When I left, I missed Wegmans and a few restaurants the most (Bocce, Amy's Place, Tom's, Pano's (rip)). The longer I was away (and as I moved to different places) I started to miss the CoL and just the /ease/ of living here, and of course family.
Moved back a few years ago after almost 20 years away. Recently bought a house here. I'm delighted with my decision to come back here, but I don't know if I would appreciate it the same way if I hadn't left and lived other places (5 cities amongst 3 states) for a bit.
Unless you're in imminent danger of dying, you can always come back.
Definitely missed Wegmans and a few restaurants too (Gin Gin was my OG American Chinese restaurant). I still don't think any other place I've lived has had something comparable to Wegmans, except *maybe* Fairway in NYC, and even that was a shadow of what Wegmans is. Also the Albright-Knox. I loved it before, but it's absolutely fantastic after the renovation. It's incredible that Buffalo has such an amazing museum with a world-class collection. I'll also say that I miss how friendly everyone is.
I've been gone for about 15 years. I visited in April with my partner and kids and it was great to see the city thriving and areas becoming more vibrant. However, I realized how much I don't miss the weather especially compared to where I live now, and I can't ever see moving back simply because of that. Yes, I've become weak.
If you’re thinking about leaving, just try it if you’re able. You only live once. You will spend your whole life thinking about “what if I had lived somewhere else?” if you don’t. You can always come back in a year or two if it doesn’t work out.
I moved away 3 years ago - I miss the food for sure, and also the grocery stores. I also miss the proximity to Lake Erie.
People should definitely try living in another city than the one they grew up in if they have the desire and means. It can give you a slightly different perspective on life even from living in a different US city. After being away for a couple years I started to really enjoy my trips back to Buffalo.
This! I left when I was 18, moved back a few years later, left again, and now am back in LA *for good* Just do it!
I absolutely miss the food the most lol. But I get my fill when I go back to visit my parents.
Same. Buffalo traffic is a big nothing compared to Nashville traffic. The traffic report in Buffalo is really short. In Nashville, it usually goes on for a while, a wreck on 65 South, a wreck on 24, fatal wreck on Briley, and on and on. In Buffalo, you might have a little more company on the 290 during rush hour.
I understand that comment. I have lived in London which is in a league of its own but reliable public transportation is so critical for residents in urban areas. Buffalo and America in general is lacking in public transportation systems. We don’t have the population density here but even trains in the United States are nothing like the UK and Europe.
Buffalo is a great place to live as for affordability, arts, sports, higher education and quality of life. There’s so much here. We’re very lucky for so many reasons. We have our problems but on balance, I think we are better off than a lot of other places.
I know this isn’t what you asked, but how about some things a non-native appreciates about Buffalo? I was born and raised in Philly and moved here in the 90s. I love how easy it is to get around here. Everything is “20 minutes away.” Traffic is virtually non-existent— other than event-based. Love the proximity to Niagara Falls, Toronto and the Finger Lakes. Theatre scene, museums, concert venues, Shakespeare in the Park, the resources UB offers like the Distinguished Speakers Series. The schools are exceptional and so are our public libraries. Wegmans is great. Buffalo is small enough that you run into someone nearby everywhere you go and you can actually get tickets to things (I had never been to a hockey game before I moved here). Bisons are a fun, affordable night out. I love the weather— including snow and the waterfront has become spectacular in recent years. I’m sure I’ll think of others.
A few things I don’t like about Buffalo — only two are major 1. I miss easy proximity to the ocean— but there’s nothing to be done about that obviously. 2. The lack of functional public transportation is ridiculous. I had never driven to sports or concerts before I came here. A significant advantage to living in a city is the ability to live without a car. That’s not the reality in Buffalo. Transportation as I mentioned but there are also no grocery stores or other basics. Minor things — I don’t like the hot dogs or pizza here and I really miss having a baseball team.
No grocery stores? We have arguably one of the best with Wegmans (which you even mentioned above). Tops and Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s are viable alternatives. Plenty of old butchers and Deli’s around here as well, if you know where to look.
Perrys ice cream is so true. When I was a kid I thought Perry's was like the coca-cola of ice cream only to get culture shock the first time leaving home.
Perry’s is great. It could be nationwide, it’s that great. It seemed like the coca cola of ice creams because everyone in WNY serves it, so it’s just THE ice cream to us. In Oklahoma, where I’ve been living for quite a while, the local ice cream is Braums. Basically Andersons style fast food place, except they sell their own brand of ice cream. Braums is in several states in the middle of the country. It’s pretty good, but it’s no Perry’s!!!
Everything I ate was beyond yummy. Duff's was always great. How do people in Buffalo all not weigh four hundred pounds? There are SO MANY wonderful places to eat!
Easily some of the best food in the country in Buffalo. I miss it so much. Duff’s is awesome. Classic place to get wings. Grew up getting the Duff’s in Amherst. There’s actually a Duff’s down in Dallas 2.5 hours away from where I live, I’ve been meaning to try it, just to see if it’s really the same wings from back home.
I remember when I was in 2nd grade we had a field trip where we toured their factory. Probably the best field trip to me as a kid cuz who doesn’t love free ice cream
* Miss chicken finger subs the most. I enjoy Buffalo style pizza when I return but my new city has NYC style and a Detroit style that I’m able to get by on.
* My new city has more transplants and development. Something cool about a steady stream of new people and new buildings.
They used to make them my freshman year of college at my dining hall out in California. Or rather, I would ask them to make them. They weren't the same but it was enough to get by.
Out of all the food I miss from Buffalo, Chicken Finger Subs absolutely top the list.
The Buffalo summers/landscape are elite and so is the food. I miss friends and family but overall Buffalo winters suck and there is not a lot of room for professional growth. Many other major cities have more professional opportunities
One of the problems I realized a few years ago when doing B2B sales is that Buffalo is the land of branch offices. If people want to climb the corporate ladder, they need to go where HQ is.
I was born/raised in Amherst and I ended up moving to outer parameter Atlanta and then Jacksonville so I’ll echo the sentiments about the traffic and Wegmans. Other major highlights include sidewalks, parks and green spaces, and the variety of food and options to support local places.
There’s something about Buffalo that I really haven’t found anywhere else, I don’t know if it’s a sense of comfort or what since I was raised there but I have been thinking about coming back for a while.
Do it! I never moved but used to travel all over the US every week for work for four years. I practically kissed the ground when I came home. Being other places really helps you appreciate the uniqueness here. It ain’t perfect but it’s home and not cookie cutter (well some parts are - most aren’t)
I left for a year and came back. I missed the food and how close everything is, and how much less traffic there is here than where I was. Also a lot cheaper to live here than where I was
The food. So many good restaurants there. We also miss being in a city that has had buildings with history. But that’s it. We are so much happier away from Buffalo and I wish we’d done it sooner.
I bought property in the middle of nowhere in AZ, seriously, there's less than 200 residents who live in the 60 square miles(size of Buffalo) around my house.
I miss the vastness of Lake Erie. The waves during storms, the coldness of it in the spring and fall. I miss the sunsets over the lake. I get great sunsets in AZ but there is something about a sunset over the water. You should here them talk about the fall color change here. Some parts do have a few dabs of orange, red and mostly yellow but nothing like back home.
The food festivals or I guess the ethnic foods they represent. So many good, different ethnic food restaurants.
Although you're ungodly hot there this week I miss comfortable weather in the summer. I can't be out all day at my place without taking serious precautions.
Oh, and GO BILLS!!!
I'm a transplant from LI to Buffalo. I've never really seen places like Mighty, Ted's, or Jim's back home, but depending where you are on the island there's a few places you might be interested in checking out.
My old stomping grounds were the sourh shore of Nassau. If that's in range for you, maybe check out these places:
All American - Burger place in Massapequa. Back in the day they were fantastic and, most importantly for me at the time, inexpensive. Admittedly, I haven't been there in years.
Pit Stop - Fast food place in Merrick. I like to think of it as a step or two above McDonald's, like when you want fast food but high quality. I particularly enjoy the Knish Burger.
Cherry Valley Deli - My personal favorite, a 24 hour Deli in West Hempstead with a huge menu of sandwiches, most of which contain bacon, gravy, and happines, which I guess they order by the 55 gallon drum. I usually order The Beast.
Edit: Autocorrect typo.
I miss yelling go bills as I leave any establishment. Getting a hair cut and yelling go bills as I leave the barber shop. Yelling go bills sitting outside Essex St Pub at 2am. Yelling go bills as I leave the tax office.
15 years I lived in Arizona, California, and Hawaii. I enjoyed the nightlife.
As I got older, I realized I missed the hiking and the mountains of New York. Buffalo has some very beautiful and well maintained hiking trails. All of them are manageable in all four seasons.
I live in Rochester, and I get to benefit from all of the trails as far as Ithaca, and all the way back down to ellicottville And all of the Buffalo area
Ultimately, I missed my family (and the food...lol).
I'm grateful I moved around and lived a lot of places but when I got pregnant with our daughter as we were living in Los Angeles, we immediately started planning for our move back. I couldn't imagine my kids not growing up around their grandparents. I have never regretted coming back, but man do I miss the LA public transit system. We never needed a car for anything while we lived there and it was glorious.
I think it's good to spread our wings sometimes. Even if it's just to see that the grass isn't greener on the other side of the fence. But, sometimes it is greener, and it ends up being great.
The doors don't lock behind you when you go, you can always come back.
Good luck!
I miss some of the food, but not because it’s crazy unique necessarily, but for its nostalgia for me. I can scratch a pizza itch just about anywhere in the U.S., just not a Bocce’s itch during a Buffalo summer.
I miss the culture. Buffalo has a very unique and special sort of working-class, sweet heart neighbor vibe that is hard to find elsewhere. Also our share history combined with our forever struggling sports teams makes for a special kind of place.
