FREE AGENT

With hectic schedules and various other distractions, it is often difficult for couples to make time to just talk and enjoy each other's company. If that sounds like a familiar scenario for you and your partner, then take a little time for a romantic date of a different sort by visiting the Hallwalls Contemporary Art Center. Stroll hand in hand from gallery to gallery as you take in the best in cutting-edge visual arts, contemporary music or innovative performance art. And maybe after absorbing it all, the two of you can find a bench in the corner and share some intimate conversation among these memorable expressions of art.

Buffalo's economic growth owes much to the Niagara River and Lake Erie. Historically, this body of water has been pivotal in the area's water trafficking economy and is also an attractive natural spectacle. Hear about the commercial growth while enjoying the aquatic visual appeal when you take the Buffalo Harbor Cruises. The cruises feature highly informed guides who tell the stories that have occurred between these shores. They will be happy to answer your questions, as well. Take your camera to snap lots of great views of the harbor and the city. The tour's vessel, "Miss Buffalo II," regularly departs from the dock at 79 Marine Drive.

There always seems to be that little corner of your home that "needs something" and you don't quite know what it is. Let the expert staff at Neo help you solve the mystery. Neo is one of Buffalo's premiere retailers that offers contemporary home furnishings that will add the perfect dash of sass to your home. They also carry such specialized items as scented rocks and a large collection of natural bath products, lotions, and other assorted fragrances. You will also find an equally attractive selection of lighting fixtures, pictures, paintings and various other art pieces that will add just the right touch to your living area.

Transport yourself back in time to an area where classic homes and perfectly planted gardens were the order of the day. The Parkside Garden Tour is a self-guided tour of the impressive Parkside neighborhood that features over 50 gorgeous gardens. Parkside is an area of Buffalo that was designed by Frederick Law Olmsted and has the distinction of being listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In addition to the stunning gardens, you'll also get to view various 19th century homes along the tour route.