Visit buffalo: off topic

[miles]

I am trying to convince my wife that we should go to buffalo this year for vacation. 

I really want to see the Sabres play at home as every time I have seen them I was an away fan and flyers fans aren't the most welcoming 

However I am trying to take a train to buffalo so I dont need to drive since it's about 7 hours and I don't fly.  Is the area around the stadium nice and safe? Is there a decent and safe hotel within walking distance of the stadium?  

If we stayed by the stadium is there enough to do within walking distance during times when the Sabres are playing or maybe there is safe public transportation?

I once went to Boston to see the red Sox and the area around Fenway is not nice and its terrible to find a taxi near there. It's why I'm asking so I don't get surprised 

 

Any input is greatly appreciated 

Edited August 22, 2019 by rekim

[Wyldnwoody44]

It's very safe around the arena, the waterfront is being built up nicely, there are some local breweries as well.... You can take the metro for free to a certain stop and venture around downtown. Like any city, there are bad areas, but they're a bit outside of the arena district. The 2 hotels closest are the Marriott and courtyard (by Marriott) there are some cool things in the suburbs as well, but you may need a mode of transport (niagara falls, etc) 

[LGR4GM]

There are several hotels right next to the stadium now and a couple more a short train ride away. The Marriott and the Courtyard are both right by the stadium. If you come in warmish weather there is more to do because of canalside. You could also check out a Bisons game depending on when you come. There is the casino, labatt brew house, and pearl street and some other places within a 5min walk of the arena. There is also the childrens museum of play at canalside and the naval park. 

In addition a "subway" (really a tram) that runs from by the courtyard to the Fountain Plaza stop for free (above ground is free) that you could easily take. That would get you up to most of DT Buffalo. So you have a bunch more restaurants, some fun things like the arcade at Misuta Chows, Big Ditch Brewing or whatever you want to explore. 

As for safety, it is fairly safe downtown unless you plan on going out on Chippewa late in the evening. Like any other city though you have to be aware of your surroundings. 

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g60974-Activities-Buffalo_New_York.html

Edited August 22, 2019 by LGR4GM

[miles]

Thanks a lot for the help. I looked at the Marriott waterfront and it looks like it's about 0.5 miles from stadium. It's very nice

Maybe I can fish in that water too. I'm trying to book for march

Edited August 22, 2019 by rekim

[darksabre]

Expect to use Uber or Lyft if you come here, though the "subway" works great if your goal is just to get to Allentown or the Elmwood strip. You could also use it to get you to UB South and then you can Uber around the northtowns if there's something up there you're interested in.

I would stay at the Marriott at the Harborcenter. Convenient food options, 716 in the same building (get the pastrami), a nice view if you get a room that looks out on the lake, and the enclosed bridge to the arena is way better than going through normal security.

[miles]

Unfortunately my wife has celiac disease so food choices are always limited. 

I'm thinking that hotel will be the one we book. 

Also we will probably try to rent a car for 1 day to see Niagara Falls. We only staying 5 nights

[darksabre]

2 minutes ago, rekim said:

Unfortunately my wife has celiac disease so food choices are always limited. 

I'm thinking that hotel will be the one we book. 

Also we will probably try to rent a car for 1 day to see Niagara Falls. We only staying 5 nights

Fortunately there are plenty of places here that should be able to accommodate your wife's diet. I know Marble and Rye specifically is very good about it.

[Zamboni]

I had a bad experience with taking a train from Buffalo to NYC and back. Never again. If I were you, I’d gladly drive the 7 hours.

a friend of mine has celiacs. She has no problem finding GF food around town. I would highly suggest planning ahead by calling Several restaurants you would like to eat at and see what they can do for GF people. Or go online to peek at their menus. Dedicated GF fryers etc...

i know Chef’s has GF pasta. My friend has eaten there a few times. No issue.

 

things close by the arena ... https://buffalowaterfront.com/

Edited August 22, 2019 by Zamboni

[...]

I would not advise on using the Metro Rail to get from KeyBank Center to the Theatre District unless you want to see the worst part of the city.  That route takes you along the "legacy" Buffalo that started to die in the late 70's.  You would not get a sense of the revitalization happening here, but, instead would get a sense of dread (and the smell of urine).

I would advise planning on using ride-sharing to get you around.  Depending on the time of year you're vacationing, there could be cool things to do downtown aside from seeing a game.  If it's in the fall, you might still be able to take in something at Riverworks and walk the waterfront from the arena to the Erie Basin Marina.  You could have your Uber driver take you on a fall foliage tour south of the city.  

