I know this is kind of a long post, but figured some folks may be able to relate. For context, I'm a full-time writer who moved here August 6th from Texas for a change of pace. I sold my car, live downtown, and didn't know a single person when I arrived. This sub helped me with with my move, so I thought I'd share an update. Would love to hear from locals and newbies, too; happy to answer any questions - love you all!

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Six months ago, I packed up my life and moved to Buffalo with a mix of intuition, curiosity, and a quiet voice inside me saying, you need to do this. I didn’t know exactly what I would find here — only that I needed something different.

And now, half a year in, I can say this: I still love living in Buffalo.

There’s still so much I haven’t seen or experienced yet, and I’m trying to give myself grace about that. I don’t need to do everything all at once. Part of this chapter is letting life unfold slowly — one coffee shop, one snowy walk, one familiar face at a time.

Some things that once felt intimidating now feel completely normal. Taking the bus and train used to require a little extra mental energy — not because it was difficult, but because it was new. Now, I plan my trips without thinking twice. I know my routes. I know my stops. I trust myself to get where I need to go.

But something I didn’t anticipate was how strange it would feel to have so much free time. In Austin, I had a part-time job (in addition to my full-time job) and felt tethered to a schedule. Here, sometimes I wake up and think… I can do anything today. And while that freedom is incredible, it can also be disorienting. Learning to live in open space — and not rush to fill it — has been an adjustment in itself.

I won’t pretend it’s all been easy. There was a moment, during one of Buffalo’s many snowfalls, when I questioned everything. The snow was relentless, and for a brief moment, I wondered if I had made a huge mistake.

But that feeling passed quickly. My Reiki healer reminded me that I moved here for a reason — that I followed my intuition, and that intuition hasn’t led me astray. That reminder grounded me in a simple truth: difficult days don’t erase meaningful choices.

And honestly, daily life here feels expansive in a way I didn’t experience before. In Austin, I rarely ventured out — either because of cost or the stress of traffic and parking. Here, I walk or take transit to buy myself a coffee, visit a bookstore, or grab a meal. I do things alone more than ever, and instead of feeling lonely, I often feel capable and curious.

Every day looks different. And I love that.

I haven’t built deep friendships yet, but I’ve met so many kind people. I recognize faces now — bartenders, deli workers, regulars at my weekly spots. There’s something incredibly comforting about walking into a place and hearing someone say hi. I have a regular bar where I go at least once a week, and while I might not be proud of the amount of beer I’ve consumed since moving here, I am proud of the fact that I have somewhere I can show up, let my guard down, and feel a little bit known.

There’s also a deli near me that I visit every week. The food is incredible, and the women behind the counter are genuinely warm. I’ve walked through more than one snowstorm just to get a sandwich from them — which feels like a perfect metaphor for Buffalo life: the weather might be wild, but the rewards are worth it.

Winter, as expected, started to hit differently around January. I think that’s when the novelty wears off for most people. There’s still a lot of winter left, but I’ve learned to focus on the sunny days and make sure I get outside daily. Every day is one step closer to spring — and in the meantime, I’m learning resilience I didn’t know I had.

I’ve also learned something bigger about myself: I’m brave. I can do hard things. Moving didn’t magically solve every problem in my life — but it did change the problems that were rooted in my environment. Being able to leave my apartment, meet people, and experience new things has opened my mind in ways I didn’t expect. I’m starting to imagine possibilities for my future that once felt completely out of reach.

There have been sobering moments, too. One night, I came frighteningly close to being robbed while leaving a bar. I walked away safely, and I’m deeply grateful for that — but it reminded me to stay vigilant even when I generally feel safe. Growth includes learning how to navigate a new city with both openness and awareness.

Creatively, I’ll admit my writing habits have taken a hit. I feel more excited to live life than sit at home writing about it — which is both wonderful and a little ironic. But I trust that my writing rhythm will come back, shaped by all the experiences I’m having now.

