The critics are buzzing about Buffalo…but don’t take our word for it.
“Cross over the Peace Bridge into Buffalo, and in about 1.5 hours from Toronto, you’ll discover a vibrant arts scene, architectural gems, a revitalized waterfront and cool neighbourhoods to explore. Once the eighth-largest city in America, Buffalo still boasts an infrastructure from its heyday around the turn of the century; now, artists and a new breed of entrepreneurs are participating in a creative renaissance, capitalizing on readily available (and relatively affordable) warehouse spaces and office buildings.”
— Toronto Star
“Buffalo has long been an under-the-radar pilgrimage site for architecture buffs. The city’s industrial heyday yielded some of the most superlative American buildings of the early 20th century, among them Louis Sullivan’s tile-clad Guaranty building and Frank Lloyd Wright’s iconic Martin House—a paradigm of his Prairie style, now restored to its original glory (and joined by an ethereal visitor center by AD100 maestro Toshiko Mori). It was here that Frederick Law Olmsted weaved his network of parks in the 19th century; here that Eero and Eliel Saarinen unveiled their sublime Kleinhans Music Hall in 1940; and here that Gordon Bunshaft added his modernist auditorium to what is now the Albright-Knox Art Gallery in 1962. That venerable institution will build upon Buffalo’s rich architectural legacy next spring, when it unveils a spectacular new wing—among other ingenious improvements—by OMA’s Shohei Shigematsu. Buffalo, soon more than ever, will warrant a weekend visit.”
— Architectural Digest (Click here for entire article)
“Buffalo is an exciting place to be these days from a tourism perspective. Revitalization efforts from recent years are paying dividends while new projects and efforts abound. Great food, a one-of-a-kind sports culture, unique accommodation options, bountiful breweries, and many, many neighbourhoods that are worth exploring in-depth.”
— Chris Mitchell, TravelingMitch
“Perhaps the most visible sign of Buffalo’s changing fortunes are its new apartments, which turn up in empty warehouses, former municipal buildings and longtime parking lots converted into much-needed housing. In the last decade, 224 multifamily projects — encompassing 10,150 apartments, most of them rentals, the equivalent of about $3 billion in investment — have opened or are underway.” — The New York Times
“As a first-time visitor to Buffalo, I was impressed and surprised by the arts, culture and history. You’ll find no shortage of things to do and see. It’s a welcoming, progressive city that preserves the old while embracing the new.”
— The Miami Times
“It’s hard not to have a good time in Buffalo. A decade or so ago that might have been a hilarious statement, but if you’ve visited recently you know a fantastic weekend is there waiting for you. The “City of Good Neighbors” is filled with history, culture and bars that don’t close until 4 a.m. Which means you can spend your days exploring one of the industrial era’s great cities, then spend the night making new friends in neighborhood taverns. Not to mention stuffing yourself with wings and other all-American classics.”
–Matt Meltzer in FiftyGrande.com
“Sure, you’ve heard rumblings about Buffalo’s restaurants, or maybe its brewery boom. But lately, the city is getting attention for its visual arts scene — and most notably, a game-changing new gallery that’s Native American-owned and dedicated entirely to Indigenous art.”
— Travel & Leisure (Naming Buffalo one of the “50 Best Places to Travel in 2021”
“The city offers many dining options, including a Buffalo Wing trail where tourists can sample variations of the food item at different pubs and restaurants.” — WikiEzVid.com
“Simply put, to spend a day eating in Buffalo is to spend a day immersed in a distinctively American food culture.” — nationalgeographic.co.uk
“The (Darwin Martin) house is one of the great masterpieces of Wright’s architecture, and its two-decade return to glory is an inspiring story…(the view from the front door) is as dramatic, and essential to understanding Wright’s large aesthetic, as any view at any Wright masterpiece, including the iconic waterfall vista at Fallingwater, the rotunda of the Guggenheim Museum, and the facade and pools at the Imperial Hotel, preserved in part at an architectural park outside of Nagoya, Japan.”
— The Washington Post
“Perhaps the greatest contributor to the city’s new-found allure, though, is its wealth of parks and gardens…(Buffalo) can hold its own with any gracious Southern landscape or pastoral California setting. From one of the most expansive projects by celebrated landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted to the country’s largest garden tour, Buffalo is ever-blooming.”
