Originally this place would not allow anyone to wear any kind of shoes, OR to go barefoot. Hence it…read morewas called Sockport for a long time. Then it became the capital of "saying something twice in different ways", which is why it was known as Dockport for years. Then it became "the Switzerland of WNY" and was known affectionately as "Clockport" for awhile. Then gang violence took over and it adopted the moniker "School Of Hard Knocksport." This caused everyone to put Locks on their doors... and bam. You have the present-day name. Actually think I gave Lockport a bad rap when I gave it a rap before although I didn't actually rap about it but I can rap about it as you see if you've read of my other reviews for a rap endlessly about other things that one might rap about. So here's the thing. It's a much nicer place than I thought. I might have seen the bad side of it before. I think it's actually really nice place to live. The main problem is that it's so damn out of the way like it's so far away from everything that it's hard to even fathom getting all the way up here. There's no highways that really go here except for the interstate 990 which doesn't really go all the way and then it turns into Millersport which is kind of kind of kind of a highway and then it joins Transit and it's just kind of annoying. Having said that I think it's a really cool place to live and I like the YMCA and there are some pretty decent food options and some pretty nice people up here as well. And they don't seem to be afflicted by the horrible weather to the same degree as other parts of the region are. So I have to give them a massive five star upgrade I think finally eventually now. I've been to Lockport more times than I can count. My sort-of doctor is here, my fave Italian restaurant is here, 3 or 4 good friends live here, and I used to visit a garage here. I know the town pretty well. City, rather. It's a great City. Seriously though it is named as such because of the locks. The Erie Canal dissects the heart of this charming little city which has everything from leafy estates to cozy trailer parks with Eminem lookalikes rap-battling in the bushes with little dogs named Jack. Speaking of Jack, everyone loves One-Eyed Jacks. Let me just say, on record. I don't. Sorry. Instead, try Pulp 716 for Boba and the infamous sweet sauce slices of Pizza Oven for a snack. What I do love is The Village Eatery. If not for that place, I might even give LP a 3, (although LPs were always better than singles, right?) but it's like, the best Italian American food everrrr. OK, it's comparably good along with Mulberry in Like-I-Wanna, but it's much more typical and wholesome and filling and would probably take my prize for best Italian American Food In USA. Yes. That good. Parts of LP are really pretty, and even though it's way way way out of the way, it's really cute. Taking the 990 & Millersport up here is pretty fast. If you try and go up Transit, well in the words of the late, great James Caan, "forget about it, beefcake." Oh and Lockport will soon be changing its name. It has become the heart of the gay male community in WNY, and 7-and-a-half percent of the population is now either gay, or male, or both. Oh wait I meant, is both. Experts say this will rise up very fast and impress everyone, growing to a massive, erect 69% by mid-2015. And since these strapping young (and old) (and Middle Aged) (and so on) men often send pelfies to each other, it obviously will soon be known as "C**kport."

When I heard the Bubble Man passed, I was crushed…read more Even though I don't live in Buffalo anymore, everytime I drove or walked past that Allentown/Elmwood intersection and I saw those bubbles coming from his window, it brought me joy and excitement. He became a part of the Buffalo identity...the Bubble Man and Buffalo became synonymous and intertwined. Apparently his name was Chuck. In my heart, Chuck will always remain the bubble man. I never met him, but I know him, his bubbles, and they will always be a part of Buffalo culture to me. Thank you for what you did for our city and all the joy that those bubbles have given us!

When you're walking on the street on a sunny or dreary day and you realize there's bubbles floating…read moreup towards the heavens, you stop for a second and take a look and try to find where they're coming from, truly being present in that moment, no matter what's going on in your life. When you find the source you watch as the bubbles live their short, but sweet life dancing around the air and you smile. A true Buffalo icon- the bubble man sparking genuine joy in the hearts of passerby's, making a bad day bright and a good day even brighter. You will be so missed Chuck, the best of the city of good neighbors. Cartoon in the Buffalo News by artist Adam Zyglis

