DOORS OPEN BUFFALO and TUNES and TRAINS: September 24, 2022

 Before going to Peggy and Davids house, I stopped at the Rite Aid on Main and Washburn hoping to find a vest like the one I purchased yesterday at the Summit Street Rite Aid, but in a different color.  I lucked out in that they had a bluish/green one in my size, so I purchased it. Then I went to Peg's house.  We decided to take my car, so David could drive it.  We headed to Buffalo for DOORS OPEN BUFFALO.

Our first stop was at Eugene V. Debbs Hall which is a restored 1914 saloon. 

I think this was the most interesting spot we went to today.  The girl tending bar

gave out lots of historical information.  A big plus was that they offered refreshments PAULA'S DONUTS and coffee.  We each had a donut while we listened to the "hostess" tell us about the history of the place.   

David suggested we go to BUFFALO CENTRAL TERMINAL even though we did not have tickets for self-guided tours.  When Peggy called the other day to try to get some, she was told they were all taken.  When we walked into the terminal, a worker asked if we had tickets and we said no, and she said we could take a self-guided tour anyways.  David had not seen the inside of the terminal since the day his brother shipped out to the military a LONG time ago, probably sometime in the 1960's.   All three of us thoroughly enjoyed this and I took a LOT of pictures.  These are from the outside.

and these are from the inside.  

It was really a "full service" train station, with three news stations.

We went next to Al Cohen's Bakery, which turned out to be somewhat of a disappointment.  This is an old photograph of the bakery, I think taken in 1933.

Here is the present day exterior.  It is an interesting neighborhood where there are a lot of boarded up stores.

Next, we went to St. Adalberts Basilica, a Roman Catholic Church.  It is very beautiful.

David took part of a tour that had already started.  I walked around inside, taking pictures.  

We drove through a rather large Islamic/Muslin neighborhood with many small houses and some shops.  I would have loved to go into one or more of the shops.  We went to the Buffalo Muslim Center.  I should say we peeked in the door and were given some reading materials and bottles of water.   

  Peggy asked this man if there are more than one type of Islam and he said "no".  Peggy reminded David and I that this is not true and she named three or four types of Muslims.  I did this after we were back in my car!!!

Both David and Peggy said that they had some oppressive, negative feelings when on this property, but I only felt curiosity.  

Then we went to the KING URBAN LIFE CENTER.   It is in a former church 

The center now houses many classrooms, I think many of them are used by HOUGHTON COLLEGE.

Peggy said we should choose one more place to go.  I wanted to go to Corpus Christi Church, but she said we had already been inside two churches (which was true) so we decided to go to the former POLISH COMMUNITY CENTER.  The former Polish community has dispersed, and now this building is known as the MATT URBAN CENTER. 

 The best part was seeing the auditorium on the third floor where the Polish community congregated, and it is used by the local community today.

This is the cornerstone of the building.

I would have liked to go to more places but David and Peggy decided it was time for lunch.  We chose the AMHERST BUFFET.  We had a great meal there!  On the way home, we stopped at the big NIAGARA PRODUCE and purchased lobster tails and steak.  David and Peggy put them in their freezer and the three of us will get together soon for a meal.  

When we got back to Peg's house I told her that I was going to go to TUNES and TRAINS,

an event at the old train station.  We agreed to meet there.  There were not many people there.  Peg and I both bought tickets for the basket raffle. 

I didn't get a phone call so I guess I did not win a gift certificate for SCRIPTS CAFE.  In the evening, I watched the first three episodes of DOWNTON ABBEY.  David and Peggy have started watching it, which inspired me to refresh my memory.