Ultimate Road Trip: Surprise! Buffalo!
Apr. 6th, 2026 07:45 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
genderjumperNo bison were harmed or even slightly caught off guard during this journey.
BUFFALO NY (North Buffalo, North Park, Amherst, Kenmore): A-
In my research, I mostly kept Buffalo on the list because that was where Kiddo's father ended up and we promised her we'd give it real consideration. And as I whittled my top 15 down to my top 10 and then down to my top 5 or so, Buffalo quietly sat there and never really dropped in rankings. Before we got here, it had the distinction of being a well-rounded fall back: nothing exceptionally good about it, but literally everything is above average.
Through a dear friend, I met a local couple and one of them led us on a driving tour today. We cruised through all the "indie" neighborhoods, as she described them, and there were a lot! A lot of distinctive cuisine, shopping, and arts events. A lot of nice houses in our price range. A lot of positive experiences in every direction.
The car culture was probably the best surprise: our driving tour was during peak rush hour and we barely noticed. Everything is just down the way from everything else (even in the inner suburbs) and I couldn't get over how patient and friendly the other drivers were. The roads themselves look a bit rough from winter, but they're flat and navigable and uncrowded.
If we had planned a little differently, we'd stay here another night, though I don't know what else we'd need to see. Maybe tour a house for sale or meet a realtor. Maybe stick our heads in the local Subaru dealership and price a new vehicle.
The hardships of road life are getting to us both, and tomorrow we hit the road again.
BUFFALO NY (North Buffalo, North Park, Amherst, Kenmore): A-
In my research, I mostly kept Buffalo on the list because that was where Kiddo's father ended up and we promised her we'd give it real consideration. And as I whittled my top 15 down to my top 10 and then down to my top 5 or so, Buffalo quietly sat there and never really dropped in rankings. Before we got here, it had the distinction of being a well-rounded fall back: nothing exceptionally good about it, but literally everything is above average.
Through a dear friend, I met a local couple and one of them led us on a driving tour today. We cruised through all the "indie" neighborhoods, as she described them, and there were a lot! A lot of distinctive cuisine, shopping, and arts events. A lot of nice houses in our price range. A lot of positive experiences in every direction.
The car culture was probably the best surprise: our driving tour was during peak rush hour and we barely noticed. Everything is just down the way from everything else (even in the inner suburbs) and I couldn't get over how patient and friendly the other drivers were. The roads themselves look a bit rough from winter, but they're flat and navigable and uncrowded.
If we had planned a little differently, we'd stay here another night, though I don't know what else we'd need to see. Maybe tour a house for sale or meet a realtor. Maybe stick our heads in the local Subaru dealership and price a new vehicle.
The hardships of road life are getting to us both, and tomorrow we hit the road again.
no subject
Date: 2026-04-07 03:41 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2026-04-07 04:21 am (UTC)Indeed
Date: 2026-04-07 05:19 am (UTC)The couple are a little older but normalized to all our eccentricities, and perhaps it would help us convince our mutual friend to come up here some day if this is where we end up!
I also can't help thinking that if the US gets any closer to Civil War, Buffalo doesn't have a target on it like Chicago does.
Only remaining downsides
Date: 2026-04-07 05:21 am (UTC)2. Way too much football culture, though that's something I'm used to dealing with.
3. Apparently it's the most segregated city in the Northern U.S., but not in any of the areas we looked at. I do wonder what it does to local politics though.