— AAA World
” ‘Keep Buffalo a Secret.’ It seems to be a mantra in the Queen City. It’s even painted on the side of Oxford Pennant on Main Street in Buffalo and printed on shirts, making it the “Keep Austin Weird” of New York. But folks are increasingly whiffing when it comes to keeping that pledge of secrecy. Buffalo’s reputation continues to evolve from ice-coated Rust Belt punching bag to destination for folks craving seriously fantastic food, a buzzing nightlife, (frigid) outdoor adventure, and one of the friendliest (and rowdiest) sets of locals in the Northeast. There’s just too much cool shit to do in Buffalo to keep the lid on the place.”
— Thrillist.com (Click here for entire article)
“The great thing about it is, and this is unprompted, I’ve always been fascinated by the city. And it is true that every day that I’m here I fall in love more and more with it.”
— Guillermo Del Toro (Click here for entire article)
“Buffalo in the summer was absolutely perfect.”
— Purewander.com
“Being inside of the Darwin Martin House is like medicine for your soul: You’ll leave inspired, refreshed, and calmed to your core.”
— Departures.com
“Man oh man were we impressed. The people of Buffalo rock! And the gardens? Well, you have to go. The homeowners who open their properties during this event are creative, generous, and clearly have a wonderful time creating with color. The people of Buffalo are friendly and generous, and we came away inspired about how garden tourism can improve neighborhoods, become a huge source of income, and bring people together in positive ways“
— Ellen Zachos and C.L. Fornari on the Plantorama Podcast
“Buffalo is also pouring its collective creative energy into its dining scene, with trail-blazing restaurants proving that the city’s culinary talents go well beyond the namesake wing.”
— Foodism/Toronto
“Buffalo’s resurgence continues. Plan a visit now to take advantage of expanding budget air routes and a fast-growing hotel and restaurant scenes. The city’s super-interactive children’s museum, Explore & More, is new for 2020, and the recently restored Frank Lloyd Wright houses of Graycliff and the Martin House are another highlight.”
— Lonely Planet
“Landmark buildings dotted throughout Buffalo’s downtown are one of the many examples of how the city surprises and impresses first-time visitor.”
— Foodism/Toronto
“I love it when a city surprises you. A trip to Buffalo, New York did exactly that. I was expecting to find diehard sports fans, friendly people and the birthplace of Buffalo chicken wings. Our family did find that but also so much more. We also found a city filled with amazing architecture, a vibrant waterfront and a music scene with a rich history.”
— Fifty-Five Plus Magazine
“Buffalo is one of the great under-the-radar major cities in the country – almost to the point that it’s becoming not hip to say that Buffalo has become hip.”
– SFGate.com
“A new wave of bars and restaurants are putting Buffalo on the contemporary food map.”
— The Sunday Telegraph
“Although it may feel like Buffalo has been dormant for decades, this Rust Belt city is in the midst of a resurgence thanks to its beautifully restored architecture, burgeoning culinary scene, and new art compounds.”
— Architectural Digest
“Going far beyond the immediate titillation of ‘ruin porn,’ there is a sense of majesty here. One can feel the weight of these buildings, both physically and psychologically; powerhouses of industry, commerce and trade, these form-follows-function grain elevators and no-nonsense warehouses shaped the waterfront and how people interacted with it. Ultimately, they shaped lives.”
— Dave LeBlanc, the Architourist in The Globe and Mail
“The Buffalo Wing Trail is more than enjoying the world’s greatest food, it is about adventure and being open to new experiences and flavors.”
— Jennifer Huber, The Sun
“Unpretentious, yet lively, Buffalo has quietly morphed into one of American’s great food cities.”
– O.Canada.com
“I was dazzled by Buffalo’s waterfront, reclamation of old facilities, architectural gems, and food tourism. Truly, if you haven’t been to Buffalo lately, you haven’t been to Buffalo”
–Nadine Robinson/The Sault Star
“A road trip to a revitalized Queen City yields warm hospitality, rich heritage, vibrant art and landmark architecture.”
— In Magazine
“While Wisconsin and Arizona are the locations typically associated with Wright’s work, It’s in Buffalo, of all places, that architecture enthusiasts can find a plethora of his work.”
