Hello from Buffalo: A Penchant for the Arts
and Social Justice at the Elmwood Village Inn
After my three-day adventure in Niagara Falls, Ontario we crossed
the border into the United States for the second portion of our
winter getaway: from Niagara Falls we went to spend a day and half
in Buffalo to finally fly out early in the morning on December 11
to our final destination: Puerto Rico.
Buffalo is just about two hours from Toronto where I live, and
just a bit over half an hour from Niagara Falls, Ontario. Due to
the high Canadian dollar “cross-border shopping” has
become an issue in the last few months. The now greater affordability
of many American retailers is luring Canadians across the border
in droves. In addition, the Miami Dolphins were playing on this
day, so all the various football fans were adding to the lineups
at the border.
Buffalo City Hall
Finally, after lining up for about an hour on a gray and cold morning,
we crossed the border and drove south towards Buffalo. As a special
surprise for my husband’s birthday I had gotten us tickets
to the Miami Dolphins / Buffalo Bills football game. We managed
to find our way to the Elmwood
Village Inn, our home for the next two nights. Hostess Karen
Powell was out and had kindly left the keys for us so we could get
in, drop off our luggage and get changed into some heavy duty winter
attire for a football game on a freezing day.
We had to rush off to the football game at Ralph Wilson Stadium
which is located a good twenty minutes or so south of the city.
By the time we got there the game had already started. We parked
our vehicle about 20 minutes away in some enterprising local resident’s
backyard. It seemed all the houses on the access road to the stadium
were renting out their front yards and back yards to eager football
fans.
Street scene in Buffalo
On the stadium parking lot we could see the evidence of lots of
pre-game tailgate parties; debris was scattered everywhere. Finally
we made our way into the stadium, and my husband had a chance to
get a glimpse at his beloved Dolphins (who, to his chagrin, have
not been doing so great this season). Knowing that I usually get
frozen to the bone I was wearing many layers plus a waterproof outer
layer. This was after all my first winter football game.
I was trying to watch the action on the field although some rather
passionate Bills fans in front of me hampered my view with their
gestures and rituals. Beer was flowing freely, and I was amazed
how watching live sports can induce so much thirst. As the game
progressed (and no, the Dolphins did not win) the snow was turning
into rain, and despite my supposedly waterproof clothing, I felt
chilled to the bone. I think this will probably be my first and
last winter football game for a long time. But I had promised myself
not to whine and let my husband enjoy his favourite spectator sport,
in a live experience no less. So I fought the clammy conditions
and we left a little bit early in order to avoid the big rush of
football fans exiting the stadium.
Buffalo - a mecca for architecture lovers
Afterwards we engaged in one of the holy traditions that many Canadians
follow when they are in Buffalo: we checked out the Walden Galleria,
a big shopping mall in the east end of Buffalo. Because it was prime
pre-Christmas shopping time we decided to visit various stores and
see if we could find a bargain. Despite our high Canadian dollar,
we could not really find any great underpriced values at this well-known
shopping mecca. So we decided to have dinner in the food court and
headed back to our abode for the night and rest our weary and chilled
bones.
Monday morning I finally had a chance to meet our hostess Karen
Powell who was so kind to take me on a tour of the Elmwood
Village Inn. But first we sat down in the living room so I would
have a chance to find out more about this unique hospitality entrepreneur.
Karen hails from Seattle, which she calls “a little town next
to Canada”. Karen is not only a business person - since she
was a child she has had a keen interest in issues of social justice
and alternative spirituality. Her parents were quite conservative
and traditional, and Karen broke with many family traditions.
Karen Powell
Her first husband was Native American, and this was the time when
Karen moved out of her all-white neighbourhood. When she went to
university she helped start the first black student union and moved
into a Black neighbourhood in Tacoma, Washington.
In her early years Karen Powell also lived in communes and experienced
political collectives, which she refers to as “intentional
communities”. When her marriage to her first husband was breaking
up she met a woman from Idaho who was a professor in Buffalo. A
conversation with this professor gave her the first idea to consider
moving to Buffalo. So Karen picked up her belongings and moved to
Buffalo where she ended up meeting her second husband, an African
American who was a math professor. Together they had three children
and for about 20 years of her life Karen focused on discovering
her spiritual path. For some time she lived in a craft collective
in Rochester where she learned to express her artistic talents by
sewing hand-made items.
