Western New York
Encyclopedia
Western New York is the westernmost region of the state of New York
. It includes the cities of Buffalo
, Rochester
, Niagara Falls
, the surrounding suburbs, as well as the outlying rural areas of the Great Lakes lowlands, the Genesee Valley, and the Southern Tier. Some historians, scholars and others consider the Western New York border to be at the Monroe
–Orleans County
line. However, many in the region consider Western New York's easternmost county to be Wayne County
.
Western New York consists of 12 western counties in New York State: Allegany
, Cattaraugus
, Chautauqua
, Erie
, Genesee
, Orleans
, Niagara
, Wyoming
, Monroe
, Wayne
, Livingston
and Ontario
, with a land area of 8973 square miles (23,240 km²). Western New York can also be defined as the area of New York within the Buffalo and Rochester media market
s. The Buffalo market covers the eight counties of the Holland Purchase
(as well as two counties in Pennsylvania; each station varies slightly in its coverage) and the Rochester market covers from Wyoming County northeastward to Wayne County.
There is disagreement as to whether the term "Upstate New York
" includes Western New York—some consider "Upstate" to consist of all of New York State outside Long Island
and the New York City metropolitan area (and thus include Western New York), while others consider "Upstate" to include only the northern part of New York.
" or simply "The Southerntier" which can be considered part of Appalachia
. This portion of Western New York takes up most of the counties along the New York-Pennsylvania border. Another "sub-region" is the Niagara Frontier
, the name of which dates back to America's Colonial period
, when the area surrounding Lakes Erie
and Ontario
, as well as the Niagara River
were the point of the colonies' furthest expansion. To this day, the "frontier" is sometimes defined as also including part of northeast Ohio
, as well as Pennsylvania's Erie
region. A third "sub-region" is the Genesee Valley region, which includes Genesee, Livingston, Monroe and Wyoming Counties as well as Steuben County
(which is seldom defined as being part of Western New York). A large portion of the Genesee Valley region is also considered part of the Finger Lakes
region.
. However, the U.S. Census Bureau has classified the Buffalo and Rochester areas as two different metropolitan areas.
Akron
,
Albion,
Alden
,
Alexander
,
Alfred
,
Allegany
,
Almond
,
Andover
,
Angelica
,
Angola
,
Arcade
,
Attica
,
Avon
,
Barker
,
Belmont
,
Bemus Point
,
Bergen
,
Blasdell
,
Bloomfield
,
Bolivar
,
Brockport
,
Brocton
,
Caledonia
,
Canaseraga
,
Cassadaga
,
Castile
,
Cattaraugus
,
Celoron
,
Cherry Creek
,
Churchville
,
Clarence
,
Clifton Springs
,
Clyde
,
Corfu
,
Cuba
,
Dansville
,
Delevan
,
Depew
,
East Aurora
,
East Randolph
,
East Rochester
,
Eden
,
Elba
,
Ellicottville
,
Fairport
,
Falconer
,
Farnham
,
Forestville
,
Franklinville
,
Fredonia
,
Gainesville,
Geneseo
,
Gowanda
,
Hamburg
,
Hilton
,
Holley
,
Honeoye Falls
,
Kenmore
,
Lakewood
,
Lancaster
,
Le Roy
,
Leicester
,
Lewiston
,
Lima
,
Limestone
,
Little Valley
,
Livonia
,
Lyndonville
,
Lyons
,
Macedon
,
Manchester
,
Mayville
,
Medina
,
Middleport
,
Mount Morris
,
Naples
,
Newark
,
North Collins
,
Nunda
,
Oakfield
,
Orchard Park
,
Palmyra
,
Panama
,
Perry
,
Perrysburg
,
Phelps
,
Pike
,
Pittsford
,
Portville
,
Randolph
,
Red Creek
,
Richburg
,
Scottsville
,
Sherman
,
Shortsville
,
Silver Creek
,
Silver Springs
,
Sinclairville
,
Sloan
,
Sodus
,
Sodus Point
,
South Dayton
,
Spencerport
,
Springville
,
Victor
,
Warsaw
,
Webster
,
Wellsville
,
Westfield
,
Williamsville
,
Wilson
,
Wolcott
,
Wyoming
and
Youngstown
.
Western New York has a humid continental climate
heavily influenced by both Lake Erie
and Lake Ontario
. Winters are long and cold, often lasting from around mid-November to early April. There are often snows before and after that period, as well. Western New York is known for its lake effect snows, which can result in highly localized, sometimes intense and even historic snow events. Lake effect storms are a result of cold air blowing over warm lake waters. Lake effect snows are usually most active between November and February and typically end once the lake freezes over. The Southern Tier normally receives the heaviest amount of snow in Western New York during the winter. Spring and fall in Western New York are usually short and changeable. The presence of the lakes allows for fruit growing and wine production along areas adjacent to both lakes which retard the development of damaging spring and fall frost, thereby extending the growing season. Lost in its famed winters, Western New York summers are among the sunniest in the Northeast and are generally very pleasant. Thanks in part to breezes blowing over Lakes Erie and Ontario (which are usually cooler than the air temperature in the summer), most of Western New York enjoy generally cooler and more comfortable summers than other regions in the same climatic zone.
, Interstate 86
in the Southern Tier, and Interstate 390 (the former U.S. Route 15
) in the Genesee Valley region. The Buffalo-Niagara Falls Metropolitan area is served by Interstate 190
, Interstate 290
and Interstate 990
. In addition to being served by Interstate 390, the Rochester Metro area is also served by Interstate 490
and Interstate 590
. The planned expansion of the U.S. Route 219
Expressway from Buffalo through Cattaraugus County will provide another major thoroughfare in Western New York.
. Buffalo-Niagara International Airport is the most patronized airport facility in Western New York. While it primarily serves as the regional airport for the Buffalo-Niagara Falls Metropolitan Area
, the facility doubles as a gateway to Canada, and a good portion of its passengers (33%) are Canadian. The airport acts as a third air facility for the Greater Toronto Area
.
The second major airport in Western New York, Greater Rochester International Airport
, does not see as much traffic as Buffalo-Niagara International Airport. Still, located just three nautical miles southwest of Downtown Rochester, the facility provides somewhat convenient access to airline service for many residents of the Rochester Metropolitan Area
.
; Rochester
, Buffalo-Depew
, Buffalo-Exchange
and Niagara Falls
. The Buffalo-Exchange Street and Niagara Falls stations do not see as much rail service as the other two Western New York stations due to the fact that west of Depew Station, Amtrak's Lake Shore Limited
leaves the Empire Corridor en route to the Midwest. For a period of time, there were proposals to service these four stations with high-speed rail
. A major objective of implementing high-speed rail service was to better connect Western New York as well as the rest of Upstate New York with New York City. However, little of substance has come of these proposals.
in the northern Niagara region and the Wenrohronon
and Erie Indians
around the Allegheny River
. The Seneca nation
and their allies in the Iroquois Confederacy eliminated those tribes in wars during the Beaver Wars
between 1638 and 1701, with any survivors being assimilated into the Senecas (in the case of the Erie and Neutral) or Huron (in the case of the Wenro). The Neutral territory is currently held by Tuscaroras
, who moved up from the Carolinas
while refugees from the Erie tribes moved south to the Carolinas.
Western New York's land was acquired from the Iroquois through the Nanfan Treaty
(which ceded the territory to England at the end of the Beaver Wars in 1701), the Holland Purchase
, the Phelps and Gorham Purchase
, the Treaty of Canandaigua
, and the Treaty of Buffalo Creek
during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. During the War of 1812
Western New York was part of the borderland frontier
between the United States
and British Canada and became the scene of various military actions.
The two major Western New York cities, Buffalo and Rochester, benefitted greatly from the opening of the Erie Canal
. With its strategic position at the western end of the Erie Canal, the eastern end of Lake Erie and proximity to Niagara Falls and Canada, Buffalo emerged as a major port. Niagara Falls
provided Buffalo with a ready supply of power, so much so that one of its enduring nicknames is "The City of Light". Buffalo experienced steady growth during the 19th Century and at one point was one of the 10 most populated cities in the United States. According to some, Rochester was "America's First Boomtown" and was a key player in the flour industry (hence its initial nickname "Flour City"). Its growth was attributed to both the completion of the Erie Canal and its resulting significance in the flour industry. As a region, Western New York played a significant role in the American economy during the 19th century. Large scale immigration from Ireland
, Italy
, Poland
, Great Britain
and Germany
soon followed into the region.
The New Religious Movement
known as Spiritualism
was among several that arose in the early 19th century burned-over district
of western New York. Its major center is Lily Dale, one of the largest spiritualism communities in the United States
. The original house of the Fox sisters
was relocated to Lily Dale in 1916. Joseph Smith Jr., founder of the Latter Day Saint movement
, reported receiving the Book of Mormon in Palmyra, Wayne County.
In the late 20th century this area became part of the Rust belt
of the United States, being a focal point for the transportation of grain, steel, and coal. The area saw an economic decline during the period of deindustrialization
, leaving many empty steel mills including those of Bethlehem Steel
, which was the 2nd largest steel mill in the world. The plant located in Lackawanna
, New York provided nearly 25,000 jobs to the local economy. Republic Steel
also had a large integrated steel mill
located in South Buffalo. General Motors
in Tonawanda is the largest vehicle engine plant in the world, which still is a major contributor to the Buffalo area economy. Ford Motor Company
also maintains a large manufacturing facility in Woodlawn
, New York, which is just south of Buffalo
.
Western New York is culturally a mix of Midwest and Northeast, with a dose of Appalachia
in the Southern Tier
, an overlapping region of the state. Buffalo
appears to most visitors to have much more in common with Chicago
or Cleveland, OH from both an economic and a cultural standpoint than it does with New York City
. The similarities with Chicago
run the list from sharing a common industrial base traditionally built around steel
and automobile
manufacturing. The cities were both developed during the same period in American history, so the street patterns, architecture
, and ethnic communities share a common appearance. Unlike most of the Eastern seaboard
, both local populations also speak with the same dialect of Inland North
English, with its use of short broad vowels and heavily pronounced final "r" sounds in words ending in the letter "r". Western New York is part of the Inland North
region of American English, which means it is subject to the Northern Cities vowel shift
; a distinct variant of that accent, "Buffalo English," is heard in many parts of the region.
Finally, most Western New York sports fans support the Buffalo Bills
and Buffalo Sabres
. Team loyalties of sports fans in the rest of upstate New York are more divided.
"Friday night fish fry
" is also regionally popular, a holdover from when Catholics were forbidden to eat meat on Fridays. It is usually skinless cod although most restaurants in the area claim they use the higher quality haddock, and is frequently beer-battered and fried, and served with French fries and cole slaw. Most restaurants in Western New York have a Friday fish fry special. The fish fry retains particular popularity during Lent
, when Catholics are still barred from eating meat on Friday.
Beef on Weck is a local invention in which sliced warm roast beef is piled high on a salted sandwich roll lined with caraway seeds and salt called a Kummelweck
roll, and is topped with au jus and horseradish. It is a regional favorite.
A garbage plate is popular in the Rochester area. It was created and continues to be served by Nick Tahou Hots
on West Main Street. Other Rochester-specific foods include the white hot, a hot dog
processed to appear without the distinctive pink color of most hot dogs.
Butter lamb
s are a popular tradition in Buffalo during the Lenten season leading into Easter. The Broadway Market, a market in Buffalo, is famous for this product.
Italian-American food is a specialty in Western New York. Most towns in the region have pizzerias.
The region produces many agricultural products, including milk, maple syrup, apples, cherries, potatoes, sweet corn, strawberries, raspberries, peaches, and grapes. As with the rest of Upstate New York
, dairy farming
is an important part of the economy. New York State is a leading producer among the states of dairy, maple, and wine.
. Rochester and Buffalo were especially hard-hit with the exodus of manufacturing jobs to other areas of the United States
and nations like China
and Mexico
. Niagara Falls
was also hard-hit and has shed half of its population since its peak in 1960.