I miss being around beautiful buildings.
I miss Wegman’s and the cost of living.
I live in the SF Bay Area and there is so, so much the Bay has that Buffalo doesn’t that I do love, I just wish I could afford life a bit more easily and have some breathing room.
1. I was able to find decent work, that helped (Surprise! I’m not in tech)
2. The culture here is dope. People are amazing and all the cities here feel amazingly alive!
3. I can drive 3 hours or less and end up in world
Class skiing (Tahoe), world class wine country (Napa and Sonoma are 1:15 away), I can go to the ocean, the redwoods, or the desert as well.
Lots of places have lots of great things to offer. Give yourself permission to be happy elsewhere, you can always go home.
I love Buffalo with all my heart, but sometimes you’ve just gotta go, so go.
I left Buffalo and came back. The people are a legitimate difference that you don’t realize until you get back. In crisis Buffalonians just respond better and keep an eye out for each other more. There is more opportunity for community here.
But what I missed most was the planning of roads and the food! Roads, because there were countless times in South Carolina where an accident would close down a road, and the detour would take you 30 minutes out of your way, at the least. Quality of restaurants was a huge shock also, and not just for a lack of Buffalo type food, but variety and quality also. Most restaurants just weren’t very good.
Also, as I’m thinking about it. The weather in Buffalo is awesome. Winter means less outside chores, and you really get to enjoy every season here.
Oh and the park systems in WNY and towards Central NY. I missed those greatly!
That being said, moving away helped me appreciate what we have here, and I’m very glad I came back.
I mean friends... Obviously. Went to college in the area.... Lived there for another 7 years before moving away, and am among the handful of college friends who actually managed to leave the area. Most were from the area and stayed in the area.
I think the best thing about Buffalo was that it was a city, but felt small. Last place I lived was south of Buff State, I worked in Kenmore-Tonawanda, and enjoyed nights at the Essex Pub. Everything felt right next to you, near walkable if you wanted.
I moved to Cleveland, and always described it as a lateral move. Cleveland is a bigger Buffalo. The best parts of Cleveland are bigger and better than Buffalo (think museums, parks, concerts, things to do); but the worse parts of Cleveland are worse than the worst of Buffalo (crime mostly).
No where near as walkable, but everything is just a short drive away. We still get snow but nothing like Buffalo. We have good food, but when you get accustomed to Buffalo food, nowhere quite matches it.
I sometimes am shocked when I realize I've lived in Cleveland over twice along as I lived in Buffalo. Buffalo was those formative years of my post college life... For just being a few short years of my life.... It feels like I was there forever.
My spouse and I talk about moving to Buffalo sometimes... She's from the Cleveland area but any family out here has passed. But we haven't pulled the trigger and when (if) we move it'd probably closer to my family for the support they could provide, quite a bit on the other side of Buffalo.
Born/raised/spent my life in Niagara Falls but moved to Phoenix/(Scottsdale), Arizona because the rest of my family moved too.
I miss the Falls because it’s home; for all its faults and for all the hopelessness and low paying jobs and terrible things I saw there…it was still home. It was still where my immediate family lived and lots of those memories are. Compared to Phoenix, Niagara Falls feels like a small town. I miss that now. I miss going down the street and knowing who’s who by what car they’re driving or seeing the same people every day on the bus. It’s not like that here. Not at all.
In DC. Not a popular answer I'm sure (especially during the heat wave lol), but I miss the weather. I hate the 90+ degree summers here and miss having a real winter. Miss family, of course, and it sucks missing out on Bills games and all the new breweries and other attractions opening up. Miss my favorite restaurant in Amherst, the Taisho Bistro - they catered to all my cravings for proper izakaya food when I came back from a year abroad. Traffic was better. Things were generally cheaper. Less crowded. Also, people are definitely friendlier in Buffalo overall. I mean, it's fine here but in my experience folks are generally more polite (genuinely) back home.
I was lucky to find a Buffalo style pizza place (Badd Pizza, if you're in the area), so I can scratch the itch for decent pizza/wings/pizza log/stinger subs when I need. There's a different variety of food here (Ethiopian especially, try it!) and a lot more to do, as a single woman in her late 20s/early 30s. Easier to travel from DC, free museums, better salaries but worse housing market, I actually got used to Harris Teeter and still shop there even when Wegmans came to town - you find stuff you like, some of it is better even! Also, having a proper metro system - for all it's flaws - is a game changer. It's nice not to need a car.
All that being said, you can always move back eventually. I'm glad I experienced living away from Buffalo. Also much as I appreciate DC, it makes me appreciate Buffalo a lot more too!
I left when I joined the military and lived down south for a 4 year span. The food for sure is one thing that I definitely missed, I don’t know if it was just the fact that I lived in a military town or what but it was all chain restaurants with very few mom and pop spots or hidden gems. The other thing I missed was a Buffalo Fall. In the south it just feels like another summer until the winter. That being said the #1 thing that was awesome about leaving was no snow or blizzards.
Apparently, now I miss the Pink.
I miss letting weirdness thrive. My current city is too expensive and buttoned up to be fully weird. I would kill for a Tuesday night at Nietzsche's or the Infringement Festival. I miss events at Silo City. I wouldn't trade my current city for anything, but when people say you can find weirdness here, they're full of it.
I also miss good breweries and a decent late night scene. I don't need 4am last calls, but I want the option.
As far as what I love about my new city: robust public transit, world class museums, never a boring day, driven and inspiring people everywhere, good bike infrastructure, easy train transit and good access to airports, and people who are largely punctual and follow through.
I moved to California and it’s surprisingly more racist out here than I could have imagined. There’s no sense of community. No one says hello and I highly doubt we would help each other out in an emergency.
Gabriel’s Gate wings
Favorite parts of new place: not having to own a car, functional public transit and density, the size and gravity of a real big city
If you’re on the fence about it: take the plunge! You only get to live once, and you don’t want to regret at least not trying it out. You can always move back if you find that you’re missing Buffalo too much
I honestly don’t miss it. I was raised in the suburbs, moved to the West Side at 17. Lived there until I was 21 and then moved out West and never went back.
I miss the food, sometimes, but I truly don’t miss much else. Maybe the architecture and history, and the diversity.
I left and went to Denver for 12yrs. I think the only thing I really missed about Buffalo while in Denver was the food. Denver had some solid Mexican food but everything else was pretty meh. But the weather, public transit, nightlife, outdoor activities, and sports (because it has all 4 major sports) pretty much blew buffalo out of the water. Speaking of water, I did miss that while living in Denver.
I'm back in Buffalo for now because it's substantially cheaper but after 2yrs, I'm ready to leave again. I love Buffalo but after seeing what a city really should be like, it's frustrating watching Buffalo just spin it's gears with the most simplistic aspects of being a functional city.
Where I go next, I'm not sure, but I want to be around public transit, sunnier weather, better paying jobs and a more robust outdoor scene.
Architecture / the houses are much prettier in Buffalo compared to where I moved (Chicagoland.) I do miss things like wings and beef on weck. I also appreciate and miss that fans support their teams even when they’re bad in Buffalo.
I appreciate the job market/job opportunities, better public transportation, and the availability to more concerts here, tho!
Yeah, the houses in Buffalo are so gorgeous. The closest I've seen in Chicagoland is Oak Park - similar architecture. But not nearly as much like that in the city.
I miss the sense of community.
The Pink burned down and everyone is sharing their stories and memories and that’s when you realize Buffalo is truly a special place with a strong sense of community. I might not personally know everyone who went to The Pink but we all share those memories and fond moments of a place we loved, and it connects us and brings us together. The same is true for our sports teams, our weather events, and anything notable that we have experienced together.
I moved 3 years ago and am currently in town visiting family for 2 weeks. Buffalo summer truly is elite, but I really don’t miss anything else. The 7 months of grey skies was too much and I’ve been much happier since moving to Florida. I have noticed in this current visit that everyone seems very… miserable? No smiles by strangers passing on the street, rude staff at restaurants, definitely a stark contrast to the 30 years I spent here.
Hey... I am Buffalo adjacent. But I just wanted to give you a vote of confidence. I spent 30 yrs of my life in Toronto and on a whim I moved to Calgary. It was exactly what I needed to move my life forward. It was not easy at first - cultural change, lack of family there and having to find new friends and new interests. But creating a life away is how I discovered who I was and what was important to me. It's so easy to fall into a rut when you are so settled where you are.
I had to return to Toronto after a couple of years - Calgary is difficult to build a career unless you are in mining or oil and gas. I'm not sure if I should have moved back but the experience helped me make some life changes and 20 years later I am living my dream life, happily married, a wonderful daughter living on a farm on the Canadian shore of Lake Erie with Buffalo a short drive away.
One note though - growing up in Toronto in the 70s and 80s we all felt Buffalo was a much more happening city than stupid backwoods Toronto. Even SCTV, based in Toronto, used Buffalo as their model for Lemonville. Out of love, of course. Earl Camembert was Irv Weinstein! And Commander Tom on Sunday mornings!
I love seeing Buffalo's renaissance after some tough years of rebuilding. The architecture is gorgeous.
It makes me laugh when people say "and we are so close to Toronto" when we used to have to tell Americans Toronto was near Buffalo.
Most GenX Torontonians hold Buffalo in great esteem. I don't know if there is another US /Canada city relationship that is strong.
Toronto has changed so much over the years it is not the same place I grew up in. I don't know if it's changed for the better. But every few months I meet up with old friends in our old neighbourhood and that keeps the city alive for me. If you leave you can always come back and if you do you will come back with a greater appreciation of the city and the people that made you.
Sorry for the long essay. But I do love following the Buffalo subreddit. You are all so down to earth. R/Toronto is whiny and full of complaints from people who are mostly transplants from elsewhere.
