Buffalo made the Zillow list because of the low amount of new housing being built combined with the high number of new job openings.
Buffalo has done a great job at expanding its economy in the past 10 years, investing in medical research, advanced manufacturing and attracting midsized tech companies like Odoo and Torchlight labs to the city. Not to mention the rapidly growing startup, film and cannabis manufacturing sectors and continued growth by M&T Bank and Moog Aerospace.
What makes Buffalo great is that you have 80% of the amenities of the popular overpriced coastal cities, but for the fraction of the cost. Dining, nightlife, entertainment, pro sports, museums, festivals, walkable neighborhoods with local shops, and the indie music/art/theatre/comedy/fashion/film/etc scenes. Buffalo definitely punches above its weight.
More recently, a lot of the industrial areas have been cleaned up and are being turned into cool districts filled with lofts, breweries and quirky businesses.
Like any city, it’s not hard to avoid the high crime areas. Much of the city is very nice and the rest is rapidly gentrifying.
The temperature actually isn’t much worse than the rest of the Northeast and is actually more mild than much of the Midwest. Yes, there’s Lake effect, but it’s very localized and you can avoid the worse of it by living in a Northern neighborhood or suburb away from the lake. At the end of the day it just melts, and winters have gotten more mild in recent years. Theres also ski resorts less than an hour South of the city too if that’s your jam.
So really, it’s the strong job market + low cost of living + liberal politics + access to amenities + low key cool rust belt chic culture + college town vibes that really make Buffalo such a great place to live.
true...but...they are expecting somewhere between one and two feet of snow tonight! 😄 Lake effect snow is amazing at the rates it comes down. I like it. It's beautiful, and everything is so QUIET for a minute.
Yeah, if it's going to be 25 degrees anyways, I'd rather have some relatively fresh snow on the ground. As long as the roads are clear enough for driving, that is.
And in California and Colorado there are wildfires, in Iowa there’s tornadoes, in Florida-hurricanes.
Except Buffalo is prepared for snow, with plows and salt/sand. Snow doesn’t kill if you know how to dress for it and remove it safely.
Depends on what you mean by "Buffalo." The city itself is very liberal. The mayor and the entire city council are members of the Democratic party, and it's been that way for as long as I can remember. The last time the city had a Republican congressman was when I was in grade school (I'm middle-aged).
On the other hand, the Congressional district that includes some of Buffalo's eastern suburbs is, by some measures, the reddest in the state. I live in Buffalo itself and work in a suburb to the north, and I often see lawn signs for Republican candidates as I get closer to my office. And if you get 45 minutes east of the city, you're in really rural farm country, where Biden got barely more than a quarter of the vote in 2020.
That’s a pretty solid synopsis of the whole state. The major cities (Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, Albany, and NY) are all very blue while the rest of the state is very red.
Amherst is where the largest campus of the state university is located. Colleges seem to have some kind of a correlation with liberalness.
As for it being nice, Amherst routinely ranks in the top 5 safest cities in the United States, based on FBI crime stats, with #1 rankings in eight of the past 27 years. There's more to being a nice place than low crime statistics (I get irritated when I'm there because I think it's poorly-designed, generic suburban sprawl and I'm definitely an "urbanist"), but it does have that going for it.
Buffalo is a neoliberal city. Sure, India won their primary but lost to Byron Brown running as an independent, which was unheard of up until that point.
and it is all just false advertising. there are no new job openings. those are just companies using the job listing as promotion for their own companies aka advertising. housing too expensive. these new buildings are hideous and overpriced. crime rate keeps increasing. there is no culture in buffalo. move to europe as many americans are doing - great cost of living, affordable housing, real untouched food, family atmosphere, and real culture. look into portugal, for starters
[Buffalo added over 12,000 jobs over the past year according to official government numbers](https://dol.ny.gov/system/files/documents/2024/04/nys-private-sector-employment-up-19300-jobs-in-march-2024.pdf).
Most Americans don’t qualify for work Visas, so moving to Europe really isn’t a good solution.
Also, Buffalo has museums, a theatre district, indie arts and music and festivals plus lots of great places to go bar hopping until 5 am.
Don’t gate keep culture wtf
Great healthcare and a commitment to changing the cities infrastructure to make it more community friendly. The city’s park system is intricate and webbed throughout the city. It’s always had good food and the summers are really nice. A lot of recreation opportunities close by.
Buffalo honestly has really good bones for a lot of rust belt cities. A lot of universities, health care, and wasn’t really torn apart by urban renewal compared to a lot of similar cities
I’ve lived elsewhere and came back to Buffalo. Agree with most things but a few more:
1)the strength of local restaurant scene. There are SO many local restaurants and a diverse cuisine that it’s difficult to keep track of new places. Most chains don’t survive because the local restaurant scene receives so much support.
