I was incarcerated at the Warren County Prison for six years. My biggest complaints revolved…read morearound the food. What good is prime rib if it is not cooked medium rare!? Whereas I'll give the breakfast omelet station points for trying, I complained repeatedly that I want my American cheese yellow, a more appetizing color, not white. I wish they were open to constructive criticism. The Warden invited me to lunch to listen to my grievances. I tried to explain part of a good meal is presentation. A little parsley next to the baked stuffed shrimp would have went a long way.

Staff was friendly, and extremely helpful! You were given a personal escort that opened every door…read morefor you. I received a brand new mattress that was perfect for a good nights sleep. The dining experience was Gordon Ramsy quality food, served by some of the finest chefs & kitchen staff this side of the Mississippi River. Laundry service was also provided at no additonal cost. Overall the experience was one of a kind. I will be returning for a future visit

On many occasions, I've dealt with the CPD, and on 90% of those occasions, they treated me pretty…read morebadly. I used to live right around here (in East Buffalo, but minutes from Cheektowaga), so I had my share of run-ins. But one instance was worse than all the others. We were treated like the most wanted criminals just because of expired stickers that my gf forgot all about. So, the Cheektowaga police pulled me and my girlfriend over, and she was a few days past her inspection sticker, or was it registration - I forget. You would expect that she'd get a ticket, right? She didn't. The car was towed. I had to walk home. She was put in jail. She was bailed out by her brother hours later because I didn't have the money to bail her out.. It cost her a massive amount of money. She had to get the car out of the impound. She is a bill-paying tax-paying good girl who occasionally forgets to pay x or y, and then remembers when they remind her. She isn't very good at staying on top of things, so to speak ;) What I'm saying is, that's what the Cheektowaga Police are spending your money on. And that's what they do to make money. This was a few years ago, perhaps things are better now? I wouldn't bet on it. Ugly way of doing things. No wonder a lot of people don't like them. I've had many great experiences with the Buffalo PD. Amherst PD not so much. Clarence PD absolutely not. UB PD the absolute worst... but Cheektowaga, not too far off. One star.

OK, I am not sure yelp is the place for reviews on the town court systems, however, this was a nice…read moreplace and perhaps one of you will find yourself in the area as well. Not by choice I bet. Its a new building (largely paid for by parking/speeding tickets no doubt) on Union, with a fabulous parking situation. The Court and Police are in the same driveway, but the signs indicated the police may be in a different building, I'm not sure. we were there for the court. You walk into the building and there is a (no joke) armed guard, and a scanner for your purse, briefcase whatever and you walk through a metal detector. Seriously? Little high tech for a small court house? Nevermind paranoid? Just sayin'. * Here's where the three stars comes in * But, while you are emptying pockets and putting purses into the scanner, someone else just walks right through, scanner goes off, and the guard does nothing. Now I get he may know the guy, but why on earth would he just let him walk through in front of a short line of people, set off the scanner and not blink? I assume it was an attorney (it was not a policeman in uniform), and I assume he was not carrying a gun, perhaps only his keys, but I don't really care how much you go in and out in a day, you should set an example to the rest by doing it the right way. You are after-all, an officer of the court. If this man was not some sort of officer of the court then I really don't know what to say. If you are going to bother with the time, expense and hassle of the system, then at least make it consistent and frankly, "SAFE FOR ALL". But once inside, this would go back to 4 stars, the lines were very short, they were fast and the people behind the bullet proof glass were pleasant enough. No issues there, they also provide a receipt without prompting etc. Leaving was much easier than going in, there is a different door to exit through. Overall I admire the police and law enforcement in general, I understand gun laws and generally support these types of organizations, in thought and pocketbook. But this experience really left me uncomfortable, I would not want to sit jury in a courthouse where not everyone got the same level of scrutiny as I did.

This is the childhood home of Lucille Ball that had been restored to what it may have looked like…read morewhen Lucy grew up there. She had resided here with her mother and grandparents along with her brother Fred. The area is known as Celoron and not far from that home is the Lucille Ball memorial park. Lucy used to work at that park when it was a small amusement park by the lake. The house is painted in a bright blue but what stands out is the polka dot garage door and the lopsided barbecue in the back. The barbecue was probably inspired from one of the last "I love Lucy" episodes. Note-the residence is a private dwelling and people live here. For this reason, you are asked to be respectul of the property. More information can be found on their website which also happens to be attached to the front entry door. Definitely worth a quick photo opportunity.

