lovejoy. this Lebanese bakery is best known for their pita bread: it's baked onsite daily and among the freshest in the city. But you can get pretty much any ingredient you need at Cedars to whip up your very own tasty Mediterranean meal: imported olive oil, grape leaves, labneh (strained yogurt), hummus, and tahini. If cooking is not your strong suit, head instead for the freezer section that's fully stocked with reheatable prepared foods, or the lunch counter, which serves freshly prepared pita sandwiches, wraps, and savory meat pies. (updated Mar 2019)
42.885803-78.8193043 Federal Bakers (Maple Leaf Foods), 1400 William St. (Metro Bus 1 or 19), ☏ +1 716 332-2066. M-F 8:30AM-5PM, Sa 8:30AM-noon. True to its name, Federal Bakers stocks a variety of provisions for amateur bakers and expert pastry chefs alike. From basics like flour, sugar and buttercream, to hard-to-find specialty items like gum paste and pearl dust, to a variety of utensils and kitchenwares oriented to bakers, the warehouse-style setup is ample enough to house a huge selection of goods, and the excellent helpful service you get from its friendly employees will help you find what you're looking for and answer any questions you may have. Federal Bakers also carries a selection of ready-to-eat prepared desserts in its modest-sized freezer section. (updated Mar 2019)
42.884946-78.813524 Slavic Bazaar, 1550 William St. (Metro Bus 1 or 19), ☏ +1 716 895-1404. M-F 9AM-7PM, Sa 9AM-6PM, Su 11AM-3PM. Don't be fooled by the "pig in a frying pan" mural on the side of the building: the selection in the meat case here is dwarfed by what you can get at, say, European Deli on Clinton Street. Where Slavic Bazaar excels is in canned and packaged groceries, as well as frozen foods: there's a pan-Central and Eastern European inventory including spice mixes, chocolates, and a wide range of canned, pickled, and otherwise preserved fruits and vegetables on the shelves, plus delicious house-made pierogi, savory pelmeni, and chilled soups in the cooler cases. And if you just can't wait till you get home to sample the goodness, stop off at the attached lunch counter. (updated Mar 2019)

Kaisertown

section lede

42.871715-78.8053375 B West Studio, 1925 Clinton St. (Metro Bus 2), ☏ +1 786 335-4532. Sa 1PM-6PM, Su 1PM-4PM, or by appointment. The project of local artist Peter Caruso, who, in addition to his own work (characterized most often by energetic yet anonymous, Impressionist-inspired crowd scenes, often with familiar Buffalo streetscapes as a setting), also displays an eclectic range of works by other artists from Buffalo and around the region, with an emphasis on student works. Many of the high-quality pieces displayed in the gallery are available for sale, generally at $400 or less. Special exhibits are held on a monthly basis. (updated Mar 2019)
42.871931-78.8036036 European Deli, 1972 Clinton St. (Metro Bus 2), ☏ +1 716 825-0186. Th-F 10AM-5PM, Sa 10AM-2PM, Su 10AM-1PM. With proud red and white flags decorating the front window and ads for Żywiec beer posted all over the walls, it's not hard to guess what's stocked at this small, charming Kaisertown shop: all things Polish and edible. Not surprisingly given its name, front and center among the inventory here are meats — fresh, smoked, and double-smoked kielbasa; kabanosy, kiszka, saucison, Krakus ham, and other delicacies — but you'll also find a range of pastry and baked goods, farmer cheese, herbal tea, and Polish-language books, greeting cards, and videos. Everything is imported directly from Poland, and much of it can't be found elsewhere in Buffalo. (updated Mar 2019)
42.871715-78.8062827 Kaisertown Crafts and Gifts, 1899 Clinton St. (Metro Bus 2), ☏ +1 716 570-0668. Tu-F 12:30PM-6PM, Sa 10AM-5PM. Kaisertown Crafts' mission is to teach "the younger generation... the crafts that are dying out in this modern era" — not only trendy ones like knitting and cross-stitching but also spinning, weaving, quilting, lacemaking, paper crafts, even jewelry and stained-glass artisanry. Even if you're not in the market to buy anything, you can stop by for frequent instructional classes or even borrow store-owned supplies for a nominal price to do some "open crafting" of your own. They do alterations, too, and as for the "gifts" half of the equation, a range of porcelain figurines, plush toys, knitted items, books, handbags and accessories are stocked. (updated Mar 2019)

