As the mega projects continue in and around downtown Buffalo, equally important work is happening on a smaller scale in other parts of the city, specifically on Buffalo’s East Side. Fueled by long-time residents, immigrants, and newcomers to Buffalo, the projects range from a modest garden used for contemplation and prayer by the Vietnamese Buddhist community to a garden designed to teach 5th and 6th graders science and art. The impact on community is grand, even when the projects are modest. We will visit eight sites with project leaders at each one to answer questions. 

Our tour begins on Fillmore Avenue. Perhaps you’ve noticed the two-story tall Buddha statue on Fillmore near Broadway. Set in a small, lovely garden, the site marks the volunteer efforts of the Vietnamese Buddhist community. In 1997 they bought a vacant police station from the city for $1, and began their work entirely through volunteer efforts to turn it into a Buddhist Temple. tuhieutemple.com or chuatuhieu.com.

Next will be the Wilson Street Farm, home of the Stevens family. The family garnered much press in the mid 2000s when they launched their plan to put a farm on 25 lots, nearly two acres, of vacant city property. To their surprise the city preferred to leave it vacant. The Stevens prevailed, and began farming in the spring of 2008. Come hear the story as told by Janice Stevens, mother of seven.

Then on to a community center on Sycamore Street called None Like You / We Care. It’s both outreach and a block club, as well as a garden site. Elizabeth Triggs has lived in the house for 37 years, and started the community organization there 25 years ago. Everyone is welcome, and Mrs. Triggs’ philosophy is that everyone has a skill to offer. For example, in return for kids ages 4-12 getting help with their homework, the kids help with the gardening. In the summer they have outdoor movies in the garden, and volunteers have built handicap-accessible picnic tables for neighbors in wheelchairs. Volunteers come from all over, including UB and Daemen College.

Next is the Pelion Garden on Best Street. Once the site of 4 abandoned houses, the parents of City Honors School across the street conceived of an outdoor learning lab to be used by 5th and 6th grade science and art classes. The garden is used to educate kids and neighbors about: edible plants, pollinators, storm water runoff, invasive species, natives, and the like. You’ll also learn what yarn bombing is about.

Then to a joint venture of the Farmer Pirates and ArtFarms. Set on land owned by the Farmer Pirates, a magnificent oversized wooden table designed and built by the artist Michael Beitz is the first of a number of public art projects planned for the East Side by ArtFarms. The table has been used to sort and sell produce and also as community space for art classes with Locust St. art school. Future ArtFarm sites include the Wilson Street Farm, None Like You, and the Pelion garden.

Our next stop is a crown jewel of the East side, Martin Luther King Park. There’s excellent history at this link. And below are links to suit other media styles.
bfloparks.org/parksystem/majorparks/38/martin_luther_king_jr_park
facebook.com/BFLOparks
twitter.com/bfloparks
instagram.com/bfloparks/

While most of us have seen the splash pad, few of us know about the compost tea they make there, the green house that grows all of the flowers for the parks, or even the maintained meadow. You’ll also hear about South Fillmore Avenue and its former inclusion in the Olmsted Park system. That is, until sometime around 1920. Locals are working to correct that omission. Keep in mind, Richmond Avenue with its now beautifully tended circles is part of the system, so the inclusion would have a significant impact.

After that is a visit to one of the sites supported by the group which calls itself the Farmer Pirates. The group owns and leases land at several locations on the East side. This one happens to be 6 acres on Gittere Street, where they’ve created a compost operation that distributed 1000 yards of compost in the spring of 2014. You can also find out why the name Farmer Pirates. At this stop you’ll also learn about the Beltine Railway, (photos here / map here). It’s a little known railroad system which once carried passengers around the city and which still circles the city. There were nineteen stops about a mile apart, and for a nickel you could get from one area in the city to any other. 

Our last stop is Peoples Park, a pocket park many of you may have driven by and never noticed in the shadow of the Tri-Main Building. Built with the aim of bridging the East side and West side divide, kids ages 9 to 14 from school 61 on Leroy and from school 66 at Parkside & North use the park for programs. They’ve studied animal tracks and skeletons, and in the summer there is a reading circle once a week when kids drop in, read, and take books home. The park has raised beds adopted by organizations nearby like Journey’s End and Aspire.