Buffalo's Polonia

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Polonia is in Buffalo.

Understand

History

this should be easy enough - start with the Joseph Bork material (Napora) and there's probably more in the NRHP Broadway-Fillmore Historic District nomination sheet and intensive-level survey by Clinton Brown (both available at CRIS website)

Get in and around

By car

streets - east-west streets radiate outward from downtown, providing easy access - Broadway is by far the main drag in the area; you probably emphasized its importance in the History section; if not, do so here (and if so, still expound a little bit). others are Sycamore St (to its north), William St (to its south) and Clinton St (further south still). North-south routes: Fillmore Ave is the main one; Jefferson Ave. forms district's western boundary; Bailey clips its eastern boundary. Maybe mention Memorial Drive as a handy shortcut between Broadway and William for traffic heading inbound

expressways - none actually enter the district, but the Kensington and the 190 come close - depending where you're coming from and where you're going, fairly easy access via the Kensington's Jefferson Ave. and Best St. exits (the latter via Fillmore) and the 190's Hamburg Street and Smith Street exits (#s?)

parking - the only time this will remotely be a problem is on Saturdays leading up to Easter when the Broadway Market is packed - traffic gets tied up on Broadway and Fillmore and you can forget about on street parking, but the Market itself has a parking ramp which gets crowded but is rarely completely full (and out of season is usually almost empty)

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 passes down William Street through Polonia, 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 Polonia's southern reaches, 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 heart of the district, with service to the Broadway Market. It ends on the Lower West Side.

NFTA Metro Bus #6 — Sycamore. Beginning at the Walden Galleria in Cheektowaga, Bus #6 serves the northern parts of Polonia via its route along Sycamore Street. It ends its run at the Waterfront Village Apartments downtown.

should the above be simplified - something like "NFTA Metro Buses #s 1, 2, 4 and 6 serve the district via William Street, Clinton Street, Broadway, and Sycamore Streets respectively?" The bus routes through Polonia are not winding and complicated like elsewhere in Buffalo (a fact that maybe merits inclusion in the section lede?)

Crosstown routes

again, these run north-south along one-street routes; simplify? (The argument against doing so is the longer descriptions include info on where outside the district the routes begin and end. If you can come up with a way of simplifying that preserves that info, do so.)

NFTA Metro Bus #18 — Jefferson. Beginning at the Delavan-Canisius College Metro Rail Station, Bus #18 passes down Jefferson Avenue along the eastern border of Polonia before ending in the Old First Ward.

NFTA Metro Bus #19 — Bailey. Beginning at the University Metro Rail Station, Bus #19 passes down Bailey Avenue, clipping the eastern edge of Polonia near the corner of Broadway, before ending in South Buffalo.

NFTA Metro Bus #23 — Fillmore-Hertel. Beginning at the Black Rock-Riverside Transit Hub, Bus #23 proceeds through North Buffalo via Hertel Avenue before turning southward and serving Polonia via Fillmore Avenue. The route ends in South Buffalo.

By Metro Rail

The Metro Rail doesn't come anywhere near Polonia, but the Church Street station downtown is just a block or two from the Metropolitan Transportation Center, where you can catch the 1, 2, 4, or 6.

By bike

standard section lede

on Broadway there's a bike lane on each side of the street from Bailey Avenue all the way into downtown, while Fillmore Avenue has a lane on each side from William Street north to Martin Luther King, Jr. Park, beyond Polonia's northern boundary. There's also another connection from Broadway to Martin Luther King Park via "sharrows" (pavement markings on roads too narrow to accommodate dedicated bike lanes, indicating that drivers should be aware of bicyclists on the road) on Herman Street.

Bike sharing

Reddy Bike rack on the south side of Broadway between Lombard and Gibson Streets, in front of the Broadway Market

On foot

nope

See

section lede - as is, this is a short section. what to pad it with? (Catholic churches, Adam Mickiewicz library... think in terms of Buffalo Polish history)

• 1 Broadway-Fillmore Local Historic District. On the East Side, the designation of historic districts is generally not so much intended as a stimulus for restoration than as a preventative measure (often a last-ditch one) to forestall the imminent destruction of the historic built environment. The Broadway-Fillmore Local Historic District, an irregularly-shaped expanse of 70 acres (28 ha) centered around the corner of the two namesake streets and also encompassing the few blocks east of the Broadway Market, is a textbook example of this, chosen in part because it's a relatively dense cluster of period buildings amidst an East Side that's more and more succumbing to the plague of vacant lots. Of course the neighborhood is rich in historical and architectural importance too: the houses and commercial buildings here represent a mix of 19th- and early 20th-century styles and together tell two different stories: that of the vibrant Polish-American community that it was once at the heart of, and the devastation wrought on that community by the post-World War II trends of suburbanization and economic stagnation. Some of the most prominent ones you'll see here are the magnificent Beaux-Arts style Union Stockyards Bank (1910) at 949 Broadway, the Streamline Moderne building across the street at 950 Broadway (1940) that was home to Eckhardt's and later Kobacker's department stores, the humble but handsome Adam Mickiewicz Library and Dramatic Circle (1895) at 612 Fillmore Avenue, and the majestic Corpus Christi RC Church (1909) at 199 Clark Street. (updated Mar 2019)

The passenger concourse of the New York Central Terminal in Broadway-Fillmore.

• 2 New York Central Terminal, 495 Paderewski Drive (Metro Bus 4 or 23), ☏ +1 716 810-3210. Check website for tour schedule. All tours begin at 11AM and last approximately 2-2½ hours. Of all the magnificent train stations built in Buffalo at the height of the railroad era (when it was second only to Chicago as a railway hub), the Central Terminal was the grandest — and today it's the only one left standing. The Central Terminal opened for business a few months before the stock market crash of 1929 and served as the gateway to Buffalo for passengers on the New York Central Railroad (and, later, Amtrak) until 1979, when it was shuttered as a cost-cutting measure. The building spent the next twenty years being passed from owner to owner; by 1997, the year the Central Terminal Restoration Corporation acquired it for $1 plus back taxes, the Terminal had fallen victim to the ravages of vandalism and more than a few harsh Buffalo winters. Despite all that, it's still one of the architectural wonders of Buffalo: an Art Deco masterpiece designed by the New York City firm of Fellheimer & Wagner, the same ones who designed Grand Central Station in Manhattan sixteen years previously, with a tower that rises 272 feet (83 meters) over old Polonia, the tallest building in Buffalo outside of downtown. Today, despite the overwhelming scale of the task at hand, the CTRC has made a good deal of headway in stabilizing and renovating the building. The best way to see the inside of the Central Terminal is on one of the docent-led historical tours (which cover various areas of the passenger concourse and tower, depending on the status of the renovations) that occur once a month from May to September. But if you're not in town for one of those, there are occasional special events held inside the concourse that are open to the public (including a train show and an annual Oktoberfest celebration), and "ghost tours" in the two weeks or so leading up to Halloween are also a hit. Historical tours $15; check website for admission rates to other tours and events. (updated Jan 2017)

3 Sperry Park - it's not much but it's the only park in the district. Listingify?

Do

fill this section out

Festivals and events

Dyngus Day is a huge draw; really drive this point home - move historical detail currently in listing to section lede; use space in content= argument to talk more about different venues (especially non-Central Terminal ones)

The Polish Heritage Dancers march down Broadway in the 2012 Dyngus Day Parade.

