Geography of Buffalo
Buffalo, New York, the second largest city in the state and the seat of Erie County. Buffalo is a major industrial city and a transportation center, and a gateway to Canada. It lies in western New York on the shore of Lake Erie at the head of the Niagara River.
EconomyEasy access to raw materials, especially ores and grain, and excellent transportation facilities have greatly aided Buffalo's industrial development. Leading products are glass items, motor vehicle parts, tires, machinery, aircraft and missile components, food products, and paint. Health services and banking are also important to the city's economy.
Buffalo is an important railway center and lake port. Water-borne cargoes can be shipped overseas through the Welland Canal and the St. Lawrence Seaway, inland on the Great Lakes, or carried eastward on the New York State Barge Canal and the Hudson River to the Atlantic coast. The Peace Bridge connects Buffalo with Fort Erie, Ontario; the New York State Thruway skirts the city to the east. Airlines serve the metropolitan area through the Greater Buffalo International Airport.
Main AttractionsDowntown Buffalo centers on the area of Niagara Square and City Hall, which has an observatory on top. In Niagara Square, hub of the city's radial street pattern, stands the McKinley Monument, a stone obelisk erected in memory of President William McKinley, who was assassinated in Buffalo in 1901. Nearby is the Prudential Building (built during 1895-96 and originally called the Guaranty Building), which was designed by Louis Sullivan and Dankmar Adler. It was one of the first skyscrapers built in the United States.
Prominent among Buffalo's museums is the Albright-Knox Art Gallery, which features European and American paintings and sculptures from all over the world. Other museums include the Museum of Science and the museum of the Buffalo Historical Society. Kleinhans Music Hall is the home of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra.
Buffalo has numerous parks, which total more than 3,000 acres (1,200 hectares). The largest is Delaware Park, home of the Buffalo Zoological Gardens. Buffalo also has a botanic garden and a conservatory.
The State University of New York (SUNY) at Buffalo has two campuses, one in the city and one in nearby Amherst. Other institutions include the SUNY College at Buffalo, Canisius College, and D'Youville College.
The Bills, a professional football team, play at Rich Stadium in nearby Orchard Park. The Sabres of the National Hockey League play in Buffalo, at HSBC Arena.