Kinda OT: Headed to the Pats-Bills game IN Buff this year..anyone been?

[Galeb]

Buffalo kinda sucks. If you want to stay a few nights, stay on the Canada side of Niagara falls and drive to the game from there.

 

[Brady_to_Moss]

Buffalo kinda sucks. If you want to stay a few nights, stay on the Canada side of Niagara falls and drive to the game from there.

I hear the opposite from those that have been there..coworkers..some friends ect.

Yeah it isn't like a Boston or Chicago...but i hear it ain't that bad and has some good bars and restaurants downtown which is where i will be staying.

Luckily it won;t be the dead of winter so that will help a bit

 

[Galeb]

I hear the opposite from those that have been there..coworkers..some friends ect.

Yeah it isn't like a Boston or Chicago...but i hear it ain't that bad and has some good bars and restaurants downtown which is where i will be staying.

Luckily it won;t be the dead of winter so that will help a bit

I haven't been there in several years. Maybe it's gotten better. Last time I went, it was like most old mill cities with tons of vacant buildings and little to do. I don't think a city has to be "big" like a Chicago to be a good city. TBH, although I like the food in Chicago, I really don't like the city.

 

[upstater1]

I hear the opposite from those that have been there..coworkers..some friends ect.

Yeah it isn't like a Boston or Chicago...but i hear it ain't that bad and has some good bars and restaurants downtown which is where i will be staying.

Luckily it won;t be the dead of winter so that will help a bit

I personally can't think of anything worse than the Canadian side of Niagara Falls because it's my personal vision of hell. The American side is much nicer because it is all natural, really nice islands like Goat islands. That being said, the American side of Niagara Falls is very poor and rundown except for the national park. Still, what's on the Canadian side? No bars. A Hard Rock Cafe? If you want to gamble, the American side has the better casino.

As for downtown Buffalo, it is not hopping by comparison to big American cities. The hotels you mentioned are on a one street trip of 4 blocks with bars. You'll need a car for better restaurants. Buffalo is more of a neighborhood town, more people hang out there than downtown. Neighborhoods like Allentown, Elmwood Village, Hertel. People who end up in downtown Buffalo will think it is abandoned (except for the Chippewa strip) after business hours. Also, the harbor area is pretty nice with a lot of new buildings by the new Bills/Sabres owner.

I would say Buffalo is like Providence. Better than Hartford, Albany, etc., but on par with Providence and Pittsburgh. Better than Cleveland and Detroit, but not as good as Washington DC.

 

[upstater1]

I think I was right in my comparisons. In this Travel&Leisure article below, Buffalo is compared to like-minded burgs like Providence and San Antonio. Places that are very livable, but have maybe a reputation problem, and so people underrate them. This is what makes them a favorite city by visitors. The best cities, like Boston, have livability problems, everyone wants to live there, so there's congestion, and a high cost of living. But smaller burgs (which, presumably, people don't want to really live in) still manage to have good restaurants, bars, and good sports and culturals, so people like these cities. For the elite culture people, Buffalo scores highly because of the music, art gallery, architecture, literary, etc., scene, but it also has great bars and sports (Sabres & Bills). And there's never traffic, because fewer people live here. The funny thing is, when I constantly see the biggest proponents of Buffalo leave for other places (like a friend recently who moved to San Fran) they make the announcement in celebratory style. Which I can understand. I would celebrate too. But there are worse places to be. I almost ended up employed in one of them (Oklahoma City).

America’s Favorite Cities

No. 1 Buffalo, NY

The upstate New York city staged a huge upset this year, in part by scoring very well in one category: people think it’s been wildly underrated. Indeed, Buffalo impressed readers with everything from its affordability to its surprising, high-end dining. Go to whiskey-infused steakhouse Marble and Rye, or chef Adam Goetz’s Craving, which is lauded for inventive dishes like short ribs braised in root beer. As of this summer, the hot place to stay will be the 68-room Curtis Hotel, in a 1913 building, which will offer the city’s first all-weather “urban hot springs.” One category where Buffalo still has room to impress readers? Its weather.

