Buffalo is a city in the state of New York in the United States of America. It gets a lot of snow, but could hardly be called the snow capital of the world--if any city in New York could it would be a lot closer to Syracuse (well about an hour north of Syracuse). This is due to lake effect snow. During winter, water evaporating from the Great Lakes freezes in the cold air, forming snow clouds and about the first place it falls is in Buffalo.

This city is by far the most well known city called Buffalo, and home to the Buffalo Chicken Wings.

Get around

The easiest way to get around is by car. Buffalo has several expressways leading in and out of the city, but like many other cities, they lack capacity during rush hour. There is limited taxi service in urban areas. Do not expect to be able to hail a cab except outside the airport. However, good dispatch is available. There is a fairly extensive bus service operated by the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority (NFTA), which serves the city and outlying suburbs. There is one subway line that runs from the University at Buffalo South campus into Downtown Buffalo, and is used quite a bit by employees who commute into Downtown each day.

Most people visit Buffalo to stay in a cheap hotels before they visit Niagara Falls. There are a limited number of other attractions including an amusement park and an art gallery. Albright-Knox is an amazing art gallery located on Elmwood Ave (and it's free on Friday nights). There are two amusement parks (each a bit of a trip from Buffalo). One is Martin's Fantasy Island on Grand Island (halfway to the Falls) and is a small amusement park reminiscent of the originals. There is not a ton of stuff to do there but it is good for a cheap day out with small kids. Larger kids and adults alike will enjoy Darien Lake (now owned by Six Flags), which is a short drive east on the New York State Thruway (I-90, toll road). They have a lot of roller coasters, other smaller-thrill rides, and a pretty good water park. Check into Six Flags season passes as you can usually get one of those for the price of about two admissions to a park (this is usually a pre-season special).

Architecture is a wide attraction in Buffalo, with buildings from almost every decade of the city's existence still preserved. Especially prominent is the historic Allentown District, located downtown, various Victorian mansions and other large, old mansions located on Delaware Avenue and the neighborhoods adjacent to its southern edge. There also is the Darwin Martin house, designed by renowned architect Frank Lloyd Wright in the early 20th century.

Delaware Park, part of the extended Olmsted Park system, is large, with breathtaking views throughout the spring and fall.

Activities

In downtown Buffalo, there is an established nightlife scene among Chippewa Street. Bars and nightclub line the street, which is busiest during Fridays and weekends. Most bars and nightclubs are allowed to remain open until 4 A.M. providing a long experience. During the late spring, and summer, Buffalo Bisons (AAA-Minor League team) games are a pastime by many locals. Seats are usually available and cheap, and provide a great view of downtown.

Dining

 • Frank and Teressa's Anchor Bar, Main St. 1046. Birthplace of the original buffalo wings. Still has great wings, salads, etc.
 • Duff's Sheridan Plaza, Sheridan Drive, Amherst. Anchor Bar invented them, and according to some, Duff's perfected them.
 • Pearl Street Grill & Brewery, 76 Pearl Street, tel:716-856-2337 . A restaurant that brews its own beer and has a menu with lots of interesting food, much of it with beer as an ingredient.

Drink

The Buffalo Tap Room on Sheridan and Eggert (in Tonawanda) brews their own beer, and it is very good. Averages about $4 a draft. Decent Food.

Lodging

There are several multiple hotels owned by major chains, including Marriott, Hyatt, Hilton, Holiday Inn, Best Western, Howard Johnson, Choice Hotels, Accor Hotels, Microtel, and Days Inn.

Links

City of Buffalo website
WNY Crawler Local Search Engine