Frankly Buffalo

My last post from New York is from the lovely area of Buffalo. There are two Frank Lloyd Wright homes in the area, and I was lucky enough to get tour times at both in August.

The Martin House was epic, but you couldn’t take pictures inside, so the above pictures are just from the outside and the atrium. The website has a really extensive virtual tour, so you can really get a feel of the space. The wisteria mosaic fireplace in the entry hall is absolutely gorgeous. The furniture, as per FLW tradition, look very uncomfortable, but the creativity in architecture make this a house well worth the visit.

Graycliff was the second FLW house I had time to visit on the shores of Lake Erie. This house was a summer home and had a secondary house above the garage for the family’s driver and then for their daughter (from what I remember…). The picture policy was much more liberal at this home, and it was far more casual than the Martin House in design and flow. It really focused on bringing the light and nature into the home.

A couple exterior shots of the main house and the view from my favorite room.

Graycliff featured some of the most beautiful fixtures that I’ve seen in a FLW house. From the bathroom with subtly pink hues, the kitchen cabinetry, and the lovely kitchen sink with built-in dish-drying drainage – more proof that functional is sexy.

While in the area, I was also fortunate enough to meet up for dinner with a co-worker in the sweet hamlet of East Aurora. Their town slogan is “Where good neighbors gather”, and I found the village very charming and welcoming. We grabbed burgers at 189 Burger and had a chance to catch up about my travels and his growing young family. As we left, he was astounded to see who he called “Buffalo Bills Royalty” eating there; I have no idea who it was, but they’re a solid football team, so it felt notable I guess. 🙂

I’m really happy to say that I’ll be back in the Buffalo area next fall and winter. It’s one of the finalists in my search for my unicorn city. Honestly, it was a surprise that I was so taken with the area. I’ve always loved being near water, and the medium-sized towns and familiar feel of the area were really refreshing to find this far along in my journey.

On my drive back from Buffalo to Syracuse, I saw the most lovely mix of sunset and clouds. Not the best picture, but it really was magical and a perfect way to end my time in New York State.

Next time, we start our venture further north into Vermont.

Until then, one more glamour shot of me and Arthur, spending some quality time together.