– Kristine Hansen/Architectural Digest
“It didn’t take long to discover the quiet revival taking place in New York’s Queen City: cool neighbourhoods you could picture yourself living in, old buildings and homes getting a new lease on life, once derelict parts of town now the talk of the town. We also locked into the hospitable vibe from all the nodding; people actually acknowledge your presence – in store lineups, on street corners, bellying up to the bar – just like in a small town. Turning off the Toronto anonymity is often a vacation in itself.”
— Doug Wallace/In Magazine
“Buffalonians are proud to introduce visitors to a plate of Buffalo delicacies. Buffalo wings date back to 1964, when they were invented by Teressa Bellissimo at the Anchor Bar. The origins of sponge candy remain a mystery, but Fowler’s has been making it since 1901, the year entrepreneur Joseph A. Fowler made and sold the sweets at Buffalo’s Pan-American Exposition. But the beef on weck predates these — it’s Buffalo’s original culinary specialty.”
— eater.com
“Tucked on the western edge of New York State, often overlooked for the nearby Canadian city of Toronto and the attraction of Niagara Falls, the former boomtown of Buffalo is reaffirming its spot on the map. Buffalo, the second most populated city in the state behind New York City, reached its most populous and prosperous times in the late 19th to early 20th-centuries largely thanks to the business brought by the Erie Canal. Steel and grain were major industries for the city and fortunes were made in banking as well. However, like most boomtowns, Buffalo eventually went bust. But now, the city is making a comeback.“
– untappedcities.com
“If you’re not a Buffalo native but want to eat like a real Buffalonian, I’ve got the answer for you: the Buffalo Wing Trail.“
— Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
“(Buffalo’s) strategic position at the end of the Erie Canal made it the conduit of commerce between New York City and the rest of America. As a result, the city created and attracted barons of industry, who brought famous architects here to design civic buildings and parks, as well as personal homes—and helped transformed the city into a hotbed of innovation. Now, Buffalo is in the midst of another transformation. Adding to the historical treasures is a new wave of innovators who are restoring buildings, re-imagining industrial spaces, and luring travelers to discover all that this culturally rich city has to offer.”
— Afar.com
“The people of Buffalo could not be nicer. Seriously it’s the weirdest place that I’ve ever painted. I had cops stop in front my mural and shout out ‘hey’ only to be followed by ‘would you mind if we took a picture?’ I had burly guys stop their pick-up trucks, roll down their windows and shout out ‘Thanks, what you’re doing is great.’ Whatever it is, I could get use to this.”
— @LoganHicksNY on Instagram
“Historic restorations, repurposed structures, and a hotel in an old psych ward have helped make the City of Good Neighbors an increasingly exciting place to visit.”
— Afar.com
“Canadians who think Buffalo is only good for cross-border shopping and watching sports have got it all wrong. I’ve been going since the early 2000s for completely different reasons. Architecture is a big one. Micro museums. Memorable meals. Waterfront innovations. Quirky Americana. Grain silos. Let me count the ways that I love our American neighbor.”
– O.Canada.com
“Like many once-successful cities, the Queen City suffered a slide after World War II that subsequent urban-renewal efforts steepened. With downtown living once again popular across the country, though, Buffalo’s long-neglected assets are being embraced in a citywide revitalization- illustrated by the asylum’s adaptive reuse, a meticulous restoration of a major Frank Lloyd Wight residence, and a series of waterfront redevelopment projects – that has drawn global media attention and is driving tourism.”
— Northern New England Journey
“I’ve been coming to Buffalo for food and travel stories since the early 2000s and still can’t believe that every single person I know doesn’t realize how great it is.”
— Jennifer Bain, Travel Writer
“Refurbishing old buildings for some newfangled purpose, called adaptive reuse, is a trendy term these days. But few places are pulling it off as seamlessly—and charmingly—as Buffalo. Silo City is the most poignant example. The five-acre cluster of former industrial buildings now serves as a venue for art exhibits, concerts, and literary events. Grain elevator tours are available, and the newest addition on site is a cozy tapas bar.”
