Buffalo, New York from
I-190 North entering downtown.
Buffalo, New York's skyline
Position within Erie County.
'Buffalo' (prounounced by many local residents, by most others) is an
American city in
western New York. As of the
2000 census, the city had a total population of 292,648.
1 It is the state's second-largest city, after
New York City, and is the
county seat of
Erie County. It is also the economic and cultural center of the
Buffalo-Niagara Falls metropolitan area, with a population of 1.2 million people,
[2] as well as being the dominant city of Western New York, a part of the broader
Buffalo Niagara Region. The Buffalo area is adjacent to the
Golden Horseshoe, an urban region in southern
Ontario.
Buffalo lies at the eastern end of
Lake Erie, at the southern head of the
Niagara River, which connects Lake Erie and
Lake Ontario.
History
Main articles: History of Buffalo, New York
The City of Buffalo received its name from the
creek that flows through it, and likely dates from the mid-18th century, when the area was first settled by Europeans. The area was originally settled by a
Neutral Nation tribe, the Ongiara. Later, the Senecas of the
Iroquois Confederacy won control over this land from the Neutrals. 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.
[3] During the
War of 1812, on
December 30, 1813, the village of Buffalo was burned by British forces. On November 4, 1825 the
Erie Canal was completed with Buffalo being at the western end of the system. The population at the time was about 2,400. The Erie Canal brought a surge in population and commerce which lead Buffalo to incorporate as a city in 1832 with a population of about 10,000.
The City of Buffalo has been a long time home to the African-American community. An example is the 1828 village directory which listed 59 "Names of Coloured" heads of families.
[4] In 1845, construction was begun on the Macedonia Baptist Church (commonly called the ''Michigan Street Baptist Church''). This African-American church was an important meeting place for the abolitionist movement. On February 12,1974 the church was added to the
National Register of Historic Places. Abolitionist leaders like
William Wells Brown also made their home in Buffalo.
[5] Buffalo was also a terminus point of the
Underground Railroad. Many fugitives crossed the
Niagara River from Buffalo to
Fort Erie, Ontario and freedom.
During the 1840's, Buffalo continued it's growth as a port city. Both passenger and commerical traffic expanded with some 93,000 passengers heading west from the port of Buffalo.
[ The City of Buffalo 1840-1850 ] Grain and commerical goods shipments led to repeated expansion of the harbor. The one of the first steam powered
grain elevators was constructed which led to faster unloading of
lake freighters.
Abraham Lincoln visited Buffalo on February 16,1861 on his way to accept the presidency of the United States. He stayed at the American Hotel on Main Street between Eagle Street and Court Street.
[ The History of Buffalo:A Chronology Buffalo, New York 1841-1865 ] The Civil War years saw a great increase in the population of Buffalo it increased from 81,029 to 94,210 in 1865. The Niagara Steam Forge Works manufactured turret parts for the iron clad ship the
USS Monitor.
At the start of the 20th century, immigrants from Europe came in to work in the local mills which used
hydroelectric power generated from the river. The city got the nickname ''City of Light'' at this time due to the widespread electric lighting used. In 1881, Buffalo had deployed the first electric street lights in the United States.
The link to
Fort Erie, known as the
Peace Bridge, was opened in 1927.
The city's economy declined in the later half of the 20th century, due to the opening of the
St. Lawrence Seaway in 1957, cutting the city off from the normal trade routes. The city, which boasted over half a million people at its peak in the 1950s, has seen its population decline by almost 50%, as industries shut down and people left the
Rust Belt for the employment opportunities of the South and West. However, the suburbs adjacent to Buffalo have grown from 300,000 in the 1950s to over 600,000 in 2007.
The end of 2006 saw an upturn in the city's prospects. Economic development in the city was marked at $3.5 billion in 2006 compared to a $50 million average for the previous ten years. New proposals and renovations were numerous, especially in the downtown area. Buffalo ranked 83rd on the
Forbes best cities for jobs list, an increase from the previous year, and beating out cities like
New York City,
Cleveland, and
Detroit. Buffalo is also scheduled to get a new tallest building in 2010; the
Buffalo City Tower will rise 600 feet.
Geography
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.
Climate
Buffalo has the sunniest and driest summers of any major city in the
Northeast, but still has enough rain to keep
vegetation green and lush.
