What other city/town is like Buffalo? (Amherst, Cheektowaga: condos, neighborhoods)

[v3ronika]

Hi! I'm looking for people who have traveled to other towns and cities to share if they ever found a place like Buffalo NY.

Leaving the sorry state of the economy out of it (if we can) I want to know where there's a place with a Buffalo-feel. I am originally from NYC and Westchester and Buffalo attracted me because it is affordable to live in the city, meaning that one can easily walk or bike ride to everything one needs. Thats a lot of quality-of-life to me.


Elmwood Village is also very impressive in that most of the businesses are locally owned and the only chain stores are a Starbucks and some banks. Is there anywhere else that puts a KFC and McDonalds out of business in favour of the local cafes (Buffalo has a lot to be proud of!!)


I ask because I probably will have to leave Buffalo cos of the sorry economy. While I realize that a lot of the quality of life issues that i love about Buffalo come from it being depressed (uncrowded and cheap) I am hoping that some other place can offer the something of the same...

The only place I can think of that is a great walk-around city like B'lo is Madison, WI...

[ckhthankgod]

Pittsburgh is a similar city. Both are former steel cities, are underrated due to their manufacturing history and Pittsburgh has neighborhoods like Oakland and Squirrel Hill that are similar to Elmwood Village. Both of those Pittsburgh neighborhoods are around U. of Pittsburgh.

[Buffalonian4life]

Originally Posted by ckhthankgod

Pittsburgh is a similar city. Both are former steel cities, are underrated due to their manufacturing history and Pittsburgh has neighborhoods like Oakland and Squirrel Hill that are similar to Elmwood Village. Both of those Pittsburgh neighborhoods are around U. of Pittsburgh.

You are right, Pittsburgh is very much like Buffalo and similar in population, and in major league sports, etc, if there is any city like Buffalo, it is Pittsburgh. However, Buffalo is better!

[Buffalonian4life]

Originally Posted by v3ronika

Hi! I'm looking for people who have traveled to other towns and cities to share if they ever found a place like Buffalo NY.

Leaving the sorry state of the economy out of it (if we can) I want to know where there's a place with a Buffalo-feel. I am originally from NYC and Westchester and Buffalo attracted me because it is affordable to live in the city, meaning that one can easily walk or bike ride to everything one needs. Thats a lot of quality-of-life to me.


Elmwood Village is also very impressive in that most of the businesses are locally owned and the only chain stores are a Starbucks and some banks. Is there anywhere else that puts a KFC and McDonalds out of business in favour of the local cafes (Buffalo has a lot to be proud of!!)


I ask because I probably will have to leave Buffalo cos of the sorry economy. While I realize that a lot of the quality of life issues that i love about Buffalo come from it being depressed (uncrowded and cheap) I am hoping that some other place can offer the something of the same...

The only place I can think of that is a great walk-around city like B'lo is Madison, WI...

hmm... what a shame...another to loose out of the beautiful B.











You're gonna miss this town!

[coldwynn]

I've never been to Pittsburg. Does it have a place like the Elmwood strip?

[v3ronika]

This matches what I've been hearing on the street (so to say) - that Pittsburgh is very B'lo-ish.

Is Pittsburgh as big into biking as Buffalo? Its one of the things I love the most about it here.

What about out west? Has anyone spent time in Seattle?

And I am definitley going to miss Buffalo a lot but I'm not going to miss working bad jobs! Perhaps I will come back when I have some experience - seems you have a better chance at doing well in this town if youre a little further on in your career than entry level.

[Checkered24]

Seems to me a lot of rust belt cities seem very similar. Buffalo, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Toledo, even Detroit to an extent (although Detroit is currently in worse shape than any of those others). Even Chicago is not all that dissimilar, except it has been more prosperous and as a result is much bigger. Still, there are many parallels.

[Buffalonian4life]

Originally Posted by Checkered24

Seems to me a lot of rust belt cities seem very similar. Buffalo, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Toledo, even Detroit to an extent (although Detroit is currently in worse shape than any of those others). Even Chicago is not all that dissimilar, except it has been more prosperous and as a result is much bigger. Still, there are many parallels.

Detroit!? PUHA! Are you kidding? Not even by the slightest extent, please, don't even mention that in association with Buffalo. Phew. Now, your reasoning on Chicago being similar to Buffalo is actually quiet true. However, it is as you said much more prosperous than Buffalo, yet still similar in many ways

[londonbarcelona]

Originally Posted by coldwynn

I've never been to Pittsburg. Does it have a place like the Elmwood strip?

No!

I live in the suburbs of Pittsburgh and trust me, Pittsburgh is NOTHING like Buffalo. The economy is better than Buffalo, but that is about it. The only suburbs Pittsburgh has are Bethal Park (like Cheektowaga) and Mt. Lebanon like (Amherst near Harlem and Main streets.)

Pittsburgh also has much, much less to do! The bar "strip" their version of Chippewa, or Elmwood is called Carson Street and is a DUMP! The bars are dirty and cheap. The people (unless they are students from elsewhere) are fat and dirty. I have never seen so many disgustingly fat, dirty and unkempt people in my life than here in Pitt! No beautiful people like Buffalo has.

No beaches! The rivers are brown and gross and no one swims in them! There are only one or two boats in the water at a time - the rivers are pretty polluted here.

The shopping is similar to Buffalo, but there is much less of it! Plus everything is so dirty and falling apart. Think Lackawana by the steel plants - or the fruit belt in Buffalo proper. Ross Park Mall is the only decent mall around, but that is way up north in the suburbs, but worth the drive.

Shadyside is like Allentown, but smaller and dirtier (I cannot stress that enough) Squirrel Hill is like a miniature Delaware park area without the park and museums! The downtown are is nice to work - not to live. There are a few new condos being built, but you'll need a car to get anywhere.

Can you tell I'm not impressed by Pittsburgh?

[david33150]

Originally Posted by londonbarcelona

No!

I live in the suburbs of Pittsburgh and trust me, Pittsburgh is NOTHING like Buffalo. The economy is better than Buffalo, but that is about it. The only suburbs Pittsburgh has are Bethal Park (like Cheektowaga) and Mt. Lebanon like (Amherst near Harlem and Main streets.)

Pittsburgh also has much, much less to do! The bar "strip" their version of Chippewa, or Elmwood is called Carson Street and is a DUMP! The bars are dirty and cheap. The people (unless they are students from elsewhere) are fat and dirty. I have never seen so many disgustingly fat, dirty and unkempt people in my life than here in Pitt! No beautiful people like Buffalo has.

No beaches! The rivers are brown and gross and no one swims in them! There are only one or two boats in the water at a time - the rivers are pretty polluted here.

The shopping is similar to Buffalo, but there is much less of it! Plus everything is so dirty and falling apart. Think Lackawana by the steel plants - or the fruit belt in Buffalo proper. Ross Park Mall is the only decent mall around, but that is way up north in the suburbs, but worth the drive.

Shadyside is like Allentown, but smaller and dirtier (I cannot stress that enough) Squirrel Hill is like a miniature Delaware park area without the park and museums! The downtown are is nice to work - not to live. There are a few new condos being built, but you'll need a car to get anywhere.

Can you tell I'm not impressed by Pittsburgh?

Wow i read your whole post you have not said any positive its all negative its funny how in every forum people always talk negative about a city but in actuality and in reality every city in no way can be all negative nor just positive their is always going to be both positives and negatives in any city its a saying that goes by " if all you can remeber about a place,people or thing is only the negative maybe its just you not them theirs a problem with"