The Buffalo-Niagara Region
Family-Friendly
Our strong sense of community, easy lifestyle and affordability are why Forbes magazine ranks Buffalo one of the top 10 U.S. cities to raise a family. The magazine also ranks Buffalo as the "No. 1 Best City for Working Mothers."
Family enjoying an outdoor UB on the Green performance.
Solid Schools
Western New York is home to excellent school districts, many of which have received statewide and national recognition.
There are numerous private school options, including parochial schools.
Options for residents of Buffalo include the Buffalo Public Schools, as well as a growing number of charter schools. The Buffalo district’s City Honors High School has repeatedly made Newsweek’s list of the top 10 high schools in the U.S.
Family Fun at Every Turn
In Western New York, your family can explore nature, absorb culture and have fun at every turn.
Our family-friendly destinations and attractions include:
- The extensive Olmsted park system.
- A city zoo that’s home to animals from the Arctic to the rainforest.
- Numerous nature centers and campgrounds.
- An 18th-century fort where history comes alive with re-enactments and demonstrations of military life.
- First-class amusement parks, including Darien Lake, Fantasy Island and an old-fashioned theme park geared for younger kids.
- A science museum that hosts traveling exhibitions and summer camps, a history museum, children’s museum, and even a fireman's museum.
- A professional children’s theater and one of the largest, free outdoor Shakespeare festivals in the country.
- Family concerts hosted by the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra.
- Free family nights at the world-renowned Albright-Knox Art Gallery.
- Slopes for skiing, snowboarding, sledding and tubing.
- Festivals throughout the year
650 life sciences companies
Within 90 miles of Buffalo, there are more than 650 life sciences companies, many of which collaborate with local research and academic institutions in a variety of industries, ranging from medical devices and biomedical informatics to drug development and biotechnology. These include more than 160 biomedical firms in the Buffalo Niagara region that employ more than 6,000 people.
More than 20 colleges & universities
The Buffalo Niagara region has nearly 1,000 life sciences graduates each year, plus tremendous academic and research talent in the neighboring areas of Rochester and Syracuse, New York and Toronto and Southern Ontario.
