One Seneca Tower
Buffalo, NY
Height: 529.00 ft
Floors: 38
Year built: 1974
Transamerica Tower
Baltimore, MD
Height: 529.01 ft
Floors: 40
Year built: 1973
From my rooftop patio
ExBuffalonian's Journal
My Podcast Link
10/06/2014 11:11 #59457
Buffalo & BaltimoreThere's a lot about Baltimore that reminds me of Buffalo. Some of the architecture is among those things. The tallest building in each of these cities is a good example. Some of the facts:
One Seneca Tower
Buffalo, NY
Height: 529.00 ft
Floors: 38
Year built: 1974
Transamerica Tower
Baltimore, MD
Height: 529.01 ft
Floors: 40
Year built: 1973
From my rooftop patio
One Seneca Tower
Buffalo, NY
Height: 529.00 ft
Floors: 38
Year built: 1974
Transamerica Tower
Baltimore, MD
Height: 529.01 ft
Floors: 40
Year built: 1973
From my rooftop patio
07/28/2014 12:31 #59243
Dim sum in Washington DCI absolutely love dim sum. This is some of the best I have ever had, probably number 3 on my list. The best ever was in San Francisco, and the second best was in NYC. This is from Tony Cheng's in Washington DC. If you are ever in the area around brunch time, I would highly recommend it. When I left Buffalo 5 or 6 years ago, there really wasn't a place to get dim sum, so my husband and I used to drive to Hamilton, Ontario for it. Has this situation been made right since I've been away?
ExBuffalonian - 08/08/14 16:13
Holy cats, thanks for the dumpling link! And for the great food information. I will most definitely check out some of your recommendations and post on what I find.
I am pretty sure that Believe campaign is pretty much history. I got here in 2009, and I used to see some signs, but not so much anymore. To be honest, I'm not even sure what we were meant to believe in. One of my favorite things about Baltimore is the neighborhood called Hampden. It's where John Waters is from, and it's known to be quirky. People where bee-hives and cat-rimmed glasses and say, "Hon" a lot. (Most of them are aware of the kitsch, I think.) There is a church in the middle of the neighborhood with a sign out in front that reads, "God Bless You, Hon." Now that's kinda funny.
Holy cats, thanks for the dumpling link! And for the great food information. I will most definitely check out some of your recommendations and post on what I find.
I am pretty sure that Believe campaign is pretty much history. I got here in 2009, and I used to see some signs, but not so much anymore. To be honest, I'm not even sure what we were meant to believe in. One of my favorite things about Baltimore is the neighborhood called Hampden. It's where John Waters is from, and it's known to be quirky. People where bee-hives and cat-rimmed glasses and say, "Hon" a lot. (Most of them are aware of the kitsch, I think.) There is a church in the middle of the neighborhood with a sign out in front that reads, "God Bless You, Hon." Now that's kinda funny.
tinypliny - 08/01/14 21:23
Oh and did you see this list :::link:::
I have not been to any and obviously need to rectify this massive oversight considering this is where I am!
Oh and did you see this list :::link:::
I have not been to any and obviously need to rectify this massive oversight considering this is where I am!
tinypliny - 08/01/14 21:22
NYC:
Out of this world brownies: Fat Witch, Chelsea Market.
{Actually, it might be just butter and sugar but who cares at this point.}
NYC:
Out of this world brownies: Fat Witch, Chelsea Market.
{Actually, it might be just butter and sugar but who cares at this point.}
tinypliny - 08/01/14 21:20
Best pizza in DC: 2 Amys!
Best and most amazing pies: Pie Sisters!
Best Ethiopian: Zenebach Injera
Maryland snooty towns:
Pretty good Chinese & Japanese: Taipei Tokyo (Fallsgrove, Rockville)
Delicious Vietnamese Pho: Pho Nom Nom (Rockville)
Awesome Keralite Food: Kerala Cafe (Rockville)
NYC
Super awesome arepas: Arepa Lady, (Roosevelt brick and mortar store) Jackson Heights. (No veggies here, its a cheese butter heaven... and maybe meat but who cares when the cheese and butter induce a coma. Oh and their smoothies are DIVINE. She makes them with FRESH fruits!!)