The love and care that has been put into restoring Lucy's childhood home is indescribable. One…read moreneeds to really experience it first hand to truly appreciate it. And to know that all the money earned is then donated back to the community is a true testament to the type of people the owners are.

The facility in the electric tower is well run. Highly organized. The video connection with the…read morecommissioners is excellent so no more need to schlep to Albany or NYC for hearings.

I would have NEVER thought it be possible that I'd be giving 5 stars out to the Dunkirk DMV. Years…read moreof frustration - where ever the office may be - always left me feeling like the people who worked there were over paid, under-educated and lacked common courtesy to those of us who had to end up in line! My experience with this visit left me completely changed in the way I look now at our local DMV. Not quite sure why we had to spend so much money in another building or move, but if that's all it took to ramp up the quality of people working there - money and time well spent. Maybe it's even cheaper to be at this new place, but whatever the reason - a first wise choice for sure. The person I spoke with was kind and professional, but also had that right amount of friendliness that makes your trip memorable for the right reasons. I was taken care of with speed and left feeling like I actually accomplished what I had set out to do. No standing in three different lines, no angry sour faces staring me down - NICE JOB!

Graycliff is one of Frank Lloyd Wright's residential designs and is often regarded as the bridge…read morebetween his Prairie houses of the early 1900s and later masterpieces, such as Fallingwater (I look forward to visiting one day). Designed by Wright for Isabelle and Darwin D. Martin (and unlike the Martin house, which you should also visit), the estate sits on an 8.5-acre bluff overlooking Lake Erie. It's about 25 miles southwest of Buffalo, New York. And I did not realize this important tidbit: the gardens and landscape designed by Ellen Biddle Shipman, who worked with Wright. The property was built between 1926 and 1931 as the summer home for the Martin family. Also, Graycliff is a New York State Landmark listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Importnat note: the Frank Lloyd Wright's Martin House and Graycliff Conservancy are two separate nonprofits -- I did not know that before my visit. The two even have distinct missions. But they each have the common goal to preserve and share the history of the Martin family and Wright's work. I highly recommend visiting both sites. And be sure to check the schedule and tour times. Outside of the welcome center, gift shop and adjacent garden, you must sign up for a paid tour to see the rest of the buildings on site. In the central house, Wright effectively dissolved the traditional boundary between indoors and outdoors. There is local limestone, ochre stucco and cedar shingles and, if you keep a watchful eye, you will see Wright's designs at work: triangles, circles, hearts, diamond-shapes and other shapes are embedded and featured throughout the grounds and in the architecture. Graycliff was also personally significant for Wright. During the mid-1920s his career and finances were in turmoil. The Martins, longtime friends as well as clients, commissioned Graycliff at a moment when relatively few of Wright's designs were being built. Over time, many architectural historians view the project as helping sustain his practice during one of the most difficult periods of his life. And last interesting tidbit: The Martin family owned the property until after Isabelle and Darwin died. It was sold in 1951 to the Piarist Fathers, an order of Roman Catholic Priests from Hungary. They lived in and used Graycliff until 1997 (even built buildings and structures), when the property was sold. Graycliff was actual set to be demolished for condominiums -- can you imagine?! A few tips for your visit: -If you are driving a larger vehicle (large trucks, RV's, camper vans, vehicles pulling trailers, call in advance. The team will work to accommodate your vehicle. Do not miss the brand new visitor center. It has interactive educational features, an informative video and an excellent gift shop, with snacks on site. -Parking is out front at no cost. -A portion of all tours is outside, rain or shine. -Wear comfortable clothing and comfortable walking shoes. -Apparently, stiletto heels are not allowed in the main house to protect the restored floor. -Only service animals are allowed on the grounds.