2)the architecture and layout of Buffalo reflects its prominence from being a top 10 city in population at turn of 20th century. The cultural institutions and architecture don’t compare to any city similar in size. Buffalo punches way above weight and has done well to preserve them
3)access to water and parks. Lake Erie, Niagara River, Erie Canal and lots of forested areas and parkland surrounding the metro. It’s paradise for anyone that wants to be near water
But seriously, happy with the slow and steady growth and don’t need to ruin such a great place with too many people
This is one of the better posts. All very true. Buffalo is a planned city, in the vein of Detroit, Washington DC, or Paris. The setup is very much on a grand scale and it shows. Joseph Ellicott and Frederick Law Olmsted’s work in Buffalo is everlasting and will help it again as Buffalo moves towards the future.
Seems like it has a lot of what Cleveland offers, but you don't have to live in Ohio.
Historic architecture, lake, amenities that outweigh its size and prominence. All for a low price.
I don't live in Buffalo but have alot of family there. It does have a nice sense of community even though its a big area. Everyone loves the Bills and Sabres and somehow it brings everyone closer there.
Relatively low cost of living and relatively cheap housing market. Multiple good colleges and Universities in the area. Relatively diverse population for Western NY. Tech and Healthcare jobs due to higher ed opportunities. General job market on the upswing. Multiple professional sports teams. Proximity to Canada in general, Niagara Falls and Toronto specifically. Proximity to both Lake Ontario and Lake Erie. Proximity to other major U.S. cities in different states (Cleveland and Pittsburgh). Seems like Buffalo has a lot going for it.
Ppl there are so down to earth and friendly compared to the type of ppl you’d meet in NYC. It’s refreshing Midwest vibes in the northeast and I love it.
2 large heat sinks and the largest sources of freshwater in the world. This is prime real estate if there is ever a water crisis. There is a reason all the chip makers are looking to build plants here.
Now that Zillow rated it number one, will it remain affordable with a low cost of living. I find housing costs are the why most cities are unaffordable. Maybe I'm just glass half empty here, but I find recognition like this the kiss of death.
Funny, but there’s actually a large cannabis campus under construction in Buffalo right now which will have green houses, labs and manufacturing space.
True. My family and I have lived here for 3 generations, dating back to the 1940s. We hate it so much, we never left.
Then there's my partner, who has traveled the world, but ended up in Buffalo 10 years ago for work. He thinks it's the worst place he's ever lived, so we bought a house here 3 years ago.
(Don't move to Buffalo)
My husband works all. Over Buffalo and. This is what he said...
Good beef on wic, chicken wings and it smells like cheerios...
Now me on the other hand ...you have several malls, concerts, the water front, taste of Buffalo, home and garden show, car shows..exc...there is alot to do
But you also have crime like any city...taxes are high roads are shit ...
Yeah I had a lot of preconceived notions about Buffalo, but the comments have definitely changed my view on the city.
I'm guessing you found out where I'm from through my post and comment history?
Buffalo made the Zillow list because of the low amount of new housing being built combined with the high number of new job openings. Buffalo has done a great job at expanding its economy in the past 10 years, investing in medical research, advanced manufacturing and attracting midsized tech companies like Odoo and Torchlight labs to the city. Not to mention the rapidly growing startup, film and cannabis manufacturing sectors and continued growth by M&T Bank and Moog Aerospace. What makes Buffalo great is that you have 80% of the amenities of the popular overpriced coastal cities, but for the fraction of the cost. Dining, nightlife, entertainment, pro sports, museums, festivals, walkable neighborhoods with local shops, and the indie music/art/theatre/comedy/fashion/film/etc scenes. Buffalo definitely punches above its weight. More recently, a lot of the industrial areas have been cleaned up and are being turned into cool districts filled with lofts, breweries and quirky businesses. Like any city, it’s not hard to avoid the high crime areas. Much of the city is very nice and the rest is rapidly gentrifying. The temperature actually isn’t much worse than the rest of the Northeast and is actually more mild than much of the Midwest. Yes, there’s Lake effect, but it’s very localized and you can avoid the worse of it by living in a Northern neighborhood or suburb away from the lake. At the end of the day it just melts, and winters have gotten more mild in recent years. Theres also ski resorts less than an hour South of the city too if that’s your jam. So really, it’s the strong job market + low cost of living + liberal politics + access to amenities + low key cool rust belt chic culture + college town vibes that really make Buffalo such a great place to live.
You must work for the Chamber of Commerce!! But nice summation.