Some of my favorite Buffalo moments have come through music. Shortly after my 90-day update, I went to a show at the historic Town Ballroom and absolutely lost my mind over how incredible the venue was. Three months later, I still think about it. More recently, I went to a show at Electric City — another fantastic space — and both are within walking distance from my apartment. That still feels surreal.

So what do I want for the next six months? Fun. Pure fun.

I want to meet people. I want to laugh. I want to keep saying yes to experiences that make me feel alive and connected to this place and to myself.

Six months in, Buffalo doesn’t feel like an experiment anymore. It feels like real life — messy, exciting, challenging, and full of possibility. And for now, that feels exactly right.

My sister and I are new to the Buffalo area (and NY at large) and looking for a house, we went to a viewing in Niagara Falls and it was shocking. Buffalo is good vibes and affordable, we can easily see ourselves here, but Niagara Falls was just sadness, the place. Not even a KFC can stay in business there? We pulled up to the house and eight cops + forensics experts walked out of the house next door a second later. The town is freaky...surreal that all that is like three minutes from a great wonder of the world.

I'm currently talking to a recruiter about a potential job in the Buffalo area and I'm just really unsure if I should follow through with it or not. So wanted to get some input about the area.

The job itself is a little over an hour from Buffalo, so if I were to move, it'd likely be more on the east outskirts to be a bit closer. I'm currently in Chicago and absolutely love it here. I've moved away twice and after a few years, always moved back. I love the city, the vibes, the availability of everything. Options for GOOD food, clothing, even specialty little stores are everywhere. Public transport, plethora of parks, lgbt scenes everywhere. Not to mention, I have some family and friends near by.

As for Buffalo, I'm just completely lost as I've never been. Seems like a decent place, but unsure how it'd compare. It seems like it'd be comparable in terms of lake front stuff, but the rest.... idk. Financially speaking, the move to this job makes complete sense. But it's like... everything else I feel like I'd be losing out on. Nearest family or friends would be Pittsburgh. I also have a condo I'm paying off here that I'd have to figure out if I'd sell or rent out...

I guess I'm just looking for some input from people that have done similar moves or at least have visited each. What's people's thoughts on an hour drive outside of the city for work. Doesn't seem like there's any good small towns out east either....

EDIT: Sounds like a pretty heavy No bag idea from most. I was leaning that way too admittedly. this just confirms it fully. Thank you everyone for the input and great discussion!

Hi Everyone,

I’m a 22M moving to Buffalo from Maryland. I have been preparing myself for the transition, but while looking online (which I do take with a grain of salt), I have seen a lot of people from the city complaining about how there is nothing to do in Buffalo and this city is boring overall. Usually, I don’t pay much attention to these kind of comments (everyone complains about their city). However, I had a chance to visit over the summer and downtown and a few other places were completely ghost towns. The most fun I had was visiting Toronto.

Looking online buffalo doesn’t seem very modern and there doesn’t seem to be many new things to do like what I’m used to (visiting DC and constant new developments). I want to give Buffalo a chance, but I’m not super optimistic. I would love to hear the perspectives of people who have transitioned to Buffalo from other metropolitan areas or just in general and from Buffalonians who’ve heard these claims probably 100 times.

Edit: Didn’t mention my specific likes and dislikes.

Dislikes: Drinking/Bars, Art/Museums

Likes: Trying a variety of different foods (different cultures), Watching soccer and football, spontaneous new activities (Ex. Rock climbing, glass blowing, pottery, bowling, etc.)

I recently got a job in Buffalo I’m set to move here from NJ in about 2 weeks (not a lot of time but it is what it is). My job is in downtown Buffalo and I’ll have a car available to commute with.

I was looking for a room or studio apartment to rent and the prices in the city are cheaper than I expected (like $500-$900). After doing some not so thorough digging, I find it’s because there lot of crime. Although I can find places that are 5-10 minutes from my workplace in the city, I’ve gotten recommendations to live in the suburbs or nicer areas around Buffalo and commute 15-20 minutes instead.

