City September 7, 2012 11:51 AM

Buffalo is the 'Destination of the Month' on Wikitravel

Buffalo is the ‘Destination of the Month’ on Wikitravel
queenseyes
queenseyes 23
Every little bit helps when it comes to shedding our city's post industrial rust belt image, and that's why it seems that once a week one of our readers sends us a link showcasing Buffalo in a positive national light. This week it's Wikitravel that has picked up on Buffalo's evolving image. Buffalo is this month's feature travel destination, as seen on Wikitravel's front page. 

Here's the lead-in for the piece:

The largest city in New York State's Niagara Frontier, Buffalo is a city full of surprises. Though Buffalo is sometimes the butt of jokes about chicken wings, its long-suffering sports teams, and the mountains of snow under which it is supposedly buried each winter, local residents and others who are in the know tell a different story: one of vibrant nightlife, world-class museums and cultural attractions, tight-knit neighborhoods with community spirit and a real sense of place, a winning combination of high quality of life and low cost of living--and the sunniest summers in the Northeastern United States. A great part of Buffalo's appeal to visitors is the still-palpable sense of its history as an important industrial center. Majestic historic buildings and sites around every corner tell the story of a city that was great once and has all the tools in place to be great again someday.

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23 Comments Leave a comment
grad94
September 7, 2012 12:37 PM
grad94

nice, especially the part about sunny summers.

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Chris
September 7, 2012 1:02 PM
Chris

Ripped directly from the media kit that visit buffalo niagara provided them with... PR Score!

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grad94
September 7, 2012 4:42 PM
grad94

then don't let me see you whining that the visitor's bureau doesn't do anything.

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Martha Red
September 7, 2012 12:43 PM
Martha Red

The definition of Upstate New York is pretty elusive.

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grad94
September 7, 2012 4:43 PM
grad94

my personal definition of upstate is this: if you live too far away from new york city to commute in and out every day, then you live upstate.

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DeanerPPX
September 7, 2012 6:11 PM
DeanerPPX

I know that technically we are Upstate New York, but I always preferred WESTERN New York. It clearly defines us from the Adirondack Region, and does a better job at including us with Niagara, the Great Lakes, Southern Ontario and the Finger Lakes.

Besides, it emphasizes that we are more west than north of NYC, and far from being a backwater suburb. A combination of east coast and mid-west.

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grad94
September 7, 2012 11:09 PM
grad94

actually, i agree that western ny is distinct from or at least a subset of upstate ny. but it grates on me when people use "western ny" as a substitute for buffalo. "western ny" as a descriptor is meaningless outside of, well, western ny.

if someone tells me that their company serves northeastern illinois, i draw a blank. it ain't one of my mental maps, sorry. but when they tell me that their company serves the chicago area, now we're on the same page.

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DeanerPPX
September 8, 2012 12:24 AM
DeanerPPX

Depends on what you're trying to sell. "Niagara Region" obviously includes Canada, which offends some people here (and unfortunately all too often excludes Buffalo, if not the US altogether). Half the people in this country barely know that New York is as large of a state as it is, and probably don't even realize that Long Island is in NY.

If we're trying to market Buffalo to tourists, WNY is specific but broad enough to include Niagara, Rochester and the Finger Lakes.

I don't think NE Illinois is a common term, but Southern California describes LA, San Diego and the entire Inland Empire. South Florida includes Miami-FTL, the Palm Beaches, Keys and Everglades, but is distinct from Orlando and Tampa Bay. Even the South of France conjures up images of the Mediterranean coast, not the French Alps which are technically in the southern part of the country.

While we ARE in Upstate NY, the world has a different view of what that means. Anyone unfamiliar with Buffalo would picture exoburban NYC, the Hudson Valley and the Adirondacks. We fall into that category, but it just doesn't describe us well to the rest of the world.

Maybe WNY isn't the best label for us, but Upstate is misconstrued and Niagara Region hasn't been marketed well at all. Perhaps it's time for a new label? The Greater Lakes? Upper State NY? Niagara International Region? Unfortunately the two labels that everybody DOES know is Rust Belt and Snow Belt...

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sonyactivision
September 7, 2012 11:49 PM
sonyactivision

Anything out of reach of the MTA Metro North is Upstate.