[6] Summers are marked by plentiful sunshine and moderate
humidity and temperature. Obscured by the notoriety of Buffalo's snowstorms is the fact that Buffalo benefits from other lake effects such as the cooling southwest breezes off
Lake Erie in summer that gently temper the warmest days. Rainfall is moderate but typically occurs at night. The stabilizing effect of
Lake Erie continues to inhibit
thunderstorms and enhance sunshine in the immediate Buffalo area through most of July. August usually has more showers and is humid as the warmer lake loses its temperature-stabilizing influence.
Buffalo has a reputation for snowy winters. The region experiences a fairly humid,
continental-type climate, but with a definite
maritime flavor due to strong modification from the
Great Lakes. The transitional seasons are very brief in Buffalo and Western New York.
Winters in Western New York are generally cold and
snowy, but are changeable and include frequent thaws and
rain as well.
Snow covers the ground more often than not from late December 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 starts as early as mid-October, peaks in December, then virtually shuts down after
Lake Erie freezes in mid to late January. The most well-known snow storm in Buffalo's history, the
Great Lakes Blizzard of 1977, resulted from a combination of lake effect snow and high winds. Snow does not typically impair the city's operation, but can cause significant damage as with
October 2006 storm.
Demographics
City proper
Like most formerly industrial cities of the Great Lakes region--the so-called "rust belt"--Buffalo has suffered through several decades of population decline brought about by the loss of its industrial base. The city's population peaked in 1950, when it was the 15th largest city in the United States. Its population has declined in every year since, particularly during the late 1970s and early 1980s, when the city lost nearly one-third of its population in only five years.
As of the
census of 2000, the city had a total population of 292,648 (2006 estimate: 276,059).
At that time of the 2000 census 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
Irish,
Italian,
Polish,
German and
African descent. Major ethnic neighborhoods still exist but they changed significantly in the second half of the twentieth century. Traditionally,
Polish-Americans were the predominant occupants of the
East Side, while
Italian-Americans composed a close-knit neighborhood in the west side. The
East Side is now a predominantly African American neighborhood, while the
West Side has become a
melting pot of many ethnicities, with
Latino culture being the strongest influence. Throughout the history of Buffalo, the neighborhoods collectively called the
First Ward, as well as much of
South Buffalo, have been comprised almost entirely of people of
Irish descent.
Metropolitan area
As of 2006,
Erie and
Niagara Counties had a combined estimated population of 1,154,378.
[7] The racial makeup of the area is 82.2%
White, 13%
African American, 0.6%
Native American, 1.32%
Asian, 3.3%
Hispanic, and 1.4% of all
other races. In the metropolitan area, 39.68% of people are under the age of 18 or over the age of 64, and the median age is 38. Of the total population, 82.88% have a
high school diploma and 23.2% have obtained a
Bachelor's degree. The median income for a household is $38,400 and the per capita income for the area is just under $29,000. Approximately 12% of the population is below the poverty line.
Education
Public schools
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.
7
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;
Leonardo da Vinci High School; the
Buffalo Academy for the Visual and Performing Arts BAVPA; the
Riverside Institute of Technology;
Lafayette High School/Buffalo Academy of Finance;
Hutchinson Central Technical High School; and the
Emerson School of Hospitality. The
City Honors School was recently ranked #8 in the nation by ''
Newsweek'' magazine.
Buffalo is currently in the process of a $1 billion city school rebuilding plan.
Private schools
The city is home to 47
private schools while the metropolitan region has 150 institutions. Most private schools have a
Roman Catholic affiliation including
St. Joseph's Collegiate Institute,
Nardin Academy and
Canisius High School. However, there are schools affiliated with other religions such as
Islam and
Judaism. There are also many
nonsectarian options including
The Park School of Buffalo, The
Nichols School and a number of
charter schools.
Adult and technical schools
Complementing its standard function, the
Buffalo Public Schools Adult and Continuing Education Division provides education and services to adults throughout the community.
[8] In addition, the
Career and Technical Education Department offers more than 20 academic programs, and is attended by about 6,000 students each year.
[9]
College and universities
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, each are the largest institution of its type in the system. Combined, they account for roughly 40,000 students in the area.
