Is living in Buffalo really that bad????

[RDHwife]

Everybody that I talk to says "you definitely do not want to go there." Why is that? Other than the fact that it gets to be -60 degrees...whats the big deal?

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[Creeky44]

I think it depends a lot on personal preference. For me, I like Buffalo BECAUSE it is not a huge crazy city. It is easy to get around and is not overwhelming to my small-town self. 🙂 I would not feel comfortable in a city like NYC or LA. And Buffalo does still have things to do and places to go. A friend of mine went to grad school at UB and she loved living in Buffalo. I also like the fact that UB itself is not in downtown Buffalo and I really like the "campus" atmosphere. But that's me and UB is a place where I would be comfortable. I'm not looking for big city life, and besides, I don't think I'll have much free time anyway!

Yeah, the weather can be pretty rough from November to April (and watch out for the freak October blizzard!), but I've lived near Lake Erie my whole life so I'm used to lake effect snow. And it's not constantly snowing, the snow does melt away sometimes, even for weeks at a time. And there is usually even some freak 60 degree days in January! And the summers are nice and warm, so it's not all bad. Hope that helps a little!

 

[hsama]

I'm from Iowa and it gets really cold in the winter here some years. And if it's going to to be cold-there might as well be tons of snow. Anyway I thought that the students and staff at the school itself were just awesome. So...I'll bet the people who said "Don't go to Buffalo" didn't meet these people.

 

[SugarNaCl]

Hey...I was born and raised in Buffalo and I have to say, it's not a bad place at all. It is a very tight community, yet large enough that not everyone knows your name...people are very down to earth and they have a certain amount of pride. One could compare Buffalo as a whole to an underdog sports team (of which we have had our share....but not anymore, GO SABRES!). The Buffalo community may take a lot of abuse from other parts of the country, but we are like a team. About the winters, Syracuse gets more snow than we do. Sure we get our share of lake effect, but we have great skiing and sledding and ice skating and shopping and clubs and theaters (on a smaller scale) There is plenty to do in winter. It may not be perfect, but what is? Interesting thing is that we are 15 mins from Niagara Falls (and Canada) and if you tell someone, I am from Niagara Falls they will say with excitement "REALLY?!" If you say, I am from Buffalo, they will say "oh, doesn't it snow in June there." It does NOT snow in June. We have the best summers around (Ave temp 75, touches 90 sometimes and is generally sunny)I do also believe that UB has a great dental school, though they haven't been supportive of my candidacy as of yet... I don't know that they ever will be and I'm their next door neighbor. I was advised to pull low 20s on my DAT. It's ok though, if too late, Richmond is my 2nd home and in many ways, my first choice school. I'm happy, but I'll miss my family for sure!

 

[hgfdsa]

i was really pleasantly surprised by buffalo. Like most of us from downstate, i had heard so much about the cold and the snow, but really knew nothing about the place or the people. I found it to be a nice quaint town with amazingly friendly people who are proud of their city. I was just walking down the street and some guy working in his yard stopped me to say hi and talk a bit. Being a city guy, i was a little wierded out at first, but he turned out to be a just a normal friendly guy trying to be neighborly. I think buffalo was the place that most exceeded my expectations of the places i visited.

 

[Cymbidium]

I was born and raised in Buffalo. I think once you've had a taste of lving in a different city (I've lived in NYC and LA), then it's really hard to go back to living in Buffalo. The school is great, the people are great, but the city itself is depressing (anyone see Lou Dobbs war on the middle class from Buffalo, NY on CNN recently?). And the winter will DRAG on and on and on (which is actually pretty condusive to studying). You're going to get sick of getting up 1/2 hr early to either shovel your car out of the driveway and scrape it off. Snow starts in November and ususally ends in March.


One more point about Buffalo (the school)- I did 2 years post -bacc there and the worst absolutely most frustrating thing in the world is that there is NO PARKING ANYWHERE near the school or the buildings. Be prepared to get to class an hour early simply to fight other students for a parking spot. I'm telling you- it's brutal!

But other than that Buffalo is a great city -and my whole family lives there and I would go if they ever take me off of continuing review and grant me an interview and a spot in the class, so it can't be that bad!