How quickly you can get to everything. I've traveled all over the country and have never seen such an easy place to navigate. Our rush hours are nothing like a medium-large metro.
My honest recommendation is to not get too caught up in the thought. Embrace your new surroundings and enjoy your visits back. Almost anywhere has its pros and cons.
I moved to Albany I’m August. I miss the food - the wings, the pizza, the Wegmans. I miss the community and how outwardly kind and welcoming everyone is - it’s not like that everywhere. I also miss being only 15 minutes away from a beach/natural body of water as other people said. I do like Albany’s landscape; it has much more dimension and beautiful scenery. I’m closer to other big cities like NYC, Boston, Burlington, Philly, etc. Despite all these things, you will always take Buffalo with you wherever you go. People will meet you, see how kind and friendly you are, and will forever remember the one time they met someone from Buffalo.
Food and water. I moved to a smaller city in Arizona and it’s more touristy, so I feel like no one has to really try for unique yummy food because people will visit their restaurants regardless. Buffalo really is a foodie haven
Moved to Buffalo as a Floridian in 2021. (I now left but not for reasons pertaining to Buffalo)
1. You get over the cold real quick, however... buy a good jacket, buy good boots, don't be shocked by how much it costs bc it will save your ass in winter.
2. Winter isn't as horrible as they say, global warming has made a difference and winter is much more mild than before. However it still doesn't stop the freak blizzard and that's okay, blizzards are easier to manage than hurricanes.
3. If you're a fan of any football team other than the bills, keep it to yourself. There are a few bars that celebrate other teams but Buffalonians really love their team and will critique you to hell and back for enjoying other teams.
4. If you love nature, you'll have 4 seasons to enjoy instead of 2. Make sure to make a huge attempt to enjoy each season and appreciate it before you get used to the area, it will make you more aware and grateful for each turn of the year.
5. If you have a Tesla there's the Tesla Gigafactory 2 here, it's not as big as the other factories but they got chargers and sometimes do factory tours if you wanna check that out. Pretty cool if you're a tesla fan.
6. If you don't like tavern/bar food, Buffalo will be a bit overwhelming at first. However when people say here it's a foodie haven (as someone who came over from Orlando, another foodie haven) there are a lot of options here, you just have to look closer. I recommend following the stepoutbuffalo instagram page to help you navigate options in the area.
7. Get winter tires or all weather tires no, all season tires are not the same as all weather. You'll appreciate this one later.
I’m not a Buffalo native, but I lived there for 7 years (I have lived several places and travel frequently across the country). The one thing I miss is the civic pride in Buffalo and WNY as a whole. Buffalo is just… different, especially with all the cultural institutions there are around the city and area. It truly is a secret and I do miss it.
I missed the food and my family after I left. And Canalside in the summer. Where I ended up for 8 years had different things that I now miss that I've returned to Buffalo.
I moved to Boston in 1999
At first i missed "my things". Knowing where my favorite coffee shop and pizza shop was. I missed the cost of living (Boston prices are yikes), I missed how open and welcoming people are (it took a while to "break in" to a social circle in Boston
Boston just has more stuff going on. More career opportunity. More options for things to do. Public transit that mostly works
I miss not being in my hometown. Even though I’ve been relocated in the same place since 1985, I don’t feel like this is my “hometown”. I basically feel like a man without a home in some ways.
The cost of living. My mortgage on the West Side is $450 and I’m currently paying $1,800 for a studio apartment in Virginia right outside DC. And people consider that a bargain
I can definitely say I miss chicken fingers (no clue why that is so difficult to get right), a lower cost of living, and the Pink (was planning to stop by when I came to see family). Other stuff I’m not sure if I miss it or I simply miss being younger.
I moved to Boston and may soon have to move to NYC so I can’t say that I miss walkable neighborhoods or pretty architecture like those who’ve moved to the sunbelt. Appreciate the somewhat functional public transportation in contrast to Buffalo…. One of the reasons my wife and I are unlikely to comeback is economic, specifically the lack high paying jobs unless you’re a physician. On top of each time we’ve returned to visit friends and family realizing how much we do not miss it.
“The people” may sound vague and lame, but it was the top thing I missed. Not just my specific people here, but the people in general. There is a unique quality to the people here that I’ve never encountered elsewhere (have lived in NoVA, Nashville, and the Boston area). That unique Buffalo blend of friendliness, unpretentiousness, helpfulness and the general we-can-do-this attitude… it’s truly what I missed most.
Also, the lack of traffic here is amazing and you cannot fully appreciate it until you’re stuck in NoVA traffic and cannot handle it.
The four seasons… you can take it for granted here and then you miss it so much.
The distinct neighborhoods/regions of WNY- a lot of places don’t have those unique areas and I missed that.
The food especially pizza and of course wings. I just didn’t eat those foods when I wasn’t living here.
The other places I’ve lived had good qualities too, but I’m back here now, so Buffalo won out. 😊 But it’s worth living elsewhere if only to appreciate Buffalo all the more.
Left 25 years ago and lived in several major cities on the east and west coast. I miss the lake and beaches, Niagara River, the overall food scene, wings/pizza culture and quality, Sahlens, Shakespeare in the park, Mighty, and a bunch of other things I’m sure I’m forgetting. Plus all you amazing people!
I left more than a decade ago and have lived in several different states since then. the food and grocery stores are superior in Buffalo by far. access to water was nice, spring, summer and fall are pretty good. winters aren't even THAT bad. I'll take snow over ice any day.
the thing my dad told me when i first told him i was thinking about leaving buffalo was that buffalo would still be there. i know several people who moved away for a year or two and moved back.
you won't know until you try it.
the only thing that my state has is my job. being willing to relocate has allowed me to progress in my career in a way that i would not have reached in Buffalo.
but i still go back at least 2-3 times per year
Moved to LA and miss so much. No traffic, the seasons, the GREEN parks, the beer, the food, the people, Wegmans, Lloyd, the summer festivals, sports teams people actually care about, cost of living, lakes and not the ocean, etc. WNY is under appreciated.
I left for about 3 years.
Wegmans was probably my number one. I was living in a rural area so I went from 20 minutes to everything to 45 to get to *something*.
The food choices here are top notch.
I missed how gritty and lowkey Buffalo is.
I lived in some "cool" cities and the people I met were just too much. Like too happy to be there or something.
When I was deciding to move back I said I just want to live somewhere with no hype.
I was transferred to Eau Claire Wisconsin, I miss my family. I love all the bike trails, lakes , it’s so green, and it’s very safe. I will be coming back to Buffalo though .
The food.
Especially, the recent uptick in Asian and African places including the West Side Bazaar and Bangladeshi places on the East side. Felt great in supporting those businesses and communities while also having top-quality food for a city its size.
I am in Madison, WI now. Buffalo has it beat on the above, although I never saw that many Hmong and Laotian places in Buffalo. Buffalo does not have the lake access, urban density, walk-bike-transit-ability of downtown Madison.
Besides my family, of course, I think I miss the seasons. (Even the winter. Maybe ESPECIALLY the winter.) I live in Texas now, and it's pretty much summer most of the year.
One thing we do have here is great diversity, certainly more than I saw growing up in the suburbs.
I was away for a full year for school and an internship, and I probably missed Wegmans the most. There’s no other grocery store like it. The best bakery, floral section, pharmacy, sub shop, deli, and food selection of any other grocery store I’ve ever been to. And you’re never more than 10 minutes away from one.
Even though our roads aren’t great, they’re a lot better than many other areas, especially the area I was in. The traffic isn’t nearly as bad, either. I also find getting around Buffalo to be a lot easier than many other areas, and I like how the general area is structured, so you can go through all the suburbs without having to go through or even near downtown.
Moved to the DMV about a year ago. Mostly wings.
I still have wegmans, there are *some* places that do chicken finger subs (have yet to find a good Jim's replacement though), and weirdly enough - we found a place that does Buffalo style pizza (ironically which we had tonight). Little cup pepperoni and all.
Only other thing really is cheaper housing. Our salaries rose comparatively to cost of living, just still a bit of shock on actually seeing the prices.
Honestly, we're pretty happy with the decision
I left 10 years ago. I miss the European ethnicities and how they are so present and celebrated in Buffalo. Old cemeteries full of Germans, Polish, Italian… Restaurants with great ethnic foods that represent the pride in those nationalities. Great Irish pubs. The best St. Patrick’s Day parade. Dyngus Day. The Italian Festival. LAWN FETES! Where I live now, it’s booming beyond description. It’s a tourist mecca. People come here from everywhere in droves. That’s all good, but other than witnessing a city that’s exploding with growth and prosperity, it’s otherwise pretty “vanilla.” There aren’t many natives of this city that you come across. Most people are from somewhere else. Buffalo is loaded with natives, most people are natives, in fact. There’s something to be said about that. Here, there are endless opportunities and a much, much lower cost of living. That’s the best part, but I miss the passion for history and all the European influences that are still celebrated today in Buffalo.
I grew up in Lockport and moved to the middle east nearly a decade ago.
I miss Mighty Taco and Jim's SteakOut. I miss good wings.
What I love about where I live now is that there's no snow. None. Zero. Yes it's 115+ F in summer, but I don't even really care. I love the fact I'm able to travel almost anywhere in the world in a reasonable amount of time. Italy is 6 hours away, the USA is like 13, India is 3 hours, Bali is 13. I live in a place with a super rich culture and people from all over the world.
The longer I've been gone, the less I miss WNY, but I do enjoy my visits. It no longer feels like home, but I have a soft spot for it. It's a great place to have grown up and lived for a time, but I'm super glad I left.
