A fun and growing city - 9/17/2022

Clean, fun, safe and unique. Great place to raise a family. Affordable housing, strong job market. Great schools and neighborhoods.

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Buffa-NO - 6/8/2022

Buffalo was okay in 2016. Since then, crime is up, there are more methadone clinics than pediatricians, and so many of the small businesses that made this place charming have since closed down or changed hands. The cost of living has shot through the roof since the pandemic. People are very proud to be from here and the city calls itself "the city of good neighbors". Unfortunately, this moniker speaks more to the attitudes Buffalonians have about themselves; they're largely two-faced narcissists. Of course, that's not everyone, but this is what has become of the community at large. Buffalo has a classic "my city is the best because I've never left it" attitude, while ignoring the ever-increasing problems that are making this statement less and less true every year. The upside is that there are plenty of jobs and lots of nerdy stuff for historians and architects. It's also nowhere near as snowy as they say.

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Buffalo - 3/23/2022

This city is just plain beautiful. Sure, it might not be New York or Albany. But it's Buffalo. Place is a God-send. You want to see the Falls and the Bills? Come here. Only true New York team. Not some Jersey boys caliming to be from New York. You want some good food? Head to Buffalo.

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Avoid at all costs it's only great to visit. - 2/20/2022

I do not recommend the city at all. Let me start off by saying I am a native to this city. If your main goal is to move here to live closer to NYC with out paying those prices let me stop you dead in your tracks. For starters Buffalo and NYC are close to 400 miles apart. That's a 7 hour drive to get there and to put that in prospective that's the same amount of driving time from Buffalo to Chicago. Don't expect this city be any thing like NYC. The cultures of both cities are different. They don't have anything in common other than being in the same state. Don't do it to tell your friends you live in NY either, most people in this country don't have any clue this city exists. That's really sad seeing the city isn't that far from the falls. The only time the city gets any kind of attention is when ever the Buffalo Bills do good or a massive snow storm hits the city. Don't come here thinking good paying jobs are plentiful either because you got the wrong city for that one. Not to mention the high taxes, the corruption and the poor infrastructure. You'd think paying all this money in taxes you would have a well maintained city and that isn't the case. The rent is high and the jobs don't pay good wages to make up for it. Unless you're one of those people okay with working 80 hours a week to maintain that then you do you. The housing prices are fair but that's because the city is just horrible and it won't get better anytime in the future. They don't like change here so nothing meaningful gets done to help the city turn its self around. The other rust belt cities took the hint and modernized and this city for some reason didn't follow suit. Nor does it want to. It's stuck in the 1970s and doesn't want to leave it either. Out of all the rustbelt cities Buffalo has the lowest area GDP. It's not even close to other rust belt cities that are in the $100 billion club. It hovers in the $60 billion range. Just because it's in NY state doesn't mean it's good. If you think you're going to move here and support any other football team you have another thing coming to you. These people have cult mentality when it comes to their pride for this dump or the Buffalo Bills. They find out you don't like the Bills and they will not be your friend and disown you fast. They think the Bills are the best thing to have ever happened to the sport and with out the Bills the NFL wouldn't be anything. They don't care that other teams are better and did a lot for the sport, they only see the Bills and that is it. Just like they think Buffalo is the center of the United States and nothing and I mean nothing compares to it. You might not believe me in this post but wait, watch and see for your self. If you're looking for a decent sized North East city that won't break the bank I recommend Cleveland or Pittsburgh. Those two cities have an actual come back story and you can find good paying jobs and affordable homes. Because you won't find that here. I'm putting enough money away before I move out and buy a house around Cleveland. I'm going to get a lot of people from the city disliking this assessment and that's what I talk about with the cult like mentality. They don't like it when you give honest feed back.

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Moving back to Buffalo, New York - 2/11/2022

Moved back to buffalo from Las Vegas after 20 years. My quality of life has vastly improved. I missed the 4 seasons. No more traffic jams. Life feels like a small town, yet people seem at a faster pace like New York City. The whole vibe is ..... just different. The ease at which you can use the airport or Thruway. The fall season (Niagara Falls) is amazing. And the housing stock, for what you get for your money is tops in the country.