By the way, Buffalo is really really really cold in winter, but no more than places like Chicago or Milwaukee and Minneapolis. However, we really don't get much snow at all. The last several years, New England got more. The problem for us is perception: the south suburbs get dumped with huge Lake effect snowfalls that never hit the city.

 

[Brady_to_Moss]

Awesome, sounds good.

We ended up booking at the Courtyard Downtown

 

[Brady_to_Moss]

I think I was right in my comparisons. In this Travel&Leisure article below, Buffalo is compared to like-minded burgs like Providence and San Antonio. Places that are very livable, but have maybe a reputation problem, and so people underrate them. This is what makes them a favorite city by visitors. The best cities, like Boston, have livability problems, everyone wants to live there, so there's congestion, and a high cost of living. But smaller burgs (which, presumably, people don't want to really live in) still manage to have good restaurants, bars, and good sports and culturals, so people like these cities. For the elite culture people, Buffalo scores highly because of the music, art gallery, architecture, literary, etc., scene, but it also has great bars and sports (Sabres & Bills). And there's never traffic, because fewer people live here. The funny thing is, when I constantly see the biggest proponents of Buffalo leave for other places (like a friend recently who moved to San Fran) they make the announcement in celebratory style. Which I can understand. I would celebrate too. But there are worse places to be. I almost ended up employed in one of them (Oklahoma City).

America’s Favorite Cities

No. 1 Buffalo, NY

The upstate New York city staged a huge upset this year, in part by scoring very well in one category: people think it’s been wildly underrated. Indeed, Buffalo impressed readers with everything from its affordability to its surprising, high-end dining. Go to whiskey-infused steakhouse Marble and Rye, or chef Adam Goetz’s Craving, which is lauded for inventive dishes like short ribs braised in root beer. As of this summer, the hot place to stay will be the 68-room Curtis Hotel, in a 1913 building, which will offer the city’s first all-weather “urban hot springs.” One category where Buffalo still has room to impress readers? Its weather.

By the way, Buffalo is really really really cold in winter, but no more than places like Chicago or Milwaukee and Minneapolis. However, we really don't get much snow at all. The last several years, New England got more. The problem for us is perception: the south suburbs get dumped with huge Lake effect snowfalls that never hit the city.

Late Oct...how's the weather up there? Any snow that early?

 

[Ross12]

We ended up booking at the Courtyard Downtown

Okay, cool. Thanks. What price did you get?

 

[sb1]

The Orchard Park NY area (where Ralph Wilson Stadium is) reminds me a little of the town of Foxboro.

Just to the south there's even a town called North Boston lol.

 

[upstater1]

Late Oct...how's the weather up there? Any snow that early?

It could be 60, or it could be snow.

We had 65 degree weather through January this year, week after week. April was frigid. No way to know.

About Lake Effect though, it usually hits late October through December. Stops by January. This is because the lake has usually frozen over in January. So there's no precipitation to dump on land. Most people don't know this about Lake Effect, but the snow does not come from clouds in the sky. The snow rises up from the lake water.

Last Halloween was balmy.

But we've had 2 feet of snow around that time about a decade ago. It all melted away in the next 2 days.

Found a cool video for Lake Effect:

 

[upstater1]

We ended up booking at the Courtyard Downtown

From that spot, you'll have to walk just a little bit to get somewhere. Not much, 10 minutes max to get to the nearest places: 716 Sports Bar, Pearl Street Brewery, Marble & Rye. On the other hand, there's a free trolley car right outside the hotel that takes you a couple stops up to the bar & theater district. It's free too as long as you stay above ground (it becomes a subway eventually).

 

[Brady_to_Moss]

From that spot, you'll have to walk just a little bit to get somewhere. Not much, 10 minutes max to get to the nearest places: 716 Sports Bar, Pearl Street Brewery, Marble & Rye. On the other hand, there's a free trolley car right outside the hotel that takes you a couple stops up to the bar & theater district. It's free too as long as you stay above ground (it becomes a subway eventually).