— Men’s Journal (Click here for entire article)
“Go some place like Ulrich’s where you experience the basic and delightful duality of the Buffalo experience: cold and harsh outside, warm and hospitable inside.“
— Anthony Bourdain
“From immigrants to visionaries, open-hearted Buffalo has always welcomed both workaday folks and ambitious leaders to its cramped Victorian rowhouses and handsome turn-of-the-century mansion. These days, immigrants still bring their traditions and skills to Buffalo’s historic spaces…The city’s proud history, in short, is gaining a fresh 21st-century life.“
— Washington Post (Click here for entire article)
“Buffalo has seen economic ups and downs over time, 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.”
— Travelocity (Click here for entire article)
“Buffalo is the only city in America where the nation’s three greatest architects still have buildings standing: Sullivan’s Guaranty building (now a bank and office building), Richardson’s mental asylum (now a hotel and restaurant) and Wright’s Martin house (now a museum).”
— nationswell.com (Click here for entire article)
“I see (Buffalo) as a very distinct personality, a very distinct culture with its own architecture, its own kind of feel. It’s actually a weirdly wonderful place.”
— Anthony Bourdain
“Buffalo is in the midst of a second act. While its place along the Erie Canal once made Buffalo an industrial powerhouse, nowadays this city in Western New York State is seeing a major revival. Buffalo’s vibrant architectural past, particularly the contributions made by Frank Lloyd Wright, can still be seen today. Add walkable neighborhoods, an engaging park system, and a switching-up dining scene and you’ve got a perfect weekend getaway from New York City”
— OffMetro.com (Click here for entire article)
“At the turn of the 20th century, Buffalo welcomed waves of German, Polish, Italian, and Irish immigrants – and you can taste their impact in the superlative pierogi, pizza, and red sauce joints across the city today.
— Thrillist.com (Click here for entire article)
“Last year, as part of the Garden Writers annual conference, I visited Buffalo, New York, for the first time to experience Garden Walk Buffalo, the largest garden walk in the United States. It was a life-changing, inspirational flower extravaganza for me. In all my world travels, I have never seen such a multitude of private gardens that were so creative, so magically decorated, made up of tropical and northern plant palettes! I took thousands of photographs! Those who saw me afterwards know that I was in a daze – stunned by all the beauty of Buffalo”
— Teresa Watkins, Radio host/Garden writer
“Only knuckleheads – and the obstinately unenlightened – write off Buffalo, N.Y., as nothing more than a winter icebox and the birthplace of a certain sports-bar delicacy.”
— The Wall Street Journal
“New York’s second-largest city, Buffalo, owes its prominence – and its remarkable collection of early 20th-century architecture – to the Erie Canal, which turned it into a shipping powerhouse, and Niagara Falls, which made it one of the world’s first electrified cities. Today, the same water features that built Buffalo are now facilitating a varied slate of outdoor adventures, all within easy reach of anywhere in the city.“
— Lonely Planet (Click here for entire article)
“I’ve eaten pizza at many of the most well-respected pizzerias in America. For starters, Di Fara in Brooklyn, Pizzeria Bianco in Phoenix, Frank Pepe in New Haven, Pizzeria Beddia in Philadelphia, and Great Lake in Chicago before it closed. They and so many other great places have their merits. But I’m going out on the line and putting a decade of pizza cred built by writing about and visiting hundreds of pizzerias in New York City and across America to say that, Buffalo-style pizza is America’s most underappreciated regional style.”
— The Daily Beast (Click here for entire article)
“Buffalo is one of the two or three best eating cities in my book.”
— Michael Stern, Roadfood.com
“I loved Silo City, it was just one of the most extraordinary places I’ve ever seen. I went back five times… it’s just a special experience”
— Julia Buckley, The Times of London (Click here for entire article)
“This former punchline in Upstate New York is enjoying a enjoying a millennial-driven renaissance, with hip, affordable restaurants and bars materializing in converted turn-of-the-century buildings, especially in the Waterfront district.”
— The Washington Post (Click here for entire article)
“Buffalo just may be America’s No. 1 ice cream city.”
— Michael Stern, roadfood.com (Click here for entire article)
“Like many older American cities, Buffalo, which had early booms from various industries, including railways, shipyards and steel manufacturing, is shedding its rusty roots and experiencing a bona fide renaissance. No longer merely the portal to nearby Niagara Falls, Buffalo is a modern and multifaceted city, more than ready for its moment.”