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So happy we moved here - 1/30/2022

I’ve been here three years. LOVE IT! I grew up in Florida-no weather except hot, rude people, bugs, nothing to do except theme parks. Here, there’s variation in temp (love the winter!!!), festivals, sports ( go Bills), wonderful people. Costs less to live than we expected, so better off financially too. A GREAT place to live!

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Mediocre at best. Go somewhere else - 1/17/2022

Don't let people who don't know anything better fool you. This place is pretty bad. Anyone who talks about the "great food" must think greasy takeout or mediocre pizza is all there is. People who talk about the various things to do like the waterfront had never seen a real waterfront. People who talk about our "renaissance" don't understand that stemming the tide of businesses and residents abandoning the city is not a renaissance. At best it's a stabilization. No new companies are coming here, and restoring buildings is not the same as development. Let's talk facts: Houses are cheap because no one want to live here and the median income here is very low. Buffalo has horrible weather. And I don't mean snow. We have more cloudy days than anywhere else in the country, beating out Seattle's notorious reputation. Buffalo is dull. Anyone who thinks it's full of life is kidding themselves. Vibrancy is not something Buffalo has. Buffalo has lost population for 60 years. That should tell anyone that people don't want to live here and moved away. Buffalo's economy sucks. No one could name a fortune 500 company, or even a national company, that is headquartered here because there are none. But I won't be a complete hater. Yes for about four months it's okay. May to September has alright weather but can be pretty humid. And there are a few festivals to go to but they aren't much more than more greasy food and drinking. In reality if you were to visit once it'd be okay. I'd you moved here you could find a bunch to do for about 4-5 years before it (and the depressing weather) will wear on you. But let's be honest, if it's so great as some delusional people think, then why are people not clamoring to visit or live here like truly great cities? That should be enough to indicate what it's like here. If you claim a city is great because it's cheap and you have amenities that were built back when the city was actually vibrant then you are really only saying that this is a poor man's version of a real city. Remember you pay for what you get. $800 rent? That's great, but there's a reason rents are higher in cities that have a lot to do, a lot of good paying jobs, and things like beaches, warm weather, and large populations. Overall, my biggest problem with the WNY region is the mentality of people here. They fool themselves into thinking this place is so special that nothing else could be better, and you are dumb if you disagree. What that makes is close minded people who don't want to admit the problems with this place to make it better. It makes me sad to say, but my hometown is a bit of a dump and probably will never change in my lifetime. And even if it does, the weather will still be bad.

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How Bad Is Buffalo? - 11/11/2021

Buffalo is a unique and exciting place to live. There are always things to do, no matter the season. Festivals, concerts, outdoor activities, breweries, shopping, and even a natural wonder, you'll fall in love with all the things that are here. We are a big city with a small city feel. Let one of the local people know you are from out-of-town, and they will be sure to recommend places to visit, eat, or activities to do. They might even take you on a tour of the area! The cost of living is very reasonable, and amenities are plenty. Schools are great, and the cultural institutions are vast. The area has seen a resurgence over the last decade and the population is now rising for the first time in 70 years. The old attitude that the grass is greener elsewhere, and the belief that things don't get done here (as displayed here on this site) are fading as buildings are being refurbished, and developers invest heavily in all parts of town. Jobs are plenty as the unemployment rate in Sept. 2021 was 4.7%, one percent above pre-pandemic levels. This is a great place to raise a family. You can afford so much here, and still have money left over to travel, or do whatever you love. This city isn't perfect, but it's pretty close.

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Buffalo- So Much To Offer! - 11/8/2021