 

[syn_apse]

i decided to go to dental school near the beach instead of the ski slopes.
i don't get to ski as much now but the only thing i shovel in the winter is sand.

 

[xxxTheDonxxx]

yes!

 

[laelialudisia]

I was born and raised in Buffalo. I think once you've had a taste of lving in a different city (I've lived in NYC and LA), then it's really hard to go back to living in Buffalo. The school is great, the people are great, but the city itself is depressing (anyone see Lou Dobbs war on the middle class from Buffalo, NY on CNN recently?). And the winter will DRAG on and on and on (which is actually pretty condusive to studying). You're going to get sick of getting up 1/2 hr early to either shovel your car out of the driveway and scrape it off. Snow starts in November and ususally ends in March.


One more point about Buffalo (the school)- I did 2 years post -bacc there and the worst absolutely most frustrating thing in the world is that there is NO PARKING ANYWHERE near the school or the buildings. Be prepared to get to class an hour early simply to fight other students for a parking spot. I'm telling you- it's brutal!

But other than that Buffalo is a great city -and my whole family lives there and I would go if they ever take me off of continuing review and grant me an interview and a spot in the class, so it can't be that bad!

i saw that last night 😀. although, it wasn't as good as i was hoping. lou didn't really answer a lot of the questions people were asking which was frustrating. i felt like he kept going around issues without really digging in 🙄.

 

[Cymbidium]

i saw that last night 😀. although, it wasn't as good as i was hoping. lou didn't really answer a lot of the questions people were asking which was frustrating. i felt like he kept going around issues without really digging in 🙄.

Yeah I totally agree. He always talks about the same 3 topics (education, employment and health care) but doesn't come to any conclusions and these forums don't really do much other than stroke his ego.

 

[gryffindor]

The long winters are conducive to studying. Many of my classmates from the NYC/tri-state area felt this way in dental school.

However, whether you like Buffalo is entirely your perception and what your goals are. Are you only going for your education, or are you planning to stay for your career? Most of the people I knew from college were native WNYers who pretty much stayed in the area afterwards (went to UB med school or UB dental or other UB grad schools). Some of them may have left for brief periods of education after college, but it seemed like the majority have this longing to go back. I came to WNY in high school and couldn't stand it. I left 10 years later and have no desire to ever go back. To me, the economy is depressed, more people move out than move in and the weather is depressing for the greater part of the year. The "we have great summers" wasn't enough for me to make up for the rest of the year. There are only 2 seasons in Buffalo - gray, summer, and back to gray. The community also felt too small - I couldn go out downtown or to the supermarket or anywhere and would almost always see someone I recognized from high school, college, or dental school. Everytime I went to the airport, I would see someone I knew. Some people like this small-town community feel, to me it was stifling. However, I think I got a great education at the dental school and am glad I went there, but I won't return to WNY to practice.

I don't know why cymbidium is complaining about parking. Yes, you can't park right in front of the door, but at the dental school, there was always plenty of parking in the Main-Bailey lot. You had to build an extra 7 minute walk into your schedule, but it's not like you had to take a shuttle bus from the lot to the building.

 

[mmasurf]

iam from nyc where the city never sleeps and from what i hear iam going to cancel my buffalo interview thats coming up, i hate snow, i hate small cities under 5 million and i cannot live in an area with no trains/buses. That said if you like snow go there but iam happy we haven't had any snow so far in NYC and the temperature is going to 53 with no wind this week sweeeeeet! what a great winter 😉

 

[fightingspirit]

Everybody that I talk to says "you definitely do not want to go there." Why is that? Other than the fact that it gets to be -60 degrees...whats the big deal?

i guess we're spoiled here in this great nation. we say buffalo is bad but how about somalia or madagascar...? now that is bad....

 

[SugarNaCl]

Oh come on...lol. Buffalo is NICE! No one can knock Buffalo until they have lived here. Actually, I have traveled within the eastern states quite extensively and I have not found one city where people are as nice and friendly as they are in Buffalo. You can be walking down the street and see a stranger and usually they first will smile and say "hi." It is a great place for friendliness.
On the flipside, we do have our resident serial killer/rapist back in the area after 12 years...apparently he has smiled and said hi before he takes a victim. Just don't walk alone on any bike paths or railbeds or take shortcuts through the woods if you are female and you should be fine.

