Buffalo is underrated in my book. If you look away from their criminal and economical problems, you will find shining jewels like the italian festival and the taste of buffalo. Don't miss them if your passing through.
I lived in Buffalo -- Depew -- for eight months and could not take another day. It is segregated, ugly, and not growing at all -- a very flat, dismal place to live. Everyone says the cost of living is so great -- that's because no one wants to live there! People who choose to stay need to get out more. There is no culture!
Syracuse is a very upbeat, small city with lots of young entrepreneur energy and vision. There a great potential here for innovative city-center redevelopment and interaction with the many colleges and universities nearby.
Buffalo is boring only to those who are boring. There is a load of cultural things to do but be aware, it isn't NY City. It's got it's own pace and is a small town with big city things to do.
As a Canadian who has visited several U.S. destinations, Buffalo is definitely the most depressing. On my first trip there to visit the shopping center, I found the city to be mostly deserted. What is most sad is that as I visitor, I could see remnants of a proud past, but what is left now are boarded up homes, abandoned buildings, and empty streets.
Buffalo is a small, quaint city. Good food, good scene, and great people!
I have lived in Western New York for all my life -- twenty years in the suburb of Cheektowaga. I moved out on my own for the first time ever to downtown Buffalo. I don't know why but I had an impression living in the city would make me feel like I was -- I don't know -- living in a city. After you wore out everything you can do -- zoo, parks, museums -- there's nothing to do. Downtown on the weekends is dead until the bars get going at 10 or 11 or if a Sabres game is on. They are improving city life a little with the brass shop and more modern apartments but still. I would like to walk out of my apartment and see some action going on, not a bum asking me for 45 cents to catch the metro. But no matter how rough and gritty, tough and shi**y Buffalo gets I will always love my city. If you're not from around here, you wouldn't understand.
I've lived in Buffalo for most of my life, but have visited and lived around the world and back. But back I always come. And when I say Buffalo, I mean the city of Buffalo -- not the suburbs, the city is the place to be. It's true that if you're looking for an NYC this is not the place to go. This city has a small population and covers a big area. It's filled with the friendliest people you will meet, trust me, I know. Almost anyone will help you. And yes, there are crazies in the city. But I'm not scared when walking around downtown at night. Go out on Chippewa at night, and then have some Mighty Taco (which by the way every Buffalonian knows dominates Taco Bell), or some Jim's Steakout. This city has the most amazing food and chill spots from Pano's to Spot Coffee. Don't overlook all the historical spots and do not miss all the festivals and shindigs. The Elmwood Art Festival, The Chicken Wing Festival, The Italian Festival, The St. Patrick's Day Parade and Shakespeare in the Park…
I lived in Buffalo for a few years. I felt it was dangerous and had many friends mugged at gunpoint or their houses broken into. On the surface, the city seemed surreal and depressing, but in retrospect, I can see that it has a lot of character and beauty. There is also something very genuine about the city, that you just don't find in more commercial cities. If your travel goal is to be safely entertained and impressed with typical tourist stuff I would not recommend Buffalo, but if you are traveling for experience of a deeper sort, I would.
New Paltz is quite possibly one of my favorite places in the country. The scenery is amazing with the Shawangunks and the Ridge, not to mention Mohonk Mountain and Bonticaue Crag. I would recommend coming here just to see the natural beauty of the area. It has its own unique beauty and people are often shocked that it's New York. The town is friendly and the energy is creative -- a great place to get away and relax.
I visited Buffalo whilst traveling in the states. It is a strange town and was fairly deserted. The bus station was certainly full of characters although none menacing. In general, I found the people to be super, super friendly. People would just strike up conversation on public transport, which to me, coming from London, was very nice to hear. From speaking to locals it's a big University/drinking town. I did see several other tourists visibly nervous walking around at night, but I think this is due to the surreal, deserted nature of the place.
Buffsters like to give the impression that they are scary as a filtering technique to weed out the yuppies and bourgoisie from their social circles. To the first guy, "Buffalo is a weird town, not much going on" yes it is true that is a rather nail on the head description I will not lie. Let me help you folks with full clarification of what is really going on in Buffalo from the source. Traveloony yes very true, buffalo has a menacing attitude, and people generally feel more uneasy here than in those giant metropolises you mentioned. it is because those big cities are full of money and therefore, they have a lot of bark and little bite, money helps them to spread far and wide this "dangerous" perception so that they can seem cool and exciting, but in the end, a dirty, run down, economically devastated snow ridden working class city like Buffalo, naturally very bitter in nature, is where the real menacing attitudes are. Anyway Trav come on back and be confident that its not you they…
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