Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is an
American city in
western New York State. With a population of 282,864 as of the
United States Census Bureau's 2004 estimate[
1], it is the state's second-largest city, after
New York City, and is the
county seat of
Erie County. The Buffalo-Niagara
metropolitan area has a diverse population of 1.1 million. Buffalo's thriving
arts, cultural, and
nightlife scenes is considered the hub of the greater bi-national region in New York and
Ontario.
Buffalo lies at the eastern end of
Lake Erie near the mouth of the
Niagara River, which connects to
Lake Ontario.
European-Americans first settled there in the late-18th century. Growth was slow until the city became the western terminus of the
Erie Canal some forty years later. By the turn of the next century, Buffalo was one of the country's leading cities, and by far its largest inland
port. The huge
grain elevators and
industrial plants that the canal spawned began to disappear in the mid-20th century as the
Saint Lawrence Seaway enabled water traffic to bypass the city.
Distancing itself from its industrial past, Buffalo is redefining itself as a cultural,
educational, and
medical center. The city was named by
Reader's Digest as the third cleanest city in
America in 2005. [
2] In 2001
USA Today named Buffalo the winner of its "City with a Heart" contest, proclaiming it the nation's "friendliest city." Also, in 1996 and 2002, Buffalo won the
All-America City Award.
Origin of name
It is a well known fact that the City of Buffalo received its name from the
creek of the same name. However, the origin of the creek's name is unclear, with several unproven theories being debated. One holds that the name is an
anglicized form of the
French name
Beau Fleuve (
beautiful river), which was supposedly an exclamation uttered by
Louis Hennepin when he first saw the stream; this is thought to be unlikely. Early French explorers reported the abundance of
buffalo on the south shore of Lake Erie, but their presence on the banks of
Buffalo Creek is still a matter of debate, so the origin of the name of the creek is still uncertain. Neither the
Native American name ("Place of the Basswoods") or the French name ("River of Horses") survived, so the current name likely dates to the British occupation which began with the capture of
Fort Niagara in 1759. Also given credence by local historians is the possibility that an interpreter mistranslated the Native American word for "
beaver" as "buffalo" - the words being very similar - at a treaty-signing at present-day
Rome, New York in 1784. The theory assumes that because there were beaver here, the creek was probably called Beaver Creek rather than Buffalo Creek. Another theory holds that a solitary
Seneca who lived on the banks of the Buffalo Creek was called by the Native American word for buffalo, hence "Buffalo's Creek."
Early history
Most of
western New York was granted by
Charles II of England to the
Duke of York (later known as
James II of England), but the first European settlement in what is now
Erie County was by the French, at the mouth of
Buffalo Creek in 1758. Its buildings were destroyed a year later by the evacuating French after the British captured Fort Niagara. The British took control of the entire region in 1763, at the conclusion of the
French and Indian War.
The first permanent settlers in present day Buffalo were Cornelius Winney and "Black Joe" Hodges, who set up a log cabin store there in 1789 for trading with the Native American community.
Dutch investors purchased the area as part of the
Holland Purchase. Starting in 1801, parcels were sold through the
Holland Land Company's office in
Batavia, New York. The settlement was initially called Lake Erie, then Buffalo Creek, soon shortened to Buffalo. Holland Land Company agent
Joseph Ellicott christened it New Amsterdam, but the name did not catch on. In 1808,
Niagara County was established with Buffalo as its county seat. Erie County was formed out of Niagara County in 1821, retaining Buffalo as the county seat.
|
The Electric Building - Buffalo, New York |
The 19th century
City of Buffalo
Population by year [3] | | Year | Population!Rank |
|---|
| 1830 | 27 |
| 1840 | 22 |
| 1850 | 16 |
| 1860 | 10 |
| 1870 | 11 |
| 1880 | 13 |
| 1890 | 11 |
| 1900 | 8 |
| 1910 | 10 |
| 1920 | 11 |
| 1930 | 13 |
| 1940 | 14 |
| 1950 | 15 |
| 1960 | 20 |
| 1970 | 28 |
| 1980 | 39 |
| 1990 | 50 |
| 2000 | 57 |
| Current Standing |
In 1804, Joseph Ellicott, a principal agent of the Holland Land Company, designed a radial street and grid system that branches out from downtown like bicycle spokes, and is one of only three radial street patterns in the US. In 1810, the Town of Buffalo was formed from the western part of the
Town of Clarence. On December 30, 1813, during the
War of 1812, British troops and their Native American allies first captured the village of
Black Rock, and then the rest of Buffalo burning most of both to the ground. Buffalo gradually rebuilt itself and by 1816 had a new courthouse. In 1818, the eastern part of the town was lost to form the
Town of Amherst.
