western new york truly is the city of good neighbors!
My husband and I relocated to Western New York three and a half decades ago. I practically have to re-read that statement, just to make sure it’s not one long typo! What’s that about time flying when you’re having fun?
Seriously, though, we made the decision to relocate here from Canada, and we’ve never regretted our move. Now, our 36th anniversary of setting up home in the Buffalo coincides with the opening of the new hockey season on October 5. Michael and I can’t help but reflect on how things have progressed, and – as a relocation professional for more than 20 years – how truly wonderful a destination this part of the country is.
What occasioned our landing here from Ontario was my husband Michael’s being traded from the Detroit Red Wings, for whom he played professional hockey, to the Buffalo Sabres for the 1971-’72 season. We ended up being the first of the Sabres families to relocate stateside, when most of the others traditionally settled in Ft. Erie.
Since that time, of course, we’ve come to love Western New York. We’ve enjoyed showing the area off to corporate transferees as well as others who have chosen to move here – sometimes in the face of a not-so-pretty perception of the place. Like it or not, it sadly remains true: far too many people equate living in Buffalo with living on a cold, wind-swept tundra!
We know better, of course, and part of the fun of being a relocation specialist is convincing people – and seeing is believing – that perception and reality are clearly worlds apart.
It’s been enlightening and a real source of optimism to witness the many positive changes in the area, often forged against the backdrop of job loss and dwindling population. Of course, efforts are underway to bring back many of the expatriates who left the area, discovered their mistake, and are in the process of heading back to the city of good neighbors.
Since we first moved here in 1971, we’ve seen the emergence of a new hockey arena, HSBC Arena; and Triple-A baseball at the new Dunn Tire Park, plus football at the wonderful Ralph Wilson Stadium. First impressions are lasting ones, and it’s a source of pride for newcomers to fly into the wonderfully recreated Buffalo-Niagara International Airport.
Preservation societies have been instrumental in preventing the razing of precious historical buildings and landmarks here, including Olmstead Parkways.
Young professionals are being lured to new heights in downtown living, thanks to the stunning conversion of historical buildings to residential lofts, nightclubs and other attractions.
The development and advancement of the Buffalo Medical Campus and the growth of the State University at Buffalo are additional examples of how the region has pulled itself up and is now poised for far greater things.
On the cultural front, this destination offers wonderful attractions and amenities, such as the popular Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, Shea’s Performing Arts Centre, the Burchfield-Penny Museum, the renowned Frank Lloyd Wright structures, the impressive Theatre District, and the venerable Albright-Knox Art Gallery, to only begin to scratch the surface. In the face of eroding budgets, these and other fine cultural and artistic points of interest and community pride have endured and prospered, owing largely to the resolute conviction of the people here, who recognize a great place to live when they see it.
That’s why it’s not difficult for me and my staff and agents to talk up Western New York with genuine enthusiasm. This is an inviting and safe place to live, which is a critical component in determining a community’s quality of life.
When we first moved here, we were hardly unpacked when neighbors showed up with a helping hand and kind words. That spirit of neighborliness has never waned, and many of the clients to whom I show the area pick right up on it. My husband and I experienced living in many North American cities from coast to coast, but decided to make the Buffalo area our home.
Snow? We get some. It’s called winter. End of story.
We also get great satisfaction squiring newcomers around our area and seeing them quickly discover that, wow, there’s just a tiny bit more about Buffalo than snow. Not to mention that, when the white stuff does fly, it sure beats tornados, hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, wildfires, and mudslides any day!
People often say the remarkable quality of life in Western New York is a best kept secret. That secret is getting out more and more, however, but that’s probably a good thing. After all, we’re the city of good neighbors, and good neighbors like to share what’s good! Go Sabres!