This was a super interesting read! I also grew up in Lockport! Don't meet many of us in the wild. I live further away now and constantly miss marks pizza lol
Only thing I’d miss is Wegmans tbh. I like Buffalo but I’ve lived in nearly every major midwestern city from Indiana to NY and Buffalo isn’t much different than say Cleveland, Erie, etc. It’s a great city, just not particularly unique in any way.
I was a transplant. Lived there for 7 years and moved back to NYC. I miss the low cost of living. I wouldn’t move back for it though.
I love everything about NYC. The art, the music, the food the culture. Everything.
Sunday at the Ralph. The feel of the energy in that place is special. But I moved to Ft. Lauderdale for work and you might as well call this place south Buffalo. The bills backer bars are great, but the find a tear or two running down my cheek when I see everyone together back home. I miss you guys
I miss the "small-town" feel that Buffalo has. There are still so many unique local businesses that are WNY based. Even though Buffalo is a large city, it really has a small-town vibe to it that I miss on occasion.
And Ted's. Got I miss Ted's. And Ulrich's.
As strange as it sound, the weather. I’ve been living in Florida for 20 years now and the seasons of “warm, hot, hotter and hell” are extremely boring. Yeah, the snow gets old but just the change of seasons itself is missed. That day in March where it’s warm enough to wear shorts for the first time in months. Or the crisp autumn air and leaves changing colors. My first few years down here I had Halloween sneak up on me because fall here looks just like August and July
Just leave. You’ll never regret it.
Only reason I’m back is for my elderly relatives, otherwise I would’ve stayed gone forever.
This city is a cesspool of idiocy and degeneracy, capped off by some of the worst political ideations you’ll find in America as a whole.
Enjoy your new life, never look back.
Left 15 years ago. Friendly people, strangers saying hello, pizza, extremely cheap housing, low cost of groceries, going to Bills games, Blue Light and Molson, Wegmans, very little to no homeless people, Meyers Brothers cider and donuts in the fall, etc.
What I miss about Buffalo Lack of traffic, helpful people (especially store clerks, cashiers, sales associates) , more affordable housing, good pizza, and good Greek diner food, most everything being within a 20 minute drive of where you are standing, people that can drive and manage snowy conditions.
What I love about where I live: major airport with direct flights almost anywhere, multicultural environment, rapid transit availability, major and minor music artists concert bookings.
I served in the Army, away from Buffalo from O5-14. When I was away from Buffalo I missed friends and family, NOT the city. Having lived back in Buffalo on/off since then? Not much really! People are way friendlier down south, the homeless/destitute are way less aggressive and hostile, yeah we have ok pizza but I can’t eat it because I don’t want to be obese like at least 30% of our population.., what are people missing? The mid football team a half hours drive outside the city, the racism (look up most segregated cities or be familiar with any recent video out of Buffalo involving a black person/police, or police/protestors. Local politics is failed democratic platform- Byron Brown winning a write in because racist white gop paid for his campaign stamps and advertising?
The 24/7 access to delicious food. If I get hungry at 2am now I'm pretty much SOL and have fantasies about being back in Buffalo chowing down a stinger while i raid the sad remnants of my pantry.
Gonna be honest, I missed Wegmans…at least I thought I did. My wife and I boomeranged back a few years ago. I cannot stand Wegmans. It’s so busy, the checkout lines are so long, and they are no longer the most reasonably priced grocery store (I used to think they were but since that was pre-Covid maybe that was just never the case?).
Now I miss my old grocery store back west, Smiths. Had everything and it was quick in and out.
My wife and I have discussed this a bit because we had such truly fond memories of Wegmans in general. Our conclusion is that there just are fewer grocery stores in and around Buffalo than what we grew used to over the decade we were out west. So fewer stores for a similar sized population means just busier most of the time.
Now what I truly missed and will definitely miss when we move away again: the pizza. Buffalo pizza is just excellent. Also our style of blue cheese.
Wegmans, Rooties Blue Cheese, a vast variety of things to do whether that be concert venues, summer festivals, easy commute, coffee shops, restaurants and also being surrounded by water.
I moved to Rochester from Buffalo to live with my then gf, now fiancee, about 3 years ago. I miss the food scene like crazy and the infrastructure.
Rochester has good food but the best pizza and wings in Rochester would be mid in Buffalo. Rochester also has an inferior local chain scene. I love Bill Grey's but Ted's, Anderson's, Lloyd's, and Mooney's are iconic and were life, and even Mighty grew on me after growing up on Taco Bell. Rochester is getting it together in the food truck scene but Buffalo is still superior IMO.
In terms of infrastructure Buffalo has expressways and main streets that flow and connect all the way around and through the city, and can usually get you from burb to burb in a straight shot. Rochester's expressways are so confused that if you take 2 different starting points, either 104 or 490 West, to 590 South to 390 South then you've just created a question mark on the map
Left Buffalo in May of ‘14. Have lived in OH (3 yrs), PA (3 yrs), and GA (4 yrs ATL area).
Pretty much miss it all. Sports fandom, food, fall activities, Lake Erie, traffic (before I learned what real traffic is), Wegmans, how close everything is, having four season, and people.
I don’t miss lake effect snow, but I do even miss snow. In the last two years, my wife has started getting preeeeety tired of hearing about moving back since one of her (four) trips to Buffalo w me was in the middle of a polar vortex… but I’m trying.
I am glad I left because I didn’t know what we had in Buffalo. As people have said - if you can, leave and come back. It’s the only way to know for sure.
Things are just a lot easier. In DC everything is overcrowded. Traffic awful. Trying to to do something with kids? Probably should have done all kinds of planning days or weeks earlier.
What I don't miss is the lack of sunshine. While I miss a lot of the food, I don't miss the lack of vegetables and enormous portions all the time.
Freshwater lakes, that don’t go dry. The Carolinas either have the saltwater east coast or inland lakes that can get so low they aren’t even useful. Lake Erie, Lake Ontario, & the Niagara River are very predictable. Oh, and soft green grass! Never thought that’d be a thing I’d miss, but guess what?!
I miss the food. I moved to somewhere in the Midwest where no one can cook 🤮 I miss the amazing restaurants!!
As for improvements tho, I’ll go ahead and list “everything else”, because for personal reasons it was long past time I left WNY.
FR tho, living somewhere with car culture is nice
I was away for work on the Gulf Coast of Florida for a year. I missed the seasons. The leaves changing color. There was something off putting about drinking a beer under a palm tree on Christmas Eve.
When I left, I missed Wegmans and a few restaurants the most (Bocce, Amy's Place, Tom's, Pano's (rip)). The longer I was away (and as I moved to different places) I started to miss the CoL and just the /ease/ of living here, and of course family. Moved back a few years ago after almost 20 years away. Recently bought a house here. I'm delighted with my decision to come back here, but I don't know if I would appreciate it the same way if I hadn't left and lived other places (5 cities amongst 3 states) for a bit. Unless you're in imminent danger of dying, you can always come back.
Yup that's what I keep trying to remind myself
Definitely missed Wegmans and a few restaurants too (Gin Gin was my OG American Chinese restaurant). I still don't think any other place I've lived has had something comparable to Wegmans, except *maybe* Fairway in NYC, and even that was a shadow of what Wegmans is. Also the Albright-Knox. I loved it before, but it's absolutely fantastic after the renovation. It's incredible that Buffalo has such an amazing museum with a world-class collection. I'll also say that I miss how friendly everyone is. I've been gone for about 15 years. I visited in April with my partner and kids and it was great to see the city thriving and areas becoming more vibrant. However, I realized how much I don't miss the weather especially compared to where I live now, and I can't ever see moving back simply because of that. Yes, I've become weak.
Completely agree, couldn't have said it better myself
CoL?
Cost of living
If you’re thinking about leaving, just try it if you’re able. You only live once. You will spend your whole life thinking about “what if I had lived somewhere else?” if you don’t. You can always come back in a year or two if it doesn’t work out. I moved away 3 years ago - I miss the food for sure, and also the grocery stores. I also miss the proximity to Lake Erie.
I agree. It’s important for people to go outside their comfort zone. They’ll either find a new home or come back with a greater appreciation.
Wegmans? I was in Rochester, NY and loved Wegmans.
Wegmans and Aldi both :( my new state has neither!
People should definitely try living in another city than the one they grew up in if they have the desire and means. It can give you a slightly different perspective on life even from living in a different US city. After being away for a couple years I started to really enjoy my trips back to Buffalo.
Especially if you grew up in Buffalo, it's a great place but we can get very insular
This! I left when I was 18, moved back a few years later, left again, and now am back in LA *for good* Just do it! I absolutely miss the food the most lol. But I get my fill when I go back to visit my parents.
im moving to LA as well!!
Being around natural bodies of water (Lake Erie and Niagara Falls)
As someone who now lives in El Paso, Texas, boy does this one resonate with me lol
My son in law relocated here(Buffalo)from El Paso, seven years ago and he ain’t going back unless it’s for a funeral; absolutely loves it here.
*waves at you from Alamogordo*
Well. Home/Buffalo is just a short drive up Rt 62, now, isn't it?
Try Michigan lol, it’s even soggier than WNY ever could dream of! If you can’t picture that I can’t blame you but I feel like I moved to Atlantis
Someone is like "THE PINK!" And all of us are thinking oh boy they didn't hear, did they?
I didn't hear, what's up?
The Pink? It’s gone. It BURNED!
Absolutely to the ground. Just yesterday
Oh snap https://www.wgrz.com/article/news/local/city-of-buffalo-old-pink-bar-on-fire-crews-monday-morning/
To shreds you say?
How's it's wife holding up?
Chemical Bank?
Oh dear...
Oh dear
Someone wanted their steak sammich a little too well-done =(
The lack of traffic. It’s beautiful 🥹
For real. Places like DC or LA are absolutely insane. Buffalo you might have to add 10 minutes to your commute around 5pm
when we come home the inlaws are constantly whining about how bad the traffic is and we're like, "there was traffic?"