Upon the completion of the
Erie Canal in 1825, Buffalo became the western end of the 524-mile waterway starting at
New York City. At the time, Buffalo had a population of about 2,400 people. With the increased commerce of the canal, the population boomed and Buffalo was incorporated as a
city in 1832. In 1853, Buffalo annexed Black Rock, which had been Buffalo's fierce rival for the canal terminus. During the 19th century, thousands of pioneers going to the western United States debarked from canal boats to continue their journey out of Buffalo by lake or
rail transport. During their stopover, many experienced the pleasures and dangers of Buffalo's notorious Canal Street district.
Buffalo was a terminus of the
Underground Railroad, an informal series of safe houses for
African-Americans escaping slavery in the mid-19th century. Buffalonians helped many fugitives cross the
Niagara River to
Fort Erie, Ontario,
Canada and freedom.
The presidential connection
Several
U.S. presidents had connections with Buffalo.
Millard Fillmore took up permanent residence in Buffalo in 1822 before he became America's 13th president. He was also the first chancellor of the University of Buffalo, now known as
SUNY University at Buffalo.
Grover Cleveland, the 22nd and 24th President of the United States, lived in Buffalo from 1854 until 1882, and served as Buffalo's mayor from 1882 until 1883.
William McKinley was shot by
Leon Czolgosz on September 6, 1901 at the
Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, and died in Buffalo on the 14th.
Theodore Roosevelt was then sworn in on September 14th, 1901 at the Ansley Wilcox Mansion, now the
Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site, becoming one of the few presidents to be sworn in outside of
Washington, D.C..
 |
The city hall of Buffalo, NY - an art deco masterpiece |
The 20th century
At the turn of the century, Buffalo was a growing city with a burgeoning
economy. Immigrants came from
Ireland,
Italy,
Germany, and
Poland to work in the
steel and
grain mills which had taken advantage of the city's critical location at the junction of the
Great Lakes and the Erie Canal.
Hydroelectric power harnessed from nearby
Niagara Falls made Buffalo the first American city to have widespread
electric lighting yielding it the nickname, the
"City of Light". Electricity was used to dramatic effect at the
Pan-American Exposition in 1901. The Pan-American was also notable for being the scene of the aforementioned assassination of
President William McKinley.
The opening of the
Peace Bridge linking Buffalo with
Fort Erie, Ontario on August 7, 1927 was an occasion for significant celebrations. Those in attendance included Edward,
Prince of Wales (later to become
Edward VIII), his brother Prince Albert George (later
George VI),
British Prime Minister Stanley Baldwin,
Prime Minister of Canada William Lyon Mackenzie King,
Vice President of the United States Charles G. Dawes, and New York Governor
Alfred E. Smith.
|
Main Street and Lafayette Square, Buffalo, from a 1922 postcard |
Buffalo's
City Hall, an
Art Deco masterpiece, was dedicated on July 1, 1932. It was the city's tallest building until 1970.
The city's importance declined in the later half of the 20th century for several reasons, perhaps the most devastating being the opening of the
St. Lawrence Seaway in 1957. Goods which had previously passed through Buffalo could now bypass it using a series of canals and locks, reaching the ocean via the
St. Lawrence River. Another major toll was
suburban migration, a national trend at the time. The city, which boasted over half a million people at its peak, has seen its population decline by some 50 percent, as industries shut down and people left the
Rust Belt for the employment opportunities of the South and West. Erie County has lost population in every census year since 1970. The city also has the dubious distinction along with
St. Louis, Missouri of being one of the few American cities to have had fewer people in the year 2000 than in 1900.
The 21st century
On July 3, 2003, at the climax of a fiscal crisis, the Buffalo Fiscal Stability Authority was established[
4] to oversee the finances of the city. As a "hard control board," they have frozen the wages of city employees and must approve or reject all major expenditures. After a period of severe financial stress, Erie County, where Buffalo resides, was assigned a Fiscal Stability Authority on July 12, 2005. As a "soft control board," however, they act only in an advisory capacity.[
5]. Both Authorities were established by
New York State. In November of 2005,
Byron Brown was elected Mayor of Buffalo. He is the first African-American to hold this office.