Clinton-Bailey

Since 1931, Clinton-Bailey has been the home of the Niagara Frontier Food Terminal, founded in 1931 by the Erie and Nickel Plate Railroads for wholesale produce vendors as an alternative to the congested Elk Market Terminal in the Old First Ward. Despite both the demise of the railroads and the rise of suburban-style supermarkets as the dominant option for grocery shoppers, the Niagara Frontier Food Terminal continues in operation and is today the home of a number of specialty food concerns, as well as the Clinton Bailey Farmers' Market.

42.87281-78.8208338 Chateau Buffalo, 1500 Clinton St. #175 (At the Niagara Frontier Food Terminal; Metro Bus 2 or 19), ☏ +1 716 704-4671. Th-Sa 11AM-7PM. Chateau Buffalo is best known for locally-produced wines (as in right here in Buffalo, not the Finger Lakes or the Niagara Wine Trail), but in the same drab but well-stocked wine cellar-cum-warehouse at the Niagara Frontier Food Terminal they also make their own craft cider (under the brand name "Dancing Buffalo"; the German-style apfelwein is said to be especially tasty) and sell a range of other gourmet artisanal foods sourced from New York State producers, such as cheese, jams, jellies, and sausages. (updated Jan 2019)
42.873753-78.8215269 Great Lakes Shrimp Company, 1500 Clinton St. #154 (At the Niagara Frontier Food Terminal; Metro Bus 2 or 19), ☏ +1 716 259-9850. The Niagara Frontier Food Terminal is the somewhat unlikely home of Upstate New York's only shrimp farm: inside this unassuming warehouse you'll find twelve saltwater tanks full of the little critters, Pacific whiteleg shrimp to be exact, destined to be sold not only to area stores and restaurants but also directly to the consumer (call for details). Ask owner Nigel Hebborn about the difference in taste between his never-frozen product and the average selection in your supermarket's freezer section and he'll go off at the hip, but he's not exaggerating: it really is night and day. (updated Jan 2019)
42.87423-78.82127410 The Sausage Maker, 1500 Clinton St. #123 (At the Niagara Frontier Food Terminal; Metro Bus 2 or 19), ☏ +1 716 824-5814. M-F 8:30AM-4:30PM, Sa 8:30AM-1PM. The Sausage Maker is at the service of not only its namesake customer but also DIY home cheesemakers, canners, brewers, and winemakers, with a wide variety of supplies custom-manufactured by engineers in the local area. Here you can find machinery such as meat grinders and sausage stuffers, electric appliances like smokehouses and dehydrators (perfect for making your own jerky!), and supplies including sausage casings, spices and curing agents. (updated Jan 2019)
42.873489-78.82258311 T&T Trading, 1500 Clinton St. #135 (At the Niagara Frontier Food Terminal; Metro Bus 2 or 19). M & W-Th 8AM-4:30PM, Tu 8AM-6:30PM, F 8AM-2PM, Sa 10AM-2PM. If you're in the market for new or used household items, furniture, sporting goods, electronics, power tools, or any of a host of other goods, head to this Niagara Frontier Food Terminal wholesaler that sells them right off the pallets for unbelievable prices. And if those prices aren't quite unbelievable enough for you, you can become a member of their Facebook group, "The Stock Room", to get access to special discounts, first crack at new items, and other exclusive benefits. (updated Jan 2019)

