The Buffalo walking tour organized by the International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) gave students an opportunity to learn about downtown Buffalo this past Saturday.
Over 20 international students joined the three-hour tour in order to explore the culture and history of downtown Buffalo.
"I think (the tour) was pretty nice, and I learned a lot about American history," said Yajuan Xiang, a graduate student in early childhood education.
The tour was guided by Todd Mitchell, an ISSS volunteer who has been introducing downtown Buffalo to UB students for three years. He started with a warm welcome and a brief history of downtown Buffalo, as well as a message that he hoped patrons would take to heart.
"(I want) to help raise awareness of downtown Buffalo; the more we know about it, the more likely we are going to protect it," Mitchell said.
According to Mitchell, many college students who grew up in Buffalo are proud of the fact that they have never been downtown, and there are a lot of young people who were born in Buffalo who don't know anything about it.
Mitchell started the tour at Main Street and explained the history of the theater district that was built there in 1925.
"The owner built this theater district for average people so they could afford the price of admission and be treated like someone special when they were in it," Mitchell said.
According to Jessica Kumro, an ISSS worker, Shea's Theater has recently undergone many innovations and now plays Broadway shows and concerts.
Next, the crowd visited the M&T Bank and walked to West Chippewa Street to witness the change of downtown. According to Mitchell, Chippewa Street used to be a street associated with crime and overrun with prostitutes. When the first store (Prima Pizza-Pasta) opened on this street 20 years ago, the area started to visibly improve.
Another hallmark of downtown Buffalo its great architectural style. According to Mitchell, one of the most important architectural designs in the United States is the Prudential Building, designed by Louis Sullivan in 1894. Its most notable feature is its clean, vertical elements.
UB students also had a chance to stop by City Hall and take pictures, as well as visit the Statler Golden Hotel, which was built in 1904 and is one of the best preserved and most spectacular buildings in downtown Buffalo.
Many of the students who participated in the tour said they would visit downtown again.