 

[t man]

Oh come on...lol. Buffalo is NICE! No one can knock Buffalo until they have lived here. Actually, I have traveled within the eastern states quite extensively and I have not found one city where people are as nice and friendly as they are in Buffalo. You can be walking down the street and see a stranger and usually they first will smile and say "hi." It is a great place for friendliness.
On the flipside, we do have our resident serial killer/rapist back in the area after 12 years...apparently he has smiled and said hi before he takes a victim. Just don't walk alone on any bike paths or railbeds or take shortcuts through the woods if you are female and you should be fine.

woahhh. i hope you're kidding.

 

[Cymbidium]

woahhh. i hope you're kidding.

She's not.

 

[newspaper]

If I were you, I might not go to Buffalo.
I know the school is owesome, but you have to know that the school is not everthing.
I was born and grown up in the big city, and I atteded a college in the small city like buffalo.

I just thought that the matter is the value of the school I go and I didn't know why the environment is important to study.
For me, I don't even want to remember my college time.
6 monthes of winter, 6 monthes of construction season, terribly cold weather, boring city, boring people etc.

I was so depressed for last two years of my college years. Doctors recommended me to take anti depression medicine, but I didn't want it.
After, I graduated right away I moved back to big city, and now my symptoms are completely gone, now I am totally okey!!!!

Do not make up your mind only becasue of the school.
Be prudent.

 

[I'mFillingFine]

Buffalo is a very interesting city. We moved here early so we could settle in and I worked before school started. Anyway, I was struck by how much there was to do. Anyone who say the city lacks culture or activity, in my opinion, is just sitting at home and being depressed, or not seeking it.

There is a HUGE theatre district with around 20 or 30 companies...there is a science, fine art, history, naval museum (and others, like local history)...a zoo....aquarium...2 drive-in movie theatres (lots of other movie places as well)....throughout the summer there are TONS of festivals, including Thursday in the Square, an outdoor Italian movie festival, Taste of Buffalo....there's a huge fairground in Hamburg......large craft fairs in every town. Etc. etc. For such a small city, there is a disproportionate amount of community and activities!

Also, there seems to be a real sense of community...many families have been here for many generations, and everyone seems to know everyone else. I joined a chorus here, and people have been singing in it for 20 years and know each other like they're family. It's easy to drive around, even in downtown...so things feel accessible.

Also, the restaurants! Amazing! My boyfriend and I made a list, and we've gone to 64 in 6 months 😀 😳 we try to not visit the same place twice....true, it costs money, but we never got cable and I walk so we save on gas money 😎 .

If you don't like friendly cities where you recognize people, then it isn't for you...some people prefer more anonymity. Also, you need to like winter, which I do. <3

There is also a lot of poverty, and since a lot of the huge industries closed down in the 70s a lot of people moved out. It means that it's a buyers' market (I'm seeing 3-bedroom brand new houses for 150K), but that you may also see empty storefronts. The ethnic communities are mainly white and black, whereas most of the other northeastern cities have more hispanic and asian people. There is a lot of religion in the city, mainly Catholic. I've also heard drugs are a problem because of its proximity to Canada and distribution ability to NYC, Chicago, DC, etc.

So in these last ways, it'd be a great place to go if you want to make a difference in health care! A lot of effort has been made to improve the city since all the factories closed down, and Hertel Ave is filled with new shops and restaurants, but there is still a ways to go.

So in summary: Buffalo is user-friendly, full of activity, friendly, but also plagued with more poverty and drugs than a small city should. There's no blanket statement you can say about it.

I do know that it fits my needs, since I came from a small town and didn't want an enormous city, but I needed more resources than are found in a rural environment. If it was closer to my and my boyfriend's families, we'd definitely stay here, but may have to move away after dental school.

The only way you can really get a feel is if you spend some time here and actually make an effort to go do things....I can't really trust someone's opinion when they are studying in the library throughout their whole education. Just like any place, you can make it an amazing time if you put in the effort and get involved!!