Eat

Lovejoy

42.889905-78.8063911 La Verdad Cafe, 1132 E. Lovejoy St. (Metro Bus 1 or 19), ☏ +1 716 768-3150. Tu-W 11:30AM-6PM, Th 11:30AM-7PM, F 11:30AM-8PM, Sa 11AM-5PM. The name is Spanish, but the menu is all-American: this former barbershop in Lovejoy serves some of the best barbecue in Buffalo, and that's "the truth". The catch is that it usually comes in sandwich form only — try "The Stretch Mark", wherein slow-roasted smoked brisket is piled high on a Kaiser roll with mac & cheese and kale-apple slaw on the side, or better yet the burnt-ends sandwich which is arguably their bestseller — the exception being Friday nights, where combo platters prominently feature falling-off-the-bone-good ribs. The decor splits the difference between rustic roadhouse and charming country café, and the friendly service is as downhome as the food. $10-30. (updated Mar 2020)
42.891874-78.8138582 Neapolis Family Restaurant, 1389 Bailey Ave. (Metro Bus 1, 4 or 19), ☏ +1 716 895-8467. M-Th & Sa 6AM-4PM, F 6AM-8PM, Su 7AM-3PM. To describe Neapolis as a Buffalo-style Greek restaurant would be technically true but a bit misleading; the souvlaki, Greek salad, and so forth that's on the menu actually pales in comparison to the classic all-American diner fare. Breakfast and lunch are a given, but on Friday they stay open later serving hearty platters of stick-to-your-ribs comfort food. Service at this "prototypical family restaurant" (to borrow the words of one reviewer) can sometimes be slow, but it's always extremely friendly, with a genuine personal touch — come in a few times and they'll remember your name for years — and the food is cheap. $10-15. (updated Mar 2010)
Slavic Bazaar, 1550 William St. (Metro Bus 1 or 19), ☏ +1 716 895-1404. M-F 9AM-7PM, Sa 9AM-6PM, Su 11AM-3PM. If you happen to work up an appetite shopping for your favorite Eastern European imports in the attached grocery store, Slavic Bazaar also has a lunch counter where you can sink your teeth into mouth-watering pierogi (cooked in the Ukrainian style, smaller and denser than their Polish cousins), hot, sizzling sausage, and more. $5-10. (updated Mar 2019)

Groceries

42.879895-78.8024893 Family Dollar, 670 S. Ogden St. (Metro Bus 19), ☏ +1 716 828-9855. M-Sa 9AM-10PM, Su 9AM-9PM.

Pizza

are these pizza section ledes really necessary?

The following pizzerias are located in Lovejoy. Those who are interested in pizza delivery (as opposed to pickup) might want to also check listings in adjacent districts; local pizzerias will often deliver to several different neighborhoods of the city.

42.889905-78.8065494 Carbone's, 1126 E. Lovejoy St. (Metro Bus 1 or 19), ☏ +1 716 897-5098. Su-Th 11AM-11PM, F-Sa 11AM-midnight.
42.889905-78.802075 Lovejoy Pizzeria, 1244 E. Lovejoy St. (Metro Bus 1), ☏ +1 716 891-9233. M-Th 11AM-10:30PM, F-Sa 11AM-11PM, Su 3PM-10PM.
42.898256-78.8012636 Pizza Express, 1993 Broadway (Metro Bus 4), ☏ +1 716 897-4870. M-Th 10AM-10:30PM, F-Sa 10AM-11:30PM, Su 10AM-10PM.

Kaisertown

42.871715-78.8061457 Lucky's Texas Red Hots, 1903 Clinton St. (Metro Bus 2), ☏ +1 716 826-6873. M-Th 6AM-1PM, F-Sa 7AM-noon, Su 7AM-3PM. Lucky's Texas Hots is a neighborhood institution in Kaisertown, serving up "slime dogs" and other fresh-off-the-grill goodies seemingly forever at their humble Clinton Street storefront. The local specialty that makes up 75% of the restaurant's name is Lucky's main claim to fame, but its variation of the Texas hot doesn't quite stack up: local consensus says the sauce has a bland, somewhat off-putting flavor. You're better off sticking to the other offerings, which consist of summery fare like grilled chicken sandwiches, sausage dogs, burgers, and Philly-style cheesesteak sandwiches. An upside is that service is friendly and efficient, and breakfast is served all day. $5-15.

