Hertel Avenue: Hip and Happening

Few Buffalo neighborhoods capture the city’s exciting rebirth quite like Hertel Avenue. An influx of new bars, restaurants and shops complement the neighborhood’s established eateries and long-tenured businesses. The North Park Theatre, a nearly century-old moviehouse, newly restored and its neon glittering once again, serves as the street’s focal point, surrounded by a supporting cast of hip newcomers like Mes Que, Pastry by Camille, Spot Coffee and Lloyd’s Taco. Hertel is also one of Buffalo’s most diverse business districts, with recently-arrived Middle Eastern chefs selling shawarma and halal alongside old school Italian delicatessens, restaurants and pizza parlors. This mix of old and new is making Hertel the neighborhood of choice for a 20- and 30-something crowd of locals and visitors.