Monday, November 12, 2007

On the road again

I'm sitting in a motel room on the outskirts of Buffalo, NY. (Glamorous, I know.) I'm on a little research trip, looking at old issues of the Buffalo Evening News and the Courier Express on microfilm at the library at the local college. (Remember Evelyn and the torso murder? I'm back on that at the moment. If I can't get motivated to read for comps, I'm going to work on something else.)

While I'm here, I figured I'd do a little cross-border shopping. I went to my very first Target, and ... it's just like Zellers! Maybe I'll do some yarn shopping and get something fancy I can't get at home, like (seriously) Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride. The problem with googling "Buffalo yarn" or "Buffalo knitting" is that you end up with results about knitting with buffalo. This amuses me. Or you have to figure out whether, say, Williamsville is actually in Buffalo. (Yes, it appears to be.) Why are there so many different "towns" here?

OK, I'm just rambling now. Maybe it's time to venture out and eat beef on weck. If you don't hear from me again in a few days, send help...

17 comments:

JillyB said...

Ah, Alison, I must dispute your comment that Target is "just like Zellers." Yes, they do carry the same range of items, but I find the products at Target to be of a higher quality than Zellers, especially in the clothing and housewares. Since moving to Montreal from the States 2 1/2 years ago, Target is one of the few things that I miss. That, and American ketchup (it is less sweet), but at least that is easy to bring back with me. :)

lori said...

I grew up cross border shopping in Buffalo...and the surrounding towns with complicated seeming names (i.e.: Cheektowaga)! In my memories, its always so grey and industrial.

A few years ago, my dad and I were driving from somewhere, Cape Cod I think, back to the Canadian "steel town". We drove through a beautiful historic district of Buffalo. I have no idea where it is, but there a neighborhood filled with beautiful homes with large green lawns.

Enjoy your stay and the strong dollar!

vicki said...

Howdy! I live in the outskirts of Buffalo at the moment - the southern outskirts. It generally takes about 15 minutes to get anywhere around here, so even if you find a yarn shop that isn't in Buffalo proper, it's probably still not particularly far away.

PS - I've lived here for over three years now, and still haven't had beef on weck. =)

Jen said...

Have you ever used Knitmap? It might be useful for finding local yarn shops.

jennie said...

I followed the link, since i didn't know what your research was all about. 1. Totally interesting. and 2. I must be tired, because I'm still laughing at your response to the question about your title [Something Clever: What it's really about.] Are we really all so predictable? answer: yes.

Anonymous said...

Buffalo, my hometown! You must also have some wings, yum yum yum.

Anonymous said...

I used to live in Rochester, about 60 minutes east of buffalo, there's a great store there called Spirit Work.. the ladies are nice, selection is great, and it's huge!

Steph said...

But does Target have an equivalent to Zeddy, the Zellers Teddy Bear? No?

Danica said...

I second the comment that Target is superior to Zellers. I think Target is more hip than Zellers, especially in the clothing departments. On my own trip back to a major US city, my top two priorities were Mexican food and Target.

Kate said...

TARGET RULES. ZELLERS DROOLS. Don't you talk bad about my target like that. There's a yarn shop on Elmwood. I went there YEEEEEEEEEARS ago.

Elmwood Yarn Shop
1639 Hertel Avenue Buffalo
Phone: (716)-834-7580

Have Ewe Any Wool? Yarn Shop
4551 Main Street - Snyder, NY 14226 - 716.839.7800

Karma Knitting
5459 Main St. Buffalo
Phone: (716)-631-9276

The Woolly Lamb
712 Main St. East Aurora
Phone: (716)-655-1911

Yarn It All
6949 Bear Ridge Rd. N. Tonawanda
Phone: (716)-692-3456

A Bit Of Magic (I THINK this is the one I lived near and it was very acrylic-y, but I'm not sure)
4635 Tonawanda Creek North Tonawanda
Phone: (716)-812-8290

Dude. If you go to Rochester, there are TONS of stores there. I'd go to the Village yarn and fiber shop. It moved to the pianoworks plaza in Penfield. My mom knows that you have her number. You can always call her to ask, but they're driving up here on Saturday. Have you had Buffalo wings? Have you gone to Wegmans? Oh how I miss Wegmans. Sigh. Buffalo. I miss you. Not glamorous, but still great.

Chris said...

Commenting from Minnesota, home of Target... :)

Katie Peek said...

I grew up near Buffalo, and I must say, November is not the most picturesque time of year to visit. I hope the bleakness doesn't forever mar your opinion of that beautiful city. Enjoy some chicken wings!

Anonymous said...

Did you try knitmap.com? Someone added several Buffalo and Rochester knit shops, it may help you. Wish I could come help you find them!

stephanie said...

delurking to say, welcome! (even for a quick visit)...been in bflo for almost 14 years now and live down the street from a yarn shop :)

how long you in town for?

jodi said...

During my time here in grad school in the States I've come to love Target deeply. It's indeed just like Zellers, except for one important difference: there is never a hold up in the checkout line at Target. Things that are marked on the shelf as on sale actually scan at the sale price, nobody ever has to dispute anything or change a receipt roll or call a manager or any of the other things that always seem to keep me waiting endlessly in line at Zellers.

If you go back again before you head home, you should pick up a bag of Archer Farms Zen Party trail mix. Some days at school I pretty much live on that stuff.

jodi said...

Oh yeah, and the quality is far superior, especially in clothes and shoes. I buy a LOT of shoes at Target. Too many.

kate said...

Holy cow, I wish I'd kept up with your blog so I'd have known you were coming to Bflo. I'd have picked you up and taken you on a tour de yarn shops. If you come here again do let me know!