If during the winter, there's outdoor skating at Canalside.  You could also look for a show at Shea's which will be cheap compared to NJ and that theatre is pretty unique and historic.  

If you do beer, there are lots of craft breweries downtown that are worth the time.  I highly recommend Big Ditch Brewing Company.

I would visit the Darwin Martin House in Parkside.  

You need to try authentic Buffalo chicken wings if you can.

Obviously there's Niagara Falls, but bring your passports and dig the Niagara Falls, Ontario version of the Falls - vastly different experiences.

If you've never been in a Wegman's, visit a Wegman's.

If you're into history, Fort Niagara is fun, especially if you can catch an event that features food, wine or both.

If you're into art, the Albright Knox is great, but they're doing some remodeling, so I would check to see the status.

The Burchfield Penney Art Center is cool, too, but it's better if they are having some sort of event to go with the art.

Do not forget to look at the UB Center for the Arts calendar.  Again, our entertainment here is likely less costly than in NJ so you may as well take advantage and you will need to fill in those 5 days.

If you're into rock-n-roll, cheap-ish beer, and dive bars then I would recommend looking at the calendar for Mohawk Place or, for a real gamble, just dropping by the Tudor Lounge.

I would not advise visiting Allen Street unless you simply must, although Gabriel's Gate is a decent option for wings.

You could plan on an afternoon or evening walking Hertel Avenue, and make sure you reserve time for Lake Effect ice cream.

 

 

 

[josie]

3 hours ago, darksabre said:

Fortunately there are plenty of places here that should be able to accommodate your wife's diet. I know Marble and Rye specifically is very good about it.

Can confirm. They're pricey but worth it. Most places are pretty good with GF requests now. There are a lot of vegetarian/health focused places as well. Several of my coworkers have Celiac and it doesn't seem to hold them back much in this town. 

[miles]

Thank you all so much for the great information. my wife agreed that it would be fun to go. I'm going to talk more with her tonight but I suspect I will book hotel and travel this weekend 

 

Again, thank you all so much. There is a lot of great info here 

[miles]

further research i found the hilton garden on Lafayette Square is just about half the price and looks quite nice. its not on the water, and about half mile further away, but its a great savings. 

i cant wait to book this now. my wife insisted on waiting until monday to make sure she can get off. considering its 5 months away, i doubt it would be a problem

[darksabre]

1 hour ago, miles said:

further research i found the hilton garden on Lafayette Square is just about half the price and looks quite nice. its not on the water, and about half mile further away, but its a great savings. 

i cant wait to book this now. my wife insisted on waiting until monday to make sure she can get off. considering its 5 months away, i doubt it would be a problem

So I know it's more expensive, but consider the Hotel Lafayette across the street. 

[miles]

43 minutes ago, darksabre said:

So I know it's more expensive, but consider the Hotel Lafayette across the street. 

That one is much nicer and only 10 per night more 

[Eleven]

13 hours ago, miles said:

I am trying to convince my wife that we should go to buffalo this year for vacation. 

I really want to see the Sabres play at home as every time I have seen them I was an away fan and flyers fans aren't the most welcoming 

However I am trying to take a train to buffalo so I dont need to drive since it's about 7 hours and I don't fly.  Is the area around the stadium nice and safe? Is there a decent and safe hotel within walking distance of the stadium?  

If we stayed by the stadium is there enough to do within walking distance during times when the Sabres are playing or maybe there is safe public transportation?

I once went to Boston to see the red Sox and the area around Fenway is not nice and its terrible to find a taxi near there. It's why I'm asking so I don't get surprised 

 

Any input is greatly appreciated 

Train station (which I use frequently) is walking distance to Pegula's hotel, which is connected to the arena.

[SwampD]

Cantina at Duende was cool. Probably hard to get to without a car. Same with RiverWorks. RiverWorks is awesome, though. Kinda like if the movie The Warriors had a kid with Jurassic Park.

[Thorner]

[#freejame]

8 hours ago, miles said:

That one is much nicer and only 10 per night more 

Stayed their for a wedding. Highly recommend it. Beautiful rooms. 

[LGR4GM]

If you are at the Lafayette you have the bar downstairs which is really cool. The train is right there. Lots of stuff to do depending on how far you want to travel and such. 

Edited August 23, 2019 by LGR4GM

[matter2003]

On 8/22/2019 at 8:41 AM, miles said:

I am trying to convince my wife that we should go to buffalo this year for vacation. 