Outside of the cities, agriculture has always driven the economy, especially dairy farming
.
In Niagara County
, viticulture
, or wine culture, is also becoming a driver of the economy. In order to take advantage of this, the state has created the Niagara Wine Trail.
The prospect of high-speed rail in New York
is expected to become a driver of the economy, linking Niagara Falls
with New York City
, helping to bring economic prosperity from New York City to Western New York and the rest of the state, whose economy as a whole is stagnant.
Western New York is home to two significant scenic attractions. Niagara Falls
is undoubtedly the most famous attraction in Western New York. Forming part of Western New York's border with Canada, the Falls has evolved into a major destination for tourists and locals alike.
Another, less famous scenic attraction, is Letchworth State Park
. Located 35 miles south of Rochester, Letchworth State Park has been termed "The Grand Canyon of the East."
Western New York is also known as the home of the Chautauqua Institution
near Jamestown, New York
. Jamestown is also home to the Lucille Ball-Desi Arnaz Museum.
A small, but important, historic site is the Holland Land Office
in Batavia, New York.
Many towns along a nationally-important historic site, the Erie Canal
, have lovely waterfront parks and bike trails.
The Genesee Country Village and Museum
in Mumford, New York
is a well-known living history museum.
The George Eastman House
is in Rochester, and is the world's oldest photography museum.
The Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site
, known locally as the Wilcox Mansion, is in Buffalo. It is the site of the first presidential inauguration of Theodore Roosevelt
following the assassination of President William McKinley
who had been attending the Pan-American Exposition
in Buffalo in 1901.
Darien Lake in Genesee County is also a popular summertime destination, drawing in crowds from all over Western and Central New York, as well as from southern Ontario.
in the NFL and the Buffalo Sabres
in the NHL. The Buffalo Bills currently play their home football games at Ralph Wilson Stadium
, the largest sports stadium in the state. The Bills have reached the Super Bowl
in four consecutive seasons (1990–1993), only to lose all four times.
The Buffalo Sabres also have a strong following in Western New York, and have the highest local Nielsen ratings
of any professional hockey team in the United States. The Sabres reached the Stanley Cup Finals
in 1975 and 1999. The Sabres lost the 1999 Stanley Cup Final series on a controversial goal. The Sabres currently enjoy healthy rivalries with both the Toronto Maple Leafs
and Ottawa Senators
. On January 1, 2008, the Sabres played the Pittsburgh Penguins
in the inaugural Winter Classic at Ralph Wilson Stadium. This was the first ever regular-season NHL game held outdoors in the United States.
While Western New York currently does not have a team in Major League Soccer
(occasionally considered the fifth major league on the American sporting landscape), until relatively recently, Rochester had frequently been mentioned as a candidate for a new expansion franchise. This was due to the relative success of the Rochester Rhinos. However, in recent years the Rhinos have seen a downturn in attendance due to a number of factors. The Rhinos are something of a regional team in Western New York, though at nowhere near the popularity of the Bills or Sabres. The Rhinos are best known as being the only non-MLS team to win the US Open Cup since that competition was opened to MLS teams. Western New York is represented in Women’s Professional Soccer by the Western New York Flash, a team that officially began playing in the league in 2011. The Flash, like the Rhinos, plays its home games at Sahlen's Stadium in Rochester.
There are no Major League Baseball
teams in the region, but two Minor League
teams play in the region: the Buffalo Bisons
and Rochester Red Wings
, both in the AAA International League-North Division, and affiliates of the New York Mets
and Minnesota Twins
, respectively. In addition, the Batavia Muckdogs
and Jamestown Jammers
play in the short-season class A New York-Penn League.
Lacrosse
is growing in popularity in the region, with the Buffalo Bandits
and Rochester Knighthawks
both perennial contenders in the National Lacrosse League
. College hockey
can also be said to be growing, with Canisius College
, Niagara University
, and Rochester Institute of Technology
competing at the Division I level and several other teams (including most of the SUNY schools) competing in Division III.
New York°N date=December 2010°W
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. It includes the cities of Buffalo
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
, Rochester
Rochester, New York
Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City...
, Niagara Falls
Niagara Falls, New York
Niagara Falls is a city in Niagara County, New York, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 50,193, down from the 55,593 recorded in the 2000 census. It is across the Niagara River from Niagara Falls, Ontario , both named after the famed Niagara Falls which they...
, the surrounding suburbs, as well as the outlying rural areas of the Great Lakes lowlands, the Genesee Valley, and the Southern Tier. Some historians, scholars and others consider the Western New York border to be at the Monroe
Monroe County, New York
Monroe County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 744,344. It is named after James Monroe, fifth President of the United States of America. Its county seat is the city of Rochester....
–Orleans County
Orleans County, New York
As of the census of 2000, there were 44,171 people, 15,363 households, and 10,846 families residing in the county. The population density was 113 people per square mile . There were 17,347 housing units at an average density of 44 per square mile...
line. However, many in the region consider Western New York's easternmost county to be Wayne County
Wayne County, New York
Wayne County is a county located in the US state of New York. It is part of the Rochester, New York Metropolitan Statistical Area and lies on the south shore of Lake Ontario, forming part of the northern border of the United States with Canada. The name honors General Anthony Wayne, an American...
.
Western New York consists of 12 western counties in New York State: Allegany
Allegany County, New York
Allegany County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 48,946. Its name derives from a Delaware Indian word, applied by settlers of Western New York State to a trail that followed the Allegheny River. Its county seat is...
, Cattaraugus
Cattaraugus County, New York
Cattaraugus County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 80,317. The county seat is Little Valley.-History:...
, Chautauqua
Chautauqua County, New York
-Major highways:* Interstate 86/New York State Route 17 * Interstate 90 * U.S. Route 20* U.S. Route 62* New York State Route 5* New York State Route 39* New York State Route 60* New York State Route 394...
, Erie
Erie County, New York
Erie County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 919,040. The county seat is Buffalo. The county's name comes from Lake Erie, which in turn comes from the Erie tribe of American Indians who lived south and east of the lake before 1654.Erie...
, Genesee
Genesee County, New York
Genesee County is a county located in Western New York, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 60,079. Its name is from the Seneca Indian word Gen-nis'-hee-yo meaning "The Beautiful Valley." Its county seat is Batavia.- History :...
, Orleans
Orleans County, New York
As of the census of 2000, there were 44,171 people, 15,363 households, and 10,846 families residing in the county. The population density was 113 people per square mile . There were 17,347 housing units at an average density of 44 per square mile...
, Niagara
Niagara County, New York
Niagara County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 216,469. The county seat is Lockport. The county name is from the Iroquois word Onguiaahra; meaning the strait or thunder of waters. It is the location of Niagara Falls and Fort Niagara, and...
, Wyoming
Wyoming County, New York
Wyoming County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. At the 2010 census, the population was 42,155. The county seat is Warsaw. The name is from a modified Delaware Indian word meaning "broad bottom lands"...
, Monroe
Monroe County, New York
Monroe County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 744,344. It is named after James Monroe, fifth President of the United States of America. Its county seat is the city of Rochester....
, Wayne
Wayne County, New York
Wayne County is a county located in the US state of New York. It is part of the Rochester, New York Metropolitan Statistical Area and lies on the south shore of Lake Ontario, forming part of the northern border of the United States with Canada. The name honors General Anthony Wayne, an American...
, Livingston
Livingston County, New York
As of the census of 2000, there were 64,328 people, 22,150 households, and 15,349 families residing in the county. The population density was 102 people per square mile . There were 24,023 housing units at an average density of 38 per square mile...
and Ontario
Ontario County, New York
As of the census of 2000, there were 100,224 people, 38,370 households, and 26,360 families residing in the county. The population density was 156 people per square mile . There were 42,647 housing units at an average density of 66 per square mile...
, with a land area of 8973 square miles (23,240 km²). Western New York can also be defined as the area of New York within the Buffalo and Rochester media market
Media market
A media market, broadcast market, media region, designated market area , Television Market Area , or simply market is a region where the population can receive the same television and radio station offerings, and may also include other types of media including newspapers and Internet content...
s. The Buffalo market covers the eight counties of the Holland Purchase
Holland Purchase
The Holland Purchase was a large tract of land in what is now the western portion of the U.S. state of New York. It consisted of about 3,250,000 acres of land from a line approximately 12 miles to the west of the Genesee River to the present western border and boundary of New York State.The land...
(as well as two counties in Pennsylvania; each station varies slightly in its coverage) and the Rochester market covers from Wyoming County northeastward to Wayne County.
There is disagreement as to whether the term "Upstate New York
Upstate New York
Upstate New York is the region of the U.S. state of New York that is located north of the core of the New York metropolitan area.-Definition:There is no clear or official boundary between Upstate New York and Downstate New York...
" includes Western New York—some consider "Upstate" to consist of all of New York State outside Long Island
Long Island
Long Island is an island located in the southeast part of the U.S. state of New York, just east of Manhattan. Stretching northeast into the Atlantic Ocean, Long Island contains four counties, two of which are boroughs of New York City , and two of which are mainly suburban...
and the New York City metropolitan area (and thus include Western New York), while others consider "Upstate" to include only the northern part of New York.
Sub-regions
Western New York has three "sub-regions". The mountainous southern regions of Chautauqua, Cattaraugus, Allegany and Steuben counties make up a "sub-region" known as "The Southern TierSouthern Tier
The Southern Tier is a geographical term that refers to the counties of New York State west of the Catskill Mountains along the northern border of Pennsylvania. It is a loosely defined term that generally includes the counties that border Pennsylvania west of Delaware County inclusive...
" or simply "The Southerntier" which can be considered part of Appalachia
Appalachia
Appalachia is a term used to describe a cultural region in the eastern United States that stretches from the Southern Tier of New York state to northern Alabama, Mississippi, and Georgia. While the Appalachian Mountains stretch from Belle Isle in Canada to Cheaha Mountain in the U.S...
. This portion of Western New York takes up most of the counties along the New York-Pennsylvania border. Another "sub-region" is the Niagara Frontier
Niagara Frontier
The Niagara Frontier refers to the stretch of land south of Lake Ontario and Lake Erie and extending westward to Cleveland, Ohio. The term dates to the War of 1812. This only includes the land east of the Niagara River and south of Lake Erie within the United States...
, the name of which dates back to America's Colonial period
Colonial Period
Colonial Period may generally refer to any period in a country's history when it was subject to administration by a colonial power.*Korea under Japanese rule*Colonial history of the United States...
, when the area surrounding Lakes Erie
Lake Erie
Lake Erie is the fourth largest lake of the five Great Lakes in North America, and the tenth largest globally. It is the southernmost, shallowest, and smallest by volume of the Great Lakes and therefore also has the shortest average water residence time. It is bounded on the north by the...
and Ontario
Lake Ontario
Lake Ontario is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded on the north and southwest by the Canadian province of Ontario, and on the south by the American state of New York. Ontario, Canada's most populous province, was named for the lake. In the Wyandot language, ontarío means...
, as well as the Niagara River
Niagara River
The Niagara River flows north from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario. It forms part of the border between the Province of Ontario in Canada and New York State in the United States. There are differing theories as to the origin of the name of the river...
were the point of the colonies' furthest expansion. To this day, the "frontier" is sometimes defined as also including part of northeast Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, as well as Pennsylvania's Erie
Erie, Pennsylvania
Erie is a city located in northwestern Pennsylvania in the United States. Named for the lake and the Native American tribe that resided along its southern shore, Erie is the state's fourth-largest city , with a population of 102,000...
region. A third "sub-region" is the Genesee Valley region, which includes Genesee, Livingston, Monroe and Wyoming Counties as well as Steuben County
Steuben County, New York
Steuben County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 98,990. Its name is in honor of Baron von Steuben, a German general who fought on the American side in the American Revolutionary War, though it is not pronounced the same...