— The New York Times, “36 Hours in Buffalo” (Click here for entire article)
“There’s a positive energy in Buffalo; a polite (Buffalo folks are unfailingly nice) but definite swagger in the step of their residents. It’s as if they’ve looked around and said to themselves the same thing a lot of journalists are saying, which is, ‘Wow, this place is COOL.’”
— Jim Byers Travel (Click here for entire article)
“The recurring theme in Buffalo is a by-the-bootstraps makeover… The city’s residents are turning old buildings and forgotten neighborhoods into unexpected gems supporting a growing dining scene and a diverse array of entertainment options.”
— Cleveland Scene
“I finally visited the revitalizing Rust Belt city that people call “The City of Good Neighbors” and found a generosity that seems ingrained in its makeup. From a happy reunion with my basketball friends to a tour of a thriving bazaar populated by immigrant vendors, Buffalo went from a place I didn’t think about, ever, to somewhere I would consider moving.“
— Jada Yuan, The New York Times
“Buffalo has seen a resurgence of creative energy, evoking the rich legacy of artistic innovation historically associated with the city”
–Art Monthly
“From blue-collar bars to Irish pubs, suburban restaurants to historic downtown hotels, the tour is the best way to experience the culture, food, and people that make Buffalo one of the most interesting places to visit in North America. And eat some of the best wings in the world along the way.”
— The Globe and Mail on the Buffalo Wing Trail (Click here for entire article)
“In a time when every American city starts to seem the same, when Dallas looks like Tampa looks like Charlotte looks like Phoenix, Buffalo feels solidly like Buffalo, New York…The people are real, the food is great, and they’ve repurposed beautiful relics without a hint of pretension. You will party harder, eat better, and make more new friends in a weekend, all for less money, than anywhere else in America.”
— Matt Meltzer, Thrillist.com (Click here for entire article)
“Buffalo is making a big comeback in large part by repurposing its historic buildings and long-dormant grain silos. Downtown Buffalo now buzzes with life thanks in part to the ever-expanding Canalside entertainment and recreation complex and a host of new dining and drinking establishments.”
—The New York Times, 52 Places to Go in 2018
“The city itself is chock-full of culture, breweries, and reinvented relics from its manufacturing heyday. And all of that is fun to visit solo. But if you’re the type who wants to be embraced into the local nightlife, you’ll never find a better place. Even playing tourist at the birthplace of the Buffalo Wing at Anchor Bar, you’ll meet some people who insist you bar-hop with them through the student-and-artist-filled bars in Allentown until 3″
— Matt Meltzer, Thrillist.com (Click here for entire article)
“Buffalo is on the move, and it doesn’t appear to be stopping any time soon… Call it the Queen City, the Nickel City, or even the City of Good Neighbors, more and more people are finding pride in calling Buffalo home. Everywhere you go, you’re greeted by a smile and a ‘Hello.’”
— The Jamestown Post-Journal
“Next time you’re in Buffalo—and you really ought to visit; the Buffalos and Lowells and Pittsburghs are so much better for the soul than Orlando or Myrtle Beach— take one of the Campaign for Greater Buffalo’s open-air bus tours. Drop by Larkin Square and Canalside. Visit the reified visions of Richardson, Sullivan, and Wright, and enjoy the vernacular architecture of local builders. These have been saved, or resurrected, by local patriots, men and women of all pedigrees, from South Buffalo Irish to Dutch Indonesian. What they did here, you and I can do in our own places, if we will but look, listen, and love.”
—The American Conservative (Click here for entire article)
“Pilgrimage-worthy? Yes. Beef on weck is one of the most distinctive and enduring of America’s regional sandwiches and enjoys a high level of quality throughout the Buffalo region.”
— USA TODAY “Great American Bites” columnist Larry Olmsted (Click here for entire article)
“The city is undergoing a massive revitalization, with new businesses and community spaces opening at a quick pace.”
— Travel Blog Justin Plus Lauren (Click here for entire article)
“The Albright-Knox Gallery has one of North America’s finest collections of modern art, and yet its complex, a Beaux-Arts temple and a 1962 modernist pavilion by the eminent architect Gordon Bunshaft, is amazingly uncrowded. You can visit MOMA-worthy blockbuster modern paintings – over here a Rothko, there a Franz Kline, there an amazing Pollock – yet have enough time and space to see them.”