• Dyngus Day. Dyngus Day is a traditional Polish holiday that falls on the Monday after Easter; on this day, young boys are known to "slap" girls who catch their eye with pussywillows or squirt them with water guns in a courtship ritual called śmigus. Today, Buffalo hosts the largest organized Dyngus Day celebration in the world — including Poland, where the festival has largely been forgotten. Since the mid-2000s, Buffalo's annual Dyngus Day celebration has once again been held in the traditional Polish neighborhood of Broadway-Fillmore at the grand old New York Central Terminal, a majestic old Art Deco train station that is yet another of Buffalo's architectural masterpieces that is undergoing extensive restoration. After the Dyngus Day Parade through the streets of Broadway-Fillmore opens the festivities, traditional Polish food and (even more popularly) drink are served in the old dining room, with polka bands attracting revelers to the dance floor. Celebrations are also held at St. Stanislaus, Bishop & Martyr Church (the so-called "Mother Church of Polonia"), the Adam Mickiewicz Library, and the many Polish-owned bars and taverns that continue to soldier on in the old neighborhood.  

others include

• Dożynki Polish Harvest Festival. Dożynki is a traditional harvest festival of rural Poland that goes back centuries, and since 1980, it's been celebrated in Buffalo over three days in mid-August at Corpus Christi Church on Clark Street. Dożynki is has grown into one of the largest annual festivals in Polonia; appropriately enough for its harvest theme, Polish cuisine is the star of the show: chefs vie annually for the coveted prize of "Buffalo's Best Pierogi", and a special "Polish pizza" is trotted out just for the occasion. As well, there's live polka music, folk dancers, guided tours of the church, raffles, and the ever-popular crowning of "Miss Dożynki", as well as a special Harvest Mass that kicks off the final day of the festivities. (updated Feb 2015)

Theater

• Torn Space Theater, 612 Fillmore Ave. (Metro Bus 1, 4 or 23), ☏ +1 716 812-5733. Aside from being Western New York's premiere Polish-American social club as well as home to both Buffalo's oldest Polish library and one of its largest Dyngus Day celebrations, the historic 1 Adam Mickiewicz Library and Dramatic Circle is also where this avant-garde black box theater has been operated since 2000 by local impresarios Dan Shanahan and Melissa Meola. Torn Space Theater's production team draws on multiple different artistic media and disciplines, such as music and visual art, to present lively, imaginative, and truly original dramatic works by auteurs from around the local region, as well as innovative reimaginations of well-known existing works like Eugene O'Neill's The Hairy Ape. In addition to the performances at the Mickiewicz Library, Torn Space is unique among the Buffalo theatre community in producing site-specific works designed specifically to be performed in iconic Buffalo settings such as Canalside and Silo City. And, around Halloween, their annual Prom of the Dead art and music bash packs the house at the Dnipro Center on Genesee Street. (updated Mar 2015)

Buy

In the first half of the 20th Century, the corner of Broadway and Fillmore Avenue was the epicenter of Buffalo's second-busiest retail district after downtown — and the second-busiest single intersection in the whole state, surpassed only by Times Square in Manhattan. Today it's a shadow of its former self — ask a local about the iconic local discounter of years past, Sattler's, and you'll likely hear a lengthy diatribe about how its iconic flagship store at "Nine-Nine-Eight" Broadway was demolished in 1982 to make way for a Kmart that itself closed in short order. (It remains standing today, boarded up.) Still, there are more than a few hardy holdouts in old Polonia, though urban clothing stores now outnumber five-and-dimes by a great deal. At the center of it all is the struggling but still vibrant...

Broadway Market

use following text as basis for section lede but make it sound more superlative:

The 1 Broadway Market traces its history to 1888, not long after the birth of the city's Polish community. Back then, it was not only a place for the newly minted community to stock up on daily essentials, but also to meet friends, see and be seen, and enjoy a comforting reminder of their homeland. Today, Polish and other Eastern European foods and gifts share space on the sales floor with soul food stands, halal groceries, and other items that reflect the diverse pastiche of the modern-day East Side. For most of the year, the Market is a fairly quiet place, with about a dozen stalls and eateries open for business (more on Saturdays, which is generally the busiest day of the week) — but come in the weeks leading up to Easter and you'll find yourself amid the throngs of Buffalo Poles who flock back to the old neighborhood each year to pick up specialties for the traditional breakfast spread. At those times, seasonal vendors swell the ranks to perhaps three times as many as listed here.

incorporate address, directions, phone number, opening hours etc. somehow

Clothing and accessories

The Market is not nearly as well-known for fashion as for other types of merchandise. Still, if you're visiting there and you're in the market for some new clothes, you won't necessarily leave emptyhanded:

• Dexter's Hats, Caps and Things, ☏ +1 716 812-5672. Sa 9AM-4PM. At the Broadway Market on Saturday mornings and afternoons and pretty much anywhere else in the city at other times, Dexter Shaw sells quality men's hats — fedoras, porkpies, newsboy caps, and more — to neighborhood types looking for a snazzy addition to their style. Satisfaction is 100% guaranteed. (updated Mar 2015)
• Everything's Very African, ☏ +1 716 713-0847. Tu-Sa 10:30AM-5PM. Perhaps a more accurate name for this place would be "Everything's Very African-American" — while they stock a token selection of tribal-themed decorative items as well as shea butter shampoo and body lotion, you won't find any dashiki, kaftans, or other such items here. Instead, this Broadway Market fashion boutique features a range of smart urban styles that walk the line between upscale elegance and street-level sass, with fancy dresses and ladies' hats as well as some really nice gold jewelry. (updated Mar 2015)
• Queen Esther Boutique, ☏ +1 716 539-9145. The always-gregarious Tara Crenshaw McCann's goal is "to enhance the beauty within", and she does that for her customers with a reasonably-priced yet delightful range of handmade earrings, necklaces, bracelets, and other jewelry sold daily at her Broadway Market stand. Queen Esther Boutique even custom-designs pieces for customers who arrive with a specific vision in mind. (updated Apr 2017)

Specialty foods

If you like sausage, you've come to the right place.

Kielbasa, handmade pierogi, and other mouth-watering Polish specialties have been the Market's bread and butter pretty much since they opened. However, the range of offerings has diversified lately to reflect the changing face of the neighborhood — nowadays you can find halal meats, succulent soul food, and lots of other goodies as well.