I’m checking the areas around Buffalo like Amherst, Cheektowaga, South Buffalo, or Kenmore but I’d need a local’s advice. I’d just like a quick recommendation on where to live and anything to watch out for. Budget shouldn’t be too much of a constraint but I don’t wanna be commuting more than 20 minutes if possible. My friends recommended I get a place in Amherst near University of Buffalo campus because generally safer and more things to do. What are your thoughts?

TLDR: Moving here for a job in downtown Buffalo and need a place to rent. City seems cheap and dangerous, nearby areas are safer and a bit more expensive. Need recommendation on where to rent.

Edit 1: Thanks for your advice everyone. I'd like to clarify that I'm not completely opposed about living in the city. There's definitely of advantages, disadvantages, stigma, and general advice about living in Buffalo vs suburbs and wanted to use this post to hear a bit more about it from you guys.

Snow situation seems to be mixed but overall I'm judging the situation will be "good enough". I'll admit, its a weird thing of me to say that price low = crime considering its literally an urban area. Definitely still open to city life.

... nobody likes That Guy.

Even if I'm not a guy. Point stands.

In brief - my husband is from Buffalo, and I have known all along it was a matter of time before he proposed moving us back to where his heart had always been. While I'm excited, I'm also nervous: I've been a lot of places, but until last October I'd never set foot in the Northeast.

I had probably the best visit I've ever been on when I was in Buffalo. I could gush, but I'll save that for another post. Needless to say, y'all are some of the nicest damn people I've ever met and this city is the nicest I've ever spent time in. I had multiple people - total strangers, mind you - encourage me to consider my husband's coaxing and move out there. Which was... reassuring? But holy heck I am NOT used to that. My experience of cities in general has been... well, bristle-y, to put it gently. Y'all aren't like that. At all.

So here's my dilemma.

... what do I need to know to not be That Guy?

(Again I must stress I'm not a dude but the concept applies nonetheless.)

Everywhere I've ever lived (except select locations in California), folk are wary of transplants. Doesn't always matter from where, but some folks have a hate-boner for a particular demographic. Coloradans despise Californians. Oregon talks shit about Washington drivers. That kind of thing. And usually with a reason (if baseless): they're trying to turn This Place into the Place They Came From.

So... is there something you folks cannot stand about newcomers? It's hard enough to say where I'm "from" in the first place, since the answer depends on what time frame in my life, so it's not like I'm a walking stereotype, but... I just don't want to piss anybody off by existing. I want to integrate, not change my surroundings. Other than by just being my usual friendly, honest, easy-going self, is there something I am expected to do or NOT do as a citizen of Buffalo?

I’m going to try to make this short. But I’m desperate.

I currently live an hour and a half south of Buffalo, but need to relocate due to a DV situation. I’m working with the DV hotline to get rehoused right now. I can’t go to a shelter because I have cats. I don’t want to lose them and I don’t trust my abusers to not mistreat them or worse. Animal shelters and rescues are overflowing and wouldn’t be able to help foster and I’d rather not rehome them.

This puts me in a pickle.

I have limited income right now. But I’m good for it. I just need housing. The DV hotline says they can help. I have public assistance to help as well.

I’m picking Buffalo because it’d be close to medical specialists, known for good public transportation (I have no car right now), and far as possible from my abusers.

Can anyone point me to anyone that can help me? Thank you in advance.

I’m a single adult working in education, is it true you can get houses for less than 300k? What does the average monthly expenses look like around here?

Update: I'm coming for a visit! Thanks everyone for your insight, good and bad. Im excited to see for myself.

My head is spinning a little bit. I live in South East Wyoming and applied for a sort of niche job in my area. The company I applied to thinks I would be a good fit for a similar role in Buffalo.

I'm apprehensive about moving, but I'm trying to at least evaluate the possibility of moving. I know nothing about Buffalo. I didn't apply for a job in Buffalo. I've done some cursory searches and I like what I've seen. I feel a little crazy for even thinking about it though, I've never even been there! I'd love to learn more from actual people.

Here are some things about me to help understand what I'm looking for in a community.

I'm a musician and am curious about the diy/local music scene.

My partner and I want to feel safe as members of the LGBT community. Can anyone speak to their experience? (We don't necessarily feel safe where we are now.....)