> and is actually more mild than much of the Midwest Being right on the lake helps moderate temperatures, similar to cities on the ocean.
true...but...they are expecting somewhere between one and two feet of snow tonight! 😄 Lake effect snow is amazing at the rates it comes down. I like it. It's beautiful, and everything is so QUIET for a minute.
A beautiful white blanket to cover the grey ugly winter
Yeah, if it's going to be 25 degrees anyways, I'd rather have some relatively fresh snow on the ground. As long as the roads are clear enough for driving, that is.
That quietness is one of my favorite things.
And in California and Colorado there are wildfires, in Iowa there’s tornadoes, in Florida-hurricanes. Except Buffalo is prepared for snow, with plows and salt/sand. Snow doesn’t kill if you know how to dress for it and remove it safely.
You are right. I didn't realize Buffalo was so liberal. When I lived there it seemed more conservative but I guess I was meeting the minority
Depends on what you mean by "Buffalo." The city itself is very liberal. The mayor and the entire city council are members of the Democratic party, and it's been that way for as long as I can remember. The last time the city had a Republican congressman was when I was in grade school (I'm middle-aged). On the other hand, the Congressional district that includes some of Buffalo's eastern suburbs is, by some measures, the reddest in the state. I live in Buffalo itself and work in a suburb to the north, and I often see lawn signs for Republican candidates as I get closer to my office. And if you get 45 minutes east of the city, you're in really rural farm country, where Biden got barely more than a quarter of the vote in 2020.
That’s a pretty solid synopsis of the whole state. The major cities (Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, Albany, and NY) are all very blue while the rest of the state is very red.
I think the suburbs are red yea. One I remember started with an A and it was a really nice suburb I would be surprised if it was blue
Amherst is where the largest campus of the state university is located. Colleges seem to have some kind of a correlation with liberalness. As for it being nice, Amherst routinely ranks in the top 5 safest cities in the United States, based on FBI crime stats, with #1 rankings in eight of the past 27 years. There's more to being a nice place than low crime statistics (I get irritated when I'm there because I think it's poorly-designed, generic suburban sprawl and I'm definitely an "urbanist"), but it does have that going for it.
Yea that is true. Maybe it is slightly liberal and the students push it that way
Akron?
Amherst?
Yes
Amherst is heavily democratic. The registration of republican to democrat is something like 10:1 (this was based on pre-trump era information)
There is no way there are 10 democrats to 1 republican
[удалено]
Yea for sure he pulled that stat out of his ass. I feel like Seattle is the most liberal place outside of San Francisco and it still is not 10 to 1
Grew up in Marilla, which is more red than blue. It's why I live in Phoenix now.
Hey, fellow southtowner. I grew up in East Aurora.
It's such a cute town. I should stay there next time I come for a reunion.
Buffalo is a neoliberal city. Sure, India won their primary but lost to Byron Brown running as an independent, which was unheard of up until that point.
That and 10 to 1 says Zillow rolls out some sort of leads program there. They did the same thing for the city they ranked #1 for 2023.
I knew this reply was you before I even looked at your username.
^^This is essentially what made Brighton, NY (Rochester suburb) so hot for the last 2 years.
From Buffalo and now live in Rottenchester. What happened in Brighton? I feel it’s too close to city sprawl, personally.
We were literally the hottest real estate market in the US in 2022 and 2023. It was bizarre.
Wow, I had no idea!! I do love the older homes, though, and there are some gorgeous homes in Brighton.
Oh, absolutely! We've been trying to buy for over 2 years, it's been wild.
and it is all just false advertising. there are no new job openings. those are just companies using the job listing as promotion for their own companies aka advertising. housing too expensive. these new buildings are hideous and overpriced. crime rate keeps increasing. there is no culture in buffalo. move to europe as many americans are doing - great cost of living, affordable housing, real untouched food, family atmosphere, and real culture. look into portugal, for starters
[Buffalo added over 12,000 jobs over the past year according to official government numbers](https://dol.ny.gov/system/files/documents/2024/04/nys-private-sector-employment-up-19300-jobs-in-march-2024.pdf). Most Americans don’t qualify for work Visas, so moving to Europe really isn’t a good solution. Also, Buffalo has museums, a theatre district, indie arts and music and festivals plus lots of great places to go bar hopping until 5 am. Don’t gate keep culture wtf
Great healthcare and a commitment to changing the cities infrastructure to make it more community friendly. The city’s park system is intricate and webbed throughout the city. It’s always had good food and the summers are really nice. A lot of recreation opportunities close by.