I featured our local Love Canal as an example for a high school presentation on the importance of…read moretaking care of our ecosystem (I also used the Chernobyl disaster, ha). Love Canal's history is thick and ugly. You can do a quick google search if you want to read all about it, but I'll give a summary: Originally intended to be the "perfect urban area," William T. Love purchased the land and quickly abandoned his project in the span of ten years. After that the area became a landfill. Hooker Chemical eventually comes along and purchases the land in 1947, and proceeds to dump all sorts of chemical waste into the canal. Something like 21,800 tons of chemicals would sit in the canal as Niagara Falls entered a population boom. So, the Niagara Falls School Board approached Hooker Chemical, acquired the land they were dumping wastes into, and had two schools (93rd Street & 99th Street) built, along with low-income family residences. Construction would drill into the chemical drums buried here, and toxic wastes would escape when rainwater washed through them. Twenty or so years later, Lois Gibbs is a local mother who is concerned for her son's poor health, learns that her and her neighbors' homes are built atop chemical waste. She faced many barriers in attempts to expose the awful conditions in which they were living (ignored by city officials, even the mayor stated there was nothing wrong). Eventually Jimmy Carter declared a federal health emergency and sent officials to remedy the site. At that point the 99th street school had been demolished. Hooker Chemical & the school board refused to accept liability. The federal government eventually had residents relocated, and demolished most of the homes on the land. Today, Love Canal is a grim reminder of what costs we pay when dealing with chemical companies, and that it's important to know your history. The area is essentially a ghost town, with a small handful of homes still standing (some families refused to move during the evacuation). This place is creepy. Recently I decided to take a little drive through the area, and a couple of the streets have road blocks that prevent you from driving down them. You can drive down 100th St. (a completely barren road), turn down Wheatfield Ave and check out the couple of houses that still stand on 101st St. (that's what I did). The space that I assume was the dump site seems to be completely fenced off. Frankly, I think I prefer to stay outside of that fence. Day 15

(Visited 09/02/2025 TU @ 8:30pm): Distillery may have been its history, but this open-air district…read morehas become more than that! After I imbibed at Old Flame Brewing Co., I explored The Distillery Historic District where it was located for a leisurely first evening in Toronto. Over 20 years ago, a small group of visionary developers looked at a derelict collection of Victorian Industrial buildings that had been pronounced a national historic site and imagined transforming it. They wanted to create a place that would excite and inspire the senses. Where people could experience new ideas, new foods, new designs and new ways of living and working. The vision was to combine the romance and relaxing atmosphere of European walking and patio districts with the hip, cool dynamic of an area like New York City's SoHo or Chelsea, where creative minds got together and you felt as if anything could happen. Their dream was to provide a place where artists, artisans, entrepreneurs and businesspeople could rub shoulders and inspire each other. So, they began plans to restore the 47 buildings known as the Gooderham & Worts Distillery. They went to great lengths in the restoration process to repurpose original materials and brilliantly blend them with today's modern materials and green technologies. One could only marvel at the authentic exterior restoration that was achieved. But it was when you stepped inside the buildings that you truly realized the magnitude of what was accomplished. What you found was a dramatic fusion of old and new. An inspired blend of Victorian Industrial architecture and stunning 21st century design and creativity. The result was an internationally acclaimed village of one-of-a-kind stores, shops, galleries, studios, restaurants, cafes, theatres and more. The Distillery Historic District opened in 2003 and today is widely regarded as Canada's premier arts, culture and entertainment destination. A place brimming with creativity and creative people, that could inspire dreams, and a place that could help them come true. Was history on my side to revisit this district that actually had a distillery shop onsite that I missed!? PURCHASE(S) (N/A): I spent some money at Old Flame Brewing Co. (read my review of that) but nowhere else, and certainly nothing directly with the facility itself. Of course, you had ample opportunity to spend your money with other businesses or onsite parking, or simply nothing at all as you just hung out. EXPERIENCE I lazily walked throughout the premises as I checked out the storefronts of mostly closed businesses for the night, people-watched, but mainly admired several art displays https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw&start=24&select=1tmuPlZ1LXRKNJC6ViM-vw and enjoyed the nice cool evening weather. SERVICE Besides the employees who worked inside the various businesses and possibly a guard who managed the parking lots, there were no other services available. At this time of night, I didn't see any cleaning crew or security staff - "nuff said. PARKING (Varied; N/A this instance): It was a flat 15-minute walk from my Airbnb. Otherwise, there were both onsite and offsite lots, numerous public transportation options, and rideshares - 'nuff said. ATMOSPHERE, DÉCOR, AMBIENCE A large outdoor area filled with 19th-Century buildings repaired and repurposed to house new businesses https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw&start=24&select=fGw7y2G0RTwKqQnQ6VEynA with walking paths https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw&start=24&select=xf2flq93fGxjt4L2oJAhmw and open sections for gatherings and live entertainment, and a decent amount of places to sit. Plenty of natural lighting since you were completely outside while a ton of various electric lights and those along the street filled in the rest. There were no TVs on the exterior while the only background noise were the sounds of passing vehicles and the chatter of patrons. https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=8jVT2inwc8GIQ6sH2UG9Vw&start=24&select=oF-rbwyZqdtP9nryC8CVRA ATTIRE Totally casual, so I would normally be in a t-shirt, boardshorts, and flip-flops. OVERALL The Distillery Historic District was very cool, and I would gladly visit it again the next time I was in Toronto. There were so many things to try and take part in given a full day. There were enough varied businesses to spread the money around... or simply just chill. And, I always loved supporting small businesses and efforts whenever possible. I found complete value based on the prices, service, and experience noted above (TOTAL paid experience was around $0.00 BEFORE any discounts and/or tip). And, many of businesses accepted my credit card of choice... AMEX! 5.0 STARS

