"Buffalo - Old & New Friends" a Buffalo Travel Page by johngayton

Buffalo may not be the first place you might consider as a base for a visit to Niagara Falls but it does have its advantages: a major one of which is that this is one of the friendliest cities I have encountered here in the US, so friendly in fact that I had great difficulty in paying for my own food and beer.

It all started with the barman at Brinks's on a quiet Monday night who insisted that the next beer was on him, continued with a small group of new friends on to Mothers where I was treated to the ultimate steak sandwich, then off for a nightcap at Founding Fathers. With a lunch date sort of arranged with an oldish friend on the Tuesday the Buffalo experience continued at Gabriel's Gate where attempting to pay for the meal resulted in withering looks.

I had arrived late on the Saturday night, still recovering from my last day in New York, not so much hung-over as jaded, and opted for an early night followed by a long-lie on the Sunday morning. Surfacing around lunch-time it was immediately obvious that Saturday night in Chippewa Street is where it all happened!!! I have never known a WHOLE STREET to smell of the night before's festivities, especially given that this is now gone noon on a crisp, sunny April day. Not a lot happens downtown on a Sunday! The only people around were a few of last night's remnants and some street guys: all of whom said Hi! (OK the street guys said Hi, any chance of some spare change? - On giving one guy all my loose change he had the temerity to ask for another few bucks for lunch - HAH!)

In the early 20th century Buffalo was a major commercial port with substantial steel manufacturing and this wealth is apparent in the diverse and magnificent architecture in the city centre - a really good site for a historical tour is: www.walkbuffalo.com

The pic here is The Statler Towers which purports to be the World's first purpose-built all en-suite hotel with the rooms built back-to-back to enable the plumbing system to double up. The building has had its ups-and-downs over the years and is now an office block but is certainly eye-catching.

21st Century Buffalo is attempting to reposition itself as a player, particularly as a banking and medical research centre, and to my mind suceeds, whilst still retaining its frontier/border town mentality - the wide uncluttered streets, the VERY upscale residential areas, the vibrancy of the city all bode well for its future.

The sheer friendliness of the people, everyone I met, even the street guys, was the BIG impression of Buffalo that I take home with me and there are very few cities I can say that about.