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Back to Buffalo
By Shawn | March 30, 2009
As spring break approached us, my excitement and enthusiasm for this very cherished, yet frequently distorted academic ritual was sky high. My girlfriend and I were headed for not an island paradise, but a place far more serene, full of memories, and beautiful in its own right: Buffalo, the darling of Western New York.
Luckily and coincidentally enough, my spring break coincided with the days in which my girlfriend had a conference to attend. Thus, we were able to fly out to the Niagara frontier to visit my friends and family who live in the surrounds of Buffalo. Our first hours there we crossed the border, and made out way to my favorite Canadian hideaway – Niagara-on-the-Lake, which sits on the western shores of beautiful and massive Lake Ontario. Only a mere 40 minutes drive from Buffalo, we arrived early enough to eat lunch at the Olde Angel Inn, arguably the best restaurant in town. After consuming my Guinness Steak Pie, we explored the Queen Street promenade as we stopped at the famed Greaves jam shop and viewed the lake and Old Fort Niagara from the town gazeebo.
As the sabbath was upon us, we drove down to Lackawanna to attend mass at the most beautiful and mighty Our Lady of Victory Basilica, home to the region’s famed and loved Father Baker. Our next stop was the annual St. Patrick’s Day parade along Delaware Avenue in downtown Buffalo. After enjoying lunch at Merge, a new and interesting green restuarant near Edward Street, we joined the throngs of parade-goers enjoying the bright, but rare, Western New York winter day. A more vibrant area of Buffalo, Hertel Avenue and its Empire Grill was our dinner host.
Like any visitor to Buffalo should do, the next day we excitedly made our way to the world famous Anchor Bar to devour chicken wings and beef-on-weck, both Buffalo specialities. Our last night in town closed with a dinner visit to the Pearl Street Grill, home to a number of delicious local craft brews and Sabres fans alike.
My time at Canisius not only solidified a special place in my heart for the college, but also Buffalo as a city, a home to thousands of people hungry for life and passionate about their creations and community. As one experiences all that Canisius has to offer, getting to know the neighborhood as well as the city in general will only enhance one’s collegiate experience. From watching Sabres games to running in Delaware Park, one cannot help but feel at home and amongst friends. Buffalo is, after all, the home of good neighbors.
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