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Position within Erie County. |
Buffalo is located on the eastern end of
Lake Erie, opposite
Fort Erie, Ontario in Canada, and at the beginning of the
Niagara River, which flows northward over
Niagara Falls and into
Lake Ontario. It is located at 42°54'17" North, 78°50'58" West (42.904657, -78.849405).
According to the
United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 136.0
km² (52.5
mi²). 105.2 km² (40.6 mi²) of it is land and 30.8 km² (11.9 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 22.66% water.
Buffalo has a reputation for
severe weather. The region experiences a fairly humid,
continental-type climate, but with a definite
maritime flavor due to strong modification from the
Great Lakes.
Winters in Western New York are generally cloudy, cold and
snowy, but are changeable and include frequent thaws and
rain as well.
Snow covers the ground more often than not from Christmas into early March, but periods of bare ground are not uncommon. Over half of the annual snowfall comes from the
lake effect process and is very localized. Lake effect snow occurs when cold air crosses the relatively warm lake waters and becomes saturated, creating
clouds and
precipitation downwind. Due to the prevailing
winds, areas south of Buffalo receive much more lake effect snow than locations to the north. The lake snow machine can start as early as mid November, peaks in December, then virtually shuts down after
Lake Erie freezes in mid to late January. The most notable snow storm in Buffalo's history, the
North American blizzard of 1977, was a result of a combination of lake effect snow and high winds.
Spring comes slowly to the Buffalo area and
autumn is rather brief.
Summer is very pleasant in the Buffalo area. Sunshine is plentiful, temperatures are warm, and
humidity levels are moderate. Obscured by the attention given to winter snowstorms is the fact that Buffalo benefits from other lake effects, namely free, natural air conditioning from Lake Erie. As a result, summers are often filled with gentle southwest breezes off the Lake tempering the warmest days. Among the 50 largest US metropolitan areas, it is one of 4 to never reach a 100-degree F temperature (ironically, two of the other 3 are
Miami, Florida and
Honolulu, Hawaii; the fourth one is
Seattle, Washington). Rainfall is adequate, but it shows an overnight maximum, so it is seldom a problem for outdoor activities. The stabilizing effect of Lake Erie continues to inhibit
thunderstorms and enhance sunshine in the immediate Buffalo area through most of July. August usually turns a bit more showery and humid as the lake is warmer and loses its stabilizing influence. In fact, a good nighttime thunderstorm or two is often a feature of late summer in Buffalo. Overall though, Buffalo has the sunniest and driest summers of any major city in the
Northeast, with enough rain to keep
vegetation green and lush.
[Buffalo's Climate. National Weather Service. Accessed July 5, 2006.] |
M&T Plaza & The Liberty Building - Buffalo, New York |
City Proper
As of the
census of 2000, the city had a total population of 292,648.
At that time there were 292,648 people, 122,720
households, and 67,005
families residing in the city. The
population density is 2,782.4/km² (7,205.8/mi²). There are 145,574
housing units at an average density of 1,384.1/km² (3,584.4/mi²). The
racial makeup of the city is 54.43%
White, 37.23%
African American, 0.77%
Native American, 1.40%
Asian, 0.04%
Pacific Islander, 3.68% from other races, and 2.45% from two or more races. 7.54% of the population are
Hispanic or
Latino of any race.
There were 122,720 households out of which 28.6% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 27.6% are
married couples living together, 22.3% have a female householder with no husband present, and 45.4% are non-families. 37.7% of all households are made up of individuals and 12.1% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.29 and the average family size is 3.07.
In the city the population included 26.3% under the age of 18, 11.3% from 18 to 24, 29.3% from 25 to 44, 19.6% from 45 to 64, and 13.4% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 34 years. For every 100 females there are 88.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 83.5 males.
The
median income for a household in the city is $24,536, and the median income for a family is $30,614. Males have a median income of $30,938 versus $23,982 for females. The
per capita income for the city is $14,991. 26.6% of the population and 23.0% of families are below the
poverty line. Out of the total population, 38.4% of those under the age of 18 and 14.0% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
Buffalo has very sizable populations of
Italian,
Polish,
Irish,
German and
African descent. Major ethnic neighborhoods still exist; the Irish-Americans in South Buffalo, African-Americans in the East Side, and at one point Italian-Americans in the West Side. Now the West Side has become a
melting pot of many ethnicities, with Latino and Italian culture being the strongest influence.
Metropolitan Area
As of 2005,
Erie and
Niagara Counties had a combined estimated population of 1,147,711.
