Buffalo - Buffalo

For andre steder med samme navn, se Buffalo (disambiguation).

Buffalo er en enorm by med flere distrikt artikler, der indeholder information om specifikke seværdigheder, restauranter og indkvartering.

Den største by i New York State's Niagara Frontier, Bøffel er en by fuld af overraskelser. Selvom Buffalo undertiden er en vittighed om kyllingevinger, dens langmodige sportshold og bjergene med sne, hvor den angiveligt er begravet hver vinter, fortæller lokale beboere og andre, der er i viden, en anden historie: en af ​​levende natteliv, museer i verdensklasse og kulturelle attraktioner, stramme kvarterer med fællesskabsånd og en ægte sans for sted, en vindende kombination af høj livskvalitet og lave leveomkostninger - og de mest solrige somre i det nordøstlige USA.

Distrikter

Buffalo regioner - Farvekodet kort

Downtown Buffalos centrale forretningsdistrikt kan prale med monumental arkitektur, en genoplivet historisk havnefront, den pulserende Teaterdistrikt, de dunkende danseklubber i Chippewa Street, og Medicinsk korridor.

Allentown og Delaware District Allentowns hipsterbarer, rockklubber og kunstgallerier er en livlig modstykke til det rolige Delaware-distrikts stille boliggader. Begge er himlen for arkitekturinteresserede, med charmerende victorianere langs sidegaderne ud for Allen Street og overdådige palæer i Gilded Age på Delaware Avenue's Millionærs række.

Elmwood Village Hvad der engang var Buffalo State CollegeStudenterghetto er nu blevet en bourgie-oase i hjertet af byen: hvis du har penge til at brænde, de quirky modebutikker og gavebutikker langs Elmwood Avenue kalder dit navn (det går dobbelt, hvis din smag løber mere mod det "grundlæggende" end det trendy). I mellemtiden, i den nordlige ende af stripen, er Museum District er hjemsted for nogle af Buffalos bedste.

Nordbøffel Med mere af en forstadsfølelse end andre Buffalo-distrikter, er North Buffalo en forskelligartet hodgepodge sammensat af Lille Italien langs Hertel Avenue, uklar, men behagelig University Heightsog de smukt anlagte, historiske boligområder i Parkside, Central Parkog Park Meadow.

vest siden Buffalos mest kommende område. Langs epicentret for den spanske kultur i Buffalo kan West Side nu prale af et sandt FN af indvandrersamfund og en spirende kunstscene langs Grant Street, uhyggelige victorianske hytter i Prospect Hill og West Village gradvist spruced op til deres tidligere herlighed, og havnefronten parker i massevis. Mod nord er historiske Sort sten og arbejderklasse Riverside.

Sydbøffel Adskilt fra resten af ​​byen ved Buffalo River kan stolt irsk South Buffalo virke som en by for sig selv: mod nord, den historiske Gamle første afdeling og Brostensområde og nyudviklet Larkinville; mod øst, behagelig park og stille gade i boliger; mod vest kornelevatorerne og jernbanegårde fra Buffalos mægtige industrielle fortid; langs søbredden, den ombygning Ydre havn, Buffalos nyeste sommerlegeplads.

østsiden Buffalonikere er hurtige til at spotte East Side som en narkotika- og kriminel angrebet ghetto. De, der er kloge nok til at se bort fra lokalbefolkningen, vil blive belønnet med det kæbende syn på store, udsmykkede kirker bygget af tyske og polske indvandrere fra det 19. århundrede, et pædagogisk kig ind i Buffalos afroamerikanske historie, kulturelle attraktioner som Buffalo Museum of Scienceog andre overraskelser i dette virkelig uden for den slagne vej-distrikt.

Forstå

Buffalo er New York-statens næststørste by med (fra 2010) en befolkning på 261.310 i selve byen og 1.135.509 i Buffalo-Niagara Falls Metropolitan Area. Buffalo er det kulturelle og økonomiske centrum i det vestlige New York-område. Skønt det i det sidste halve århundrede med rette er blevet betragtet som en stillestående arbejderklasseby, der har lidt undereffekterne af deindustrialisering, har Buffalos økonomi vendt betydeligt med en ledighed i april 2014 på 5,8%, der løber under den nationale sats på 5,9% og den statslige sats på 6,1% for den måned. Måske overraskende i betragtning af sin historie som et centrum for tung industri, er Buffalo også blevet citeret som den tredje reneste by i USA. Buffalo blev udnævnt til en af ​​Dozen Distinctive Destinations for 2009 af National Trust for Historic Preservation, hvis 2011 National Preservation Conference blev afholdt i Buffalo og var den største og bedst besøgte af disse årlige konferencer i organisationens historie. Andre titler tildelt Buffalo inkluderer en placering blandt "44 steder at besøge i 2009" af New York Times, "All-America City Award" for årene 1996 og 2002, og en af ​​de 10 bedste byer i USA til at stifte familie, ifølge en funktion fra 2010 i Forbes magasin.

Historie

En stor del af Buffalos appel til besøgende er den stadig håndgribelige fornemmelse af dens historie som et vigtigt industrielt centrum. Majestætiske historiske bygninger og steder rundt om i hvert hjørne fortæller historien om en by, der var stor en gang og har alle værktøjerne på plads for at være fantastiske igen en dag.

Begyndelse af grænser

Skønt området var blevet afgjort af Iroquois siden længe før Columbus og regelmæssigt blev besøgt af franske pelsfangere begyndende i det 17. århundrede, Buffalos historie i sig selv begynder omkring 1789, da Cornelius Winney oprettede en handelsstation ved mundingen af ​​Buffalo River. På det tidspunkt var dette sted stadig langt ud over den hvide bosættelses grænse. Det var først i 1793, at Holland Land Company, et syndikat af investorer fra Hollandkøbte traktaten fra det vestlige New York vildmark, der omfattede Buffalo. Jordagent Joseph Ellicott, der ankom til Winneys handelsstation i 1798, følte, at det havde potentialet til at være stedet for en blomstrende by. Han gav navnet New Amsterdam til landsbyen, som han lagde der, selvom det snart blev omdøbt til Buffalo efter den tilstødende flod. (Spørgsmålet om, hvor selve Buffalo-floden fik sit navn, er stadig meget et mysterium - den mest kendte teori, der får den franske opdagelsesrejsende Sieur de la Salle til at udbrede om beau fleuve, eller "smuk flod", som han så, mens han sejlede langs Erie-søen i 1679, er næsten helt sikkert usand; der vides heller ikke nogen bøffel eller bison at have været til stede i det vestlige New York på noget tidspunkt siden den hvide mands ankomst, skønt franske opdagelsesrejsende fra det 17. århundrede fandt nogle, der boede relativt tæt på sydbredden af ​​Lake Erie, i øjeblikket dag Ohio.) Ellicott lagde et storslået radialt mønster af gader og offentlige pladser inspireret af det, der blev designet af hans bror Andrew til Washington DC.; på trods af hans høje forhåbninger forblev Buffalo dog en lille forpost, hvis hovedpåstand om berømmelse under sin meget tidlige historie var stedet for flere vigtige militære installationer og slag under krigen i 1812 (berømt blev landsbyen brændt til jorden af ​​britiske tropper i december 1813 som en del af Niagara Frontier Campaign of that war).

Fra kanalhavnen til "Lysbyen"

Buffalos status som en bagvandsgrænse brat sluttede, da Buffalo Harbour blev udpeget som den vestlige ende af Erie Canal, en stor indre skibsfartsbane efter en meget stridstrid med den nærliggende landsby Black Rock (senere at blive annekteret af sin rival). strækker sig vestpå fra Hudson River ved Albany i en afstand af 583 km i alt. Det mest ambitiøse arbejde med infrastruktur, der blev gennemført i USA indtil det tidspunkt, sænkede Erie-kanalen kraftigt transportomkostningerne og foretog enkeltstående en storstilet afvikling af landene vest for appalacherne økonomisk levedygtigt. Størrelsen af ​​Erie Canal's kommercielle betydning illustreres af det faktum, at Buffalo's befolkning i de første fem år efter dens afslutning blev mere end tredoblet (til 8.668); to år senere, i 1832, blev Buffalo endelig indarbejdet som en by.

Beliggende i skyggen af ​​centrum, Kommerciel slip (set her) var engang den vestlige ende af Erie-kanalen, som blev bygget i 1825, og som forvandlede Buffalo næsten natten over fra en søvnig landsby til en af ​​USAs hurtigst voksende byer og vigtigste indre havne. Det er nu centrum for Kanalsiden ombygning ved havnefronten i centrum.

Buffalos tidlige økonomiske grundpiller var som en omladningshavn, hvor korn fra Midtvesten blev losset fra søfragtskibe og overført til kanalbåde på vej mod New York City; det var i Buffalo, hvor verdens første kornelevator blev bygget i 1843, og der er faktisk stadig mange elevatorer, der forbliver stående omkring Buffalo Harbour. I løbet af anden halvdel af det 19. århundrede blev Erie-kanalen gradvist forældet, men det påvirkede næppe Buffalos eksplosive vækst. I stedet fastholdt byen sin status som et transportknudepunkt ved at skifte til det næstvigtigste jernbanecenter i USA (efter Chicago); New York Central, Pennsylvania, Michigan Central, Nickel Plate, Erie, Delaware Lackawanna & Western, West Shore, Baltimore & Ohio og Lehigh Valley Railroads passerede alle gennem Buffalo på højden af ​​jernbanetiden. Derudover blev stålindustrien en vigtig aktør i den lokale økonomi i 1899, da Lackawanna Steel Company flyttede sin driftsbase fra Scranton, Pennsylvania til et sted lige syd for bylinjen. I 1900 pralede Buffalo med en befolkning på over 350.000 og var en af ​​de ti største byer i USA.

Den panamerikanske udstilling var en verdensudstilling, der blev afholdt i Buffalo i 1901 på toppen af ​​byens glansdage; det var tiltænkt at fremvise blandt andet de teknologiske vidunder og økonomiske muligheder for elektrisk kraft (Buffalos nærhed til Niagara Falls, et sted med tidlige satsninger i produktionen af ​​vandkraft, begavet det med den billigste elektricitet i landet på det tidspunkt). Selvom det blændende syn på tivoli, oplyst om natten med denne nye teknologi, fik Buffalo det vedvarende kaldenavn "City of Light", er den panamerikanske udstillings vigtigste historiske betydning meget mere dyster i naturen: det var på udstillingen hvor, på 6. september 1901 blev den amerikanske præsident William McKinley dødeligt skudt af anarkisten Leon Czolgosz, øjeblikke efter at have afsluttet en tale ved Musiktemplet.

Nedgang...

Buffalo fortsatte med at vokse i den første del af det 20. århundrede. Imidlertid begyndte der at opstå tendenser, der i 1950 ville få byens vækst til at bremse, stoppe og derefter vende om. Som i andre amerikanske byer begyndte rigere beboere at forlade deres hjem i byen for mere stille, grønnere forstæder uden for bygrænsen. Dette begyndte i 1910'erne og 1920'erne - mange af Buffalos ældre forstæder, såsom Kenmore, Eggertsville, Pine Hillog Snyder, dateret til denne tid - og sparket i højt gear under den økonomiske boom efter 2. verdenskrig. Samtidig begyndte den voksende amerikanske middelklasse at migrere i stadig større antal til områder i Vesten og Syd med mildere klimaer på yderligere bekostning af byerne i det nordøstlige. Opførelsen af ​​Interstate Highway System drev forstæder til på samme tid, som det bidrog til tilbagegangen på jernbanerne og Buffalo havn, da varer kunne sendes billigere med lastbil.

Imidlertid var den vigtigste årsag til det frie fald, som Buffalo led i slutningen af ​​det 20. århundrede, åbningen af ​​St. Lawrence Seaway i 1959. Historisk set var Buffalos betydning som havn stort set på grund af den barriere, Niagara Falls udgjorde for Forsendelse. Men takket være udvidelsen af ​​Welland-kanalen som en del af Seaway kunne fragtbåde lastet med korn og andre varer nu få adgang til havet direkte via St. Lawrence River, snarere end at stoppe ved Buffalo for at overføre deres gods til jernbanevogne mod øst . Inden for ti år efter Seaways indvielse var de fleste af kornelevatorerne i Buffalo Harbour blevet forladt, og havnen, der engang var fyldt til kapacitet med skibe, var nu næsten tom. Stålfabrikken i Lackawanna lukkede sine døre for en god begyndelse i 1977, ude af stand til at konkurrere med billigere udenlandsk stål. I 1980 var Buffalos befolkning nogenlunde lig med, hvad den havde været i 1900, ned næsten 40% fra sit højdepunkt på 580.132 bare tredive år tidligere.

For at tilføje fornærmelse mod skader reagerede Buffalo's borgerlige ledere i 1960'erne og 70'erne på de forværrede sociale forhold i byen ved at nedbryde (i navnet "byfornyelse" og "slumfrihed") etniske kvarterer på steder som Ellicott District og Lower West Side, der, selvom det var arbejderklasse, i mange tilfælde var sunde og levende. Især de pragtfulde victorianske hytter i mursten af ​​det, der engang var Lower West Sides "Lille Italien", blev næsten alle tabt af den ødelæggende kugle, mens de nye offentlige boligprojekter, der blev rejst i Ellicott District, snart blev højhøjede versioner af de slumkvarterer, de erstattet, da den blotte opførelse af nye bygninger ikke gjorde noget for at løse de underliggende sociale problemer i nabolaget. Samtidig blev der konstrueret støjende og påtrængende motorveje direkte gennem Delaware Park og Humboldt Parkway, hvilket ødelagde den grønne stemning i henholdsvis den største park og den største parkvej designet af byen af ​​landskabsarkitekt Frederick Law Olmsted; heldigvis sparede kraftig modstand fra kvarterets beboere Allentown Historic District en lignende skæbne. I centrum opstod kun et af de mange eksempler på den meningsløse ødelæggelse af Buffalos arkitektoniske arv i 1969, da flere blokke af smukke victorianske kommercielle blokke samt den fantastiske, kastelagtige Erie County Savings Bank-bygning blev revet ned for at give plads til Main Place Tower, et kedeligt modernistisk kontortårn med et tilknyttet indkøbscenter i forstadsstil, der fuldstændigt undlod at tiltrække shoppere tilbage i centrum til fordel for forstædernes stripcentre og pladser.

... og genfødsel

På trods af disse alvorlige problemer krydsede mentaliteten i Buffalo aldrig linjen til total nederlag, hvilket var nyttigt, da Buffalos tilbagegang begyndte at udjævne sig i 1990'erne. De bredt baserede græsrodsprotester, der fulgte med åbningen af ​​Seneca Buffalo Creek Casino i 2007, som var blevet præsenteret for byen som et middel til at anspore udvikling og tiltrække turister, tjener måske som det væsentligste eksempel på byens nye tilgang: snarere end Buffalo er begyndt at modellere sin strategi på en vellykket genoplivning af andre Rust Belt-byer som f.eks. Pittsburgh og Cleveland - en strategi for at acceptere den virkelighed, at tung industri er gået for godt og i stedet bruge den værdifulde ressource fra Buffalos usædvanligt høje antal gymnasier og universiteter til at tilskynde til udvikling af en bred vifte af højteknologiske industrier såsom medicinsk forskning og bioteknologiske satsninger, der er spiret nord for centrum under ledelse af University of Buffalo Medical School. Forretningsområdet, der en gang var fyldt med indbyggede butiksfacader og næsten øde efter arbejdsdagens afslutning og i weekenden, har haft en ny vitalitet, der hovedsagelig skyldes konvertering af nedlagte kontorlokaler til luksuriøse downtownlejligheder og ejerlejligheder, en handelsvare, som mange buffalonere var overraskede over at opdage, at der var betydelig efterspørgsel. Derudover kan Buffalo prale af en arkitektonisk arv, der stadig er betydelig på trods af misadventures i 1960'erne, et pulserende udvalg af kulturinstitutioner og en evigt lave leveomkostninger. I de sidste par år har denne nye tilgang skabt en ny styrke blandt Buffalos bevaringssamfund, en hengiven hengivenhed fra dens borgere til kulturelle attraktioner som Albright-Knox Art Gallery og Buffalo Zoo og fortsat diversificering af den lokale økonomi. Omvendt har det, der er tilbage af Buffalos traditionelle tunge industri, nydt godt af mini-rebound i amerikansk produktion efter recessionen i 2008; for eksempel, på trods af General Motors 'økonomiske problemer i den periode, foretog virksomheden betydelige investeringer i sin fabrik i nærheden Tonawanda i 2010 og tilføjede flere hundrede nye job i processen. Skønt Buffalo ikke har fuldstændigt dæmpet sit befolkningstab, og der stadig er meget fremskridt, der endnu ikke skal gøres, er den bit af opsving, som beboerne i "City of No Illusions" bærer sig i dag, endelig genoplivet efter årtiers tilbagegang, umiskendelig.

Klima

Buffalo, selvom det er mest berømt for sine vintre, har fire meget markante årstider.