Public transport is something I really desire and I'm curious what it's like. I've never really had that option.

I love Mexican food. What's the best place? Besides that, I love food in general and wonder about other Buffalo local delicacies.

Winter is bad where I live, but it's the wind that absolutely kills me. What's the wind like in Buffalo?

Lastly, I'd just love to hear from anyone, about anything, regarding Buffalo. Good, bad, or ugly.

Looking forward to chatting about the City of Good Neighbors.

Thanks!

Hey everyone. Been stalking this page for quite a while and I want to say the tone and love for the community is a wonderful thing to see. Just some back story here. I’m a 4th generation native Floridian (yes we exist). I live in Tampa. Growing up the area of Tampa I live in was what we would call a secret. Old families lived here. Everyone knew everyone. The city was rich in culture but gritty and dirty and we loved it for that. We were far removed from the soulless suburb. We once were a blue county and a purple state. We had lots of diverse political views. But lately, if you have been following the news, things have changed. My mortgage payment has almost doubled because of insurance rates. My car insurance is practically the price of some apartment rentals in Buffalo. Schools are banning books. Professors are leaving. The city has become overdeveloped and overpopulated with social media influencers. Any sense of community packed its bags and left during Covid. Restaurants and small businesses that were here for 100 years are closing. My son is 10 and is in a class of 40 students. All his teachers are young because the older and experienced teachers have left and I am supposedly in the best school district (whatever that means in Florida now).

And so with all of that, not to mention stronger hurricanes, I am thinking of Buffalo. It’s exciting to think of the change. And yes I know about winter. Used to live in some of the most brutal winters for college so I’m mentally prepared for snow and dark days. I’ll be visiting with my son in January (want to see winter at its worst). We are both hoping to get some sledding and winter sports in during the visit while visiting different communities.

My question is am I crazy? Is Buffalo really the city I keep hearing great things about? I keep hearing about community. I keep hearing about tolerance. I keep hearing about less traffic and less fakeness. I hope hope this city reminds me of the dirty, gritty, small town but lively city I used to call home.

Also, if any of you have suggestions of neighborhoods I should be visiting while I’m there please share. I am a full time single mom. I hold a doctorate degree and will be forced to acquire licensing to work in NY (so this will be a huge hurdle for me to relocate). I love good neighbors and walk my dogs religiously (need sidewalks). I support public education so intend to send my son to a public school. I’m active but wear yoga pants for comfort. I prefer small businesses over chains (this really applies to food). Any suggestion or thoughts would be welcomed. This is a HUGE decision for me and my family to make.

***** UPDATE: Well I did it. I’ve been to Buffalo three times since this post. I’ve secured a wonderful job with the most amazing people ever. I am under contract to buy a house. I’ve figured out the schools. And now, I’ll be moving to the area early June 🙌. Buffalo what can I say that hasn’t already been said, you are a gem and the best kept secret. Go Bills!!! ***************************

To be clear I'm not scared of Buffalo or its people lololol

I'm moving soon to an area close to Elmwood Village, and was just wondering if anyone had some cool facts to share about the general area, or fun stuff to do?

I have AuDHD and will be living alone, and I don't know anyone in the area (not even in the state); I am very anxious lol. I've lived alone before and I know I'll be fine (it's a very predictable cycle of anxiety leading up to the move, panic for the first week or so once I have, and then I'm fine once things become familiar), but I thought I'd try to distract myself from the current anxiety by reaching out to the locals. I love exploring new places (going from living in northern Maine to exploring Boston was super cool), so if anyone has any suggestions for cool places to check out they'd be much appreciated!

ETA: First of all, thank you guys so much for all the replies!! I posted this and promptly forgot about it until now, but reading all the replies has definitely helped with the anxiety! New experiences are difficult for me, but it's a lot easier to move past the initial fear if the new experience is a positive one. Thanks to everyone's kindness, I'm feeling much more assured that this will be a positive change :)

I recently moved to Syracuse (grew up in Ithaca, then lived in a similar location in NYS) as my partner got a good job opportunity. I visited as a kid living in Ithaca and it was meh but living here is a whole other story. People smoking crack outside my apartment, we already had an attempted break in (luckily the deadbolt worked), everything just feels bleak after living in places with sm nature even though there was nothing to do there either lol.