[SUNY Buffalo Regional Knowledge Network]The racial makeup of the area is 83.80% White, 11.69% African American, 0.65% Native American, 1.32% Asian, 2.92% Hispanic, and 1.21% of all other races.
In the metropolitan area 39.68% of people are under the age of 18 or over the age of 64, with the median age being 38. 82.88% of residents have a
high school diploma and 23.16% have obtained a
Bachelor's degree.
The median income for a household is $38,400. The per capita income for the area is just over $20,000. 12% of the population is below the poverty line.
Public
Like the rest of
New York, Buffalo is subject to the state's benchmark evaluation system. The
Buffalo Public Schools curriculum is aligned to state standards set by the
Education Department. At the
high school level, students are required to pass
Regents Examinations for each course upon its completion.
Currently, there are 78
public schools in the city including a growing number of
charter schools. As of 2006, the total enrollment was 41,089 students with a
student-teacher ratio of 13.5 to 1. The dropout rate is just 5.3%, and 83% of students who graduate go on to college. More than 27% of teachers have a
Master's degree or higher and the median amount of experience in the field is 15 years. When considering the entire metropolitan area, there are a total of 292 schools educating 172,854 students.
[SUNY Buffalo Regional Knowledge Network]Buffalo is noted for its model
magnet school system attracting students with special interests, which include
science,
bilingual studies, and Native American studies. Specialized facilities include the Buffalo Elementary School of Technology; the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Multicultural Institute; the International School; the Dr. Charles R. Drew Science Magnet School; Build Academy; the Buffalo Academy for the Visual and Performing Arts; the Riverside Institute of Technology;
Hutchinson Central Technical High School; and the Emerson School of Hospitality. The
City Honors School was recently ranked #4 in the nation by
Newsweek magazine. Students of Buffalo's public school system consistently produce high
SAT scores, and the overall dropout rate is significantly lower than that of the New York State public school average.
Buffalo is currently in the process of a $1 billion city school rebuilding plan.
Private
The city itself is home to 47
private schools while the metropolitan region has 150 such institutions. Most private schools have a
Roman Catholic affiliation; however, there are schools affiliated with other religions, such as
Islam, and many
nonsectarian options.
Adult and Technical
Complementing its standard function, the
Buffalo Public Schools Adult and Continuing Education Division provides education and services to adults throughout the community. In addition, the
Career and Technical Education department offers more than 20 academic programs, and is attended by about 6,000 students each year.
Higher Education
More than 20 public and private
colleges and
universities in Buffalo and its environs offer programs in technical and
vocational training, graduate, and professional studies.
Buffalo is home to two
State University of New York (SUNY) institutions.
Buffalo State College, a comprehensive college, and the
University at Buffalo, the flagship university center of SUNY, are each the largest institution of its type in the system. Combined, they account for roughly 40,000 students in the area.
Other academic institutions in the Buffalo area include:
Alfred University,
Canisius College,
D'Youville College,
Daemen College,
Empire State College,
Erie Community College,
Genesee Community College,
Hilbert College,
Houghton College,
Jamestown Business College,
Jamestown Community College,
Medaille College,
Niagara University, Northtown Technical,
St. Bonaventure University,
SUNY College at Brockport,
SUNY Fredonia, The Center for Industrial Effectiveness (TCIE) -
University at Buffalo,
Trocaire College, UB Continuing Dental Education,
Villa Maria College.
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Buffalo, New York from I-190 North entering downtown |
Buffalo and the surrounding area was long involved in
steel and
automobile production. While major steel production no longer exists, several smaller steel mills remain in operation. In addition,
Ford maintains operation of its Buffalo Stamping Plant south of the city, and
Chevrolet has two plants, a production plant in
Tonawanda near the city line, and a tool and die plant in the city. The
windshield wiper was invented in Buffalo, and the
Trico company still operates some facilities there. For many years, Buffalo was the nation's second largest
rail center, with
Chicago being the first.
In the 21st century, Buffalo has increasingly become a center for
bioinformatics and
human genome research, including work by researchers at the
University at Buffalo and the
Roswell Park Cancer Institute.
Buffalo has a district office of the
US Army Corps of Engineers, a civilian agency which designed portions of the
St. Lawrence Seaway, and designed and built the
Mount Morris Dam for flood control on the Genesee River above
Rochester. The agency now is heavily involved in remediation of
hazardous waste sites in the
northeast.
Government
At the
municipal level, the City of Buffalo has a council made up of the
mayor and nine
councilmen. Buffalo also serves as the seat of
Erie County with 27 county representatives.
