Buffalo

The U.S. gateway to Niagara Falls, known for Frank Lloyd Wright's Darwin Martin House, its Art Deco City Hall and Buffalo wings.

Buffalo is New York State's second-largest city, sitting at the eastern end of Lake Erie at the head of the Niagara River, across the water from Canada and about 30 km from Niagara Falls. In the 19th century the Erie Canal met the lake here, making Buffalo the Great Lakes' grain-shipping hub; by the early 20th century it was immensely wealthy, leaving behind buildings by masters such as Wright, Sullivan and Richardson and a park system designed by Olmsted, earning it a reputation as one of "America's best-designed cities." Climate: Jun–Sep is warm and pleasant, the best time for the waterfront and the falls; October brings fall foliage; winters are cold with heavy lake-effect snow, but Canalside offers skating and other ice activities, and the Buffalo Bills' football season runs through fall and winter. Areas to explore: downtown, see the Art Deco City Hall (with a free top-floor observation deck), the Guaranty Building, the Canalside waterfront and the Naval Park; to the north, the Elmwood Village and Delaware Park area gathers the Buffalo AKG Art Museum, the Burchfield Penney Art Center, the History Museum and Wright's Darwin Martin House; farther out are the Botanical Gardens in South Buffalo, the grain-elevator complex of Silo City, and Eternal Flame Falls in Chestnut Ridge Park. Day trips: Niagara Falls on the U.S. side (see also the Toronto & Niagara entry), Old Fort Niagara and the canal locks at Lockport. Getting there: Buffalo Niagara International Airport has flights to New York, Chicago and elsewhere; Amtrak connects to New York City and Toronto; downtown has light rail, but a car is recommended for outlying sights. Don't miss Buffalo wings and beef on weck where they were born. Allow 2–3 days.

Top sights

Where to eat

Itineraries