Somewhat awesome arepas: Caracas (Manhattan) (I like their veggies concepts!)
Best pizza in DC: 2 Amys!
Best and most amazing pies: Pie Sisters!
Best Ethiopian: Zenebach Injera
Maryland snooty towns:
Pretty good Chinese & Japanese: Taipei Tokyo (Fallsgrove, Rockville)
Delicious Vietnamese Pho: Pho Nom Nom (Rockville)
Awesome Keralite Food: Kerala Cafe (Rockville)
NYC
Super awesome arepas: Arepa Lady, (Roosevelt brick and mortar store) Jackson Heights. (No veggies here, its a cheese butter heaven... and maybe meat but who cares when the cheese and butter induce a coma. Oh and their smoothies are DIVINE. She makes them with FRESH fruits!!)
Somewhat awesome arepas: Caracas (Manhattan) (I like their veggies concepts!)
heidi - 08/01/14 17:25
Federal Hill is such a cute neighborhood. Those skinny little rowhouses with the amazing back patio-multi-story deck gardens... I looked at buying a house there back in the mid-90s. I like Baltimore much more than D.C. Do they still have that silly Believe marketing campaign? I loved the "Believe, hun" corruption of it.
Federal Hill is such a cute neighborhood. Those skinny little rowhouses with the amazing back patio-multi-story deck gardens... I looked at buying a house there back in the mid-90s. I like Baltimore much more than D.C. Do they still have that silly Believe marketing campaign? I loved the "Believe, hun" corruption of it.
ExBuffalonian - 07/29/14 10:08
Most of that dim sum was not vegetarian, but there were a few dishes: vegetable dumplings, deep fried taro, lotus root, and those amazing greens in the front of the picture. Oh, and some sautéed string beans. Maybe there were more vegetable dishes than I realized.
I live in Federal Hill (Baltimore) right by the Inner Harbor, and I know the Helmand well. It was one of the first Baltimore restaurants I even went to. I had never had Afghan cuisine until then. Other Baltimore favorites: The Wine Market, Pazo, Petit Louis, Woodberry Kitchen, Wit and Wisdom, Hersh's...too many to mention, really. Hmm, if you like sushi, everybody talks about Ra, and it is very good, but Shoyou (on the other side of the harbor) is even better and it's just a tiny neighborhood place. I don't know the DC scene at all, except for Chinatown, but I would love some recommendations!
When in NYC, go to Ping's in Chinatown (Mott Street) for some of the best Dim Sum.
And I am happy to learn I can get some dim sum in Buffalo next time I am in town, probably around Thanksgiving or Christmas.
Most of that dim sum was not vegetarian, but there were a few dishes: vegetable dumplings, deep fried taro, lotus root, and those amazing greens in the front of the picture. Oh, and some sautéed string beans. Maybe there were more vegetable dishes than I realized.
I live in Federal Hill (Baltimore) right by the Inner Harbor, and I know the Helmand well. It was one of the first Baltimore restaurants I even went to. I had never had Afghan cuisine until then. Other Baltimore favorites: The Wine Market, Pazo, Petit Louis, Woodberry Kitchen, Wit and Wisdom, Hersh's...too many to mention, really. Hmm, if you like sushi, everybody talks about Ra, and it is very good, but Shoyou (on the other side of the harbor) is even better and it's just a tiny neighborhood place. I don't know the DC scene at all, except for Chinatown, but I would love some recommendations!
When in NYC, go to Ping's in Chinatown (Mott Street) for some of the best Dim Sum.
And I am happy to learn I can get some dim sum in Buffalo next time I am in town, probably around Thanksgiving or Christmas.
matthew - 07/29/14 08:36
Peking Garden, Golden Duck, Gin Gin.
