Overview
Known as the “Queen City,” Buffalo is the county seat of Erie County and the second-largest city in New York State, after only New York City. Buffalo is in westernmost New York, bordered to the north by Tonawanda; to the east by Amherst, Cheektowaga and West Seneca; to the south by Lackawanna; and to the west by Lake Erie. Buffalo once was a thriving industrial center, known for railroad commerce, steel production, automobile production and Great Lakes shipping. At one time, Buffalo was the 15th largest city in the United States. Like other so-called “Rust Belt” cities, Buffalo has had to adapt to new economic situations, and the regional economy now is a mix of industrial, light manufacturing, high technology and service-oriented private sector companies. Buffalo has been recognized as one of the top cities in the country for architecture, with about 80 buildings on the National Register of Historic Places. Buffalo is home to more than 50 art galleries, most notably the Albright-Knox Art Gallery; for music, the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra performs at the esteemed Kleinhans Music Hall. Buffalo is home to professional sports teams like the NFL Bills and the NHL Sabres, as well as the minor league Buffalo Bisons baseball team. Buffalo has oodles of history: President William McKinley was assassinated here during the 1901 Pan-American Exposition, and Theodore Roosevelt was sworn in as his successor in Buffalo. The city’s contributions to cuisine include the buffalo chicken wings, supposedly started at the Anchor Bar, and beef on kimmelweck sandwiches. Buffalo has 32 different neighborhoods, including the eclectic and noted Elmwood Village. Because of its setting on the shores of Lake Erie, Buffalo often is referred to as the “Snow Belt,” and it certainly snows here, but it is far from the snowiest city even in New York State. Local Museums/Landmarks There are too many to list. The Buffalo and Erie County Historical Society Building is all that remains of the 1901 Pan-American Exposition. Buffalo’s City Hall is one of many buildings on the National Register of Historic Places. The Darwin D. Martin House was designed by noted architect Frank Lloyd Wright. The Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site is where Roosevelt was sworn in as president after McKinley was assassinated. Buffalo also has dozens of museums and art galleries. |