I den første halvdel af vinteren, der begynder i cirka november, kan byen komme sø-effekt sne: kolde vinde, der blæser over det varmere vand i Eriesøen, samler en masse vanddamp, der dumpes som sne, så snart de når land. Dette slutter normalt i januar, når søen endelig fryser over. I modsætning til den populære myte er Buffalo imidlertid ikke den koldeste eller mest snedækkede by i landet - eller endda i New York. Buffalo lufthavn er i gennemsnit 93 tommer (236 cm) sne pr. Vinter. I gennemsnit har Buffalo kun 3 dage om året, hvor den registrerede temperatur falder til under -18 ° C. Buffalos snedækkede omdømme er i vid udstrækning baseret på nogle af dens mest berømte storme: Snestormen fra '77, "Oktoberoverraskelsen" i 2006 og snestormen "Snowvember" i 2014 modtog alle en masse mediedækning, men ingen af ​​dem ting er normale forekomster i en gennemsnitlig Buffalo-vinter.

Foråret er regnfuldt og køler op i slutningen af ​​april. Temperaturerne kan svinge vildt i marts og april. Det er ikke usædvanligt at se sne en dag, og temperaturen i midten af ​​60'erne Fahrenheit (næsten 20 ° C) den næste.

En typisk vinterdag i Buffalos historiske West Village.

Sommeren har tendens til at være meget behagelig og solrig - faktisk har Buffalo mere solrige sommerdage end nogen anden større by i det nordøstlige USA. De modererende virkninger af Lake Erie har gjort det muligt for Buffalo at være et af meget få steder i USA, hvor temperaturen har aldrig nået 38 ° C (100 ° F). Buffalo har i gennemsnit 60 dage om året med temperaturer på over 80 ° F (27 ° C).

Efteråret er også varmt og smukt. Temperaturen forbliver normalt varm nok gennem oktober eller deromkring, og man kan se træerne skifte farve i komfort. Dagene er varme, nætterne er kølige, og den første frost kommer normalt ikke før efter Halloween. Bladjægere vil være tilfredse med antallet af træer (Buffalo er også en af ​​de mest træfyldte byer i landet!) Såvel som i de omkringliggende områder.

Læs

For flere bøger om Buffalo, specifikt dem, der finder sted i eller har at gøre med et bestemt kvarter i byen, se venligst de respektive distrikt artikler.

• Buffalo Ubundet: En fest af Laura Pedersen (ISBN 9781555917357). Forfatteren er indfødt i Buffalo, som i skrivende stund har skrevet femten bøger samt et antal stykker og musicals, hvoraf mange foregår i hendes hjemby under hendes ungdom i 1970'erne og 80'erne. Af alle disse værker, dog Buffalo Ubundet er den, der bedst fanger tidsånden. Denne samling af humoristiske essays giver en farvekommentar til Buffalos opgang fra morassen med den ofte dystre og verdensmåde tone (måske uundgåelig i betragtning af tidsrammen i hendes liv) i barndomsminder af Pedersens tidligere arbejde hærdet nu med en sund dosis optimisme. Læsere kan i første omgang have svært ved at følge med den stadige strøm af vittigheder og buffalo-specifikke kulturelle referencer, men snart finder de sig tilpasset den lokale kultur på en måde, som kun få besøgende nogensinde oplever.
• Lysets by af Lauren Belfer (ISBN 9780385337649). Det er 1901 og planer for Panamerikansk udstilling rykker frem ved feberhøjde. Louisa Barrett er den ugifte rektor ved Macaulay School for Girls, en kvindelig motor og ryster i en verden domineret af mænd. Hendes stolthed og glæde er hendes datter Grace, hvis far Tom Sinclair er en velhavende industri, der håber at ændre byens ansigt for evigt med sin drøm om at trække elektrisk strøm fra Niagara Falls. Men når chefingeniøren for det hydroelektriske projekt findes myrdet i Delaware Park, er der en grim magtkamp i den lokale elite for at bestemme, hvem der vil være i førersædet for Buffalos fremtid. Midt i det hele - og hendes blomstrende kærlighed til Tom - kæmper Louisa med byrden af ​​en mørk hemmelighed, hvis tentakler trænger dybt ind i Buffalos blåblodsaristokrati. Lysets by er Belfer debutroman, a tour de force af historisk fiktion, der er kritikerrost, omhyggeligt undersøgt og tegner et levende billede af Buffalo i højden af ​​sin gyldne tidsalder.
• Gangsters og organiseret kriminalitet i Buffalo: Historie, hits og hovedkvarter af Michael F. Rizzo (ISBN 9781609495640). Denne løst organiserede samling af hårdkogte ægte forbrydelseshistorier starter ret langsomt - fortæller historier om skræmmende gadebander og små John Dillinger-wannabes, der røver banker på den polske East Side i 1920'erne og 30'erne - men opfanger snart damp, der kroniserer stigningen og fald af Buffalo Mafia-familien og dens respekterede don, Stefano "The Undertaker" Magaddino, der fra sin base på byens West Side (og senere et beskedent ranchhus i forstæder Lewiston) kontrollerede et stort område, der strakte sig fra Ohio til Montreal i højden. Bedst af alt er placeringen af ​​alle mord, skjulesteder, klubber og spillehaller, der er beskrevet i bogen, omhyggeligt dokumenteret, desto bedre er det at gå på opdagelse og spore disse gamle gangsters trin.
• Fremtrædende restauratør-cum-lokal historiker Mark Goldman har skrevet en trilogi af bøger, der er egnede til både akademisk og afslappet publikum, der sammen står som måske den endelige analytiske kommentar til årsagerne til Buffalos tilbagegang, og hvordan man bedst kan hjælpe det med at genvinde noget af sin tidligere herlighed fremover.
  • High Hopes: The Rise and Decline of Buffalo, New York (ISBN 9780873957359). Skrevet i 1983 - måske naderen i Buffalos historie - sporer Goldmans første bog historien om dronningsbyen fra dens fødsel som en grænseudpost, til dens dage som en summende indre havn og industrigigant, til dens tilbagegang efter Anden Verdenskrig. I Store forhåbninger, Buffalo bruges som et eksempel på det klassiske mønster for byudvikling i det 19. og 20. århundrede, dets formuer er uløseligt forbundet med det økonomiske velbefindende i byamerika som helhed.
  • City on the Lake: The Challenge of Change i Buffalo, New York (ISBN 9780879755799). Denne bog bryder meget af den samme grund som sin forgænger - og deler sit format med diskrete vignetter, der mødes for at tegne et bredt sammenhængende billede - men fokus er her på vendepunktet i Buffalo's historie, 1950'erne gennem 70'erne, da herlighedsdage gav plads til postindustriel fattigdom og rødme. Fra racemæssige spændinger og hvid flyvning til dårligt gennemtænkte byfornyelsesordninger til økonomisk disinvestering, By på søen analyserer alle facetter bag Buffalo-tilbagegangen fra det 20. århundrede sammen med resten af ​​Rust Bælt. I skarp kontrast til den pessimistiske tone fra sin ironisk betegnede forgænger er den samlede note imidlertid en forhåbentlig håbefuld, at kun få andre kommentatorer på en dato så tidligt som 1990 turde strejke.
  • By på kanten: Buffalo, New York, 1900-nu (ISBN 9781591024576). På trods af hvad underteksten kan antyde, City on the Edge er meget mere end blot en genopvaskning af Goldmans første to tomater - den mørke tidsalder, som Buffalo nu efterlader, fortælles kun som et optakt til, hvad der svarer til et kærlighedsbrev til kulturinstitutionerne, stærke samfundsmæssige bånd og overlevelsesånd, der har forvitret stormen og tjener nu som fundament, hvorpå man kan bygge den genoplivede Buffalo. Bogens afslutning bryder med den målte akademiske tone i resten af ​​serien, tegner et rosenrødt billede af Buffalos fremtid i bedste tilfælde og lægger en omfattende køreplan for hvordan (og hvordan ikke) at komme dertil.

Holde øje

Historien og omfanget af Buffalos tilknytning til amerikansk biograf kan komme som en overraskelse for nogle. Tidligt i filmhistorien, Buffalo centrum Ellicott Square-bygningen var hjemsted for verdens første specialbyggede, permanente filmteater, The Vitascope Teater, som blev åbnet den 19. oktober 1896 af Mitchel og Moe Mark, som nogle år senere skulle bygge verdens første "filmpalads" i New York City. Også i 1896 sendte Thomas Edison kamerateams til Buffalo, hvilket gør det til en af ​​de første byer i Amerika, der vises i filmene. Edison fik også den panamerikanske udstilling filmet i 1901.

Under ledelse af Buffalo Niagara Film Commission, har en embryonisk filmindustri udviklet sig i området, der begynder at producere nogle kvalitetsuafhængige funktioner. Disse og de mere end 100 andre film, der er skudt i Buffalo-området i løbet af det sidste århundrede inkluderer:

• Skjul i almindeligt syn (1980). Baseret på en sand historie. En arbejderklassemand (James Caan) forsøger at spore sin kone og børn, der er skjult væk af et vidnebeskyttelsesprogram.
• Det naturlige (1984). Robert Redford og Glenn Close spiller hovedrollen i en tilpasning af Bernard Malamuds roman om Roy Hobbs, en mystisk baseballspiller, der synes ud af ingenting for at vende om formuerne for et hold fra 1930'erne.
• Vamping (1984). I dette noirish indiedrama instrueret af den lokale indfødte søn Frederick King Keller er Patrick Duffy en ned-og-ud-saxofonist, der blandes sammen i en skæv antikvitetsbutiks ordning for at berøve hjemmet for en rig enke og derefter ender med at falde ind kærlighed med sit offer. Som film er det ganske vist et lavbudget, amatørmæssigt rod - men hvis du ønsker at få en god fornemmelse af, hvordan Buffalo så ud i 80'erne, er pund for pund et endnu bedre showcase end Det naturligetakket være rigelige optagelser af Allentown, Lincoln Parkway, Larkinville og den daværende nyligt lukkede Buffalo Central Terminal.
• Buffalo '66 (1998). Buffalo-indfødte Vincent Gallo skrev, instruerede og medvirkede i denne kritikerroste mørke komedie om en mand, der efter løsladelsen fra fængslet for en forbrydelse, han ikke begik, lover at opspore Buffalo Bills placekicker, der hele tiden satte ham der tvinger en ung tapdanser (Christina Ricci) til at udgøre sig som sin kone for at tjene respekt fra sine forsømmelige forældre.
• Manna from Heaven (2002). Medvirkende er stjernespækket - Shirley Jones, Cloris Leachman, Seymour Cassel og Frank Gorshin spiller alle roller, og det var den sidste optræden på film af henholdsvis Jerry Orbach og Shelley Duvall før deres død og pensionering fra showbranchen - men hovedrolle tilhører den relative nykommer Ursula Burton, der spiller en nonne på en mission for at overbevise sine excentriske barndoms naboer om at tilbagebetale et "lån" fra Gud, som var kommet i form af et mystisk brusebad af dollarsedler på hendes Buffalo-kvarter 20 år før .
• Vildmændene (2007). Laura Linney og Philip Seymour Hoffman spiller Wendy og Jon Savage, en fremmed broder og søster, der genforbindes med hinanden og begynder at gøre status over deres dysfunktionelle liv efter at være kommet sammen for at flytte deres ældre far ind på et plejehjem i Buffalo.
• Henrys forbrydelse (2011). Keanu Reeves spiller en tidligere Thruway-vejafgift, der efter at have tilbragt tid i fængsel for en forbrydelse, han ikke begik, beslutter at hævne sig ved at holde den samme bank, som han var blevet fejlagtigt dømt for at have røvet, i det virkelige liv.
• Den amerikanske side (2016). Matthew Broderick, Janeane Garofalo og Robert Forster kom alle sammen i denne off-kilter film noir, men stjernen er den lokale første-timer Greg Stuhr. Han spiller en mindre privatdetektiv Charlie Paczynski, der, mens han efterforsker mordet på en stripper i Niagara Falls, snubler over en sammensværgelse på højt plan for at opbygge en urealiseret opfindelse, der blev opdaget i Nikola Teslas nyopgravede "mistede papirer".
• Marshall (2017). Chadwick Boseman spiller titelrollen i denne periode, der følger en ung Thurgood Marshall, den fremtidige første afroamerikanske højesteret, i en af ​​de første og mest afgørende sager i hans advokatkarriere: forsvar af en sort chauffør (Sterling K. Brown ) anklaget for voldtægt og mordforsøg på sin velhavende hvide arbejdsgiver (Kate Hudson) i 1940 Connecticut.

Besøgsinformation

• Besøg Buffalo Niagara, 403 Main St., momsfri: 1 800 283-3256, ✉[email protected]. M-F 9 AM-5 PM, Sa 10 AM-2 PM. Den officielle besøgende forening for Buffalo / Niagara Falls regionen. Deres placering i centrum i Brisbane-bygningen tilbyder information, brochurer og souvenirs. Besøg Buffalo Niagara driver også et andet besøgende center på Buffalo Niagara International Airport der er åben M-Sa 6 AM-7PM, Su 6 AM-6PM. 

Tale

Engelsk tales i Buffalo og det omkringliggende område på en praktisk talt universel basis. Selvom West Side er kendt som hjemsted for byens spansktalende samfund (hovedsageligt Puerto Ricans og Dominikanere), er størstedelen af ​​Buffalos latinere i stand til at tale både engelsk og spansk. Også på Vestsiden er der en forskelligartet samling af samfund af første generations indvandrere centreret omkring Grant Street, hvoraf de fleste taler en vis grad engelsk ud over deres modersmål (amharisk, somalisk, vietnamesisk, burmesisk og bengalsk er fremtrædende. ). Under alle omstændigheder har besøgende på West Side ingen væsentlige problemer med hensyn til sprog.

Selvom Buffalos kvarterer indeholder mange livlige etniske enklaver, kan meget få beboere i disse distrikter (bortset fra måske nogle få ældre individer) tale mere end et ord eller en sætning eller to af deres respektive forfædres sprog.

Den regionale dialekt af engelsk, der tales i Buffalo - især blandt italienere og polakker i arbejderklassen - falder inden for rammerne af det nordamerikanske engelsk, med den hårde, nasale, let klemte vokal i ord som "bil" og "stop "og defricatisering af den hårde" th "lyd (hvorved" dette "og" det "bliver" dis "og" dat "), en dialekt, der straks vil være kendt for dem, der husker" Da Bears "-gutterne fra Saturday Night Live. Ikke desto mindre involverer Buffalos twist på dialekt Inland North nogle unikke træk, såsom at fordømme stemmeord-endelige plosiver ("kold" bliver "hingst", "tæppe" bliver "ruck") og en vane med at afslutte sætninger med ordet "der" (udtalt "tør") på samme måde som kanadiere bruger "eh?" - to talemønstre, der er notorisk udbredt blandt Buffalos polske samfund.

Hop ind

Med fly

På trods af dette fotografi er den Buffalo Niagara International Airport er den travleste lufthavn i Upstate New York.

• Buffalo Niagara International Airport (BUF ^IATA), ☎ 1716 630-6000. The Buffalo Niagara International Airport serves Buffalo as well as Niagara Falls, the rest of Western New York, Northwest Pennsylvania, and Southern Ontario. The airport is particularly popular with the latter group; Canadians looking for fares lower than those found at Toronto Pearson make up about 40% of the Buffalo Niagara International Airport's passengers. The Buffalo Niagara International Airport is served by American, Delta, Frontier, JetBlue, Southwest, and United, with about 110 nonstop flights per day to Atlanta, Austin, Baltimore, Boston, Charlotte, Chicago (Midway and O'Hare), Dallas/Fort Worth, Denver, Detroit, Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers (seasonally), Jacksonville (seasonally), Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Miami (seasonally), Minneapolis/St. Paul, Nashville, Newark, New York (JFK and LaGuardia), Orlando, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Raleigh/Durham, Tampa, and Washington (Dulles and Reagan National). International flights are handled by low-cost charter carrier Vacation Express, with seasonal routes to Cancún, Montego Bayog Punta Cana.

From the airport, Buffalo is accessible via four NFTA bus routes:

• NFTA Metro Bus #24 — Genesee runs four different routes, three of which serve the airport. Bus #24B and Bus #24L run between the airport and Canalside via Genesee Street, also serving the Municipal Transportation Center. The latter of the two is advertised as a more convenient service with a limited number of intermediate stops, but in reality the difference in travel time between the L and the B is insignificant (42-43 minutes vs. 47-48 minutes), so it doesn't really matter which one you take. Express service is offered Monday through Friday by Bus #24X, with four inbound trips in the morning (leaving the airport at 6:03AM, 7:03AM, 7:33AM, and 8:03AM) and four outbound ones in the afternoon (leaving Canalside at 3:50PM, 4:20PM, 4:45PM, and 5:20PM). Travel time to and from the airport is about half an hour. Finally, if you plan to take the bus back to the airport at the end of your visit, make sure not to board Bus #24A, whose route ends at the city line in a not-very-nice neighborhood.
• NFTA Metro Bus #47 — Youngs Road runs 15 times per day from Monday to Friday from the airport through Williamsville to the University Metro Rail Station, from which point downtown is easily accessible via the subway.
• NFTA Metro Bus #68 — George Urban Express makes one trip in each direction Monday through Friday between the airport and the Buffalo-Exchange Street Amtrak station downtown, leaving the airport at 6:56AM and leaving the train station at 4:38PM. Outbound trips (towards the airport) also serve the Buffalo Metropolitan Transportation Center.