Other academic institutions in Buffalo or its suburbs include:
Bryant & Stratton College,
Canisius College,
D'Youville College,
Daemen College,
Empire State College,
Erie Community College,
Hilbert College,
Houghton College,
Medaille College,
Trocaire College,
Villa Maria College,
Niagara County Community College (Niagara Falls, NY and Sanborn, NY).
Economy
Buffalo and the surrounding area was long involved in railroad commerce,
steel, and
automobile production, but most of this activity left the city many years ago. Major steel production no longer exists in the area, although several smaller steel mills remain in operation. For example,
Gibraltar Industries, a leading manufacturer, processor, and distributor of steel products for the building, industrial, and vehicular markets is headquartered in Buffalo.
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.
The traditional reputation of Buffalo as "blue collar" industrial town really no longer applies however, as many of this industry has left the area. The regional economy can now best be described as a mix of industrial, light manufacturing, high technology and service-oriented private sector companies. Instead of relying on a single industry or sector for its economic future, the region has taken a diversified approach that has created opportunities for growth and expansion in the 21st century.
Overall, employment in Buffalo has suffered as its population has declined. Buffalo's 2005 unemployment rate of 6.6% was 32% higher than New York State's 5.0% rate.
[10]From the fourth quarter of 2005 to the fourth quarter of 2006, Erie County had no net job growth, ranking it 271st among the 326 largest counties in the country.
[11]
It is claimed that 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. This consortium is known as the
Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus. It also includes:
Buffalo Hearing & Speech Center,
Buffalo Medical Group Foundation,
Hauptman-Woodward Medical Research Institute,
Kaleida Health,
Olmsted Center for the Visually Impaired and Upstate New York Transplant Services.
Buffalo is the headquarters of
M&T Bank, a large commercial bank with assets of $57B as of 2006.
HSBC Bank USA also has major operations in Buffalo (The sports arena, which hosts the
Buffalo Sabres NHL franchise, is named
HSBC Arena). Other banks, such as
Bank of America and
KeyBank, have corporate operations in Buffalo, and
Citigroup has recently announced it will soon follow in
Amherst, New York Buffalo's largest suburb.
Geico also has a regional office in the inner-ring suburb of
Amherst.
Another successful industry in Buffalo is debt collection. There are 6 major firms located in Buffalo and the surrounding area.
New Era Cap Company, the largest sports-licensed headwear company in the United States, is based in Buffalo. They opened new headquarters in 2007 in the former
Federal Reserve Building in downtown Buffalo.
When it comes to food and beverage industry, Buffalo is home to both
Rich Products, one of the world's largest family-owned food manufacturers, and the American headquarters of
InBev, the world's largest producer of beer.
Labatt moved its US headquarters to Buffalo in May 2007. This is in large part due to Buffalo's location directly in the middle of the Northeastern Trade Corridor. The city is the heart of the Canadian-American corridor. Over 80% of all U.S.-Canada trade occurs via border crossings in the eastern United States and with 5 bridges to Canada, the Buffalo area is one of the key eastern border crossing locations.
:''See also:
List of foreign consulates in Buffalo''
Government and Politics
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
In a trend common to Northern
"Rust Belt" regions, Buffalo politics have been dominated by The
Democratic Party 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.
Cityscape
Neighborhoods
Buffalo consists of 32 different neighborhoods:
Allentown, Bailey-Lovejoy,
Black Rock, Central Park, Cold Springs, Delaware District, Downtown, East Side, Elmwood Village, 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.
Parks
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
Aerial view of the harbor at Buffalo, New York. View is to the north
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
transshipment,
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.
Buffalo's waterfront is being transformed from its industrial past into a focal point for social and recreational activity. A literal focal point, viewed from above, is a marina taking the shape of a buffalo (located near the junction of the
Buffalo Skyway NY 5 and the
New York State Thruway I-190.
Standard of Living
Buffalo's long-standing economic decline has led to the almost complete loss of well-paying union jobs in manufacturing, and made it one of the poorest large cities in the United States. According to 2007 Census estimates, nearly 30% of Buffalo residents live below the poverty line, second only to Detroit among cities with more than 250,000 people. In addition, Buffalo's median household income of $27,850 is third-lowest among large cities, behind only Miami and Cleveland.