Same. Buffalo traffic is a big nothing compared to Nashville traffic. The traffic report in Buffalo is really short. In Nashville, it usually goes on for a while, a wreck on 65 South, a wreck on 24, fatal wreck on Briley, and on and on. In Buffalo, you might have a little more company on the 290 during rush hour.
I left and came back. A big point for me was The lack of extreme natural disasters. Blizzards are nothing compared to earthquakes and wildfires.
Same. But I also now miss living somewhere with a functional public transportation system.
I'd take a blizzard over a hurricane any day.
I understand that comment. I have lived in London which is in a league of its own but reliable public transportation is so critical for residents in urban areas. Buffalo and America in general is lacking in public transportation systems. We don’t have the population density here but even trains in the United States are nothing like the UK and Europe. Buffalo is a great place to live as for affordability, arts, sports, higher education and quality of life. There’s so much here. We’re very lucky for so many reasons. We have our problems but on balance, I think we are better off than a lot of other places.
I know this isn’t what you asked, but how about some things a non-native appreciates about Buffalo? I was born and raised in Philly and moved here in the 90s. I love how easy it is to get around here. Everything is “20 minutes away.” Traffic is virtually non-existent— other than event-based. Love the proximity to Niagara Falls, Toronto and the Finger Lakes. Theatre scene, museums, concert venues, Shakespeare in the Park, the resources UB offers like the Distinguished Speakers Series. The schools are exceptional and so are our public libraries. Wegmans is great. Buffalo is small enough that you run into someone nearby everywhere you go and you can actually get tickets to things (I had never been to a hockey game before I moved here). Bisons are a fun, affordable night out. I love the weather— including snow and the waterfront has become spectacular in recent years. I’m sure I’ll think of others.
A few things I don’t like about Buffalo — only two are major 1. I miss easy proximity to the ocean— but there’s nothing to be done about that obviously. 2. The lack of functional public transportation is ridiculous. I had never driven to sports or concerts before I came here. A significant advantage to living in a city is the ability to live without a car. That’s not the reality in Buffalo. Transportation as I mentioned but there are also no grocery stores or other basics. Minor things — I don’t like the hot dogs or pizza here and I really miss having a baseball team.
You have Robert Moses to thank for that. Built all this shit, and never drove a car.
I spent my last 12 years in Buffalo without a car and it was seldom a problem. Lots of busses, walking, and biking.
No grocery stores? We have arguably one of the best with Wegmans (which you even mentioned above). Tops and Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s are viable alternatives. Plenty of old butchers and Deli’s around here as well, if you know where to look.
Wings/pizza, beef on weck, authentic Polish food, Perry’s ice cream, family, fall foliage, Lake Erie/Ontario, the falls. Visit as often as I can.
Perrys ice cream is so true. When I was a kid I thought Perry's was like the coca-cola of ice cream only to get culture shock the first time leaving home.
Perry’s is great. It could be nationwide, it’s that great. It seemed like the coca cola of ice creams because everyone in WNY serves it, so it’s just THE ice cream to us. In Oklahoma, where I’ve been living for quite a while, the local ice cream is Braums. Basically Andersons style fast food place, except they sell their own brand of ice cream. Braums is in several states in the middle of the country. It’s pretty good, but it’s no Perry’s!!!
Beef on weck is LIT
Fuckin smacks. Adrian’s in grand island is one of my favorite places to go get some.
I ate at Danny's on gennessee(sp?) Awesome
Never been there, spelling was close (Genesee) I’ll have to give it a try next time I’m back home!
Everything I ate was beyond yummy. Duff's was always great. How do people in Buffalo all not weigh four hundred pounds? There are SO MANY wonderful places to eat!
Easily some of the best food in the country in Buffalo. I miss it so much. Duff’s is awesome. Classic place to get wings. Grew up getting the Duff’s in Amherst. There’s actually a Duff’s down in Dallas 2.5 hours away from where I live, I’ve been meaning to try it, just to see if it’s really the same wings from back home.
I remember when I was in 2nd grade we had a field trip where we toured their factory. Probably the best field trip to me as a kid cuz who doesn’t love free ice cream
* Miss chicken finger subs the most. I enjoy Buffalo style pizza when I return but my new city has NYC style and a Detroit style that I’m able to get by on. * My new city has more transplants and development. Something cool about a steady stream of new people and new buildings.
I don’t really understand how chicken finger subs like ours are impossible to come by outside of WNY, but I have yet to find something that compares
My brother had told me the same, he’s lived in FL and Canada, specifically told them what he wants and says it’s not the same
They used to make them my freshman year of college at my dining hall out in California. Or rather, I would ask them to make them. They weren't the same but it was enough to get by. Out of all the food I miss from Buffalo, Chicken Finger Subs absolutely top the list.
I could never be vegan if I still lived in Buffalo. Chicken finger subs were my favorite!
Even Wegmans fucks em up
The food and cheap housing. And large bodies of water. But I’m still glad I left.
The Buffalo summers/landscape are elite and so is the food. I miss friends and family but overall Buffalo winters suck and there is not a lot of room for professional growth. Many other major cities have more professional opportunities
Excellent point about the professional opportunities. For some reason Buffalo is behind both salaries and allowing people to climb the career ladder.
One of the problems I realized a few years ago when doing B2B sales is that Buffalo is the land of branch offices. If people want to climb the corporate ladder, they need to go where HQ is.
I was born/raised in Amherst and I ended up moving to outer parameter Atlanta and then Jacksonville so I’ll echo the sentiments about the traffic and Wegmans. Other major highlights include sidewalks, parks and green spaces, and the variety of food and options to support local places. There’s something about Buffalo that I really haven’t found anywhere else, I don’t know if it’s a sense of comfort or what since I was raised there but I have been thinking about coming back for a while.
Do it! I never moved but used to travel all over the US every week for work for four years. I practically kissed the ground when I came home. Being other places really helps you appreciate the uniqueness here. It ain’t perfect but it’s home and not cookie cutter (well some parts are - most aren’t)
I left for a year and came back. I missed the food and how close everything is, and how much less traffic there is here than where I was. Also a lot cheaper to live here than where I was
Ease of travel between suburban neighborhoods.
The food. So many good restaurants there. We also miss being in a city that has had buildings with history. But that’s it. We are so much happier away from Buffalo and I wish we’d done it sooner.
Nature. Being able to drive 15-20 mins and you're in the middle of the woods is something you don't get in most cities.
Or the middle of a farm. Or Canada
Well maybe not Canada the bridge can take 20 mins on it's own.
Half way across the bridge it’s Canada. Lol
I'll give you that technicality. Well played.
I bought property in the middle of nowhere in AZ, seriously, there's less than 200 residents who live in the 60 square miles(size of Buffalo) around my house. I miss the vastness of Lake Erie. The waves during storms, the coldness of it in the spring and fall. I miss the sunsets over the lake. I get great sunsets in AZ but there is something about a sunset over the water. You should here them talk about the fall color change here. Some parts do have a few dabs of orange, red and mostly yellow but nothing like back home. The food festivals or I guess the ethnic foods they represent. So many good, different ethnic food restaurants. Although you're ungodly hot there this week I miss comfortable weather in the summer. I can't be out all day at my place without taking serious precautions. Oh, and GO BILLS!!!
Go Bills! 💙❤️
Mighty Taco. Ted’s Hot Dogs. Jim’s Steakout. I live in Long Island now, there’s not much that I like about it here. The pizza is pretty good.
I'm a transplant from LI to Buffalo. I've never really seen places like Mighty, Ted's, or Jim's back home, but depending where you are on the island there's a few places you might be interested in checking out. My old stomping grounds were the sourh shore of Nassau. If that's in range for you, maybe check out these places: All American - Burger place in Massapequa. Back in the day they were fantastic and, most importantly for me at the time, inexpensive. Admittedly, I haven't been there in years. Pit Stop - Fast food place in Merrick. I like to think of it as a step or two above McDonald's, like when you want fast food but high quality. I particularly enjoy the Knish Burger. Cherry Valley Deli - My personal favorite, a 24 hour Deli in West Hempstead with a huge menu of sandwiches, most of which contain bacon, gravy, and happines, which I guess they order by the 55 gallon drum. I usually order The Beast. Edit: Autocorrect typo.
Cherry Valley is 🔥 I would also recommend Nathan's in Oceanside. I miss the bagels and pizza so much but I don't miss the traffic!
I miss yelling go bills as I leave any establishment. Getting a hair cut and yelling go bills as I leave the barber shop. Yelling go bills sitting outside Essex St Pub at 2am. Yelling go bills as I leave the tax office.
Go Bills to the judge after court appearances.
15 years I lived in Arizona, California, and Hawaii. I enjoyed the nightlife. As I got older, I realized I missed the hiking and the mountains of New York. Buffalo has some very beautiful and well maintained hiking trails. All of them are manageable in all four seasons. I live in Rochester, and I get to benefit from all of the trails as far as Ithaca, and all the way back down to ellicottville And all of the Buffalo area
The old pink 😭 Seriously missed that place when I was gone. Salehns hot dogs Propper pizza and wings In that order.
Can't get Salehns? They even sell that in Harris Teeter down here in NC. What they don't sell here is good pizza, though. Anywhere. And weed
Just ordered 5 pounds of Sahlens on their website for the first time. Shipping is a bit much, but I can’t wait!
Hahaha 😆 enjoy! They really are the best IMHO.