— The Globe and Mail (Click here for entire article)
“House museums like the Martin complex and Graycliff are a reminder of just how wildly prosperous Buffalo was in its heyday…That prosperity is all over the downtown, which has one of the finest collections of architecture in any city this size – a greatest hits collection, from Louis Sullivan’s Prudential Building and Daniel Burnham’s Ellicott Square Building to the gold domed Buffalo Savings Bank, the nearby Electric Tower, the beautifully restored Market Arcade on Main Street and a magnificent art deco City Hall.”
— The Toronto Star (Click here for entire article)
“Once you’ve checked into one of Buffalo’s buzz-worthy hotels and soaked up some sun at Canalside, you’ll want to pay a visit to RiverWorks, which is a different kind of adaptive re-use project altogether. While the Buffalo River of old was a place filled with hulking freighters, now you’ll see an array of kayaks, canoes, and pleasure craft coming to and from this entertainment hub, which features everything from a roller rink to a beer garden to a rock climbing wall up an old grain elevator.”
— BlogTO (Click here for entire article)
“We’re not gonna lie: We had our doubts about Buffalo. And boy, were we wrong! We still can’t get over how beautiful Buffalo was – and how friendly the people were. This city should be celebrated for its beauty, history, architecture and amazing private/public garden spaces.”
— St. Lynn’s Press Blog
“On a drizzly spring afternoon, a group of tourists eagerly waited for their chance to catch a glimpse of the newly restored Darwin Martin House, one of Frank Lloyd Wright’s most celebrated commissions. The building was the most extravagant private residence the architect ever designed. It was also his favorite”
— Travel + Leisure (Click here for entire article)
“Buffalo proves a city can change its profile and face to the world one yard at a time. And it’s not the big public gardens that will do it. It is the small yards in neighbourhoods around the city that build interest and excitement.”
— Calgary Herald (Click here for entire article)
“Like most cities, Buffalo has had its share of problems. But as we walked from garden to garden along charming streets, it quickly became apparent that whole communities have embraced gardening, and the result is some astonishingly effective urban renewal… Buffalo is living proof that gardening can be a powerful force for grassroots urban renewal and community building.”
— Martha Swiss, Plant Some Joy
“Have you been here yet?! Buffalo has been re-born as a vibrant, culturally-rich, great-American city. I’ve been three times in as many years. I am smitten with the leafy neighborhoods, stirring architecture, friendly vibe and good food.”
— Lisa Lubin (@llworldtour)
“Crazy about American architecture? This is where to see commercial, residential and institutional buildings by America’s most revered trio of architects – H.H. Richardson, Louis Sullivan and Frank Lloyd Wright.”
— USA Today (Click here for entire article)
“I toured Buffalo’s architectural heritage. It’s extraordinary.“
— @alexbozikovic via Twitter
“I’m now sitting in a café in Toronto, reflecting on my incredible road trip across America. I saw so many cities, met so many people, and learned so much about a country that continues to surprise me. Perhaps the biggest surprise of all was Buffalo. On a journey that never intended to include Buffalo in its itinerary, this gem of a city blew me away with its generosity, authenticity and hospitality. At least on this Aussie traveler’s road trip, America saved the best city for last. Thanks for the good times, Buffalo.”
— Nathan Leigh Jones (Click here for entire article)
“Taken together, these two views of the Richardson complex – the glamorous new hotel and its adjoining, neglected buildings – might well represent Buffalo as a whole: Historic, gritty, and on the cusp of a renaissance.”
— Cleveland Plain Dealer (Click here for entire article)
“The city is starting to write its own urban-renewal story…With a slew of major restorations, adaptive reuse projects, and big-budget expansions reigniting enthusiasm, a cultural renaissance is taking shape.”
— Courtney Kenefick, Surface Magazine (Click here for entire article)
“Largely ignored by travelers while the city was experiencing an economic downturn a few years ago, Buffalo has bounced back with a vengeance. It offers visitors world-class architecture and art, an exciting craft brew industry, a lovely bustling waterfront and a restaurant scene that would make any foodie salivate. And did I mention that folks are fabulously friendly in this affordable metropolis?”