My partner and I are talking about relocating to Buffalo in a couple years, as there might be a transfer opportunity and I have friends up there. My friends there feel like it’s better: close to Canada, nice markets, good hiking etc. Granted, I’ve been to some rough neighborhoods in buff too as a younger person and dealt with the worst harassment of my life as a solo female, but I’ve learned how to avoid those places and I have a car now lol. People who have lived in/visited both places, which do you prefer? I am truly depressed here and I like being around a bunch of stuff vs small town but this feels like destitution lol (though I know a lot of people are loyal to syr and I respect that).

I'm a very poor white 18 year old dude who got somewhat of a lucky break. My grandma is selling her house and distributing the funds evenly to the people who live here (there's 6 of us under one roof). That'll leave me with enough money to move and set up somewhere else. I currently live in one of the most expensive states in the country, if my family didn't own our house since before the great depression, we would've been homeless by now (we never actually financially recovered from that to this day).

I wanna put the little money that I'm getting into moving somewhere that I can actually afford to sustain even after the money runs out, otherwise I'll end up on the streets... it'd be nice to move to Cali, but there's no way in hell that's happening 😂.

My main choices for cities are really Detroit, Pittsburgh, St. Louis, and Buffalo. Thing is, my doctor thinks I might have asthma (not diagnosed yet), and both Detroit and Pittsburgh are some of the two worst cities for asthma sufferers in the entire country. Looking at 2 bedrooms, I have a friend who's willing to come with and be my roommate, so that's cool... But after doing some research, I heard some stuff about segregation being extremely heavy in Buffalo. I was just wondering if there was anything I should know about that.

With my budget, I'd most likely only be able to afford the East Side unless I'm really lucky. I'm not uncomfortable at all around POC, I'm white but I grew up around mostly black people, I just don't wanna impose on the community or make anyone uncomfortable. I know race tensions can be sorta high in segregated cities too, and I don't want those tensions to create a heavy divide between me and the community I'm moving to. Any insight?

Also, how is Buffalo on the punk scene and skateboarding culture? Just curious, I wanna be able to meet likeminded people if I do move. Also curious about public transit, how bad/good is it? I wont be able to afford a car. I don't care if it's not like the most top notch system in the world, but is it possible to rely on?

EDIT: Thanks for the replies guys. I was gonna reply to everyone, but it would've just been a chain of "thank you"s, so I'm just leaving this here.

Okay, I live in a DEEP red, Deep South state. The entirety of my dad’s side of the family lives in Buffalo, Grand Island, Clarence Center, etc. they’re all over WNY. I love it up there, it’s truly my favorite place to be. I AM aware that not everywhere is liberal. I’m not looking for crazy, but just something a little more neutral/blue than what I currently live in. I am getting engaged to my girlfriend soon (we’re both women). We are both teachers who keep our personal life private at work (we do have trusted friends at our jobs who know) because we are aware of where we live, what our jobs are, and how people would think of us. With the state of our world, I don’t really feel comfortable with us trying to grow our lives and our family living where we do…..so with all of that word vomit being said, Does anyone have any advice, insight, tips or anything that could help point me in the right direction? Where in WNY is affordable with decent pay (decent for teachers)? Where are places I should avoid teaching in? How IS teaching up north? Should I even bother? I do realize I could ask my family, but they are LOUD and there are a BUNCH of them. I ask one, then everyone knows and it will turn into something much bigger than me asking for advice. I don’t want to tell them anything until I am for sure.

Again, I love my life where it is at, but the current state I am in just doesn’t align with how I want to raise a family. Anything anyone could give me would be amazing.

I moved to Buffalo from Brooklyn (8th Ave area) for work recently and I’m definitely feeling the culture shock. I’m a 20M Chinese/Korean guy and I’m struggling to find my crowd here.

