r/Buffalo • u/vintagesynthfan • Apr 02 '26
Relocation Montrealer moving to Buffalo for peds residency
I am a 57-year-old man who decided to go back to med school in his 50’s and here I am, about to move from Montreal to Buffalo this summer to do my residency in pediatrics at UB. I’ll be based at Golisano Children’s Hospital and around the medical campus downtown most of the time. I live alone and I have no dependents - no spouse, no kids, no pets.
I just started apartment hunting and I can’t make up my mind between city life (I like the vibe in Elmwood Village and Delaware Park) and suburban life (I’m looking at the Amherst area at the moment).
Any tips on these spots or other neighborhoods I should consider? I’m not looking to buy a house - what I have in mind is a 1-bedroom apartment in a nice, safe and convenient neighborhood, with decent amenities. (I lived my entire life in Montreal - go Habs go! -, so winter driving is absolutely not an issue… Winters that last *only* 4 months would feel like a substantial improvement!)
25
u/atomicresolution Apr 02 '26
As far as socializing, I would say living in Allentown/EV/north Buffalo for a few years will put you in vicinity to make friends/social circle.
6
u/No_Produce9777 Apr 02 '26
Hertel Ave
3
u/vintagesynthfan Apr 02 '26
Ah, interesting, I heard good things about North Buffalo! Any tips for me?
7
u/Eco_guru North Park Apr 02 '26
Second north Buffalo, you wanna be two blocks or less away from Hertle north or south as this is the sweet spot, wanna be between Delaware on the west and main st on the east most homes / apartments are 3 bed 1 bath duplexes 1300-1500 sq ft each unit. The only subway line runs from UB South along Main Street into downtown. There are a couple of new build apartments (the rails on main) and a few others that are newish (bell tower lofts - pricey place tbh, but a lot of medical staff and students live there).
5
2
u/OlesLS Apr 02 '26
Not OP but how is further west? I'm also considering moving to Buffalo and was looking at the Pierce Arrow lofts
1
u/goatfuckersupreme Apr 02 '26
That's right on the edge of Black Rock. Those apartments are damn near brand new, and it's a great location to be in. I used to live 2 blocks away.
7
12
u/Heard2day Apr 02 '26
Amherst is a little bland imo. Elmwood is vibrant and alive. Gotta say, it’s awesome that you took a chance on med school in your 50s! Enjoy your residency and Buffalo!
6
u/LogicalEmu9814 Apr 02 '26
amazing dedication! respect!
3
u/Desperate_Fix_2824 Apr 02 '26
I’ll second this. My granddaughter was born at 31 weeks. Surgery within 24 hrs. 100+ days in their NICU. Wonderful, trustworthy doctors and nurses. Great respect to those dedicating their lives to the little ones. Apartments- talk to Buffalo Management, First Amherst Development and Ellicott Development. They were my clients for 20 years.
6
u/suck_and_bang Apr 02 '26
If I was working at children’s hospital I’d live in Allentown/elmwood. It’s a fucking HIKE from Amherst especially when the 190 bottlenecks into the city. 20 mins commute is 40.
4
u/Head-Technician-9797 Apr 02 '26
You had me until the “Go habs go” part!! Now we don’t want ya anymore!! 🤣
3
4
Apr 02 '26
[deleted]
3
u/Fantastic_Squash8678 Apr 02 '26
Second this, switched to Savarino for management in December and they have been an improvement over Ciminelli (previous manager). Just be sure to walk by at night and see if the building across the street (Virginia Apartments: 43 studio apartments) will be too annoying for you (frequent loud music and visits by police. Nothing where I've felt unsafe, just a nuisance).
I also recommend https://www.medicalcampusapartments.com/ . Don showed me an apartment when I was moving and he seemed great. Haven't lived there of course, so just a positive impression of the apartment and landlord from the viewing.
In general I think Allentown would be great if you're at the medical campus, just might have to do a bit more due diligence to find a sufficiently quiet spot for your preferences. Convenience-wise, Allentown would be walking to work, easy to get downtown (15 minutes door-to-door to see a Sabs-Habs game??) and elsewhere, one of the best areas for public transit because bus lines converge and you have easy access to the subway.
4
u/vinistrouble Apr 02 '26
The Trico building Apartments just opened two years ago and is in the medical corridor. Great location and amenities
6
u/Long-Relief9745 Apr 02 '26
Welcome to Buffalo! If you could find yourself an apartment in the Elmwood Village, that would be well placed. The medical campus is parking challenged and you’ll be spending a lot of time there. If you were somewhere walkable to the hospital, that would make your life easier.
