Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Buffalo?
Buffalo is the commercial, political and entertainment hub of an eight-county region of western New York State consisting of nearly 1.6 million people. Located at the easternmost end of Lake Erie, overlooking the Niagara River, Buffalo is just across the Peace Bridge from the Canadian province of Ontario.
Is Buffalo near Niagara Falls?
Buffalo is a 20-minute drive from Niagara Falls and its array of world class tourist attractions, including: the Maid of the Mist sightseeing boat and the Cave of the Winds, a web of wooden catwalks and staircases accessed through a tunnel in the rock behind the American Falls that provide spectacular up-close views of the cataract.
How close is Buffalo to New York City?
Buffalo is 439 miles from mid-town Manhattan. This is an eight-hour drive via the New York State Thruway; an eight-hour train ride via Amtrak or a one-hour flight from either LaGuardia or Kennedy Airports.
Is Buffalo located on the Great Lakes?
Buffalo is located at the confluence of Lake Erie, the Buffalo River and the Niagara River. Its importance as both a lakefront and riverfront town was immeasurably enhanced with the creation of the Erie Canal in 1825. This historic waterway made Buffalo the gateway to the American west for millions of settlers.
How much snow does Buffalo get each winter?
Buffalo averages approximately 25 days of measurable snowfall each year. Average annual snowfall at Buffalo Niagara International Airport is 93 inches. Niagara Falls, 20 miles north of Buffalo, averages 55 inches per year. In ski country south of Buffalo, Ellicottville receives an average of180 inches of the white stuff each winter, helping to make it one of the finest winter recreation centers in the northeastern United States.
Is Buffalo’s weather really as harsh as I’ve heard?
The severity of Buffalo’s winter weather is greatly exaggerated by the national media. While the Weather Channel likes to make much of the occasional snowstorm in this part of the country, we are fortunate to be free of the hurricanes, tornadoes, wild fires, floods, and earthquakes that routinely beset other regions. In fact, for much of the year Buffalo is blessed with a moderate climate. Temperatures below zero are quite rare in Western New York and the National Weather Service in Buffalo has never recorded a reading above 100 degrees.
April and May are typically beautiful months in Buffalo. Our summers are traditionally mild and pleasant with breezes from nearby Lake Erie keeping temperatures moderate and humidity low. This “Oasis Effect” makes Western New York’s summer weather among the most spectacular in North America. The average daytime temperature in July is a comfortable 80 degrees. Buffalo receives a higher percentage of sunshine – and significantly less rain – than much of the United States in the summer months.
Autumn is lovely in Western New York with temperatures remaining pleasant well into late October.
Were Buffalo Wings invented in Buffalo?
Yes. In 1964, Terressa Bellisimo made an impromptu snack for some patrons who were enjoying an evening at the Anchor Bar, her family’s bar and restaurant. She took some chicken wings that were left over from the day, deep-fried them, added some hot sauce and served them crisp and hot. Her friends loved them and gradually other restaurants throughout the city – and eventually the world – began serving this new delicacy. You can still find the Anchor Bar at 1047 Main Street in Buffalo.
Where can I get the best Buffalo wings?
The Anchor Bar remains the standard by which all other wing joints are judged. Its old school charm and authentic Buffalo bar culture make it the place to go for this local delicacy. Locals also sing the praises of Duff’s on Millersport Highway in nearby Amherst, Hemingway’s on Pearl Street in downtown Buffalo, Gabriel’s Gate on Allen Street in the heart of Allentown, La Nova on the city’s West Side and Bob and John’s on Hertel Avenue in the city’s North Park neighborhood. Bottom line: great wings can be found in almost every corner tavern and locally-owned restaurant in town.
What is beef on weck?
Another of Buffalo’s indigenous delicacies: sliced roast beef piled high on a kummelweck roll (a German kaiser roll sprinkled with caraway seeds and pretzel salt and baked again for several minutes until crusty) dipped in au jus and spiced with fresh horseradish. Charlie the Butcher’s, Schwabl’s, Laughlin’s and Eckl’s are among the more notable establishments serving this regional specialty.
Where are the bars and clubs in Buffalo?