(which is seldom defined as being part of Western New York). A large portion of the Genesee Valley region is also considered part of the Finger Lakes
Finger Lakes
The Finger Lakes are a pattern of lakes in the west-central section of Upstate New York in the United States. They are a popular tourist destination. The lakes are long and thin , each oriented roughly on a north-south axis. The two longest, Cayuga Lake and Seneca Lake, are among the deepest in...
region.
Population
If it were counted as a single area, the population of Western New York would number 2.5 million, or roughly the population of the entire Pittsburgh metropolitan area or the inner city of TorontoToronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
. However, the U.S. Census Bureau has classified the Buffalo and Rochester areas as two different metropolitan areas.
- Erie CountyErie County, New YorkErie County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 919,040. The county seat is Buffalo. The county's name comes from Lake Erie, which in turn comes from the Erie tribe of American Indians who lived south and east of the lake before 1654.Erie...
, population 950,265 - Monroe CountyMonroe County, New YorkMonroe County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 744,344. It is named after James Monroe, fifth President of the United States of America. Its county seat is the city of Rochester....
, population 735,343 - Niagara CountyNiagara County, New YorkNiagara County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 216,469. The county seat is Lockport. The county name is from the Iroquois word Onguiaahra; meaning the strait or thunder of waters. It is the location of Niagara Falls and Fort Niagara, and...
, population 219,846 - Chautauqua CountyChautauqua County, New York-Major highways:* Interstate 86/New York State Route 17 * Interstate 90 * U.S. Route 20* U.S. Route 62* New York State Route 5* New York State Route 39* New York State Route 60* New York State Route 394...
, population 139,750 - Ontario CountyOntario County, New YorkAs of the census of 2000, there were 100,224 people, 38,370 households, and 26,360 families residing in the county. The population density was 156 people per square mile . There were 42,647 housing units at an average density of 66 per square mile...
, population 100,224 - Wayne CountyWayne County, New YorkWayne County is a county located in the US state of New York. It is part of the Rochester, New York Metropolitan Statistical Area and lies on the south shore of Lake Ontario, forming part of the northern border of the United States with Canada. The name honors General Anthony Wayne, an American...
, population 93,609 - Cattaraugus CountyCattaraugus County, New YorkCattaraugus County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 80,317. The county seat is Little Valley.-History:...
, population 83,955 - Livingston CountyLivingston County, New YorkAs of the census of 2000, there were 64,328 people, 22,150 households, and 15,349 families residing in the county. The population density was 102 people per square mile . There were 24,023 housing units at an average density of 38 per square mile...
, population 64,328 - Genesee CountyGenesee County, New YorkGenesee County is a county located in Western New York, United States. As of the 2010 census, the population was 60,079. Its name is from the Seneca Indian word Gen-nis'-hee-yo meaning "The Beautiful Valley." Its county seat is Batavia.- History :...
, population 60,370 - Allegany CountyAllegany County, New YorkAllegany County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 48,946. Its name derives from a Delaware Indian word, applied by settlers of Western New York State to a trail that followed the Allegheny River. Its county seat is...
, population 49,927 - Orleans CountyOrleans County, New YorkAs of the census of 2000, there were 44,171 people, 15,363 households, and 10,846 families residing in the county. The population density was 113 people per square mile . There were 17,347 housing units at an average density of 44 per square mile...
, population 44,171 - Wyoming CountyWyoming County, New YorkWyoming County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. At the 2010 census, the population was 42,155. The county seat is Warsaw. The name is from a modified Delaware Indian word meaning "broad bottom lands"...
, population 43,424
Villages
The following incorporated villages are found in the 12 western counties:Akron
Akron, New York
Akron, New York is a village in Erie County, New York, United States. The population was listed as 3,085 in the 2000 census. The name means a high place. It is part of the Buffalo–Niagara Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area....
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Albion,
Alden
Alden (village), New York
Alden is a village in Erie County, New York, USA. The population was 2,666 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Buffalo–Niagara Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area....
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Alexander
Alexander (village), New York
Alexander is a village in Genesee County, New York, United States. The population was 481 at the 2000 census. The village is named after early settler, Alexander Rea.The village of Alexander is within the Town of Alexander...
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Alfred
Alfred (village), New York
Alfred is a village located in the Town of Alfred in Allegany County, New York, USA. The population was 3,954 at the 2000 census. The village is named after Alfred the Great....
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Allegany
Allegany (village), New York
Allegany is a village in Cattaraugus County, New York, USA. The population was 1,883 at the 2000 census.The Village of Allegany is by the east town line of the Town of Allegany, west of the City of Olean.St...
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Almond
Almond (village), New York
Almond is a village located in the Town of Almond in Allegany County, New York, United States. The population was 461 at the 2000 census.Because the Village of Almond is located on the county line, a small part is in the Town of Hornellsville in Steuben County, New York.-Geography:According to the...
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Andover
Andover (village), New York
Andover is a village located in the Town of Andover in Allegany County, New York, USA. The population was 1,073 at the 2000 census. The name is derived from Andover, Vermont....
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Angelica
Angelica (village), New York
Angelica is a village in Allegany County, New York, USA. The population was 903 at the 2000 census. The village and the town are named after Angelica Church, a daughter of General Philip Schuyler and wife of John Barker Church....
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Angola
Angola, New York
Angola is a village in Erie County, New York, United States. The population was 2,266 at the 2000 census. The name is reportedly derived from the South-central African country of Angola...
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Arcade
Arcade (village), New York
Arcade is a village in Wyoming County, New York, in the United States. The population was 2,026 at the 2000 census.The Village of Arcade in located in the southwest part of the Town of Arcade...
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Attica
Attica (village), New York
Attica is a village in Wyoming County, New York in the USA. The population was 2,597 at the 2000 census. It is named after a region in Greece.The Village of Attica is on the northern border of Wyoming County...
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Avon
Avon (village), New York
Avon is a village in Livingston County, New York, USA. The population was 2,977 at the 2000 census. The village is named after the River Avon. ....
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Barker
Barker, Niagara County, New York
Barker is a village in Niagara County, New York, USA. The population was 577 at the 2000 census. The mail ZIP code is 14012. It is part of the Buffalo–Niagara Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area....
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Belmont
Belmont, New York
Belmont is a village within the Town of Amity which is in Allegany County, New York, USA. Belmont is the county seat of Allegany County. The population was 952 at the 2000 census. The name means beautiful hill....
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Bemus Point
Bemus Point, New York
Bemus Point is a village in Chautauqua County, New York, United States. The village is within the Town of Ellery and located along the eastern shore of Chautauqua Lake. The population was 340 at the 2000 census...
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Bergen
Bergen (village), New York
Bergen is a village in Genesee County, New York, United States. The population was 1,240 at the 2000 census.The village lies on the eastern edge of the Town of Bergen. The village is north of the junction of Routes 19 and 33.-History:...
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Blasdell
Blasdell, New York
Blasdell is a village in Erie County, New York, United States. The population was 2,718 according to the year 2000 census. The name is derived from Herman Blasdell, the first station master of the Erie and Pennsylvania railroad depot...
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Bloomfield
Bloomfield, New York
Bloomfield is a village in Ontario County, New York, United States. The population was 1,267 at the 2000 census.The Village of Bloomfield is in the Town of East Bloomfield and is west of Canandaigua, NY.- History :...
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Bolivar
Bolivar (village), New York
Bolivar a village in Allegany County, New York, United States. The village is in the northwest part of the town of Bolivar and is east of Olean, New York. The population was 1,173 at the 2000 census...
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Brockport
Brockport, New York
Brockport is a village located in the Town of Sweden in Monroe County, New York, USA. The population was 8,103 at the 2000 census. The name is derived from Hiel Brockway, an early settler....
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Brocton
Brocton, New York
Brocton is a village in Chautauqua County, New York, United States.The name was derived by combining the names "Brockway" and "Minton," two prominent local families...
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Caledonia
Caledonia (village), New York
Caledonia is a village in Livingston County, New York, USA. The population was 2,327 at the 2000 census. The name refers to Scotland.The Village of Caledonia is located inside the Town of Caledonia and is southwest of Rochester, Monroe County....
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Canaseraga
Canaseraga, New York
Canaseraga is a village in Allegany County, New York, United States. The population was 594 at the 2000 census. The name is derived from a creek that flows past the village, which is reportedly a native term for "lying among milkweeds."...
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Cassadaga
Cassadaga, New York
Cassadaga is an incorporated village located in Chautauqua County, New York, in the United States. The village is located within the northeast corner of the Town of Stockton, east of the village of Stockton, south of and immediately adjacent to Lily Dale in the Town of Pomfret, and north of the...
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Castile
Castile (village), New York
Castile is a village in Wyoming County, New York, USA. The population was 1,051 at the 2000 census.The Village of Castile lies within the boundaries of the Town of Castile.-Geography:Castile is located at ....
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Cattaraugus
Cattaraugus, New York
Cattaraugus is a village in Cattaraugus County, New York, United States. The population was 1,075 at the 2000 census.The Village of Cattaraugus lies in the northeast part of the Town of New Albion, north of Salamanca, New York.- History :...
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Celoron
Celoron, New York
Celoron is a village in Chautauqua County, New York, United States. It sits on the west boundary of the City of Jamestown, New York and is surrounded by the Town of Ellicott. The population was 1,295 at the 2000 census.- History :...
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Cherry Creek
Cherry Creek (village), New York
Cherry Creek is a village in Chautauqua County, New York, United States. The population was 551 at the 2000 census.The Village of Cherry Creek is within the Town of Cherry Creek near the east border of the county...
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Churchville
Churchville, New York
Churchville is a village in Monroe County, New York, United States. According to the 2000 census, the population is 1,887. The village is named after Samuel Church, an early settler....
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Clarence
Clarence, New York
Clarence is a town located in the northeastern part of Erie County, New York, United States. The population was 30,673 according to the 2010 census. This represents an increase of 17.42% from the 2000 census figure . Clarence is also the name of a postal district in the south part of the town...
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Clifton Springs
Clifton Springs, New York
Clifton Springs is a village located in Ontario County, New York, United States. The population was 2,223 at the 2000 census. The village takes its name from local mineral springs....
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Clyde
Clyde, New York
Clyde is a village in Wayne County, New York, United States. The population was 2,269 at the 2000 census.The Village of Clyde is in the Town of Galen and is northeast of Geneva, NY...
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Corfu
Corfu, New York
Corfu is a village in Genesee County, New York, United States. The population was 795 at the 2000 census. It is named after the Island of Corfu....
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Cuba
Cuba (village), New York
Cuba is a village in Allegany County, New York, United States. The population was 1,633 at the 2000 census.The Village of Cuba is in the western part of the Town of Cuba at the junction of Routes 305 and 446 on Oil Creek.- History :...
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Dansville
Dansville, Steuben County, New York
Dansville is a town in Steuben County, New York, United States, not to be confused with the nearby village of Dansville in Livingston County. The population was 1,977 at the 2000 census...
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Delevan
Delevan, New York
Delevan is a village in Cattaraugus County, New York, United States. The population was 1,089 at the 2000 census.The Village of Delevan lies inside the Town of Yorkshire- History :The first lot was cleared around 1821...
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Depew
Depew, New York
Depew is a village in Erie County, New York, United States. The population was 16,629 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Buffalo–Niagara Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area...
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East Aurora
East Aurora, New York
East Aurora is a village in Erie County, New York, United States, southeast of Buffalo. The Village of East Aurora lies in the eastern half of the Town of Aurora.The population was 6,673 at the 2000 census...
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East Randolph
East Randolph, New York
East Randolph is currently a village in Cattaraugus County, New York, United States. The population was 630 at the 2000 census.The Village of East Randolph is adjacent to the northeast part of the Village of Randolph and is mostly within the Town of Randolph, with a small part inside the Town of...
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East Rochester
East Rochester, New York
East Rochester is a coterminous town and village located southeast of the City of Rochester in Monroe County, New York. The village, home to about 6,587 people, is bounded by Pittsford to the west and south and Perinton to the north and east. The southern boundary is delimited by New York State...