I grew up in the Buffalo area and "Bert" missed the boat on downtown. It really is anything but 'unremarkable". Obviously Bert doesn't know a thing about architecture, urban planning, or history. The City of Buffalo was laid out by Frederick Law Olmsted, teh "Father of Landscape Architecture". Buffalo can boast having an extensive urban park system, many parkways, many landscaped traffic circles, along with many smaller parks. Buffalo also can boast a fine architectural heritage featuring such notables as Louis Sullivan (his downtown Buffalo, Guaranty Building is one of the finest examples of the Chicago School of Architecure styles outside of Chicago). You'll also find fine examples of Frank Lloyd Wright, including the residential Darwin D. Martin House and the luckily preserved Larkin Coompany Building. You can't miss HH Richardson's old psychiatrict center turned into an upscale hotel. And across the you'll find the intersection of classic meets modern with EB. Green's Beaux Arts style edifcie adjoining a modern wing by Gordon Bunshaft of Skidmore, Owings and Merril Architects. Buffalo has also become somewhat of a gastronomical extravanza with multiple highly rated restaurants. For those that love craft beer, you cannot go wrong with Buffalo's way too many to mention breweries. The people are nice in Buffalo. The city has a great housing stock and one can still buy a charming craftsman or victorian for far less than they'd find in other cities that have far less to offer. While winter can be cold and grey in Buffalo, the city really shines with warmer weather. Most weekends are filled with too much to do, Buffalonians really know how to throw festivals to celebrate the lack of snow. And year round you can always find a great bar playing live music. So I totally disagree with Bert, Buffalo is a very cool City and well worth a visit!

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Find another place - 7/6/2021

The dude did grow up in Buffalo.......Ur lack of mental ability doesen't realize I MEAN WESTERN NEW YORK!! Renaissance??? Subway to nowhere! No waterfront! NYS bull****! This place is 20yrs behind Pittsburgh! and that is not saying alot!

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Come here to die - 2/11/2021

If u dont have a connection, Family or friends, They will tell u that u r the problem.I have lived here from birth and can say that I will never stay here. Time to retire, move out of this cloister of loosers. Bills ....suck.......Sabres......suck. This place only holds a certain magic for those .....unh huh unh huh. It is a serious joke for the sane and those looking for the future. Pizza/wings.....the best in the land. Where do u go from here? Slit ur wrists go and dont look back! This place sucks! It is a depression magnet!

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Vitamin D Deficiency of Life - 12/17/2019

I am currently writing this review on December 18, 2019 @12:49 am from Batavia NY. I lived in Ruff Buff for 39 years (born and raised), left in 2004 to Alabama, returned to Batavia, NY in 2018, and I have absolutely nothing to boast about. This is not a place to retire or vacation to. If you relocate to Buff and find a beautiful home and neighbor hood, just sit back and watch the local news for about a month...its guaranteed to bring on a deep depression. Buffalo is lacking everything from education, jobs, hospitality, to sunshine. I love my family and they love Buffalo and that's because they've never been anywhere else and are afraid to leave. I will be leaving its dreadful sister, Batavia, next year heading back south. Goodbye Buff, goodbye Batavia, GOOD RIDDANCE NEW YORK!!

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Buffalo, The Armpit of the United States - 11/8/2019

I grew up in WNY and have lived in various parts of the inner city as well as the surrounding suburbs. After recently relocating to MN I can honestly say that things are better here in every way! There are many more sunny days per year, less precipitation, lower taxes, better roads and infrastructure and possibly most important to me is a robust job market with plenty of opportunities to explore. Buffalo has no jobs, terrible winters, terrible roads, terrible taxes and the list goes on and on. By far the best decision that I have ever made personally was to depart from the armpit of the United States that is Buffalo, NY. For those of you that are staying because you are familiar, and you have family and friends, I get it, but there is so much more out there and way better living situations than Buffalo NY, try Buffalo, MN for example. MN>NY in every way.

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Hype - 5/4/2019

The average low temperature is 40 degrees and even in the summer you need a long sleeve shirt at night, with the exception of a handful of days. The city and surrounding suburbs are full of alcoholics, and drugs are easily available. taxes are among the highest in the nation and the Democrat leadership has not moved the needle on the poverty rate which hovers at about 30% and is among the worst in the nation. despite rhetoric from the Democrat leadership that everything in Buffalo is doing great, facts tell a different tale. Murray county executives about how much money they spent on road repair, most of that money were tax dollars recoup from our fuel taxes, and in reality the county spends very very little on fixing the third world level roads. More potholes in Buffalo suburb then on my recent trip to Costa Rica. The best paid people in New York state are the New York State employees, are not required to pay any state sales tax, imagine that. Direction of New York State is getting worse all the time with the radical leadership of Governor Cuomo. If you're not a Democrat your best stop never stepping foot in New York state, because the party of existence is the most intolerant group of people I've ever met. People are leaving New York because the people here are rude, The taxes are too high, goods and services are very expensive. Middle class is being eroded, in New York is turning into a two-class state. Have and the have knots. After mortgage school and property taxes and high fuel and high insurance costs, not much left over. I agree with many other people that it's time to leave New York State.