Absolutely a waste of time for hardy any shops and high end eating! Public restrooms near locks on…read moretank House street. I was a tourist age 75 and would not waste my time

Total tourist trap! It's cool to see tho and since we were tourists, we had to get trapped hahaha!…read moreIt's a bit pricey to go in but it's something to do, even tho it's a quick walk thru! Cute!

When I went on there it made me sick I mean it was cool but expensive per person DO NOT GO HERE…read moreunless you want to be sick

Located on the side of the Williamsville Townhall, is this fantastically large mural. It was put up…read morein 2019 by a local artist Chris Piontkowski. I couldn't find the name for it, but I drive by it all the time and stoped for a closer look today. You'll see it as you are either walking in the area or at the local farmers market, or driving down Main Street towards Buffalo, It's on the east side of the building. Williamsville's Beautification Committee raised the money for this and it's a large public art and public funded project.

As I was driving on portage Road coming in from a hike at Artpark I came across this mural. It's on…read morethe side of the B OK studio building on portage Road. Very very cute mural. It was a happy surprise to come across as I turned the corner. Looks like the artist is Olivia Carey.

This isn't a life changing attraction and I wouldn't put it on my top 10 list for Toronto visitors,…read morethis is a zen moment for those who wander by or who seek it. A beautiful quiet path on the ground, a puzzle to solve on your lunch break tucked in between the tall towers, stone and steel, of downtown Toronto. That's what I love about it the most, the decision to put it here in the first place, the choice to nestle public art here to disrupt our pathways and challenge us to think about spirals and about what's hidden in the middle.

The only thing that could make this Labyrinth any cooler is if David Bowie were there waiting for…read moreyou at the end of your walking journey. Now remember never trust a thought that you didn't get by walking.

Even if you weren't living in Buffalo in 2011 you probably have heard of Alix. She was…read moreskateboarding one night, legally, when a drunk driver hit her. She died. At 18. Doing what she loved. Hit by a man doing something illegal. The community was outraged. They came together and built a skatepark in her honor. Near UB North. Then the artist Nicole Cherry got to work and painted this mural. Her style is recognizable around town.

During the time of social distancing, I decided to take a walk on the UB bike path. I like to…read morestart at the Northtown center entrance. I happened upon this, which should tell you how long it's been since I walked the path. Very cool to finally see this.

Beautiful mural. Despite enjoying Mark Twain's books, I did not know about his friendship with John…read moreT. Lewis, whom rescued his sister in law, nice, and a nurse in a runaway buggy incident, until recently. I'm embarrassed to admit my sons thought Mark Twain was Albert Einstein at first. They have a couple books but haven't read them yet. I should read with them anyway to provide context.

These days Mark Twain and John Lewis will greet you as you enter Lombardos. Pretty awesome. They…read morehad a long friendship and ties to the Buffalo area. And a world reknown artist came to Buffalo to paint them for us. Part of the growing Albright outside art project, this is going up now. Kobra has murals worldwide. His collection of work is amazing. And he often focuses on people known for their humbleness. The Albright brought him to town, but he researched the ideas himself and arrived at this one. So come have a meal at Lombardos, get some free art while you are at it. Pretty awesome addition to Hertel.