Peking Garden, Golden Duck, Gin Gin.
paul - 07/28/14 22:32
Where in Buffalo?
Where in Buffalo?
matthew - 07/28/14 19:01
There are a few places around town. Love me some dim sum!
There are a few places around town. Love me some dim sum!
tinypliny - 07/28/14 18:30
Wow. I am HERE!! I totally am checking this out!! Would you PLEASE post more recommendations????
Are any of those dimsum vegetarian? And pray tell which is #2 in NYC?
If you are in Baltimore, you cannot miss The Helmand! Absolutely everything on their menu is recommended+++
Wow. I am HERE!! I totally am checking this out!! Would you PLEASE post more recommendations????
Are any of those dimsum vegetarian? And pray tell which is #2 in NYC?
If you are in Baltimore, you cannot miss The Helmand! Absolutely everything on their menu is recommended+++
07/12/2014 19:27 #59196
NEON TREESWe saw Neon Trees last night (in Baltimore) and I have to say it was one of the best concerts I have seen in a very long time, definitely one of the most fun. The audience really got into it, and sang along so much that at times you couldn't hear the band. The lead singer, Tyler Glenn, put on such an amazing show, crowd surfing and prancing around the stage with some of the campiest dance moves since Freddie Mercury. He was so much fun to watch and listen to. And awesome music, wow. Then I gained huge respect for him when he gave a little speech in the middle of the show that, admittedly, got a little preachy but was amazing. He wanted to explain that a lot of the songs from the latest album are about his struggles dealing with his sexual orientation and his regret for wasting all the years in his 20s, not being honest with himself (and everyone else). He urged everyone to embrace who they are and be happy with it, and then proclaimed himself "a proud gay man." He said if you're a hater you're encouraged to walk out the door, because the night was about people who wanted to sing together, dance together, and sweat together. Just beautiful...and the audience went wild. Fun times!
07/12/2014 11:55 #59189
Dulski Embassy SuitesI was visiting my hometown a couple weeks ago, and we decided to stay at the Embassy Suites because I used to work in that building when it was the Dulski Federal Building. It was surreal to be in the same physical space, with the same view from the windows, but in completely new surroundings. It was like being on a parallel plane or the Twilight Zone.
My husband (then boyfriend) and I bought our house in the West Village, near the Federal Building because it was important to me to be able to walk to work. Within a year of living there, they closed the Federal Building and relocated my office across town. That made me sad, and it was the first in a series of events that got us thinking about fleeing Buffalo. You can see our old house in this photo, taken from the window of our hotel room. Another surreal experience.
These next two photos show what the view looked like from my office in 2001, and what it looked like from the same place (4 floors down) in my hotel in 2014. Trippy.
Another view from the Dulski Embassy Suites, circa 2001.
My husband (then boyfriend) and I bought our house in the West Village, near the Federal Building because it was important to me to be able to walk to work. Within a year of living there, they closed the Federal Building and relocated my office across town. That made me sad, and it was the first in a series of events that got us thinking about fleeing Buffalo. You can see our old house in this photo, taken from the window of our hotel room. Another surreal experience.
These next two photos show what the view looked like from my office in 2001, and what it looked like from the same place (4 floors down) in my hotel in 2014. Trippy.
Another view from the Dulski Embassy Suites, circa 2001.
tinypliny - 07/19/14 00:00
I love the skies you captured. Buffalo is so pretty in the summer.
I love the skies you captured. Buffalo is so pretty in the summer.
joe - 07/13/14 12:13
Congrats on your first post!
I've always wanted to go up there. Maybe I can pretend I'm in the market for a million dollar condo.
Congrats on your first post!
I've always wanted to go up there. Maybe I can pretend I'm in the market for a million dollar condo.
tinypliny - 07/12/14 12:27
That is incredibly cool! Thanks for sharing. :)
That is incredibly cool! Thanks for sharing. :)
07/12/2014 12:30 #59190
A few of my favorite (Buffalo) thingsThese are a few of my favorite things that I miss and/or appreciate about Buffalo.
