Roosevelt Plaza: A Small Space With Big Impact

This article was originally published on Arian Horbovetz’s blog, The Urban Phoenix. It is shared here with permission. All images for this piece were provided by the author.

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Cities contain spaces that draw you in. Sometimes these can be massive undertakings, such as The High Line in NYC or Millennium Park in Chicago. But often it’s a smaller swath of public space that makes us feel like we are in a special setting that pleases the senses.

For me, one of those spaces is Roosevelt Plaza in downtown Buffalo. With the historic M&T Bank Building and The Electric Tower landmark setting the backdrop, this tiny triangle of urban charm appeals to the the lover of city life in so many ways.

With places to sit and enjoy the view mixed with the perfect amount of greenery to calm the mind, Roosevelt Plaza dares you walk by without spending at least a moment to relax and breathe.

Served diligently by Buffalo’s Metro Rail and complimented by Overwinter Coffee, Fattey Beer Co., and Graylinn, an elevated gin bar, Roosevelt Plaza has plenty of destinations that feed the desire for caffeinated daydreams and adult beverages.

Roosevelt Plaza is the culmination of fantastic micro-urban design blended with fabulous public and private investment. Next time you’re in Buffalo, check out this little parcel of urban perfection.

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Arian Horbovetz (Twitter: @Arianhorbovetz) is a longtime Strong Towns contributor in Rochester, New York. This post is republished from his blog, The Urban Phoenix. You can also check out the Urban Phoenix Podcast for more of Arian’s work.