In addition, the Buffalo Niagara International Airport is served directly by a number of intercity bus lines; see the "By bus" section. All buses, NFTA and long-distance, are boarded at the bus lane on the east side of the terminal, on the arrivals level. This is also where Uber and Lyft (see "Ride sharing" section below) pick up.

Buffalo Airport Taxi's stand, as well as a number of rental car facilities, are found directly across from the terminal's main exit, on the arrivals level. For more information on taxi service and car rental, see the "Get around" section below.

For those who are coming by private plane and want to avoid the congestion of Buffalo Niagara International Airport, the closest alternative is Buffalo Airfield in West Seneca. Other general-aviation airports in the vicinity include Buffalo Lancaster Regional Airport in Lancaster, Akron Airport in Akronog North Buffalo Suburban Airport in Lockport.

By car

The New York State Thruway (Interstate 90) runs east to west and connects Buffalo to other major cities and regions — New York City, the Hudson Valley, Albany, Utica, Syracuseog Rochester to the east, and Erie and Cleveland to the west. The New York State Thruway is a toll highway over most of its length, with the sole exception of the toll-free portion between Exits 50 and 55, which roughly corresponds to Buffalo's inner-ring suburbs. The New York State Thruway Authority accepts E-ZPass for toll payment, as well as cash.

Interstate 190 begins at Exit 53 of I-90 near the city line, extending west into downtown. At that point, it turns northward and mostly parallels the Niagara River, linking Buffalo to Niagara Falls and extending onward to Canada via the Lewiston-Queenston Bridge. Interstate 290 links I-90 with I-190 via Buffalo's northern suburbs. Interstate 990 runs southwest-to-northeast through suburban Amherst between I-290 and the hamlet of Millersport, after which point Lockport is easily accessible via NY 263 (Millersport Highway) and NY 78 (Transit Road).

If coming from Ontario, the Queen Elizabeth Way (QEW) is the best way to access Buffalo. The most direct border crossing into Buffalo, the Peace Bridge, is at the end of the QEW in Fort Erie. Other bridge crossing options include the Rainbow Bridge in Niagara Falls, along with the Lewiston-Queenston Bridge in Lewiston. All of these bridges are easily accessible from the QEW; follow the well-posted signs.

By car, Buffalo is about two hours from Toronto, one to one and a half hours from Rochester, two and a half hours from Syracuse, and six to seven hours from New York City.

Average wait times at the various border entries vary: at the Peace Bridge in Buffalo/Fort Erie and the Rainbow Bridge in Niagara Falls, wait times over 30 minutes are unusual on most days other than holiday weekends, whereas at the Lewiston-Queenston Bridge, the norm is 30-60 minutes, more on holiday weekends.

By train

Buffalo is accessible from the east and west by Amtrak, which services two stations in or near Buffalo.

• Buffalo-Depew (BUF) is at 55 Dick Rd. in the suburb of Depew, about 8 miles (12 km) east of the city. The Buffalo-Depew station can be reached by cab or (with considerable difficulty) via NFTA Metro Bus #46 — Lancaster.
• The Buffalo-Exchange Street (BFX) station is downtown at 75 Exchange St., near the Buffalo Metropolitan Transportation Center, and is directly accessed by a number of NFTA Metro Bus routes. Unlike Buffalo-Depew, there is no QuickTrak Machine and the ticket office is not open for certain departures. Passengers needing to purchase or pick up tickets for a departure when the ticket office is closed will need to do so in advance of the date of departure, or print out an e-ticket from online. Tickets can also be mailed to you, but this option is slower and more expensive. Fares, schedules, and reservations are available through Amtrak.

Buffalo is served by the following Amtrak lines:

• The Empire Service runs from New York City via Yonkers, Croton-on-Hudson, Poughkeepsie, Rhinecliff, Hudson, Albany (Rensselaer), Schenectady, Amsterdam, Utica, Rome, Syracuse, and Rochester, and continues past Buffalo to Niagara Falls.
• The Maple Leaf, which runs from Toronto via Oakville, Burlington (Aldershot), Grimsby, St. Catharines, Niagara Falls, Ontario, and Niagara Falls, USA, then continues to New York City along the same route as the Empire Service.
• The Lake Shore Limited, which, unlike the Empire Service and Maple Leaf, only serves Buffalo-Depew. Eastbound trains on this route travel from Chicago via South Bend, Elkhart, Waterloo, Bryan, Toledo, Sandusky, Elyria, Cleveland, and Erie. Westbound trains begin either at Boston or New York City; trains from Boston proceed to Albany via Framingham, Worcester, Springfieldog Pittsfield; with trains from New York City making stops at Croton-on-Hudson and Poughkeepsie. At Albany, the two routes converge and trains follow the same route as the Empire Service, stopping at Schenectady, Utica, Syracuse, and Rochester.

By bus

The Buffalo Metropolitan Transportation Center, at 181 Ellicott St. downtown, serves as Buffalo's hub for intercity buses, a stop on most NFTA Metro Bus routes, and the city's main taxi terminal.

The following bus routes serve the Buffalo Metropolitan Transportation Center:

• Coach USA

Service from Jamestown via Fredonia, Dunkirk, and various points in between.

Service from Olean via Franklinville, East Aurora, Buffalo Niagara International Airport, and various points in between.

• Fullington Trailways

Service from DuBois via St. Marys, Bradford, Olean, Salamanca, Ellicottville, Springville, and various points in between.

• Greyhound

Service from Cleveland via Ashtabula and Erie (not all runs stop at all intermediate cities).

Service from New York City via Newark, Binghamton, Cortland, Syracuse, Rochester, Batavia, and Buffalo Niagara International Airport (not all runs stop at all intermediate cities).

Service from New York City via Scranton, Binghamton, Ithaca, Geneva, Rochester, and Batavia.

Service from Boston via Worcester, Springfield, Albany, Schenectady, Amsterdam, Utica, Syracuse, Rochester, Batavia, and Buffalo Niagara International Airport (not all runs stop at all intermediate cities).

Service from Toronto via Mississauga, Burlington, Grimsby, St. Catharines, Niagara Falls, and Fort Erie (not all runs stop at all intermediate cities).

• Megabus

Service from New York City via Syracuse, Rochester, and Buffalo Niagara International Airport.

Service from Toronto via St. Catharines, Niagara Falls, and Fort Erie (not all runs stop at all intermediate cities), and onward to the Buffalo Niagara International Airport.

Service from Washington, D.C. via Baltimore and Philadelphia.

By boat

As the place where the Erie Canal met vast Lake Erie, Buffalo's early growth came thanks to the Great Lakes shipping industry. Nowadays the canal has been rerouted to end downstream in Tonawanda, but that's not to say that the canal and the lake aren't still a fairly common, if novel, way to arrive in Buffalo. The West Side, downtown, and the Outer Harbor boast a variety of places for boats to dock. For visitors, the best place to dock is:

• Erie Basin Marina, 329 Erie St., ☏ 1 716 851-6501. Season lasts May 1st-Oct 15th. The Erie Basin Marina is not only one of the premier venues in Buffalo for locals and visitors to moor their boats, it's also a true waterfront destination in itself — the marina boasts two restaurants (The Hatch for burgers, hot dogs, and the like, and William K's for more upscale fare), the verdant Erie Basin Marina Gardens, an observation tower boasting stunning views of Buffalo's downtown and waterfront, and even a waterfront boardwalk that leads to a small swimming beach. As well, the Ship Store at the base of the observation tower (M-F noon-6PM, Sa-Su 10AM-7PM in season) stocks a full range of snacks, boating supplies, and essentials such as sunscreen, and there's also a fueling station. The Erie Basin Marina is within easy walking distance of Canalside and the Naval and Military Park. Transient slip rental based on length of boat, $1.90 per foot per day. 

Get around

For most visitors to Buffalo, access to an automobile will prove extremely useful, if not quite utterly necessary. Buffalo's public transportation system provides access to the majority of the metropolitan area. Travelling around the city proper by public transit can be relatively hassle-free, especially on weekdays; however, transit riders travelling to the suburbs should be prepared for service that is infrequent (and, on the weekends, often non-existent).

The Kensington Expressway approaches its western terminus in downtown Buffalo.

By car

In addition to the Interstate highways mentioned in the "Get In" section, Buffalo has several intraurban expressways useful to visitors:

• The Kensington Expressway (NY 33) begins at the airport on Genesee Street, proceeding westward through the suburb of Cheektowaga and the East Side before turning southward and concluding downtown at Oak Street.
• The Scajaquada Expressway (NY 198) is a short highway that connects the Kensington Expressway with Interstate 190. The Scajaquada is a convenient route to the neighborhoods of Parkside and the Elmwood Village, the popular commercial strips of Hertel Avenue and Grant Street, as well as attractions like Delaware Park, the Albright-Knox Art Gallery, the Buffalo History Museum, the Darwin D. Martin House, and the Burchfield Penney Art Center.
• The Buffalo Skyway (NY 5) begins downtown at I-190, extending southward parallel to the shore of Lake Erie with access to Gallagher Beach, Tifft Nature Preserve, and other Outer Harbor attractions. After passing over the Union Ship Canal via the Father Baker Bridge, the divided highway ends, but Route 5 continues as a wide, busy six-lane surface road (variously known as the Hamburg Turnpike, Lake Shore Road, or simply Route 5) that passes through the suburban areas of Lackawanna and Hamburg and continuing southward along the lake shore.

Buffalo's highway system was designed for a city twice its size (a reflection of the population loss the area has undergone between the 1950s and today); as a result of that, the city does not suffer nearly as much from traffic congestion as other U.S. cities. Rush hour, such as it is, occurs on weekdays roughly from 6:30AM-9AM and from 4PM-6:30PM. A good rule of thumb the locals know is that, even at the height of rush hour, it generally takes no more than 30 minutes to drive from downtown to the outer edge of suburbia.

Rental cars

Rental car facilities can be found mainly at the Buffalo Niagara International Airport. Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Enterprise, Hertzog National all have offices directly on airport property, while the Buffalo locations of ACE and Fox Rent A Car operate out of the Quality Inn across the street.

In addition, Hertz, Budgetog Enterprise all operate smaller car rental facilities at various locations in the city itself. See the various district articles for more information on those.

Car sharing

Members of the Zipcar car-sharing program can access vehicles in the Buffalo area from various locations in the city, as well as from the North Campus of the University at Buffalo in nearby Amherst. See the district articles for further information.

Ride sharing

After what seemed like an eternity of political wrangling, New York's state legislature fully legalized ride-sharing in June 2017, whereupon both Uber and Lyft immediately started operating in Buffalo. As of November 2017, pricing for both includes a booking fee of $2.15, plus a base fare of $1.10, plus 22¢ per minute and 95¢ per mile on top of that, or a minimum total fare of $7.35 (Uber) or $5.20 (Lyft). There's also a $3.00 surcharge for service to and from the Buffalo Niagara International Airport for Lyft, but not Uber. Surge pricing comes into effect during certain periods of high demand, and can inflate the above prices drastically.

By public transportation

Buffalo's public transportation system is operated by the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority (NFTA). They run a single-line light rail system (the Metro Rail) as well as an extensive bus network. The NFTA system is focused around three main nodes. From largest to smallest, these nodes are located in downtown Buffalo, at University Station (at the outer end of the Metro Rail), and at the Portage Road Transit Center in Niagara Falls. Most of the buses whose routes begin and end downtown access the Buffalo Metropolitan Transportation Center directly; many also service the Buffalo-Exchange Street Amtrak station.

The Metro Rail extends along Main Street from the University at Buffalo's South Campus at the northeast corner of the city southward to Canalside in downtown Buffalo, a distance of 6.4 miles (10.3 km). With nearly 25,000 riders per day, the Metro Rail boasts the third-highest number of passengers per mile (km) among light-rail systems in the United States. The northern portion of the system is below ground. As the subway enters the downtown core, at the Theater District, it emerges from the tunnel and runs at street level for the remainder of its length. Rides on the above-ground portion of the Metro Rail are free of charge. To ride in the underground portion of the system, it costs $4 for a round-trip ticket, or $2 for a one-way ticket. The Metro Rail is a popular mode of transportation for employees and residents who live along the line and north of the city to commute downtown, and also for attendees of downtown events who want to avoid paying high prices for parking.

The NFTA eliminated the zoned fare system in October 2010. Generally speaking, rides on a single bus or light rail vehicle now cost $2.00 regardless of length. The exception is the "Enhanced Express" service introduced by the NFTA in September 2012 and applied to Routes #60 — Niagara Falls Express, #64 — Lockport Express, and #204 — Airport-Downtown Express, as well as to selected runs of Routes #69 — Alden Express and #72 — Orchard Park Express. An additional 50¢ surcharge per trip applies on Enhanced Express buses.

There are no free transfers between buses. Passengers who will need to transfer from the bus to the Metro Rail, from the Metro Rail to a bus, or between bus lines should consider purchasing a day pass for $5. For further information on public transit in Buffalo including schedules and maps of individual routes, visit the NFTA Metro webpage.

By taxi

In Buffalo, taxis can generally be dispatched quickly and with ease; however, in general, the only places where they can be hailed on the street are at the airport and around the Metropolitan Transportation Center, the various downtown hotels, and (at certain times, and with some luck) Allentown, the Elmwood strip, and around the colleges and universities.

By bike

As in many cities, bicycling as an alternative method of transportation is growing more and more popular in Buffalo. However, in terms of the development of infrastructure such as dedicated bike lanes on city streets and bike parking areas, Buffalo lags behind many other "bikeable" cities such as Minneapolis, Portland, and Boston. Despite this, scenic bike routes such as the Shoreline Trail and the Scajaquada Creekside Bike Path are immensely popular with locals, and under the aegis of the city's newly adopted "Complete Streets" program, dedicated bike lanes and other rights-of-way are being added to more and more of the city's streets.

GO Bike Buffalo is the local organization that promotes and advocates for cycling and other sustainable transportation alternatives in Buffalo. The Community Bicycle Workshop they operate at 98 Colvin Ave. in North Buffalo offers used parts and complete refurbished bikes for sale, as well as special programs periodically throughout the year.

Reddy Bikeshare has about three dozen bike racks around the city, including this one on Delaware Avenue downtown.

Bike sharing

After a three-year pilot program that was a smashing success, the erstwhile Buffalo BikeShare relaunched in July 2016 as Reddy Bikeshare, with Independent Health newly on board as a corporate sponsor. Almost instantaneously, the bright red bikes and racks became a ubiquitous sight along city streets. Today, Reddy has 200 bikes to tool around town on, each GPS-equipped with Social Bicycles (SoBi) technology. Rates are $8.50 for a 30-day membership or $55 for an annual membership, after which point use of the bikes costs 6¢ and 1¢ per minute, respectively.

To use a Reddy bike, sign in to the SoBi mobile app to find and reserve an available bike at any of the various Reddy racks around the city (or simply walk up to a rack and enter your account number and PIN on the bike's keypad to unlock it). Then, when you're finished, simply lock your bike up at any Reddy rack, or else at any public bike rack within one of Reddy's free parking zones (Elmwood Avenue, Allen Street, Main Street downtown, and two locations on the South Campus af UB). There's a $2 fee for locking a Reddy bike up anywhere other than a Reddy rack or free parking zone. If you need to stop off somewhere along the way, you also have the option to "hold" your Reddy bike, which will enable you to lock it temporarily without incurring the $2 parking fee and without the bike becoming available for reservation by other users. When you're ready to take off again, simply enter your PIN number on the bike's keypad and you're good to go.

See the district articles for the locations of individual Reddy bike racks.

See

For individual listings of attractions, please see the respective district articles.

Museums

Buffalo's wealth of cultural attractions is surprising given the city's somewhat small size. The museums here are many and varied, and are a point of pride for Buffalo's citizens. Arguably the most interesting among them are a great number of institutions that focus on the area's past. Those who are curious about Buffalo's rich history are advised to first stop in at the gargantuan Buffalo History Museum which focuses on the city's history in a general sense, then take your pick of the smaller, more specialized museums — the Lower Lakes Marine Historical Society Museum to learn more about the Great Lakes shipping routes that gave Buffalo its importance as an inland port, the Colored Musicians Club Museum or the Nash House Museum for African-American history in Buffalo, the Buffalo Transportation Pierce-Arrow Museum for the story behind Buffalo's importance in the early-20th century automotive industry, the Buffalo Fire Historical Society for the history of firefighting in Buffalo, and more.

Buffalo City Hall is seen in this view down Court Street from Lafayette Square. Built in 1931 from a design by the local firm of Dietel & Wade, it is widely considered one of the world's finest examples of Art Deco architecture.

