East Side, Buffalo facts for kids
The East Side is a really big neighborhood in Buffalo, New York. It's actually the largest neighborhood in the city! It's bordered by Main Street to the north and west, and by the I-190 highway and the Kaisertown area to the south. To the east, it touches the town of Cheektowaga. You'll see many old, beautiful churches from the 1800s, mostly Catholic, and small, cozy wooden houses. The East Side was once home to the second-largest Polish-American community in the whole United States! The main shopping and business areas are along Jefferson Avenue and where Broadway and Fillmore streets meet.
Within the East Side, there are smaller communities like the Lovejoy District and Broadway-Fillmore.
A Changing Neighborhood
Over time, the East Side has changed a lot. In the second half of the 1900s, many factories closed down (this is called deindustrialization). Also, people stopped investing money in the area. Because of these changes, many Polish families moved to nearby Cheektowaga. Today, most people living on the East Side are Black.
You might see many empty or abandoned houses here, as well as large grassy areas called "urban prairies." Even with these changes, the East Side still has a strong sense of community. People connect through local churches and markets.
Cool Places to Visit
The East Side has several interesting places to check out:
- The Broadway Market: A historic market where you can find all sorts of foods and goods.
- St. Stanislaus - Bishop & Martyr Church: A beautiful and important church.
- St. John Kanty's R.C. Church: Another historic Catholic church.
- St. Adalbert's Basilica: A very grand and impressive church.
- Corpus Christi R. C. Church Complex: A group of buildings related to the Corpus Christi church.
- Buffalo Central Terminal: An old, grand train station that's now a landmark.
- The Adam Mickiewicz Library and Dramatic Circle: A place for Polish culture and history.
- The Matt Urban Human Services Center: A community center that helps local residents.
Sports History
The East Side was once home to War Memorial Stadium. This stadium was where the Buffalo Bills football team played from 1960 to 1972. Now, that same spot is home to the Johnnie B. Wiley Amateur Athletic Sports Pavilion, which is a place for sports and activities.
