Downtown Buffalo has undergone a radical transformation in recent years. On the north end, the vicinity of Ellicott and Huron Streets has seen the development of a host of new restaurants, bars, and breweries. On the south end, unique hotels, eateries, shops, and family-friendly attractions pop up along Buffalo’s waterfront at Canalside. Chippewa Street is downtown’s entertainment and nightlife district with dining options running from haute cuisine to hot dogs. Nearby you’ll find Shea’s Performing Arts Center with its iconic Buffalo, New York blade sign towering over the city’s Theater District. All this activity is set against the backdrop of downtown’s numerous historical landmarks and architectural wonders — including the Art Deco grandeur of City Hall overlooking the McKinley Monument and the beautiful gardens of Niagara Square.
History
Buffalo’s history is surprising and rich, with countless historic sites and museum-worthy stories. Battles were waged here as the War of 1812 played out at Old Fort Niagara. The likes made the fortunes of William G. Fargo, founder of American Express and Wells Fargo. Jazz legends like Louis Armstrong jammed at our Colored Musicians Club. And American presidents lived, died, governed, and were buried here. In fact, on one fateful day in 1901, the world’s eyes were on Buffalo, NYC, when President William McKinley died at the hands of an assassin, and Teddy Roosevelt was inaugurated as our 26th president.
As part of a region occupied by the Seneca Indians for over 1,000 years, Buffalo originated as a small trading community in about 1789. It grew quickly to become the quintessential 19th-century boomtown, rising to industrial preeminence. The city’s position at the western terminus of the Erie Canal made us the “Gateway to the West”—the departure point for immigrants on their way to the heartland. Today this area has been newly revived at Canalside. Buffalo was also a gateway for runaway slaves seeking freedom on the Underground Railroad, then later fertile ground for the Civil Rights Movement.
African-American Heritage
Buffalo’s African-American heritage runs deep from the Michigan Street Baptist Church, a stop along the Underground Railroad, to legendary jazz history at the Colored Musicians Club and Museum, a National Historic Site. The listings below will help you find businesses, restaurants, sites, and other attractions that tell Buffalo’s rich stories of black culture.
Niagara Falls
Niagara Falls has captivated millions of visitors because of its jaw-dropping scenic beauty, thundering roars, and shimmering rainbows. The raw power of six million cubic feet of water rushing over the Falls every minute of the day is a genuine wonder of the world that can be experienced by land or water. Bed Bug Exterminator Buffalo
Check out different neighborhoods like Elmwood Village