 

[superchris147]

If I were you, I might not go to Buffalo.
I know the school is owesome, but you have to know that the school is not everthing.
I was born and grown up in the big city, and I atteded a college in the small city like buffalo.

I just thought that the matter is the value of the school I go and I didn't know why the environment is important to study.
For me, I don't even want to remember my college time.
6 monthes of winter, 6 monthes of construction season, terribly cold weather, boring city, boring people etc.

I was so depressed for last two years of my college years. Doctors recommended me to take anti depression medicine, but I didn't want it.
After, I graduated right away I moved back to big city, and now my symptoms are completely gone, now I am totally okey!!!!

Do not make up your mind only becasue of the school.
Be prudent.

oh come on,

dude, i go to buffalo, and i grew up in southern orange county, california so you'd think i'd have the hardest time with it. i also went to college at ucla so i've also lived in a big city. buffalo has everything that those places have except bad weather. but to someone who grew up in southern california the ENTIRE east coast has p!ss poor weather. to me i'm not gonna be doing much outside if its in the 40's or under, so it doesn't bother me if there's snow on the ground or if its 25 degrees compared to 38 degrees. its about a 45 minute drive away from skiing which is awesome cuz i like to snowboard. i also liked going out in college and there are tons of places for going out in buffalo since there are so many college kids here. downtown is a blast, i think its more fun than going out in hollywood or sunset blvd in LA because cover is way cheaper, drinks are way cheaper, everyone is around your age, and there's no sleezeballs pretending that they're famous actors/producers.

i know that all the NYC kids in my class hate buffalo, but then again they act like NYC is the greatest city ever created in the history of cities in the universe.

there are more ghetto parts of buffalo where i guess there are more drug use and crime but since i've been in buffalo i've probably spent about 1% of my time there and that was when i was driving by it. so that really won't affect you as long as you do some research on where to live.

anyways, the only thing that i would change about buffalo is just the weather, but like someone else has said, the weather is better here than in syracuse. and i've never eaten so many buffalo wings in my life, which is a good thing 👍

 

[t man]

Buffalo is a very interesting city. We moved here early so we could settle in and I worked before school started. Anyway, I was struck by how much there was to do. Anyone who say the city lacks culture or activity, in my opinion, is just sitting at home and being depressed, or not seeking it.

There is a HUGE theatre district with around 20 or 30 companies...there is a science, fine art, history, naval museum (and others, like local history)...a zoo....aquarium...2 drive-in movie theatres (lots of other movie places as well)....throughout the summer there are TONS of festivals, including Thursday in the Square, an outdoor Italian movie festival, Taste of Buffalo....there's a huge fairground in Hamburg......large craft fairs in every town. Etc. etc. For such a small city, there is a disproportionate amount of community and activities!

Also, there seems to be a real sense of community...many families have been here for many generations, and everyone seems to know everyone else. I joined a chorus here, and people have been singing in it for 20 years and know each other like they're family. It's easy to drive around, even in downtown...so things feel accessible.

Also, the restaurants! Amazing! My boyfriend and I made a list, and we've gone to 64 in 6 months 😀 😳 we try to not visit the same place twice....true, it costs money, but we never got cable and I walk so we save on gas money 😎 .

If you don't like friendly cities where you recognize people, then it isn't for you...some people prefer more anonymity. Also, you need to like winter, which I do. <3

There is also a lot of poverty, and since a lot of the huge industries closed down in the 70s a lot of people moved out. It means that it's a buyers' market (I'm seeing 3-bedroom brand new houses for 150K), but that you may also see empty storefronts. The ethnic communities are mainly white and black, whereas most of the other northeastern cities have more hispanic and asian people. There is a lot of religion in the city, mainly Catholic. I've also heard drugs are a problem because of its proximity to Canada and distribution ability to NYC, Chicago, DC, etc.

So in these last ways, it'd be a great place to go if you want to make a difference in health care! A lot of effort has been made to improve the city since all the factories closed down, and Hertel Ave is filled with new shops and restaurants, but there is still a ways to go.

So in summary: Buffalo is user-friendly, full of activity, friendly, but also plagued with more poverty and drugs than a small city should. There's no blanket statement you can say about it.