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Eden
Eden, New York
Eden is a town located south of Buffalo, in Erie County, New York, USA. The population was 8,076 at the 2000 census. The basis for choosing the town's name is unknown....
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Elba
Elba (village), New York
Elba is a village in Genesee County, New York, United States. The population was 696 at the 2000 census. The village is named after the island of Elba.The village of Elba is in the town of Elba...
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Ellicottville
Ellicottville (village), New York
Ellicottville is a village in Cattaraugus County, New York, USA. The population was 472 at the 2000 census. The village is named after Joseph Ellicott, principal land agent of the Holland Land Company...
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Fairport
Fairport, New York
Fairport is a village located in the town of Perinton which is part of Monroe County, New York. Fairport is a suburb east of Rochester. It is also known as the "Crown Jewel of the Erie Canal"...
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Falconer
Falconer, New York
Falconer is a village in Chautauqua County, New York, United States. The population was 2,540 at the 2000 census.The Village of Falconer is within the Town of Ellicott. Falconer is on the eastern edge of the City of Jamestown, New York.- History :...
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Farnham
Farnham, New York
Farnham is a village located in the Town of Brant, Erie County, New York, United States. The population was 322 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Buffalo–Niagara Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area...
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Forestville
Forestville, New York
Forestville is a village in Chautauqua County, New York, United States. The population was 770 at the 2000 census.The Village of Forestville is within the Town of Hanover and in the northeast part of the county....
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Franklinville
Franklinville (village), New York
Franklinville is a village in Cattaraugus County, New York, USA. The population was 1,855 at the 2000 census. The community was named after Benjamin Franklin.The Village of Franklinville is in the northeast part of the Town of Franklinville....
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Fredonia
Fredonia, New York
Fredonia is a village in Chautauqua County, New York, United States. The population was 11,068 as of 2009.The Village of Fredonia is in the Town of Pomfret south of Lake Erie...
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Gainesville,
Geneseo
Geneseo, New York
Geneseo is the name of a town and its village in Livingston County in the Finger Lakes region of New York, USA, outside of Rochester, New York. The town's population is approximately 9,600, of which about 7,600 live in the village...
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Gowanda
Gowanda, New York
Gowanda is a village in New York in the United States and lies partly in Erie County and partly in Cattaraugus County. The population was 2,842 at the 2000 census. The name is a local native term meaning "almost surrounded by hills" or "beautiful place among the hills...
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Hamburg
Hamburg (village), New York
Hamburg is a village in Erie County, New York, United States. The population was 10,116 at the 2000 census. The village is reportedly named after Hamburg, a city in Germany...
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Hilton
Hilton, New York
Hilton is a village in Monroe County, New York, United States. The population was 5,856 at the 2000 census. The community was named for the Rev. Charles A. Hilton.The Village of Hilton is within the Town of Parma.-History:...
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Holley
Holley, New York
Holley is a village in the town of Murray in Orleans County, New York, United States. The population was 1,802 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Rochester Metropolitan Statistical Area.- History :The village of Holley was incorporated in 1850...
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Honeoye Falls
Honeoye Falls, New York
Honeoye Falls is a village in Monroe County, New York, United States. The population was 2,595 at the 2000 census. The village includes a small waterfall on Honeoye Creek, which flows through the village and gives it its name....
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Kenmore
Kenmore, New York
Village of Kenmore is a village in Erie County, New York, in the United States. The population was 16,426 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Buffalo-Niagara Falls metropolitan area....
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Lakewood
Lakewood, New York
Lakewood is a village in Chautauqua County, New York, USA. The population was 3,258 at the 2000 census.The Village of Lakewood is located in the northern part of the Town of Busti.-Geography:Lakewood is located at ....
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Lancaster
Lancaster (village), New York
Lancaster is a village in Erie County, New York, United States. As of the 2000 census, the village population was 11,188. It is part of the Buffalo–Niagara Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area....
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Le Roy
Le Roy (village), New York
Le Roy is a village in Genesee County, New York, United States. The population was 4,462 at the 2000 census.The Village of Le Roy lies in the center of the Town of Le Roy at the intersection of Routes 5 and 19.- History :...
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Leicester
Leicester (village), New York
Leicester is a village in Livingston County, New York, USA. The population was 469 at the 2000 census. The village is named after Leicester Phelps, an early inhabitant.The Village of Leicester is located inside the Town of Leicester.- History :...
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Lewiston
Lewiston, New York
Lewiston is a village in Niagara County, New York, United States. The population was 2,781 at the 2000 census. The village is named after Morgan Lewis, an early 19th-century governor of New York. It is part of the Buffalo–Niagara Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area.The Village of Lewiston,...
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Lima
Lima (village), New York
Lima is a village in Livingston County, New York, USA. The population was 2,459 at the 2000 census.The Village of Lima is in the Town of Lima and is nineteen miles south of the city of Rochester, NY.- History :...
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Limestone
Limestone, New York
Limestone is a hamlet in Cattaraugus County, New York, United States. The population was 411 at the 2000 census....
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Little Valley
Little Valley (village), New York
Little Valley is a village in Cattaraugus County, New York, USA. The population was 1,130 at the 2000 census.The Village of Little Valley is in the northwest corner of the Town of Little Valley....
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Livonia
Livonia (village), New York
Livonia is a village located in the Town of Livonia, Livingston County, New York, at the intersection of US Route 20 and Route 15. The population was 1,373 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Livonia is located at ....
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Lyndonville
Lyndonville, New York
Lyndonville is a village in Orleans County, New York, United States. The population was 862 at the 2000 census. The name was selected because some of the early settlers were from Lyndon, Vermont...
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Lyons
Lyons (village), New York
Lyons is a village in Wayne County, New York, USA. The population was 3,695 at the 2000 census. The village, along with the town, is named after Lyon , France....
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Macedon
Macedon (village), New York
Macedon is a village located in the Town of Macedon in Wayne County, New York, United States. As of the 2010 census, the village had a total population of 1,523....
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Manchester
Manchester (village), New York
Manchester is a village located within the Town of Manchester in Ontario County, New York, USA. The population was 1,475 at the 2000 census. The village was named after Manchester in England....
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Mayville
Mayville, New York
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 1,756 people, 686 households, and 399 families residing in the village. The population density was 875.0 people per square mile . There were 860 housing units at an average density of 428.5 per square mile...
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Medina
Medina, New York
Medina is a village in the towns of Shelby and Ridgeway in Orleans County, New York, United States. The population was 6,415 at the 2000 census, making it the second most populous municipality in the county after Albion, the county seat. The village was named by its surveyor...
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Middleport
Middleport, New York
Middleport is a village in Niagara County, New York, United States. The population was 1,917 at the 2000 census. The mail ZIP code is 14105. It is part of the Buffalo–Niagara Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area....
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Mount Morris
Mount Morris (village), New York
Mount Morris is a village located in the Town of Mount Morris in Livingston County, New York, USA. The population was 3,266 at the 2000 census. The village and town are named after Robert Morris....
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Naples
Naples (village), New York
Naples is a village in Ontario County, New York, USA. The population was 1,072 at the 2000 census.The Village of Naples is in the Town of Naples. Naples is in the center of an important grape-growing region.- History :...
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Newark
Newark, New York
Newark is a village in Wayne County, New York, U.S., south east of Rochester. The population was 9,682 at the 2000 census.The Village of Newark is in the south part of the Town of Arcadia and is in the south of Wayne County.- History :...
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North Collins
North Collins (village), New York
North Collins is a village in Erie County, New York, United States. The population was 1,079 at the 2000 census. The name is derived from the local town.The Village of North Collins is in the northwest corner of the Town of North Collins....
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Nunda
Nunda (village), New York
Nunda is a village in Livingston County, New York, United States. The population was 1,330 at the 2000 census.The Village of Nunda is located on the west side of the Town of Nunda. Note: the town and village name is pronounced "None-day."...
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Oakfield
Oakfield (village), New York
Oakfield is a village in Genesee County, New York, United States. As of the 2000 census, the village population was 1,805.The Village of Oakfield lies within the Town of Oakfield on the northern border of Genesee County. The village is located at the intersection of Route 63 and Route 262...
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Orchard Park
Orchard Park (village), New York
Orchard Park is a village in Erie County, New York, United States. The population was 3,294 at the 2000 census. The name is derived from a description of the local landscape, which abounded with orchards...
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Palmyra
Palmyra (village), New York
Palmyra is a village in Wayne County, New York, United States. The population was 3,490 at the 2000 census. The village, along with the town, is named after Palmyra in present-day Syria.The Village of Palmyra is in the Town of Palmyra...
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Panama
Panama, New York
Panama is a village in Chautauqua County, New York, United States. The population was 491 at the 2000 census. The village is named after a large rock formation south of the village, called Panama Rocks. This site has become a tourist attraction, and the owners charge admission at the gate.The...
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Perry
Perry (village), New York
Perry is a village located mostly inside the Town of Perry in Wyoming County, New York, USA. The population was 3,945 at the 2000 census.The Village of Perry is at the junction of New York State Route 39 and New York State Route 246. A small south section of the village is within the Town of...
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Perrysburg
Perrysburg (village), New York
Perrysburg is a village in Cattaraugus County, New York, United States. The population was 408 at the 2000 census. It is named after Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry.The Village of Perrysburg is in the south-central part of the Town of Perrysburg...
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Phelps
Phelps (village), New York
Phelps is a village in Ontario County, New York, USA. The population was 1,969 at the 2000 census. The village is named after an original proprietor, Oliver Phelps....
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Pike
Pike (village), New York
Pike is a hamlet within the Town of Pike in Wyoming County, New York. The population was 382 at the 2000 census. Pike, located near the center of the town at the junction of NY 19 and NY 39, was a village from 1848 to 2009...
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Pittsford
Pittsford (village), New York
Pittsford is a village in Monroe County, New York, United States. The population was 1,418 at the 2000 census. It is named after Pittsford, Vermont, the native town of a founding father....
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Portville
Portville (village), New York
Portville is a village in Cattaraugus County, New York, USA. The population was 1,024 at the 2000 census. The Village of Portville is within the south part of the Town of Portville and southeast of Olean, New York.- History :...
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Randolph
Randolph (village), New York
Randolph is currently a village in Cattaraugus County, New York, USA. The population was 1,316 at the 2000 census.The Village of Randolph is within the Town of Randolph...
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Red Creek
Red Creek, New York
Red Creek is a village in Wayne County, New York, United States. The population was 521 at the 2000 census.The Village of Red Creek is in the eastern part of the Town of Wolcott. The village is west of Syracuse, New York.- History :...
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Richburg
Richburg, New York
Richburg is a village in Allegany County, New York, United States. The population was 448 at the 2000 census.The Village of Richburg is partly within the boundaries of the Towns of Wirt and Bolivar...
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Scottsville
Scottsville, New York
Scottsville is a village in southwestern Monroe County, New York, United States, and is in the northeastern part of the Town of Wheatland. The population was 2,128 at the 2000 census. The village is named after an early settler, Isaac Scott...
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Sherman
Sherman (village), New York
Sherman is a village in the town of Sherman, Chautauqua County, New York, USA. The village lies in the northern part of the town at intersections of Routes 15, 18, NY-76 and NY-430. The population was 714 at the 2000 census.- History :...
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Shortsville
Shortsville, New York
Shortsville is a village in Ontario County, New York, United States. The population was 1,320 at the 2000 census.The Village of Shortsville is in the southwest part of the Town of Manchester and is north of Canandaigua, NY.-History:...
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Silver Creek
Silver Creek, New York
- Demographics :At the 2010 census there were 2,656 people, 1,048 households and 718 families residing in the village. The population density was 2,213.3 people per square mile . There were 1,174 housing units, with an average density of 978.3 per square mile...
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Silver Springs
Silver Springs, New York
Silver Springs is a village in Wyoming County, New York, United States. The population was 844 at the 2000 census.The Village of Silver Springs is within the Town of Gainesville...