Pizza

The following pizzerias are located in Kaisertown. Those who are interested in pizza delivery (as opposed to pickup) might want to also check listings in adjacent districts; local pizzerias will often deliver to several different neighborhoods of the city.

42.871971-78.8094338 Desi's, 1816 Clinton St. (Metro Bus 2), ☏ +1 716 825-6200. M 4PM-10PM, W-Sa 4PM-11PM, Su 4PM-9PM.
42.871931-78.8039939 Guzzo's Hot Spot, 1960 Clinton St. (Metro Bus 2), ☏ +1 716 823-7876. Tu-Th 3PM-midnight, F-Sa 3PM-2AM, Su 2PM-midnight.
42.871931-78.80348110 Pizza By Molino's, 1974 Clinton St. (Metro Bus 2), ☏ +1 716 825-8074. Tu-Th 11AM-10PM, F-Sa 11AM-11PM, S 11AM-9PM.

Clinton-Bailey

42.873924-78.82527911 Michele's Café, 1373 Clinton St. (Metro Bus 2 or 19), ☏ +1 716 821-9400. M-Sa 6AM-2PM, Su 7AM-2PM. Michele's is not so much a greasy spoon as a time machine that takes you back to what dining out in Buffalo was like 50 years ago: the interior is done up in whites and blues and decorated with old magazine ads from the '50s and '60s, the customers are blue-collar neighborhood Joes, and the menu is classic diner fare with subtle ethnic influences reflecting the identity of the neighborhood: chicken and waffles bring a soul-food touch to breakfast, while lovers of Polish cuisine will notice kielbasa subbing for chorizo in the breakfast burrito plus homemade chicken soup with kluski noodles just like babcia used to make. But easily the best choice are the burgers: handmade patties grilled to perfection with a pickle on the side and either French fries (identical, sadly, to the stuff in the freezer section at any supermarket) or soup. $10-20. (updated Jan 2019)
42.871986-78.82024512 Yummy's, 1527 Clinton St. (Metro Bus 2 or 19), ☏ +1 716 822-8630. M-Th 10:30AM-11PM, F-Sa 10:30AM-midnight. If you're an aficionado of Puerto Rican food, the conventional wisdom — to seek it out on the West Side — is for the most part true. But on the corner of Clinton and Bailey you'll find a big exception to that rule. Yummy's may not look like much from the outside, but what it serves is the most shockingly authentic island fare in town: above all pastelillos made with real yuca (which you used to have to go to NYC to get) and your choice of chicken, beef, or shrimp. But the printed menu is only a prelude to a slate of main courses that changes daily but popularly includes such favorites as oxtail stew, arroz con gandules, fried chicken, even mamposteao and other Puerto Rican-Chinese fusion dishes. $10-20. (updated Aug 2019)

Groceries

The Niagara Frontier Food Terminal is home not only to Buffalo's largest farmers' market, but also a cooperatively-run community food market as well as a "cash and carry" market where you can buy groceries directly from distributors at wholesale prices.

42.874166-78.8227413 African Heritage Food Co-op, 1500 Clinton St. #98 (At the Niagara Frontier Food Terminal; Metro Bus 2 or 19), ☏ +1 716 573-1844. W-Su 11AM-7PM. The African Heritage Co-op is not only a food market, but also a blow struck for entrepreneurship in the local black community, because (as they say around here) "anything less than ownership is unacceptable". $50 a year makes you a member-owner, giving you access to discounts and a say in how the place is run, but even if not, stop by the Niagara Frontier Food Terminal five days a week to pick up fresh fruits and veggies, organic toiletries, and other healthy goodies — or to the Black Business Bazaar on the first Saturday of each month, where a range of local independent vendors convene to proffer their own goods. (updated Aug 2019)
42.873904-78.82196114 US Food Supply Cash & Carry, 1500 Clinton St. #136 (At the Niagara Frontier Food Terminal; Metro Bus 2 or 19), ☏ +1 716 825-7347. M-F 8AM-4:30PM, Sa 8AM-3:30PM, Su 9AM-1PM. (updated Jan 2019)