[12]
Because of the widespread poverty, housing is very affordable to those with the employment and income to purchase it. According to a 2005 article by ''
Mortgage Banking Magazine'', 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% 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."
[13]
In terms of crime,
Amherst, Buffalo's largest suburb, has been the safest city in the U.S. five times since 1997 according to
FBI statistics.
[14] Buffalo's economic decline has also led to an improving environment. In July 2005, ''
Reader's Digest'' ranked Buffalo as the third cleanest large city in the nation.
[15]
Culture
Nicknames
By no means has ''City of Light'' been Buffalo's only nickname. The most common of its monikers -- ''
The Queen City'' -- first appeared in print in the 1840s, referring to the city being the second largest city in New York State behind New York City. The
The Queen City has also been used used to describe Buffalo as the second largest American city on the
Great Lakes after
Chicago. Buffalo has also been called ''The Nickel City'' due to the appearance of a bison on the back of
Indian Head nickel in the early part of the 20th century. ''The City of Good Neighbors'' refers to the helpful, friendly spirit of its inhabitants. Buffalo is also known, especially among its residents, as ''The City of No Illusions.''
[16][17]
People
Buffalo was first settled by
New Englanders and a small but influential number of
African Americans. The first wave of European immigrants was a large influx of
Germans. The city was further populated by
Irish immigrants escaping
famine, and infused by
Polish,
Italian and Sicilian,
Jewish, 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 East Side is now home to African Americans who came north during the
Great Migration. The
Juneteenth Festival of Buffalo, NY is an important component for Black-Americans of summertime events in the Buffalo-Niagara region.
[18]
The West Side is home to the city's
Hispanic community, predominantly of Puerto Rican descent. The West Side was once home to Buffalo's "Little Italy," but in the 1980s much of Buffalo's Italian American heritage shifted to North Buffalo. There is also a small Italian-American enclave in the East Side neighborhood of Lovejoy. The Sicilian 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.
Buffalo is also home to a sizable
Jewish community.
German Jews immigrants originally settled on Buffalo's West Side in the mid-1800s. Less well-off
Russian Jews and
Polish Jews immigrating to the
Niagara Frontier in the early 1900s initially settled on the lower East Side, near
William Street and
Jefferson Avenue. 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 on the city's West Side, the majority of Buffalo's approximately 26,000 Jews now live in the northeastern suburbs of
Amherst and
Williamsville. Buffalo's
Jewish Community centers are located in the Delaware District and Amherst.
Distancing itself from its industrial past, Buffalo is redefining itself as a cultural, banking,
educational, and
medical center and the city was named by ''
Reader's Digest'' as the third cleanest city (environmentally) in the
United States in 2005.
15 In 2001
USA Today named Buffalo the winner of its "City with a Heart" contest,
[19] proclaiming it the nation's "friendliest city." Also, in 1996 and 2002, Buffalo won the
All-America City Award.
[20]
Food
Country-fried steak, with baked beans and mashed potatoes with white gravy
Beef on Weck sandwich from Charlie the Butcher's in Buffalo, New York, USA
As a melting pot of cultures,
cuisine in the Buffalo area reflects a variety of cultures. These include
Italian,
Jewish,
German,
Polish,
African American,
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 the Western
New York and Southern
Ontario area.
Teressa Bellissimo, the chef/owner of the city's
Anchor Bar, first prepared the now-widespread
Chicken Wings here on October 3, 1964. Local or regional chains with a significant presence in the Buffalo area include
Ted's Hot Dogs,
Anderson's Frozen Custard,
Duff's Wings,
John & Mary's,
Jim's SteakOut,
Just Pizza,
SPoT Coffee,
Tim Horton's,
Mighty Taco, GiGi's and Bocce's Pizza. Buffalo's pizza is also of unique, perhaps because Buffalo is geographically located halfway between
New York City and
Chicago, Illinois, the pizza made is likewise about halfway between thin-crust
New York-style pizza and deep-dish
Chicago-style pizza. The city is also home to the
Pearl Street Brewery and
Flying Bison Brewing Company, who continue Buffalo's
brewing traditions. Labatt USA, the US operation for
Labatt Beer, a
Toronto-based brewer, is also headquartered in Buffalo. Twice a summer thousands of Western New Yorkers descend into the city for two food festivals, the Taste of Buffalo and the
National Buffalo Wing Festival.