• Babcia's Pierogi Company, ☏ +1 716 436-3894. M-F 9AM-5PM, Sa 9AM-4PM. Cheryl Ziolkowski-Krygier and Linda Lund learned the fine art of pierogi-making as kids helping out their babcias (grandmothers, hence this place's name) in the kitchen, but nowadays they also put their own spin on this old culinary standby: Babcia's menu splits the difference between the traditional — various permutations of sauerkraut, mushroom, potato, and cheese — and specialty pierogi such as taco, reuben, and beef on weck. Their Broadway Market stand is also the home of Sweet Tallulah's pastry shop, with fresh-baked Polish and American goodies. (updated Apr 2017)
• Broadway Seafood & Meat, ☏ +1 716 893-1050. M-Th 8AM-4:30PM, F-Sa 8AM-5PM. Boasting one large cooler for seafood and one for meat, Broadway Seafood & Meat is huge. The latter has pretty much every kind of butcher meat you can think of, with a noticeable abundance of soul-food staples like hamhocks, trotters, turkey necks and chitlins; the former features fresh whole fish on ice (again, pretty much every kind you can think of; the selection of freshwater whitefish is especially good). Service is prompt and friendly, and prices have to be seen to be believed. (updated Mar 2015)
• Camellia Meats, ☏ +1 716 597-0281. M-Sa 8AM-5PM. Aside from the stand-alone location in Humboldt Park they expanded to in 2013, Camellia Meats' Broadway Market stall is still alive and kicking, with the same high-quality, low-price meats as at the other place. Yes, that includes the award-winning house-brand Cichocki's Polish sausage. Also, since the original owners retired, the folks at Camellia have done double duty at Eastertime working the old Malczewski's stall, home of the famous Broadway Market butter lamb: symbolic of the Lamb of God of Catholic iconography, this centerpiece of the traditional Easter breakfast spread is native to several Eastern European lands, but on this side of the Atlantic is unique to Buffalo. (updated Mar 2015)
• Deb's Delights, ☏ +1 716 652-8298. W 10AM-5PM. Deb's Delights ships its inventory nationwide from their headquarters in East Aurora not only to the shelves of numerous Western New York supermarkets, but also to its flagship retail outlet that opens for business each Wednesday at the Broadway Market. What products make up that inventory? No less than 70 different varieties of jellies, relishes, salsas, hot sauces, condiments, and — above all — pretty much any kind of vegetable that can be pickled; a high-quality range of stuff that ably demonstrates the truth of her slogan, "If you can't, I can". (updated Mar 2015)
• Famous Horseradish, ☏ +1 716 893-9771. M-Sa 8AM-5PM. Sure, at this longtime Broadway Market vendor you can pick up a jar of the same namesake product that's proudly stocked in many a local supermarket, plus harder-to-find beet horseradish. But Famous Horseradish also stocks a full range of horseradish-infused products like spicy mustard and cocktail sauce, a variety of homemade pickles and sauerkraut, and a similar but somewhat smaller range of fresh produce as at Lewandowski's (though naturally, if you're in the market for fresh horseradish root you're in luck). (updated Mar 2015)
• Kissed by the Sun Spice Company, ☏ +1 716 435-6011. Sa 10AM-4PM. Inspired by owner Liz Fickhezen's 1999 vacation to Tortola, Kissed by the Sun's all-natural, all-kosher, pesticide- and MSG-free spice blends are the perfect accompaniment to Caribbean cuisine (their website even has an online cookbook for some ideas). The biggest sellers are a seasoned sea salt blend with garlic, celery seed, parsley and a hint of ginger — a healthy, lower-sodium alternative to table salt — as well as sweet-hot pepper flakes made from the skins of red and jalapeño peppers, flavorful yet not too spicy. (updated Mar 2015)
• Lewandowski Produce, ☏ +1 716 896-7163. M-Sa 8AM-5PM. Open six days a week, this longtime Broadway Market vendor is the place to come if you want fresh fruits and vegetables. For the most part, Lewandowski's selection is not much different from what you'd find at the average supermarket produce section — but there are some more interesting finds as well, especially when it comes to root vegetables (rutabaga and yams are ubiquitous) and a surprising selection of unroasted nuts and fresh herbs. Lewandowski's also stocks a small variety of honey, jams, and preserves. (updated Mar 2015)
• Lupas Meats, ☏ +1 716 892-4809. M-Sa 8AM-5PM. When it comes to Broadway Market butcher shops, Broadway Seafood and Meats may have size and variety on their side, but these guys have the crowds. The venerable stand operated by family patriarch Petru Lupas and his son David is, in the words of one reviewer who grew up in Polonia during its golden years, "as close as you can get to the original Broadway Market". The stars of the show are (of course) Polish delicacies such as fresh and smoked kielbasa, kiszka, kabanossy, and slab bacon, but as with its aforementioned competitor, you'll also find soul-food delights catering to an increasingly African-American customer base. In terms of deli meats, bologna, ham, and other pork products abound, as do local brands like Wardynski's, Sahlen's, Yancey's Fancy cheese, and Lupas' own house brand. The already low prices come down further toward the end of the day, the better to move as much inventory as possible. (updated Mar 2015)
• Najah Sauces. M-Sa 8AM-5PM. Somali immigrant Bisharo Ali is the culinary mastermind behind this line of all-natural sauces, condiments and fruit juice drinks crafted right here in the Broadway Market's own kitchen facilities. The signature ingredient shared among many of the options is fenugreek, an indelibly sweet-ish herb with a myriad of health benefits to its name, which Ali will be only too happy to tell you about. Also prominent among the options is tamarind sauce, available in mild and hot varieties and inspired by the shidni of her native cuisine. (updated Mar 2019)
• Pierogi by Paula, ☏ +1 716 285-8180. Sa 8AM-5PM. The pierogi Paula Duge whips up at her factory in suburban Rochester are crafted by hand using the secret Kurasiewicz family recipe, the same as the ones she made growing up in North Tonawanda. Both traditional savory fillings (potato, sauerkraut, imported farmers' cheese) and dessert pierogi (stuffed with fruit preserves) are delicious and preservative-free. Pierogi by Paula's Broadway Market stand is open every Saturday, but if you're here on Tuesday or Friday, the folks at White Eagle Bakery can unlock the freezer case for you. (updated Mar 2015)
• Victorianbourg Wine Estate, ☏ +1 716 751-6576. Sa 9AM-5PM. Much different from what you usually see among Western New York wines, Victoria and Dan Hogue have recreated a classic Northern German winery on the 50 acres (20 ha) they cultivate in rural Niagara County, for delightfully unusual results. If you can't make it to their tasting room out in Wilson, the Broadway Market on Saturday is the place to sample the wares (especially the pechette, the best-loved of their two dozen or so offerings). (updated Mar 2019)
• Weber's Maple Products, ☏ +1 716 652-2420. Sa 9AM-5PM, Nov-Easter. Its neighbors to the north (Canada) and northeast (Vermont) may be more famous, but the maple syrup harvested by New York State producers each spring can hold its own. If you're by the Broadway Market on a weekend, you can sample the local version courtesy of this tree-to-table operation out of West Falls: both the syrup in its pure, raw form as well as maple-infused products such as barbecue sauce, mustard, popcorn, glazed nuts, coffee and tea, even hot sauce. (updated Mar 2019)
• We R Nuts, ☏ +1 716 359-2711. M-F 8AM-5PM, Sa 9AM-5PM. The "R" stands for "roast": the folks at We R Nuts have been in business since 2006 (and at the Broadway Market since '09) roasting almonds, pecans, and cashews in fourteen different flavors, from sweet (maple, coconut, Bavarian-style cinnamon) to savory (garlic and herb, honey mustard). A wide range of homemade nut butters and tasty snacks are on offer as well. (updated Apr 2017)

Chocolate, candies and sweets

You'll find plenty of delectable Polish pastry at the Broadway Market, but that's just the beginning of the story. Also on offer is a great selection of old-fashioned carnival-style sweets such as fresh fudge, sugar waffles, saltwater taffy, and the like.