Farmers' markets

42.87205-78.82199915 Clinton Bailey Farmers' Market, 1443 Clinton St. (Metro Bus 2 or 19), ☏ +1 716 822-2466. Daily 7AM-6PM May-Oct, Sa 6AM-1PM Nov-Apr. Many Buffalonians look at farmers' markets as a new phenomenon, maybe even a fad. But the Clinton Bailey Farmers' Market has been around a lot longer than the Johnny-come-latelys: founded in 1930 as an outgrowth of the wholesale food distributors across the street at the Niagara Frontier Food Terminal, it's by far the oldest and largest farmers' market in Buffalo, and the only one that remains open year round (though with sharply reduced hours in winter). You'll find stall after stall of growers and vendors each specializing in something a little different from their neighbor — fresh produce, flowers and ornamental plants, baked goods, specialty foods, Christmas trees around the holidays. There's even a small flea market on summer weekends with jewelry and other goods. (updated Jan 2019)

Pizza

The following pizzerias are located in Clinton-Bailey. Those who are interested in pizza delivery (as opposed to pickup) might want to also check listings in adjacent districts; local pizzerias will often deliver to several different neighborhoods of the city.

Bowl Inn, 727 Bailey Ave. (Metro Bus 2 or 19), ☏ +1 716 824-9074. M-Tu & Th-F 4PM-4AM, W noon-4AM, Sa-Su 11AM-4AM.

Drink

At the gin mills of Lovejoy and Kaisertown, you'll find all of the blue-collar grit and off-the-tourist-track feel of the bar scene in Broadway-Fillmore, but not quite as much of the old-Buffalo charm. It's definitely a safer part of town, though, especially at night.

add blurbs to all of these

Lovejoy

42.889905-78.8072841 Bottom's Up, 1106 E. Lovejoy St. (Metro Bus 1 or 19), ☏ +1 716 897-0962.
42.883464-78.8348152 Daren's Tavern, 514 Howard St. (Metro Bus 1, 2 or 23), ☏ +1 716 855-8866. (updated Mar 2015)
42.884835-78.8064943 Fachko's, 1738 William St. (Metro Bus 1 or 19), ☏ +1 716 896-9157.
42.889637-78.8029264 Full House, 1221 E. Lovejoy St. (Metro Bus 1), ☏ +1 716 893-4805.
42.883464-78.8355875 Malik's Twilight Grill, 494 Howard St. (Metro Bus 1, 2 or 23), ☏ +1 716 855-8778. (updated Mar 2015)
42.878059-78.8154956 Roy's Place, 875 Bailey Ave. (Metro Bus 2 or 19), ☏ +1 716 550-0945.
42.88723-78.8048627 Willie's, 247 Ludington St. (Metro Bus 1), ☏ +1 716 892-3452.

And for teetotalers, there's...

42.889905-78.8040428 Speak Easy, 1194 E. Lovejoy St. (Metro Bus 1), ☏ +1 716 578-0939. The slang term for illicit taverns that served alcohol in defiance of 1920s-era Prohibition laws is certainly an odd namesake for a non-alcoholic bar. But no matter: Speak Easy may have only been open a few months, but rave reviews are already piling up about the creative mocktails, kombucha, homemade ginger beer, specialty coffees and teas, bottomless soda pop, and other libations they offer, all "spirit free for the free spirit" — not to mention the food menu, a good deal more elaborate than your average pub grub without being too outré (the sweet-and-spicy chicken and waffles are an early favorite, kicked up a notch with cayenne syrup and finished with honey butter). And the ambience is all positive vibes. You won't miss the alcohol, really. (updated Mar 2020)