[21]
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
Soul Food,
Chinese,
Japanese,
Vietnamese,
Thai,
Mexican,
Italian,
Greek,
Arab,
Indian,
Caribbean, and
French.
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,
Cheerios and other General Mills brand cereals are manufactured here. One of the country's largest cheese manufacturers,
Sorrento, has been here since 1947.
Archer Daniels Midland also operates its largest flour mill in the city.
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 many small galleries and studios.
[22][23] ''
AmericanStyle'' ranked Buffalo fourth in its list of America's top art destinations.
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. The
Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, which performs at
Kleinhans Music Hall, is one of the city's most prominent performing arts institutions.
Shea's Performing Arts Center, long known as Shea's Buffalo, is an old-style large theatre that continues to show productions and concerts. :''See Also:''
City of Buffalo Public Art Collection
Architecture
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.
[24]
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.
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.
[25][26] Currently under construction is the never built boathouse designed by Wright, on Buffalo's
Black Rock Canal. Buffalo has more
Frank Lloyd Wright buildings than any other city except
Chicago.
Other notable buildings:
★
Buffalo Central Terminal, the massive
Art Deco railroad station designed by
Alfred T. Fellheimer and
Steward Wagner. See:
Buffalo Central Terminal
★
Lafayette High School, a stone, brick and terra-cotta structure in the
French Renaissance Revival style by architects
August Eisenwein and
James A. Johnson, is the oldest public school in Buffalo that remains in its original building, and is on the
National Register of Historic Places.
★
St. Adalbert's Basilica, is a large, basilica-like structure on the city's east side. Built by
Huber and Company in 1890-1891, it was built by
Polish immigrants. The building itself is brick, its dimensions are 240 feet high, 118 feet wide, nave 70 feet high, the two towers are 150 feet high with a dome 40 feet wide and soaring 125 feet above the main nave. At that time it was the largest church in Western New York and cost $63,000 without the furnishings.
★
Albright-Knox Art Gallery, a world-renowned repository of art, was designed by
Gordon Bunshaft, a native
Buffalonian and graduate of the above-noted
Lafayette High School.
★
Richard Upjohn designed St. Paul's
Episcopal Cathedral
★
Eliel Saarinen and
Eero Saarinen designed
Kleinhans Music Hall
★
Max Abramovitz designed
Temple Beth Zion[27]
★
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.
Nightlife
Last call is at 4 a.m. in Buffalo, rather than 2 a.m. as in most other areas of the U.S. This is often attributed to the historically high density of industrial facilities and the demand of second and third
shift patrons. It is 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 adopted 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 coffeehouses, and restaurants.
Allentown, where bars are as numerous but the atmosphere is a bit more relaxed, is a 20-minute walk north to Allen Street. Allen Street near Main Street houses several gay bars, while Allen near Elmwood has many bars that feature live music. Continuing up Elmwood Avenue from Allentown is the Elmwood Strip, which runs several miles to
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 to the elderly.
Other points of interest
★
Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens
★
Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society
★
Buffalo Museum of Science
★
Buffalo Zoo - Third oldest zoo in the United States, established in 1875.
★
Forest Lawn Cemetery
★
Mark Twain Room - Houses original manuscript of Huckleberry Finn
★
USS Little Rock (CG-4) in
Buffalo and Erie County Naval & Military Park
★ The
Anchor Bar, the birthplace of the
Buffalo Wing.
Transportation
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.
Buffalo Niagara International Airport ranks among the five cheapest airports from which to fly in the country, according to the
U.S. Bureau of Transportation Statistics. The average round trip flight cost $295.58.
[28] 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.
[29]
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 referred to as
Buffalo Place, then descends under Main Street as it heads toward
University at Buffalo's south campus.
Intercity rail
Two train stations, Buffalo-Depew and Buffalo-Exchange Street serve the city and are operated by
Amtrak.
VIA Rail also serves these stations for travel into Canada.
Freight service for Buffalo is served by
CSX Transportation and
Norfolk Southern (NS), as well as
Canadian National (CN) and
Canadian Pacific (CP) railroads from across the Border. The area has 4 large rail yards: Frontier (CSX), Bison (NS), SK (NS / CP) and Buffalo Creek (NS / CSX). A large amount of hazardous cargo also crosses through the Buffalo area, such as liquid
propane and
anhydrous ammonia.