— frugaltravelguy.com (Click here for entire article)
“There’s probably never been a better time to visit Buffalo, New York, what with its own ‘Rust Belt renaissance’ narrative unfolding.”
— Cleveland Scene (Click here for entire article)
“Buffalo has been undergoing a rebirth over the past few decades, resulting in vibrant neighborhoods, a buzzing food and drink scene, and a reputation as a worthwhile destination for art and culture lovers.”
— The Scottish Sun (Click here for entire article)
“Back in the day, the Erie Canal turned Buffalo into a bustling bastion of industry and commerce — until trains and automobiles rendered the canal obsolete. Today, the city is in the throes of more transformation, shaking off its Rust Belt past and embracing the waterways that helped build it. Nowhere is this change more obvious than in the buzzy area called Canalside. The vibrant energy here is palpable. The waterfront is once again brimming with activity, but unlike in the canal days, the focus is on new hotels and restaurants, sporting activities, river cruises and entertainment.”
— Chicago Tribune (Click here for entire article)
“A new Buffalo is on the move, rising upward with great dynamism, realizing the future is now. In the second largest city in the state with a distinct personality of tree-lined streets, diverse neighborhoods, and wonderfully maintained turn-of-the-century homes, the passion of Buffalonians is reflected in the innovative fabric of the city.”
— LA Travel
“Now nearly complete, the (Darwin Martin) house is the lynchpin of a five-site ‘All Wright, All Day’ tour that aims to bring his fans to upstate New York and put Buffalo back on the map as a major design destination.”
— Conde Nast Traveler (Click here for entire article)
“Tucked between New York’s Finger Lakes Wine Country to the east and Canada’s Niagara Escarpment to the west, Buffalo is an under-the-radar destination for people in the know. Many compare it to the nearby culinary hub of Pittsburgh, but its edginess and proximity to grape-growing regions makes it more of an East Coast version of Oakland, California.“
— Wine Enthusiast (Click here for entire article)
“Buffalo, without a doubt, I think, is one of the great eating cities,” said Michael Stern, a founder of roadfood.com. “When you think of gastronomic meccas in the country, you don’t think of upstate New York. But, in fact, it has so much to offer.”
— The New York Times (Click here for entire article)
“The Wright sites make the drive to Buffalo worthwhile, but its many other magnificent historic buildings by other architects would make the city a can’t-miss destination for architecture tourism even if Wright had never set foot there.”
— The Columbus Dispatch (Click here for entire article)
“#Buffalo’s not Austin yet (thank goodness), but it finally knows how great it could be.”
— Jason Cochran (@JasCochran)
“Geographically located about halfway between New York City’s thin crust tradition and Chicago’s signature deep dish version, Buffalo, N.Y. has it own less famous, but no less delicious, take on the pizza genre…The dough is very light and airy given its thickness, and the outside crust edge is significantly crisper than the base, as is the mozzarella cheese near the outside edge. This makes outer pieces even more desirable than usual — while interior bites are just as good, exterior bites are delicious, the highlight of Buffalo-style.”
— Larry Olmsted, Special for USA Today (Click here for entire article)
“In many ways, Buffalo represents the best of Americana and the breadth of the American story in the 20th century, and it’s learning to rectify the planning errors of recent generations by reviving what was wonderful about its origins. If you’re the kind of traveler who notices the charms of yesteryear peeking through—like this cherubic face in stained glass in a stairway at Inn Buffalo—then the city has the power to surprise with both its ghosts and its current residents.”
— Frommers.com (Click here for entire article)
“Canalside has transformed Buffalo’s lake shore from a sea of parking lots to a destination where locals and tourists gather for concerts, festivals, craft beer and fun on the water (even when it’s ice).”
— Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
“The city of Buffalo has the right idea. Provide a variety of activities that are sure to draw locals and tourists alike into the city center every day of the summer. Russ and I were quite lucky that our hotel was directly across the street from the Canalside parks, harbor, boardwalk, stages, and famed attractions. I have never witnessed a city who does more to encourage outdoor participation… and at NO CHARGE!”
— Karen Kuzsel (Click here for entire article)
“Buffalo, New York is on the cusp of something big, from its booming city center to its buzzing West Side.”