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replied to Martha Red
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Dagner
September 8, 2012 1:06 AM
Dagner

Actually, when I worked in Manhattan, even my Westchester county apartment was considered "upstate" to my coworkers.

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NBuffguy
September 8, 2012 9:14 AM
NBuffguy

Agreed. The MTA goes all the way to Poughkeepsie, and that's an 80-mile drive from Manhattan. You're firmly upstate before you get to the train station there, having passed places like Peekskill, West Point, and Newburgh.

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Lukia Costello
September 7, 2012 1:00 PM
Lukia Costello


We have so much here; this listing doesn't even begin to cover it. Canal Side is missing as well as many of our numerous festivals.

It looks like WikiTravel allows you to add content if you register for an account.


If you're intersted here's the guide:
http://wikitravel.org/en/Wikitravel:Quick_contribution_guide

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elmdog
September 7, 2012 1:06 PM
elmdog

Add this- if u were to extend the square mileage out another 20 square miles the city would no longer be the 3rd poorest city in the country - all of the stats good and or bad Re all subjective to many different parameters ...... We will never be the richest city per .... But comparing our measly 48 square mile city to 90 percent of the other that double in size just isn't accurate

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LouisTully
September 7, 2012 9:33 PM
LouisTully

So how do all those other sprawling cities - like Atlanta - compare? If you took the 48 square miles at the center of every city where would Buffalo fall. I bet that changes things at least a bit.

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elmdog
September 8, 2012 1:27 PM
elmdog

I wonder, I wish I knew and maybe someone will do it.....Its a good thought though...I know we dont have fortune 500 companies and so on but to compare our city worth per family per city limits is wrong...It has been a city that families have run from for 40 years to the suburbs....

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elmdog
September 7, 2012 1:08 PM
elmdog

And all of this recent publicity is really nice but we are still 5 years away from masses coming here and going home with a surprised look on their faces....... We are on the cusp - so keep pressing the good publicity but ...

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No_Illusions
September 8, 2012 6:18 PM
No_Illusions

I disagree. Buffalo does not have the best reputation, therefore it is not hard to surprise people, since they are not expecting much.

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No_Illusions
September 9, 2012 9:16 AM
No_Illusions

I disagree. Buffalo does not have the best reputation, therefore it is not hard to surprise people, since they are not expecting much.

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replied to elmdog
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Buffaboy
September 7, 2012 2:56 PM
Buffaboy

I actually created a wikiproject on Wikipedia about wny, and it is http:www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/wp:wny

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DeanerPPX
September 7, 2012 6:03 PM
DeanerPPX

A pretty good write-up, and quite upfront and upbeat about the weather. But I always cringe when people show photos of dismal winter scenes, rather than upbeat or at least attractive photos.

Why show a snowed-in, unplowed street when you could use an image of people skating, enjoying a holiday festival, or a picturesque view of winter's natural beauty?

As long as people are updating the written information, how about contributing some better pictures for the world to see?

And I know it's our signature dish, but how did a plate of wings end up as the cover image?

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STEEL
September 7, 2012 6:50 PM
STEEL

That skyline is one of the more lame angles as well

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elias
September 7, 2012 10:10 PM
elias

i thought it was a terriffic article...a few things i would have done differently, including skyline pic, but overall, it was an honest and real representation of who we are, what we love and what they'll love, i don't think they'll care whether or not they're in upstate or western new york (i prefer wny, btw), keep enjoying your neighborhoods, so more can be added to the article over time...

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Dan
September 9, 2012 2:30 PM
Dan

Okay:

* Upstate New York, as Upstate New Yorkers see it: anyplace outside of the NYC metro sphere of influence.

* Upstate New York, as those from MYC see it: north of the inner ring suburbs of Westchester County.

* Western New York, as those from Buffalo see it: Erie, Niagara, Genesee, Orleans, Chautauqua, Wyoming, Cattaragus and Allegheny counties. Often coterminous with "Niagara Frontier".

* Western New York, as those from Rochester see it: anyplace in New York State where "pop" is used instead of "soda".

* Buffalo Niagara Region, as those from Buffalo see it: Erie and Niagara counties, along with the Regional Municipality of Niagara in Ontario.

* Niagara Region, as those from Ontario see it: Regional Municipality of Niagara only; the Golden Horseshoe southeast of Hamilton. "Niagara" doesn't cross the Canada/US border.

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