Waterways
Buffalo/The Tonawandas is the western terminus of the historic
Erie Canal, which ends in the
Black Rock Channel, entering
Lake Erie. Once a major route for passengers and cargo, the Canal is now used primarily for pleasure craft and some light local freight.
The city has an extensive
breakwall system protecting its inner and outer
harbors, which are maintained at commercial navigation depths for
Great Lakes freighters.
Highways
Four
Interstate highways run through the
Buffalo-Niagara Metropolitan Area:
Interstate 90,
Interstate 190,
Interstate 290, and
Interstate 990. I-90 runs from
Seattle to
Boston and connects Buffalo's southern suburbs with the city and the eastern and northern suburbs.
I-190 runs from
I-90 through downtown and up to
Niagara Falls and onto the
Canadian border at two spots. I-290 makes a 10 mile connection between I-190 and I-90, serving the area's northern suburbs.
I-990 starts at
I-290 and runs over 6 miles up to the
Millersport Highway, just south of
Lockport.
I-990 was intended to run to
Lockport but was never completed.
The Buffalo Area is also connected to the
Golden Horseshoe part of Southern
Ontario. Buffalo is as little as an hour away from
Toronto, Ontario. Buffalo connects to the
QEW via the
Peace Bridge on I-190.
Niagara Falls, NY connects to
Highway 420 via the
Rainbow Bridge (city traffic) and the
Highway 405 (I-190) connects to
Lewiston, New York via the
Queenston-Lewiston Bridge.
U.S. Route 219 and
New York State Route 400 are major expressways that run south of the city to the edge of the metropolitan area in
Springville and
East Aurora, respectively.
Federal Offices
US Army Corps of Engineers
The offices of the
Buffalo District,
US Army Corps of Engineers are located adjacent to the
Black Rock Lock in the
Black Rock channel of the
Erie Canal. In addition to maintaining and operating the lock, the District is responsible for planning, design, construction and maintenace of water resources projects in an area extending from
Toledo, Ohio to
Massena, New York. These include the
flood-control dam at
Mount Morris, New York, oversight of the lower
Great Lakes (
Erie and
Ontario), review and permitting of wetlands construction, and remedial action for hazardous waste sites.
Sports teams
Current teams
Former teams
★ The
Buffalo Bisons of the
National League from 1879-1885.
★ The
Buffalo Blues of the defunct
Federal League of baseball from 1914-1915.
★ 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 Norsemen of the
North American Hockey League from 1975-1976
★ 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 II from 1992–2001.
★ The
Buffalo Destroyers of the
Arena Football League from 1999–2003.
Media
Television
Newspapers
★
The Buffalo News - ''(The region's main paper)''
★
Artvoice ''(Weekly
Alternative newspaper)''
★ South Buffalo Online - http://www.SouthBuffaloOnline.com
★
Buffalo Courier-Express - ''(ceased publication in 1982)''
★
The Beast - ''(
left-libertarian biweekly)''
Radio
Film industry
Though Buffalo is not 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.
Films set in the Buffalo area
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 in Buffalo.
★ ''
Evan Almighty'' was set in Buffalo in the beginning of the movie.
★ ''
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.
★ ''
The Savages (film),'' starring
Philip Seymour Hoffman, was filmed throughout Buffalo in the spring of 2006. Set to be released at theaters in 2007.
★ '','' A low budget Troma film shot in Buffalo at an old
McDonalds location on Bailey Ave.
★ ''
The Buddy Holly Story'' depicts the name "
The Crickets" being bestowed upon Buddy's group by Buffalo disk jockey 'Madman' Mancuso, who (after having locked himself in the studio while he plays "That'll Be the Day" over and over), tracks down Buddy for a phone interview. Upon learning from Buddy that one of the songs the as-yet-unnamed group had recorded in Buddy's garage "has a cricket on it," the DJ anoints them "Buddy Holly and the Crickets."
★ ''
Stiletto Dance'' starring
Eric Roberts as a Buffalo cop trying to foil a Russian mafia-nuclear weapon deal was set and filmed in Buffalo in 2001.