Coffee shops

42.878022-78.8006089 ^{[dead link]} Donut Kraze, 406 Dingens St. (Metro Bus 19), ☏ +1 716 824-4527. Daily 24 hours. Yeah, this little place just off I-190 in Lovejoy will sell you a cup of perfectly good coffee if that's what you really want. But as the name implies, the marquee attraction is doughnuts. Paula's dogged hold on the loyalty of Buffalo-area breakfasters is baffling given the far superior quality of the product here: they come in more numerous and creative varieties, the price point is basically identical, and unlike their competitors, Donut Kraze doughnuts are not unmanageably enormous in size nor do they pack a taste bud-blasting, headache-inducing level of sweetness. The food menu is more extensive too: not just bagels and breakfast sandwiches but a tantalizing range of lunchtime options as well, including yummy Italian beef sandwiches. (updated Sep 2019)

Kaisertown

42.87179-78.8113110 Park Lounge, 1761 Clinton St. (Metro Bus 2).
42.86884-78.80860411 P&K's, 71 Weiss St. (Metro Bus 2), ☏ +1 716 827-8246.
42.871891-78.80150212 Porky's, 2028 Clinton St. (Metro Bus 2), ☏ +1 716 825-9875.
42.872041-78.81195413 Wiechec's, 1748 Clinton St. (Metro Bus 2), ☏ +1 716 823-2828.

Clinton-Bailey

42.875294-78.82884914 Old School Tavern, 1263 Clinton St. (Metro Bus 2), ☏ +1 716 822-2337. Hooray for truth in advertising: though blue-collar gin mills aren't exactly hard to find in this part of town, the extra dose of friendly service and conviviality you'll find at Old School Tavern sets it apart from the competition. The beer selection is surprisingly wide, including some local offerings, and the food menu is a showcase of classic Buffalo cuisine (beef on weck, fish fry on Friday nights, and 25¢ wings on Wednesdays). (updated Jan 2019)

Sleep

The East Side's lone recommendable accommodation is a charming former convent-turned-guest house in Lovejoy. If that kind of thing doesn't suit you, your next closest options are the cluster of low- to mid-priced chain hotels around exit 1 of Interstate 190, just over the city line in Cheektowaga.

42.890755-78.8098251 Moreland Guest House, 110 Moreland St. (Metro Bus 1 or 19), ☏ +1 716 893-1419. Check-in: anytime between 1PM and 11PM (schedule a time with the innkeeper), check-out: same time you checked in. Located on a quiet residential side street in Lovejoy, the Moreland Guest House boasts inexpensive yet secure and high-quality accommodation for budget travellers. Single or double rooms are available, with complimentary satellite television and high-speed wireless Internet. The bathrooms are shared, dormitory-style, and a kitchen and common room is available. On-site parking can be had for a nominal fee, but on-street parking is free and nearly always easy to find. The Moreland Guest House enforces a minimum stay of 3 nights, and a maximum of two guests per room. Single rooms start at $28/nt or $175/week, double rooms start at $33/nt or $205/week.

Connect

Buffalo's large 42.885652-78.8267851 Central Post Office is located at 1200 William Street in Lovejoy. In addition to being the primary mail-processing center for the Niagara Frontier region, it's also a functioning post office in its own right. Letters, postcards, etc. that are dropped off here generally arrive at their destination at least a day earlier as opposed to those sent from a roadside mailbox or another post office, so if fast shipping is important to you, you might want to head here.

blah blah blah 42.871715-78.8051142 East Clinton Branch Library in Kaisertown has ten fixed computer terminals as well as two portable laptops that are available for in-library use.

Stay safe

content goes here

Cope

Newspapers

The East Clinton Shopper is a small, eight-page monthly newspaper that covers Lovejoy and Kaisertown as well as adjacent areas of Sloan, Cheektowaga and West Seneca. You'll mostly find local business and event listings, but also of interest is a column written by Lovejoy's District Councilman, Richard Fontana, as well as the minutes of the Kaisertown Coalition's monthly meetings.

