Parkside is one of those many city neighborhoods that make people want to fight for Buffalo and make it better. This slide show gives a little taste of why that is. Like taking a sip of soup from the pot on the stove, this sample of 4 or 5 blocks is just a teaser of the riches this area offers the senses. I will certainly have to revisit Parkside in future posts to gain a real appreciation for this remarkable place.
Though very urban, Parkside was originally developed as Buffalo’s first suburb. Designed by Fredric Law Olmsted, it exudes a park like relaxed attitude that separates it from other city neighborhoods. Though today it is more city than suburb, it was for its time, a radical departure from the typical urban neighborhood. Its curving streets arching around the northeast corner of Delaware Park create informal and ever changing views and vistas. Its serene streets are almost like an extension of the park. Parkside and other similar communities of its era (most notably the town of Riverside in the Chicago area) set a precedent for planning that is still influencing (in concept if not in quality) today’s suburban subdivisions. Many of Buffalo’s most wealthy residents (most notably Darwin Martin) were immediately attracted to this new community in the early 20th century. They built houses of unique quality both grand and humble. In doing so they created a truly special place that still exudes the peaceful country charms in an urban setting envisioned by Olmsted.