MI to Amherst, NY..general info. needed (Buffalo, Rochester: house, college)

[minalpatel]

Hello,
I am moving from Detroit, MI to Amherst, NY. I usually do my groceries from the store "Meijer". But they do not have a branch in NY. Can anyone recommend me a place like Meijer to do groceries? Also I buy my veggies from a market called "Joe Randazzo's" , again they do not have these stores in NY. Can anyone recommend a fruit and vegetable market store in or around Amherst, NY??. Also I bank at "Chase" here, but again they do not have branches in NY, can anyone recommend a similar banking place. And finally I also shop at "Costco", but they dont have a wholesale store like that in upstate NY. Can anyone recommend a similar warehouse store??
I really would appreciate your help, as its really frustating moving to a new place and realising that the stores you are used to, are not going to be there anymore. I am really going to miss Ikea!! and great lakes crossing mall here.
thanks,
Minal.

[igadget]

I don't know how soon your moving, but I might suggest contacting the phone company there (in Buffalo/Amherst) and having them ship you a Yellow Pages. Then you can look through and call the places you are interested in rather than dealing wholy with third party opinions.

I'm not from the Buffalo metro area though I visit friends from college there quite often, 3-4 times a year. I havn't heard of any of your stores execpt ikea, costco, and Chase. I'll take these as I think I can.

Chase Manhatten bank has Branches In NY State. After a check of their page, it seems that Rochester where I live is about as far west that they go in NY.

The nearest Ikea that I know about is in Toronto. about a 4 hour drive, highways all the way.

Every place has malls. The big one in the Buffalo area is called The Galleria I believe.

Mass discount places: In the Buffalo area you will be able to find Sams Club which is a club version of Wal*Mart and BJ's Wholesale Club which is the same for Target. I prefer BJ's but thats just me. I dont believe there are many Costco stores east of the Mississippi, but I may be mistaken.

The big super chain grocery stores you will find are TOPS Market, and Wegmans. Both have full selections and are open 24 hours a day. Tops has better overall deals, but Wegmans has a more exotic selection. Tops is based in Buffalo, Wegmans is based in Rochester, each have multiple stores in both areas. Wegmans has 11 stores in the Buffalo area, Tops has a different listing style but has at least 3 in Amherst. Some Tops stores even have gas pumps too.

I cant pick a spot anywhere here in Rochester without having either one if not both or multiples within 5 miles. There are 20 Wegmans stores around Rochester, so I imagine that there are at least that many Tops stores around Buffalo.

You may also want to look at this forum board which looks like somone contemplating the same move.

http://www.city-data.com/forum/new-y...need-some.html

[kazoogal]

I moved to Amherst from MI several years ago. It was sad to see Meijer go, but I would trade it for Wegman's any day now. Wegman's is a wonderful store. I recommend the International Wegmans on Alberta Drive in Amherst.
There is no Costco as far as I know, but there are BJ's and Sam's warehouse clubs in the Buffalo area.
As banks go, there are several. I have dealt with HSBC, M&T and First Niagara Banks and all have been fine.
There is an IKEA in the Hamilton, Ontario area. Burlington to be exact. It is directly off the QEW. Not very far away.
For fresh fruits and Veg, I find that Wegmans' selection is amazing. There is also a fresh market on Maple, a food coop on Main near UB, and I believe there are farmer's markets downtown throughout the year.
Hope this helps.

[minalpatel]

Thanks a lot. This information is a lot of help. Yes I did visit Wegmans, it did seem to be a great place.

Minal

[local-yokel]

Welcome to WNY! It really is a great place to live. Like the previous poster, I too would definitely recommend Wegman's. It's actually fun to shop there ( as far as grocery shopping goes, that is ). But I would suggest that you try the Sheridan Drive at Essjay location ( also in Amherst ), which is easier to navigate than Alberta Dr. Their take-out/ eat in cafe is very cool, very clean, and has live jazz every Friday. Oh, and a balcony, too...my kids LOVE it. Also, don't miss the Niagara Produce Mart at Millersport + Transit. It's just a great big, authentic, old-style produce shop with an excellent selection of very nice produce. It's attached to a marvelously large greenhouse, plus there's a great deli counter. Christmas Eve + the Saturday before Easter are always a real scene! Even if it's a bit of a drive from where you live, it's worth it. Also, the Clarence Farmer's Market ( Main St ) is a great place from June to October. Hope this helps!

[minalpatel]

Thanks a lot. The farmers market and produce mart sound great. I do a lot of cooking and I am always looking for fresh and a variety of produce.
I am really looking forward to moving to the Buffalo area.
Minal.