I really want to see the Sabres play at home as every time I have seen them I was an away fan and flyers fans aren't the most welcoming 

However I am trying to take a train to buffalo so I dont need to drive since it's about 7 hours and I don't fly.  Is the area around the stadium nice and safe? Is there a decent and safe hotel within walking distance of the stadium?  

If we stayed by the stadium is there enough to do within walking distance during times when the Sabres are playing or maybe there is safe public transportation?

I once went to Boston to see the red Sox and the area around Fenway is not nice and its terrible to find a taxi near there. It's why I'm asking so I don't get surprised 

 

Any input is greatly appreciated 

Yeah its pretty safe there...i worked right across from the arena for 3 years without issue...

Both the Harbor Center Marriott and Courtyard Marriott are within walking distance from the arena.

[miles]

On 8/22/2019 at 11:04 AM, Zamboni said:

I had a bad experience with taking a train from Buffalo to NYC and back. Never again.

would you mind sharing why it was so bad. i took the train to boston a few times, but never had any real issues. i looking to take amtrak

[Zamboni]

23 minutes ago, miles said:

would you mind sharing why it was so bad. i took the train to boston a few times, but never had any real issues. i looking to take amtrak

Wife and I took Amtrak from Buffalo (depew station) to NYC (MSG) for a concert. 

It should have been a seven hour ride (according to Amtrak), but there were extended multiple delays and extended stops. It took 10+ hours. We arrived at MSG and sprinted to our seats at MSG and literally sat in them as the headlining act walked on stage. We planned on eating dinner in NYC before the concert. We were starving by the time the concert ended. The bathrooms on the trains were never cleaned or kept up. It was very gross.

The train ride back took almost 13 hours to return to Buffalo. All in all just a very very bad experience. I’m glad others may have had good experiences taking trains. If I can avoid it, I’ll never take another Amtrak train again.

[miles]

3 minutes ago, Zamboni said:

Wife and I took Amtrak from Buffalo (depew station) to NYC (MSG) for a concert. 

It should have been a seven hour ride (according to Amtrak), but there were extended multiple delays and extended stops. It took 10+ hours. We arrived at MSG and sprinted to our seats at MSG and literally sat in them as the headlining act walked on stage. We planned on eating dinner in NYC before the concert. We were starving by the time the concert ended. The bathrooms on the trains were never cleaned or kept up. It was very gross.

The train ride back took almost 13 hours to return to Buffalo. All in all just a very very bad experience. I’m glad others may have had good experiences taking trains. If I can avoid it, I’ll never take another Amtrak train again.

 

ugh. i hate driving that far though. but that would be horrible

[sabresouth]

Wow, this is cool. We are flying in on Monday leaving on friday for the senators game on Tuesday and the Canadians game on Thursday January 28th and 30th. We went ahead and booked the harbor center, figuring the weather will probably not be good. Like Miles, only get to one away game a year in Dallas. This will be our first time to key bank. Looking forward to it. Good luck to you Miles. I also appreciate the info for around harbor center.

[matter2003]

14 hours ago, Zamboni said:

Wife and I took Amtrak from Buffalo (depew station) to NYC (MSG) for a concert. 

It should have been a seven hour ride (according to Amtrak), but there were extended multiple delays and extended stops. It took 10+ hours. We arrived at MSG and sprinted to our seats at MSG and literally sat in them as the headlining act walked on stage. We planned on eating dinner in NYC before the concert. We were starving by the time the concert ended. The bathrooms on the trains were never cleaned or kept up. It was very gross.

The train ride back took almost 13 hours to return to Buffalo. All in all just a very very bad experience. I’m glad others may have had good experiences taking trains. If I can avoid it, I’ll never take another Amtrak train again.

I've taken hundreds of trains in my life since i was a little kid. I simply love them and am a train buff. But if you need to be somewhere at a certain time, train is not the mode of transportation for you.

Amtrak doesn't own the tracks so at times they have to sit and wait for freight trains to go through as they have the right of way.

Also other things like track maintenance, engine issues, etc can cause delays. Recently we were stuck at the last station before Chicago for over 3 hours because a person was literally found dead in their sleeper car. As we were already running about 3 hours late it ended up being over 6 hours late due to this unexpected incident...

In short, never take a train somewhere if you don't have at least 8 hours to spare. However at least 80% of the trains i have been on have run within 20 minutes of the expected arrival time, some even arriving early. That being said, when there are delays they can be multiple, unexpected and very LONG delays...you can quickly go from being on time to being 3 hours late with no warning.

Edited August 25, 2019 by matter2003