BUFFALO – A HOT CITY WITH WORLD FAMOUS WATERFALLS
With over 260,000 residents, Buffalo is the second largest city in the US state of New York. Above all, the proximity to the world-famous Niagara Falls makes the city so famous.
For USA fans, New York usually has a very special sound. Not only because New York City is one of the most exciting cities in the country, if not the whole world. But also because the US state of the same name also has a lot to offer. For example, the world-famous Niagara Falls are on the territory of New York State. Not far from there is a city that may not belong in the top league, but is definitely worth a visit. We’re talking about Buffalo, which is at the eastern end of Lake Erie. From here you can look across to Canada and the location gives an idea of the wonderful and interesting landscape in which the city is embedded.
According to ask4beauty, Buffalo itself has only around 260,000 residents, but as the second largest city in the state of New York it is part of a metropolitan region with well over a million people. American history has been written in Buffalo more than once. There is a lot to see for historically interested visitors. The city’s climate is also remarkable. Buffalo has a pleasant reputation for having the warmest, driest summers of any major city in the northeastern United States. If you add the quality of leisure time that the location on Lake Erie brings with it, then you could even go on a real sun holiday in Buffalo.
No matter the weather
Speaking of sun vacation. The opposite is also possible in this exciting city. If you finally want to experience an atmospheric white Christmas again, Buffalo is the place for you. The winters on Lake Erie are long, hard and covered in heavy snow. Okay, Buffalo doesn’t have any ski slopes, but a “winter wonderland” is guaranteed here from December to March. And the Niagara Falls in winter are really not to be sniffed at either. In the hot summer months, on the other hand, one wonders why the city looks so green and fresh despite the heat. The secret lies in the fact that the precipitation mostly falls at night and thus, almost unnoticed, donates the moisture that the flora needs to survive. So no matter what time of year you choose to visit, the weather won’t disappoint. However, one may have to be prepared for very rapid and sudden transitions from one season to another.
Presidential whispers
The Americans had to accept a very different kind of rapid and sudden transition in 1901. In the fall, its then president, William McKinley, attended the Pan-American exhibition held in Buffalo from May 1 to November 2. Similar to a world exhibition, groundbreaking new inventions and technical developments were shown to a wide audience. However, the exhibition gained notoriety for the assassination attempt that was carried out during his visit to President McKinley. He was struck down by two bullets and died a good week later in Buffalo as a result of the attack. His successor, Theodore Rooselvelt, was sworn in as the 26th President of the United States of America in the Wilcox Mansion. nps.gov/thri) one of the most popular attractions in the city.
During the guided tour, which is offered several times a day, the dramatic events of the tragic change of power come back to life. At the same time, visitors learn a lot about Roosevelt’s presidency, which is now considered one of the most influential and important in all of US history. By the way, another US president who was assassinated survived his visit to Buffalo unscathed. Abraham Lincoln stayed at the American Hotel on Main Street in February 1861 during his visit to Buffalo. He did not find his death until four years later when he was shot in a theater in Washington DC and succumbed to his injuries a day later.
Back to full life
After so much drama, a trip to the carefree Buffalo of the present can’t hurt. During the day you will feel at home in the Elmwood district. Small, independent shops, restaurants and cafés are lined up there. The locals also come here to shop and chill. If you want to go out in the evening, the area on the Erie Canal is recommended. There you can stroll wonderfully and there are many restaurants and bars in which you can let yourself go. A special culinary tip are the “Buffalo wings” that can be found on (almost) every corner. As the name suggests, the savory grilled pieces were invented in Buffalo and are perfectly prepared here.
Art and nature
Anyone interested in art should by no means visit the “Albright Know Art Gallery” (1285 Elmwood Avenue, albrightknox.org) miss. The collection of this bright, friendly museum is really top class. Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Claude Monet, Pablo Picasso, Victor Vasarely, Robert Rauschenberg and Andy Warhol are just a few examples to illustrate the range of the works on display and the eras. By the way, the museum is beautifully located and you should plan a walk.
Just about half an hour north of the city, Niagara Falls attracts visitors every day. Anyone in Buffalo MUST have a look at these world famous waterfalls. There are numerous organized tours; The almost 30 kilometers can also be comfortably covered by car, Greyhound bus or Amtrak train. Please don’t forget your passport as you have to enter Canada.
Poetic greetings from Theodor Fontane
Who would have thought that Buffalo would appear in German literature? Well, connoisseurs of Theodor Fontane’s work would certainly have known. In 1886 Fontane published what was soon to be his most famous ballad. Her title “John Maynard” is also the name of a helmsman who steers his passenger steamer across Lake Erie from Detroit to Buffalo. Shortly before the destination, however, a fire breaks out on board. The brave John Maynard ensures with his prudence and commitment that no one is harmed, but he pays for it with his life.
Buffalo in a nutshell
- Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Site (641 Delaware Ave). Here President Roosevelt was sworn in in 1901 after the assassination attempt on President McKinley
- Elmwood is a lively area for shopping and chilling out
- The Erie Canal has a chic evening out
- Albright Knox Art Gallery (1285 Elmwood Avenue) features fine art
- the Niagara Falls are only 30 kilometers from Buffalo. You can reach them by bus, train, rental car or an organized tour.