I did a tour of Graycliff as part of the All Day All Wright tour a while ago anat that time it was…read moreinteresting but also a bit disappointing both because the renovations were ongoing and we arrived late due to traffic so the tour was cut short. Seeing online that Graycliff had just opened a new visitor center and was in full swing I decided to make a one day trip to see it again. Located about a half hour southwest of Buffalo and about an hour northeast of Erie, Graycliff sit right on the Lake Erie shore. There is a small sign at the end of the long drive that leads you to the new visitor center. The center is set up just outside the area that Wright designed. The center is very modern but it does have elements that are inspired by Wright, the horizontal lines of the building, the glass that allows you to see through the building is similar to Graycliff. Inside there is a very nice gift shop, some interesting exhibits and an unusual unisex bathroom. I had signed up for the extended tour and we had a nice group who all had some experience with Wright before, including one guy who had done extensive work in building the new visitor center. The tour starts in the visitor center with a very well made video giving some of the history of Wright, the Martins and Graycliff. After that we went through the Picking Garden which was very attractive and smelled wonderful. We then learned about the layout of the outside, including that the driveway was oriented to track the movement of the sun on the summer solstice. We were also informed about the history of the site, the local materials being used and the history of the house after the Martins had to give it up. We also were told about the water features and how the house was oriented to allow views through the house to see the lake. Although this was the 3rd project Darwin Martin had hired Wright for (the Darwin Martin House and the Larkin Company Adminstration Building were the others) here the client was Mrs. Martin and this was to be a summer house so the overall design is a bit unique. The timing of the project was also crucial as Wright had finished his Prairie Style and the Usonian style was not yet developed. Wright had also gone through a number of personal issues and public scandals so this commission was helpful in bridging a difficult period. Once inside Graycliff you realize that there are many common Wright elements, the use of natural materials, the importance of the hearth as the heart of the house and how he had opened up the common areas with a flow. Graycliff is unique in how it is oriented to the lake with huge windows on both sides. We also got to see the second floor and the second floor of the smaller second house that initially was the garage and chauffeur's quarters and later used by Martin's daughter's family. I have to compliment our docent Brian who did a great job of guiding us through the house and property while supplying information, pointing out details and just being very entertaining. Wright was a complex person, while a genius and visionary he also had personal issues and could be difficult to work with, Brian gave a nice balanced view of Wright, his relationship to the Martins and how Graycliff came to be, plus its history and restoration. On my previous visit I had enjoyed Graycliff, but also found it a bit disappointing, this visit reflects the great job that has been done on finishing the restoration and furnishing the property to best effect. While not as flashy as some of the better know Wright designs, Graycliff is well worth a visit for its historical significance to Wright and to see how he was in transition and developing new and different ideas. A great visit and I am so glad I took the time for a second visit.

