Jim B.
Yelp
Buffalo's City Hall: the symbolic manifestation of Buffalo's rich history and industrial prowess it once touted at the turn of the 20th Century stands tall on the banks of Lake Erie. Its magnificent design, structure and ornamentation all serve together to create a practical and relatively functional depiction of the grandness Buffalo once had, and its aggressive ambition it was to enact for decades to come.
FROM THE OUTSIDE:
Donning the top of this near century old Art Deco Buffalonian icon is a multi-colored cap that is reminiscent of a Native American tribal chief's headdress. I'm sure that this is by no accident; it's likely an ode to the very rich Native American heritage within Western New York. Moreover, the friezes carved into the sandstone facade depicts images of working class people, and again by no accident, as Buffalo was once one of the leading industrial cities in the nation. A proud statue of Grover Cleveland - Buffalo's most famous & successful politician - stands on the northeast corner of the building.
There are numerous etched/carved recesses adorning the sides that are often go unnoticed due to the scores of unsightly air conditioner units protruding from so many of the buildings windows. Buffalo's City Hall, in an attempt to be more cost effective, was designed to take advantage of the winds from Lake Erie to cool the building with an elaborate nature powered cooling system... apparently it doesn't work all that well.
FROM THE INSIDE:
It only gets better on the inside. The lobby is fraught with expensive looking emerald green and black marble, anchored together using brass tie-in that shine like gold from years of traffic and polish. There is another statue of Cleveland, this one in bust form, near the entryway (Did you know Cleveland himself once hanged a man while serving as the Erie County Sheriff? How many presidents can add "killing a man" to their legacies?). The intricate carvings and colorful decorations running up the walls and across the ceilings carry over from the same themes from the outside: industry and Native American heritage.
I had business on the 13th floor, which was the top floor of the south end elevator bank; the north end goes from 13-25, with access to the observation deck after a few flights of stairs on the 25th, but I didn't know that at the time. The wait for the elevator was a long one, and I began to sweat from my impatience and the hot air of the building. I started to think that if I walk up the thirteen floors I might make it to my destinations quicker and less sweaty. The elevator did eventually come and I crammed on; it appeared that was the only elevator in service on the south side. Once on the elevator I still waited as someone pressed floor 2, then someone got on at floor 3 and pressed floor 4... this continued on and on until I finally made it to the top disgruntled and ornery. The elevator itself was pretty cool though. It's an old Otis lift with its walls covered in more brass and a rich, unknown wood species, possibly cherry.
I also took a trip to the observation deck, which was refreshing. There you can see the City of Buffalo in all its flat and underwhelming glory! Ok, Buffalo might not have a superb skyline, but it makes up for it with character, history and charm... Or at least that's what I tell myself. I was pleased to see that the observation deck was free and easy to access: just take the north side elevator to the 25th floor -- which wasn't a long wait -- and walk up three flights of stairs. At the top, the view is nice, but like most nice views, it's spoiled by idiots: people have tagged their stupid names into the sandstone of the building and there is a clear barrier up so people can't throw stuff/themselves over the top. The barrier prevents you from looking straight down and really putting the height in perspective. It's a shame.
IN CLOSE:
I saw on my way out that there is a tour available Monday through Friday from 12-1pm with reservations. The tour is also free!
MY RATING:
It's was tough to decide between 4 or 5 stars, but the droves of air conditioner units pocking up the sides and the elevator situation were enough to round it down to 4. But then I remembered how Buffalo City Hall always reminded me of the building that the Stay Puff Marshmallow Man climbed in the movie Ghostbusters, and I used to think that if he were to attack Buffalo he would climb City Hall, and that makes me smile. So, I upgraded it to 5 stars. But then, I also realized that City Hall looks like an inverted hand with its middle finger raised, and looks curiously like it's giving the city of Cleveland the middle finger, and I like Cleveland + feel bad for them because I wanted Lebron to win the NBA finals this year, so I downgraded it back down to 4 stars. (This is the genius that is my brain).