The pink/orange (pinkorange?) Lake Erie sunrise and sunset
The rooftop patio at Tappo was really nice. If I still lived in Buffalo, I'd spend all my time and money here. Love the view and surroundings.
My husband celebrated his birthday while we were in Buffalo, and our friends treated us to dinner in his honor. I've lived in lots of places, but my favorite people and best friends come from Buffalo. And check out this exquisite menu! Really decadent.
We have a friend in our new town, Baltimore, who visited Buffalo once. The only thing she really remembers about her visit is this place. I took this picture for her to show her the new and improved Bada Bing. Sad they demolished its former home in the Delaware Court Building.
I have always admired the detail in this building's facade, the lovely Market Arcade.
My first apartment in Buffalo, in 2001, was in this building. I had just relocated from NYC and couldn't believe I got to live in this building, with this kind of grand entrance, while I paid less than $500/month for rent. The apartment was pretty swanky, and was nicknamed Cosmopolitan. We also had a ghost, who we believe was the ghost of Charlotte Sidway Spaulding. Pretty cool to include that in the low cost.
M&T Plaza was designed by the same architect as NYC's World Trade Center's twin towers, Minoru Yamasaki. That makes me love this building even more today. It seems a little like an echo.
St. Paul's Episcopal Church was designed by Richard Upjohn, the same guy who did NYC's Trinity Church on Broadway and Wall Street.
The Prudential (Guaranty) Building is by Louis Sullivan, widely known as the "Father of Skyscrapers" and mentor to Frank Lloyd Wright. Awesome.
The Ellicott Square Building was the largest office building in the world when it opened in 1896. True story. It played a hotel in Robert Redford's film, The Natural.
And the lovely and grand interior of the Ellicott Square Building. Just wow.
Vroom...shhh! I've always loved this sculpture downtown, and the name of it as well.
Buffalo Savings Bank, aka The Gold Dome Bank, was built as a replica of the Hall of Music, a temporary building that was part of the 1901 Pan Am Exposition, which was held in Buffalo.
So was the Electric Tower built as a replica of a Pan Em Expo building.
The inside of the gold dome. Hello, gorgeous!
I love this view of Niagara Square from hallway near the elevator bank at the Dulski Embassy Suites. I would highly recommend this hotel. It's beautiful, though I have heard the new glass panels are falling off into the street...and that's not good.
The retro '70s vibe of the Buffalo Metro, reminiscent of a vintage Burger King.
One of the things I absolutely love about Buffalo. I got to live in this adorable and charming little house in Allentown in the '90s, when I was completely poor and drifting. I wonder how many cities offer such gracious housing to their poor youth. Probably not many.
Hope you enjoyed my tour of Buffalo memories!
The pink/orange (pinkorange?) Lake Erie sunrise and sunset
The rooftop patio at Tappo was really nice. If I still lived in Buffalo, I'd spend all my time and money here. Love the view and surroundings.
My husband celebrated his birthday while we were in Buffalo, and our friends treated us to dinner in his honor. I've lived in lots of places, but my favorite people and best friends come from Buffalo. And check out this exquisite menu! Really decadent.
We have a friend in our new town, Baltimore, who visited Buffalo once. The only thing she really remembers about her visit is this place. I took this picture for her to show her the new and improved Bada Bing. Sad they demolished its former home in the Delaware Court Building.
I have always admired the detail in this building's facade, the lovely Market Arcade.
My first apartment in Buffalo, in 2001, was in this building. I had just relocated from NYC and couldn't believe I got to live in this building, with this kind of grand entrance, while I paid less than $500/month for rent. The apartment was pretty swanky, and was nicknamed Cosmopolitan. We also had a ghost, who we believe was the ghost of Charlotte Sidway Spaulding. Pretty cool to include that in the low cost.
