Or, What To Do With That Ten-Hour Layover At Buffalo-Depew

The view out the window has been know to evoke despair in Chicago-bound passengers just down from Canada. Half a day in Buffalo, New York didn’t sound too bad on paper. Buffalo’s a big city, right? Big-ish, at least? Surely we can find something to do? Then the train arrived, and they got into the station and looked out the window, and thought, Ye Gods, there’s nothing here!

Welcome to the Buffalo-Depew Amtrak Station. It’s 1:30 PM. You’ll be here until midnight. What do you do?

Get the Lay of the Land

First off, you’re not as isolated as you look. It just appears that way because of the topography. Follow the driveway downhill and you’ll be on Dick Road between two major thoroughfares, Walden to the north and Broadway to the south. Everything follows from there. You’ve got plenty of time to go walkabout, and there’s local busses you can avail yourself of as well ($1.75 each way).

Go To the Mall

Take Dick north (right) to Walden and hang a left (west). If you follow this street for about a mile and a half you’ll get to the Walden Galleria Mall, featuring a Macy’s and a Bed Bath & Beyond. Even more useful on a long train ride, you’ll see across the street that deadly temptation, Borders Books and Music. It’s got gloriously late hours, closing at 11 PM Mondays through Thursdays, midnight Fridays and Saturdays, and 10 PM on Sundays. (click for directions) (bus route 6)

Sit Down and Eat

Along the road to the mall you’ll pass a local diner chain called Alton’s. Imagine a Village Inn or Shoney’s that got a healthy injection of Greek cuisine, and you have the Alton’s menu. The Souvlaki Breakfast is very good, essentially steak and eggs with a yoghurt dipping sauce. Ask for hot sauce and you’ll get the wings spicer-upper Red Hot alongside the Tabasco. (click for directions) (bus route 6)

If, instead of proceeding west along Walden, you head north on Dick, the first local eatery you’ll get to will be St. Angelo’s. Mainly an Italian pizza and pasta joint, it also does subs and fried fish. I had the Eppie Roll, which is like a calzone, only open. Great lunch specials, and a waitress who understands your schedule. “You’re up from the station? Gonna be here a while, huh? Well, you just stay as long as you’d like, watch TV, make yourself at home.” (click for directions)

Surf the Web

Nearest wi-fi that I know of: the above-mentioned Border’s, if you don’t mind paying for tmobile’s day-pass; the truck plaza restaurant on the south side of Walden just west of the Alton’s, if you can manage to achieve network association; random unencrypted signal available at the Dunkin’ Donuts across the street from the Alton’s.

And then there’s the Cheektowaga Public Library.

Visit the Library

I think you can take the bus here, since the 2 route that goes east on Losson says “Downtown” on it. That would suggest you can transfer between the 6 and the 2 somewhere Downtown. I haven’t tested this out, and looking at the route maps I’m still undecided. (The Metro trip planner says it’s not possible.)

But for sure you can walk it, if you’re able-bodied and don’t mind a bit a of a ramble. From the station it’s about 3.3 miles.

Start by going south on Dick (left) to Broadway, and then hang a left (east). Broadway looks like a lot of nothing until you get past the industrial materials processing plants and suddenly there’s a miniature golf course, a pub called Jade’s, at least two ice cream walk-ups, and a gas station/mini-mart.

Next, go south (turn right) at Borden, which is also labeled “A Street” to the north (left). This is the long boring part of the walk, a mile and a half through nothing but residential suburbs with no sidewalks. What’s up with no sidewalks? Overlooked by the city planners? Deliberately omitted so as to discourage pedestrian traffic? I spent most of the distance walking on the parking shoulder just to save my ankles.

Finally, go west (turn right) on Losson (another sidewalkless suburban street but with more through-traffic). The library will be on your right about half a mile down.

The library is open until 9 PM on Mondays through Thursdays, so you’ll have time to stop for lunch on the way. The rest of the week it closes at 5 PM, so you may want to hurry. It’s small, spacious, brightly lit, and its roof is studded with skylights. It’s got free wi-fi, requiring only your e-mail address if you haven’t a library card. (The login screen accepts mailinator address without complaint. BugMeNot will probably be of little use, because the login screen comes up as a 192.168.0.# IP address.) And of course it’s got books! And comfy couches! Libraries rock.

Go For a Walk In the Park

If you click on the walking directions for the library you’ll see some park areas on the map. I’m thinking of rambling through the JC Stigimeier Park on the way back from the library. Cross your fingers that I don’t get lost!