At the state level, there are three state
assemblymen and two state
senators in the Buffalo area. At the federal level, Buffalo is represented by three members of the
House of Representatives.
Politics
The
Democratic Party has dominated Buffalo politics for the last half-century, though its longest serving mayor of the past half-century,
James Griffin, switched political affiliations several times and most frequently attained electoral victory from socially conservative platforms. In 2005, Kevin Helfer, the city's first major conservative mayoral candidate in over 40 years, defeated
Byron Brown by a 2-1 margin in the
Conservative Party primary. Despite this, voters ultimately chose Brown, making him the city's first African-American mayor.
Union support bolstered Brown's campaign, ultimately providing a substantial fundraising and volunteer effort.
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Neighborhoods of Buffalo, New York |
Communities
Neighborhoods
Buffalo has a makeup of 32 different neighborhoods:
Allentown, Bailey-Lovejoy,
Black Rock, Central Park, Cold Springs, Delaware District, Downtown, East Side, Elmwood Strip, Fillmore-Leroy, First Ward, Fruit Belt, Hamlin Park, Hospital Hill, Humboldt Park, Kaisertown, Kensington, Kensington Heights, Lower West Side, Masten Park, North Buffalo, North Park, Parkside, Polonia,
Riverside, Schiller Park,
South Buffalo, University District,
University Heights, Vernon Triangle, Upper West Side, and Willert Park.
Suburbs
Akron,
Alden,
Amherst,
Angola,
Aurora,
Blasdell,
Boston,
Cheektowaga,
Clarence,
Depew,
East Aurora,
Eden,
Elma,
Grand Island,
Hamburg,
Kenmore,
Lackawanna,
Lancaster,
Lewiston,
Lockport,
North Tonawanda,
Orchard Park,
Sloan,
Tonawanda,
West Seneca,
Wheatfield.
Parks
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Olmsted Park System, 1914 |
One of Buffalo's many monikers is the
City of Trees, which describes the abundance of green in the city. In fact, Buffalo has more than 20 parks with multiple ones being accessible from any part of the city.
The Olmsted Park and Parkway System is the hallmark of Buffalo's many green spaces. Three-fourths of city park land is part of the system, which comprises 6 major parks, 8 connecting parkways, 9 circles and 7 smaller spaces. Begun in 1868 by
Frederick Law Olmsted and his partner
Calvert Vaux, the system was integrated into the city and marks the first attempt in America to layout a coordinated system of public parks and parkways. The Olmsted designed portions of the Buffalo park system are listed on the
National Register of Historic Places and are maintained by the
Buffalo Olmsted Parks Conservancy.
Waterfront
Situated at the confluence of
Lake Erie and the
Buffalo and
Niagara Rivers, Buffalo is a
waterfront city. The city's rise to economic power came through its waterways in the form of
mass transit,
manufacturing, and an endless source of energy. Buffalo's waterfront is still a hub of commerce, trade, and industry that is essential to its economic prosperity.
Recently, the waterfront is undergoing rapid transformation from its manufacturing nature of the past, and into a focal point for social and recreational activity.
Standard of Living
Overall, Buffalo offers its citizens a reasonable
quality of life. It is affordable, offers adequate safety, and lacks pollution. In July 2005,
Reader's Digest ranked Buffalo as the third cleanest large city in the nation.
[America's Top Five Cleanest Cities. Reader's Digest. Accessed July 5, 2006.] As of 2006, the Buffalo Niagara metropolitan area is the most affordable housing market in the nation. "The quarterly NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Opportunity Index (HOI) noted that nearly 90 percent of the new and existing homes sold in the Buffalo-Niagara Falls metro area during the second quarter were affordable to families making the area's median income of $57,000. The area median price of homes was $75,000."
[Buffalo most affordable metro area, L.A. least affordable. All Business. Accessed July 5, 2006.] In the realm of crime,
FBI reports show that Buffalo has seen a 3.5% rise in violent crime from 2004 to 2005, reflecting national trends. While rape decreased 13%, murder increased at an alarming 10%. Currently, the city's crime rates are well above national averages and provide a stark contrast to other parts of the metropolitan area.
Amherst, Buffalo's largest suburb, has been the nation's safest city five times since 1997 according to the same FBI reports.
[Amherst, New York Retains Title as America's Safest City. City of Amherst. Accessed July 5, 2006.]Nicknames
By no means has
City of Light been Buffalo's only nickname. The most common of its monikers first appeared in print in the 1840s, referring to the city having more ambitions than achievements. Buffalo has also been called
The Nickel City due to the appearance of a bison on the back of
US nickels in the early part of the 20th century.