• Blue Eyed Baker. Sa 8AM-5PM. Alexandra Robinson is the woman who gave her name to this place, bringing to bear her tutelage under some of the top pastry chefs in France and the U.S. with a full line of baked goods, scratch-made with real ingredients the old-fashioned way. Macarons are the specialty of the house. You can catch the Blue Eyed Baker and her team doing their thing at the Market on Saturdays; if not, poke around area farmers' markets and restaurants (or, if all else fails, Whole Foods in Amherst) to savor the goodness. (updated Mar 2019)
• E.M. Chruściki Bakery, ☏ +1 716 893-1464. M-F 8AM-4PM, Sa 8AM-5PM. At the Broadway Market, countless Polish confectioners have come and gone, but the Chruściki Bakery is the stalwart original that (despite a marked decline in service and quality over the years) still keeps folks lining up to satisfy their sweet tooth. The namesake product — flat strips of dough twisted into ribbon shapes, deep-fried and sprinkled with powdered sugar — is joined on the shelves by other Polish specialties like pączki, placek, makowiec, and mazurek, plus home-baked rye bread, pierogi, and light prepared lunches. (updated Mar 2019)
• Strawberry Island, ☏ +1 716 895-3279. Tu-Sa 10AM-4PM. "We'll dip anything in chocolate" is the saying around here, and that can mean anything from marshmallow Peeps, to roasted nuts, to Twinkies, to the fresh strawberries that gave this place its name. But that's just the beginning of the story: Strawberry Island is also a place to go for only-in-Buffalo specialties like sponge candy (available in regular, dark chocolate or orange chocolate) and Charlie Chaplins. (updated Mar 2015)
• Sweet Temptations du Jour, ☏ +1 716 536-0567. Barbara Keating is on hand every Saturday (and daily during Christmas week and Easter season) to satisfy folks' sweet tooth with a pan-European mix of baked goodies — everything from German pfefferneusse cookies to Russian teacakes to Croatian-style apple strudel, and above all, the house specialty, "Sweet Nuthings": crispy sugar waffles dipped in chocolate and topped with candied nuts. (updated Mar 2015)
• The Sweet Whisk, ☏ +1 716 843-6065. Tu-Sa 9AM-5PM. Joining the growing ranks of Buffalo-area artisanal chcolatiers is Amanda Page, who invites you to "come to the dark side" where you'll find not only cookies but also "the creamiest crème brûlée around", not to mention the item that she's truly built her reputation with: handcrafted bonbons made with imported Valrhona chocolate that, according to one happy customer, "look like small pieces of art". Prices start on the high side but come down quickly when you buy in bulk; it's worth it in any event for the quality of what you get. (updated Mar 2015)
• White Eagle Bakery, ☏ +1 716 896-3949. Tu 10AM-4PM, F-Sa 9AM-4PM. Though most famous for their chruściki, the familiar red-and-white boxes of which adorn the shelves at Wegmans and other area supermarkets in the runup to Easter, White Eagle sells the whole lineup of Polish pastries: placek, strudel, cream horns, pastry hearts, and the seasonal favorite pączki which flies off the shelves from Fat Tuesday all the way through to Easter Sunday. As well, wholesome, soft-crust seeded Polish rye bread baked fresh daily makes customers flock in. (updated Mar 2015)

Gifts

If your visit to old Polonia just won't be complete without some red-and-white Polish souvenir swag, the Broadway Market is — once again — the place you want to be. Here you'll find...

• Amber Gems, ☏ +1 716 480-8277. Sa 9:30AM-3PM. The warm-colored, yellowish little gems that gave this place its name are sourced directly from Poland's Baltic Sea shoreline, and adorn a huge range of jewelry including earrings, rings, necklaces and pendants, bracelets, brooches and more. But can also choose from a range of Polish porcelainware, all handpainted the old-fashioned way with lead-free glaze and safe for use in the freezer, dishwasher, oven, or microwave. And if you're in the market for Polish-flag coffee mugs, shot glasses, T-shirts, et cetera, they have you covered. (updated Mar 2015)
• Ceramics By Design, ☏ +1 716 677-6564. Sa 8AM-5PM. This is where West Seneca native Audrey Lehr sells a wide variety of brightly colored ceramic figurines, garden gnomes, kitchenware, and seasonal decorative baubles, all handmade by the artist herself. A small selection of jewelry rounds out the offerings at Ceramics By Design. (updated Mar 2015)
• Enchanted Market Gifts & Cards, ☏ +1 716 894-1332. Tu-F 10AM-3PM. If you're looking for the perfect kitschy souvenir to remember your visit to the Broadway Market by, Monika Poslinski's gift emporium is the place you want to be: pretty much everything on the shelves is colored red and white and comes emblazoned with the proud Polish falcon. Enchanted Market also sells charming blue and white pottery imported directly from Bolesławiec, Poland's ceramics capital, as well as imported glassware and a selection of English- and Polish-language greeting cards. (updated Mar 2015)
• Theresa's Treasures for the Home. Sa 8AM-3PM. "Treasures for the Home" is a bit of a misnomer: the main stock in trade here is a selection of jewelry that runs toward the loud and gaudy (sometimes hilariously so) — large, brightly-colored, and obviously fake gemstones that wouldn't look out of place at a Mardi Gras parade. Kitsch abounds in the housewares selection too: porcelain decorative figurines and kitchenware, cut-glass dishes and goblets, and trinkets such as solar powered dancing animals. High-season visitors will also find painted wooden Easter eggs and other seasonal fare. (updated Mar 2015)

Miscellaneous

Every Saturday at the Broadway Market, you'll find...

• Fetch! Gourmet Dog Treats, ☏ +1 716 249-0641. The question this place asks its customers is simple but thought-provoking: "if it's not healthy for humans, why feed it to your dog?" True to that philosophy, all of Fetch's all-natural, locally-baked cookies, biscuits, and bones are made with human-grade ingredients, lacking fillers or other chemical preservatives. And Fetch has you and Fido covered for playtime, too: they're a licensed dealer of the West Paw brand of made-in-the-USA dog toys. Stop by the Broadway Market on Saturdays to stock up. (updated Mar 2019)
• Grape Country Soaps, ☏ +1 716 934-3458. Sa 9AM-3PM. Grape Country Soaps' name evokes the owners' longtime family business and their hometown of Silver Creek, in the heart of Lake Erie wine country, much more than the ingredients of any of their homemade bath products. Check out their "Aromatherapy Line" of several dozen fragrant soaps with a kaleidoscopic variety of scents and textures (the exfoliating cinnamon oatmeal, cherry almond, and coffee soaps rank among their bestsellers), as well as bath lotions and fizzies, body butters, and accessories such as wooden soap dishes. (updated Apr 2017)

Stand-alone shops

section lede

Clothing and accessories

• 2 The Custom Hatter, 1318 Broadway (Metro Bus 4), ☏ +1 716 896-3722. M-Sa 8AM-5PM. Wherein Gary Witkowski practices the fast-disappearing craft of old-style hatmaking: fedoras, porkpies, homburgs, and other hats all crafted on antique millinery tools with real beaver, chinchilla and muskrat fur; linings and leather sweatbands carefully sewn rather than glued in place. In addition to the many ordinary folks he's helped to cap off (as it were) a formal ensemble in just the right way, Witkowski can boast of having outfitted the Broadway productions of Guys & Dolls and Thoroughly Modern Millie and of his hats being worn on the big screen by stars like James Garner and Leonardo DiCaprio. Prices rank decisively in the high end, but you're paying for quality that's second-to-none. (updated Mar 2019)
• 3 Peace & Co., 1105 Broadway (Metro Bus 4, 6 or 23), ☏ +1 716 322-6486. Su-Th 10AM-7PM, F 10AM-midnight, Sa noon-7PM. Eschewing the conservative, somewhat dowdy styles (not to mention the dusty clutter and surly customer service) that you'll find in other Buffalo-area Islamic clothing boutiques, Peace & Co. is instead the place to be for couture-minded observant Muslims to, as the sign outside the door indicates, "unveil style and modesty" in equal measures. Here you'll find high-quality abayas, hijabs, and kaftans in all colors and at great prices, with vibrant yet elegant styles for on-the-go women of today, along with a selection of men's thobes and kaftans that's somewhat more conventional in style without skimping on the quality. (updated Mar 2019)
• 4 Plush Boutique, 973 Fillmore Ave. (Metro Bus 4, 6, 22, 23 or 24), ☏ +1 716 939-2271. Tu-Sa noon-7PM. "We give our customers something you can't find at the mall or in [other] stores", says owner Alexis Boykin. She's exaggerating, but only a little. If you've visited some of the other fashion boutiques on the East Side or even just read through this section of the article, you know the drill already — streetwise styles, loud colors, lots of bling — but if you're looking to put your Buffalove on display loud and proud, many of the house-exclusive designs follow that theme (how about a gold and lavender tracksuit with a silhouette of the downtown skyline across the front?) (updated Mar 2019)
• 5 Shoe Heaven, 1455 Broadway (Metro Bus 4 or 19), ☏ +1 716 818-6639. M-F 11AM-6PM, Sa 11AM-5PM. Tucked away in plain sight in a low-hung, unassuming building next to St. John Kanty Catholic Church, Shoe Heaven is a one-stop shop for sassy ladies' footwear in bright colors and daring designs. Dominating the inventory inside this bright, airy, well-kept shop are platform heels and wedges, but you can find lots of pumps, sandals, flats, and other styles too. Shoe Heaven's staff engages their customers with service that is always warm and gracious, and the merchandise is suitable for all budgets: nothing is priced higher than $60! (updated Mar 2015)
• 6 This & That, 959 Broadway (Metro Bus 4, 6 or 23), ☏ +1 716 895-5555. M-Sa 9AM-7PM. On the ground floor of the Mitchell Square Building at the corner of Broadway and Fillmore is where Mohammed Abubakar sells a wide variety of clothing and accessories for men and women, in a mix of styles that runs the gamut from elegant upscale fashions to urban street gear. This & That is also a place to pick up prepaid phones and accessories. (updated Mar 2015)
• 7 Trendz, 1048 Broadway (Metro Bus 4, 6 or 23), ☏ +1 716 362-1557. Su-Th 9AM-9PM, F-Sa 9AM-11PM. The name of this place is no joke: established in 2005, Sadi Mohamed's Broadway fashion outlet is on the cutting edge of the latest urban fashions, with name brands like Akoo, Nike, Rocawear, Polo, and even Prada on the shelves. At Trendz, you'll find tight acid-washed jeans, graphic tees, hoodies, jackets and more. (updated Mar 2015)
• 8 Vibes, 964 Broadway (Metro Bus 4, 6 or 23), ☏ +1 716 895-1620. Su-Th 9AM-9PM, F-Sa 9AM-10PM. Located in the former Payless ShoeSource right on the corner of Broadway and Fillmore, the two main claims to fame at Vibes are designer jeans and sneakers, the latter of which in an especially interesting selection comprising all the latest brands and lots of Day-Glo colors. As well, you'll find an eclectic mix of other apparel, accessories and beauty supplies for the urban set. (updated Mar 2015)

