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Buffalo, NY City Guide

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Buffalo Meeting Planning

Buffalo Skyline

Buffalo blends the coziness of a small town with the glamour of a big city, all at price that's hard to beat. This Northeast city is within a 500-mile radius of 55 percent of the U.S. population, not to mention big Canadian destinations such as Toronto. Guests can easily reach the city by air, as the Buffalo Niagara International Airport sees about 100 non-stop flights each day with service to 24 cities. Upon arrival, downtown Buffalo and its attractions await just a 10-minute bus or taxi ride away.

In the heart of downtown, the Buffalo Niagara Convention CenterBuffalo Niagara Convention Center
Buffalo Niagara Convention Center welcomes attendees of meetings large and small. Offering more than 110,000 square feet of flexible meeting and events space, the two-level center features a 64,000-square-foot Exhibit Hall, 21 meeting rooms and a 12,367-square-foot ballroom. With audio-visual capabilities and full-service catering, the convention center can accommodate meetings of up to 7,000 people.

Surrounding the Buffalo Niagara Convention Center are a wealth of performing arts venues, restaurants and attractions that both delight meeting attendees during their free time and double as unique locations for events. The over 5,000 modern and contemporary art pieces at the world-renowned  Albright-Knox Art GalleryAlbright-Knox Art Gallery
Albright-Knox Art Gallery are a stunning background for black-tie galas. Or, host a cocktail reception of up to 200 guests at the sweeping balcony and atrium of the Buffalo Museum of Science. For a truly unforgettable experience, organize a group boat tour of Niagara Falls on the popular Maid of the Mist.

Buffalo's allure will no doubt grow thanks to the city's urban renovation and revitalization. In fact, economic development in 2007 totaled $4 billion, compared to a $50 million average for the previous ten years. Recent redevelopment projects include the $49 million Erie Canal Harbor project, which redeveloped 12.5 waterfront acres into a contemporary tourist destination. The city also finished the $5.4 million Frank Lloyd Wright Rowing Boathouse in 2007, which brought to life Wright's 1905 design in a functioning boathouse for the West Side Rowing Club, the nation's largest rowing club.

Planners can especially look forward to the $20 million restoration of the  Buffalo and Erie County Botanical GardensBuffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens
Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens, one of the city's crown jewels. With spaces for private functions of up to 500 guests, the events at its indoor Palm Garden or outdoor Victorian Gardens transport attendees to another time and place.

Buffalo's major industries include food manufacturing, technology and light manufacturing. The city serves as headquarters for such corporations as M&T Bank Corporation, Gibraltar Industries, Labatt USA and Sorrento. Higher learning also holds a strong presence in the city, as Buffalo is home to three State University of New York institutions, including Buffalo State College, the University of Buffalo and Erie Community College.

Key Statistics

About Buffalo / Additional Info

Niagara Falls

Located on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River, Buffalo's lifeblood has always centered on the water. The city began as a trading center on Buffalo Creek, but quickly skyrocketed to a position as a transportation and industrial mecca upon the opening of the Erie Canal in 1825. The advent of steel manufacturing further strengthened the economy. In fact, Buffalo was home to one of the largest steel-making operations in the world.

The city's accessibility and prosperous economy attracted immigrants in droves, helping it to become the 8th largest city in the country by 1900. Today large populations of Irish, Polish, German, Italian, Greek, Arab, African and Indian residents inhabit the city's 32 distinct neighborhoods. Guests can immerse themselves in Irish pride at the annual St. Patrick's Day parade held in the predominantly Irish American South Buffalo. Visitors to North Buffalo's Little Italy can fill up at Italian restaurants and authentic bakeries or celebrate the annual Italian Heritage Festival, one of the five largest street festivals in the United States.

Guests find it easy to traverse these eclectic communities thanks to the city's radial street and grid system that branches out from downtown like bicycle spokes. Buffalo's more than 20 parks offer plenty of green space throughout. In fact, three-fourths of the city's parks are part of the Olmsted Park and Parkway system, designed by landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted. The system was Olmsted's first attempt in America to craft a coordinated system of parks and parkways. Pack a picnic or take a walk at Riverside Park, Martin Luther King, Jr. Park or one of the several others included in this system.

Niagara Falls State Park

Visitors can find many other ways to explore the majestic outdoors in Buffalo. Perhaps the most popular attraction is the world-famous Niagara Falls State Park, the oldest such park in the United States. Guests can enjoy this awe-inspiring wonder at the overlooks at Terrapin Park, or get up close to the rushing waters on the Maid of the Mist boat tour. Back on land, the Buffalo and Erie County Botanical Gardens feature a 156-acre park with displays such as the All-American Annuals Flower Garden and the Shrub Garden.

Aside from its natural beauty, Buffalo's man-made attractions include more Frank Lloyd Wright buildings than any other city except ChicagoChicago
Chicago. Visit the Darwin D. Martin House, a great example of Wright's Prairie House style and one of his six residential designs in the city. The renowned Buffalo City HallBuffalo City Hall
Buffalo City Hall is a 32-story Art Deco masterpiece featuring beautiful lobby murals, skylights and sculptures. Guests can climb up the building's Observation Tower to catch breathtaking views of city below.

Visitors love to end a day of sightseeing in Buffalo with a meal of local favorites. Thanks to its diverse population, the city's fine restaurants offer everything from Polish specialties to American favorites. From grabbing a slice of pizza (a unique blend of New York City thin crust and Chicago deep dish styles) to enjoying an elegant meal of Atlantic salmon at trendy Bacchus Wine Bar and Restaurant, guests can certainly find something to suit their tastes in Buffalo.

Of course no trip is complete without sampling the city's eponymous Buffalo wings. Internationally renowned, Anchor Bar was the first to serve this now-popular snack in 1964. Order a plate of mild, medium or spicy wings, served with celery and blue cheese, to indulge in this city trademark. Whether breaking a sweat on one of the famous hot wing sauces or cooling off under the mist of the Niagara Falls, guests are sure to be happily surprised at the treasures waiting in this gorgeous city.