Fruit Belt, Buffalo facts for kids

The Fruit Belt is a neighborhood in Buffalo, New York. It is a place where people live, right next to the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus. This area is also sometimes called Medical Park.

Where is the Fruit Belt Located?

The Fruit Belt neighborhood is on the East Side of Buffalo. It is built around two main streets: High Street, which runs east to west, and Jefferson Avenue, which runs north to south. The Kensington Expressway forms its eastern edge, and Michigan Avenue is its western border. Michigan Avenue helps separate the Fruit Belt from the Medical Campus.

The History of the Fruit Belt

The Fruit Belt got its name from the many fruit orchards that German immigrants planted there a long time ago. These early settlers loved farming and grew lots of fruit trees and vegetable gardens. As more people moved in, the streets we see today were built right through these orchards. The names of some streets still remind us of those early days.

For over a hundred years, the Fruit Belt was a close-knit community. But in the 1950s, things changed. A big highway called the Kensington Expressway was built right through the middle of the neighborhood. This construction split the community in half and caused a lot of damage to the area.

After the highway was built, the neighborhood faced many challenges. Over the years, there has been new investment in the area, especially because of the growing medical campus nearby. This has led to new medical buildings being built. People who live in the Fruit Belt are working hard to make sure their neighborhood continues to be a great place to live.

Education in the Fruit Belt

One important school in the Fruit Belt is the Marva J. Daniel Futures Preparatory School. It used to be called Futures Academy.