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Friendly place with better weather than you think - 4/18/2019

I am a current resident of Buffalo. I grew up outside Buffalo proper (by the Bills stadium), lived in the West Side for a few years, left the area for almost a decade, and returned in 2008. I am a proud resident! Buffalo used to get no love. Many people saw it as an old, out of touch, dismal place with no excitement outside of the cheap beer and fried everything. During the late 2000’s, the city began to turn around a bit. It turns out- we were right- Buffalo is great! It has a gritty, rootsy, take-it-or-leave-it charm that is attractive to people. The lake, the parks, the food, and the architecture (and if you drink, the bars) make for a great and friendly vibe. There’s a strong sense of history here, and plenty to explore. It’s a solidly blue collar Great Lakes town. The recent economic improvements are two-sided: there are jobs here now, more/hipper places to live, and a lot of restaurants and shops..... however the already palpable racial segregation has been made worse by the gentrification of the city’s residential neighborhoods. Hordes of white suburbanites (from families who ran screaming from the city’s “dangers”) have decided to attempt to reclaim the lower rents and adopt an “urban” lifestyle. Rents are now disproportionately high compared to the wages and job market. My hope is that Buffalo can strike a balance, and keep its blue collar and lower/middle working class friendliness while remaining a good place for fresh immigrants and becoming sustainable. Yep, it snows a lot. The city is known for its winters. Press love to pick on our winters and make every snowfall a giant deal of it. Do some brief research and you’ll see that our winters are far from extreme compared to other similar cities. It’s no big deal. I love this place. Come with an open mind, without pretentiousness, and with the expectation of hard workers, diversity, excellent food, and a good sense of humor. Oh, and we don’t need any more “craft” breweries.

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Get Out - 12/20/2018

Lived there for 51 years and just moved my family to Florida about 5 months ago. I literally can't believe I lived there so long, it is amazing what you become used to and accept. I am writing this for any one who is thinking about leaving the dreariest place in America. It has been named #1 several times. If you are considering do not talk yourself out of it and just do it, no excuses. I let my wife convince me to stay all those years because of family and friends and now you could not pay her to move back. GET OUT AS FAST AS YOU CAN AND START LIVING LIFE THE WAY IT IS SUPPOSED TO BE LIVED!!!! I do miss my friends, but several have already visited in Florida.

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An interesting place to visit - 9/4/2018

My family and I visited last summer and were amazed by all that Buffalo has to offer. We are international travelers and live in NYC so not easily impressed. Yes the waterfront could be better but it was still pretty cool with museums and cool ships not to mention public spaces with things to do. The Frederick Law Olmstead designed parkways, the beautiful residential neighborhoods and little villages within the city, the Pierce Arrow museum, the stadium, the great architecture, the amazing art musuem and nearby park (have lunch at the restaurant in the park across from the art museu) not to mention nearby Niagra Falls were all very enjoyable attractions. I would go back again. As an urban planner I am impressed with all that the City has done in the last few years.

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Buffalo Is Horrible - Stay Away From It! - 6/10/2018