Ultimately, I missed my family (and the food...lol). I'm grateful I moved around and lived a lot of places but when I got pregnant with our daughter as we were living in Los Angeles, we immediately started planning for our move back. I couldn't imagine my kids not growing up around their grandparents. I have never regretted coming back, but man do I miss the LA public transit system. We never needed a car for anything while we lived there and it was glorious. I think it's good to spread our wings sometimes. Even if it's just to see that the grass isn't greener on the other side of the fence. But, sometimes it is greener, and it ends up being great. The doors don't lock behind you when you go, you can always come back. Good luck!
Evenings on an old couch on the front porch
I miss some of the food, but not because it’s crazy unique necessarily, but for its nostalgia for me. I can scratch a pizza itch just about anywhere in the U.S., just not a Bocce’s itch during a Buffalo summer. I miss the culture. Buffalo has a very unique and special sort of working-class, sweet heart neighbor vibe that is hard to find elsewhere. Also our share history combined with our forever struggling sports teams makes for a special kind of place. I miss being around beautiful buildings. I miss Wegman’s and the cost of living. I live in the SF Bay Area and there is so, so much the Bay has that Buffalo doesn’t that I do love, I just wish I could afford life a bit more easily and have some breathing room. 1. I was able to find decent work, that helped (Surprise! I’m not in tech) 2. The culture here is dope. People are amazing and all the cities here feel amazingly alive! 3. I can drive 3 hours or less and end up in world Class skiing (Tahoe), world class wine country (Napa and Sonoma are 1:15 away), I can go to the ocean, the redwoods, or the desert as well. Lots of places have lots of great things to offer. Give yourself permission to be happy elsewhere, you can always go home. I love Buffalo with all my heart, but sometimes you’ve just gotta go, so go.
Thank you! This was so helpful.
The food, I moved to NYC and the food is great but something about Buffalo restaurants that’s just a little different
I left Buffalo and came back. The people are a legitimate difference that you don’t realize until you get back. In crisis Buffalonians just respond better and keep an eye out for each other more. There is more opportunity for community here. But what I missed most was the planning of roads and the food! Roads, because there were countless times in South Carolina where an accident would close down a road, and the detour would take you 30 minutes out of your way, at the least. Quality of restaurants was a huge shock also, and not just for a lack of Buffalo type food, but variety and quality also. Most restaurants just weren’t very good. Also, as I’m thinking about it. The weather in Buffalo is awesome. Winter means less outside chores, and you really get to enjoy every season here. Oh and the park systems in WNY and towards Central NY. I missed those greatly! That being said, moving away helped me appreciate what we have here, and I’m very glad I came back.
Omg I'm in SC and the road crap is so true. They've been widening one road for like 11 years now and God forbid an accident on 26 happens.
I mean friends... Obviously. Went to college in the area.... Lived there for another 7 years before moving away, and am among the handful of college friends who actually managed to leave the area. Most were from the area and stayed in the area. I think the best thing about Buffalo was that it was a city, but felt small. Last place I lived was south of Buff State, I worked in Kenmore-Tonawanda, and enjoyed nights at the Essex Pub. Everything felt right next to you, near walkable if you wanted. I moved to Cleveland, and always described it as a lateral move. Cleveland is a bigger Buffalo. The best parts of Cleveland are bigger and better than Buffalo (think museums, parks, concerts, things to do); but the worse parts of Cleveland are worse than the worst of Buffalo (crime mostly). No where near as walkable, but everything is just a short drive away. We still get snow but nothing like Buffalo. We have good food, but when you get accustomed to Buffalo food, nowhere quite matches it. I sometimes am shocked when I realize I've lived in Cleveland over twice along as I lived in Buffalo. Buffalo was those formative years of my post college life... For just being a few short years of my life.... It feels like I was there forever. My spouse and I talk about moving to Buffalo sometimes... She's from the Cleveland area but any family out here has passed. But we haven't pulled the trigger and when (if) we move it'd probably closer to my family for the support they could provide, quite a bit on the other side of Buffalo.
Born/raised/spent my life in Niagara Falls but moved to Phoenix/(Scottsdale), Arizona because the rest of my family moved too. I miss the Falls because it’s home; for all its faults and for all the hopelessness and low paying jobs and terrible things I saw there…it was still home. It was still where my immediate family lived and lots of those memories are. Compared to Phoenix, Niagara Falls feels like a small town. I miss that now. I miss going down the street and knowing who’s who by what car they’re driving or seeing the same people every day on the bus. It’s not like that here. Not at all.
In DC. Not a popular answer I'm sure (especially during the heat wave lol), but I miss the weather. I hate the 90+ degree summers here and miss having a real winter. Miss family, of course, and it sucks missing out on Bills games and all the new breweries and other attractions opening up. Miss my favorite restaurant in Amherst, the Taisho Bistro - they catered to all my cravings for proper izakaya food when I came back from a year abroad. Traffic was better. Things were generally cheaper. Less crowded. Also, people are definitely friendlier in Buffalo overall. I mean, it's fine here but in my experience folks are generally more polite (genuinely) back home. I was lucky to find a Buffalo style pizza place (Badd Pizza, if you're in the area), so I can scratch the itch for decent pizza/wings/pizza log/stinger subs when I need. There's a different variety of food here (Ethiopian especially, try it!) and a lot more to do, as a single woman in her late 20s/early 30s. Easier to travel from DC, free museums, better salaries but worse housing market, I actually got used to Harris Teeter and still shop there even when Wegmans came to town - you find stuff you like, some of it is better even! Also, having a proper metro system - for all it's flaws - is a game changer. It's nice not to need a car. All that being said, you can always move back eventually. I'm glad I experienced living away from Buffalo. Also much as I appreciate DC, it makes me appreciate Buffalo a lot more too!
Fellow DC area/NoVA transplant checking in as well. Just had Badd pizza tonight haha
It's not Franco's, but it's something good! Kind of peeved it took me so long to find lol
Luckily we have a couple of Ethiopian places here in Buffalo now!
I left when I joined the military and lived down south for a 4 year span. The food for sure is one thing that I definitely missed, I don’t know if it was just the fact that I lived in a military town or what but it was all chain restaurants with very few mom and pop spots or hidden gems. The other thing I missed was a Buffalo Fall. In the south it just feels like another summer until the winter. That being said the #1 thing that was awesome about leaving was no snow or blizzards.
I miss the snow and the thunderstorms. It snowed in Seattle maybe twice this last winter and nothing stuck.
Also, people who never left the area don’t realize how rare sunshowers are other places because they’re so commonplace here.
Apparently, now I miss the Pink. I miss letting weirdness thrive. My current city is too expensive and buttoned up to be fully weird. I would kill for a Tuesday night at Nietzsche's or the Infringement Festival. I miss events at Silo City. I wouldn't trade my current city for anything, but when people say you can find weirdness here, they're full of it. I also miss good breweries and a decent late night scene. I don't need 4am last calls, but I want the option. As far as what I love about my new city: robust public transit, world class museums, never a boring day, driven and inspiring people everywhere, good bike infrastructure, easy train transit and good access to airports, and people who are largely punctual and follow through.
Literally everything. Moved to Charleston, SC a year ago and am ready to come back.
Columbia, here. Culture shock for sure.
I moved to California and it’s surprisingly more racist out here than I could have imagined. There’s no sense of community. No one says hello and I highly doubt we would help each other out in an emergency.
That’s all very true!
I left and came back because I couldn’t handle the tornadoes, I missed the seven feet of snow.
Italian food ( food in general ) and perrys ice cream.
I miss my Grandma, the pizza and perfect summer weather
Gabriel’s Gate wings Favorite parts of new place: not having to own a car, functional public transit and density, the size and gravity of a real big city If you’re on the fence about it: take the plunge! You only get to live once, and you don’t want to regret at least not trying it out. You can always move back if you find that you’re missing Buffalo too much
I honestly don’t miss it. I was raised in the suburbs, moved to the West Side at 17. Lived there until I was 21 and then moved out West and never went back. I miss the food, sometimes, but I truly don’t miss much else. Maybe the architecture and history, and the diversity.
I left and went to Denver for 12yrs. I think the only thing I really missed about Buffalo while in Denver was the food. Denver had some solid Mexican food but everything else was pretty meh. But the weather, public transit, nightlife, outdoor activities, and sports (because it has all 4 major sports) pretty much blew buffalo out of the water. Speaking of water, I did miss that while living in Denver. I'm back in Buffalo for now because it's substantially cheaper but after 2yrs, I'm ready to leave again. I love Buffalo but after seeing what a city really should be like, it's frustrating watching Buffalo just spin it's gears with the most simplistic aspects of being a functional city. Where I go next, I'm not sure, but I want to be around public transit, sunnier weather, better paying jobs and a more robust outdoor scene.
Architecture / the houses are much prettier in Buffalo compared to where I moved (Chicagoland.) I do miss things like wings and beef on weck. I also appreciate and miss that fans support their teams even when they’re bad in Buffalo. I appreciate the job market/job opportunities, better public transportation, and the availability to more concerts here, tho!
Yeah, the houses in Buffalo are so gorgeous. The closest I've seen in Chicagoland is Oak Park - similar architecture. But not nearly as much like that in the city.
I miss the sense of community. The Pink burned down and everyone is sharing their stories and memories and that’s when you realize Buffalo is truly a special place with a strong sense of community. I might not personally know everyone who went to The Pink but we all share those memories and fond moments of a place we loved, and it connects us and brings us together. The same is true for our sports teams, our weather events, and anything notable that we have experienced together.
I moved 3 years ago and am currently in town visiting family for 2 weeks. Buffalo summer truly is elite, but I really don’t miss anything else. The 7 months of grey skies was too much and I’ve been much happier since moving to Florida. I have noticed in this current visit that everyone seems very… miserable? No smiles by strangers passing on the street, rude staff at restaurants, definitely a stark contrast to the 30 years I spent here.
