Johnson County Airport

Rust Belt revival city with world-class architecture and chicken wings

Buffalo sits at the eastern tip of Lake Erie in western New York, sharing a border with Canada and boasting one of the most impressive collections of 19th- and early 20th-century architecture in the United States. Once a booming industrial hub, the city has undergone a remarkable renaissance, with revitalized neighborhoods, a thriving arts scene, and passionate sports culture centered on the Buffalo Bills and Sabres.

The waterfront has been dramatically reimagined, and neighborhoods like Elmwood Village and Allentown offer walkable stretches of independent shops, galleries, and restaurants. Visitors often arrive expecting a struggling post-industrial city and leave genuinely charmed by Buffalo's grit, warmth, and surprising sophistication.

• •Guaranty Building — Louis Sullivan's 1896 skyscraper, a landmark of early American architecture.
• •Albright-Knox Art Gallery (now Buffalo AKG) — world-class modern and contemporary art collection.
• •Darwin D. Martin House — Frank Lloyd Wright prairie masterpiece open for guided tours.
• •Canalside — lively waterfront district with events, kayaking, and historic canal remnants.
• •Forest Lawn Cemetery — scenic Victorian cemetery and final resting place of President Millard Fillmore.
• •Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site — where TR took the oath of office in 1901.

Getting around: Buffalo is best navigated by car, though the NFTA Metro Rail offers a free fare zone downtown and connects to the university district. NFTA buses cover the broader metro area. Rideshares like Uber and Lyft are readily available, and taxis operate throughout the city. The Niagara Frontier region is also easily accessible by car for day trips to Niagara Falls.

Best time: Late spring through early fall (May to October) offers the most pleasant weather and the busiest schedule of outdoor festivals and waterfront events.

Local food: Buffalo is the birthplace of the chicken wing, so visit Anchor Bar or Duff's Famous Wings, and also seek out beef on weck sandwiches and fresh perch from Lake Erie.

This guide is provided for general information only. Verify details locally before making travel decisions.