The City of Good Neighbors refers to the helpful, friendly spirit of its inhabitants. Perhaps due to the aforementioned string of championship losses, the weather, the taxes, or maybe even collective memories of a more glorious past, Buffalo has been negatively called
The City of No Illusions. More recently, the younger generation has referred to the city as
B-lo.
Diversity
Buffalo was first settled by
New Englanders, and then experienced a large influx of
Germans. The city was further populated by
Irish immigrants escaping
famine, and infused by
Polish,
Italian,
African American, and more recently
Latino populations, all of which have made it a
melting pot of ethnic cultures. The newest immigrants are from
Somalia,
Asia, and the
Arab world.
The old First Ward in
South Buffalo retains a strong Irish identity, and Kaisertown reflects a German heritage. The city's East Side was once home of Buffalo's
Polonia centered around the
Broadway Market, a microcosm of Polish traditions and food delicacies. The neighborhood is now largely dominated by African Americans, a reflection of Buffalo once being a major transit point for the
Underground Railroad.
The West Side is home to the city's
Hispanic & Italian American communities. The Italian custom of preparing
St. Joseph's Day (March 19) tables, at which various meatless
Lenten courses are laid out for the poor, continues in many Buffalo households as well as in some churches and restaurants. Bordering the West Side is the
Black Rock section, which is a mixture of Polish,
Ukrainian and
Hungarian communities.
Buffalo is also home to a sizable
Jewish community.
German Jewish immigrants originally settled on Buffalo's West Side in the mid-1800s. Less well-off
Russian and
Polish Jews immigrating to the Niagara Frontier in the early 1900s initially settled on the lower East Side, near William and Jefferson Streets. The community migrated to the Masten Park neighborhood on the East Side, and then to North Buffalo between the 1940s and the 1960s. Although many still live in the city, particularly in North Buffalo and the Delaware District, the majority of Buffalo's approximately 15,000 Jews now live in the northeastern suburbs of
Amherst and
Williamsville. Buffalo's
Jewish Community Centers are located in the Delaware District and Amherst.
Food
The Buffalo area's
cuisine reflects
Italian,
Irish,
Jewish,
German,
Polish,
Greek and
American influences.
Beef on Weck, Wardynski's
kielbasa, Sahlen's
hot dogs,
sponge candy,
pierogi, and haddock
fish fries are among the local favorites, as is a
loganberry-flavored beverage that remains relatively obscure outside of Western New York and Southern Ontario. Teressa Bellissimo, the chef/owner of the city's
Anchor Bar, first prepared the now-widespread
chicken wing (Buffalo wing) here on October 3,1964. Buffalo's pizza is also of unique design; perhaps because Buffalo is geographically located halfway between
New York City and
Chicago, Illinois, the pizza made here is likewise about halfway between thin-crust
New York-style pizza and deep-dish
Chicago-style pizza. One of Buffalo's more notable pizzerias,
Just Pizza, will ship Buffalo pizza anywhere in the country.
Buffalo also has several specialty import/grocery stores in old ethnic neighborhoods, and is home to an eclectic collection of cafes and restaurants that serve adventurous, cosmopolitan fare. Locally-owned restaurants offer
Chinese,
Japanese,
Vietnamese,
Thai,
Mexican, Italian, Greek,
Arab,
Indian,
Caribbean,
French, and
soul food.
Several well-known food companies are based in Buffalo. Non-dairy whipped topping, later imitated by
Cool Whip, was invented in Buffalo in 1945 by Robert E. Rich, Sr. His company,
Rich Products, is one of the city's largest private employers.
General Mills was organized in Buffalo, and Gold Medal brand flour,
Wheaties,
Bisquick,
Betty Crocker mixes and
Cheerios are manufactured here. One of the country's largest cheese manufacturers,
Sorrento, has been here since 1947.
Buffalo is also home to one of the largest privately held food companies in the world,
Delaware North Companies, which operates concessions in sports arenas, stadiums, resorts, and many state & federal parks.
Art
Buffalo is home to over 50 private and public
art galleries, most notably the
Albright-Knox Art Gallery, home to a world-class collection of
Modern art. The local art scene is also enhanced by the
Burchfield-Penney Art Center,
Hallwalls Contemporary Arts Center, CEPA, and countless small galleries and studios.
AmericanStyle ranked Buffalo fourth in its list of America's top art destinations.