Art in the hallway
From 1987 to 1988 the entire family moved to Prague since her husband
had received a Fulbright Scholarship. Her girls were 11 and 9 years
old and the youngest was just about 8 months old. Living in a different
country under a vastly different system was a completely new experience
for Karen. She even decided to stop colouring her hair and went
gray, a bold move considering that hardly anybody in the former
Czechoslovakia had gray hair. On the other hand, Karen noticed that
the Czechs were very fashionable and enjoyed music and going out
drinking on the weekends. People were also more well-read than they
were in North America.
Karen’s daughters went to an international school and spent
a lot of time with children of foreign diplomats. Karen’s
Czech adventure includes fond memories of puppet shows, and she
truly enjoyed her time with some of the Czech locals. She became
close to various local residents and many of them have even visited
her here in the United States. Like many other European countries,
the former Czechoslovakia was a very racially homogeneous place,
and the locals often stared at her mixed-race daughters. People
simply did not hide their curiosity. However, the girls were very
resilient and responded to any undue attention by doing impromptu
stand-up comedy routines.
The living room is decked out for Christmas
Racial dynamics also becomes obvious in the treatment her ex-husband
received. Africans were generally not looked upon favourably, and
despite her husband’s extraordinary academic credentials he
was often looked down upon. When people first met him, they were
usually surprised that he was a scholar. Racism and prejudice manifested
themselves in many different ways. Even the older girls still remember
some of these transformative experiences to this day.
Karen in turn often asked herself what comes out of the human soul
when people live under an oppressive system. Her various intercultural
experiences made her wonder what slavery and racism do to people,
and she became interested in life’s paradoxes. She became
enthralled with issues of social justice.
The Elmwood Village Inn
About a year after her return from Prague, Karen realized that
her marriage was no longer working. Until Karen divorced from her
second husband, she had never sustained herself economically. Now
she needed to have her priorities straight and follow her inner
voice for her life’s journey. After her divorce she decided
to apply to graduate school to pursue a degree in comparative education.
She was accepted and was given a graduate’s assistantship
which meant she received free schooling and a $12,000 stipend per
year. So she decided to purse a degree in the sociology of education
which focused on issues of social justice, race and render. Karen
adds that she has always loved to learn, and with great motivation
she started her doctoral work and was about to write her dissertation.
Finally in 1991, another life changing event happened for Karen
Powell: She met Ed Powell, a radical sociologist, who was to become
her third husband. Karen and Ed were together for 10 years until
he passed away in 2001. From Karen’s description, Ed Powell
was her true soul mate, and all her descriptions of him are infused
with a deep sense of love and affection. Ed Powell owned a big mansion
in Buffalo and opened his doors to many political activists. He
had spent some time in Havana and asked Karen if she wanted to come
with him.
The Master Suite
Karen had been studying empowerment and spent time on the issue
of how to teach oppressed people empowerment. Her academic advisor
recommended her not to go to Cuba, but Karen decided to abandon
her Ph.D. program and went to join her husband anyway. They went
on many trips together, to Cuba, Greece and Wales where they walked
the Freedom Trail together, to follow the path of the Welsh nationalists.
From 1993 to 1997 Karen restored and redecorated the Wick’s
Mansion and got to apply her artistic and creative talents. In addition
she got a bed and breakfast license for the mansion, and started
to get some experience as a bed and breakfast hostess.
Life also threw Karen various curve balls: in 1998 Karen was diagnosed
with cancer while her husband was diagnosed with a heart condition.
They often talked about this and with a dark sense of humour they
concluded “now we don’t know who is going to go first…”
A sitting area in the Master Suite
2001 finally became another turning point in Karen’s life:
her beloved husband Ed passed away from his heart condition, just
after he went bicycling. After Ed’s death Karen decided she
needed a change of scenery and moved to Vermont to run a bed and
breakfast. She moved around several times, trying to decide what
to do, and finally made up her mind to come back to Buffalo. She
purchased the 1891 mansion that was to become the Elmwood
Village Inn in 2004, and decided to become a hospitality entrepreneur.
