23 Comments
User's avatar
Janice Schlau's avatar

An impressive monument to awesomeness! Oh, how I envy these threads oh history!

Expand full comment
Mary Kunz Goldman's avatar

Janice, you should do a room in the Show House one of these years!! It would be amazing.

Expand full comment
kittynana's avatar

Gemuetlichkeit ... I mentioned on another Substack that the Germans have the BEST words! My fav? Panzerschwein. AKA Tank Pig.That's what they named the armadillos when they invaded the US from Mexico during WWII. Hysterical.

Expand full comment
Mary Kunz Goldman's avatar

They have a word that means "homesickness for a place you've never been." I will have to look up what it is. What do you mean, they invaded the US from Mexico during WWII? I have never heard of that. (World War II ... the war that never ends)

Expand full comment
kittynana's avatar

@Mary- they were scouts for the Third Reich. They came in through Mexico who was ambivalent to sides. They didn't get far and were housed at Fort Niagara, among other places, for the duration of the war.

Expand full comment
Mary Kunz Goldman's avatar

Ach, du lieber!

Expand full comment
Mike Beato's avatar

I enjoyed reading about your experience visiting the George Urban Mansion. Jacquie and I took a tour last year and found it quite interesting. She wrote about it on wivb.com.

As a homeowner, I couldn't help but think about how much maintenance ($) goes into keeping it in good shape. Yikes! Here's Jacquie's post: https://www.wivb.com/jacquie-walker/a-piece-of-history-for-sale-george-urbans-mansion-is-on-the-market/

Expand full comment
Mary Kunz Goldman's avatar

Mike, I remember Jacquie's interesting writeup! I went to the open house and had thoughts similar to yours -- on the one hand, you love the house, but on the other, yikes! I got the idea from Jacquie's story and from what I observed that the owners were well-intentioned and had good ideas, however they were in over their heads. Life has changed a lot since these families owned these grand houses. I feel another post coming on! Thank you as always for the inspiration!!

Expand full comment
Jerome P. Puma's avatar

Personally, I think it is a terrible shame for the decorator to have painted all that natural woodwork black!

Expand full comment
Mary Kunz Goldman's avatar

Oh no, did I write something wrong? I don't think anyone painted any woodwork!

Expand full comment
Jerome P. Puma's avatar

No, nothing you wrote - on a design Facebook group, pictures of one of the rooms showed the wainscoting and beamed ceiling being painted black. I haven’t seen it in person, so I’m not sure what space it is in the house.

Expand full comment
Jerome P. Puma's avatar

Apparently, the woodwork in the kitchen that was painted black was not original to the house????

Expand full comment
Mary Kunz Goldman's avatar

Jerry, these are questions that will have to be answered!

Expand full comment
Jerome P. Puma's avatar

I'll add it to Michele's "when we get to heaven" list.... (Actually, the decorator in your video said it)

Expand full comment
Mary Kunz Goldman's avatar

Haha, you mean the things that will have to be answered in the afterlife? I have a list like that. I'm glad we had this conversation! That is a great idea for a whole separate post -- questions you want to ask in the afterlife!

Expand full comment
Jim Nolan's avatar

Wow, beautiful house, beautifully decorated.

Expand full comment
Mary Kunz Goldman's avatar

It is worth roaming! I thought they did a beautiful job -- a simpler approach than usual. I think the house called for that. You are so nice to read what I wrote!

Expand full comment
Jim Nolan's avatar

It's nice to keep up on Queen City goings-on.

Expand full comment
Mary Kunz Goldman's avatar

I got the idea you were from Buffalo by how you mentioned the Buffalonian who had his turf flown over from Belgium. Where do you live now? It is a pleasure getting to know you on Substack!

Expand full comment
Jim Nolan's avatar

Yes, I grew up in Amherst. My sister still lives in East Amherst, but my wife Isabella and I live in Westchester County today. Isabella grew up in downtown Buffalo.

Expand full comment
Mary Kunz Goldman's avatar

That is unusual, someone who grew up in downtown Buffalo. Where in downtown Buffalo did your wife grow up? I know I am peppering you with questions, but that is the Buffalo way ; ) I grew up in Amherst as well. Lamarck Drive in Snyder

Expand full comment
Jim Nolan's avatar

Well, Isabella grew up on Auburn Avenue, so as a suburban boy that was downtown to me. Not sure if that's officially what that part of Buffalo is called.

Expand full comment