I was aghast last week when I overheard a UB student refer to South Campus as "downtown" Buffalo. The comment is indicative of a fairly large group of UB students who never travel past PJ's when going into the city - and they don't know what they are missing.
Buffalo is rich in art, culture, architecture and history - and if that's not your thing, there's plenty of NHL hockey, chicken wings and bars, too.
Below are 11 things in Buffalo that deserve exploring. UB students would be remiss if they did not take advantage of at least a few things that Buffalo has to offer.
1). Buffalo food. As the home of the chicken wing, Buffalo has probably thousands and thousands of wings available in the city at any time - but there is a lot more to offer. Virtually every palate can be satisfied in Buffalo, as there are restaurants of just about every kind. Cajun, Caribbean, Chinese, Korean, Italian, Indian, African, French, Greek, Japanese, Mexican, Thai - that and more can be found on Buffalo's streets.
2). Bars. There are more bars in Buffalo then any other city in the state (with the obvious exception of NYC). And they stay open until 4 a.m.
3) Surprisingly to some, Buffalo can become the focus of national and international attention. Take, for example, the "Lackawanna 6." The alleged al-Qaida cell was broken up right outside Buffalo, turning the federal courthouse downtown into a circus of international media. Why not hop the train down to the courthouse when they are in front of a judge? Admission is free, and you don't have to be a member of the press to get in. The chance to see proceedings against an alleged al-Qaida "sleeper cell" is ten miles away.
4) Sports. Even the non-sports fan should check out a Sabres game or two for the experience. It's only 25 bucks a seat for the nose-bleeds; with that you get three hours of entertainment and maybe even a fight or four. In the spring, UB students can catch a Bison's baseball game for about 6 bucks. They might be Triple A, but it's still baseball.
6) There are almost as many museums in Buffalo as there are bars. For the art crowd, the Albright-Knox has displays by Van Gogh, Gaughin, Warhol, Pollock, Picasso, and more. The Buffalo Museum of Science offers exhibits ranging from astronomy to dinosaurs, and the Historical Society features floors of exhibits on Buffalo's history. Speaking of which, history majors can visit the site where William McKinley was shot, or the house where Teddy Roosevelt was inaugurated.
7) Canada - OK, this isn't part of Buffalo, but its proximity is a definite advantage of living in the Buffalo area. What other SUNY school can say they are 15 minutes away from another country? Canada offers beaches, Niagara Falls, a casino and, above all, a drinking age of 19.
8) Architecture. Buffalo has some of the most unique architecture in the northeast, even the country. Frank Lloyd Wright designs, churches, Victorian homes - all available to see in Buffalo.
9) The Elmwood Strip is a trendier, more yuppy version of the university district. It features a lot of restaurants and bars, an independent video store, places to shop for clothes that definitely cannot be found at the Galleria Mall, and a lot of Buffalo State kids to make fun of.
10) Buffalo is a good place to be for aspiring actors/actresses - many nationally released features film in Buffalo, and they always need extras. "Bruce Almighty," a Universal Pictures film starring Jim Carrey, Jennifer Aniston and Morgan Freeman is currently wrapping up a month of filming in Buffalo. And, of course, there are MTV reality cameras all over the city.
11) People who are more interested in watching actors than trying to become one can sample Buffalo's Theater District. One can watch plays at Shea's Performing Arts Center, Studio Arena, Irish Classical Theatre or the Kavinoky.
These aren't even close to all of the fun things to do in the city - they are just 11 reasons why nobody at UB should be bored on the weekends.
