Figmo via Buffalo Rising just put up The Other, Other Side of Main Street. A most excellent post about his attitudes and reflections about a place he calls home. A great slide show about the neighborhood, too. The cool thing about this post is that all the pics were taken by Figmo's dad.
For those of you who don't know where Hamlin Park is located, here's the map. Think pretty much between the Kessler Center on Main Street going east to Humboldt Parkway. That map is a google satellite map focused on School 74. Look at the density of housing...wow, just like the west side! Yet if you scroll down, crossing East Ferry Street...look again at the density of housing...it's called the "urban prairie."
Buffalo's very own Mark Goldman wrote the history of Hamlin Park for Spree Magazine back in the summer of 2000. The full text of Mark's article is still available.
While we ponder what our own elected and annointed approve and build for us today...there seems to be a lesson in Mark's writing about developments around Hamlin Park.
Check it out and you will quickly see what it was before it became known as Hamlin Park. Various links about the history of Hamlin Park and its designation as an historic district are available to cruise thru.
On a personal note, I grew in Hamlin Park, too. My best days as a kid were spent in the village park way out there just south of the Roycroft in East Aurora. I never knew there was another Hamlin Park right here in Buffalo until I moved next door nine years ago. And I'm reminded again looking thru the history of the place the ties between them. East Aurora was full of horse racing, covered-tracks the Jewett Farm...ok another blog, I know.
While we ponder what our own elected and annointed approve and build for us today...there seems to be a lesson in Mark's writing about developments around Hamlin Park.
Deeply etched in the historical consciousness of Hamlin Park is the tragedy of Humboldt Parkway, destroyed by state and city planning officials during this period of misguided "urban renewal". No one who remembers or who has even heard about the serene beauty of Humboldt Parkway can understand how public officials charged with protecting the public trust could have conceived and then executed a plan that was so devastating in impact and scale.
On a personal note, I grew in Hamlin Park, too. My best days as a kid were spent in the village park way out there just south of the Roycroft in East Aurora. I never knew there was another Hamlin Park right here in Buffalo until I moved next door nine years ago. And I'm reminded again looking thru the history of the place the ties between them. East Aurora was full of horse racing, covered-tracks the Jewett Farm...ok another blog, I know.
__________________________________________________________________________
Artspace Archive • Annals of Neglect • BAVPA • Where is Perrysburg? • Broken Promises...
Writing the City • Woodlawn Row Houses • Tour dé Neglect - 2006 • faq • my flickr
Artspace Archive • Annals of Neglect • BAVPA • Where is Perrysburg? • Broken Promises...
Writing the City • Woodlawn Row Houses • Tour dé Neglect - 2006 • faq • my flickr
No comments:
Post a Comment