Specialty foods

• 9 A.D. Asian Variety Mart, 977 Sycamore St. (Metro Bus 4, 6, 22, 23 or 24), ☏ +1 716 464-6993. In business on Sycamore Street since 2009, the Bengali-language sign that adorns the front of the building testifies to the origin of owner Muhammad Munshi, to the identity of the immigrant community it serves, and to the type of goods that you can find inside. Namely, the merchandise at A.D. consists of halal groceries from all over the Indian Subcontinent and the Middle East, with an emphasis on meats including chicken, beef, lamb, goat and more. As well, you can pick up a range of fresh produce and Asian spices. (updated Mar 2015)
• 10 Al-Madina Grocery & Variety Store, 1044 Fillmore Ave. (Metro Bus 6, 22, 23 or 24), ☏ +1 716 893-4012. Halal meats such as chicken, beef and fish are proudly touted on the sign in front of this little Bengali-owned store, as well as fresh produce that's locally sourced in many cases. But the true essence of Al-Madina is that it's very much a regular grocery store, only scaled down in size, with all products certified halal and a small variety of ethnic goods too. As well, you can find housewares and toiletries here including pots and pans, dish soap, baby powder, shampoo, and the like. (updated Mar 2015)
• 11 Amana Plaza Halal Food & Variety, 1054 Broadway (Metro Bus 4, 6 or 23), ☏ +1 716 259-8085. Daily 9:30AM-10PM. Far from the glorified bodegas that many of his competitors in the ethnic grocery business run, Amana Plaza offers more than just shelf-stable packaged goods, soda pop, candy and snacks. Indeed, more than half of the sales floor here is given over to fresh produce (both exotic imports and the usual supermarket standards), huge sacks of rice and other staple grains, and refrigerator and freezer cases replete with fresh and frozen fish, meat, and dairy products (all halal, of course). And to top it all off, the shop is clean and well-organized, and service comes with a smile. (updated Mar 2019)
• 12 BBS Wholesale, 1076 Sycamore St. (Metro Bus 4, 6, 22 or 23), ☏ +1 716 331-3588. Daily 10AM-10PM. It's easy to be misled by this place's name: not only is BBS not a wholesaler (it's just another ethnic grocery market), but the acronym, short for "Buffalo Burmese Store", only tells a minor part of the story of what's inside. Instead, as implied by the Bengali-language text on the signage in front of the shop, the merchandise inside trends far more heavily toward South Asian foods than Southeast: the usual range of staple grains, spice mixes, dry groceries, and modest selections of halal meats and produce. (updated Mar 2019)
• 13 Foodland, 1105 Broadway (Metro Bus 4, 6 or 23), ☏ +1 716 248-1171. Daily 9AM-9PM. This Middle Eastern and South Asian food shop opened in late 2014 at the far east end of the new shopping plaza at the corner of Broadway and Sweet Avenue. At Foodland you'll find a mix of specialty groceries including halal meat and fish, fresh produce, spices and frozen foods. As well, they always have a pot of hot coffee on. (updated Mar 2015)
• 14 Sycamore Halal Meat and Fish, 1064 Sycamore St. (Metro Bus 4, 6, 22 or 23), ☏ +1 716 893-4253. Daily 9AM-11PM. As the name implies, Sycamore Halal Meat and Fish is a small ethnic grocery with a full slate of certified-halal meats and fish, as well as housewares, Islamic clothing, and bodega-style merchandise like candy and cold soft drinks. They even do home deliveries. (updated Mar 2015)
• 15 Wilson Street Urban Farm, 330-386 Wilson St. (Metro Bus 4, 6 or 23), ☏ +1 716 853-7316. Farm stand open Sa 10AM-12:30PM in season. Wilson Street Urban Farm comprises two acres (a little less than a hectare) of land tilled by the Stevens family, who, as transplants to Buffalo from the rural areas outside the city, use their agricultural know-how to serve as mentors and role models to a growing movement of like-minded homesteaders. The farm grows a wide range of produce both outdoors in the ground as well as inside their custom-built hothouse, and what the Stevenses don't eat themselves is offered up for sale to hungry East Siders on Saturday mornings at their farm stand. (updated Mar 2019)

Antiques

• 16 Sloan's Antiques and Modern Furniture, 730 William St. (Metro Bus 1, 2 or 23), ☏ +1 716 856-6057. Th-Sa noon-3PM. A visit to Sloan's is like rummaging through the jumbled treasures in your grandma's attic or basement. What will you find in the jumble? Their Facebook page claims "you will see giant fish, bear skins, disco balls, neon signs, lamps, paintings of all sorts, and of course antiques", but it's actually not quite as diverse and offbeat as all that: the cornerstone of the inventory is fine furniture and home decor of a chronological purview ranging roughly from Late Victorian through Midcentury Modern. Best to call ahead before you show up, as the owners seem to regard their opening hours more as a general rule of thumb. (updated Mar 2019)

Furniture and home decor

• 17 National Warehouse Furniture, 919 Broadway (Metro Bus 4, 6 or 23), ☏ +1 716 845-6610. M-Sa 10:30AM-5PM, Su by appointment. Since 1995, the name of the game here has been an overwhelming selection of furniture for ever room of the house, in a no-frills warehouse settling just waiting to be browsed through. If the sheer amount of dinette sets, bunk beds, recliners, lamps, mattresses, desks, entertainment centers, bedroom sets, bookcases, ad nauseam is too much for you to wrap your head around, National Warehouse Furniture's helpful and knowledgeable staff are always on hand to help you find the piece that's right for you, and even to give advice on how to arrange it withing your home. (updated Mar 2015)
• 18 Prestige Furniture, 1403 Broadway (Metro Bus 4), ☏ +1 716 893-5311. Daily 10AM-4:30PM. "Louie the Furniture Man" is the guy you want to see at Prestige: his place has been family-owned and operated since 1970. And his loyal legions of customers are members of that family too: honest service at some of the best prices in Buffalo is something the folks at Prestige take real pride in (they'll even customize pieces to your specification!) As for the merchandise, it comprises sofas, chairs, bedding, dinette sets, sectionals, lamps, and decorative items, ranges from classic conservative styles to statement-making pieces in bold colors and prints, and invludes brands such as Hughes, Liberty, and Coaster. (updated Mar 2015)

Eat

section lede

Budget

If browsing through the meat counters and produce stands at the Broadway Market has made you work up an appetite, you have several options (Polish and otherwise) to choose from. In the market itself there are several stalls where you're served from steam trays, cafeteria-style; there are a few picnic tables nearby where you can stop and eat. At Potts Deli, you sit at bar stools set up along an old-fashioned diner counter in a pleasantly secluded location toward the back of the market building, next to Save-a-Lot and the meat counters.