Art

More so even than its range of cultural attractions, Buffalo's art scene is huge for a city its size, with galleries large and small to suit all tastes. The Museum District at the north end of the Elmwood Village is the site of Buffalo's two largest art galleries, the beautiful Albright-Knox and the Burchfield-Penney. The Buffalo Religious Arts Center is an off-the-beaten-path gem in Black Rock, dedicated to preserving the statuary, icons, stained glass, and other objets d'art from the many churches and other houses of worship that have closed in the wake of Buffalo's late-20th-century population losses.

Smaller storefront galleries are plentiful, and are concentrated in some of Buffalo's more interesting areas, such as Allentown, the Theater Districtog Hertel Avenue — as well as, increasingly, emerging artistic communities on the Lower West Side, i Grant-Amherst, and just south of the Theater District in the 500 Block of Main Street.

Arkitektur

More and more, Buffalo's exquisite and well-preserved architecture has grabbed the attention of locals and tourists alike. Buffalo's architecture took center stage when the 2011 National Preservation Conference was held in the city to unanimous acclaim. Buildings from almost every decade of Buffalo's existence are still preserved, with more being restored each year.

An enormous wealth of information about Buffalo's rich architectural heritage is available at the award-winning website, Buffalo Architecture and History.

Outdoors

Buffalo is a great place to enjoy the outdoors — especially in the warm months. A side effect of Buffalo's notoriously nasty winters is that locals really make the most of the warm-weather months. Predictably, in March or April on the first nice day of the year, the streets are thronged with pasty-skinned locals, dressed in shorts and tank tops despite the still-chilly temperatures, ravenously drinking in the fresh air and sunlight after the long, bleak winter. Autumn is also a pleasant time to be outdoors in Buffalo, with the crisp, fragrant air a perfect complement to the crunch of fallen leaves underfoot.

The city of Buffalo contains over 200 parks, both large and small. Among the largest and most interesting of Buffalo's parks were designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, unquestionably the greatest landscape architect of the 19th Century, in conjunction with his then-partner Calvert Vaux. Buffalo's Olmsted parks are an interconnected network of six large parks and six smaller green spaces (three of the latter survive today), linked to each other by wide, tree-lined thoroughfares called parkways modeled after the grand boulevards of Paris. Though he would go on to design similar park systems for other cities, Buffalo's is the oldest and one of the best-preserved Olmsted park systems in existence — and the Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy, the not-for-profit that's been in charge of maintenance of the Olmsted park system since 2004, is hard at work repairing and restoring elements that have been lost over the years to put the parks in even better shape than they are now.

Nearly 150 years after it was constructed, Delaware Park continues to fulfill the intent of its designer, allowing citizens of Buffalo to escape into nature without leaving the city limits.

The Olmsted parks that will be of the most interest to visitors are Delaware Park, Buffalo's largest at 234 acres (93 ha) which boasts amenities including the Buffalo Zoo, a Rose Garden and a Japanese Garden, and public art installations, and South Park, which contains the Buffalo & Erie County Botanical Gardens. Additionally, though it's not an Olmsted park, LaSalle Park has an outdoor amphitheater, baseball and soccer fields, a dog run, and walking and jogging trails in a beautiful waterfront setting overlooking Lake Erie.

Speaking of which: as if to defy the ugly, intrusive Interstate 190 and Buffalo Skyway that run along the shoreline, Buffalo's waterfront is becoming more and more of a focal point for outdoor recreation. Situated in the heart of downtown, Canalside is ground zero for waterfront recreation in Buffalo, with summertime concerts and festivals held seemingly every day in the midst of preserved remnants of the historic Canal District. A number of harbor cruise lines are also based at Canalside, as is the Buffalo and Erie County Naval and Military Park.

Parkland is also abundant on Buffalo's waterfront. In addition to the aforementioned LaSalle Park, Broderick Park is a small green space at the southern tip of Unity Island that's most famous as the northern end of the Bird Island Pier, a 1.3-mile (2 km) walkway with an unparalleled view of the mouth of the Niagara River, lower Lake Erie, and — at its southern tip — the Erie Basin Marina and downtown. Further north, Riverside Park is an Olmsted park at the far northwest corner of the city, adjacent to the Niagara River. Deserving of special mention is the Outer Harbor, a vast expanse of former industrial land south of downtown that became a state park in September 2013. The Outer Harbor features Gallagher Beach, a pebble beach popular with boaters and windsurfers, as well as Times Beach Nature Preserve and Tifft Nature Preserve, where walking trails meander through wetland habitats filled with migratory birds and native fauna.

Do

Festivals and events

Buffalo's calendar of annual festivals, parades and events is huge and growing. Ethnic pride festivals such as the Buffalo Greek Fest, the Buffalo Italian Heritage Festivalog Dyngus Day play a preeminent role, though a diversity of events of all kinds is enjoyed by citizens. Naturally, the lion's share of these festivals take place during the warm months, but efforts have been made to expand the slate of offerings in winter as well.

The festivals and events listed in this section take place at multiple venues city- or regionwide. For events specific to a particular venue or neighborhood, see the respective district articles.

• Buffalo Pride Festival. The gay rights movement emerged later in conservative, blue-collar Buffalo than it did in many other American cities. However, every year since 1991 in early June, the Buffalo Pride Festival has been helping LGBT Buffalonians and their straight allies make up for lost time, with a festive atmosphere of fun and entertainment infused with a message of tolerance for all people. The Buffalo Pride Festival is multifaceted and multi-venue: it kicks off with a flag-raising ceremony in Niagara Square proudly attended by Buffalo's best and brightest, continues with a "Gay 5K" footrace through the streets of downtown, picks up intensity in Allentown with the Dyke March and a raucous street festival (21 admitted) that sees Allen Street awash in rainbow flags, live music and performances, and street activism, and culminates with the Pride Festival itself in Canalside, a family-friendly event featuring food and drink, entertainment, and information booths. The festival closes out each year with a beach party at Woodlawn Beach State Park in Hamburg. 
• National Garden Festival. This "five-week-long garden party" has, since its inception several years ago, turned Buffalo into one of the premier destinations in the U.S. for garden tourism. Under the aegis of the National Garden Festival fall not only Garden Walk Buffalo, the centerpiece of the festivities that The Atlantic magazine cited as the best event of its kind in the nation, but also many other garden walks throughout the various neighborhoods of Buffalo (and, beginning in 2012, even in the suburbs!) where participating residents design and maintain beautiful gardens in their front yards for walkers to enjoy. In addition, there are bus tours of the area's various urban farms, nurseries, and community gardens, weekday Open Gardens, speakers, symposia and the popular Front Yard Garden Competition. The Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens, the Erie Basin Marina Gardens, Delaware Park's Japanese Garden and Rose Garden, and even the Elmwood-Bidwell Farmer's Market are, understandably, replete with visitors during the National Garden Festival.  
• Buffalo Infringement Festival. This celebration of genre-defying, boundary-pushing DIY art and spectacle by artists who may not have the straight-world cachet or blockbuster budgets of those who display at the Allentown or Elmwood Avenue festivals takes place annually on the last week of July and the first week of August. Displays of music, dance, theater, and visual arts, as well as more offbeat genres such as puppetry, fire art, mime, and "miscellaneous insurrection", can be seen at a multiplicity of venues around the city free or for a nominal price. 
• Jack Craft Fair. Lovers of everything artisanal, take note: since 2014, the Jack Craft Fair has been at the service of Buffalonians and visitors alike with a panoply of decorative and functional objets d'art — the handiwork of over 100 different artists and artisans — for sale every mid-August at a different venue each year. But this is far from your average junk sale: aside from the live music performances, interactive public art displays, and roster of about a half-dozen workshops for those who'd like to try their hand at their own DIY project, the Jack Craft Fair's lineup of vendors is carefully and rigorously curated by founder and lead organizer Sam Epps, the better for visitors to experience the true crème de la crème of the Western New York and Southern Ontario creative community. Free. (updated Dec 2017)
• Buffalo International Film Festival. Founded in 2006, the not-for-profit Buffalo International Film Festival is presented yearly by the Buffalo Film Society in late September and early October with a mission of highlighting the cinematic contributions of individuals of the past and present who hail from Western New York. Furthermore, the Buffalo International Film Festival's focus also includes exposing people in Buffalo and the surrounding region to exciting works of film by lesser-known individuals around the world who represent a diverse array of cultures, ethnicities, and educational backgrounds. An exciting array of workshops and symposia are also presented.  

Sports

Make no mistake about it — Buffalo is a sports town. Buffalonians are doggedly loyal to their teams despite the fact that the city hasn't won a national championship in any of the big four American sports since 1965 — the four fruitless trips to the Super Bowl by the Buffalo Bills and two to the Stanley Cup Finals by the Sabres in the intervening years are losses that local fans have been looking to avenge for a long time.

Major-league sports are played downtown at the KeyBank Center, where the National Hockey League's Buffalo Sabres have their home ice, and at New Era Field in suburban Orchard Park where the Buffalo Bills play for the National Football League.

Buffalo has a number of teams in smaller leagues as well. These teams tend to be more successful on the field than the big-league clubs. Baseball's Buffalo Bisons have won seven pennants in the AAA-level International League and American Association, most recently in 2004; they play at Sahlen Field downtown. The Buffalo Bandits play indoor lacrosse at the KeyBank Center and have won four NLL championships. Soccer fans will want to check out the NPSL's FC Buffalo; matches take place at All-High Stadium on Main Street. Finally, the city's newest sports team, the Buffalo Beauts, play their National Women's Hockey League opponents at the HarborCenter.

In the world of college sports, the University at Buffalo's Buffalo Bulls reign supreme. Bulls football and basketball games are played on the North Campus in Amherst, at UB Stadium and Alumni Arena respectively. Canisius College's Golden Griffins, who play at the Koessler Athletic Center on Main Street and the HarborCenter downtown, also have a sizable local following.

Golf

Golfers visiting the area might want to check out the suburbs first; public and private courses are plentiful outside the city limits. However, those who want to hit the links in Buffalo itself can do so in style. No fewer than three of Buffalo's Olmsted parks — Delaware, Cazenoviaog South Parks — boast golf courses (the former has 18 holes, the latter two have nine), and the Grover Cleveland Golf Course in University Heights is famous as the site of the 1912 U.S. Open. See the district articles for more details on individual courses.

Anglers cast their lines into the Upper Niagara River at Broderick Park.

Fishing

Buffalo is a hotspot for freshwater fishing, with a remarkable diversity of species thanks to its location at the junction of Lake Erie and the Niagara River, which each feature different scenarios for anglers.

In Lake Erie, the marquee catch is smallmouth bass: the Queen City has been recognized by Bassmaster magazine as one of the top three bass fishing destinations in the United States. If you're angling from shore — say, at Buffalo Harbor State Park or Ship Canal Commons in South Buffalo — the prime times are early May through mid-June and October through November, just after the lake thaws and before it freezes again. The bass move to cooler waters in midsummer, but if you have a boat, they're still easily catchable at those times in the deeper parts of the lake. Most of the bass you'll catch will be between 2 and 4 pounds (1 and 2 kg), though it's not unheard of to reel in whoppers of 6 or 7 pounds (3 kg) from time to time. Aside from bass, Lake Erie has some of the best walleye fishing you'll find anywhere, with average catches ranging from 5 to 8 pounds (2.5 to 3.5 kg), as well as muskellunge (especially around the mouth of the Buffalo River) and yellow perch.

The Buffalo River boasts its share of fishing spots too — notably RiverFest Park, Conway Park, Mutual Park, Seneca Bluffs, and other green spaces in the emerald necklace of the Buffalo River Greenway. Despite generations of heavy industry that once left it an ecological dead zone, the river was cleaned up enough by the early 1980s for fish to filter their way in once again, and today a typical catch might include bullhead, largemouth bass, yellow perch, and steelhead trout.

The upper Niagara River, meanwhile, is a great place to catch steelhead, lake trout, and northern pike which teem in its cool, fast-flowing waters all season long. This is also a place to find smallmouth bass in the summer months, when the shoreline areas of Lake Erie are too warm for them. Unity Island is the place to be for river fishing in Buffalo — folks from the West Side's Burmese refugee community reeling in dinner for their families are a regular sight at places like Broderick Park, the Bird Island Pierog Unity Island Park. (But think twice before you follow their lead in eating your catch: though the Niagara River and Lake Erie have come a long way in terms of pollution, it's advised to severely restrict if not completely avoid eating fish caught in local waters. For more specific information, see the New York State Department of Health Fish Advisory.)

Gambling

It's no Vegas, but gamblers have a number of options in and around Buffalo.

The $130 million permanent home of the Seneca Buffalo Creek Casino in the historic Cobblestone District opened in 2013 and expanded only four years later; it boasts over 1,100 slot machines and 36 table games. The Buffalo Raceway, on the grounds of the Erie County Fair in the suburb of Hamburg, has slot machines, video poker, and, in season, live harness racing.

Further afield, there are several other destinations for fans of horse racing, slots, and other gaming (Niagara Falls foremost among them). See the Go next section for more on those.

The heart of downtown Buffalo's Theater District, with its great variety of performance venues, restaurants, and other attractions.

Theater

For a city its size, Buffalo has a surprisingly large, active, and diverse theater scene. Even after the closure in 2008 of the biggest producing theater in town, the Studio Arena Theatre, the Theater District, bounded roughly by Washington, Tupper, Franklin, and Chippewa Streets, has remained vibrant, with Curtain Up!, the gala event that marks the opening of the theater season, drawing larger-than-ever crowds downtown each September.

There are plenty of theaters outside the Theater District as well, many of which are connected to the theater programs of the various colleges and universities in the area. See the district articles for details.

Live music

For listings of individual venues, see the various district articles.

Despite the many directions in which it has evolved over the decades — from the soulful, R&B-influenced "Buffalo Sound" of the '60s exemplified by local acts like Raven and The Vibratos (the latter featuring a young Cory Wells, later lead singer of Three Dog Night), to a thriving punk, hardcore and new wave scene in the early '80s, to a ragtag brotherhood of vaguely jangly alternative acts in the '90s, to the kaleidoscopic diversity of today — one thing that's always remained the same about Buffalo's music scene is its tight-knit camaraderie, its loyalty to its hometown fan base, and, despite the occasional native son or daughter that's gone on to greater fame (notably Rick James, Ani DiFranco, Brian McKnight, the Goo Goo Dolls, and most recently the Griselda Records hip-hop collective), its relative obscurity outside the confines of the local area. Buffalo may not have the reputation of Austin, but as a live music town it's worthwhile for locals and visitors alike.

Major national touring artists usually take the stage downtown. The biggest of the big stars — your U2's, your Rolling Stones — usually play at the KeyBank Center, or occasionally at New Era Field out in Orchard Park. But downtown also has a handful of midsize concert venues such as the Town Ballroom, Mohawk Place, and the Rec Room that play host to second-tier acts. Visitors from north of the border might be surprised to see many Canadian groups that haven't yet "made it big" in the States playing to packed houses at places like the Town Ballroom — long lacking decent homegrown rock radio, local fans have taken a shine to Toronto stations and, as a result, bands like the Tragically Hip are huge draws in Buffalo. As well, summertime brings well-known names to the outdoor Canalside Live concert series, and Babeville, on Delaware Avenue on the northern fringe of downtown, is both the headquarters of Righteous Babe Records, the label helmed by Buffalo's own Ani DiFranco, and the site of Asbury Hall, a concert venue situated in a former church that regularly hosts shows by Righteous Babe's stable of folky indie singer-songwriters and other artists of the same ilk.

Hvis lokal musik er det, du leder efter, er de to hotspotkvarterer Allentown og Grant-Amherst. Allentown barer som Duke's Bohemian Grove og etagen Nietzsches er gode steder at se hjemmelavede rockere og singer-songwriters gøre deres ting - normalt de samme to dusin eller deromkring bands, der spiller "musikalske stole" blandt spillestederne. Selvom det er ualmindeligt, vil du til tider endda se et nationalt berømt navn tage scenen på disse steder (dette ser ud til at ske oftest hos Duke's). I Grant-Amherst er du mere tilbøjelige til at fange country-, blues- eller roots-rock-handlinger - kernen i Grant-Amherst-musikscenen, Sportsmænds værtshus, kalder sig "det ærligste, mest toniske øl i byen".

Fans af andre typer musik er heller ikke ude af kulden: blues viser på Main Street's Central Park Grill er lokalt legendariske, kan jazzfans deltage i store koncerter i det historiske Coloured Musicians Club eller tjek udstillinger om lokal musikhistorie på det vedhæftede museum, og Kleinhans Music Hall, hvor Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra har domstol, er et nationalt registreret historisk sted designet med tonehøj perfekt akustik af arkitekterne Eliel og Eero Saarinen.