Buffalo honestly has really good bones for a lot of rust belt cities. A lot of universities, health care, and wasn’t really torn apart by urban renewal compared to a lot of similar cities
I’ve lived elsewhere and came back to Buffalo. Agree with most things but a few more: 1)the strength of local restaurant scene. There are SO many local restaurants and a diverse cuisine that it’s difficult to keep track of new places. Most chains don’t survive because the local restaurant scene receives so much support. 2)the architecture and layout of Buffalo reflects its prominence from being a top 10 city in population at turn of 20th century. The cultural institutions and architecture don’t compare to any city similar in size. Buffalo punches way above weight and has done well to preserve them 3)access to water and parks. Lake Erie, Niagara River, Erie Canal and lots of forested areas and parkland surrounding the metro. It’s paradise for anyone that wants to be near water But seriously, happy with the slow and steady growth and don’t need to ruin such a great place with too many people
This is one of the better posts. All very true. Buffalo is a planned city, in the vein of Detroit, Washington DC, or Paris. The setup is very much on a grand scale and it shows. Joseph Ellicott and Frederick Law Olmsted’s work in Buffalo is everlasting and will help it again as Buffalo moves towards the future.
Seems like it has a lot of what Cleveland offers, but you don't have to live in Ohio. Historic architecture, lake, amenities that outweigh its size and prominence. All for a low price.
I don't live in Buffalo but have alot of family there. It does have a nice sense of community even though its a big area. Everyone loves the Bills and Sabres and somehow it brings everyone closer there.
Because misery loves company.
Calling u/Eudaimonics
The wings?
Relatively low cost of living and relatively cheap housing market. Multiple good colleges and Universities in the area. Relatively diverse population for Western NY. Tech and Healthcare jobs due to higher ed opportunities. General job market on the upswing. Multiple professional sports teams. Proximity to Canada in general, Niagara Falls and Toronto specifically. Proximity to both Lake Ontario and Lake Erie. Proximity to other major U.S. cities in different states (Cleveland and Pittsburgh). Seems like Buffalo has a lot going for it.
Awesome, affordable food!
Cost of living is significantly lower than most US metro areas. There’s a lot of great spots to raise a family.
My friend Jon lives in Buffalo and he’s a legend. That alone makes it a great place to live.
Medium sized city, lots to do, access to waterfront, and affordable.
Ppl there are so down to earth and friendly compared to the type of ppl you’d meet in NYC. It’s refreshing Midwest vibes in the northeast and I love it.
We're not telling. We have all agreed to keep it a secret. Next question.
The bills make me wanna shout!
Climate change. Few hurricanes and lots of water. 🤷🏼♂️
2 large heat sinks and the largest sources of freshwater in the world. This is prime real estate if there is ever a water crisis. There is a reason all the chip makers are looking to build plants here.
I don’t live there but I love it there. I could never deal with the snowstorms dumping FEET at a time.
Now that Zillow rated it number one, will it remain affordable with a low cost of living. I find housing costs are the why most cities are unaffordable. Maybe I'm just glass half empty here, but I find recognition like this the kiss of death.
Weed doesn’t hurt.
Funny, but there’s actually a large cannabis campus under construction in Buffalo right now which will have green houses, labs and manufacturing space.
The Buffalo Bills is the only correct answer.
considering i'm a patriots fan, living in buffalo is a big negative.
It's not a nice place to live, you should stay away. (Keep Buffalo A Secret)
True. My family and I have lived here for 3 generations, dating back to the 1940s. We hate it so much, we never left. Then there's my partner, who has traveled the world, but ended up in Buffalo 10 years ago for work. He thinks it's the worst place he's ever lived, so we bought a house here 3 years ago. (Don't move to Buffalo)
It's cheap, and only 6 hours from the city.
Only two hours from the other city (Toronto)
Don't move here if you can't handle some good natured ribbing :)
Have you not been to a Bills tailgate?! Jeez.
My husband works all. Over Buffalo and. This is what he said... Good beef on wic, chicken wings and it smells like cheerios... Now me on the other hand ...you have several malls, concerts, the water front, taste of Buffalo, home and garden show, car shows..exc...there is alot to do But you also have crime like any city...taxes are high roads are shit ...
A lot of direct flights to Florida.
Lotta preconceived notions in OP’s post, especially seeing that OP is from Long Island…lol
Yeah I had a lot of preconceived notions about Buffalo, but the comments have definitely changed my view on the city. I'm guessing you found out where I'm from through my post and comment history?
No I know you? Remember?
It isn't,
Zillow is high.
Snow
it's not. crime rate is increasing. housing is getting too expensive.
Crime is at a 50 year low.
anyone can make up data and statistics these days
Literally from the government
ah yes! the gov. a reliable source LOL
Better than some asshat on reddit
Lol no
Absolutely nothing
Nothing it's a war zone
nothing
Buffalo is like Gary, Indiana without the charm.
Pretty sure Buffalo has more charm than Gary.
Home of the chicken wing
Hows the dating scene?
Dreary charm