Hospitals

where is the nearest? Cheektowaga? Mercy Hosp. in S Bflo? ECMC?

Laundry and dry cleaning

42.871715-78.8060113 Clinton Street Laundry (Kathy's Speedy Wash), 1905 Clinton St. (Metro Bus 2), ☏ +1 716 822-6642. Daily 8AM-11PM. (updated Mar 2015)
42.889905-78.8060344 Partners Laundromat, 1140 E. Lovejoy St. (Metro Bus 1). Daily 24 hours. (updated Mar 2015)

Places of worship

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Catholic

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42.871886-78.802335 St. Bernard RC Church, 1988 Clinton St. (Metro Bus 2), ☏ +1 716 822-8057. Mass Su 9AM & 11:30AM, Sa 4PM, M-F 7AM. The traditional church of Kaisertown's German community, St. Bernard's history dates back to 1907, before which time the newcomers had to either worship with their Polish rivals at St. Casimir's or make the long trek across the railroad tracks to St. Agnes in Lovejoy. The church successfully fought off an attempt by the Diocese to merge it with Our Lady of Czestochowa in Cheektowaga, and this understated English Gothic-style building erected in 1953 remains today the home of a congregation that's on the small side, but vital and welcoming to all. (updated May 2015)
42.868954-78.8076256 St. Casimir Oratory, 160 Cable St. (Metro Bus 2), ☏ +1 716 824-9589. Mass Su 10AM, 3rd Sa of each month 7PM (Latin Tridentine), 1st F of each month 8AM. St. Casimir is no longer a full-fledged parish: in 2011, its congregation was merged with Our Lady of Czestochowa in Cheektowaga and the building became an oratory, or a secondary worship space used by its parent church for special-event Masses, weddings, funerals, and other functions. However, as oratories go, St. Casimir's is an unusually active one: this exquisite Byzantine Revival building in polychromatic terra cotta hosts six Masses a week as well as a full slate of community events and services (including a raucous Dyngus Day shindig) that preserve its status as the nexus of Kaisertown's Polish community. (updated May 2015)
42.888153-78.8021527 St. Katharine Drexel RC Church, 135 N. Ogden St. (Metro Bus 1), ☏ +1 716 895-6813. Mass Su 10AM, Sa 4PM, Tu-F 8:30AM. St. Katharine Drexel is a new parish, formed in 2007 from the merger of Lovejoy's three Catholic churches: St. Agnes, Visitation, and St. Francis of Assisi. The new congregation meets in the former home of the latter church, a newish building in a modernized and simplified interpretation of the English Gothic style that's stood on North Ogden Street since 1959. As well, the new name of the parish is a sort of homage to its former namesake: canonized in 2000, Katharine Drexel is a new-school saint who, in turn-of-the-century Philadelphia, worked tirelessly in the spirit of St. Francis for the benefit of the urban poor and against the racial segregation and prejudice that ruled the day. (updated May 2015)

Eastern Orthodox

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42.886017-78.8072548 SS. Peter & Paul Orthodox Church, 45 Ideal St. (Metro Bus 1), ☏ +1 716 893-0044. Divine Liturgy Su 10AM, Vespers Sa 6PM. Though it was founded in 1884 as a Ukrainian congregation, SS. Peter & Paul became dominated in short order by Russians, who began immigrating to Buffalo in the 1880s and were attracted to Lovejoy due to easily available jobs on the railroads. The departure of the Ukrainians for a separate congregation in 1905 cemented SS. Peter & Paul's status as the first Russian Orthodox church on the Niagara Frontier (these days it's affiliated with the Orthodox Church in America). The congregation continued to grow throughout the 20th Century and into the 21st, accommodating an influx of refugees from the former Soviet Union, and the richly decorated Russian Byzantine-style building in which it meets today, with its unmistakable onion dome, dates to 1933. Visitors to SS. Peter & Paul today will encounter a congregation that is close-knit yet welcoming to newcomers, with uplifting services held in a mix of English and Old Slavonic. (updated May 2015)

