We spent two and a half weeks in Buffalo in September. We were very busy for the first week and a half because of Tech Rehearsals, but were still able to get out and do a few things.
Overall, we were pleasantly surprised by Buffalo. Although, our expectations were set rather low by people who had launched other tours there. We will concede that there isn’t that much going on in Buffalo, but it is cute and we still had a good time.
The best parts of Buffalo are actually the Day Trips! Go to Smith’s Orchard (if you’re there when apples are in season) and to Niagara Falls. We highly recommend taking the time to walk to Canada across the Rainbow Bridge. The views are stunning and it’s just fun to walk into another country. When in Canada, definitely have diner at AG. I can’t recommend it enough.
You can find our full list of recommendations below:
eat
› Sponge Candy – “Buffalo’s Most Famous Confection” Watson’s and Fowler’s are practically next door to each other so you might as well go to both!
› Gabriel’s Gate – Go here for the other famous food of Buffalo: Wings. People also recommend Anchor Bar and Duff’s, but we didn’t go to either of those
› Expo Market – Downtown food court
› Dinosaur Bar-B-Que – Try the BBQ salmon
› Allen St Poutine – Squeaky cheese, freaky shakes
› La Nova – Pizza by the slice
› Root & Bloom – Plant-based cafe. Try the ‘wings’!
› Doughnuts – Fry Baby Donut Co. (vegan) and Paula’s Donuts are both great choices
see
› Murals and Public Art – It’s all over town. You can’t miss it
do
› Canalside – Waterfront shops, restaurants, and activities
› Elmwood Village – Particularly, the many cute shops and delicious restaurants along sections of Elmwood Ave
› Niagara – We all know the Canadian side is the best though, eh?
souvenir shops
› Western New York Book Arts Center – Great Postcards
› Elmwood Ave shops
day trips
› Smith’s Orchard Cider Mill – Those Donuts!
› Niagara – See the falls, race around the Niagara Speedway, and enjoy an incredible, fresh, inventive dinner at AG (remember that the prices are in Canadian Dollars, so it’s actually not that expensive!)
bike
› Map of Bike Trails and Routes in Buffalo (you will need to click the layer button at the bottom of the page and select the bike lane/trail options after following the link) – I really enjoyed cycling around Grand Island; part of it has a dedicated bike path. Also the ride out to the Buffalo Light House past the Buffalo Harbor State Park is beautiful with a lot of art and parks to see and enjoy along the way
› The Greater Niagara Circle Route – There are a lot of great marked and dedicated bike paths in Canada which you can get to by simply biking across the border. Just don’t forget your passport and remember that depending your cellphone plan, you may not have access to calls or data while in Canada!
stay
› Holiday Inn Express & Suites Buffalo Downtown – We enjoyed the great location and spacious one-bedroom suites
getting around
› Metro Rail Free Zone – Buffalo’s Metro Rail is free when it is above ground. Don’t forget to get off before it goes underground or you will have to pay
› Bus – The busses were easy to navigate and use with the Token Transit app
if we go back...
› The Architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright – In particular, the Martin House Complex
› The Chocolate Bar – We kept saying we would go here, but never did
› Riverworks – The Escape Rooms and Ropes Courses, looked particularly fun
