America's Armpit
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5/13/2008
There is a reason why they call Buffalo "America's Armpit," because we are always moist. Snow in the winter, rain in the spring and humid during the summer. That body odor smell? That's the east side of the city. All jokes aside, Buffalo is a strange bird indeed. First off, there is really one two months mainly. There is 5 to 6 months of winter, 4 months of summer, and maybe 3-4 weeks of spring and fall. During the wintertime, even if you participate in winter sports it is incredibly boring. Summers in Buffalo is where we really stand out. Despite the claims from some that the zoo is anything special, all you have to do is wander over to the polar bears or lions to see how depressing it is. Otherwise there is much to do. We have a top notch arts community, and our music scene is right up there as well. Free music festivals that bring national acts, as well as local artists that help showcase other local talent. There are several outstanding heritage festivals, and the taste of buffalo and Erie county fair are among the tops of the country in their respective fields. The theatre district is fairly decent as well. The job market does stink as it is well documented, and you shouldn't expect to make a double digit hourly wage unless it is in our booming collections/customer service field. The housing is relatively affordable, mostly because if it wasn't nobody would have a place to live. Utilities can be costing, esp. your gas bill, and the taxes are among the highest rate in the country. Part of the reason is because the state government ignores the entire state except for New York City, and then tax the rest of the state like crazy to pay for it. The local government is so inept that Buffalo will never prosper economically because of things like taking 7 years to decide on the style of the peace bridge, or flat-out ignoring the woefully underused waterfront. They are so bad that a control board had to be created, and of course, that board cannot make up it's mind. The fans are passionate about their sports teams, as much as fair weather fans who switch allegiances for whatever team is currently winning can. Also Buffalo isn't a good place if you like to read, or get good medical care as they keep shutting down the libraries and hopsitals. In summary, buffalo is good if you've grown numb to the winters have family here that you are really close to.
Chris | Eggertsville, NY