[The 2004 Top 25 Arts Destinations. AmericanStyle. Accessed July 31, 2006.]Two street festivals - the
Allentown Art Festival and the
Elmwood Festival of the Arts - bring thousands of people to the city to browse and purchase original crafts.
Something that makes Buffalo's art scene truly unique is a series of watercolor paintings titled
Buffalo My City. This never ending series depicts the many architectural treasures of Buffalo with the added intent of spreading such awareness and pleasure to everyone.
The
Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, which performs at
Kleinhans Music Hall, is one of the city's most prominent performing arts institutions.
See Also: City of Buffalo Public Art CollectionArchitecture
Many architectural treasures exist in Buffalo, including:
The country's largest intact parks system designed by
Frederick Law Olmsted and
Calvert Vaux, including
Delaware Park. Buffalo was the first city for which Olmsted designed (in 1869) an interconnected park and parkway system rather than stand-alone parks.
The
Guaranty Building, by
Louis Sullivan, was one of the first steel-supported, curtain-walled buildings in the world, and its thirteen stories made it, at the time it was built, the tallest building in Buffalo and one of the world's first true skyscrapers.
The Hotel Buffalo was the first hotel in the world to feature a private bath in each room.
The
H.H. Richardson Complex, originally the State Asylum for the Insane, is Richardsonian Romanesque in style and was the largest commission designed by prominent architect
Henry Hobson Richardson. The grounds of this hospital were also designed by Olmsted. Though currently in a state of disrepair, New York State has allocated funds to restore this treasure.
Other notable buildings:
*
Gordon Bunshaft designed
Albright-Knox Art Gallery*
Eliel Saarinen and
Eero Saarinen designed
Kleinhans Music Hall*
Max Abramovitz designed
Temple Beth Zion*
Alexander Phimister Proctor designed the
Lions for the
McKinley Monument*
Grain elevators were invented here in 1842. Buffalo's collection is the largest in the world.The creme-de-la-creme of Buffalo architecture, however, are several buildings by
Frank Lloyd Wright, including the
Darwin Martin House,
George Barton House,
William Heath House,
The Graycliff Estate, as well as the now demolished
Larkin Administration Building. Buffalo has more Frank Lloyd Wright buildings than any other city except Chicago.
Nightlife
Last call is at 4 a.m. in Buffalo, rather than 2 a.m. like it is in most other areas of the nation. This is often attributed to the historic high density of industrial facilities and the demand of second and third
shift patrons. It's also because
New York law allows bars to be open until 4 a.m. (however, local municipalities can override it to an earlier time). This law was actually designed to accommodate the thriving late nightlife of
New York City, but the state's "Second City" has benefited from it as well.
Several distinct and thriving
nightlife districts have grown around clusters of bars and nightclubs in the city. The most visible nightlife district is
West Chippewa Street, located between Main Street and South Elmwood Avenue. The area is home to high-energy dance clubs, crowded bars, trendy coffehouses, a sex shop, and restaurants.
Bohemian Allentown, where bars are as numerous but the atmosphere is a bit more relaxed, is a 20-minute walk north to Allen Street. Allen also houses numerous alternative lifestyle bars such as the popular gay martini lounge,
Fugazi, the dance club Q, and the Old Pink. Continuing up Elmwood Avenue from Allentown is the Elmwood Strip, which runs several miles up until
Buffalo State College. This strip has numerous small boutiques and restaurants, with few large corporate establishments. Crowds on this strip include everyone from college students to families.
Points of interest
*
Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens*
Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society*
Buffalo Niagara Convention and Visitor's Bureau*
Erie Canal*
Forest Lawn Cemetery*
Mark Twain Room (Houses original manuscript of Huckleberry Finn)*
Martin House*
McKinley Monument*
Niagara Falls*
USS Little Rock (CG-4) in
Buffalo and Erie County Naval & Military ParkCurrent teams
* The
Buffalo Bills, a charter team of the
American Football League (1960-1969), now in the
National Football League.
* The
Buffalo Sabres of the
National Hockey League.
* The
Buffalo Bisons of the
International League, AAA team for the
Cleveland Indians.
* The
Buffalo Bandits of the
National Lacrosse League.
* The
Buffalo Silverbacks of the
American Basketball Association.
Former teams
* The
Buffalo Bisons of the defunct
All-America Football Conference in 1946.
* The
Buffalo Bills of the defunct
All-America Football Conference from 1947–1949.
