Dozen Distinctive Destinations
Buffalo, NY
Year Listed: 2009
Buffalo is a gold mine of late 19th/early 20th century urban design. This lakeside city harbors an unexpected discovery around every corner, offering a staggering range of cultural resources as well as some of the country's most captivating architecture. Nestled between the pristine network of city parks designed by Frederick Law Olmsted are National Historic Landmarks by Frank Lloyd Wright, Louis Sullivan and H.H. Richardson. Extraordinary examples of Victorian, Beaux-Arts, Romanesque and Art Deco architecture can also be explored on one of the city's more than 500 walking tours. Buffalo is also home to the Erie Canal Harbor, a 184-year old Commercial Slip that has been restored and is now open to the public for the first time in generations.
Reasons to Visit
The city features an awe-inspiring collection of historic grain elevators and other examples of commercial urban design as well as surviving buildings by the nation's first professional woman architect, Louise Blanchard Bethune. Buffalo also boasts critical sites related to the Underground Railroad, and is perfectly positioned for a quick trip to nearby Niagara Falls where some of the oldest buildings on the Great Lakes can be found.
Preservation & Revitalization Efforts
For the past decade, historic preservation has played a critical role in Buffalo's revitalization efforts. Neighborhood by neighborhood, Buffalo's turn-of-the-century legacy is being restored. Many landmark buildings have returned to past glory while former warehouses, department stores and manufacturing plants have found new life as offices and residential lofts.
Arts, Eats & Activities
Today, Buffalo caters to all tastes and interests. There is a lively arts scene that includes the world-class collection of modern art at the Albright-Knox Art Gallery and the opulent European-style opera house that now houses Shea’s Performing Art Center. Beautiful botanical gardens and annual festivals are also an essential part of the city’s appeal. Buffalo’s pedestrian-friendly Elmwood Village, recently designated one of the best neighborhoods in America by the American Planning Association, combines clusters of galleries, boutiques and shops with an assortment of bistros, bars and cafes where distinctive regional delicacies such as chicken wings, beef-on-weck and foot-long charbroiled hot dogs can be sampled. While those who love winter sports will have many choices for recreation, Buffalo’s summers are the most temperate in the Northeast, thanks to Lake Erie, one of the world’s largest natural air conditioners.
Interested in visiting Buffalo? Check out their Convention & Visitors Bureau.
