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I am moving from Richmond, Virginia (lived in Atlanta (GA) & Dallas (TX) before) to Buffalo, NY for a job. I am a single fun loving 30 yr old male.
Please advise:
1) The best place to live in Buffalo which is safe and also fun. I love the bar scene and Richmond sucks big time. One good reason to move.
2) I have never lived that up north. So, how cold is the cold? Richmond doesn't get a lot of snow.
3) Overall, how is nightlife in Buffalo?
What town/city are you working in? Traffic is nothing here compared to places like Atlanta & Dallas but it can factor into where you live and how far you'll want to commute.
It gets cold but it's very reasonable up here! We're just coming off two of the most mild winters I can ever remember so I really can't complain at all. When it's cold dress for it and you'll be fine.
Lots to do here, a very reasonable COL and the most friendly people you'll meet anywhere! Welcome to Buffalo!
Welcome to Buffalo, Chris! If it's bars you're looking for you've come to the right place..!
You already know you'll experience colder winters here than any of the other places you've lived. You'll adjust. There are certainly far colder places in the U.S. The temperatures here are manageable, it is the length of our winters that some people (including me) complain about.
In terms of nightlife here I find there is generally something for everyone because we have bars and clubs of every type in Buffalo and WNY. You'll find your favorite spot or a handful of places you like and become a regular. Plus we have additional nightlife options right across the border if you feel like trying something different.
You'll have to explore the city yourself to determine which area of Buffalo fits the precise vibe you're after. Definitely start with ckhthankgod's suggested locales (Elmwood Village, Allentown, North Buffalo) if you're looking for a mix of safety and fun.
Again, welcome to the area and I hope you love it here! Let us know if you have any other questions.
Thank you everyone for your time. I will be working as a Project Manager in HSBC. So, I was looking for a smaller commute and somewhere closer to downtown. I am not that worried about cold because I actually prefer colder weather (Atlanta and Dallas were terrible during summer)
Good to know from y'all that Buffalo has a good nightlife
You're going to be, on average, about 10 degrees colder than Richmond on any given day. The winters can run a bit long, but the summers are very nice. If you like skiing there's some of that too. Yes, Buffalo has a fairly active night life. Welcome and enjoy.
I think Elmwood Village would be your best bet to look first - it was rated in the top 10 urban American neighborhoods fairly recently and has pretty much everything you could hope for in a city neighborhood. It has fairly good street life, some nice bars and restaurants, a co-op grocery store and some great festivals in the summer. For Buffalo, it's expensive, but compared to most other cities, even Elmwood is super cheap. Maybe $700 to $1,000 for a one bedroom depending on exactly what you're looking for. Elmwood Village is the area on either side of Elmwood Avenue from about North Street to Forest Avenue.
Allentown is just south of Elmwood. I would say it is a little bit less wealthy and less gentrified than Elmwood, but it is a stable neighborhood as well that has lots of bars and some awesome restaurants and cafes. It is a little bit more compact and walkable than Elmwood and is a really old part of the city so has some incredible architecture. This neighborhood is right next to the subway line to downtown if you are interested in taking the train to work. Allentown is the area along Allen Street from Main Street west to where it turns and becomes Wadsworth Avenue.
North Buffalo is probably the safest of the three choices, but also the most family-oriented and least full of night life, but the night life scene in NB seems to be growing a bit lately with a couple of new music clubs. There is also a new coffee shop and some new restaurants. North Buffalo is a vague definition - really anything north of Delaware Park, west of Main Street and east of Grant Street could technically be called North Buffalo, but its commercial heart is along Hertel Avenue east and west of Colvin Avenue. This is probably the least walkable of the three neighborhoods, but I don't know if you care about that.
Winters aren't that terrible in Buffalo, despite the reputation. They are very long (6-7 months sometimes) and it can get quite cold and miserable at times, but no more so than any other northern city. Technically Buffalo does get like 80" of snow per year, but there really hasn't been much in the last couple of years. In any case, even in more normal years, Buffalo rarely gets the giant mounds of snow you might envision - it kind of just flurries for days on end with a few snowfalls of 6-12". Anyway, to make up for winter, we have some of the most beautiful summers you will ever experience. Several straight months of days in the 70s and 80s. Perfect sidewalk cafe and street festival weather. You will use your air conditioner (if you have one) only a couple of times.
A note of advice: When I first moved to Buffalo a couple years ago from a bigger city, my first impression of Buffalo was that many areas are old and a bit shabby compared to more modern cities like Dallas. But, if you look past that first impression of the city and explore a bit, all of the neighborhoods mentioned above are quite safe and I think you'll find that Buffalo really has a lot to offer for a city its size in terms of restaurants, bars, festivals, and culture.
I suppose Allentown would be the "rowdiest" of the neighborhoods due to the bars? Is it still safe walking the streets around midnight with drunk and rambunctious people around?
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