Kaisertown - A Working Class Neighborhood

There is much written and heard of regarding Buffalo's Irish neighborhoods, but you don't often hear about Kaisertown, the working-class Polish section located where Buffalo, West Seneca and Cheektowaga meet. Once part of the Buffalo Creek Reservation occupied by the Seneca Indians, the majority of the area's early farmers were German immigrants. But by the late 1890s, an increasing number of Polish immigrants settled here, many of whom worked in the surrounding rail yards. The Polish community soon established a Catholic house of worship in St. Casimer Church, creating competing theories on whether the origin of the neighborhood's name stems from the homeland of early German settlers or the Polish community's patron saint, St. Kazmierza. Today, the presence of the Polish community remains in Kaisertown — in the name of its streets, businesses and churches. So too does the blue-collar vibe. Homes in the neighborhood are well-cared for and among the most affordable in the city, and crime is low. And while there have been incentives for homebuyers to invest in the area as some city residents are being forced to move elsewhere as a result of exploding real estate activity, gentrification appears to be unlikely in Kaisertown — at least in the immediate future.