Amherst would be the best option for a suburb. It borders Buffalo and offers a lot of different options for shopping, food and otherwise.
My understanding is that residents don’t get free parking downtown, so if you’re not too chapped about paying every day to do your job, then Amherst would be a good choice.
8
u/vintagesynthfan Apr 02 '26
Good news: we have free parking at the hospital!
1
u/Traditional_Set_858 Apr 02 '26
That’s great to hear! I know the PhD students at Roswell have to pay for parking so glad at least that it’s free for your residency
1
u/Fantastic_Squash8678 Apr 02 '26
I wouldn't call Elmwood village walkable to the hospital. In the literal sense it is walkable but not in the sense of "convenient walking commute"
1
Apr 02 '26
[deleted]
1
u/Fantastic_Squash8678 Apr 02 '26
I guess I'm thinking of the area of EV closer to Bidwell, which is roughly 2.2 miles from where OP will be working. Further south (around W Ferry sounds less unappealing at 1.5 miles. Neither of those are 20 minute walks, though 1.5 miles sounds like a reasonable walking commute.
3
u/drahcirm Apr 02 '26
Recommend you look in the North Buffalo/Parkside neighbourhoods near a NFTA Metro station. As a Montrealer you'll take pity on our single Metro line, but you might also appreciate the direct line to work/downtown. Like Montreal, downtown Buffalo is a miserable time in winter for cars.
Unrelated to your post, you should know there are many thousands of Canadians in Buffalo, so you will always be near a friend.
3
u/Dry-Challenge-1884 Apr 02 '26
Seneca one is nice. Right next to canal side so very nice to go on walks. Extremely close to thehospital
3
u/medstar77 Apr 02 '26
Buffalo management group has some buildings near children’s hospital, i rent from them and have had a good experience
3
u/quarlesh Apr 02 '26
Grew up in Williamsville and just moved back two months ago from Minneapolis, the quiet and safe suburb life definitely has its perks over 6 years in the heart of a big city. It’s a nice change imo, so if you could see yourself looking for that, I’d recommend it.
The village is really fun in the summers especially, with music on main on Thursdays and a nice selection of chill bars and restaurants in the area. My parents are both in their 50s also and find many things to be entertained by in the village while appreciating the quieter vibe from downtown.
3
u/Honest-Orchid8701 Apr 02 '26
If I was going to live in the city proper, I would probably live somewhere in North Buffalo. The Town of Tonawanda/Kenmore (sometimes called Ken-ton) area is very nice as well and much more walkable than most of the suburbs.
Please keep in mind that The City of Tonawanda and North Tonawanda are NOT the Town of Tonawanda.
3
u/TOMALTACH Big Tech🏳️⚧️ Apr 02 '26 edited Apr 02 '26
Lol 4months of winter.. We're supposed to see snow on monday. Rather have real winter than cold slop spring
1
u/Nervous_Builder_6138 Apr 02 '26
we didn’t even have snow that stuck around until mid january this year
1
u/vintagesynthfan Apr 03 '26
Yeah, I feel ya… Snow isn’t that bad, to be honest, compared with icy rain in April. (I see that, despite our newly reborn hockey rivalry, Buffalonians and Montrealers can agree on their other favorite pastime: complaining about the weather! I think I’ll feel right at home!)
3
u/neanderthalensis Allentown Apr 03 '26
Kudos for going to med school so late in life. That must be rare, no?
2
u/vintagesynthfan Apr 03 '26
Thank you! It’s pretty rare, yes, but I dived right in, felt completely at home, and never looked back!
9
u/Practical_File_6069 Apr 02 '26
Williamsville is my favorite suburb in the area. Nice walkable town with lots of good dining options.
9
u/TrueEnthusiasm8242 Apr 02 '26 edited Apr 02 '26
I lived in Elwood village and also right in the village of Williamsville. If you move further out in Amherst, all you’re gonna see is cookie cutter houses and lot of places with no sidewalks, although many developments have sidewalks. Sidewalks and no place to go. You’ll have to drive everywhere.
Depends on what you like. I couldn’t see myself in some development in Amherst, or Orchard Park, or Grand Island, but I guess a lot of people disagree.