• East-West Café, ☏ +1 716 895-1929. M-Sa 9AM-4PM. Take the respective halves of this place's name to mean "Eastern Europe" and "Western New York", and you'll have a pretty accurate idea of the menu here. At East-West Café, you're just as apt to nosh on Polish specialties like gołąbki (cabbage rolls), tangy czernina (duck blood soup), and huge, mouth-watering Polish sausage dogs that dwarf the buns they're served on (condiments are around the corner from the cash register) as you are to enjoy local favorites like beef on weck, fried bologna sandwiches or fish fry. As a bonus, sides such as chili mac and collard greens add a soul food element to the mix. $5-15. (updated Mar 2019)
• E.M. Chruściki Bakery, ☏ +1 716 893-1464. M-F 8AM-4PM, Sa 8AM-5PM. Chruściki and other pastries are the main stock in trade of this longtime Broadway Market vendor, but if you're hungry for something a bit more substantial, take a seat at their lunch counter and nosh on one of a limited range of Polish-American specialties: pierogi platters; tasty kielbasa sandwiches with sauerkraut and horseradish; a selection of wraps; bagels and sliced placek in the morning. $10-15. (updated Mar 2019)
• Margie's Soul Food, ☏ +1 716 893-0705. M-Sa 8AM-5PM. Wherein Margie Hawkins cooks up the most authentic takes on fried chicken, mac & cheese, barbecue ribs (with a delightful tinge of raspberry in the glaze), and peach cobbler that you can find anywhere in the area. But that's not all: the menu also includes some more esoteric regional specialties like pigs' trotters and oxtail that are worth a try if you're in an adventurous mood. If you've ever been down South to a "meat and three" joint, the setup will be instantly familiar to you, but at Margie's it's "meat and two" — that is, you choose from a meat-based main course and two side dishes, plus cornbread and a biscuit, served to you cafeteria-style in Styrofoam takeout containers. $10-15. (updated Mar 2019)
• Potts Deli & Grille, ☏ +1 716 826-6575. M-F 8AM-5PM, Sa 9AM-4PM. If you're in the mood for Polish food, don't be put off by the fact that the menu Potts' Broadway Market location tilts more heavily toward standard American comfort food by comparison to the original one in Cheektowaga: the high-ish price of the pierogi is justified by both quality and portion size, there's gołąbki and kielbasa (smoked only, no fresh) to savor, and the "Polish platter" combines all three of the foregoing plus sauerkraut and mashed potatoes on the side. As for the American selections, standard diner fare is the order of the day, along with a small selection of local favorites like fried bologna and Wardynski's hot dogs. $5-20. (updated Mar 2019)

Outside the confines of the Market, there's:

• 1 Aladdin Grill House, 754 Sycamore St. (Metro Bus 4, 6, 23 or 24), ☏ +1 716 322-0400. Daily 10AM-11PM. Aladdin's menu of North Indian and Pakistani cuisine is well-executed, even if you won't find many surprises among the fairly standard-issue range of curries, biryani (the chicken tikka biryani comes especially highly recommended, though you can also get it with beef, goat, and even shrimp), kebabs, samosas, and the like. The ambience is oddly disjointed, too, with sleek Scandinavian Modern-style overhead sconces seeming out of place among a spartan (though impeccably clean) interior without so much as a picture hanging on the wall. $10-25. (updated Mar 2019)
• 2 Alibaba Kebab, 900 William St. (Metro Bus 1 or 23), ☏ +1 716 800-2222. M-Sa 11AM-midnight, Su noon-10PM. It's got no ambience to speak of and only the bare minimum in terms of seating, but if you've got a hankering for 100% halal North Indian and Pakistani cuisine, head to the corner of William Street and Memorial Drive for the East Side's consensus-favorite purveyor. Tandoori chicken is the specialty of the house at Alibaba Kebab — tikka masala over rice, perfectly seasoned and bursting with flavor, flies off the shelves — but they've also got a variety of curries, seekh and boti kebabs, and even Levantine specialties such as shawarma and gyro on offer. Best of all, if you're used to the sticker shock that comes at the end of many a meal at Buffalo-area Indian restaurants, prepare for a pleasant surprise — especially given the generous portions! $10-25. (updated Mar 2018)
• 3 Bay Leaf, 864 Broadway (Metro Bus 4, 6 or 23), ☏ +1 716 424-0047. Daily 10AM-10PM. Indian restaurants are not altogether rare in the Buffalo area, but for those locals who've been overseas and sampled the real deal on its own turf, finding anything approaching that level of authenticity has been a fool's errand. No more! Enter Bay Leaf, where the chicken, beef, goat, and even shrimp curries come fragrantly spiced and bursting with flavor, a wide range of delicious boti and seekh kebabs await those in search of a cheap light meal, and the specialty of the house is aromatic Bengali-style morag polao, a dish available nowhere else in Buffalo. And if your palate is a bit more timid, never fear: you can choose instead from a diner-style menu of hot and cold sandwiches, burgers, fried chicken, and pizza. $10-25. (updated Mar 2019)
• 4 Draeona's Family Seafood, 222 Gibson St. (Metro Bus 4 or 23), ☏ +1 716 895-1971. M-W 6A-10P, Th 6A-11P, F-Sa 6A-mid, Su noon-6P. Sure, it's located literally in the shadow of the storied Broadway Market, and sure, a pair of proud red-and-white Polish flags festoon the front entrance as if to show solidarity with the ethnic history of the surrounding are. But the food at Draeona's has little to do with Eastern Europe: instead downhome, stick-to-your-ribs Southern cooking is the name of the game; goodies from the sea generally of the breaded and deep-fried variety, served in the form of combo platters with two sides (think along the lines of mac & cheese, hush puppies, sweet potatoes, and the like). If you're on a budget, stop by at lunchtime for a range of fish sandwiches; if you're not, feel free to splurge on a delectable lobster dinner for one or two. $10-25. (updated Mar 2019)
• 5 Madina Halal Restaurant, 125 Mills St. (Metro Bus 4, 6 or 23), ☏ +1 716 725-6311. Daily 10:30AM-8:30PM. Catering to the entire spectrum of the East Side's Islamic community, the menu at this spartan hole-in-the-wall is split between Middle Eastern and South Asian specialties: among the former are tasty "New York City-style" gyros made with lamb, chicken or a combination of the two, while folks from the latter communities line up for delicious platters of curry or biryani (available with chicken, beef or goat in both cases), tandoori chicken (flame-broiled, smoky but not too smoky), and a range of ethnic sweets that are the specialty of the house. Whichever you opt for, prepare for an experience that's as authentic and delicious as you'll find anywhere in town — and mind your manners; this is the kind of place where an as-salaam alaykum when you walk in the door goes a long way. $5-15. (updated Mar 2019)
• R&L Lounge, 23 Mills St. (Metro Bus 4, 6 or 23), ☏ +1 716 896-5982. M-Th 11AM-7PM, F 11AM-9PM. An honest-to-goodness throwback to old Polonia that's been going strong for the better part of a century, where old Genesee Beer ads share space on the wood-panelled barroom walls with tacked-up pictures of the Virgin Mary. R&L's food menu is limited in size but impeccable in quality: owner Lottie Pikuzinski's take on gołąbki is light as air and delicious, and her handmade pierogi are elegant in their simplicity, standing up well on their own merits without any of the traditional accompaniments like sautéed onions and sour cream. Most popular of all, though, is the Friday fish fry: it's standing room only during Lent. Keep in mind that this is a small, family-run operation, so the place sometimes closes without notice and can run out of food on a particularly busy day. It's always best to call ahead. $10-20. (updated Mar 2019)
• 6 Shy's Original Steak House, 690 Fillmore Ave. (Metro Bus 4, 6 or 23), ☏ +1 716 852-7497. M-Sa 11AM-midnight. Consensus from those who make it this far off the usual restaurant circuit is that Shy's serves the best steak hoagies in Buffalo — enormous concoctions (one serves at least two) piled high with melted cheese, onions, peppers, mushrooms and other fixins, plus a gargantuan helping of meat that's finely chopped, perfectly seasoned with an ineffable secret sauce, and so juicy it drips from the bread. Jim's Steakout, Mike's on Bailey Avenue, even the Wegmans sub shop all pale in comparison. Drawbacks include the postage stamp-sized dining room (takeout is understandably a popular option) and service that, while unfailingly friendly, is sometimes slow. $10-15. (updated Mar 2019)