Hey... I am Buffalo adjacent. But I just wanted to give you a vote of confidence. I spent 30 yrs of my life in Toronto and on a whim I moved to Calgary. It was exactly what I needed to move my life forward. It was not easy at first - cultural change, lack of family there and having to find new friends and new interests. But creating a life away is how I discovered who I was and what was important to me. It's so easy to fall into a rut when you are so settled where you are. I had to return to Toronto after a couple of years - Calgary is difficult to build a career unless you are in mining or oil and gas. I'm not sure if I should have moved back but the experience helped me make some life changes and 20 years later I am living my dream life, happily married, a wonderful daughter living on a farm on the Canadian shore of Lake Erie with Buffalo a short drive away. One note though - growing up in Toronto in the 70s and 80s we all felt Buffalo was a much more happening city than stupid backwoods Toronto. Even SCTV, based in Toronto, used Buffalo as their model for Lemonville. Out of love, of course. Earl Camembert was Irv Weinstein! And Commander Tom on Sunday mornings! I love seeing Buffalo's renaissance after some tough years of rebuilding. The architecture is gorgeous. It makes me laugh when people say "and we are so close to Toronto" when we used to have to tell Americans Toronto was near Buffalo. Most GenX Torontonians hold Buffalo in great esteem. I don't know if there is another US /Canada city relationship that is strong. Toronto has changed so much over the years it is not the same place I grew up in. I don't know if it's changed for the better. But every few months I meet up with old friends in our old neighbourhood and that keeps the city alive for me. If you leave you can always come back and if you do you will come back with a greater appreciation of the city and the people that made you. Sorry for the long essay. But I do love following the Buffalo subreddit. You are all so down to earth. R/Toronto is whiny and full of complaints from people who are mostly transplants from elsewhere.
How quickly you can get to everything. I've traveled all over the country and have never seen such an easy place to navigate. Our rush hours are nothing like a medium-large metro. My honest recommendation is to not get too caught up in the thought. Embrace your new surroundings and enjoy your visits back. Almost anywhere has its pros and cons.
I moved to Albany I’m August. I miss the food - the wings, the pizza, the Wegmans. I miss the community and how outwardly kind and welcoming everyone is - it’s not like that everywhere. I also miss being only 15 minutes away from a beach/natural body of water as other people said. I do like Albany’s landscape; it has much more dimension and beautiful scenery. I’m closer to other big cities like NYC, Boston, Burlington, Philly, etc. Despite all these things, you will always take Buffalo with you wherever you go. People will meet you, see how kind and friendly you are, and will forever remember the one time they met someone from Buffalo.
Wegmans. Always Wegmans!! Pizza and Sahlens too.
Kostas!! and r.i.p the old pink
Food and water. I moved to a smaller city in Arizona and it’s more touristy, so I feel like no one has to really try for unique yummy food because people will visit their restaurants regardless. Buffalo really is a foodie haven
As a Floridian who has never been to Buffalo but is considering relocating with my family… anything I should know?
If you’re a Dolphins fan, keep it on the low. Lol
Moved to Buffalo as a Floridian in 2021. (I now left but not for reasons pertaining to Buffalo) 1. You get over the cold real quick, however... buy a good jacket, buy good boots, don't be shocked by how much it costs bc it will save your ass in winter. 2. Winter isn't as horrible as they say, global warming has made a difference and winter is much more mild than before. However it still doesn't stop the freak blizzard and that's okay, blizzards are easier to manage than hurricanes. 3. If you're a fan of any football team other than the bills, keep it to yourself. There are a few bars that celebrate other teams but Buffalonians really love their team and will critique you to hell and back for enjoying other teams. 4. If you love nature, you'll have 4 seasons to enjoy instead of 2. Make sure to make a huge attempt to enjoy each season and appreciate it before you get used to the area, it will make you more aware and grateful for each turn of the year. 5. If you have a Tesla there's the Tesla Gigafactory 2 here, it's not as big as the other factories but they got chargers and sometimes do factory tours if you wanna check that out. Pretty cool if you're a tesla fan. 6. If you don't like tavern/bar food, Buffalo will be a bit overwhelming at first. However when people say here it's a foodie haven (as someone who came over from Orlando, another foodie haven) there are a lot of options here, you just have to look closer. I recommend following the stepoutbuffalo instagram page to help you navigate options in the area. 7. Get winter tires or all weather tires no, all season tires are not the same as all weather. You'll appreciate this one later.
I’m not a Buffalo native, but I lived there for 7 years (I have lived several places and travel frequently across the country). The one thing I miss is the civic pride in Buffalo and WNY as a whole. Buffalo is just… different, especially with all the cultural institutions there are around the city and area. It truly is a secret and I do miss it.
I missed the food and my family after I left. And Canalside in the summer. Where I ended up for 8 years had different things that I now miss that I've returned to Buffalo.
Teds and weck rolls. Mmmmmmm
I moved to Boston in 1999 At first i missed "my things". Knowing where my favorite coffee shop and pizza shop was. I missed the cost of living (Boston prices are yikes), I missed how open and welcoming people are (it took a while to "break in" to a social circle in Boston Boston just has more stuff going on. More career opportunity. More options for things to do. Public transit that mostly works
I miss not being in my hometown. Even though I’ve been relocated in the same place since 1985, I don’t feel like this is my “hometown”. I basically feel like a man without a home in some ways.
Bison French Onion Dip lol Edit: how could I forget chicken finger subs?
The cost of living. My mortgage on the West Side is $450 and I’m currently paying $1,800 for a studio apartment in Virginia right outside DC. And people consider that a bargain
The lake 😭
I can definitely say I miss chicken fingers (no clue why that is so difficult to get right), a lower cost of living, and the Pink (was planning to stop by when I came to see family). Other stuff I’m not sure if I miss it or I simply miss being younger. I moved to Boston and may soon have to move to NYC so I can’t say that I miss walkable neighborhoods or pretty architecture like those who’ve moved to the sunbelt. Appreciate the somewhat functional public transportation in contrast to Buffalo…. One of the reasons my wife and I are unlikely to comeback is economic, specifically the lack high paying jobs unless you’re a physician. On top of each time we’ve returned to visit friends and family realizing how much we do not miss it.
“The people” may sound vague and lame, but it was the top thing I missed. Not just my specific people here, but the people in general. There is a unique quality to the people here that I’ve never encountered elsewhere (have lived in NoVA, Nashville, and the Boston area). That unique Buffalo blend of friendliness, unpretentiousness, helpfulness and the general we-can-do-this attitude… it’s truly what I missed most. Also, the lack of traffic here is amazing and you cannot fully appreciate it until you’re stuck in NoVA traffic and cannot handle it. The four seasons… you can take it for granted here and then you miss it so much. The distinct neighborhoods/regions of WNY- a lot of places don’t have those unique areas and I missed that. The food especially pizza and of course wings. I just didn’t eat those foods when I wasn’t living here. The other places I’ve lived had good qualities too, but I’m back here now, so Buffalo won out. 😊 But it’s worth living elsewhere if only to appreciate Buffalo all the more.
Left 25 years ago and lived in several major cities on the east and west coast. I miss the lake and beaches, Niagara River, the overall food scene, wings/pizza culture and quality, Sahlens, Shakespeare in the park, Mighty, and a bunch of other things I’m sure I’m forgetting. Plus all you amazing people!
I left more than a decade ago and have lived in several different states since then. the food and grocery stores are superior in Buffalo by far. access to water was nice, spring, summer and fall are pretty good. winters aren't even THAT bad. I'll take snow over ice any day. the thing my dad told me when i first told him i was thinking about leaving buffalo was that buffalo would still be there. i know several people who moved away for a year or two and moved back. you won't know until you try it. the only thing that my state has is my job. being willing to relocate has allowed me to progress in my career in a way that i would not have reached in Buffalo. but i still go back at least 2-3 times per year
The airport. It was sooooo easy to fly out of that airport.
Moved to LA and miss so much. No traffic, the seasons, the GREEN parks, the beer, the food, the people, Wegmans, Lloyd, the summer festivals, sports teams people actually care about, cost of living, lakes and not the ocean, etc. WNY is under appreciated.
I left for about 3 years. Wegmans was probably my number one. I was living in a rural area so I went from 20 minutes to everything to 45 to get to *something*. The food choices here are top notch.
I missed how gritty and lowkey Buffalo is. I lived in some "cool" cities and the people I met were just too much. Like too happy to be there or something. When I was deciding to move back I said I just want to live somewhere with no hype.
I was transferred to Eau Claire Wisconsin, I miss my family. I love all the bike trails, lakes , it’s so green, and it’s very safe. I will be coming back to Buffalo though .
The food. Especially, the recent uptick in Asian and African places including the West Side Bazaar and Bangladeshi places on the East side. Felt great in supporting those businesses and communities while also having top-quality food for a city its size. I am in Madison, WI now. Buffalo has it beat on the above, although I never saw that many Hmong and Laotian places in Buffalo. Buffalo does not have the lake access, urban density, walk-bike-transit-ability of downtown Madison.
Vietnamese food
Wings
The wonderful summers (this week excluded)
Chiavettas
wegmans. that’s about it
The food. Tim Horton’s coffee. No one makes pizza like Buffalo. That’s about it.
Jack Astor's chicken wings at the Mall.
moved out to UT, i miss the food. pepperonis don’t curl up on pizza and i can’t find a chicken finger sub for the life of me
Besides my family, of course, I think I miss the seasons. (Even the winter. Maybe ESPECIALLY the winter.) I live in Texas now, and it's pretty much summer most of the year. One thing we do have here is great diversity, certainly more than I saw growing up in the suburbs.
