716 Transformers

Welcoming, vibrant, and complex, Buffalo is a bi-national city that’s just a river (Niagara) and a Great Lake (Erie) away from Canada, its friendly neighbor and trading partner to the north.

The local area code – 716 – is shorthand for a city that abounds in culture, sports, and can-do spirit. Another feature of Buffalo is the interconnectedness of its people: many joke that instead of the standard “six degrees of separation,” between everyone, in Buffalo it’s often just one – or two – degrees that separate us. In the following profiles there are many connections between these individuals and what they do within the collage of the community.

The second-largest city in New York State, Buffalo has a diverse population of more than a quarter-million: lifelong Buffalonians, returned ex-pats, refugees, university students who stuck around after graduation and people looking for a livable – and affordable — urban place to call home.

The city is experiencing a cultural shift that embraces an entrepreneurial, locally sourced, and environmentally enhancing way of living and doing business.

This is an exciting time to be in Buffalo, a time of transformation and evolution. Visit Buffalo Niagara caught up with individuals in the community who are part of remaking the city and creatively making change. These “716 Transformers” are from different backgrounds and every corner of the city – each working toward making Buffalo more visionary, prosperous, and inclusive.