After living nearby for years, I finally checked out the Fort. It's very interesting, but also sad,…read moreas the death toll was a lot higher than I had heard. (And so POINTLESS!) The Americans blew up the fort when they withdrew in 1814, and it lay in ruins for over a hundred years, but during the Great Depression it was rebuilt as a tourist attraction in a government make-work project. The displays are interesting, and the tours are very well done. For about twice the price of a single admission, you can get a season's pass, which lets you go back as many times as you want. (Which is good if you want to see both the 2-pounder and the 10" mortar in action, since you'd need to go in both on a Saturday and on a Sunday.) A season's pass is a good thing for locals to get, so you can take visitors to the Fort and won't need to pay for yourself each trip. The best time to visit is on the weekend, since the 2-pounder cannon is fired at 12:30 on Saturdays and the 10" mortar is fired at 2:30 on Sundays. (Mondays to Saturdays, it's the 3 1/2" mortar at 2:30.) There are musketry demonstrations during every tour (hourly most days), and you get a cookie and a glass of lemonade at the end of the tour. Warning: the fort was built long before anybody thought of wheelchairs, so there are stairs and other access barriers. Niagara Parks has done what they could to improve access, but if you can't climb stairs, there are some parts of the fort that you just won't be able to see. I'm a "read every single placard" kind of guy, so it takes me about two and a half hours to see the whole thing. (The tour doesn't take anywhere near that long, but you can wander around on your own after the tour, and I always do.) The stuff in the gift shop is pretty overpriced, which is a shame because some of it's nice. (And, to be honest, there aren't very many places that sell souvenirs of Fort Erie. Canada, yes. Ontario, sure. Niagara Falls, definitely. Fort Erie, not so much.) The food in the snack shop is good enough that some of the locals pop in just to eat there. My sweetie and I have frequently strolled in just for lunch. If you're driving, the easiest way to find it is to head down the Niagara Parkway from Niagara Falls. Drive under the Peace Bridge, and follow the road around to the right. If you're coming down the QEW or across the Peace Bridge from Buffalo, take the exit for Central Avenue (the last exit before the bridge, or the first exit after the toll booths, depending on your direction of travel), turn right on Central, then go to the bottom of the hill and turn right onto Lakeshore. In either case, the visitor's centre will be the first building on your left once you have passed under the bridge or turned onto Lakeshore. If you're taking Niagara Transit route 751 (Fort Erie) get off at the stop at Albany and Ferguson, walk two blocks down Ferguson, and the fort will be to your left and across the street. If you have a battery electric vehicle or a plug-in hybrid, there are two free charging stations in the parking lot close to the front door of the visitor's centre. The charger on the post with the sign saying that parking is for "electric vehicles only" has a J1772 plug. Around the back of the same post, there's another charger with an NACS (Tesla) plug. So, ideally, two people should be able to charge their vehicles at the same time, and you should be able to get a decent charge in the time it takes to do the tour, wander around on your own, have a meal, and browse the gift shop. Unfortunately, there's only one sign, even though there are two chargers, and while the cables are long enough to reach cars parked in the spot beside the charger, they aren't long enough to reach the spot on the other side of that one. Some drivers of vehicles burning dead dinosaurs who don't know the situation (and, sadly, some who should) tend to park in the spot beside the charger, so being able to charge in that spot is hit or miss. Then again, on busy days, it's common for both chargers to be in use. I've noticed that attendance tends to be lower on days that are overcast or rainy, so if the fort is close to the range limit of your vehicle, you might want to visit on a day like that and bring a raincoat, so you can be more likely to be able to get a charge. If all else fails, there are other chargers not too far away, but all the chargers within Fort Erie that I know about have J1772 plugs, so if your car needs an NACS or ChaDeMo plug, bring an adaptor. (And if you go to the chargers at Canadian Tire or A&W, you will need to be in the Flo network.)

Not to be confused with New Fort Eerie, which is more, well, creepy and, well, eerie…read more I have haunted and distant memories of Old Fort Erie from a very long time ago when my family came to visit me in freezing wintry Buffalo for Christmas. The memories are beautiful and magical and distant. I miss those days. I miss my brother and I'm not sure what happened to him, but certainly things will never be the same again. That's just life - that's how it goes. Years later I played a lot of outdoor soccer games here and they went pretty well. I enjoyed being here and I think it makes a good soccer field and a good place to visit, and often very secluded with not too many people around here. Even though it's not that far from Niagara Falls, it has solid memories and I don't mean by D but that's solid too. So I like it on a great many levels and I'll probably keep coming here in the future, I would imagine.

This unique site is part of the National Parks Service. To visit/tour you need to book your tour…read moreand they are typically only offered on the hour. This is one of the few sites where a president was inaugurated outside of Washington DC. During the tour, you can visit the library room where Roosevelt took the oath of office. It is interesting to have this bit of unique history in Buffalo! There is an on site parking lot located in the back of the building. There is also street parking (but there are typically ample spots in the lot). Your tour guide will bring you through a display about the Pan AM and give you a sense of the time period. You also learn about Teddy Roosevelt and his presidency in a video presentation. Additionally, you can sit in a replica of Roosevelt's desk and enjoy an interactive photo opp. The down side for me is that there are several interactive exhibits and lots of panels to read when you enter the museum portion, but you really don't have any time to read and enjoy them because you are forced to move on with the tour. Worth a visit to learn more about this unique piece of Buffalo history, but also learn more about Teddy Roosevelt as well.

This is the site that brought Roosevelt into office and forever changed our nation. A docent gives…read moretours of the small museum with facts on Roosevelt. There is a small gift store with many memorabilia celebrating one of the US Presidents.