Like other Rust Belt cities, Buffalo was once one of the most important commercial centers in the country but has since seen its economic fortunes turn. These days, most people see the city as little more than a gateway to Niagara Falls.
While there is something tragic to this, it’s also what has kept Buffalo gritty and real in a way that was lost long ago in Manhattan and Brooklyn. These days it is so much more dynamic than most people know.
Here, you won’t feel claustrophobic as you take in Neoclassical and Art Deco architecture through the downtown area, or as you enjoy great street art and some original Picasso and Warhol pieces at the Albright-Knox Art Gallery.
The city also has a dining scene with far more to offer than the chicken wings it’s famous for, as up-and-coming restaurants serve staples from India, Korea, Mexico and beyond. (And, yes, the wings are amazing too.)