I do know that it fits my needs, since I came from a small town and didn't want an enormous city, but I needed more resources than are found in a rural environment. If it was closer to my and my boyfriend's families, we'd definitely stay here, but may have to move away after dental school.

The only way you can really get a feel is if you spend some time here and actually make an effort to go do things....I can't really trust someone's opinion when they are studying in the library throughout their whole education. Just like any place, you can make it an amazing time if you put in the effort and get involved!!

wow... your posts are always so thorough and informative! you're really helpful. don't change.

 

[gryffindor]

Buffalo is a very interesting city. We moved here early so we could settle in and I worked before school started. Anyway, I was struck by how much there was to do. Anyone who say the city lacks culture or activity, in my opinion, is just sitting at home and being depressed, or not seeking it.

There is a HUGE theatre district with around 20 or 30 companies...there is a science, fine art, history, naval museum (and others, like local history)...a zoo....aquarium...2 drive-in movie theatres (lots of other movie places as well)....throughout the summer there are TONS of festivals, including Thursday in the Square, an outdoor Italian movie festival, Taste of Buffalo....there's a huge fairground in Hamburg......large craft fairs in every town. Etc. etc. For such a small city, there is a disproportionate amount of community and activities!

Also, there seems to be a real sense of community...many families have been here for many generations, and everyone seems to know everyone else. I joined a chorus here, and people have been singing in it for 20 years and know each other like they're family. It's easy to drive around, even in downtown...so things feel accessible.

Also, the restaurants! Amazing! My boyfriend and I made a list, and we've gone to 64 in 6 months 😀 😳 we try to not visit the same place twice....true, it costs money, but we never got cable and I walk so we save on gas money 😎 .

That's awesome for you since you came from a small town and find Buffalo so intriguing. I did a lot of the things you mentioned and found them quite lackluster, especially when you know there is more out there (Buffalo zoo vs. Bronx zoo, makes the Buffalo zoo look like a petting zoo). For me, Buffalo felt incredibly lacking & homogenous as a community. After Buffalo, I moved to NYC and I couldn't even believe the 2 "cities" are part of the same state - Buffalo being the second largest after NYC. As a dental student however, it can be manageable. You'll be too busy studying in first and second years to wonder what is outside, unlike undergrad where you can end up with too much free time on your hands. I can attest to feeling nearly depressed at times, however, my dental school friends and the good times we had hanging out together definitely made up for the potential boredom. If you are not from WNY and are only coming for school, with somewhere else to go home during breaks & summers to rejuvenate before returning for the next semester, you'll survive fine.

 

[RDHwife]

Thanks everyone for the posts, especially I'm FIlling FIne...I appreciate it all. Its looking more and more like we will end up in Buffalo. What are the names of some nicer cities to live in surrounding the school?

 

[RDHwife]

Thanks everyone for the posts, especially I'm FIlling FIne...I appreciate it all. Its looking more and more like we will end up in Buffalo. What are the names of some nicer cities to live in surrounding the school?

 

[superchris147]

Thanks everyone for the posts, especially I'm FIlling FIne...I appreciate it all. Its looking more and more like we will end up in Buffalo. What are the names of some nicer cities to live in surrounding the school?

Amherst, which is actually pronounced "Ahmmm-herst"

jk, but seriously, amherst is nice, clarence is really nice too

 

[superchris147]

That's awesome for you since you came from a small town and find Buffalo so intriguing. I did a lot of the things you mentioned and found them quite lackluster, especially when you know there is more out there (Buffalo zoo vs. Bronx zoo, makes the Buffalo zoo look like a petting zoo). For me, Buffalo felt incredibly lacking & homogenous as a community. After Buffalo, I moved to NYC and I couldn't even believe the 2 "cities" are part of the same state - Buffalo being the second largest after NYC. As a dental student however, it can be manageable. You'll be too busy studying in first and second years to wonder what is outside, unlike undergrad where you can end up with too much free time on your hands. I can attest to feeling nearly depressed at times, however, my dental school friends and the good times we had hanging out together definitely made up for the potential boredom. If you are not from WNY and are only coming for school, with somewhere else to go home during breaks & summers to rejuvenate before returning for the next semester, you'll survive fine.

what do you new york city people do that is so awesome? i mean my normal social activities include: going out to bars/clubs/drinking, going to the movies, hanging out with friends, eating at restuarants, and maybe shopping if i was a girl. or at least as a dental student that's as much as i have time for.

i can't imagine someone picking a city because they are like "OMFG that other zoo has 8 lions and this zoo only has a lynx, we are so not moving here"

i'm not trying to knock on you griffin, but seriously what makes nyc so awesome?

