Buffalo has seen economic ups and downs over time, but nowadays this city in Western New York is on a revitalized upswing. An industrial powerhouse and a major port city over a century ago, today’s Buffalo is getting noticed for its architectural wonders, historic ties, an inventive food scene, and repurposed buildings. Here’s what to do in this “Queen City” on a comeback.
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Bite into the Buffalo Wing Trail
This is where sports fans’ food dreams come true.
The Buffalo-style wing was created in Buffalo, and now it’s celebrated with its own food trail. The Buffalo Wing Trail dishes out 12 stops within the city and New York’s Erie County that prepares these wings in traditional method, but also do their own original takes on this tavern staple. Start at Frank & Teressa’s Anchor Bar, where the chicken wing was invented, then consider having Gene McCarthy’s blue cheese laden wings or Duff’s hot wings.
Pull Up for Food Trucks
Food trucks are now rolling freely around Buffalo, thanks to a change in vending laws. These meals on wheels meet up for Food Truck Tuesdays April through October at Larkin Square within Buffalo’s waterfront district. Try Lloyd Taco Truck for interesting and filling selections such as buttermilk fried chicken or Thai tofu; Taffy’s Shake Truck, with frozen treats; Amy’s Truck, with Middle Eastern fare; Lomo Lomo, with a South American/Asian-inspired menu; and Polish Villa, noted for their pierogis.
Dive into Waterside Activities
Buffalo’s burgeoning waterfront is an activity hub. Buffalo RiverWorks has turned a former grain silo complex into a sports/entertainment venue, with a climbing wall crafted of repurposed silos. Canalside Buffalo hosts everything from concerts to family-friendly events. Nearby, the Buffalo and Erie County Naval & Military Park honors the history of our Armed Forces; here you can even set foot upon naval vessels like a World War II submarine.
Discover an Unexpected Presidency
In September of 1901, a tragic event in Buffalo led to one of America’s most memorable presidencies. The city hosted the Pan-American Exposition, where President William McKinley was assassinated by an anarchist. Following McKinley’s death, Vice President Theodore Roosevelt would take the Oath of Office for the presidency at a private home in Buffalo. This house is now the Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site, with exhibits on the exposition, a film on the major issues of Roosevelt’s time, and the room where his swearing in happened.
Cruise Along Auto History
Detroit may be synonymous with our nation’s automotive industry, but Western New York had a major part too. The Buffalo Transportation Pierce-Arrow Museum can explain more, with its treasure trove of vehicles and regional road memorabilia. Cruise along advertisements and products from the Pierce-Arrow Motor Car Company, who once manufactured lux cars, bicycles, motorcycles and trucks in Buffalo. And gear up for seeing the Filling Station, a 1920s design by renowned Prairie School architect Frank Lloyd Wright; it was finished posthumously in 2014 and resides within the museum.
See More Frank Lloyd Wright
Frank Lloyd Wright left several of his designs around Buffalo, with five masterworks still standing. Two were private homes now open to the public. The Darwin Martin House Complex was a family residence built for business exec and Wright’s friend, Darwin D. Martin, invoking his Prairie Style method. A half-hour drive from Buffalo, Graycliff in Derby was created for Martin’s wife, Isabelle, as a summer estate. Wright also designed the Martins’ Blue Sky Mausoleum, a crypt was completed by Wright-trained architect Anthony Puttnam in October 2004 at Buffalo’s Forest Lawn Cemetery; Wright’s Fontana Boathouse on the Niagara River was completed three years later.
Hear A Little Night Music
Throughout Buffalo, live music never stops. A living history museum, The Colored Musicians Club has not only provided performers a place to play, but also helped them with other business matters; catch live jazz regularly in its upstairs venue. Buffalo Iron Works hosts regional and national artists. Nietzsche’s welcomes a variety of performers while Sportsmen’s Tavern features country, Americana, blues and jazz on heavy rotation. Meanwhile, Tralf Music Hall hosts R&B, jazz, indie folk and other acts.
Imbibe on Local Crafts
Buffalo has poured a lot into its craft brewing scene. To start, Big Ditch Brewing Company has close to a dozen creations on tap. At Gene McCarthy’s, Old First Ward Brewing Company brews house ales and German beer styles. Flying Bison Brewing Company offers various ales, stouts and IPAs; nano brewery Community Beer Works serves American and Belgian-style brews. Resurgence Brewing Company get experimental with beers such as one incorporating sponge candy, a local treat. As for spirits, Buffalo Distilling Company produces small-batch bourbon, apple brandy and vodka, and The Barrel Factory houses businesses making craft spirits, beers and kombucha on site.
Finding Repurpose
Photo courtesy of the Curtiss Hotel
Buffalo has done a great job of giving its historic buildings new life, and one re-usable purpose for these Buffalo landmarks involves hotels. Once a state asylum, The Richardson Olmsted Campus now contains Hotel Henry Urban Resort and Conference Center, an 88-room property with unique layouts, an on-site restaurant, and event/meeting space; there’s also a separate center on Buffalo’s architecture heritage. Downtown, the Curtiss Hotel is built inside the Harlow C. Curtiss Building, complete with a restaurant and revolving bar, rooftop lounge, and indoor/outdoor hot springs.
Michele Herrmann
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