10 min walk is fine. We are going to leave here around 8 ish..get there for around 3 ish...go have dinner somewhere then a bar or two....

So is someones lawn the best bet for parking as far as ease? Not looking for a huge lot to get out of..something on the smaller side. Nothing can be worse than Gillette but is it easy to get out after a game? I mean the Pats will probably be up by 20 in the 4th anyways so all the Bills fans will be MIA with 5 min left

 

[Brady_to_Moss]

Okay, cool. Thanks. What price did you get?

Right around 180 with fees?...otherwise i think on their site it was like 205 a night?

 

[signbabybrady]

10 min walk is fine. We are going to leave here around 8 ish..get there for around 3 ish...go have dinner somewhere then a bar or two....

So is someones lawn the best bet for parking as far as ease? Not looking for a huge lot to get out of..something on the smaller side. Nothing can be worse than Gillette but is it easy to get out after a game? I mean the Pats will probably be up by 20 in the 4th anyways so all the Bills fans will be MIA with 5 min left

Most times I parked in the lots with minimal traffic leaving. Last year we went with a lawn spot and it was better for sure but it's not brutal either way.

 

[Brady_to_Moss]

Most times I parked in the lots with minimal traffic leaving. Last year we went with a lawn spot and it was better for sure but it's not brutal either way.

Yeah i mean Gillette is the worst or 2nd worst in NFL traffic wise so anything will be better

 

[signbabybrady]

Yeah i mean Gillette is the worst or 2nd worst in NFL traffic wise so anything will be better

Hahaha suckers....my Pops is a Foxboro resident so we get to sneak out the back door.

Funny thing is when I go home to Walpole after having some soup to warm up and watch Bills presser I wind up crossing into the traffic for like 1/10th of mile and I just laugh.

 

[Brady_to_Moss]

Hahaha suckers....my Pops is a Foxboro resident so we get to sneak out the back door.

Funny thing is when I go home to Walpole after having some soup to warm up and watch Bills presser I wind up crossing into the traffic for like 1/10th of mile and I just laugh.

I mean i park a mile down on rt 1 as i come from 495...traffic for me is never really bad becasue i go so early and by the time i walk 30 min to my car..traffic filters out and i get out fine.

Now for those that park in the stadium lots? IDK how you do it because that's bad

 

[PatsGuy]

From that spot, you'll have to walk just a little bit to get somewhere. Not much, 10 minutes max to get to the nearest places: 716 Sports Bar, Pearl Street Brewery, Marble & Rye. On the other hand, there's a free trolley car right outside the hotel that takes you a couple stops up to the bar & theater district. It's free too as long as you stay above ground (it becomes a subway eventually).

This thread is 'old school' for me.. I mean real old school. I went to SUNY Buffalo while the Amherst campus was still being built! A bunch of us rented a house on Niagra Falls Blvd near Allenhurst. Driving the New York Thruway: THE WORST!!!

 

[upstater1]

10 min walk is fine. We are going to leave here around 8 ish..get there for around 3 ish...go have dinner somewhere then a bar or two....

So is someones lawn the best bet for parking as far as ease? Not looking for a huge lot to get out of..something on the smaller side. Nothing can be worse than Gillette but is it easy to get out after a game? I mean the Pats will probably be up by 20 in the 4th anyways so all the Bills fans will be MIA with 5 min left

As long as you take the Big Tree exit off the 219. On the 219, you go past the exit with the sign that reads Ralph Wilson Stadium, then get off the next exit. That puts you south of the stadium. Drive a few streets until you see cars on lawns, pull over to the right.

 

[upstater1]

If you really want to know what a Buffalo type bar might feel like, there is nothing better than Founding Fathers on Edward Street. True Buffalo. Fried Baloney & Onions Sandwich. Or the Old Pink on Allen.

Someone else seems to agree with me: Esquire's 18 Best Bars in America