Buffalo, New York

Lets talk about Buffalo from a person who has actually been to Buffalo. A Buffalonian as we like to call ourselves.

Buffalo, New York – the city that loves to get chirped by the snobs of other cities. My beloved home.

I was born and raised in this crazy place and it shaped me into the person that I am today. I’m a person that dips a lot of foods in blue cheese, always needs Frank’s hot sauce on

hand, gag when people eat non-Buffalo made chicken wings, have thick skin after being a Bills fan for 24 years, not afraid of a little (or a lot) of snow, buys Wegmans brand everything, have family members that say ‘yous’, a restaurant snob because Buffalo has the best local restaurants, a lover of craft brews, a questioner of the sanitation of the body of water I hang out in and a beach go-er for one month of the year.

I met the love of my life in this city! He probably never thought he’d find himself in Buffalo, but due to the love and importance of hockey here, I guess he couldn’t stay away. He even loves Buffalo so much, he has agreed to come back here every summer with me.

I’m raising my dog here! He can’t get enough of the big open fields, creek walks, hikes at Chestnut Ridge, going to the dog park (to not play with dogs) at Knox Farm and swimming in Lake Erie. What a great place to raise your dogs (ha).

I’m getting married here! Shout out to Hayloft in the Grove in East Aurora and all of the local vendors we are using for fulfilling the ideas I always had in my head. I absolutely cannot wait for June and for our out-of-town guests to get to enjoy Buffalo in the summertime.

The most dedicated sports fan live here. I was born in January of 1994 – the last time the Buffalo Bills were ever in the Super Bowl. Here I am, still die heartedly cheering for them (even in Germany) and here are our fans, slamming through tables to perfectly explain how tough we are at dealing with the heat. Or should I say…cold? I really miss being able to go to Bills games – it is the absolute best part about the Fall and the fans are rowdy as ever.

Buffalo, New York is filled to the rim with amazing local restaurants. Chain restaurants don’t really thrive here. We appreciate and value the craft of local restaurants and supporting local businesses. The most unique eateries, cafes, breweries, bars and ice cream shops live here – so many that I haven’t even got to them all! Oh, and forget what you heard about the “best wings” – Nine Eleven Tavern in South Buffalo is hands down the best.

New York State alone has some amazing places for hiking and contains so many beautiful wonders like Letchworth State Park, Niagara Gorge and Watkins Glenn that Buffalo is a driving distance away from. Also, not to mention, Buffalo provides the beautiful Niagara Falls, giving Canada the best views. Speaking of Canada…were only a drive-over-the-bridge from our friendly neighbors and some Swiss Chalet and poutine. Wave hello from the other side of the Niagara River!

Buffalo went through a renaissance in the past few years and it really feels like the place to be. So many modern jobs, technologies, buildings and things to do are building up here. There are also so many historic buildings that are gorgeous in architecture that our city still values and repurposes today. Theres no cooler feeling than walking down Franklin Street to look at the old beautiful mansions or walking down Elmwood to feel the buzz of the cities nightlife. Buffalo is a true and loyal community.

Others want to look down on Buffalo and turn their nose at the opportunity to see how charming the city really is. Those who are from Buffalo, those who got to live here for a portion of their lives and those who have had short visits can understand the appeal of being here and feel the camaraderie of being a Buffalonian. I have traveled to so many cities in my lifetime that I have fallen in love with, but there is something about Buffalo that makes me proud and happy about where I came from. This is and forever will be, home.

This New York Times article says it all.