Best of Buffalo
The Best of Buffalo Tour: Expect the Unexpected
Expect the unexpected when you visit Buffalo. Our blue collar reputation belies a city of exquisite cultural attractions, world class architecture, funky neighborhoods and sophisticated dining.
Begin your weekend stay with a Friday afternoon visit to the Albright-Knox Art Gallery (1285 Elmwood Avenue). After taking in the Gallery's stunning collection of modern masterpieces (including Picasso, van Gogh, Gauguin, Pollock, de Chirico, Modigliani, Mondrian, and Warhol), head down Elmwood Avenue for dinner and drinks at Nektar (451 Elmwood Avenue), a funky but chic restaurant that features an eclectic menu and memorable martinis.
After dinner, make your way downtown to the city's nightlife nexus - Chippewa Street - and dance the night away at Noir (88 W. Chippewa) where the DJ plays the latest music and beats. Hit a few more clubs before ending your night a few blocks away at Allen Street Hardware Café (245 Allen Street), a hip little pub in the city's Allentown district.
Begin Saturday morning with a breakfast of crepes and omelets at Ambrosia (467 Elmwood Avenue), a classy Greek coffee shop at Elmwood and Hodge, before setting out on a walking tour. Buffalo is a city of amazing architecture, with major works by Frank Lloyd Wright, Louis Sullivan and H.H. Richardson, but it's the turn-of-the-century neighborhoods filled with old school craftsmanship and character that tend to dazzle and delight visitors.
Stroll past the regal homes of Oakland Place and the compact cottages of Little Summer Street before making your way down Richmond Avenue to Symphony Circle fora look at the majestic Kleinhans Music Hall and its towering neighbor, the First Presbyterian Church. Then amble over North Street to Delaware Avenue and “Millionaire’s Row.”
Next, jump in the car and drive to the beautiful Parkside neighborhood. Parkside is filled with all manner of architecture but it’s Frank Lloyd Wright’s Martin House Complex (125 Jewett Parkway) that attracts visitors from all around the world. The Martin House is one of the finest examples of Wright’s “Prairie Style” in existence and is in the final stages of a ten-year, $50 million dollar restoration.
Satisfy your post-tour hunger at Empire Grill (1435 Hertel Avenue) on nearby Hertel Avenue in the city's North Park neighborhood.
Hertel Avenue is the city's antiques row. After lunch, stop in at the Antique Lamp Company (1213 Hertel Avenue); and the Second Reader Book Shop and pick up a book of stunning black-and-white images by renowned Buffalo photographer Milton Rogovin.
On your way back downtown to your hotel, stop in the at Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site (641 Delaware Avenue) for a tour of the historic mansion where Teddy took the oath of office for the highest office in the land. It's a state of the art house museum and historic site.
Have dinner at Papaya (118 W. Chippewa Street), a pan-Asian hot spot in the Hampton Inn Hotel downtown. The atmosphere is casually hip and a young crowd typically fills the bar. (Try the grilled prawns with eggplant).
After dessert take in a show at the charming Kavinoky Theater (320 Porter Avenue) on the campus of D'Youville College on the city's west side. An intimate jewel of a theater, the Kavinoky is one of Buffalo's hidden cultural treasures.
Finish your evening with a nightcap at Snooty Fox (445 Delaware Avenue), a sleek lounge across the street from the Mansion on Delaware, the breathtakingly beautiful boutique hotel.
On Sunday morning start your day at Spot Coffee (765 Elmwood Avenue). Sip espresso in the heart of Buffalo's charming Elmwood Village surrounded by college kids, young couples, chess players and people perusing the Sunday New York Times.
It's a glimpse of Buffalo that is as charming as it is unexpected.
