Moving to Buffalo, New York

Make no mistake, the City of No Illusions is Buffalo’s most contemporary nickname.  It’s even more relevant than the city’ actual name, because there are no more buffalo in the area. Over the last seven decades, the city has gone from boom to bust to rust: jobs have been cut, stores closed, streets deadened by depression. Buffalo’s populace is not one to get overly optimistic anymore (i.e. they’re not illusioned).

But Buffalo is making a Jim-Kelly-esque comeback. Its downtown is revitalizing, especially along the lake and on West Chippewa St.; its arts scene is blossoming; and its health care and education sectors are growing and providing new jobs. In this respect, the City of No Illusions is not one to be overly pessimistic either. Quite surely, prominence is returning, and the hard-luck nickname might soon be taking on a whole new meaning.

Geography of Buffalo

Buffalo is located in northwest New York State, about 4 hours from New York City. It is situated on Lake Erie, and across the lake is Fort Erie, Canada. It is also on Niagara River, which flows over the nearby Niagara Falls. The surrounding area is forested and fairly flat.

Buffalo is the head of a metropolitan area that includes Niagara and Cattaraugus and that is home to over 1.2 million people. Additionally, Fort Erie is close enough (connected by a bridge) that many Canadians venture into Buffalo to contribute to its economy and fun and games.

Positives of Living in Buffalo, NY

Sports – The NFL football team is a source of pride for the city, as are the Sabres, the NHL hockey team. Buffalo tailgates hard for games, and any resident should partake at least once, even if they don’t enjoy sports.

Food – Buffalo = comfort food.  It’s a land filled with bowls of hot, saucy chicken wings, thick pizza, plump hot dogs (see Ted’s), beef on weck, and beer that hails from local breweries, like Flying Bison and Pearl Street.

Affordable housing – If there’s one positive to stagnating economic depression, it’s that it makes housing pretty cheap. Buffalo’s is some of the absolute cheapest in the nation.

Art – Somewhat surprisingly, Buffalo has a thriving art scene. Home to over 50 galleries, two art fests, a museum, and countless artists, Buffalo’s is one of the most well-regarded art scenes in the world.

West Chippewa St – This is where University of Buffalo and young professionals go to play. It has plenty of trendy clubs, bars, coffee shops and restaurants. West Chippewa is the head of a downtown revitalization that includes planned development along the city’s waterfront.

Public transit – Buffalo is served by long-distance commuter trains and local transit trains, which make getting around easier than in many cities of its size.

Negatives of Living in Buffalo, NY

Weather – Buffalo has sunniest summers in the New England region, but this is about all it has going for it. Even its all-time highs are relatively cool, and once winter hits, things get cold, snowy and gray for months on end.

Lake Effect – Making matters worse, Lake Erie causes a delightful phenomenon through which water vapor from the lake joins snow storms to cause even more snow.

Economy – Since the height of the industrial 50’s, Buffalo has been on a steady economic decline. More people have left Buffalo than have moved to it for the last six decades, and thousands of jobs have been cut. Areas that were once bustling industrial centers are dead now, and many businesses that depended on the blue-collar populace have long since shut their doors.

Poverty – 23% of all residents and 38% of young and elderly live in poverty. Few jobs, low property values and a depression that has lasted since 1960 have led to vacant buildings and a poor quality of living for many.

Disparity – High poverty rates are bad enough, but Buffalo goes on step further: its poverty rates are highly related to race, with 15% of whites being impoverished compared to 40% of blacks. The UN named Buffalo as the city with the worst economic inequality in the state, the US, in the world. Communities are very segregated, too, which is sad, especially considering Buffalo was home to one of the first black populations in the US.

Want to move to Buffalo? Time to consider some Buffalo moving companies. Find them here: Buffalo movers.