Mid-range

• 7 Al Mandy Restaurant, 797 Broadway (Metro Bus 4, 6 or 23), ☏ +1 716 853-1090. M-W & F 9AM-6PM, Th 9AM-8PM, Sa 10AM-6PM, Su 11AM-4PM. Appropriately enough from a geographic perspective, Yemeni food is an infatuating and truly unique hybrid of Middle Eastern, Ethiopian, and Indian culinary elements — and no matter whether you're tucking into a heaping plate of deliciously tender and delectably spiced chicken mandi, a steaming bowl of ogdat stew made with lamb and vegetables, a serving of the national dish, haneeth, with your choice of either of the foregoing meats, or a full range of Yemeni breakfast specialties, at Al Mandy you're getting the real deal. Everything served here is certified zabiha halal and of topnotch quality; prices are high by East Side standards, though that's not saying much, and the food is worth it in any case. $15-25. (updated Mar 2019)

Groceries

Much more than just the Broadway Market, the East Side's densest concentration of supermarkets and food shops can be found on the stretch of Broadway between Fillmore and Bailey Avenues.

• 8 Aldi, 998 Broadway (Metro Bus 4, 6 or 23). M-F 9AM-8PM, Sa-Su 9AM-7PM. (updated Mar 2015)
• 9 Brite Market, 905 Clinton St. (Metro Bus 2 or 23), ☏ +1 716 856-1122. M-F 9AM-9PM, Sa 9AM-8PM, Su 10AM-6PM. (updated Mar 2015)
• 10 Buffalo Fresh, 1018 Broadway (Metro Bus 4, 6 or 23), ☏ +1 716 768-3700. Daily 9AM-9PM. Buffalo Fresh is to the East Side what Vineeta International Foods is to the West Side: a destination for ethnic groceries that's no mere specialty store, but a full-fledged supermarket. Awaiting you are aisle after aisle of shelf-stable packaged groceries such as staple grains, cooking oils, and snacks, a huge selection of reasonably-priced bulk spices, well-stocked freezer cases, and best of all, copious fresh produce and a butcher section full of 100% halal meats. If you plan to self-cater during your visit to Buffalo and you're a fan of Middle Eastern or South Asian cuisines, look no further. (updated Mar 2019)
• 11 Dollar Tree, 1370 Broadway (Metro Bus 4 or 6), ☏ +1 716 954-4098. Daily 9AM-7PM. 
• 12 Family Dollar, 928 Broadway (Metro Bus 4, 6 or 23), ☏ +1 716 852-1451. M-Sa 8AM-9PM, Su 9AM-9PM. (updated Mar 2015)
• 13 Family Dollar, 1770 Broadway (Metro Bus 4 or 19), ☏ +1 716 895-0289. M-Sa 9AM-10PM, Su 9AM-9PM. 
• Save-a-Lot, 999 Broadway (At the Broadway Market; Metro Bus 4, 6 or 23), ☏ +1 716 897-0788. Daily 8AM-5PM. (updated Mar 2015)

Pizza

The following pizzerias are located in Polonia. 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.

• 14 Avenue Pizza, 1575 Broadway (Metro Bus 4 or 19), ☏ +1 716 896-8466. Daily 10AM-1AM. (updated Mar 2015)
• 15 The Hot Spot, 959 Broadway (Metro Bus 4, 6 or 23), ☏ +1 716 897-9465. M-Sa 11AM-8PM. (updated Mar 2015)
• 16 Metro Pizza, 920 Clinton St. (Metro Bus 2 or 23), ☏ +1 716 852-0377. Daily 10:30AM-10:30PM. (updated Mar 2015)

Drink

Alongside Lovejoy and Kaisertown, old Polonia is the hub of the East Side's bar scene. The bars here split the difference between African-American hangouts and blue-collar watering holes that are holdovers from bygone days.

• 1 Arty's Grill, 508 Peckham St. (Metro Bus 1 or 23), ☏ +1 716 856-6027. (updated Mar 2015)
• 2 Club 77, 1614 Broadway (Metro Bus 4 or 19), ☏ +1 716 897-2564. (updated Mar 2015)
• 3 Club 1210, 1210 Broadway (Entrance on Lathrop St., Metro Bus 4), ☏ +1 716 939-3149. (updated Mar 2015)
• 4 Dick's East Side Inn, 221 Lombard St. (Metro Bus 4 or 23), ☏ +1 716 896-9760. (updated Mar 2015)
• 5 G&T Inn, 68 Memorial Dr. (Metro Bus 1 or 23), ☏ +1 716 855-1039. (updated Mar 2015)
• 6 Laurel & Hardy Café, 1388 Broadway (Metro Bus 4 or 6), ☏ +1 716 896-6350. (updated Feb 2016)
• 7 Macky's Shamrock Room, 1634 Bailey Ave. (Metro Bus 4, 6 or 19), ☏ +1 716 883-7383. (updated Mar 2019)
• 8 Nate's Place, 1038 Smith St. (Metro Bus 1, 4 or 23), ☏ +1 716 855-9390. (updated Mar 2015)
• 9 R&L Lounge, 23 Mills St. (Metro Bus 4, 6 or 23), ☏ +1 716 896-5982. Perhaps the best description of R&L was given by the reviewer who compared it to "sitting around the kitchen table with relatives". Grandmotherly barkeep Lottie Pikuzinski is nothing if not fully engaged with her customers — the philosophy she expounds ("A bartender is like a psychiatrist... a lot of bars don't make it because they're not trained to be people's people; they're only trained to pour drinks", as quoted in the Buffalo News) means she's liable to come over to your table and talk your ear off, dishing on the latest neighborhood gossip or showing off old family photos. And if you're hungry, handmade pierogi or Friday fish fry make for the perfect accompaniments. (updated Mar 2019)
• 10 Shorty's Tavern, 271 Howard St. (Metro Bus 1, 2 or 23), ☏ +1 716 421-1731. (updated Sep 2019)

Sleep

where's the nearest? - Cheektowaga, probably, or maybe downtown?