 

[SugarNaCl]

Thanks everyone for the posts, especially I'm FIlling FIne...I appreciate it all. Its looking more and more like we will end up in Buffalo. What are the names of some nicer cities to live in surrounding the school?

Amherst, Williamsville, Clarence are the nicest, and have VERY low levels of crime. Generally speaking, the east side and the west side of Buffalo are the only areas with considerable crime (innercity). Lancaster and Depew are still good, safe areas and are more affordable. Many areas of Cheektowaga, W. Seneca (but you will have a long commute from here) and even some areas of North Buffalo are nice. If you are like me, you can live in a small apartment or house without a lot of extras as long as it is a safe area. Since I am floating around Buffalo, feel free to PM me any time and I will tell you if an area you are considering, or street you are considering is safe and decent. Good luck.

 

[I'mFillingFine]

i can't imagine someone picking a city because they are like "OMFG that other zoo has 8 lions and this zoo only has a lynx, we are so not moving here"

Hey, c'mon, lynxes are lame. (I think the Buff zoo has 3 lions, tyvm.) 😉

wow... your posts are always so thorough and informative! you're really helpful. don't change.

aww...thanks, man! *hands over the 20*

 

[I'mFillingFine]

by the way, what other city allows you to go to a fondue martini bar 😍 , a goth/metalhead club with black martinis, and the Buckin' Buffalo Saloon all within 10 minutes of each other with no traffic to worry about??? 😀



i don't study very much....😳

 

[gryffindor]

what do you new york city people do that is so awesome? i mean my normal social activities include: going out to bars/clubs/drinking, going to the movies, hanging out with friends, eating at restuarants, and maybe shopping if i was a girl. or at least as a dental student that's as much as i have time for.

i can't imagine someone picking a city because they are like "OMFG that other zoo has 8 lions and this zoo only has a lynx, we are so not moving here"

i'm not trying to knock on you griffin, but seriously what makes nyc so awesome?

I used to do exactly what you described when I was a dental student as well. And it was a good time. And it's an exactly fine environment for dental students to pick Buffalo over the more expensive dental schools in NYC. LOL, of course dental students aren't going to pick a city based on the quality of the zoo.

My gripe with Buffalo/WNY comes from having lived there for many years prior to dental school. I always felt like it was a city that prides itself on being second best - "We almost won 4 superbowls and 2 Stanley Cups. Delaware Park was designed by Olmsted, you know, the guy who designed the more famous Central Park. We have the famous Niagara Falls, except everyone always enjoys the Canadian side better. We put casinos in Niagara Falls to boost our economies, except Canada kicked our butts by putting their casinos up 5 years earlier. We are the second largest city in NY state, right behind NYC." etc. The city needs to really do something more drastic than inventing chicken wings to put itself better on the map.

Check your PM.

 

[Regmata]

It is almost 50 degrees and sunny in buffalo today...the winters are not that bad

The taxes can be quite high in the suburbs here, this is due to the schools. When I graduated highschool, my school was ranked #63 of public schools in the country, and there were 2 other local public schools ranked in the top 75. If you have school age children, I would look to live in either Williamsville (South or East district) or Clarence. These are the more upscale suburbs.

If children are not an issue, there are plenty of great places to live, in all price ranges. It is really a matter of preference. If you have an idea of what you are looking for, pm me and I will tell you a few neighborhoods to check out.

The bike path rapist is a traveling rapist, he visits other cities besides Amherst. Although dissappointing that he has yet to be caught, Amherst was finally boosted to the 3rd safest city in America after a long run in first place.

 

[SugarNaCl]

Yeah, Amherst is really safe. They take a lot of pride in their #3 rank for lowest crime. There is hardly any crime there, and what crime there is, they cover up if they can 😉