subscribesubscriber servicescontact usabout ussite mapBuy a Classified
Wed, Nov 25 2009 

Published: August 26, 2008 04:35 pm    print this story  

COLUMN: Rethinking the whole Buffalo-Niagara thing

By Michael Lucinski
Niagara Gazette

My wife’s co-worker faced a quandary recently: where should her family take an affordable stateside vacation? (Ireland, the first choice, was too expensive.) I’m proud that my Western-New-Yorker-via-marriage wife sold her co-worker on a trip to the Cataract City (We’ll expect a Tourism and Convention Corp. referral bonus in the mail any day.)

Relating her triumph to me, my wife then posited a second quandary: once in Niagara Falls, where should her co-worker’s family visit? I paused, running through a mental checklist. As a native, I have a blind spot about Western New York, both the charms and deficiencies. What sites and attractions would I recommend to someone visiting from Maryland?

The mental ledger I conjured heavily skewed towards Niagara County. That surprised me. The national impression of the region skews heavily towards the “Buffalo” in “Buffalo-Niagara,” attributable to sports, snow and steel factories (a lack thereof). My impression of the region was similarly skewed. Only now do I realize my error.

Buffalo and Erie County possess numerous quality attractions, no doubt. The Albright-Knox Art Gallery and Theodore Roosevelt’s inauguration site are among them. Those are relatively niche attractions, however. The Bills and Sabres aren’t summer attractions and traveling hundreds of miles for a game has zero appeal to half the American populace.

By comparison, Niagara County’s attractions have a broad appeal. Number one, two, three and four on the list is the Falls, the Falls, the Falls and the farmer’s market on Pine Avenue. I mean, the Falls. The Maid of the Mist, the Cave of the Winds, the Observation Tower, Devil’s Hole, the Whirlpool Jet boat tour, the aero car — that’s at least a day’s worth of entertainment.

Of course, how can the Seneca Niagara Casino be ignored, especially with that monster hotel that looks like a knife blade thrust towards the heavens? And we need not forget our friends across the gorge. Clifton Hill is a small town mélange of Las Vegas, Virginia Beach and Times Square.

Lewiston’s Center Street is quaint fun. Don’t forget Artpark and the Como restaurant. The Niagara Wine Trail appeals to those not satisfied with the boxed variety. And hey, there is an almost-abandoned airport waiting for somebody to use it.

In 2000, the U.S. Department of Commerce published a coffee table book of the varied and beautiful geography across the nation. No photograph — or mention — of Niagara Falls was included. It would be a shame for Niagara Falls to fall further off the American radar (Forget that “Honeymoon Capital of the World” moniker relevant during the Eisenhower Administration.) This region is unique on the continent and very affordable to tourists as the nation endures anemic economic growth.

I was pleasantly surprised to offer Niagara County as the place to visit for my wife’s co-worker. Erie County is the second fiddle in this scenario. Maybe the airport in Cheektowaga needs a name change. The Niagara-Buffalo International Airport is starting to sound better.

Michael Lucinski is a former Gazette reporter who currently lives in suburban Baltimore. He is the son of Gazette Managing Editor Dick Lucinski.

print this story  

Photos


Michael Lucinski None/Niagara Gazette (Click for larger image)



autoconx
Premier Guide
Find a business

Walking Fingers
Maps, Menus, Store hours, Coupons, and more...
Premier Guide
Premier Guide

Find a job! Find a Home! Find a car!

Featured Jobs

OFFICE HELP
Office help, p/t, must have exc. computer/word processing skills, fax 877-2029 or jimshotwell@roadrunner.com, NO CALLS...>MORE

MST Therapists
Catholic Charities has an excellent professional development opportunity available for the following position:
MST
...>MORE

DRIVER
Driver, light pick up & delivery, need own car, know WNY, valid NYS driver lic., good pay 694-1251...>MORE

PHONE SALES
PHONE sales, great pay, exp. a plus, nice NT office, FT/PT, hrly. +, Pete or Mike, 694-1251...>MORE

Dental Reception
Maintenance
Supervisor
FT Maintenance Niagara Falls YMCA. HVAC, electr., plbg, carpentry, cleaning, pool. $13.
...>MORE

FOREMAN & LABORERS
Basement Waterproofing co. needs a foreman & laborers for expanding business, exp. w/interior drain tile a plus, 471-723...>MORE

EEO Compliance & Workforce Diversity Coordinator
Equal Employment Opportunity Compliance
& Workforce Diversity Coordinator
City of Niagara Falls
Immediate
...>MORE

SHIPPING CLERK
Shipping Clerk, p/t, 30-35 hrs. wk., exp. in warehouse environment, knowledge of Word/Excel, data entry, UPS, freight ch...>MORE

Maintenance Supervisor
Maintenance Supervisor
FT Maintenance Niagara Falls YMCA. HVAC, electr., plbg, carpentry, cleaning, pool. $13.25/hr
...>MORE

Nurse Practitioner
NURSE PRACTITIONER-CARDIOLOGY. Full time. NYS license with one year of recent coronary care or cardiovacular care experi...>MORE

See all ads

Feature Autos

Chevy 1994 High Topper Van
CHEVY 1994 High topper van, high road miles, mechanically sound, $900 or bo, 716-510-8105...>MORE

1984 Cadillac Eldorado
CADILLAC Eldorado 1984, runs, inspected, $500. 283-3552....>MORE

Dodge 1993 Dakota 4x4
FORD 1999 WIndstar, LX, fully loaded, 38k miles, $3850. Excellent condition 860-4747...>MORE

Nissan 1993 4x4
NISSAN 1993 4x4, extended cab, bedliner cap, $1200 or best offer, 715-2450...>MORE

Ford 1999 Windstar
FORD 1999 WIndstar, LX, fully loaded, 38k miles, $3850. Excellent condition 860-4747...>MORE

Yamaha 1982, 750
YAMAHA 1982, 750, runs perfect,
low mileage, $895.
716-525-2889
...>MORE

1996 Saturn Sport Coup
SATURN 1996 Sport coup, 4 cyl, auto, exc cond in & out, loaded, CD, no rust, 97k orig. mi, $2195. 523-7102....>MORE

1996 Ford Escort
FORD 1996 Escort 4 cyl, 2 dr, exc cond in & out, no rust, 1 owner, only 61k orig mi, $2195. 523-7102...>MORE

Ford 2001 Taurus
Ford 2001 Taurus Station wagon, well maintained, 112,000 miles Siver ext. 4 dr, auto, asking $2800/BO. 716-772-2454....>MORE

Monte Carlo Z24 1998
MONTE CARLO Z24, 1998, runs good, average miles, excellent shape, $1800 , 990-2303...>MORE

See all ads





 

Community Newspaper Holdings, Inc.CNHI Classified Advertising NetworkCNHI News Service
Associated Press content © 2009. All rights reserved. AP content may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Our site is powered by Zope and our Internet Yellow Pages site is powered by PremierGuide.
Some parts of our site may require you to download the Flash Player Plugin.
View our Privacy Policy
Advertiser index