Lære

Buffalo er hjemsted for et stort antal private og offentlige colleges og universiteter. Den største skole i området er Universitet i Buffalo (UB). Et af universitetets fire "universitetscentre" State University of New York (SUNY) -system, UB er kendt som et stort offentligt forskningsuniversitet. Af denne grund er det et af 62 valgte medlemmer af den prestigefyldte Association of American Universities. UB har to campusser: den mindre Syd Campus ligger i University Heights-kvarteret i byens nordøstlige hjørne og det større Nord Campus er i forstaden Amherst, omkring 6 km nordøst for South Campus.

Buffalo State College, også en del af SUNY-systemet, ligger overfor Albright-Knox Art Gallery i den nordlige ende af Elmwood Village. Canisius College er Buffalos største private college, der ligger nær krydset mellem Humboldt Parkway og Main Street. Andre colleges og universiteter i byen og dens omkringliggende område inkluderer Trocaire College, Medaille College, Villa Maria College, D'Youville College, Daemen Collegeog de tre campusser i Erie Community College.

Universitetet i Buffalo har en årlig Distinguished Speakers Series, som har været vært for Bill Clinton, Al Gore, Michael Moore, Dalai Lama, Stephen Colbert og Dr. Sanjay Gupta. Disse begivenheder finder sted på North Campus og er åbne for offentligheden; billetter er tilgængelige fra universitetets billetkontor. UB har en gratis serie af sommerforedrag tilgængelig for offentligheden, og Buffalo State har regelmæssigt begivenheder åben for besøgende.

Købe

For oversigter over individuelle butikker, se venligst den respektive distrikt artikler.

Buffalo har en række interessante shoppingområder, hver med sin egen smag.

Elmwood Avenue, rygraden i Elmwood Village, er en overfyldt vej med dejlige butikker, kunstgallerier, fortovscaféer og fine restauranter.

Det Elmwood Village strækker sig langs Elmwood Avenue fra Buffalo State College syd til North Street. Dette område indeholder en række små butikker med en meget "uafhængig" følelse - du finder ikke mange nationale kædebutikker eller restauranter her. Elmwood Avenue's specialitet er fornemme tøjbutikker, der henvender sig til mode-fremad-byere; det er også et godt sted at søge lokalt produceret kunst og smykker, finurlige gaver og nogle af de fineste spisesteder, Buffalo har at tilbyde.

Allentown er centreret langs hele Allen Street fra Main til Wadsworth Streets, men især vest for Linwood Avenue. Støder op og ligner på nogle måder Elmwood Village, Allentown har mere en boheme og kunstnerisk stemning sammenlignet med universitetsstuderende og yuppies, der hyppige Elmwood. Midt i spredningen af ​​hipsterbarer kan du se mange antikvitetsbutikker, små kunstgallerier og tøjbutikker i en mere urban stil.

Hertel Avenue, mellem Delaware og Parkside Avenue i North Buffalo, er hjemsted for et voksende sortiment af små butikker. Hertel er stedet at komme for at gennemse kunstgallerier, købe antikke og moderne møbler og boligindretning, fyldt ud i hovedbutikker som Terrapin Stationog prøv mellemøstlige retter på en række restauranter og bodegaer i den vestlige ende af stripen nær Delaware Avenue.

Grant Street, der løber nord-syd gennem Upper West Side, er hovedgaden til to nyligt genoplivede shoppingområder i dette hurtigt gentrifikerende byområde. Strækningen mellem (ca.) West Delavan Avenue og Hampshire Street, centreret på West Ferry Street, er en kommende kommerciel strip kendt som Grant-færge. En ægte "smeltedigel" med de spansktalende, der har været her i årevis nu tilsluttet sig af somaliere, sydøstasiere, arabere, østeuropæere og studerende i Buffalo State College, er Grant-Ferry derfor hjemsted for en beskeden, men voksende samling af etniske fødevaremarkeder, tøjbutikker og så videre. Også, Grant-Amherst, en kort afstand nord på hjørnet af Amherst Street, blev udnævnt til Buffalos "Bedste kommende nabolag" i "Best of Buffalo 2011" -konkurrencen i Artvoice. Grant-Amherst kan prale af en lille, men voksende samling af kunstgallerier, antikvitetsbutikker og restauranter i gåafstand fra Buffalo State College. Besøgende skal dog advares om, at på trods af det løbende opsving er kvartererne omkring Grant Street stadig en god del "grittier" end steder som Elmwood Village og Allentown.

I 'burbs kan findes den sædvanlige række af indkøbscentre og pladser. Det største indkøbscenter i området er Walden Galleria, på Walden Avenue i Cheektowaga, 10 minutter fra centrum via Kensington Expressway og / eller Interstate 90. Andre inkluderer Boulevard Mall i Amherst, McKinley Mall på grænsen mellem Hamborg og Orchard Park og Eastern Hills Mall i Clarence. I Buffalo i sig selv er der et lille område mellem Delaware og Elmwood Avenue i den nordlige kant af byen, hvor shoppingpladser, big-box butikker og kæderestauranter kan findes.

Spise

Buffalo er et paradis for god mad.

Lokale specialiteter

De kanoniske Buffalo vinger: vinger, selleri, blå ost, øl og fugtige håndklæder.

• Intet besøg er komplet uden at prøve nogle Buffalo vinger. Åh, helt sikkert alle sammen tænker de har prøvet dem, men intet kan sammenlignes med dem, du kan få i Buffalo. (Men vær venlig ikke at gøre det opkald dem "Buffalo wings"; her er de bare "vinger".) Den klassiske opskrift, som stammer fra 1964 i Ankerbjælke på Main Street, er en kyllingevinge steget sprød og derefter kastet i en blanding af smør og varm sauce (Frank's Red Hot for de bedste resultater) i varierende proportioner i henhold til din krydderitolerance og derefter eventuelt færdig på grillen for lidt ekstra kul. Debatten om, hvem der betjener de bedste vinger i byen, er uendelig og ofte opvarmet, men som hovedregel skal du gå til en af ​​Buffalos mange hjørnespor uden for den slagne vej.

Hvis du ikke er fan af Buffalo sauce, vil næsten hvor som helst med vinger i menuen tilbyde grill sauce som et alternativ. Andre sorter, du ofte støder på, inkluderer hvidløgsparmesan, citronpeber (især populær blandt Buffalos afroamerikanske samfund), honningensennep og "italiensk stil" (dvs. paneret og kvalt i marinara sauce). Eller til noget virkelig unik, gå til South Buffalo, som - nogensinde den ulige kvarter-out - har sin egen hjemmelavet stil af vinger, du ikke finder andre steder i det vestlige New York, endsige verden.

• På samme måde: hvis du nyder kyllingefingre, er der næppe et bedre sted at besøge end Buffalo. Som enhver anden by kan du helt sikkert finde dem serveret som et måltid i sig selv, men her kommer de også hakket op og brugt som pizzapåfyldning, i tacos, på salater og - frem for alt - i form af kyllingefinger subs, hele kyllingefingre skåret i Buffalo vingesauce og brugt som fyld i en ubådssandwich, toppet ikke kun med de almindelige underkrydderier af salat, tomat og løg, men ofte også blåostdressing. En variant er stinger sub, dybest set en bøf-hoagie plus kyllingefingre. Enhver underbutik eller pizzeria i byen skal være i stand til at gøre dig til en kyllingefinger-sub, men for stinger er odds-on-favoritten lokal kæde Jim's Steakout, hvor den blev opfundet.
• Uden for riget med dybstegt kylling er en anden lokal specialitet oksekød på vækket, en sandwich, der består af skiver af ømt, saftigt, langstegt oksekød lagdelt på en kümmelweck rulle (en Kaiser-rulle toppet med karvefrø og kosher salt) og traditionelt garneret med peberrod, jo mere jo bedre. Ethvert sted, der serverer varme sandwich, vil sandsynligvis have oksekød på veck i menuen, men de to restauranter, hvis oksekød på weck har det bedste ry blandt lokalbefolkningen er Schwabl's (på Center Road i West Seneca) og Slagteren Charlie (se nedenunder).
• Texas hotspå trods af deres navn blev de ikke opfundet i Texas, men i Buffalo, hvor de startede som et unikt tilbud i områdets græske restauranter (Seneca Texas Hots hævder at være den første til at tjene dem, selvom dette er et spørgsmål om en eller anden tvist). Texas hot er en hotdog, der slynges med sennep, løg og krydret kødsauce eller chili; det færdige produkt minder meget om "Coney Island" hotdogs serveret i Detroit, selvom chilisauce på Texas hots er lettere og tyndere i konsistens.
• Apropos: Græsk mad er naturligvis næppe ukendt i USA, men i Buffalo er det et køkken, der har en overraskende lang historie og bred rækkevidde - der har været en Græsk middag i næsten ethvert kvarter siden 1960'erne eller 70'erne. Men Buffalo har ikke et særlig stort græsk samfund, så hvad giver det? Det hele går tilbage til Theodore Liaros, der åbnede den første placering af den elskede lokale hotdogkæde Ted's i 1927 såvel som den tidskendte immigranttradition med etniske samfund, der kom sammen for at hjælpe nyankomne: efterhånden som tiden gik, kom flere og flere grækere - nogle fjerne slægtninge til Liaros-familien, nogle gamle venner fra hans hjemby - til Buffalo, lærte restaurantbranchen hos Ted og slog derefter ud af egen hånd. Selv i dag forbliver listen over lokale græske restauratører et sammenfiltret web af familieforhold og ægteskaber. Hvad angår maden, serverede disse steder traditionelt amerikaniserede versioner af græske gademad som souvlaki, gyro og spanakopita sammen med sædvanlige spisesteder som burgere og smeltesandwicher. Denne model dominerer stadig i forstæderne, hvilket også er, hvor det er mere sandsynligt, at du løber på tværs af en, der holder fast ved den gamle tradition for at forblive åben 24 timer, en praksis, der mere og mere går langs vejen, da skiftbaserede fabriksjob forsvinder og universitetsbørn vokser mere tilbøjelige til at tilbringe sene nætter med at proppe til testen end at feste. Imidlertid er mange græske spisesteder i byen rigtige - især Panos, Mythosog Akropolis på Elmwood Avenue; Allentowns Towne Restaurant er en bemærkelsesværdig undtagelse - har genopfundet sig selv i en mere eksklusiv retning med stadig mere kreative menupunkter, swankier indretning og højere priser.

Hvis du vil prøve Chiavetta-kylling, er det bedst at holde øjnene åbne for tegn som denne.

• Nøglen til Chiavetta kylling (normalt forkortet til bare "Chiavetta") er marinaden, en hvidløgs- og cidereddike-baseret blanding gennemsyret med en hemmelig blanding af urter og krydderier (veluddannede gæt inkluderer normalt sort peber, Worcestershire sauce og måske ingefær, løgpulver og fjerkrækrydderier), hvor kødet sidder i ca. fire timer, før det stekes på en kulgrill. Resultatet er ømt og utroligt saftigt med bare et strejf af sprød char på huden. Hvis dette lyder lokkende, har du en række muligheder: Chiavettas naturlige habitater er kirkegræsføtter, brandvæsen fundraiser cookouts og andre sådanne uformelle begivenheder, eller hvis du tilfældigvis er i byen i løbet af Erie County Fair, gå til Chiavetta Catering Company's egen stand for at få det direkte fra kilden. Du har det meget sværere at finde det på restauranter: hvis du ikke kan komme til Lockport for at besøge det Chiavettas BBQ Take-Out, kan du prøve Wing Kings på Elmwood Avenue, hvis adskillige dusin sorter af kyllingevingssauce inkluderer en ret nøjagtig Chiavetta knockoff. Og hvis alt andet mislykkes, finder du marinaden på hylden i de fleste lokale supermarkeder (hvis du laver dine egne, skal du bruge ben i lårene for de bedste resultater; bryster absorberer ikke smagen så godt).
• En ikke-kulsyreholdig, mørk lilla læskedrik med en smag, der kunne beskrives som intenst sød og generisk frugtagtig, loganbær er ikke ligefrem hjemmehørende i lokalområdet - bæret blev hybridiseret i Californien i 1883, og drikkevarer, gelé og sirupkoncentrater fremstillet af det var en kort landsdækkende mode omkring århundredskiftet - men kun i Buffalo havde den opholdskraft. Dronning-O var den store lokale aftapper i det meste af det 20. århundrede, men spørg ældgamle her omkring deres loganberry-minder, og de vil højst sandsynligt tale om Crystal Beach, en forlystelsespark i fortiden, hvor den blev serveret ikke kun som en drink, men også i form af slikkepind og slik med loganbær-smag. I dag Tante Rosies er det bedst kendte mærke med en opskrift baseret på Crystal Beach-formlen og ejes og udelukkende distribueres af det lokale Pepsi-Cola-aftappningsfirma (ikke PepsiCo selv, som forklarer sin manglende tilgængelighed uden for Buffalo langt. Tante Rosies fås kun ved lokale sodavandskilder, så hvis du vil have en flaske til at tage hjem fra supermarkedet som en souvenir, skal du kigge efter Johnnie Ryan mærke i stedet, aftappet i Niagara Falls.
• Fiskesteg er en hæfteklammer fra Buffalo, der skylder sin eksistens til den traditionelle overvægt af romersk katolicisme blandt de lokale borgere - praktiserende katolikker var engang forbudt at spise rødt kød og fjerkræ på fredage. Selvom dette forbud ikke har været i kraft siden 1960'erne, har traditionen med at nyde en fiskesteg fredag ​​aften fast. Den traditionelle opskrift ser massive fileter af kuller eller torsk overtrukket med mel, øl-mishandlet og dybstegt indtil gyldenbrun, derefter færdig med tartarsauce og / eller citronsaft og serveret med sider, der kan omfatte pommes frites, coleslaw eller måske makaroni salat. Du kan spise fiskesteg på nogle af Buffalos pænere restauranter, hvis du vil, men dette er stadig en arbejderklassemad i hjertet og følgelig, som vinger, serveres den bedste fiskesteg af de mindre vandhuller og fedtede skeer. Forvent at køer til fiskesteg vil være særligt lange i fastetiden (normalt februar-april, selvom det varierer efter år), når den gamle regel uden kød-på-fredag ​​stadig gælder.
• Buffalo har også sin egen skifer af slik, wienerbrød og slik af lokal herkomst:
  • Svamp slik, selvom det er (i modsætning til lokal tro) ikke unik for Buffalo-området, er den mest kendte af disse, og du finder den i enhver lokal slikbutik, der er værd at saltet. Brunt sukker, majssirup og bagepulver blandes sammen til en tyk sirup og bages derefter, hvorved der frigøres kuldioxidgas fra sidstnævnte, der bliver fanget i blandingen, når den hærder og sætter sig i en karamel, hvilket skaber et sprødt, gitteret interiør . Det hele dækkes derefter af chokolade. Det Fowler's kæde af chokoladebutikker sælger angiveligt det bedste, selvom dets konkurrenter Watsons og Parkside slik ville bede om at afvige.
  • Iselskere, der besøger Buffalo, bør ikke gider at spørge om oprindelsen til Mexicansk sundae, som er indhyllet i uklarhed, men skulle gerne benyt lejligheden til at grave ind i denne salt-søde favorit af vanilleis toppet med varm fudge, flødeskum, og - dette er nøgleingrediensen - skin-on spanske jordnødder. Om sommeren har enhver af de lokalt ejede walk-up-isboder, du finder rundt i byen, den på menuen; hvis du besøger i de køligere måneder, er dit bedste valg at gå til Nick Charlap's Sweets on the Hill i West Seneca.
  • Det Charlie Chaplin, hvor strimlet kokosnød og hakkede cashewnødder tilsættes til smeltet chokolade og derefter hældes over klumper af blød marshmallow og drysset med groft salt, blev angiveligt skabt under den eponyme filmstjerns besøg i 1917 i Buffalo til premieren på hans film Eventyreren. Strawberry Island, i Broadway Market på østsiden, er et godt sted at finde dem; de serverer deres på en pind i modsætning til i logfiler eller nuggets som andre steder.
  • Langt om længe, wienerbrød hjerter, også kendt som englevinger, er flade, hjerteformede stykker butterdej overtrukket i en tyk skal af hvidt sukkeris, der er ideelt hårdt og tørt udvendigt og blødt, klæbrigt og klodset sødt indvendigt. De er en specialitet fra det lokale polske samfund; Mazureks bageri i den gamle første afdeling og White Eagle Bageri i ovennævnte Broadway Market er gode valg for, hvor man kan få noget.

Restauranter

For restaurantfortegnelser, se venligst den respektive distrikt artikler.

Mens området engang i vid udstrækning var domænet for fantasifulde, cookie-cutter-kæderestauranter og "fedtede skeer", er de lokale beboere enige om, at spisestuen i Buffalo er kommet langt i de sidste tyve år. I stigende grad innovative og højkvalitetsinstitutioner har dukket op mere og oftere, og besøgende - selv dem, der tidligere har været i Buffalo - kan blive glædeligt overrasket over de mange muligheder.