M&T Plaza was designed by the same architect as NYC's World Trade Center's twin towers, Minoru Yamasaki. That makes me love this building even more today. It seems a little like an echo.
St. Paul's Episcopal Church was designed by Richard Upjohn, the same guy who did NYC's Trinity Church on Broadway and Wall Street.
The Prudential (Guaranty) Building is by Louis Sullivan, widely known as the "Father of Skyscrapers" and mentor to Frank Lloyd Wright. Awesome.
The Ellicott Square Building was the largest office building in the world when it opened in 1896. True story. It played a hotel in Robert Redford's film, The Natural.
And the lovely and grand interior of the Ellicott Square Building. Just wow.
Vroom...shhh! I've always loved this sculpture downtown, and the name of it as well.
Buffalo Savings Bank, aka The Gold Dome Bank, was built as a replica of the Hall of Music, a temporary building that was part of the 1901 Pan Am Exposition, which was held in Buffalo.
So was the Electric Tower built as a replica of a Pan Em Expo building.
The inside of the gold dome. Hello, gorgeous!
I love this view of Niagara Square from hallway near the elevator bank at the Dulski Embassy Suites. I would highly recommend this hotel. It's beautiful, though I have heard the new glass panels are falling off into the street...and that's not good.
The retro '70s vibe of the Buffalo Metro, reminiscent of a vintage Burger King.
One of the things I absolutely love about Buffalo. I got to live in this adorable and charming little house in Allentown in the '90s, when I was completely poor and drifting. I wonder how many cities offer such gracious housing to their poor youth. Probably not many.
Hope you enjoyed my tour of Buffalo memories!
tinypliny - 07/19/14 00:03
How did you get to live in that last house? Pray tell! I love stories!! :)
How did you get to live in that last house? Pray tell! I love stories!! :)
tinypliny - 07/19/14 00:02
Ah, the sky comment was meant for this post! :-) The other one is pretty awesome too... but the skies in this one are SO extraordinarily cool. Look at the Gold dome floating amongst the wild nebulous clouds!
Ah, the sky comment was meant for this post! :-) The other one is pretty awesome too... but the skies in this one are SO extraordinarily cool. Look at the Gold dome floating amongst the wild nebulous clouds!
ExBuffalonian - 07/12/14 18:59
Thanks. Actually, I think I might have confused you by posting a pic of the Market Arcade next to one of the Spaulding Building (on the 700 block of Main Street) where I lived.
And, yes, Vroom...Shhh! is the name of that sculpture. I was a Security Officer in that building back in the '90s, and I can tell you it is (was) jammed pack full of awesome contemporary art. I think the Knox family (of the Albright-Know fame) had something to do with it.
Thanks. Actually, I think I might have confused you by posting a pic of the Market Arcade next to one of the Spaulding Building (on the 700 block of Main Street) where I lived.
And, yes, Vroom...Shhh! is the name of that sculpture. I was a Security Officer in that building back in the '90s, and I can tell you it is (was) jammed pack full of awesome contemporary art. I think the Knox family (of the Albright-Know fame) had something to do with it.
paul - 07/12/14 16:51
Great Post. I had no idea that there were apartments in the Market Arcade. That must have been awesome. I also haven't been to tappo. Got to check it out.
Great Post. I had no idea that there were apartments in the Market Arcade. That must have been awesome. I also haven't been to tappo. Got to check it out.
tinypliny - 07/12/14 12:57
Wow - I have so many memories of Buffalo. Loved yours!
Is that sculpture's name really
Vroom...shhh!??
I didn't know!!!
Wow - I have so many memories of Buffalo. Loved yours!
Is that sculpture's name really
Vroom...shhh!??
I didn't know!!!
It's kind of funny how Buffalo is trying to replicate the success of the Baltimore Inner Harbor or at least want to be it when it grows up. At least we got our casino set up early as it looks like Baltimore just added one.
Is there a relationship between the architects?