★ ''
Planes, Trains & Automobiles'' starring
Steve Martin and
John Candy. The "Automobile" scenes were filmed along
U.S. Route 219, south of Buffalo.
★ ''
Canadian Bacon'' although largely set in nearby
Niagara Falls, had significant scenes in Buffalo.
★ ''
You Kill Me'' is half set in Buffalo, although it was mostly filmed in
Winnipeg
★ ''
the falls'' shot in and takes place in Buffalo, about a man who realizes a girl he is in love with is kidnapped and how the story unfolds
Sister cities
Buffalo has several
sister cities as designated by
Sister Cities International (SCI):
[30]
★
Cape Coast,
Ghana
★
Dortmund,
Germany
★
Drohobych,
Ukraine
★
Kanazawa, Ishikawa,
Japan
★
Kiryat Gat,
Israel
★
Lille,
France
★
Rzeszow,
Poland
★
Siena,
Italy
★
Tver,
Russia
★
Torremaggiore,
Italy
★
Horlivka,
Ukraine
''See Also:''
Sister Cities of Buffalo
Honorary Consulates in Buffalo
★
Austria
★
Canada - (Consulate General)
★
Czech Republic
★
France
★
Germany
★
Italy
★
Japan
★
Sweden
★
Switzerland
See also
★
Famous people from Buffalo
★
Polish Cathedral
★
Buffalo City Hall
★
Buffalo Fire Department
★
Buffalo Airfield
References
1. Metropolitan & Central City Population: 2000-2005. ''Demographia.com'', accessed September 3, 2006.
2. Census 2000 Supplementary Survey Profile for Buffalo - Niagara Falls, NY MSA
3. Beginnings - The Village of Buffalo - 1801 to 1832
4. Michigan Street Church
5. African American history of Western New York
6. Buffalo's Climate. ''National Weather Service''. Accessed July 5, 2006.
7. SUNY Buffalo Regional Knowledge Network
8. Buffalo Public Schools Adult and Continuing Education Division
9. Career and Technical Education department
10. See Erie County.ppt
11. BLS, Table 1. Covered establishments, employment, and wages in the 326 largest counties, fourth quarter 2006
12. Buffalo falls to second-poorest big city in U.S., with a poverty rate of nearly 30 percent. ''Buffalo News''. Accessed September 2, 2007.
13. Buffalo most affordable metro area, L.A. least affordable. ''All Business''. Accessed July 5, 2006.
14. Amherst, New York Retains Title as America's Safest City. ''City of Amherst''. Accessed July 5, 2006.
15. Derek Burnett, America's Top Five Cleanest Cities. ''Reader's Digest''. Accessed Jan. 4, 2007.
16. [1], accessed 7 August 2007
17. ''The Guide to Buffalo English''[2], accessed 7 August 2007
18. Juneteenth Festival of Buffalo, NY, accessed 7 July 2007
19. Lots and lots of heart in Buffalo
20. All-America City: Past Winners
21. Taste of Buffalo, accessed 7 July 2007
22. Hallwalls Contemporary Arts Center, accessed 7 July 2007
23. CEPA Gallery, access 7 July 2007
24. Louis Sullivan - Guaranty / Prudential Building, accessed 7 July 2007
25. William Heath House, accessed 7 July 2007
26. The Graycliff Estate, accessed 7 July 2007
27. Temple Beth Zion, accessed 7 July 2007
28. Area flies high on low fares
29. Niagara airport pushed as trade hub; Schumer joins effort to bring global cargo
30. New York State Sister Cities. Sister Cities, Inc.''
Further reading
★
The Ten Most Indispensable Books About Buffalo
External links
★
Buffalo Central Terminal
★
City of Buffalo webpage
★
★
Visitor Information from Buffalo Niagara Convention & Visitors Bureau
★
An Online Resource for Art, Architecture & Design in Buffalo, New York
★
Buffalo Architecture and History
★
''The Buffalonian'', history of Western New York
★
Frank Lloyd Wright in Western New York
★
Buffalo Music Hall of Fame
★
Buffalo Niagara Riverkeeper
★
Buffalo Airport
★
Buffalo Place - Events, dining, theater and other resources
★
MetroBuffalo.com - News, weather, sports, events, attractions, and more.
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