På stort set samme måde som med detailbutikker synes hvert kvarter i Buffalo at have sin egen specialitet, når det kommer til restauranter. Generelt set hovedet i centrum for den mest fede spisning, som Western New York har at tilbyde, til Elmwood Village til Græske spisesteder og dudebro sportsbarer, til Allentown at ædru sig op over en tallerken med "fuld mad" efter en aften med barhopping, til Hertel til storslået homestyle italiensk køkken eller til østsiden til grill og soulfood. Og hvis du er fan af de lækre smag i Asien, skal du få din løsning enten på vest siden eller ude i forstæder, i kvasi-Chinatown, der er samlet i Amherst mellem de to UB-campusser.

Apropos: Burmesisk køkken er svært at finde andre steder i landet, men takket være et levende samfund af indvandrere og flygtninge er det sammensmeltet på Vestsiden siden årtusindskiftet er det ganske populært i Buffalo. De to mest berømte leverandører er West Side Bazaar på Grant Street og den lokale kæde Sol (oprindelige placering på Niagara Street i Black Rock; grene i centrum, på Hertel Avenue, og i Williamsville), skønt ægtheden varierer, da begge befinder sig på radaren fra de vestlige New York foodies. Kulinariske purister bør gå til Riverside, hvor de finder et antal alternativer uden for den slagne vej.

Lokale kæder

Steder for de fleste nationale kæderestauranter findes i Buffalo. Imidlertid kan Buffalo også prale af flere lokale og regionale kæder, der er elskede af vestlige New Yorkere, og som fungerer som hæfteklammer til det lokale køkken.

• Ankerbjælke. Hardcore fløjelskere kan pilgrimere til "Hjem for den originale Buffalo Chicken Wing"på Main Street nord for centrum for at hente alle mulige kyllingevinger-T-shirts og andre merchandise, men flipsiden er, at det måske er det eneste sted i Buffalo, der med rette kan kaldes en" turistfælde ", med alle de Uopmærksomhed over for fødevarekvalitet og kundeservice indebærer udtrykket. En god tommelfingerregel for dem, der simpelthen vil sætte sig i en vingerplade, er at holde sig til filialer (to i Amherst, en i Niagara Falls, en sæsonbestemt stand ved Darien Lake forlystelsespark og airside ved Buffalo Niagara International Airport i Cheektowaga): forskellen er virkelig nat og dag. Udover vinger inkluderer tilbud også en række salater, sandwich (inklusive den anden standout i det vestlige New York køkken, oksekød på vækket) og enkel men solid italiensk billetpris. (opdateret marts 2017)
• Anderson's. Siden 1946 har Anderson-familien drevet denne kæde af drive-ins, som er utroligt populære hos buffalonierne, især i sommermånederne. En af Andersons specialiteter er oksesteg; af lokalt omdømme deres oksekød på vækket er af acceptabel kvalitet, men blegner i sammenligning med Slagteren Charlie's og Schwabl's. Andersons ægte styrke ligger dog i deres dessertvalg med et svimlende udvalg af frosne vaniljesager, milkshakes, aromatiserede is, hårde og bløde serveringsis og sundes, der tilbydes. Andersons syv placeringer inkluderer restauranter i North Buffalo og forstæderne til Amherst, Cheektowaga, Kenmore, Lancaster, Lockport og Williamsville. 
• Bagel Jay's. De tidligere ejere af Bagel Bros., som pralede med to dusin placeringer på sit højdepunkt, inden virksomheden blev solgt, er tilbage med de samme lækre bagels, som Buffalonians blev elsket. En bred vifte af bagels i New York-stil tilbydes på de tre steder i Bagel Jay's (en på Delaware Avenue i North Buffalo og to i forstaden Amherst) - traditionelle sorter som sesam, valmue og løg samt innovative dem som tomatpesto og tranebærappelsin - med en lige så bred vifte af regelmæssig eller aromatiseret flødeost "shmears". Der tilbydes også en række morgenmadsmørbrød og mørkbrændt kaffe, mens frokosttid er det imponerende sortiment af sandwicher, supper og salater populære. 
• Slagteren Charlie. Charlie Roesch var ikke opfinderen af ​​oksekød på weck - den ære går til Schwabl's, som åbnede i 1837 i Near East Side og senere flyttede til forstaden West Seneca - men han og hans efterkommere har bestemt gjort mest for at popularisere Buffalo-specialiteten uden for det nærmeste lokale område. Slagteriet af Charles E. Roesch and Company blev grundlagt i 1914 og drives i over otte årtier i Broadway Market, med sin titulære ejer, der også fungerer som borgmester i Buffalo fra 1930 til 1934. Hans barnebarn, Charles W., driver familievirksomheden i originalen Slagterens køkken i Williamsville, Slagterens Charlie i Elmwood Village og fire Charlie the Butcher Express steder i centrum såvel som forstæderne til Amherst, Orchard Park og East Aurora. 

Allentown placeringen af Jim's Steakout.

• Jim's Steakout. Credo fra Jim's Steakout - "Hvis du er oppe, er vi sandsynligvis åben" - har elsket denne kæde for klubberne, universitetsstuderende og diverse nattugler overalt i Buffalo-området. Burgere, tacos, wraps, kyllingevinger og fingre og fastfood af lignende art serveres hos Jim's, men det er deres berømte bøfshagies (hvis klassiske sort er klædt med salat, tomat, smeltet ost, stegte løg og Jim's Secret Sauce) der virkelig placerer dette sted på den lokale radar. Jim's Steakout har fem steder i Buffalo City (i Allentown, underholdningsdistriktet Chippewa Street, Elmwood Village, University Heights og North Buffalo) samt fem forstæder (to i Amherst og en hver i Tonawanda, West Seneca, og East Aurora). 
• Louies Texas Red Hots. Louie's blev grundlagt i 1967 og er sandsynligvis det mest kendte sted i Buffalo, der specialiserer sig i hots fra Texas, men menuen indeholder også andre standard fastfood-hæfteklammer som almindelige hotdogs, burgere, milkshakes, kyllingefingre, pommes frites og lignende . Oprindelsen af ​​Texas hots blandt Buffalos græske indvandrersamfund manifesterer sig også i menuen - cheeseburgere lavet med feta er en interessant mulighed, pitabrød er opført som en sideordre, og græske desserter som risengrød og baklava er tilgængelige. Louie's har tre steder i byen (i North Buffalo, Kensington-Bailey og Elmwood Village) samt fire forstæder (West Seneca, Depew, Orchard Park og Nordlige Tonawanda). 
• Marco's Italian Deli. Marco Sciortino, mangeårig kok af Marco's Italian Restaurant på West Side, har brugt det sidste årti eller deromkring at fodre vestlige New Yorkers kærlighed til hjerteligt, velsmagende italiensk køkken med sin voksende liste over Marokkos italienske delikatesser. Lækre sandwich er reglen her og kan prale af de fineste premium Boar's Head-delikød og oste samt uforglemmelige monikere som "Don Corleone", "How-You-Doin '" og "Glem det". Der serveres også supper, salater, burgere og panini. Ud over den originale restaurant, der serverer en bredere vifte af forretter, findes steder på Hertel Avenue i North Buffalo samt to i forstaden Amherst. 
• Mægtig Taco. Måske den største og mest kendte kæderestaurant med lokal herkomst, Mighty Taco er et mexicansk fastfood-outfit, der blev grundlagt i 1973 og nu kan prale med 21 placeringer overalt i metroområdet. Dette steds popularitet blandt lokalbefolkningen er så stor, at Taco Bell blev lukket ud af Buffalo-markedet indtil langt ud i 1990'erne, og Mightys salgstal dværger stadig dem fra dets meget større multinationale rival. Underskriftsspecialiteter er El Niño Burrito og deres omfattende serie "Roastitos" samt sæsonbetonede tilbud som Chipotle Chili og BBQ Beef Burritos. Mighty Taco er også kendt for de unikke, noget psykedeliske reklamer, de kører på lokalt tv, især i de sene nattetimer.  
• Rachels middelhav. "Synes godt om Chipotle til middelhavsmad ", med en anmelders ord: Hos Rachel vælger du dine favoritter fra en tilsyneladende uendelig liste over kød, grøntsager og påfyldninger, der skal tilpasses til din helt egen wrap, salat eller risskål. Gyro og souvlaki er på punkt, men purister noterer sig: dette sted har en underlig og åbenlyst forkert definition af shawarma (deres version er dybest set kyllingsouvlaki moset med stegte kartofler). Tilsæt på en side - hummus og tabbouleh er populære muligheder - og du er god at gå. Ud over den oprindelige placering, der stadig går stærkt på Main Street i Williamsville, er der placeringer på UB North Campus i Amherst, på Chippewa Street downtown og i Cheektowaga og Hamborg. 
• Teds hotdogs. Hotdogs serveret på dette sted siden 1927 af tre generationer af Liaros-familien har gjort Teds blandt de bedst elskede af Buffalos lokale traditioner. Charcoal-broiled hunde kommer med standard krydderier af ketchup, sennep, løg og pickle relish tilgængelige samt chili og ost til en nominel ekstra omkostning - det skal dog bemærkes, at Teds chili sauce er tydeligt forskellig fra hvad du ' Jeg finder ud af Texas hots. Burgere, fries, løgringe, milkshakes og læskedrikke (inklusive loganbær) afrunder tilbudene. Desværre lukkede Teds originale placering ved West Side-havnefronten i 1990'erne, men kæden kan stadig prale af ni placeringer i centrum og i forstæderne til Amherst, Cheektowaga, Lancaster, Lockport, North Tonawanda, Orchard Park, Tonawanda og Williamsville - eller hop online og se om Teds madtruck "Charcoal Chariot" vil vise sig i nærheden af ​​dig.  

For yderligere kæder, der mangler placeringer i selve byen, se tilsvarende afsnit i vores artikel om Niagara Frontier.

Madvogne

Food trucks er endelig ankommet til Buffalo, og de er en sensation. Der er flere dusin madvogne, der kører i Buffalo i dag og serverer alt fra standard hotdogs og tacos til mere usædvanlige valg som elegante skrabelagte desserter, gourmetfusionskøkken og karnevalspris. Væksten af ​​madvogne i Buffalo har dog ikke været uden sin andel af kamp: I 2013 kom et forslag i det fælles råd, bakket op af mange fremtrædende ejere af lokale "stationære" restauranter, om en vasketøjsliste over nye gebyrer og regler for madvogne blev kun snævert besejret takket være intens græsrodsindsats. For nylig er grænsen mellem madvogne og murstensrestauranter imidlertid sløret: mange af sidstnævnte har valgt en "hvis du ikke kan slå dem, kom med" -tilgang og startet deres egne madvogne, mens et par af de mest populære lastbiler har udvidet deres succes ved at åbne deres egne murstensrestauranter, der også fungerer som forberedelseskøkkener til deres mobile drift.

Nedenstående liste indeholder nogle af Buffalos mere populære madvogne (undtagen dem, der er spinoffs fra mursten- og mørtelrestauranter, men inklusive dem, der startede som foodvogne og åbnede restauranter senere). Foodtrucks kan oftest findes i centrum eller i Allentown, Elmwood Village, North Buffalo og Larkinville; hvis du befinder dig i forstæderne, er kontorkompleksparkeringspladser et andet hyppigt sted. Mange madvogne vedligeholder Facebook-fanesider og / eller Twitter-feeds, der opdaterer fans om, hvor de vil oprette butik.

• The Cheesy Chick, ☏ 1 716 418-2241. Grillet ost er navnet på spillet her, men disse er ikke dine almindelige sandwich: The Cheesy Chick retter tilsyneladende uendelige permutationer af denne klassiske barndom med de friskeste kvalitetsingredienser, der tilbydes. Buffalonikere, der er på udkig efter komfortmad på farten, kan vælge mellem et stadigt skiftende og forbløffende rigeligt udvalg af specialsandwicher; Cheesy Chicks sammensætninger omfatter kombinationer af oste fra standard cheddar til brie og havarti, brød fra italiensk til surdej til kanel rosin til panini og påfyldninger så kreative som prosciutto, coleslaw og friske æbler og pærer. Det beskedne udvalg af ikke-grillede ostetilbud inkluderer en række desserter, salater og (i sæsonen) varme supper. Cheesy Chick's flerårige akilleshæl er deres service, der spænder fra hurtig og venlig til langsom og ligeglad. 
• Den flammende fisk, ☏ 1 716 279-9725. The Flaming Fish blev lanceret i 2014 for at besvare opkaldet fra skaldyrselskere, der søgte efter en Buffalo food truck for at ringe til deres egne, og gjorde det med aplomb: dette er en af ​​de mest ansete lastbiler på den lokale scene. I det store og hele kommer fisk og skaldyr i to former her: den panerede og friterede sort (rejer po-boy er et populært element på sandwichbrættet, og kullerfileter er en brugbar tilnærmelse af Fredag ​​fiskesteg Buffalonikere har nydt i generationer, selvom portioner er et strejf mindre her) og som friske, smagfulde fisketaco, som virkelig er det markante punkt på The Flaming Fish's menu. Priserne er retfærdige, kundeservice er uden sidestykke - det eneste dårlige, du kan sige, er, at deres websted overdriver antallet af tilbud til folk, der ikke kan lide fisk og skaldyr (vælg mellem quesadillas og en bøf-hoagie i så fald). (opdateret juni 2018)
• Frank Gourmet Hot Dogs. "Gourmet" i navnet er ingen vittighed - selvom de med glæde serverer dig standardopsætningen af ​​ketchup / sennep / løg / nydelse, er hjertet og sjælen på dette sted i kunstneriske kreationer som den brændende "Holy Moly", hvor varme af sriracha og jalapeños tempereres lidt af frisk guacamole, den søde og salte "Violet Beauregarde" med ost, crunchy stegte løg og (du gættede det) blåbærglasur og en trofast tage på Chicago hotdog. De rigueur i en by hvor Ted's er kongen af ​​hotdogs, Franks hunde er char-broiled og anvender kun de friskeste ingredienser, hvilket skaber et produkt, der kan holde sig selv med billetprisen i den mangeårige lokale kæde. Hvis du hellere vil sidde ved et bord og stole end at spise en af ​​disse rodede sammenkogsler på farten, skal du gå til Franks uafhængige restaurant i Kenmore. (opdateret apr 2019)
• House of Munch, ☏ 1 716 866-0106. År før de begyndte at dukke op ved andre begivenheder eller bare strejfe rundt i byens gader, var karneval et sted, hvor madvogne let kunne findes - og selv til i dag er karnevalsfødevarevogne en karakteristisk oplevelse, næsten deres egen genre af køkken. What to do for visitors to Buffalo who won't be in town for the Erie County Fair or other such events, yet still want their fix of fried dough (the house specialty), regular or loaded fries, cotton candy, corn dogs, and the like? House of Munch is the answer. The food is reliably good, house-made birch beer to drink is an authentic nod to an old-fashioned hometown favorite, and though prices are high, they're the only game in town for those looking to mine this offbeat culinary vein. (updated Apr 2019)

Take your pick of Buffalo's best mobile cuisine at Food Truck Tuesdays, held weekly at Larkin Square from May through October.

• Lloyd Taco Truck, ☏ 1 716 863-9781. The original and still the undisputed king of Buffalo food trucks, Lloyd made its mark on the local scene with astonishing speed: just a few years after its launch in 2010 in service of a citizenry who barely knew what food trucks were and where their legal status was uncertain, it found itself a local culinary institution in a town where Mighty Taco long ruled the taco roost. Lloyd's fleet now comprises not only four trucks but also two brick-and-mortar locations, on Hertel Avenue and in Williamsville respectively. Wherever you choose to indulge in Lloyd's "high-end food and service at street-level prices" — staples include tomatillo pork tacos, braised beef burritos and "tricked-out nachos" — you can rest assured you're getting free-range, antibiotic- and hormone-free meats and locally grown produce. Wash it all down with an ice-cold Jarritos soda or HFCS-free Coke imported from Mexico. (updated Apr 2019)
• The Louisiana Cookery, ☏ 1 716 202-8787. Southern food (in all its myriad subgenres) has been enjoying something of a renaissance in Buffalo — and at the vanguard of that renaissance is this food truck, which has been dishing out some of the most authentic specialties Buffalo has to offer since 2014. Crawfish étouffée, shrimp and grits, the ever-popular jambalaya, and other downhome fare stay true to traditional Creole and Low Country recipes. A bit pricey for the portion size, but worth it. Louisiana Cookery is another one of those food trucks that's made the jump into the "stationary restaurant" industry, serving up the same limited but delicious menu in their brick-and-mortar home on Walden Avenue in Pine Hill. (opdateret juni 2018)
• Maria's Bene Cibo, ☏ 1 716 322-7314. Launched in 2017, Maria's Bene Cibo is a new kid on the block in the Buffalo food truck scene that's already receiving rave reviews for its short but well-curated menu of Italian-inspired sandwiches, panini, and homemade cannoli for desert. You're in almost equally good hands no matter what you order — after an 11-year career at Tim Hortons og Tops supermarkets, the eponymous Maria Freyne Price really knows her stuff — but customers tend to gravitate toward the Sicilian panini (Italian cold cuts topped with provolone, roasted red peppers, spinach, pesto, and Italian dressing) as well as the muffuletta sandwich (regular or spicy). If none of those are to your liking, they offer a build-your-own option as well. (opdateret juni 2018)

Pizza

Of course, nothing goes better with a big plate of chicken wings than a hot, fresh pizza, and Buffalonians are justifiably proud of the pizza served in their city. You'll find a lot of pizzerias here, but one thing you won't find a lot of are big national outfits like Domino's or Papa John's. Instead, the scene in Buffalo is dominated by neighborhood mom-and-pop pizza places and locally based chains, each of whose individual variation on the classic recipe inspires fierce loyalty — and rivalry.