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Sinclairville
Sinclairville, New York
Sinclairville is a village in Chautauqua County, New York, United States. The population was 665 at the 2000 census. The village is named after Samuel Sinclear, its founder....
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Sloan
Sloan, New York
Sloan is a village in Erie County, New York, United States. The population was 3,775 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Buffalo–Niagara Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area....
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Sodus
Sodus (village), New York
Sodus is a village in Wayne County, New York, USA. The population was 1,735 at the 2000 census.The Village of Sodus is near the center of the Town of Sodus and lies between Rochester and Syracuse. The village contains the government center for the Town of Sodus.- History :The village area was part...
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Sodus Point
Sodus Point, New York
Sodus Point is a village in Wayne County, New York, United States. The population was 1,160 at the 2000 census. The name is derived from a nearby body of water, Sodus Bay. It is considered within the larger Rochester metropolitan area....
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South Dayton
South Dayton, New York
South Dayton is a village in Cattaraugus County, New York, United States. The population was 662 at the 2000 census.The Village of South Dayton lies within the Town of Dayton by the southwest corner of the town and less than a mile from the county line of Chautauqua County.- History :The community...
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Spencerport
Spencerport, New York
Spencerport is a village in Monroe County, New York, United States, and a suburb of Rochester, New York. The population count was 3,559 at the 2000 census.The Village of Spencerport is within the Town of Ogden and is a village on the Erie Canal....
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Springville
Springville, New York
Springville is a village in the southeast part of the town of Concord in Erie County, New York, United States. Springville is the principal community in the town and a major business location in south Erie County. The population was 4,252 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Buffalo–Niagara...
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Victor
Victor (village), New York
Victor is a village located in within the Town of Victor in Ontario County, New York, USA. The population was 2,433 at the 2000 census.The Village of Victor is in the southeast part of the town and is southeast of the City of Rochester.- History :...
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Warsaw
Warsaw (village), New York
Warsaw is a village in Wyoming County, New York in the USA. It is the county seat of Wyoming County and lies inside the Town of Warsaw. The village of Warsaw is near the center of the town in a valley. The population was 3,814 at the 2000 census. A branch of Genesee Community College is in Warsaw.-...
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Webster
Webster (village), New York
Webster is a village in Monroe County, New York, United States. The population was 5,216 at the 2000 census. The village and town are named after orator and statesman Daniel Webster....
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Wellsville
Wellsville (village), New York
Wellsville is a Village in Allegany County of New York State. At the top of the Eastern Triple Continental Divide, in south-central wooded and rural Allegany County, it is the largest population and business center in a 30-mile radius. The population was 5,171 at the 2000 census...
,
Westfield
Westfield (village), New York
Westfield is a village in Chautauqua County, New York, United States. USA. The population was 3,481 at the 2010 census.The Village of Westfield lies within the Town of Westfield in the northern part of the county...
,
Williamsville
Williamsville, New York
Williamsville is a village in Erie County, New York in the United States. The population was 5,573 at the 2000 census. The village is named after Jonas Williams, an early settler...
,
Wilson
Wilson, New York
Wilson is a village in Niagara County, New York, United States. The population was 1,213 at the 2000 census. The village is said to be named after Luther Wilson. It is part of the Buffalo–Niagara Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area....
,
Wolcott
Wolcott (village), New York
Wolcott is a village in Wayne County, New York, United States. The population was 1,712 at the 2000 census. The name is from a former governor of Connecticut....
,
Wyoming
Wyoming, New York
Wyoming is a village in Wyoming County, New York, United States. As of the 2000 census, the village has a total population of 513.The Village of Wyoming lies within the Town of Middlebury by the eastern town line...
and
Youngstown
Youngstown, New York
Youngstown is a village in Niagara County, New York, USA. The population was 1,957 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Buffalo–Niagara Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area....
.
Climate
Humid continental climate
A humid continental climate is a climatic region typified by large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot summers and cold winters....
heavily influenced by both Lake Erie
Lake Erie
Lake Erie is the fourth largest lake of the five Great Lakes in North America, and the tenth largest globally. It is the southernmost, shallowest, and smallest by volume of the Great Lakes and therefore also has the shortest average water residence time. It is bounded on the north by the...
and Lake Ontario
Lake Ontario
Lake Ontario is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded on the north and southwest by the Canadian province of Ontario, and on the south by the American state of New York. Ontario, Canada's most populous province, was named for the lake. In the Wyandot language, ontarío means...
. Winters are long and cold, often lasting from around mid-November to early April. There are often snows before and after that period, as well. Western New York is known for its lake effect snows, which can result in highly localized, sometimes intense and even historic snow events. Lake effect storms are a result of cold air blowing over warm lake waters. Lake effect snows are usually most active between November and February and typically end once the lake freezes over. The Southern Tier normally receives the heaviest amount of snow in Western New York during the winter. Spring and fall in Western New York are usually short and changeable. The presence of the lakes allows for fruit growing and wine production along areas adjacent to both lakes which retard the development of damaging spring and fall frost, thereby extending the growing season. Lost in its famed winters, Western New York summers are among the sunniest in the Northeast and are generally very pleasant. Thanks in part to breezes blowing over Lakes Erie and Ontario (which are usually cooler than the air temperature in the summer), most of Western New York enjoy generally cooler and more comfortable summers than other regions in the same climatic zone.
Major Highways
Western New York is served by Interstate 90Interstate 90
Interstate 90 is the longest Interstate Highway in the United States at . It is the northernmost coast-to-coast interstate, and parallels US 20 for the most part. Its western terminus is in Seattle, at Edgar Martinez Drive S. near Safeco Field and CenturyLink Field, and its eastern terminus is in...
, Interstate 86
Interstate 86 (east)
Interstate 86 is an Interstate Highway that extends for through northwestern Pennsylvania and southern New York in the United States...
in the Southern Tier, and Interstate 390 (the former U.S. Route 15
U.S. Route 15
U.S. Route 15 is a -long United States highway, designated along South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and New York. The route is signed north–south, from U.S. Route 17 Alternate in Walterboro, South Carolina to Interstate 86 and NY 17 in Painted Post, New York.US...
) in the Genesee Valley region. The Buffalo-Niagara Falls Metropolitan area is served by Interstate 190
Interstate 190 (New York)
Interstate 190 runs 28.34 miles from Interstate 90 near Buffalo, New York to Lewiston, New York via Niagara Falls. Parts of this highway were built on the former rights-of-way of the Lehigh Valley Railroad and the Erie Canal. It is referred to by locals as The One-Ninety...
, Interstate 290
Interstate 290 (New York)
Interstate 290 runs for near Buffalo, New York from I-90 to I-190. It connects Buffalo with its northern suburbs of Amherst and Tonawanda, and provides a route to Niagara Falls that bypasses the city of Buffalo. I-290 also connects to Interstate 990, and through this connection,...
and Interstate 990
Interstate 990
Interstate 990 is an auxiliary Interstate Highway located entirely within the town of Amherst in Erie County, New York, in the United States. It runs in a roughly north–south direction for through the southwestern and central parts of Amherst from Interstate 290 north of Buffalo to...
. In addition to being served by Interstate 390, the Rochester Metro area is also served by Interstate 490
Interstate 490 (New York)
Interstate 490 is an auxiliary Interstate Highway that serves the city of Rochester, New York, in the United States. It acts as a northerly alternate route to the New York State Thruway , leaving it at exit 47 in the town of Le Roy and rejoining the highway at exit 45 in the town of...
and Interstate 590
Interstate 590
Interstate 590 is a north–south auxiliary Interstate Highway that serves the immediate southeastern suburbs of the city of Rochester, New York, in the United States. It extends for from an interchange with I-390 in Brighton to the Can of Worms, a complex interchange connecting I-590 to I-490...
. The planned expansion of the U.S. Route 219
U.S. Route 219
U.S. Route 219 is a spur of U.S. Route 19. It runs for from West Seneca, New York at an interchange with Interstate 90, to Rich Creek, Virginia, intersecting at U.S. Route 460. U.S. 219 is found in New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, West Virginia, and Virginia...
Expressway from Buffalo through Cattaraugus County will provide another major thoroughfare in Western New York.
Major Airports
Western New York has two airports that provide significant regular passenger service, Buffalo-Niagara International Airport and Greater Rochester International AirportGreater Rochester International Airport
Greater Rochester International Airport is a county-owned public-use airport located three nautical miles southwest of the central business district of Rochester, a city in Monroe County, New York, United States...
. Buffalo-Niagara International Airport is the most patronized airport facility in Western New York. While it primarily serves as the regional airport for the Buffalo-Niagara Falls Metropolitan Area
Buffalo-Niagara Falls metropolitan area
The Buffalo-Niagara Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area is a metropolitan area, designated by the United States Census Bureau, encompassing two counties – Erie and Niagara – in Western New York, with a population, as of the 2010 census, of 1,135,509 inhabitants...
, the facility doubles as a gateway to Canada, and a good portion of its passengers (33%) are Canadian. The airport acts as a third air facility for the Greater Toronto Area
Greater Toronto Area
The Greater Toronto Area is the largest metropolitan area in Canada, with a 2006 census population of 5.5 million. The Greater Toronto Area is usually defined as the central city of Toronto, along with four regional municipalities surrounding it: Durham, Halton, Peel, and York...
.
The second major airport in Western New York, Greater Rochester International Airport
Greater Rochester International Airport
Greater Rochester International Airport is a county-owned public-use airport located three nautical miles southwest of the central business district of Rochester, a city in Monroe County, New York, United States...
, does not see as much traffic as Buffalo-Niagara International Airport. Still, located just three nautical miles southwest of Downtown Rochester, the facility provides somewhat convenient access to airline service for many residents of the Rochester Metropolitan Area
Rochester, New York metropolitan area
The Rochester, New York Metropolitan Statistical Area , as defined by the United States Census Bureau, is an area consisting of five counties in Western New York, anchored by the city of Rochester...
.
Railroad Service
Western New York features four railroad stations in service on the Empire CorridorEmpire Corridor
The Empire Corridor is a term used to refer to the approximately corridor between Niagara Falls and New York City, including the cities of Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, Utica, Schenectady and Albany. The Empire Service and Maple Leaf serve the entire length of this corridor, and the Maple Leaf...
; Rochester
Rochester (Amtrak station)
Rochester is a station on the Empire Service Amtrak line, located in Rochester, New York.All trains use the platform adjacent to the station building, meaning both eastbound and westbound trains must switch to the southern track...
, Buffalo-Depew
Buffalo-Depew (Amtrak station)
Buffalo–Depew Station is an Amtrak station in Depew, New York.According to the , Buffalo–Depew station is near the site where in 1893, Empire State Express Locomotive #999 attained a top speed of , covering the distance between Depew and Forks, New York in 32 seconds, making it the fastest...
, Buffalo-Exchange
Buffalo-Exchange Street Station
The Buffalo – Exchange Street Station is an Amtrak train station. There are plans for relocating this station.-History:...
and Niagara Falls
Niagara Falls, New York (Amtrak station)
Amtrak's Niagara Falls, New York station is located at the corner of 27th Street and Lockport Road. It serves as an enclosed waiting area and ticket-selling location on the western terminus of the Empire Corridor. There is no platform, however, so trains are boarded in the open air of the much...
. The Buffalo-Exchange Street and Niagara Falls stations do not see as much rail service as the other two Western New York stations due to the fact that west of Depew Station, Amtrak's Lake Shore Limited
Lake Shore Limited
The Lake Shore Limited is a daily passenger train route operated by Amtrak in the Northeastern and Midwestern United States. The train runs between Chicago and Albany, NY, where it divides into two sections that provide thru-service to New York and Boston...
leaves the Empire Corridor en route to the Midwest. For a period of time, there were proposals to service these four stations with high-speed rail
New York high-speed rail
High-speed rail in New York has been a topic that is consistently discussed among legislators, political leaders and in particular, several past governors since the 1990s, but thus far little progress has been made...
