The Best Neighborhoods in Buffalo NY

best neighborhoods in buffalo ny best neighborhood in buffalo ny

Ask any Buffalonian what the best neighborhoods in Buffalo are and you’ll probably hear a passionate response about why their neighborhood is the best. Buffalo is a city that’s full of great neighborhoods and is fittingly referred to as “The City of Good Neighbors.“

Many neighborhoods in Buffalo have been around for a long time, so there is a rich culture and history specific to each one. If you’re looking for a possible neighborhood to purchase a house in, check out our article The Ultimate Guide to Relocating to Buffalo NY once you’re finished here.

Now, our list of the best neighborhoods in Buffalo NY.

Elmwood Village

Buffalo’s Elmwood Village is probably the most well-known and popular neighborhood in the City. It’s full of restaurants, cafes, bars, green spaces, and local shopping establishments. There are events, festivals, and parades throughout the summer months and it’s a hub of activity all year long.

Elmwood Avenue, from which the Elmwood Village gets its name, is a commercial street that runs directly through the Elmwood Village and is home to the best shopping in Buffalo. It’s jam packed with tourists and locals alike from Spring straight through Fall.

It’s easy to call it one of the best neighborhoods in Buffalo since it plays such a central role in Buffalo’s identity. Next time you’re here, take a stroll from one end of Elmwood to the other and you’ll find plenty of entertainment and culture.

You can read a bit more in depth about the Elmwood Village by check out our article The Elmwood Village in Buffalo NY

Allentown

Allentown is the artistic heart of Buffalo. It’s home to Buffalo’s arts community and is known for it’s nightlife and eccentric vibes. Allen Street runs directly through the middle of Allentown and is packed with bars, restaurants, and cafes.

It’s an extremely colorful neighborhood as homeowners and artists have decided to paint their homes vibrant colors and put murals up everywhere. Check out our article The 18 Most Colorful Homes in Allentown to get a little taste of just how vibrant the neighborhood is.

Allentown is a great area for anyone looking to experience the best nightlife Buffalo has to offer. It’s streets are filled with people late into the night. It’s also home to Gabriels Gate, considered by many to have the best wings in all of Buffalo.

For a deeper dive into everything that Allentown has to offer, dive our Allentown Neighborhood Guide article a read.

Parkside

Parkside is a beautiful, calm neighborhood that’s located exactly where its name suggests, next to Buffalo’s largest park. Delaware Park was designed by world famous landscape architect Frederick Law Olmsted, the same Olmsted that designed Central Park in New York City.

Parkside is also home to Buffalo’s most famous home, Frank Lloyd Wright’s Darwin Martin House. Just a block away from Delaware Park and right in the heart of the Parkside Neighborhood is a world famous architectural gem. If you’re looking to check out distinct and diverse residential architecture, Parkside will surely fit that bill.

Our Parkside Neighborhood Guide article offers a ton more information on this beautiful neighborhood.

North Buffalo

North Buffalo is a mostly residential area that’s a bit quieter and more low key than the Elmwood Village. It’s home to Hertel Avenue, which is full of restaurants, bars, and cafes and great for long walks filled with window shopping.

North Buffalo is an excellent neighborhood for those that want big city amenities without having to be right in the heart of the action. It’s a great area for families that want an affordable home in a safe neighborhood that’s close to all the necessities and is well worth a visit.

West Side

Buffalo’s West Side is by far the most culturally diverse neighborhood in Buffalo. Since it’s founding the West Side has been the main area of resettlement for immigrants and refugees that arrive in Buffalo.

Beginning with a large amount of Italian and Sicilian immigrants moving in during the early 1900s, it’s now a melting pot of cultures and has majorly benefitted because of it.

There is no better establishment that encompasses Buffalo’s West Side than the West Side Bazaar, a small business incubator which helps immigrants and refugees start businesses upon arriving in Buffalo. Inside the Bazaar you can find restaurants featuring Thai, Burmese, Sudanese, Ethiopian, and many more styles of food.

It’s easily one of the best neighborhoods in Buffalo and is well worth a visit.

Park Meadow

More of a residential area, Park Meadow has some of the largest and most impressive homes in the City. It’s also located right across the street from the above mentioned Delaware Park.

It’s central location within the city puts Park Meadow in an ideal area to explore everything Buffalo has to offer. Just a few steps from Buffalo’s largest park, a bike ride from both Elmwood Avenue and Hertel Avenue, and a short drive Downtown is a major selling factor.

This is a great neighborhood to visit if you enjoy walking around and checking well manicured landscapes and big impressive homes.

Downtown

Downtown Buffalo has seen a major revitalization in the past 5 years and is now a bustling neighborhood with true big city vibes. If you’re looking for that classic big city feel, Downtown Buffalo offers everything that you could want.

Condos continue to be built, so if you’re looking to relocate to Buffalo you’ll have the option of a brand new high rise home. At the same time, there are many old buildings downtown with beautiful apartments inside them.

In terms of entertainment, Downtown Buffalo has it all. The Buffalo Sabres and Buffalo Bisons both have their stadiums located downtown. There are tons of bars, restaurants, clubs, theaters, cafes, art galleries, etc.

It’s also right on Lake Erie, which means Canalside, a big tourist hub and a major attraction, is always just a short walk away.

Larkinville

Just south of Downtown is Larkinville, a neighborhood that is absolutely rich with historical significance. Larkinville gets its name from the Larkin Soap Company and the since demolished Larkin Administration Building, which was designed by the famous and above mentioned Frank Lloyd Wright.

It’s centered around Larkin Square and becomes a meeting place for residents all over the City during the summer months.

Food Truck Tuesday (pictured above) happens every Tuesday of the summer and becomes a huge festival in its own right. The food truck scene in Buffalo is quite large, so this is the place to be if you want to sample as many food truck creations as possible.

Although it is a relatively small neighborhood, there are restaurants and breweries spread throughout it.

Black rock

Black Rock is a neighborhood located in the Northwest area of Buffalo. It’s a very unique neighborhood, as it was not a part of the City of Buffalo when it was founded.

It was actually a rival competitor of Buffalo to be the western end of the Erie Canal. Buffalo ended up winning the battle for Erie Canal dominance due to it’s superior geographic location.

Black Rock was also burnt to the ground during the War of 1812. In-spite of all these defeats that may have ended the relevance of another city/neighborhood, Black Rock rebuilt itself and continued to thrive.

Now, it’s a dense residential neighborhood that’s lined with bars and restaurants and is especially known for their live music scene.