Nondenominational

42.88723-78.8088979 Evangelical Baptist Church, 141 Ludington St. (Metro Bus 1 or 19), ☏ +1 716 895-9652. In the beginning, this was the First Russian-Ukrainian Baptist Church, where a few dozen people met each week to conduct services in the Russian language. As Lovejoy changed and diversified, the church began accepting folks of other ethnicities into the fold and holding services in English; finally, in 1951, the much larger congregation moved into the striking modern building the worship in today. Despite that, the core message has remained the same: the Evangelical Baptist Church is a friendly, fundamentalist Christian congregation that's extraordinarily committed to their faith. Pastor John Carpenter leads weekly services at which all are welcome. (updated May 2015)
42.871931-78.80477710 First Universal Christian Church, 1940 Clinton St. (Metro Bus 2), ☏ +1 716 822-7263. Services Su 10:30AM. An interdenominational, full-Gospel Christian congregation that is welcoming and open to all, at the First Universal Christian Church husband-and-wife pastor team Rob and Sue Bradbury preach services with a positive, empowering message, with a contemporary-style delivery that's not bogged down in intimidating pomp and ceremony but is laid-back, accessible, and relevant to modern-day life. The building is the former Magyar Reformed Church, a charming red-brick Gothic church built in 1915 where the small Hungarian community of eastern Kaisertown worshiped for many years. (updated May 2015)

Black churches

42.874248-78.82626111 Royal Church of God in Christ, 1335 Clinton St. (Metro Bus 2 or 19), ☏ +1 716 892-2508. Services Su at noon. The story of Royal Church of God in Christ begins in 1952, when Elder Roy Rodolph, an Alabama native who'd been preaching at the State Tabernacle Church of God in Christ since arriving in Buffalo three years previous, was compelled to start his own congregation, which he named after a passage in the First Epistle of Peter. Through the years, Royal has evolved from a humble storefront operation on the Near East Side to its current home at the former Christ German Evangelical Church, a stout Gothic edifice on Clinton Street. Services are held weekly, but that's just the tip of the iceberg: Royal sponsors a huge variety of special ministries and community programs including music and dance programs, food donations to the needy, prison ministry, and special worship groups for children, women, and young men.

Mainline Protestant

42.889905-78.80813412 Immanuel Lutheran Church, 1084 E. Lovejoy St. (Metro Bus 1 or 19), ☏ +1 716 896-8035. Services Su 9AM. Immanuel is a pint-sized congregation — over the course of its history, it's never had much more than the two or three dozen members it boasts now — so it's pretty impressive that the church has been able to hang tough in Lovejoy for over 120 years. The congregation was founded in 1894 with services held in German for the first twenty years of its history, and it moved to its current location — the former St. Peter's Episcopal Church — in 1951. Headed up today by pastor Glen Richardson, Immanuel may be a small church, but the community is friendly and welcoming to visitors. It's affiliated with the Missouri Synod of the Lutheran Church. (updated May 2015)

Buddhist

A nexus of Buffalo's Vietnamese Buddhist community is the...

42.887491-78.80653613 Tu Viện Đại Bảo Trang Nghiêm Vietnamese Buddhist Cultural Center (International Sangha Bhiksu Buddhist Association), 194 Ludington St. (Metro Bus 1 or 19), ☏ +1 716 279-6371. Tu Viện Đại Bảo Trang Nghiêm sees the former St. Agnes Catholic Church in Lovejoy reborn as a complex that combines a thriving Buddhist monastery, worship space and cultural center with the head offices of the International Sangha Bhiksu Buddhist Association. The temple is open to the public daily for silent prayer and on Sundays and Mondays for group chanting and meditation, and also hosts Vietnamese language classes for children and various cultural events. (updated May 2015)

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