Buffalo pizza features a crust that's thicker than New York-style but not nearly as much so as Chicago deep dish, with a slightly nutty flavor and an airy sponginess that struggles to support the heaping mass of toppings that generally get piled on. Cheese comes in a thick, gooey layer that spreads out almost to the edge of the crust, the sauce has a noticeably sweet tinge, and pepperoni is invariably of the "cup and char" variety: smaller and more thickly sliced than elsewhere, they curl up into a bowl shape as they cook, blackened on the edges and with a pool of hot grease in the middle.

Of course, locals swear that the pizza here is the best in the world, but the Buffalo style takes some getting used to and definitely has its detractors among visitors. That's probably why in areas with dense concentrations of out-of-towners — i.e. the downtown hotel district and near the large university campuses — the script is flipped, and national chains are more numerous than local joints. (Also, with student populations that draw heavily from downstate, university-adjacent neighborhoods are good places for lovers of New York-style pizza to get their fix.)

Below are listed some of Buffalo's better-known pizza chains:

• Bocce Club. The Bocce Club is a small operation, barely worthy of the term "chain" — it only has two locations, both in Amherst — but it merits inclusion here due to its outsize reputation among Buffalonians. Though there are some who say Bocce's is not quite as good as it used to be, the Pacciotti family's secret recipe is still often cited as the gold standard of Buffalo pizza. The key is the freshness of the ingredients, with dough made from scratch on the premises and only 100% whole-milk mozzarella cheese, which makes up for the fairly modest range of toppings offered. The usual array of wings, subs and sides are also offered, along with a decent fish fry. Also on Transit Road in East Amherst is the Original Bocce's Pizza, run by a different branch of the same family; local consensus says it's not as good. 
• Franco's. The happy medium of Buffalo pizza, Franco's pies are offered with a respectable variety of toppings, but they're not as creative as Just Pizza; fresh-tasting and well-balanced, but not as artfully executed as Bocce's. Though the quality here can sometimes be inconsistent, Franco's is generally agreed to be above-average on the Buffalo pizza hierarchy. Where they truly excel, however, is the accompaniments — the garlic bread here is soft, moist and has a pleasantly sharp garlic flavor, the wide variety of subs on offer are all large and delicious, and the hot wings pack a spicy punch. Franco's pizzas stand out from the rest of the pack thanks to their square(-ish) shape; as the slogan goes, "Franco's doesn't cut any corners"! Locations are concentrated in Buffalo's northern suburbs, with two Tonawanda outlets and one each in Amherst, Kenmore and North Tonawanda. 
• Just Pizza. The closest thing to "gourmet" that you'll find in the realm of Buffalo pizza delivery, the creativity and endless variety on Just Pizza's menu have earned it comparisons to a homegrown version of California Pizza Kitchen — the online menu even suggests wine pairings to accompany their more popular specialty pies. Retaining the classic Buffalo crust and sauce but reinventing everything else, the dizzying selection of toppings, cheeses, and fourteen different crusts offered here are such that even the most diehard pizza fanatic will never be bored. Despite the name, they also serve respectable chicken wings (with, true to form, your choice of 20 sauces), subs, tacos, and the like. By far the largest chain of pizzerias in the area, Just Pizza boasts nine locations, three in Buffalo and one each in Amherst, Clarence, Grand Island, Lancaster, Tonawanda, and West Seneca. 
• La Nova. Like the Bocce Club, the extent of La Nova's reputation belies the small size of the business, with only two locations: one on the Upper West Side and another in suburban Williamsville. But this truly is among the best Buffalo has to offer — not only to citizens but to the whole country; they do a brisk business shipping all over the continental U.S. (a testament, again, to that outsize renown). La Nova's crust tends to be thicker and doughier than the average Buffalo pizza, the better to support the generous portions of toppings and mounds of cheese piled on top. And the wings are in the same league as Duff's og Anchor Bar. (Those who'd like to try both the pizza and the wings — highly recommended — should opt for a Combo Pack). 

For additional chains that neither are located in nor deliver to the city proper, see the corresponding section in our article on the Niagara Frontier.

Groceries

Buffalo's range of grocery stores is comparable to other U.S. cities its size. Naturally, the lion's share of them can be found in the suburbs, but unlike the infamous "food deserts" of other Rust Belt cities like Detroit, even the most forlorn inner-city precincts usually have at least one full-service supermarket.

Among the three major players on the Buffalo grocery-store scene, locally based Tops has the most stores, but the upscale, just-this-side-of-pretentious Wegmans chain, based in Rochester, enjoys by far and away the most loyalty and devotion among locals. Walmart, meanwhile, has greatly expanded its slice of the pie since its first Buffalo-area "supercenter" opened in 1997.

Wegmans has traditionally been the local go-to for upscale specialty groceries, and though Amherst now has a location each of Trader Joe's og Whole Foods, that largely remains the case. An exception to that rule is the Lexington Co-op, a cooperatively-run purveyor of upscale natural, organic, and often locally sourced foods with locations in the Elmwood Village and on Hertel Avenue in North Buffalo.

Budget shoppers can choose from Aldi, Save-a-Lotog PriceRite, each of which have a handful of stores in Buffalo that sell a more limited range of items in a no-frills environment, for costs considerably lower than the major grocery chains. Of these, PriceRite boasts an especially good selection of fresh produce including an abundance of tropical fruits and vegetables, and Save-a-Lot's offerings in the realm of meats is equally impressive — they're the only discount supermarket in Buffalo that employs their own butchers. Dash's is another small, locally based chain, though with higher prices than the aforementioned three. As a last resort, "dollar stores" such as Dollar General og Family Dollar usually stock a limited range of canned vegetables, dry groceries, snacks, and occasionally milk, eggs, and frozen foods, but not fresh produce or meat.

Finally, the latest craze in Buffalo among aficionados of fresh, locally-grown foods are the farmers' markets which have exploded in number and size over the past decade or so. There are about two dozen of them all over the metro area, where local farmers, vintners, cheesemakers, and producers of other artisanal food products come to sell their goods directly to the public. Farmers' markets usually take place on a weekly basis during the growing season, and many of them double as full-fledged street festivals, with live music, games, and other entertainment.

Drink

For bar listings, please see the respective distrikt articles.

As a historically (and enduringly) blue-collar town, Buffalo has traditionally had a fairly dense concentration of bars and taverns. In fact, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, Buffalo is among the top ten cities in the United States in number of bars per capita.

Drinkers in Buffalo aren't limited to rough-and-tumble working-class watering holes, though — although there are plenty of those, Buffalo has quite a number of more upscale nightlife districts, each with a distinct character. There's truly a bar scene in Buffalo for every taste, from the thumping dance clubs of Chippewa Street, to the cooler-than-thou hipster dives of Allentown where local rock bands gig, to the chichi cocktail bars in the Teaterdistrikt that fill with theatergoers before and after shows, to the chill yuppie hangouts of the Elmwood Village, to the historic taverns of the Brostensområde og Gamle første afdeling where it doesn't take much imagination to picture the canal boaters, grain scoopers, and railroadmen of a century ago relaxing at the bar with a frosty mug after a long workday.

Weekend nights usually see the police out in force in Buffalo's nightlife districts, searching for drunk drivers. As mentioned in the "Get around" section, you can often find taxis lingering around the bars, but competition for a cab can be fierce and rates are often high. Uber and Lyft are often a better option in these cases.

Last call in Buffalo is 4AM. For this reason, many bars in Buffalo don't get going until sometime after midnight on weekends. As elsewhere in the United States, the legal drinking age is 21.

Coffee shops

Coffee culture is alive and well in Buffalo. Though Starbucks outlets are a dime a dozen here as elsewhere in the country, locally owned mom-and-pop cafés have always been where it's at for Buffalo's trendy set, and there are three principal neighborhoods where you'll find them. Downtown — particularly the Theater District and the 500 block of Main Street — sports a handful of grab-and-go places for office workers in need of a quick caffeine fix, Allentown's coffee shops are great places to lounge in an ambience that's trendy yet not stiflingly pretentious, and at the far end of the spectrum, the off-the-beaten-path coffeeshop scene on the vest siden cranks the hipster factor up to 11, with an atmosphere and clientele such that you might wonder whether you're in Buffalo or Brooklyn.

There are a couple local coffeeshop chains of note:

• Ashker's. Born in 2008 in the Elmwood Village, today Angelo Ashker's eponymous chain of cafés counts four locations (the original as well as branches in Delaware Park, Grant-Amherst, and the Buffalo Athletic Club building downtown). Each location has a slightly different menu, but broadly speaking, you can expect a copious slate of smoothies in both regular (various combinations of puréed fruits), "Fusion" (a healthier alternative where vegetables such as kale, golden beet, and spinach enter the picture), and "Fortified" (in full health-food mode here, featuring chia seed, turmeric, maca, and other trendy "superfoods") varieties, as well as cold-pressed fruit juices, espresso drinks, and other beverages. For those who are hungry rather than thirsty, a similarly healthy selection of sandwiches, salads, and an all-day breakfast menu are also available. (updated Nov 2017)
• SPoT Coffee. It's not exactly a local coffeeshop chain — the company has been Canadian-owned since 2004 — but Buffalonians still claim SPoT as their own based on the fact that Western New York is where you'll still find the vast majority of locations (despite ambitious plans to expand into the Canadian market, their two Toronto-area shops only lasted a few years). High-quality house-roasted coffee is the name of the game, along with a range of sandwiches and panini, healthy salads, and other gourmet lunch fare; pricey but worth it. You'll find locations in the Elmwood Village, the Chippewa Strip, North Buffalo, and the suburbs of Williamsville, East Amherst, Orchard Park, Hamburg, and Kenmore, as well as two additional SPoT Express counters downtown at Waterfront Village Center and in the lobby of Roswell Park Cancer Institute. Additional locations in Niagara Falls and North Tonawanda are set to open soon.  

Sleep

For hotel listings, please see the respective distrikt articles.

The Hotel Lafayette is one of a growing number of new or newly remodeled hotels that are mushrooming in downtown Buffalo.

There is a wide range of high-quality lodging to choose from in both Buffalo and its suburbs, encompassing hotels, motels, B&Bs, hostels, and guest houses. In particular, downtown Buffalo is in the middle of a boom in hotel construction, with about a half-dozen new properties opened or nearing completion. Much of this is the product of the preservation of architectural heritage that has come into vogue in Buffalo, with beautiful but vacant old buildings restored and repurposed — so if you're staying downtown, particularly at the Lofts on Pearl or the Hotel Lafayette, be prepared for a real Gilded Age treat. Of course, not all hotels downtown are old — the 205-room Marriott that opened in 2015 is the centerpiece of the HarborCenter development in burgeoning Canalside, and existing hotels such as the Hyatt Regency have been renovated extensively. Elsewhere in the city proper, Delaware Avenue in Allentown is the site of the luxurious Mansion as well as the grand old Hotel Lenox, and several B&Bs can be found peppered here and there catering to travelers in search of a distinctive, quirky urban experience.

In suburbia, the usual range of budget and mid-priced chains can be found clustered mostly around highway interchanges and in various other places. Two especially big clusters of hotels exist just south of the University of Buffalo's North Campus in Amherst, as well as around the Buffalo Niagara International Airport, where the arrival of discount airlines in Buffalo, cheap airport parking, and the highest airfares in North America out of Toronto have combined to spark a hotel boom comparable to downtown's.

Opret forbindelse

The area code for the entire Buffalo-Niagara Falls metropolitan area (as well as Chautauqua og Cattaraugus Counties to the south) is 716. It is not necessary to dial the area code for local calls.

Publicly accessible wireless Internet is mainly limited to coffee shops, bookstores, and other such establishments; Internet cafés are virtually unknown in Buffalo. In particular, McDonald's, Starbucks, SPoT Coffee, Tim Hortonsog Barnes & Noble offer free WiFi and boast many easy-to-find locations throughout the region. Public libraries also usually offer Internet access.

Buffalo's main post office and mail processing facility is at 1200 William St. in the city's Lovejoy neighborhood.

Stay safe

The reputation of Buffalo's East Side as a rough part of town can be over-exaggerated by locals, but it's not entirely undeserved. Generally speaking, the East Side is the city's poorest residential district, with widespread urban blight and high crime rates plaguing many parts of the district (especially the Bailey Avenue corridor). To a lesser extent, some parts of the West Side also have these problems. That being said, crime rates in Buffalo have fallen to levels not seen in half a century. What violent crime does occur is usually drug- and gang-related and does not target tourists. Follow general precautions that would apply in any urban area — locking car doors, keeping valuables out of sight, being aware of your surroundings, etc. — and you should be fine pretty much anywhere.

Panhandlers can be found occasionally on Chippewa Street downtown and in Allentown and the Elmwood Village, though not nearly to the degree of most other cities. Aggressive panhandling is virtually unknown.

Cope

Newspapers and print media

Since the Courier-Express went bankrupt in 1982, the Buffalo News has been the city's sole daily newspaper. With a circulation of nearly 155,000 daily and over 235,000 Sunday, the Buffalo News is the most widely circulated newspaper in Upstate New York. Journalists employed by the News have won three Pulitzer Prizes, two for Editorial Cartooning and one for Local Reporting; in 2009, the New York State Associated Press Association named the Buffalo News New York State's "Newspaper of Distinction" for that year in recognition of the quality of its journalism. These facts may come as a surprise to locals. Listings for concerts, movies, theatre productions, and other events around town are published in Gusto, a weekly supplement to the Buffalo News published on Thursdays.

Buffalo Rising is an excellent online publication whose "beat is New Buffalo" and which features "original content written by fellow Buffalonians knowledgeable and passionate about their city". Buffalo Spree is a monthly magazine that features articles on dining, events, and the arts in the local area.

The African-American community of Buffalo is served by the Challenger Community News, which celebrated its 50th year in operation in 2013. La Ultima Hora og Panorama Hispano publish news relevant to Buffalo's Latino community in both English and Spanish, and also serve the Hispanic communities in the nearby cities of Dunkirk, Jamestown, and Rochester. The Am-Pol Eagle is a weekly paper featuring news and commentary of interest to the Polish-American community in the area. The weekly Karibu News serves Buffalo's growing immigrant and refugee community with local news, commentary, and event information in a variety of languages including English, French, Arabic, Swahili, and others. Also, many of Buffalo's neighborhoods boast community newspapers of their own, such as the Allentown Neighbor og North Buffalo Rocket.

Radio

In the field of radio broadcasting, Buffalo's history is one of the longest in the nation; its oldest radio station, WGR, has been on the air since 1922. Sadly, though, Buffalo radio leaves much to be desired now, a fact that has led many locals to become listeners of radio stations based in Toronto and elsewhere in Southern Ontario. As of autumn 2018, Buffalo's highest-rated radio stations are WBLK, WYRK, and WHTT on the FM dial, and WBEN and WGR on the AM dial.

Radio stations serving the Buffalo area include:

• News/Talk: WBFO 88.7 FM (NPR), WBEN 930 AM (conservative), WLVL 1340 AM (conservative).
• Sports: WGR 550 AM, WHLD 1270 AM, WWKB 1520 AM.
• Oldies/Classic rock: WBUF 92.9 FM, WGRF 96.9 FM, WHTT 1120 AM/104.1 FM, WECK 1230 AM/100.5 FM/102.9 FM (light oldies), WEBR 1440 AM (nostalgia and big band).
• Top 40/Adult Contemporary: WMSX 96.1 FM, WKSE 98.5 FM, WTSS 102.5 FM/104.7 FM.
• Urban: WBLK 93.7 FM, WUFO 1080 AM/96.5 FM (classic R&B, hip-hop and gospel), WWWS 1400 AM/107.3 FM (soul).
• Country: WYRK 106.5 FM, WXRL 1300 AM.
• Alternative rock: WEDG 103.3 FM, WLKK 107.7 FM.
• College radio: WBNY 91.3 FM (Buffalo State College).
• Classical: WNED 94.5 FM.
• Religious: WBKV 89.9 FM (Christian rock and pop), WZDV 92.1 FM, WDCX 99.5 FM/970 AM, WLOF 101.7 FM (Catholic)

Television

Buffalo's television stations represent all major American television networks. In addition to these, many Canadian television stations based in Toronto are available through Spectrum cable system; however, over-the-air reception of these stations is generally very poor.

