Buffalo’s East Side is one of the largest neighborhoods in the city, situated just east of downtown and stretching five miles to the city border. It encapsulates many smaller neighborhoods between Main Street on the west and the town of Cheektowaga on the east, each with its own distinct characteristics and populations. The East Side began as a mixed industrial and residential area that developed as the areas near downtown and the Erie Canal became densely populated and people began to look eastward for room to grow. The residential population increased as people sought to live near where the jobs were plentiful.
Some of the earliest arrivals to the east side were Germans who arrived after the completion of the Erie Canal. By 1850, about a third of the city’s population was German, living in what became known as the German Village, as well as the Ellicott District and the Fruit Belt, named for the fruit trees grown there.
A small community of African Americans initially settled in the Michigan Street area early in Buffalo’s history and remained for many years. In the 20th century, a large number of Black migrants arrived during the Great Migration and settled on the East Side, establishing community traditions and cultural centers that continue today.
Polish immigration to the United States began in earnest around 1850, with new arrivals settling in the Broadway and Fillmore area. The area around St. Stanislaus Church became the heart of Buffalo’s Polonia district, where the establishment of many Polish cultural and architectural landmarks have left an indelible impression on the community.
Undated postcard with views of Buffalo's East Side in the Twentieth Century