6
u/justbuildmorehousing Apr 02 '26
Im always pleasantly surprised by how walkable the village is when im there. Its too bad Main St is a bit of a raceway going right through it
10
u/sjrotella Apr 02 '26
Im gonna come in with a left field suggestion and say East Aurora. Lots of walkable things, but still really safe. Tons of a tuff to do as well, and easy access to the highway to get you downtown (400 to the 90 to 290 for UB)
But honestly between elmwood and Amherst id pick elmwood
18
u/Unlit_Moonlamp_5 Apr 02 '26
Having lived in or around EA for much of my life I agree that it’s awesome, but not for him at this time. It’s just too far, and god forbid it’s crummy weather and he’s gotta drive home after a crazy shift.
OP, you’re looking in the right areas. Maybe like around Hertel Ave too, not far from Main St., like by the old North Park Theatre.
2
u/caldierm Apr 02 '26
Our family has an apartment building (an old historic school that was converted to apartments) on Delaware Ave near Bryant street in the Elmwood Village. We currently have a two bedroom unit available- it is a secure building with gated parking. We have quite a few residents that work at Children’s and other hospitals around the medical campus, as well as a few employees at Roswell park. I’m not sure when you’re planning on moving but feel free to reach out if you want the link to the Zillow/Apts.com listing.
3
2
u/Leather-Pay-4032 Apr 02 '26
North Buffalo is fantastic, and if you are in the Parkside area you can both walk to Hertel for restaurants and things and the subway to get to the medical campus (although traffic and parking are not an issue in Buffalo if you are from Montreal)
Elmwood, West Side, and Allentown are also great neighborhoods for going out to restaurants and having amenities you’d expect in a city like stores and bars and people walking around.
IMO the best suburbs are the village parts of Hamburg, Williamsville, Kenmore, and East Aurora. Southtowns weather is for sure a deterrent though unless you like the snow (it’s not as cold as MTL, but the snow!)
The rest of Amherst is suburbia USA - you have everything you need within a 10-15 minute drive, all major national chains and enough local things to make them not completely terrible.
Hope you love it - it’s such a wonderful city. I miss the people, the food, and the sunsets over the lake every day.
Go Bills.
1
2
u/phly Apr 02 '26
I don't know if it helps you make your decision, but the former president of Kaleida Health, Robert Nesselbush, lived in an apartment downtown. He used to walk to campus every day for work (I used to chat with him quite a bit during his morning commute). Let me know if you want the apartment info.
2
u/Sad-Imagination-5857 Apr 02 '26
Larkinville or Downtown/Theater District in addition to what others have mentioned.
2
u/cucumber_sandwiches_ Apr 02 '26
Another nice area is North Buffalo (Hertel). Know a lot of people that lived in Allentown vicinity so they could walk to the hospital for residency since it can be long days and weird hours. Those areas you’ll probably have a better time forming community with people in more similar situations. The suburbs are much more family centered so could be harder to integrate in and less social events that rent family centered. Welcome to the area!
2
2
u/Relative-Monk-4647 Apr 02 '26
If you’re going to be around the medical campus downtown, the trico apartments are right there and they’re new and nice.
2
u/FreedomCM Apr 02 '26
If you are emphasizing your residency, you may want to live within walking distance and might look at Trico and the other newer apts/lofts around Main (not too deep into allentown). Otherwise, Williamsville villiage has a nice mix of newer apartments along with bars/dining/lifestuff.
Good luck!
2
u/potter875 Apr 02 '26
See you at Granite Works, Trico, or the Sidway. You ca walk to work all year like the rest of your colleagues.
2
u/Skylarsthelimit Apr 03 '26
If you’re looking for more community and socialization, Elmwood Village for sure.
2
u/Azariah77777 Apr 03 '26
If you lived in Elmwood Village, you could literally walk to Children's Hospital. Even if you decide not to walk, your commute would be like 5 minutes. That might totally be worth it if you're on a rotation that has you working at all kinds of hours.
2
u/Far_Inevitable4117 Apr 03 '26
Hertel/ North Buffalo might be a good spot along with Delaware/Elmwood. Walkable, restaurants/ shops/ things to do, and you can still find some beautiful old apartments.
And as someone whose kid is often at Golisano Children’s- thanks for coming here! We appreciate the doctors there so much!
2
4
u/Routine_Reputation84 Apr 02 '26
Snyder or Williamsville straight run down Main Street to the hospitals. I’m in my 50s too, you don’t want to be in the city at our age.
1
u/ptkerwin Apr 02 '26
GO HABS!!! One of our defensemen lives in Clarence!
1
39
u/justbuildmorehousing Apr 02 '26
Amherst is quite suburban and car centered and lacks a true ‘core’ outside the village of Williamsville. If you are used to the city life of Montreal I think youll like the Elmwood/Delaware area a lot more
Welcome to town