Television stations serving Buffalo include:

• WGRZ Channel 2: NBC.
• WIVB Channel 4: CBS.
• WKBW Channel 7: ABC.
• WNED Channel 17: PBS.
• WNLO Channel 23: The CW.
• WNYB Channel 26: Tri-State Christian Television.
• WUTV Channel 29: Fox.
• WDTB Channel 39: Daystar Television Network. Christian television.
• WNYO Channel 49: MyNetworkTV.
• WPXJ Channel 51: Ion Television.
• WBXZ Channel 56: Cozi TV.
• WBBZ Channel 67: Me-TV.

Hospitals

In case of medical emergency, Buffalo is well-served by a wide variety of hospitals and other medical facilities. The Erie County Medical Center on Grider Street is Buffalo's largest hospital and is a teaching facility for students of the University of Buffalo Medical School. Kaleida Health operates Buffalo General Hospital, Oishei Children's Hospital, and (in the suburbs) Millard Fillmore Suburban Hospital og DeGraff Memorial Hospital. Catholic Health Systems of Buffalo operates Mercy Hospital og Sisters of Charity Hospital, which each have one city location and one suburban location.

Places of worship

The foundation of St. Stanislaus, Bishop & Martyr in 1872 gave rise to the Polish community centered in Broadway-Fillmore. Unlike most East Side Catholic churches, St. Stanislaus is still an active and vibrant parish.

For more information on specific places of worship, please see the respective distrikt articles.

From early in its history, Buffalo's population has been predominantly Roman Catholic, a trend that still holds true today. The seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Buffalo is St. Joseph's Cathedral, at 50 Franklin St. downtown. Buffalo has some truly magnificent Catholic churches, particularly on the East Side, where 19th-century German and Polish immigrants built a bevy of massive, ornate stone churches and cathedrals, some still in use, most not. Outside of Buffalo proper but still worthy of note is Lackawanna's Our Lady of Victory Basilica, a massive marble structure that is a testament to the charitable institutions headed by Father Nelson Baker.

Protestant churches are far more numerous in the suburbs than in Buffalo proper; however, there are a few large and active congregations in the city, especially in neighborhoods such as Allentown, the Elmwood Village, and Parkside that still contain significant numbers of old-money WASPs. Notable Protestant churches in Buffalo include St. Paul's Episcopal Cathedral at 125 Pearl St. downtown, the seat of the Episcopal Diocese of Western New York as well as a Nationally Registered Historic Place and a National Historic Landmark, and E. B. Green's First Presbyterian Church on Symphony Circle, the oldest religious congregation in Buffalo.

Black churches are numerous on the East Side, and the most well-known among them is the Michigan Street Baptist Church, whose roots stretch back to the very beginning of Buffalo's African-American history. Though it no longer hosts regularly-scheduled services, it is still of great importance to connoisseurs of local history as a former "station" on the Underground Railroad and the modern-day centerpiece of the Michigan Street African-American Heritage Corridor. As for congregations that remain active today, you have everything from huge modern megachurches like True Bethel Baptist Church to historic congregations almost as old as Michigan Street Baptist, like Bethel A.M.E. Church.

Those of Eastern Orthodox faiths are served by the Delaware District's Hellenic Orthodox Church of the Annunciation og St. George Orthodox Church in Park Meadow. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints has a location near downtown as well as suburban churches in Amherst, Lancaster, and Orchard Park.

Buffalo's modest-sized Jewish community is found primarily in the suburb of Amherst. Congregation Shir Shalom (Reform), Temple Beth Tzedek (Conservative), and Young Israel (Orthodox) are all located there. Temple Beth Zion, situated in a boldly modernist building on Delaware Avenue, is the largest Jewish congregation in the area and also one of the oldest and largest congregations of Reform Jews in the United States. As well, North Buffalo contains several Orthodox shuls left over from its bygone days as Buffalo's Jewish stronghold.

The Jaffarya Islamic Center of Buffalo is Buffalo's largest mosque, a Shia congregation on Transit Road in Swormville, about 20 miles (30 km) northeast of the city. Sunni mosques can be found just south of the city line in Lackawanna — a place that's well-known locally for its growing Muslim population — and also on the East Side.

Adherents of other religions may be interested in the ̈Chùa Từ Hiếu Buddhist Cultural Center of Buffalo at 647 Fillmore Ave., the Buffalo Zen Center in suburban West Seneca, the Hindu Cultural Society of Western New York in Amherst, and the Buffalo Gurdwara Sahib, a Sikh temple at 6569 Main St. in Williamsville.

Consulates

• Czech Republic (Honorary), John Zavrel, c/o Museum of European Art, 10545 Main St., Clarence, ☏ 1 716 759-6078, fax: 1 716 759-1983, ✉[email protected]. 
• France (Honorary), Pascal Soarès, 32 Admiral Rd., ☏ 1 716 903-7441, fax: 1 716 853-6927, ✉[email protected]. 
• Germany (Honorary), Christian Koelbl, c/o Hodgson Russ LLP, 140 Pearl St., Suite 100, ☏ 1 716 848-1256, fax: 1 716 819-4633, ✉[email protected]. 
• Switzerland (Honorary), Stephen Slater, 199 Bridle Path, Williamsville, ☏ 1 716 633-4430, fax: 1 716 633-4430, ✉[email protected]. 

Go next

Suburbs and exurbs

Unlike the faceless cookie-cutter residential tracts surrounding other American cities, many of Buffalo's suburbs have real character — individual identities of which their residents are fiercely proud. More than that, suburbia's range of attractions, festivals and events, and other items of interest to visitors can hold its own with the urban core.

Where to next?

• Tonawanda — a 19th-century lumber port turned middle-class residential community, Tonawanda is the western terminus of the modern-day Erie-kanalen.
• Amherst — Buffalo's most populous suburb contains the gargantuan UB North Campus, the charming village of Williamsville, and rural farmland in the far north.
• Cheektowaga — postwar suburbia at its most banal, but also shopping galore, including the area's largest mall. As the site of the Buffalo Niagara International Airport, Cheektowaga is likely on the itinerary of most visitors to Buffalo whether they actively seek it out or not.
• West Seneca — a proud German heritage dating to the town's foundation in the 1850s by the religious Ebenezer Society, and natural beauty that inspired watercolorist Charles Burchfield.
• Lackawanna — a rough-and-tumble company town that fell on hard times after the closure of the steel plant that gave the city its name, now the home of a vibrant Yemeni community and the magnificent Basilica of Our Lady of Victory.
• Grand Island — once a summer retreat for Buffalo's turn-of-the-century aristocracy, now the site of riverfront parkland and wide-open spaces a stone's throw from the bustle of the city.
• North Tonawanda — Tonawanda's sister city has a grittier and more working-class feel, but also a restored downtown with lively nightlife.
• Lancaster — an upper-middle-class second-ring suburb east of Cheektowaga in whose lovely town center stands the historic Lancaster Opera House.
• Orchard Park — the home of the Buffalo Bills has something for everyone, from bustling strip malls to a charming small-town downtown to the forests and hills of Chestnut Ridge Park.
• Hamburg — birthplace (allegedly) of the hamburger, Hamburg is also home of the Erie County Fair and boasts beautiful views over Lake Erie.
• East Aurora — the almost too-cutesy-for-its-own-good village that's home to the Roycroft Community of artists and artisans, an important exponent of the early 20th-century Arts and Crafts Movement.
• Clarence — tony exurb about a half-hour's drive from downtown Buffalo. Hit up the antique shops in Clarence Hollow if that's your thing, or tool around the exclusive Spaulding Lake neighborhood to gawk at the lifestyles of the Niagara Frontier's rich and famous.
• Lockport — Niagara County's seat makes the most of its history as an important Erie Canal port, with attractions such as the Lockport Locks and Erie Canal Cruises og Lockport Erie Canal Museum on offer.

And of course, no trip to the Niagara Frontier would be complete without checking out...

• Niagara Falls, which lies a short 30-minute drive from Buffalo. Compared to its counterpart in Ontario, the American side might seem at first like just another down-at-the-heels industrial burg of the Rust Belt, but those who look beyond that will come to appreciate charms such as the revitalized Lille Italien along Pine Avenue, the world-class Aquarium of Niagara, and the attention that is finally being paid to the historic downtown area, centered around Old Falls Street. As for the falls themselves, Niagara Falls State Park is understated and even serene, with no hoopla to distract attention away from the main attraction. Fans of Niagara Falls, Ontario-style neon glitz need not be completely disappointed, either: the Seneca Niagara Hotel and Casino has been in operation on the American side since 2003.

Further afield

• Lewiston is a historic village on the Niagara River about 40 minutes north of Buffalo via Interstate 190. Aside from the cute boutiques, restaurants, and B&Bs in the charming business district, Lewiston contains Earl W. Brydges Artpark, the only state park in the U.S. devoted to the arts. Water Street Landing, on the riverfront, is the site of the Freedom Crossing Monument, where many escaped African-American slaves staged their final push toward Canada, and the Whirlpool Jet Boat, which takes passengers on a thrilling ride through the Niagara River rapids.
• Darien Lake is a theme park resort in rural Genesee County, about 40 minutes east of Buffalo. "Western New York's Coaster Capital" contains over 40 rides, plus a hotel, campground, and laser light show, and is hands-down the most popular amusement park for Buffalonians in the summer. Also, the Darien Lake Performing Arts Center is one of Western New York's premier venues for live music.
• The hills south and southeast of Buffalo bear the brunt of the lake-effect snow that falls in early winter; as such, this is Buffalo's ski country. The closest ski resort to Buffalo is Kissing Bridge, on Glenwood-East Concord Rd. in the town of Colden. Kissing Bridge gets 180 inches (450 cm) of snow per year on average — about twice as much as Buffalo itself gets — creating perfect conditions for its 36 slopes. More ski resorts can be found in Chautauqua County and in Ellicottville, discussed below.
• The beaches along Lake Erie south of Buffalo are popular summer day trips for locals. Though many are privately owned or restrict admission to residents of their respective towns, several are accessible to the general public. The most popular of these is Evangola State Park, just before the county line in the town of Brant, offering not only one of Western New York's finest beaches but also picnic shelters, campsites, and recreation facitilies. Other public beaches further afield can be found in Chautauqua County, in Silver Creek (Sunset Bay) and Dunkirk (Wright Park og Point Gratiot Park).
• Genesee County is located along I-90 about midway between Buffalo and Rochester. Batavia, the county seat, is one of the oldest and most historic towns in Western New York; visitors to Batavia may be interested in Batavia Downs Casino, which features harness racing, slots, and video gaming. Other Genesee County attractions include Darien Lake, described above, and the JELL-O Gallery, a kitschy roadside museum dedicated to the gelatin dessert in the town of Le Roy, where it was invented.
• A 45-minute drive north of Buffalo, Youngstown is a small village with a huge role in local history: it's the site of Old Fort Niagara, a state park and National Historic Landmark with a history that goes back to 1678, when it was established as a French trading post and military base. The fort's centerpiece, the "French Castle", is the oldest building in the U.S. between the East Coast and the Southwest, erected in 1726. Today 100,000 visitors each year come to take tours, see historical reenactments and other events, and peruse a museum of archaeology and local history.
• Chautauqua County is southwest of Buffalo and is easily accessible via Interstate 90. A place of farms, forests, mountains, and beaches, Chautauqua County contains the Chautauqua Institution, a historic retreat on the shores of Chautauqua Lake offering performances, lectures and workshops in a charming Victorian setting. A bit south of Fredonia, Lily Dale is a center of the Spiritualist movement and boasts psychic mediums, fortune-tellers, and the like. Peek 'n Peak Resort in Clymer is a year-round destination in Chautauqua, with 27 ski slopes, downhill tubing, and golf.
• Located southeast of Buffalo, the "Enchanted Mountains of Cattaraugus County" include several notable sites. Ellicottville is a year-round destination best known for its two ski resorts, Holiday Valley og HoliMont. Griffis Sculpture Park in East Otto is the oldest sculpture park in the country, founded in 1966. Next to the state line is Allegany State Park, the "wilderness playground of Western New York", offering camping, skiing, hiking, and natural beauty. Nearby is the Seneca Allegany Hotel and Casino, i Salamanca.
• New York State's third-largest city, Rochester, is a short drive of 60 to 90 minutes eastward along Interstate 90. Museums, art galleries, street festivals, exciting professional sports, and more are to be had in a perfect combination of big-city amenities and small-town intimacy.
• The Finger Lakes region is between Rochester and Syracuse, about two hours east of Buffalo along Interstate 90. Named for the series of eleven long, slender lakes found there, the region offers natural beauty and small-town charm, but is best-known among locals for its status as the most important wine-producing area in the Eastern U.S. Over 100 wineries can be found in the Finger Lakes, many of which offer tours and tastings in season.

North of the border

Everyone, including U.S. citizens, is required to produce a passport or an enhanced drivers' license, both upon crossing the Canadian border and reentering the United States. Vehicles may be stopped and searched, but more often travellers will be sent on their way quickly after showing their passports and answering a few brief questions about the purpose of their trip and the planned length of their stay (this is especially true of U.S. and Canadian citizens).

There are four border crossings in Western New York: the Peace Bridge, by which travellers cross from Buffalo to Fort Erie, Ontario for a toll of $3.00 (payable in either U.S. or Canadian funds), the Rainbow Bridge in Niagara Falls (toll $3.25 U.S. or Canadian), the Whirlpool Rapids Bridge also in the Falls (open only to NEXUS members; toll $3.25 U.S. or Canadian), and the Lewiston-Queenston Bridge furthest north (toll $3.25 U.S. or Canadian). For travellers to most Canadian destinations other than Niagara Falls and Fort Erie, the Lewiston-Queenston Bridge offers the most direct route, but is also the one that is most prone to delays.

• Fort Erie is a small city of about 30,000 just west of Buffalo, easily accessible via the Peace Bridge. Attractions here include Old Fort Erie, a reconstructed garrison where several War of 1812 battles were fought. From May to October, Fort Erie Racetrack is the scene of thoroughbred races including the Prince of Wales Stakes, the second jewel in the Canadian Triple Crown. Uncle Sam's Bingo Palace og Golden Nugget Bingo offer games of chance. Also near town are some of Canada's finest freshwater beaches, such as Crystal Beach, Waverly Beachog Bay Beach.
• Niagara Falls, Ontario is directly across the river from Niagara Falls, New York, and accessible via the Rainbow Bridge. In sharp contrast to its U.S. counterpart, the views of the Falls from Ontario are almost unanimously considered to be better, but rather than the greenery that abuts the falls on the American side, in Ontario can be found Clifton Hill, a gaudy, Vegas-like neon jungle of high-rise hotels, casinos, restaurants, nightclubs, and gimmicky tourist traps like the Ripley's Believe It Or Not Museum og Movieland Wax Museum. It's considerably quieter outside of the main tourist district, with romantic B&Bs, parkland, and (further north) wineries lining the Niagara Parkway, a scenic drive stretching from Fort Erie to Niagara-on-the-Lake.
• Niagara-on-the-Lake is an hour from Buffalo, at the mouth of the Niagara River. The provincial capital was briefly located here in the late 1700s, and the town was of strategic importance during the War of 1812 — historic Fort George is still open for tours. Today, visitors to the Falls often make the short drive north to take in the charming streets and stone buildings here, a scene straight out of a prim British village. Niagara-on-the-Lake is also home of the Shaw Festival; hvert år fra april til november opføres et udvalg af stykker af George Bernard Shaw og andre i tre historiske teatre.
• Det Niagara-halvøen strækker sig mellem Lake Erie og Lake Ontario, umiddelbart vest for Buffalo. Bortset fra regionens frugtbare landbrugsjord og historiske betydning som en slagmark under krigen i 1812 er Niagara-halvøen meget populær blandt turister som Canadas mest produktive vinproducerende region. Der er snesevis af europæiske vingårde, der strækker sig over begge sider af Niagara Escarpment, og som er åbne for besøgende i sæsonen. Det unikke mikroklima på Niagara-halvøen er særligt velegnet til produktion isvin, en ekstremt sød sort populær som dessertvin.
• Toronto ca. to timer fra Buffalo (forudsat ideelle trafikforhold og ingen forsinkelser ved toldvæsenet). Med over fem og en halv million mennesker, der bor i Greater Toronto Area, er Canadas største by en spændende og dynamisk metropol, der tilbyder al den store byspænding, man kan ønske sig.

ENDE ← Niagara Falls (New York) ←	W  E	→ Dewew → Albany (Rensselaer)
Niagara Falls (Ontario) ← Niagara Falls (New York) ←	W  E	→ Dewew → Albany (Rensselaer)
Niagara Falls ← Tonawanda ←	N  S	→ Cheektowaga → Slutter kl WE
Niagara Falls (Ontario) ← Fort Erie ← ←	W  E	→ Slutter kl
Niagara Falls ← Tonawanda/Amherst ←	N  S	→ Lackawanna → Warren
Erie via ← Lackawanna ←	W  E	→ Amherst → Auburn
ENDE ←	N  S	→ West Seneca → Olean
ENDE ←	W  E	→ Cheektowaga → Rochester
ENDE ←	N  S	→ Lackawanna → Salamanca

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