Straddling Cazenovia Creek in the southeast corner of the city, Cazenovia Park is most famous as the site of an eponymous 9-hole golf course that's arguably the finest in the city. More than that, though, this is a place of wooded walking paths, serene creekside views, and friendly games of pickup baseball on well-manicured diamonds. There's also a swimming pool and an ice rink. When the park was first built, the creek was dammed to create the large Cazenovia Park Lake, on the shore of which stood a pleasant, airy lodge (still in existence today as the Peter J. Crotty Casino) with charming views over the water from the veranda. Athletic fields, a carriage concourse, a bandstand, and gardens almost as extensive as South Park's rounded out the original offerings. In 1925, Cazenovia Park's size was almost doubled by the addition of a golf course to its east end; though not designed by Olmsted, the seclusion of the new portion from the rest of the park means that the divide between Cazenovia's two halves seems nearly seamless. Aside from the lake, which was drained in 1965 due to persistent problems with flooding and pollution (revealing the previously submerged Cazenovia Park Falls; see below), the park remains mostly true to its original design and is in better shape than many of the other Olmsted parks in the city.
A classic working-class South Buffalo Irish pub, but with a side order of neighborhood history. Founded in 1896 as an outgrowth of the long-gone Lakeview Brewery, Daly's is not quite as old as the former Swannie House, but it's old enough, and retains enough of its original vibe, to be a frequent stop on the Forgotten Buffalo Tours of blue-collar old-Buffalo remnants. Knock back an ice-cold beer or cocktail while perusing photos and memorabilia on the walls that rep every era of the bar's history, in an ambience utterly free of pretension.
With an inventory composed in equal measures of jerseys, activewear, t-shirts, and other apparel on the one hand, and sporting goods of all descriptions on the other hand, Burkey's is a friendly neighborhood shop that's equipped to attend to the needs of the athletic-minded community of Buffalo. Locally owned and operated, Burkey's demonstrates its engagement in the South Buffalo community with a range of locally-themed merchandise sold both in-store and at local events such as the South Buffalo Irish Feis and the Larkin Market, and its sponsorship of local amateur sports teams.
Mon-Fri 10:30AM-4:30PM, Sat 10:30AM-3PM
Brick Oven Bistro stands out from the rest of the neighborhood's underwhelming dining scene with its focus on creative, upscale cuisine — especially, as the name implies, a selection of about a dozen artisanal brick-oven pizzas ranging from well-executed classics (margherita, pepperoni, mushroom) to unusual innovations (a Reuben pizza complete with sauerkraut) and paeans to the local cuisine (a beef on weck pizza with Swiss cheese, horseradish aioli, and a kümmelweck crust). If you like your crust thin, this place is for you; one reviewer suggested they'd be better described as flatbreads. At lunchtime is served a selection of sandwiches, the best of which features mouth-watering Angus steak dressed with hot peppers, onions, provolone, and garlic aioli.
Mon-Thu 11AM-3PM and 4-9PM, Fri Sat 11AM-3PM and 4-10PM, Sun noon-8PM·$15-35