BUFFALO, NY -- This place some call the Queen City is somewhat isolated from the rest of Upstate New York, but its location between two of the five Great Lakes makes it a unique place. Most of America knows it as the home of horrendous blizzards and the Buffalo Bills.
There's a lot more.
People in other parts of the state often jokingly say Buffalo, well west of the other upstate metro areas, actually is part of the Midwest; or, at least, New York's Gateway to the Midwest.
The city sits on the eastern shore of Lake Erie, with Niagara Falls just above it, and the Canadian border just to the northwest. A bit to the northeast is Lake Ontario. With all this water in the area, maritime activities abound: boating, fishing, water skiing, diving -- and, of course, all the frozen-water pursuits in winter, such as ice boating, skating and the like.
Buffalo and environs also is a center for academic and medical institutions, as well as all the usual arts and cultural amenities common to cities of size.
Of course, it wouldn't be fair to ignore the Bills -- or the National Hockey League's Sabres, or the University of Buffalo, Canisius College, Buffalo State and other sports teams, along with such athletic facilities as the Bills' Rich Stadium in suburban Orchard Park or the Marine Midland Arena in the city.
Buffalo also is known for its museums and science centers. The Albright-Knox Art Gallery, for example, is known for its collections and touring exhibits of modern art. Pictured above, at its Collectors Gallery -- where customers have the opportunity to view, rent, or buy original works of art -- is "Sliear Lhean (Witches Hil), acrylic on canvas by Jane Callister.
ON THE WEB
• Albright-Knox Art Gallery
• Roger Tory Peterson Institute of Natural History
• Buffalo Restaurant Guide
• Lucy-Desi Mueaum, in nearby Jamestown, home of Lucille Ball
• University of Buffalo
• Dowd's Guides