. A major objective of implementing high-speed rail service was to better connect Western New York as well as the rest of Upstate New York with New York City. However, little of substance has come of these proposals.
History
The territory of Western New York was, until the 17th century or so, held by the Neutral NationNeutral Nation
The Neutrals, also known as the Attawandaron, were an Iroquoian nation of North American native people who lived near the shores of Lake Ontario and Lake Erie.-Territory:...
in the northern Niagara region and the Wenrohronon
Wenrohronon
The Wenrohronon or Wenro were a little-known indigenous people of North America originally from western New York and northwestern Pennsylvania. They appear to have inhabited the upper Allegheny River valley, between the territories of the Seneca and the Neutrals...
and Erie Indians
Erie (tribe)
The Erie were an Native American people historically living on the south shore of Lake Erie. An Iroquoian group, they lived in what is now western New York, northwestern Pennsylvania, and northern Ohio...
around the Allegheny River
Allegheny River
The Allegheny River is a principal tributary of the Ohio River; it is located in the Eastern United States. The Allegheny River joins with the Monongahela River to form the Ohio River at the "Point" of Point State Park in Downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania...
. The Seneca nation
Seneca nation
The Seneca are a group of indigenous people native to North America. They were the nation located farthest to the west within the Six Nations or Iroquois League in New York before the American Revolution. While exact population figures are unknown, approximately 15,000 to 25,000 Seneca live in...
and their allies in the Iroquois Confederacy eliminated those tribes in wars during the Beaver Wars
Beaver Wars
The Beaver Wars, also sometimes called the Iroquois Wars or the French and Iroquois Wars, commonly refers to a series of conflicts fought in the mid-17th century in eastern North America...
between 1638 and 1701, with any survivors being assimilated into the Senecas (in the case of the Erie and Neutral) or Huron (in the case of the Wenro). The Neutral territory is currently held by Tuscaroras
Tuscarora (tribe)
The Tuscarora are a Native American people of the Iroquoian-language family, with members in New York, Canada, and North Carolina...
, who moved up from the Carolinas
The Carolinas
The Carolinas is a term used in the United States to refer collectively to the states of North and South Carolina. Together, the two states + have a population of 13,942,126. "Carolina" would be the fifth most populous state behind California, Texas, New York, and Florida...
while refugees from the Erie tribes moved south to the Carolinas.
Western New York's land was acquired from the Iroquois through the Nanfan Treaty
Nanfan Treaty
Deed from the Five Nations to the King, of their Beaver Hunting Ground, more commonly known as the Nanfan Treaty, was an agreement made between the representatives of the Iroquois Confederacy with John Nanfan, the acting colonial governor of New York, on behalf of the The Crown...
(which ceded the territory to England at the end of the Beaver Wars in 1701), the Holland Purchase
Holland Purchase
The Holland Purchase was a large tract of land in what is now the western portion of the U.S. state of New York. It consisted of about 3,250,000 acres of land from a line approximately 12 miles to the west of the Genesee River to the present western border and boundary of New York State.The land...
, the Phelps and Gorham Purchase
Phelps and Gorham Purchase
The Phelps and Gorham Purchase was the purchase in 1788 of the pre-emptive right to some 6,000,000 acres of land in western New York State for $1,000,000 . This was all land in western New York west of Seneca Lake between Lake Ontario and the Pennsylvania border...
, the Treaty of Canandaigua
Treaty of Canandaigua
The Treaty of Canandaigua is a treaty signed after the American Revolutionary War between the Grand Council of the Six Nations and President George Washington representing the United States of America....
, and the Treaty of Buffalo Creek
Treaty of Buffalo Creek
-1788:The Treaty of Buffalo Creek should not be confused with the Phelps and Gorham Purchase of lands east of the Genesee River in New York, which occurred at Buffalo Creek on July 8, 1788...
during the late 18th and early 19th centuries. During the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
Western New York was part of the borderland frontier
Niagara Frontier
The Niagara Frontier refers to the stretch of land south of Lake Ontario and Lake Erie and extending westward to Cleveland, Ohio. The term dates to the War of 1812. This only includes the land east of the Niagara River and south of Lake Erie within the United States...
between the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and British Canada and became the scene of various military actions.
The two major Western New York cities, Buffalo and Rochester, benefitted greatly from the opening of the Erie Canal
Erie Canal
The Erie Canal is a waterway in New York that runs about from Albany, New York, on the Hudson River to Buffalo, New York, at Lake Erie, completing a navigable water route from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes. The canal contains 36 locks and encompasses a total elevation differential of...
. With its strategic position at the western end of the Erie Canal, the eastern end of Lake Erie and proximity to Niagara Falls and Canada, Buffalo emerged as a major port. Niagara Falls
Niagara Falls
The Niagara Falls, located on the Niagara River draining Lake Erie into Lake Ontario, is the collective name for the Horseshoe Falls and the adjacent American Falls along with the comparatively small Bridal Veil Falls, which combined form the highest flow rate of any waterfalls in the world and has...
provided Buffalo with a ready supply of power, so much so that one of its enduring nicknames is "The City of Light". Buffalo experienced steady growth during the 19th Century and at one point was one of the 10 most populated cities in the United States. According to some, Rochester was "America's First Boomtown" and was a key player in the flour industry (hence its initial nickname "Flour City"). Its growth was attributed to both the completion of the Erie Canal and its resulting significance in the flour industry. As a region, Western New York played a significant role in the American economy during the 19th century. Large scale immigration from Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
and Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
soon followed into the region.
The New Religious Movement
New religious movement
A new religious movement is a religious community or ethical, spiritual, or philosophical group of modern origin, which has a peripheral place within the dominant religious culture. NRMs may be novel in origin or they may be part of a wider religion, such as Christianity, Hinduism or Buddhism, in...
known as Spiritualism
Spiritualism
Spiritualism is a belief system or religion, postulating the belief that spirits of the dead residing in the spirit world have both the ability and the inclination to communicate with the living...
was among several that arose in the early 19th century burned-over district
Burned-over district
"Burned-over district" refers to the religious scene in western and central region of New York, in the early 19th century, where religious revivals and Pentecostal movements of the Second Great Awakening took place....
of western New York. Its major center is Lily Dale, one of the largest spiritualism communities in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The original house of the Fox sisters
Fox sisters
The Fox sisters were three sisters from New York who played an important role in the creation of Spiritualism. The three sisters were Leah Fox , Margaret Fox and Kate Fox . The two younger sisters used "rappings" to convince their much older sister and others that they were communicating with...
was relocated to Lily Dale in 1916. Joseph Smith Jr., founder of the Latter Day Saint movement
Latter Day Saint movement
The Latter Day Saint movement is a group of independent churches tracing their origin to a Christian primitivist movement founded by Joseph Smith, Jr. in the late 1820s. Collectively, these churches have over 14 million members...
, reported receiving the Book of Mormon in Palmyra, Wayne County.
In the late 20th century this area became part of the Rust belt
Rust Belt
The Rust Belt is a term that gained currency in the 1980s as the informal description of an area straddling the Midwestern and Northeastern United States, in which local economies traditionally garnered an increased manufacturing sector to add jobs and corporate profits...
of the United States, being a focal point for the transportation of grain, steel, and coal. The area saw an economic decline during the period of deindustrialization
Deindustrialization
Deindustrialization is a process of social and economic change caused by the removal or reduction of industrial capacity or activity in a country or region, especially heavy industry or manufacturing industry. It is an opposite of industrialization.- Multiple interpretations :There are multiple...
, leaving many empty steel mills including those of Bethlehem Steel
Bethlehem Steel
The Bethlehem Steel Corporation , based in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, was once the second-largest steel producer in the United States, after Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania-based U.S. Steel. After a decline in the U.S...
, which was the 2nd largest steel mill in the world. The plant located in Lackawanna
Lackawanna, New York
Lackawanna is a city in Erie County, New York, U.S., located just south of the city of Buffalo in the western part of New York state. The population was 18,141 at the 2010 census. The name derives from the Lackawanna Steel Company...
, New York provided nearly 25,000 jobs to the local economy. Republic Steel
Republic Steel
Republic Steel was once the third largest steel producer in the United States.The Republic Iron and Steel Company was founded in Youngstown, Ohio in 1899....
also had a large integrated steel mill
Steel mill
A steel mill or steelworks is an industrial plant for the manufacture of steel.Steel is an alloy of iron and carbon. It is produced in a two-stage process. First, iron ore is reduced or smelted with coke and limestone in a blast furnace, producing molten iron which is either cast into pig iron or...
located in South Buffalo. General Motors
General Motors
General Motors Company , commonly known as GM, formerly incorporated as General Motors Corporation, is an American multinational automotive corporation headquartered in Detroit, Michigan and the world's second-largest automaker in 2010...
in Tonawanda is the largest vehicle engine plant in the world, which still is a major contributor to the Buffalo area economy. Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
also maintains a large manufacturing facility in Woodlawn
Woodlawn, Erie County, New York
Woodlawn, New York is an unincorporated hamlet in the town of Hamburg in Erie County, New York, USA.-References:...
, New York, which is just south of Buffalo
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
.
Culture
Appalachia
Appalachia is a term used to describe a cultural region in the eastern United States that stretches from the Southern Tier of New York state to northern Alabama, Mississippi, and Georgia. While the Appalachian Mountains stretch from Belle Isle in Canada to Cheaha Mountain in the U.S...
in the Southern Tier
Southern Tier
The Southern Tier is a geographical term that refers to the counties of New York State west of the Catskill Mountains along the northern border of Pennsylvania. It is a loosely defined term that generally includes the counties that border Pennsylvania west of Delaware County inclusive...
, an overlapping region of the state. Buffalo
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
appears to most visitors to have much more in common with Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
or Cleveland, OH from both an economic and a cultural standpoint than it does with New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. The similarities with Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
run the list from sharing a common industrial base traditionally built around steel
Steel
Steel is an alloy that consists mostly of iron and has a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most common alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used, such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...
and automobile
Automobile
An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
manufacturing. The cities were both developed during the same period in American history, so the street patterns, architecture
Architecture
Architecture is both the process and product of planning, designing and construction. Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural and political symbols and as works of art...
, and ethnic communities share a common appearance. Unlike most of the Eastern seaboard
Eastern seaboard
An Eastern seaboard can mean any easternmost part of a continent, or its countries, states and/or cities.Eastern seaboard may also refer to:* East Coast of Australia* East Coast of the United States* Eastern Seaboard of Thailand-See also:...
, both local populations also speak with the same dialect of Inland North
Inland Northern American English
The Inland North dialect of American English is spoken in a region that includes most of the cities along the Erie Canal and on the U.S. side of Great Lakes region, reaching approximately from Utica, New York to Green Bay, Wisconsin, as well as a corridor extending down across central Illinois from...
English, with its use of short broad vowels and heavily pronounced final "r" sounds in words ending in the letter "r". Western New York is part of the Inland North
Inland Northern American English
The Inland North dialect of American English is spoken in a region that includes most of the cities along the Erie Canal and on the U.S. side of Great Lakes region, reaching approximately from Utica, New York to Green Bay, Wisconsin, as well as a corridor extending down across central Illinois from...
region of American English, which means it is subject to the Northern Cities vowel shift
Northern cities vowel shift
The Northern cities vowel shift is a chain shift in the sounds of some vowels in the dialect region of American English known as the Inland North.-Geography:...
; a distinct variant of that accent, "Buffalo English," is heard in many parts of the region.
Finally, most Western New York sports fans support the Buffalo Bills
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
and Buffalo Sabres
Buffalo Sabres
The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League .-Founding and early success: 1970-71—1980-81:...
. Team loyalties of sports fans in the rest of upstate New York are more divided.