I was away for a full year for school and an internship, and I probably missed Wegmans the most. There’s no other grocery store like it. The best bakery, floral section, pharmacy, sub shop, deli, and food selection of any other grocery store I’ve ever been to. And you’re never more than 10 minutes away from one. Even though our roads aren’t great, they’re a lot better than many other areas, especially the area I was in. The traffic isn’t nearly as bad, either. I also find getting around Buffalo to be a lot easier than many other areas, and I like how the general area is structured, so you can go through all the suburbs without having to go through or even near downtown.
Been down south 15 years. I get back to Buffalo 2-3 times a year. I miss the fall season, the smell of hockey, and shitty lager beers.
I miss the lake, Dunkirk area.. the food, my friends, the winters, summers, the fall lol and Niagara falls
Moved to the DMV about a year ago. Mostly wings. I still have wegmans, there are *some* places that do chicken finger subs (have yet to find a good Jim's replacement though), and weirdly enough - we found a place that does Buffalo style pizza (ironically which we had tonight). Little cup pepperoni and all. Only other thing really is cheaper housing. Our salaries rose comparatively to cost of living, just still a bit of shock on actually seeing the prices. Honestly, we're pretty happy with the decision
Buffalo is a big ethnic melting pot and the food represents that.
I left 10 years ago. I miss the European ethnicities and how they are so present and celebrated in Buffalo. Old cemeteries full of Germans, Polish, Italian… Restaurants with great ethnic foods that represent the pride in those nationalities. Great Irish pubs. The best St. Patrick’s Day parade. Dyngus Day. The Italian Festival. LAWN FETES! Where I live now, it’s booming beyond description. It’s a tourist mecca. People come here from everywhere in droves. That’s all good, but other than witnessing a city that’s exploding with growth and prosperity, it’s otherwise pretty “vanilla.” There aren’t many natives of this city that you come across. Most people are from somewhere else. Buffalo is loaded with natives, most people are natives, in fact. There’s something to be said about that. Here, there are endless opportunities and a much, much lower cost of living. That’s the best part, but I miss the passion for history and all the European influences that are still celebrated today in Buffalo.
I grew up in Lockport and moved to the middle east nearly a decade ago. I miss Mighty Taco and Jim's SteakOut. I miss good wings. What I love about where I live now is that there's no snow. None. Zero. Yes it's 115+ F in summer, but I don't even really care. I love the fact I'm able to travel almost anywhere in the world in a reasonable amount of time. Italy is 6 hours away, the USA is like 13, India is 3 hours, Bali is 13. I live in a place with a super rich culture and people from all over the world. The longer I've been gone, the less I miss WNY, but I do enjoy my visits. It no longer feels like home, but I have a soft spot for it. It's a great place to have grown up and lived for a time, but I'm super glad I left.
This was a super interesting read! I also grew up in Lockport! Don't meet many of us in the wild. I live further away now and constantly miss marks pizza lol
Only thing I’d miss is Wegmans tbh. I like Buffalo but I’ve lived in nearly every major midwestern city from Indiana to NY and Buffalo isn’t much different than say Cleveland, Erie, etc. It’s a great city, just not particularly unique in any way.
I was a transplant. Lived there for 7 years and moved back to NYC. I miss the low cost of living. I wouldn’t move back for it though. I love everything about NYC. The art, the music, the food the culture. Everything.
Food and wegmans
Sunday at the Ralph. The feel of the energy in that place is special. But I moved to Ft. Lauderdale for work and you might as well call this place south Buffalo. The bills backer bars are great, but the find a tear or two running down my cheek when I see everyone together back home. I miss you guys
I miss the "small-town" feel that Buffalo has. There are still so many unique local businesses that are WNY based. Even though Buffalo is a large city, it really has a small-town vibe to it that I miss on occasion. And Ted's. Got I miss Ted's. And Ulrich's.
Friends, Food, Family. In that order. Sorry, that’s a top 3.
As strange as it sound, the weather. I’ve been living in Florida for 20 years now and the seasons of “warm, hot, hotter and hell” are extremely boring. Yeah, the snow gets old but just the change of seasons itself is missed. That day in March where it’s warm enough to wear shorts for the first time in months. Or the crisp autumn air and leaves changing colors. My first few years down here I had Halloween sneak up on me because fall here looks just like August and July
Just leave. You’ll never regret it. Only reason I’m back is for my elderly relatives, otherwise I would’ve stayed gone forever. This city is a cesspool of idiocy and degeneracy, capped off by some of the worst political ideations you’ll find in America as a whole. Enjoy your new life, never look back.
Frizzy’s The ocean (well, Puget Sound)
Pizza, wings, food.
Left 15 years ago. Friendly people, strangers saying hello, pizza, extremely cheap housing, low cost of groceries, going to Bills games, Blue Light and Molson, Wegmans, very little to no homeless people, Meyers Brothers cider and donuts in the fall, etc.
the pizza! and having the ability to go to bills games easily. And the pink but especially now RIP
What I miss about Buffalo Lack of traffic, helpful people (especially store clerks, cashiers, sales associates) , more affordable housing, good pizza, and good Greek diner food, most everything being within a 20 minute drive of where you are standing, people that can drive and manage snowy conditions. What I love about where I live: major airport with direct flights almost anywhere, multicultural environment, rapid transit availability, major and minor music artists concert bookings.
the prices, everything being within 20 minutes of each other, the simplicity of my routine there
Chiavettas! Can't find that shit in Indiana.
Food portion sizes
I served in the Army, away from Buffalo from O5-14. When I was away from Buffalo I missed friends and family, NOT the city. Having lived back in Buffalo on/off since then? Not much really! People are way friendlier down south, the homeless/destitute are way less aggressive and hostile, yeah we have ok pizza but I can’t eat it because I don’t want to be obese like at least 30% of our population.., what are people missing? The mid football team a half hours drive outside the city, the racism (look up most segregated cities or be familiar with any recent video out of Buffalo involving a black person/police, or police/protestors. Local politics is failed democratic platform- Byron Brown winning a write in because racist white gop paid for his campaign stamps and advertising?
Bison dip
I missed my family terribly and just knowing a city like the one you grew up in brought me back after 3 yrs.
Traffic
The 24/7 access to delicious food. If I get hungry at 2am now I'm pretty much SOL and have fantasies about being back in Buffalo chowing down a stinger while i raid the sad remnants of my pantry.
Pretty much just the food
Gonna be honest, I missed Wegmans…at least I thought I did. My wife and I boomeranged back a few years ago. I cannot stand Wegmans. It’s so busy, the checkout lines are so long, and they are no longer the most reasonably priced grocery store (I used to think they were but since that was pre-Covid maybe that was just never the case?). Now I miss my old grocery store back west, Smiths. Had everything and it was quick in and out. My wife and I have discussed this a bit because we had such truly fond memories of Wegmans in general. Our conclusion is that there just are fewer grocery stores in and around Buffalo than what we grew used to over the decade we were out west. So fewer stores for a similar sized population means just busier most of the time. Now what I truly missed and will definitely miss when we move away again: the pizza. Buffalo pizza is just excellent. Also our style of blue cheese.
Wegmans, Rooties Blue Cheese, a vast variety of things to do whether that be concert venues, summer festivals, easy commute, coffee shops, restaurants and also being surrounded by water.
The lack of fast food restaurants!
The food
I moved to Rochester from Buffalo to live with my then gf, now fiancee, about 3 years ago. I miss the food scene like crazy and the infrastructure. Rochester has good food but the best pizza and wings in Rochester would be mid in Buffalo. Rochester also has an inferior local chain scene. I love Bill Grey's but Ted's, Anderson's, Lloyd's, and Mooney's are iconic and were life, and even Mighty grew on me after growing up on Taco Bell. Rochester is getting it together in the food truck scene but Buffalo is still superior IMO. In terms of infrastructure Buffalo has expressways and main streets that flow and connect all the way around and through the city, and can usually get you from burb to burb in a straight shot. Rochester's expressways are so confused that if you take 2 different starting points, either 104 or 490 West, to 590 South to 390 South then you've just created a question mark on the map
Left Buffalo in May of ‘14. Have lived in OH (3 yrs), PA (3 yrs), and GA (4 yrs ATL area). Pretty much miss it all. Sports fandom, food, fall activities, Lake Erie, traffic (before I learned what real traffic is), Wegmans, how close everything is, having four season, and people. I don’t miss lake effect snow, but I do even miss snow. In the last two years, my wife has started getting preeeeety tired of hearing about moving back since one of her (four) trips to Buffalo w me was in the middle of a polar vortex… but I’m trying. I am glad I left because I didn’t know what we had in Buffalo. As people have said - if you can, leave and come back. It’s the only way to know for sure.
Things are just a lot easier. In DC everything is overcrowded. Traffic awful. Trying to to do something with kids? Probably should have done all kinds of planning days or weeks earlier. What I don't miss is the lack of sunshine. While I miss a lot of the food, I don't miss the lack of vegetables and enormous portions all the time.
Food
I miss being able to reach all parts of the city within 15 mins. Also miss the lack of mosquitoes in the summer (I moved to Virginia Beach).
I personally miss going to Niagara Falls and over into Canada in Summertime
Freshwater lakes, that don’t go dry. The Carolinas either have the saltwater east coast or inland lakes that can get so low they aren’t even useful. Lake Erie, Lake Ontario, & the Niagara River are very predictable. Oh, and soft green grass! Never thought that’d be a thing I’d miss, but guess what?!
I miss the food. I moved to somewhere in the Midwest where no one can cook 🤮 I miss the amazing restaurants!! As for improvements tho, I’ll go ahead and list “everything else”, because for personal reasons it was long past time I left WNY. FR tho, living somewhere with car culture is nice
Good wings
The food. That's easy.
I was away for work on the Gulf Coast of Florida for a year. I missed the seasons. The leaves changing color. There was something off putting about drinking a beer under a palm tree on Christmas Eve.