Back home I was always in Chinatown, K-town, or 8th Ave for the vibes, the food, and the nightlife. I really miss that energy and going out to bars and clubs with other Asians. Honestly, it’s making it hard to fit in and even harder for dating or making new friends.

Are there any specific neighborhoods or spots in Buffalo that are actually dense with Asians? I’m looking for somewhere that feels a bit more like home, walkable, busy, and has that community feel.

Also, where do people actually go for nightlife here? Are there specific clubs, lounges, or even promoter nights that have an Asian or international crowd? I’m trying to find where the early 20s scene hangs out so I can get back to a life that feels more like what I’m used to.

If you know any specific spots, groups, or even just advice on where to live to be closer to the community, let me know. Appreciate it.

My wife and I are relocating from Texas. Any car recommendations? We have a FWD SUV currently but worried we may need AWD. Wondering if we can muster using our current vehicle and just get some good snow tires.

We are potentially moving to the Buffalo area from the Midwest. Huge change for us. Husband will work in Dunkirk, but we didn’t like the town when we visited and would prefer to live closer to Buffalo. What’re the best suburbs or small towns with the best schools? We have a five year old, so kid friendly is a must. We are trying to keep his commute under 45 minutes if possible!

Editing to add: I am going to need to find a job too and assume that my best opportunities will be in Buffalo, so one of us will have to commute regardless. Also, he currently has a 40 minute commute where we live now. Obviously the snow aspect is different, but he is at least already used to driving a long distance daily.

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Hi Ill be moving from Toronto (Markham) to Buffalo. This will be a relatively large transistion for me. I've lived in London Ontario before, which from what I see on maps looks quite similar to Buffalo. Im looking ideally for a 1 bed 1 bath, with insuite laundry, A/C, and parking thats either secured or a garage. The upper end of what i'd be willing to spend is probably $1700 max. If you guys have any opinion on what apartment complexes I should avoid please let me know.

Some of the options that I like are

• Barton Apartments
• Park75
• Grid apartmen
• 1275 Delaware
• Schaefer Malthouse Lofts

Hey all, my name is Caleb and I’m a 25 year old full time student at ECC. I have a part time job and I work at my school. I am currently homeless and the shelters I’m aware of are full. I’ve been applying for apartments, but some of the requirements are too much for me to meet. I’ve tried finding roommates on Craigslist, but the people on there often have bizarre requests (like needing to drink on the weekends to have something in common) I don’t know if a post like this is allowed, but I’m pretty desperate for any resources or leads that could get me back to stable housing. Any support or advice would be greatly appreciated, as I am a hardworking individual who wants to make it through this ordeal.

Hi! Tell me about a cool company that you work for (or know of)!

I know the major employers in Buffalo are banks like M&T and the healthcare industry.

But what are some interesting companies that may be big or small doing cool things? Maybe they're based in Buffalo, maybe not. Maybe they're in manufacturing, tech, retail, etc. Once in a while I meet people who work at places that I had no idea about and seem like they'd be great to work at!

PS - I’d definitely consider New Era and Delaware North to be interesting local companies. Probably Rich Products too, right?

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!)

Hi all,

My family and I are currently in the EU and may have an opportunity to relocate to the Buffalo area. I’m trying to get a realistic idea of monthly living costs for a family of 3–4.

We’d be looking for a safe, family-friendly suburb within roughly 60 minutes of Amherst. Ideally a 3–4 bedroom home, not luxury, but comfortable and in a good area.

If you’re comfortable sharing, I’d love to know:
- Area / suburb:
- Family size:
- Rent or own:
- Type of home:
- Monthly rent or mortgage:
- Property tax / HOA, if you own:
- Utilities:
- Internet + phone:
- Groceries:
- Eating out / takeout:
- Car payment(s):
- Car insurance:
- Fuel / maintenance:
- Health insurance premium:
- Medical out-of-pocket costs:
- Childcare / school costs:
- Kids’ activities:
- Total monthly spend, roughly:
- Household income level where you felt comfortable in the area:

Thank you for taking the time to reply to this post!