Food
Perhaps the best-known food specialty of Western New York is Buffalo chicken wings (known locally simply as 'wings' or 'chicken wings', but never 'Buffalo wings'). The two best-known places to get wings are Duff's and the Anchor Bar, which have a strong local rivalry in Buffalo."Friday night fish fry
Fish fry
A fish fry is a meal containing battered or breaded fried fish. It typically also includes french fries, coleslaw, hushpuppies, lemon slices, tartar sauce, malt vinegar and dessert. Some Indian versions are cooked by coating fish with semolina and egg yolk...
" is also regionally popular, a holdover from when Catholics were forbidden to eat meat on Fridays. It is usually skinless cod although most restaurants in the area claim they use the higher quality haddock, and is frequently beer-battered and fried, and served with French fries and cole slaw. Most restaurants in Western New York have a Friday fish fry special. The fish fry retains particular popularity during Lent
Lent
In the Christian tradition, Lent is the period of the liturgical year from Ash Wednesday to Easter. The traditional purpose of Lent is the preparation of the believer – through prayer, repentance, almsgiving and self-denial – for the annual commemoration during Holy Week of the Death and...
, when Catholics are still barred from eating meat on Friday.
Beef on Weck is a local invention in which sliced warm roast beef is piled high on a salted sandwich roll lined with caraway seeds and salt called a Kummelweck
Kummelweck
A beef on weck sandwich is a variety of steak sandwich found primarily in Western New York. It is made with roast beef on a kummelweck roll. The meat on the sandwich is traditionally served rare, thin cut, with the top bun getting a dip au jus...
roll, and is topped with au jus and horseradish. It is a regional favorite.
A garbage plate is popular in the Rochester area. It was created and continues to be served by Nick Tahou Hots
Nick Tahou Hots
Nick Tahou Hots, originally known as Hots and Potatoes, is a Rochester, New York, landmark restaurant featuring a dish called the Garbage Plate. The restaurant was founded in 1918 by Alex Tahou, the grandfather of the current owner , and named for Nick Tahou, the founder's son, who operated the...
on West Main Street. Other Rochester-specific foods include the white hot, a hot dog
Hot dog
A hot dog is a sausage served in a sliced bun. It is very often garnished with mustard, ketchup, onions, mayonnaise, relish and/or sauerkraut.-History:...
processed to appear without the distinctive pink color of most hot dogs.
Butter lamb
Butter lamb
The butter lamb, also known as a buttered lamb, is a traditional butter sculpture accompanying the Easter meal for many Slovenian and Polish Catholics. Butter is shaped into a lamb either by hand or in a lamb-shaped mould. It is also sold at delis, Polish specialty markets, and some general...
s are a popular tradition in Buffalo during the Lenten season leading into Easter. The Broadway Market, a market in Buffalo, is famous for this product.
Italian-American food is a specialty in Western New York. Most towns in the region have pizzerias.
The region produces many agricultural products, including milk, maple syrup, apples, cherries, potatoes, sweet corn, strawberries, raspberries, peaches, and grapes. As with the rest of Upstate New York
Upstate New York
Upstate New York is the region of the U.S. state of New York that is located north of the core of the New York metropolitan area.-Definition:There is no clear or official boundary between Upstate New York and Downstate New York...
, dairy farming
Dairy farming
Dairy farming is a class of agricultural, or an animal husbandry, enterprise, for long-term production of milk, usually from dairy cows but also from goats and sheep, which may be either processed on-site or transported to a dairy factory for processing and eventual retail sale.Most dairy farms...
is an important part of the economy. New York State is a leading producer among the states of dairy, maple, and wine.
Economy
In urban areas in Western New York, education, business, light manufacturing and tourism have replaced heavy manufacturing which left the area at the end of World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Rochester and Buffalo were especially hard-hit with the exodus of manufacturing jobs to other areas of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and nations like China
People's Republic of China
China , officially the People's Republic of China , is the most populous country in the world, with over 1.3 billion citizens. Located in East Asia, the country covers approximately 9.6 million square kilometres...
and Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
. Niagara Falls
Niagara Falls, New York
Niagara Falls is a city in Niagara County, New York, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 50,193, down from the 55,593 recorded in the 2000 census. It is across the Niagara River from Niagara Falls, Ontario , both named after the famed Niagara Falls which they...
was also hard-hit and has shed half of its population since its peak in 1960.
Outside of the cities, agriculture has always driven the economy, especially dairy farming
Dairy farming
Dairy farming is a class of agricultural, or an animal husbandry, enterprise, for long-term production of milk, usually from dairy cows but also from goats and sheep, which may be either processed on-site or transported to a dairy factory for processing and eventual retail sale.Most dairy farms...
.
In Niagara County
Niagara County, New York
Niagara County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 216,469. The county seat is Lockport. The county name is from the Iroquois word Onguiaahra; meaning the strait or thunder of waters. It is the location of Niagara Falls and Fort Niagara, and...
, viticulture
Viticulture
Viticulture is the science, production and study of grapes which deals with the series of events that occur in the vineyard. When the grapes are used for winemaking, it is also known as viniculture...
, or wine culture, is also becoming a driver of the economy. In order to take advantage of this, the state has created the Niagara Wine Trail.
The prospect of high-speed rail in New York
New York high-speed rail
High-speed rail in New York has been a topic that is consistently discussed among legislators, political leaders and in particular, several past governors since the 1990s, but thus far little progress has been made...
is expected to become a driver of the economy, linking Niagara Falls
Niagara Falls, New York
Niagara Falls is a city in Niagara County, New York, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 50,193, down from the 55,593 recorded in the 2000 census. It is across the Niagara River from Niagara Falls, Ontario , both named after the famed Niagara Falls which they...
with New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, helping to bring economic prosperity from New York City to Western New York and the rest of the state, whose economy as a whole is stagnant.
Colleges and universities
- Alfred UniversityAlfred UniversityAlfred University is a small, comprehensive university in the Village of Alfred in Western New York, USA, an hour and a half south of Rochester and two hours southeast of Buffalo. Alfred has an undergraduate population of around 2,000, and approximately 300 graduate students...
- Bryant & Stratton College
- Buffalo State CollegeBuffalo State CollegeThe State University of New York College at Buffalo, referred to as Buffalo State College, often referred to colloquially as Buff State, is a public, liberal arts college in Buffalo, New York, United States and is part of the State University of New York. Buffalo State was founded in 1871 as the...
- Canisius CollegeCanisius CollegeCanisius College is a private Roman Catholic college in Buffalo, New York, United States. The college was founded in 1870 by members of the Society of Jesus from Germany and is named after St. Peter Canisius. The college is one of 28 institutions in the Association of Jesuit Colleges and...
- Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity SchoolColgate Rochester Crozer Divinity SchoolColgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School is a theological college of Baptist origins. The present day school, which sits on the top of a hill in the beautiful setting of Highland Park in Rochester, New York is a product of several mergers....
- D'Youville CollegeD'Youville CollegeD'Youville College is a private, coeducational college, independent but with a Roman Catholic tradition. It is located on the West Side of Buffalo, New York, a few blocks from the international Peace Bridge, and has students from around the world...
- Daemen CollegeDaemen CollegeDaemen College is a liberal arts college located on Main Street in Amherst, New York.-History:Daemen was founded in 1947 as Rosary Hill College for women by the Sisters of St. Francis of Penance and Christian Charity, headed by Mother Magdalene Daemen...
- Empire State CollegeEmpire State CollegeEmpire State College, one of the thirteen arts and science colleges of the State University of New York, is a multi-site institution offering associate, bachelor's, and master's degrees. It is primarily oriented towards the adult learner...
- Erie Community CollegeErie Community CollegeErie Community College is a two-year community college that is part of the 64-campus SUNY system. It is the fourth-largest community college in New York State....
- Finger Lakes Community CollegeFinger Lakes Community CollegeFinger Lakes Community College, often abbreviated FLCC, is a college affiliated with the State University of New York. The college has four locations: Canandaigua , and campus centers in Victor, Geneva, and Newark, all in order to serve the needs of Ontario County, Wayne County, Yates County and...
- Genesee Community CollegeGenesee Community CollegeGenesee Community College is a public community college with its main campus in Town of Batavia, New York, USA . It has branch campuses in Albion, Medina, Warsaw, Dansville, Arcade, Lima, and previously Lakeville, New York. Thus, the college covers areas outside of Genesee County...
- Hilbert CollegeHilbert CollegeHilbert College is a private Franciscan college located in the Town of Hamburg, about 20 minutes south of Buffalo, New York. The college is named after Mother Collette Hilbert of the Franciscan Sisters of Saint Joseph, who founded the school to train teachers in 1957...
- Hobart and William Smith CollegesHobart and William Smith CollegesHobart and William Smith Colleges, located in Geneva, New York, are together a liberal arts college offering Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science and Master of Arts in Teaching degrees. In athletics, however, the two schools compete with separate teams, known as the Hobart Statesmen and the...
- Houghton CollegeHoughton CollegeHoughton College is a Christian liberal arts college affiliated with the Wesleyan Church. The college is a member of both the Christian College Consortium and the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities...
- Jamestown Community CollegeJamestown Community CollegeJamestown Community College is a two-year college in the SUNY system. JCC has two campuses in Chautauqua County, New York, located in Dunkirk and Jamestown. A third campus serves Cattaraugus County in Olean. A fourth site is located in Warren, Pennsylvania...
- Medaille CollegeMedaille CollegeMedaille College a private liberal arts college located in the historic Olmsted Crescent of Buffalo, New York, that draws extensively from the Western New York and Southern Ontario regions. It is a private, nonsectarian, co-educational institution.-History:...
- Monroe Community CollegeMonroe Community CollegeMonroe Community College is a two-year college of the State University of New York, located in Monroe County, New York. The college has two campuses, one in the town of Brighton and another, the Damon City Campus, in the City of Rochester...
- Nazareth CollegeNazareth College (New York)Nazareth College of Rochester, NY, is a private liberal arts college in Pittsford, New York, a suburb of Rochester.-History:Nazareth was founded in 1924 by the Sisters of St. Joseph. The first class, comprising 25 young women, began their studies in a large mansion on Lake Avenue in Rochester, New...
- Niagara County Community CollegeNiagara County Community CollegeNiagara County Community College is located in Sanborn, New York, USA northeast of the City of Niagara Falls. NCCC offers associate's degrees in many programs. Niagara County Community College was founded in 1962 and is sponsored by Niagara County and SUNY. The new campus opened in 1973...
- Niagara UniversityNiagara UniversityNiagara University is a Catholic university in the Vincentian tradition, located in the Town of Lewiston in Niagara County, New York. Originally founded by the Congregation of the Mission in 1856 as Our Lady of Angels Seminary, it became Niagara University in 1883. The University is still run by...
- Roberts Wesleyan CollegeRoberts Wesleyan CollegeRoberts Wesleyan College is a Christian liberal arts college located in North Chili, New York. It is the first educational institution established for Free Methodists in North America...
- Rochester Institute of TechnologyRochester Institute of TechnologyThe Rochester Institute of Technology is a private university, located within the town of Henrietta in metropolitan Rochester, New York, United States...
- SUNY Alfred
- SUNY Brockport
- SUNY Fredonia
- SUNY Geneseo
- St. Bonaventure UniversitySt. Bonaventure UniversitySt. Bonaventure University is a private, Franciscan Catholic university, located in Allegany, Cattaraugus County, New York, United States. It has roughly 2,400 undergraduate and graduate students....
- Saint John Fisher CollegeSaint John Fisher CollegeSt. John Fisher College is a private liberal arts college located in Pittsford, New York, United States, an eastern suburb of Rochester. Fisher is ranked by U.S. News & World Report among the "Tier 1" Northern Master's Universities, while U.S News rates admissions to the College as...
- St. Bernard's School of Theology and MinistrySt. Bernard's School of Theology and MinistrySt. Bernard's School of Theology and Ministry is a Roman Catholic theological school in Rochester, New York. It was founded in 1893 as a seminary, and was one of the first US seminaries to accept laity. It is the official repository for the writings and papers of the noted evangelist and author,...
