Buffalo
A historic city on the water is getting better.
Buffalo, New York is a classic American city that is experiencing a renaissance in the 21st century. It has world-class architecture, a thriving arts scene, thriving neighborhoods, and a waterfront that is coming back to life. Buffalo is much cheaper than big cities but still has all the fun and things to do. This city is on Lake Erie and is only 30 minutes from Niagara Falls. It is known for the beautiful buildings designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, Louis Sullivan, and H.H. Richardson, and it’s also a great place for the whole family to go on vacation.
Important History
There are lots of ways to learn about Buffalo’s long past. At the Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site, you can walk through the area where President Theodore Roosevelt took the oath of office. At Frank Lloyd Wright’s huge Martin House Complex, you can see the house that an American business leader used to live in. The Colored Musicians Club and Museum takes you back to the golden age of jazz. The Buffalo History Museum tells the story of the city, and the Buffalo River History Cruise lets you see one of the world’s biggest collections of grain elevators up close.
A lot of culture
All over Buffalo’s city blocks, you can see the city’s artistic and building history. At the Albright-Knox Art Gallery, you can see works by modern masters like Jackson Pollock, Pablo Picasso, and Andy Warhol. Visit the Burchfield Penney Art Center, which only shows the work of artists from Western New York, and look at its 30 events that happen every year. The Graycliff estate, also known as “The Jewel on the Lake” and built by Frank Lloyd Wright, can be seen in several different ways, each of which reveals something different about the structure and its history. Roycroft Campus is a peaceful community of reformist artists. You can see the houses and the work of real Arts and Crafts artists from the past and present. The renovated palace that is Shea’s Performing Arts Center takes you back in time. It is the center of Buffalo’s Theater District, and you can see a Broadway show while you’re there. Downtown is a great place to see great architecture. City Hall is a great example of an Art Deco building, and many other buildings here show off the best of that style.
Fun Revived
Buffalo has recently started a new era. Entire neighborhoods have been redeveloped, and areas that used to be factories have been turned into parks, craft breweries, and places for food truck rodeos and weekly concerts. The city’s shore is lined with parks and bike paths, and Canalside, Buffalo’s inner harbor, is full of new hotels, restaurants, and hundreds of events every week. There are lots of shops, restaurants, and places to go out at night in business areas like Elmwood Village, Allentown, and Hertel Avenue. The Buffalo Zoo, the Buffalo Museum of Science, and the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens are all great places for families to have fun. Also, Niagara Falls is only a short drive away and is a natural wonder of the world. Along the Niagara Gorge and Zoar Valley, hikers and day trippers can have a lot of fun in the outdoors.