Connect

blah blah blah 1 Broadway-Fillmore Post Office at 1021 Broadway

nearest library where?

probably should note no cell phone reception or WiFi access inside Bway Mkt

Stay safe

content goes here

Cope

Hospitals

ECMC is your best bet; Buffalo General also relatively close

Laundry and dry cleaning

• 2 Self-Service Laundry of Buffalo, 1494 Broadway (Metro Bus 4 or 19), ☏ +1 716 894-1156. (updated Mar 2015)
• 3 Tip-Top Express, 441 Fillmore Ave. (Metro Bus 1 or 23), ☏ +1 716 866-6171. Daily 24 hours. (updated Mar 2015)
• 4 WNY Laundromat, 1049 Broadway (Metro Bus 4, 6 or 23), ☏ +1 716 480-5333. Daily 7AM-11PM. (updated Mar 2015)

Places of worship

Catholic

section lede - namecheck HCOBES article - much of the info in the listings, along with geo coordinates, may end up in "See"; if so, simplify & try not to be too redundant

• 5 Corpus Christi RC Church, 199 Clark St. (Metro Bus 4 or 23), ☏ +1 716 896-1050. Mass Su 8:15AM, 10AM (Polish) & 11:30AM; Sa 11:30AM & 5PM, M-F 11:30AM (Th in Polish). Second only to St. Stanislaus on the roster of Polonia's most prominent Catholic churches, Corpus Christi boasts a vibrant faith community, a full schedule of English- and Polish-language church services, and cultural events for the surrounding neighborhood including the annual Dożynki harvest festival held in August. (updated May 2015)
• 6 St. John Kanty RC Church, 101 Swinburne St. (Metro Bus 4 or 19), ☏ +1 716 893-0412. Mass Su 10:30AM, Sa 4PM, M-W & Th-F 8:30AM. St. John Kanty has been anchoring the eastern part of Broadway-Fillmore since 1890, when Bishop Stephen Ryan had had enough of hearing about parishioners of St. Stanislaus killed on their walk to church while crossing the dangerous New York Central Railroad tracks that divided the neighborhood. Despite the fact that its building lacks the architectural majesty of many of Polonia's older churches, St. John Kanty counts a congregation that's among the East Side's most vibrant — aside from the half-dozen Masses held here each week, the church remains a powerful force in Buffalo's Polish community through its sponsorship of a bevy of community services for Catholics and non-Catholics alike. It continues to grow, too, accepting the former members of St. Adalbert Basilica into the fold when the two churches merged in 2011. (updated May 2015)
• 7 St. Nicholas Ukrainian Catholic Church, 308 Fillmore Ave. (Metro Bus 1, 2 or 23), ☏ +1 716 852-7566. Liturgy Su 10AM & noon, Sa 4:30PM. The seat of the Buffalo Deanery of the Ukrainian Catholic Church, St. Nicholas serves a cluster of Ukrainians located in nearby Lovejoy whose history dates back to the early 1880s. It was Reverend Iwan Zaklynskyj who was the church's founding father — in 1905, he and a group that broke away from the congregation of SS. Peter & Paul on Ideal Street after its ethnic composition shifted began meeting in a small wood-frame structure on Central Avenue. The present building, a Romanesque-style beauty in Broadway-Fillmore designed by prominent East Side architect Wladyslaw Zawadzki, dates to 1919. Today, St. Nicholas — along with the Dnipro Center on Genesee Street in the Near East Side — is one of the twin nuclei of Buffalo's under-the-radar but vibrant Ukrainian-American community: the church plays host not only to weekly services but also fun-filled community events and, on Friday afternoons, to the St. Nicholas Friday Kitchen, where varenyky, borscht, and other lip-smacking Ukrainian specialties are dished out for a song. (updated May 2015)
• 8 St. Stanislaus, Bishop and Martyr RC Church, 123 Townsend St. (Metro Bus 1, 4 or 23), ☏ +1 716 854-5510. Mass Su 9AM (English) & noon (Polish), Sa 4PM, Tu-F 7:45AM. The most well-known and vibrant Catholic church on the East Side, this "Mother Church of Polonia" has stubbornly retained its status as central hub of the community in Broadway-Fillmore. St. Stan's is best known among locals as a place to celebrate Dyngus Day or trek with your old Polish grandma on Easter, Christmas and other holidays — but it's an equally magnificent experience other times of the year, when it's just you and the neighborhood regulars. For an extra dose of old-school neighborhood authenticity, go to St. Stan's Polish-language service, held at noon every Sunday. (updated May 2015)

Black churches

add the church that meets in the old Unia Polska building, just so this sec is filled out

• 9 Emmanuel Temple Seventh-Day Adventist Church, 300 Adams St. (Metro Bus 1, 4 or 18), ☏ +1 716 853-9055. Services Sa 11AM. Emmanuel Temple Seventh Day Adventist Church is a vibrant congregation that welcomes newcomers and visitors with open arms to their beautiful Saturday-morning services with a positive and inspirational message that carries them through their week. They've been doing their thing since 1958 in the former home of St. Stephen's Evangelical Church in the western reaches of Broadway-Fillmore — a medium-sized, red-brick Gothic building erected in 1911 whose steeple still contains its original Howard clock and three bells cast by the Kimberly & Meneelee Company of Troy, New York. (updated Apr 2015)

Jehovah's Witnesses

• 10 Kingdom Hall of Jehovah's Witnesses, 351 Emslie St. (Metro Bus 1, 4 or 18), ☏ +1 716 854-5294. Services Su 9:30AM, 12:30PM & 3:30PM. (updated May 2015)

Muslim

section lede

• 11 Buffalo Markaz Masjid (Crescent Village Muslim Community Center), 115 Woltz Ave. (Metro Bus 4, 6 or 23), ☏ +1 716 893-4100. Situated in the former John Ulinski Senior Center at the corner of Stanislaus Street and Woltz Avenue in Broadway-Fillmore, the Buffalo Markaz Masjid is not only as a mosque where taleem (and, on Friday, jum'a) is held each evenings after isha, but also serves as the local headquarters and community center of Tablighi Jamaat, a conservative Sunni tradition that emphasizes missionary work within the larger Muslim community. (updated May 2015)
• 12 Masjid Zakariya, 182 Sobieski St. (Metro Bus 4, 6 or 22), ☏ +1 716 892-2606. Like Jami Masjid, this is another example of a former Christian church converted into a combination mosque and Muslim school: in 1993, the former Holy Mother of the Rosary Polish National Cathedral in Broadway-Fillmore became the home of Masjid Zakariya and its associated school, the Darul-Uloom Al-Madania Institute of Higher Islamic Education. At the former, jum'a and other services are held for a congregation composed of about a hundred families, mostly immigrants from Pakistan and Saudi Arabia; in the latter, students from pre-kindergarten through grade 10 are educated in a combination of the standard New York State curriculum and rigorous study of the principles of the Sunni Islamic faith. (updated May 2015)

Buddhist

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

• 13 Chùa Từ Hiếu Buddhist Cultural Center of Buffalo, 647 Fillmore Ave. (Metro Bus 4 or 23), ☏ +1 716 892-6839. Located in the Buffalo Police Department's former Eighth Precinct Headquarters, Chùa Từ Hiếu has served the local Vietnamese Buddhist community since 1998, but it was not until 2014 — when the breathtaking outdoor courtyard and garden were put in place next door — when it truly came to the attention of the Broadway-Fillmore community. Decorated with a set of stone pillars imported from Vietnam and centered on a statue of Quan Âm, the bodhisattva of mercy to whom many refugees prayed for safe travel to their new homeland, this normally serene place periodically becomes the scene of cultural events and gatherings such as group meditation sessions and an annual Vietnamese New Year celebration featuring traditional music and dance. Otherwise, the temple is open for worship daily. (updated May 2015)

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