— New York Daily News (Click here for entire article)
“Many will remember trips to the Walden Galleria Mall and various outlets in and around Buffalo when the Canadian dollar was stronger, but for those interested in architecture, urban renewal narratives, and burgeoning food scenes, there’s a host of other reasons to head down the QEW these days.”
— BlogTO (Click here for entire article)
“I’m a shameless fan of this Rust Belt locale that’s constantly reinventing itself.”
Toronto Star Travel Editor Jennifer Bain (Click here for entire article)
“Buffalo NY is rocking a nice growing beer scene. Looks like I might have to visit soon!”
— @BeerBabe
“Buffalo also has the distinction of holding the most popular celebration of gardening in North America. Called Garden Walk and staged every summer, it was dreamed up by two enthusiastic amateur gardeners over two decades ago. However, what’s happened since then is truly remarkable. The event has kept on getting bigger, like a pumpkin on steroids, and wound up becoming a huge tourist attraction. Last year, for instance, some 50,000 people came, from as far afield as California. In fact, good luck finding a room in the Buffalo area on the last weekend in July, when Garden Walk always takes place. Many hotels are sold out months in advance. But even if you have to settle for accommodation on our side of the border — or simply drive down for the day — make the effort to experience Garden Walk this summer. It’s unique and in a class by itself.”
— The Toronto Star
“In the world of Garden Tours events there is Garden Walk Buffalo and all the others. There is no garden event that combines community engagement, economic benefit to the community, leveraging of a wide range of local related arts and culture and garden tourism beauty and spectacle. The result is perhaps the largest community garden tourism event in the world with over 400 gardens for over 60,000 visitors from around the world. The fact that this model has been copied but never surpassed is testament to its success and quality and yet year in/year out never ceases to grow, change and build upon its success and reputation. Today it ranks as one of the iconic garden tourism events on a par with the Chelsea Flower show, the Philadelphia Flower show, Keukenhof Gardens, and Floriade in Australia – lofty company indeed.”
— Richard Benfield, author of the book “Garden Tourism”
“When it comes to tourism, gardens are un-exploited assets in most communities. Tourism organizations have yet to acknowledge that a ‘garden visit’ is one of the top ten activities of tourists. I always point to the City of Buffalo as a destination that has transformed back, front and side yard gardens into tourist attractions with Garden Walk Buffalo. Your approach is a great example for those promoting the development of garden tourism.Garden Walk Buffalo is also proof that you do not have to have a Longwood Gardens as an attraction in your community, to be a garden tourism destination.”
— Michel Gauthier, Manager, North American Garden Tourism Conference and Canada’s Garden Route.
“Boom time for Buffalo. New York’s second-largest city has sprung back to life, with retro-cool restaurants and watering holes downtown that recall its industrial glory days.”
— Travel & Leisure (Click here for entire article)
“Industrial yet beautiful, the city of Buffalo, New York, is an unexpected alternative to some of yesterday’s hot urban places to visit. Cheap, diverse, walkable, and edgy, the Erie lakefront area is made up of interesting buildings of the past, from the stone-and-brick downtown to colorful immigrant-infused neighborhoods.”
— Afar Magazine (Click here for entire article)
“You can find more people on the Buffalo waterfront today than you could in its heyday when it was the grain-handling capital of the world.”
— The National Post (Click here for entire article)
“Thanks to sweeping revitalization, historic classics are being resuscitated and given new life as boutique hotels and restaurants.”
— Paste Magazine (Click here for entire article)
“Former visitors are in for a shock—in the best possible way. The city has shed its ugly duckling image to emerge a vibrant urban hub busily reinventing itself.”
— Smarter Travel (Click here for entire article)
“Recently, we had a chance to spend three days in Buffalo, New York. We loved it — especially the history, the architecture, the food, the beer, the art and the renaissance. There is a unique urbanity to Buffalo that makes it true to itself and not trying to be like everyone else.”
— Richard White, everydaytourist.ca (Click here for entire article)
“It has emerged as a place that ticks all the boxes in everything what you’d want from a vacay away from it. Buffalo is taking its turn in the spotlight. You’ve come a long way, baby!”
— Michele Sponagle, Vacay.ca (Click here for entire article)