* The
Buffalo Bisons of the
American Hockey League from 1940–1970.
* The
Buffalo Braves of the
National Basketball Association from 1970–1978.
* The
Buffalo Stallions of the defunct
Major Indoor Soccer League from 1979–1984.
* The
Buffalo Stampede of the defunct
Roller Hockey International from 1994–1995.
* The
Buffalo Wings of the defunct
Roller Hockey International and
Major League Roller Hockey from 1997–1999.
* The
Buffalo Blizzard of the defunct
National Professional Soccer League from 1992–2001.
* The
Buffalo Destroyers of the
Arena Football League from 1999–2003.
Television
*
WGRZ, Channel 2 (
NBC)
*
WIVB, Channel 4 (
CBS)
*
WKBW, Channel 7 (
ABC)
*
WNED, Channel 17 (
PBS)
*
WNLO, Channel 23 (
UPN, becoming the
CW in Fall 2006)
*
WNYB, Channel 26 (
TBN)
*
WUTV, Channel 29 (
FOX)
*
WNYO, Channel 49 (
The WB, becoming
My Network TV in Fall 2006)
*
WPXJ, Channel 51 (
i)
*
WNGS, Channel 67 (
Ind)
Film industry
While Buffalo may not be a major center of film production, the
Buffalo Niagara Film Commission exists to promote and assist with filmmaking in the area. In addition, the non-profit
Buffalo International Film Festival helps to highlight the work of Buffalonians associated with the film industry.
Squeaky Wheel, a non-profit media arts center, provides access for local media artists to video and film equipment, as well as screenings of independent and avant-garde films.
There have also been a number films that were set or filmed in the Buffalo area.
*
Best Friends was filmed in Buffalo in 1982.
*
Buffalo '66 was set and filmed in Buffalo.
*
Bruce Almighty was set primarily in Buffalo, but was filmed mostly in San Diego.
*
Hide in Plain Sight was set and filmed in Buffalo.
*
Manna from Heaven was set and filmed in Buffalo.
*
The Natural, while not set in Buffalo, was mostly filmed in Buffalo.
*
Shadow Creature was filmed in Buffalo.
Airport
Buffalo is served by the
Buffalo Niagara International Airport, located in Cheektowaga. The airport, recently re-constructed, serves over 5 million passengers a year and is still growing. As of 2006, plans are in the works by U.S. Senator
Charles Schumer to make the under-used
Niagara Falls International Airport into an international cargo hub for New York and Toronto, as well as Canada as a whole.
[ ]Public Transit
The
Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority (NFTA) operates not only
Buffalo Niagara International Airport and
Niagara Falls International Airport, but also
public transit throughout the Buffalo area. The NFTA runs a number of buses throughout the city and suburbs, as well as a 6-mile (9 km)
Metro Rail light rail rapid transit system in the city.
The
Metro Rail operates above ground in the section closest to downtown, the Main Street
pedestrian mall, then descends under Main Street as it heads toward
University at Buffalo's south campus. Buffalo is the smallest city in the United States to have a
subway system.
Rail
Two train stations, Buffalo-Depew and Buffalo-Exchange Street serve the city and operated by
Amtrak (also
VIA Rail).
Buffalo has ten
sister cities as designated by
Sister Cities International(SCI):
[New York State Sister Cities. Sister Cities, Inc.]*
Cape Coast,
Ghana*
Dortmund,
Germany*
Drohobych,
Ukraine*
Kanazawa, Ishikawa,
Japan*
Kiryat Gat,
Israel*
Lille,
France*
Rzeszow,
Poland*
Siena,
Italy*
Tver,
Russia*
Torremaggiore,
ItalySee Also:''
Buffalo Sister Cities - City of Buffalo*
Buffalo, New York parks system*
Famous people from Buffalo*
Buffalo, New York Fire Department
*
*
Artvoice - Free independent Buffalo newspaper
*
City of Buffalo webpage*
The Buffalo Beast - Free independent Buffalo newspaper
*
Buffalo Niagara Convention & Visitors Bureau webpage*
Buffalo Architecture and History*
FixBuffalo Today - From Bufffalo's East Side*
The Buffalonian, history of Western New York*
Frank Lloyd Wright in Western New York*
Buffalo Music Hall of Fame*
Buffalo Research: How to Research Buffalo Ancestors, Buildings, Companies, and more*
Buffalo Climate Information from NOAA*
Buffalo Rising Online, a blog covering many topics related to Buffalo*
Buffalo Pundit, a politics and government blog