The heart of Buffalo nightlife can be found along the length and breadth of downtown’s Chippewa Street. Here you’ll find clubs, bars and restaurants to suit every taste, from Darcy McGee’s Irish Pub to La Luna, Level, SoHo, Quote, the Chocolate Bar and many more. The Allentown neighborhood is also home to an eclectic mix of nightlife options ranging from legendary watering holes like Nietzsche’s to the Allentown Hardware Company, the Old Pink, Colter Bay, K. Gallagher’s, and Mother’s. Hertel Avenue in North Buffalo also has a large concentration of bars, taverns and clubs.
What are the best sports bars in Buffalo?
The Cobblestone across the street from HSBC Arena, Brink’s on Chippewa Street, Dave and Buster’s in the Eastern Hills Mall, Pearl Street Brewery in downtown Buffalo, Rhino’s and the Big Tree Inn near Ralph Wilson Stadium in Orchard Park, Buffalo Wild Wings on Elmwood Avenue in North Buffalo, Third Base in University Heights, Buffalo Brew Pub in Williamsville and Player’s Sports Bar in the Adams Mark Hotel.
What are some of Buffalo’s best restaurants?
The list is simply too long to include everything here. A few of the better known restaurants include the Rue Franklin, Buffalo Chop House, Bacchus, Tempo, Hutch’s, the Left Bank, Papaya, Prime 490, Oliver’s, San Marco, Lombardo’s, O’Connell’s American Bistro, Stillwater, Toro Tapas Bar, Sienna, Fiamma Steakhouse, E.B. Green’s, Salvatore’s Italian Gardens.
Where do people go to shop in Buffalo?
Retail destinations include malls like the Walden Galleria, Boulevard Mall, Eastern Hills Mall, Fashion Outlets of Niagara and the McKinley Mall as well as eclectic and charming shopping districts such as Buffalo’s Elmwood Village, Williamsville, Clarence Center and the village of East Aurora.
Is there a house designed by Frank Lloyd Wright in Buffalo?
Actually, there are five Wright-designed residences within Buffalo’s city limits – one of the largest concentrations of Wright homes outside of Chicago. Buffalo’s Wright stuff includes the Darwin D. Martin House Complex, his most extensive Prairie House, currently undergoing a multi-million dollar restoration that will return the property to its original grandeur. A sixth Wright design – Graycliff – can be found in nearby Derby, a short drive south of Buffalo on the Lake Erie shore.
What is there to do in Buffalo?
How much time do you have? The Buffalo area has outstanding theater, a world-class symphony, architecture tours, nightlife along the resurgent Chippewa Street, one of the world’s top collections of modern art at the Albright-Knox Art Gallery, and great shopping at the area’s many malls and along Elmwood Avenue in the city, on Main Street in suburban Williamsville and in the quaint village of East Aurora. Sports lovers will find Buffalo Bills football, Buffalo Sabres hockey and Buffalo Bisons baseball, as well as major college football, basketball and hockey. For people with an appetite there are a wealth of charming bistros and restaurants serving local specialties such as Buffalo wings and beef-on-weck as well as truly affordable fine cuisine.
Nearby attractions include Darien Lake, New York State’s largest amusement park; the "Grand Canyon of the East" at Letchworth State Park; the internationally-renowned Victorian village at the Chautauqua Institution; the Erie Canal; the oldest buildings on the Great Lakes at Old Fort Niagara; and the Genesee Country Village and Museum, the country’s third-largest living history museum.
What are the best family attractions in Buffalo and Niagara Falls?
The Buffalo Zoo, the Buffalo Museum of Science, Explore ‘n’ More Children’s Museum, Toy Town Museum, the Amherst Museum, Herschell Carrousel Factory Museum, Martin’s Fantasy Island Amusement Park, the Maid of the Mist, the Aquarium of Niagara, Whirlpool Jet Boat Tours, Old Fort Niagara and the Buffalo and Erie County Naval and Military Park.
What spectator sports does Buffalo have?
You’ll find National Football League action when the Buffalo Bills take the field at Ralph Wilson Stadium in nearby Orchard Park. National Hockey League excitement when the Buffalo Sabres strap on their skates at HSBC Arena and International League baseball when the Buffalo Bisons mix it up each summer at Dunn Tire Park. |