Her local knowledge paid off – Karen had picked a fantastic
neighbourhood. The Elmwood Village has been chosen as one of the
Top 10 Neighbourhoods across America. She decided to get to work
and started fixing up the Victorian mansion. It needed a lot of
work as it had been quite run down from many years as a lodging
house. Karen set about to create more of an open concept on the
main floor and created a total of five new bathrooms, some of them
were converted from former closets. Much of the infrastructure of
the house had to be changed: a new furnace, new central air conditioning
and a separate furnace for the third floor had to be installed.
Karen has done a lot of work to turn this historic abode into a
modern bed and breakfast with lots of unique character.
Karen's room
We started our house tour in the open-concept salon on the main
floor that features interesting treasures from Karen’s various
travels. This is a popular place for gatherings among guests, and
Karen also makes this space available for meetings, poetry readings,
fundraisers and other special events. She also showed me her ingenious
office-bedroom that is separated from the living room area by a
rotating bookshelf that easily transforms her office into a private
retreat.
On the second floor are three different suites: the Master Suite,
featuring a large king size bed that can be adjusted to two twin
beds, and a huge luxurious bathroom; the Middle Suite, decorated
in more traditional furnishings and featuring a bathroom with marble
walls, floors and ceilings and a Caribbean inspired open shower;
and the Middle Eastern Room which is decorated in earthy tones and
features artistic pieces from all different parts of the world.
The private bathroom for the Middle Eastern Suite is located just
across the hall and again features marble walls and floors and a
deluxe glass shower and deep bathtub. In the hallway is a kitchenette
that allows guests to prepare their own small meals. Unique paintings
and sculptures adorn the hallways and the bedrooms.
The warm earth tones of the Middle Eastern Room
Our ascent continued to the second floor, past original stained
glass windows in the staircase, to the Skylight Suite which is a
fully self-contained apartment under the roof on the second floor.
The bedroom features a double bed and a sitting area; right next
to it is a fully equipped kitchen with a dining area. Slate floors
enhance the kitchen and the bathroom, and the slanted roofline adds
to the coziness of this completely self-contained unit that is very
popular with families.
Karen also provided me with a bit of background about Buffalo which
offers a surprising number of tourist attractions. The Albright-Knox
Art Gallery is not far way from the Elmwood Village Inn, and more
than 50 private and public art galleries attract visitors from near
and far. The Shea’s Performing Arts Center and the Buffalo
Philharmonic Orchestra are also within easy reach. Architecture
lovers will enjoy the Frank Lloyd Wright designed Darwin Martin
House, as well as stunning late 19th and early 20th century architecture
downtown. Frederick Law Olmstead, the famous landscape architect
that created Central Park in New York City, designed several parks
in this city. Buffalo’s impressive city hall is a monumental
homage to Art Deco architecture.
The spacious Skylight Suite
The Elmwood Village area in particular is a popular destination
within the city. Every summer the Elmwood Avenue Festival of the
Arts brings thousands of out-of-town visitors into the city, enticing
them with an artist’s market, live performances, environmental
and cultural demonstrations, and a diverse palette of food offerings
from a wide range of vendors. More than 40 restaurants, bars and
bistros line the local streets, and eclectic boutiques and shops
provide great opportunities for shopping. The Elmwood Village Inn
is located smack dab in the middle of this charming neighbourhood.
Our stay in Buffalo was very brief since it was essentially our
basis to easily access the Buffalo Airport that was the starting
point for our Puerto Rican getaway. In addition, our short time
in Buffalo was rather snowy and cold, certainly not the ideal weather
for local discoveries. But Buffalo in general, and particularly
the surrounding Elmwood Village area, are interesting, diverse destinations
that are definitely worth a visit. For us the Elmwood Village Inn
was a perfect home base for our short stay in Buffalo, but next
time I am definitely planning to come in the summer and spend some
more time to explore some of the interesting attractions that Buffalo
has to offer.