There are so many reasons not to move or visit here. The weather is atrocious for 7-8 months of the year. Don't let others snow you that it's not that bad - it is! The education is terrible. There are more dumb and incompetent people here per capita than I've encountered almost anywhere else. Buffalo has one of the highest murder rates in the country. The sports teams suck and are poorly managed to suck this long and this bad. The people are nice in general but weird. They do not like outsiders. They want to believe that Buffalo is wonderful because they haven't seen better to know better. Many residents have never been to nearby Niagara Falls, Toronto or New York City. The live in a vacuum. Buffalo was recently voted the Rudest City in America and is still among the top cities for this (go look it up). I have had more mistakes made here than in all the other places I have been combined in a short period of time. People here get defensive if you point out their many mistakes or a better way to do things, then play victim, and blame others. They do not take responsibility for their actions and do not like being held accountable (well that's just too bad, isn't it?). You need to be firm with them and follow up because very often they say they are going to do something, not do it, or do it a little bit then stop hoping nobody notices or holds them accountable. Buffalo is one of the few metro areas in the USA losing population except for the vast number of immigrants now being relocated here. Many I have spoken to thought they were coming to a much better place like New York City. Surprise, this is the opposite of New York City in almost every way imaginable and they are often disappointed and leave. One told me he and his family only have to stay here a year and then they are leaving. many do this just to get into the country, then move to much better places. Overall, this place really sucks. People who have relocated here have generally been very disappointed and left. Some like it here, but they usually come from smaller or worse places and don't know any better. There are a few exceptions but most people I talk to about Buffalo want to barf when you say the name. Don't listen to those telling you that Buffalo is getting better, having a renaissance or whatever. They built a stage with a boardwalk by the waterfront, and it's a joke. That's all? That's it? Where did the "Buffalo Billion" that they governor gave the city go? Buffalo has the worst waterfront of any city with one, and as I said they just don't know any better as to what is good or acceptable. Buffalo was formerly a low cost place to live but that is changing too because they believe their own bull about the place becoming better. Prices are going up for the same garbage. The do it yourself ads here are the worst I have ever seen and they keep showing them "ad nauseum." Do yourself a favor and don't consider coming to Buffalo. Go to New York City, Toronto and Niagara Falls and then leave. Don't waste your time or efforts here. SSDD (Same sh_t, different day all the time). So glad I'm outta there!

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21st Century Buffalo NY - 2/5/2018

This is NOT New York City of 11 million people... This is Western New York (upstate) of about 1.2 million people spread over 5 Counties. I grew up in the City of Buffalo, graduated from Lafayette HS. Lived there throughout the recession of the 1970s which lasted into the 1990s for WNY. The winters were much more harsh now that global warming has arrived. If you want year round summer then move south, but if you love 4 full seasons then move to WNY. Snow ski, toboggan, sled and snow tube 3 months per year and go sailing on the Great Lakes of Erie or Ontario. Yes Great Lakes are the largest fresh water lakes in north America, where swells can reach 20 feet. Your super powerboat will not reach the other side of the lake from end to end for an hour or more. The economy is rising and especially with anyone with a higher education. Buffalo and surrounding Western New York State was all Blue Collar until the 21st Century. It has become highly Medical and Insurance based. The new vast Medical Center is still growing and GEICO opened up a Central call-in Center of over 2,700 employees. If you have a Bachelors you will live quite well in the lower cost of living city. State Income tax is high, but City property tax is very low. Suburban property taxes are high. Live as a city urbanite close to the Theatre District for Broadway plays, where the NHL Sabres play, and National music artists play, as well as the free summer concert series... The Military took me away, but my wife and I are moving there as soon as our daughter finishes school. Go onto a real estate site such as realtor.com and compare homes especially City of Buffalo taxes to other metropolitan cities. What other City can you find a 2,800 sq. ft. 4 bedroom Victorian with full basement, full attic at $300,000 and yearly property tax of $1,400? AND the food is outstanding with NY City style pizza, Buffalo chicken wings, Thai, Greek, German, Indian, Polish, Chinese, Southern, Cajun, and Gourmet Chefs moving in every year. Lofts are also taking over the old blue collar factory buildings. Art is everywhere and Architecture Such as Frank Lloyd Wright homes are abundant. Olmsted Parks fill the City. Shakespeare in the Park is free and produces a Summer full of weeks for two plays each year. The Finger Lakes wine country is a day trip away as well as amazing State Parks for camping and foliage. Canada borders Buffalo and its largest City of Toronto is an hour north.

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Lived there 40 yrs - 12/28/2017

Super high Taxes (especially school taxes), cold, hermit living for 9 months, only 30 sunshiny days (includes winder) averaged a year, potholes everywhere, no job, high heating bills (I had heat on in June)...depressing.

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