- Trocaire CollegeTrocaire CollegeTrocaire College is a coeducational junior college specializing in health care training, located in Buffalo, New York. Trocaire has a second location, the Russell J. Salvatore School of Hospitality & Business, located in Lancaster, New York...
- University at Buffalo, the largest public university in New York
- University of RochesterUniversity of RochesterThe University of Rochester is a private, nonsectarian, research university in Rochester, New York, United States. The university grants undergraduate and graduate degrees, including doctoral and professional degrees. The university has six schools and various interdisciplinary programs.The...
- Villa Maria CollegeVilla Maria CollegeVilla Maria College is a private college located in Cheektowaga, New York specializing in music and the arts. It was founded in 1961 by the Felician Sisters of Buffalo....
Major businesses
Western New York is home to many small, medium and large corporations, including:- Bausch & LombBausch & LombBausch & Lomb, an American company based in Rochester, New York, is one of the world's leading suppliers of eye health products, such as contact lenses and lens care products today. In addition to this main activity, in recent years the area of medical technology has been developed...
- Computer Task Group, IncorporatedComputer Task Group, IncorporatedComputer Task Group, Incorporated is a company that provides information technology staffing and solutions and application management outsourcing.CTG was founded in 1966 by Randolph A. Marks and G. David Baer in Buffalo, New York. By 1969 CTG went public....
- Delaware North CompaniesDelaware North CompaniesDelaware North Companies is a global food service and hospitality company headquartered in Buffalo, New York The company operates in the lodging, sporting, airport, gaming and entertainment industries. The company employs over 50,000 people worldwide and has over $2 billion in annual revenues...
- Ellicott Development CompanyCarl PaladinoCarl Pasquale Paladino is an American businessman and political activist from Buffalo, New York. Paladino is the founder and chairman of Ellicott Development Company, a real estate development company he founded in 1973. He was the 2010 Republican nominee for the New York gubernatorial election,...
- Kodak
- Merchants Insurance GroupMerchants Insurance GroupMerchants Insurance Group, a regional property and casualty insurance company headquartered in Buffalo, New York, has been offering financial protection to individuals and businessowners since 1918. The company provides commercial and personal property and casualty insurance throughout the...
- M&T BankM&T BankM&T Bank is an American commercial bank that was founded in 1856 in western New York, and today remains headquartered in Buffalo at One M & T Plaza...
- New Era Cap CompanyNew Era Cap CompanyThe New Era Cap Company , located in Buffalo, New York, is a headwear manufacturer. It was founded in 1920 by German immigrant Ehrhardt Koch...
- Rich ProductsRich ProductsRich Products Corporation is a privately held, multinational food products corporation headquartered in Buffalo, New York. The company was founded in 1945 by Robert E. Rich, Sr....
- Wegmans Food MarketsWegmans Food MarketsWegmans Food Markets, Inc. is a family-owned U.S. regional supermarket chain headquartered in Gates, New York, near Rochester. Wegmans has more than 75 stores spread across the mid-Atlantic region, in New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Virginia, Maryland and Massachusetts...
- XeroxXeroxXerox Corporation is an American multinational document management corporation that produced and sells a range of color and black-and-white printers, multifunction systems, photo copiers, digital production printing presses, and related consulting services and supplies...
- Tops Markets
- HSBC Bank USAHSBC Bank USAHSBC Bank USA, National Association, the American subsidiary of UK-based HSBC Holdings plc, is a bank with its operational head office in New York City and its nominal head office in McLean, Virginia . HSBC Bank USA, N.A...
- First Niagara BankFirst Niagara BankFirst Niagara Bank is a Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation-insured regional banking corporation headquartered in the historic Larkin Terminal Warehouse in Buffalo, New York.-History:...
- Buffalo Niagara Medical CampusBuffalo Niagara Medical CampusThe Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus is a consortium of the region’s premier health care, life sciences research, and medical education institutions, all co-located on in downtown Buffalo, New York. The BNMC is dedicated to the cultivation of a world-class medical campus for clinical care,...
- Kaleida HealthKaleida HealthKaleida Health is the largest non-profit health care provider in Western New York. Founded in 1998, the organization supplies the area's eight counties with health services throughout five different hospitals and separate medical centers...
- University at Buffalo, The State University of New YorkUniversity at Buffalo, The State University of New YorkUniversity at Buffalo, The State University of New York, also commonly known as the University at Buffalo or UB, is a public research university and a "University Center" in the State University of New York system. The university was founded by Millard Fillmore in 1846. UB has multiple campuses...
Major attractions
Niagara Falls
The Niagara Falls, located on the Niagara River draining Lake Erie into Lake Ontario, is the collective name for the Horseshoe Falls and the adjacent American Falls along with the comparatively small Bridal Veil Falls, which combined form the highest flow rate of any waterfalls in the world and has...
is undoubtedly the most famous attraction in Western New York. Forming part of Western New York's border with Canada, the Falls has evolved into a major destination for tourists and locals alike.
Another, less famous scenic attraction, is Letchworth State Park
Letchworth State Park
Letchworth State Park is a New York state park located 35 miles southwest of Rochester and 60 miles southeast of Buffalo in Livingston and Wyoming counties. The park is roughly 17 miles long, covering of land along the Genesee River...
. Located 35 miles south of Rochester, Letchworth State Park has been termed "The Grand Canyon of the East."
Western New York is also known as the home of the Chautauqua Institution
Chautauqua Institution
The Chautauqua Institution is a non-profit adult education center and summer resort located on 750 acres in Chautauqua, New York, 17 miles northwest of Jamestown in the western part of New York State...
near Jamestown, New York
Jamestown, New York
Jamestown is a city in Chautauqua County, New York in the United States. The population was 31,146 at the 2010 census.The City of Jamestown is adjacent to Town of Ellicott and is at the southern tip of Chautauqua Lake...
. Jamestown is also home to the Lucille Ball-Desi Arnaz Museum.
A small, but important, historic site is the Holland Land Office
Holland Land Office
The Holland Land Office building is located on West Main Street in downtown Batavia, New York, United States. It is a stone building designed by surveyor Joseph Ellicott and erected in the 1810s....
in Batavia, New York.
Many towns along a nationally-important historic site, the Erie Canal
Erie Canal
The Erie Canal is a waterway in New York that runs about from Albany, New York, on the Hudson River to Buffalo, New York, at Lake Erie, completing a navigable water route from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes. The canal contains 36 locks and encompasses a total elevation differential of...
, have lovely waterfront parks and bike trails.
The Genesee Country Village and Museum
Genesee Country Village and Museum
The Genesee Country Village and Museum is a 19th-century living history museum covering more than located in small hamlet of Mumford, New York, about from Rochester, New York, USA. On the museum property is the 19th-century village , the John L...
in Mumford, New York
Mumford, New York
The hamlet of Mumford lies on the west side of the Town of Wheatland, south of Oatka Creek on NY 36 and south of the terminus of NY 383.-History:The story of Mumford has been written by several local historians...
is a well-known living history museum.
The George Eastman House
George Eastman House
The George Eastman House is the world's oldest museum dedicated to photography and one of the world's oldest film archives, opened to the public in 1949 in Rochester, New York, USA. World-renowned for its photograph and motion picture archives, the museum is also a leader in film preservation and...
is in Rochester, and is the world's oldest photography museum.
The Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site
Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site
Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural National Historic Site preserves the Ansley Wilcox House, at 641 Delaware Avenue in Buffalo, New York. Here, after the assassination of William McKinley, Theodore Roosevelt took the oath of office as President of the United States on September 14, 1901...
, known locally as the Wilcox Mansion, is in Buffalo. It is the site of the first presidential inauguration of Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States . He is noted for his exuberant personality, range of interests and achievements, and his leadership of the Progressive Movement, as well as his "cowboy" persona and robust masculinity...
following the assassination of President William McKinley
William McKinley
William McKinley, Jr. was the 25th President of the United States . He is best known for winning fiercely fought elections, while supporting the gold standard and high tariffs; he succeeded in forging a Republican coalition that for the most part dominated national politics until the 1930s...
who had been attending the Pan-American Exposition
Pan-American Exposition
The Pan-American Exposition was a World's Fair held in Buffalo, New York, United States, from May 1 through November 2, 1901. The fair occupied of land on the western edge of what is present day Delaware Park, extending from Delaware Ave. to Elmwood Ave and northward to Great Arrow...
in Buffalo in 1901.
Darien Lake in Genesee County is also a popular summertime destination, drawing in crowds from all over Western and Central New York, as well as from southern Ontario.
Sports
Western New York is represented by the Buffalo BillsBuffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills are a professional football team based in Buffalo, New York. They are currently members of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
in the NFL and the Buffalo Sabres
Buffalo Sabres
The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League .-Founding and early success: 1970-71—1980-81:...
in the NHL. The Buffalo Bills currently play their home football games at Ralph Wilson Stadium
Ralph Wilson Stadium
Ralph Wilson Stadium is a football stadium, located in the town of Orchard Park, a suburb of Buffalo, New York. It is the home for the Buffalo Bills, of the NFL...
, the largest sports stadium in the state. The Bills have reached the Super Bowl
Super Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
in four consecutive seasons (1990–1993), only to lose all four times.
The Buffalo Sabres also have a strong following in Western New York, and have the highest local Nielsen ratings
Nielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
of any professional hockey team in the United States. The Sabres reached the Stanley Cup Finals
Stanley Cup Finals
The Stanley Cup Finals is the championship series to determine the winner of the Stanley Cup, emblematic of the professional club championship of ice hockey. Although the Cup itself has existed since 1893, an annual championship series between professional teams was not established until 1913...
in 1975 and 1999. The Sabres lost the 1999 Stanley Cup Final series on a controversial goal. The Sabres currently enjoy healthy rivalries with both the Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
and Ottawa Senators
Ottawa Senators
The Ottawa Senators are a professional ice hockey team based in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
. On January 1, 2008, the Sabres played the Pittsburgh Penguins
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the first expansion teams during the league's original...
in the inaugural Winter Classic at Ralph Wilson Stadium. This was the first ever regular-season NHL game held outdoors in the United States.
While Western New York currently does not have a team in Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
(occasionally considered the fifth major league on the American sporting landscape), until relatively recently, Rochester had frequently been mentioned as a candidate for a new expansion franchise. This was due to the relative success of the Rochester Rhinos. However, in recent years the Rhinos have seen a downturn in attendance due to a number of factors. The Rhinos are something of a regional team in Western New York, though at nowhere near the popularity of the Bills or Sabres. The Rhinos are best known as being the only non-MLS team to win the US Open Cup since that competition was opened to MLS teams. Western New York is represented in Women’s Professional Soccer by the Western New York Flash, a team that officially began playing in the league in 2011. The Flash, like the Rhinos, plays its home games at Sahlen's Stadium in Rochester.
There are no Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
teams in the region, but two Minor League
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
teams play in the region: the Buffalo Bisons
Buffalo Bisons
The Buffalo Bisons are a minor league baseball team based in Buffalo, New York. They currently play in the International League and are the Triple-A affiliate of the New York Mets...
and Rochester Red Wings
Rochester Red Wings
The Rochester Red Wings are a minor league baseball team based in Rochester, New York. The team plays in the International League and is the Triple-A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins major-league club. The Red Wings play in Frontier Field, located in downtown Rochester.The Red Wings were an...
, both in the AAA International League-North Division, and affiliates of the New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
and Minnesota Twins
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
, respectively. In addition, the Batavia Muckdogs
Batavia Muckdogs
The Batavia Muckdogs are a minor league baseball team based in Batavia, a city in Genesee County, New York, United States. The Muckdogs are the current Short-Season A affiliate of the St. Louis Cardinals...
and Jamestown Jammers
Jamestown Jammers
The Jamestown Jammers are a minor league baseball team in Jamestown, New York, United States. The team is the Short-Season A classification affiliate of the Miami Marlins and plays in the New York - Penn League...
play in the short-season class A New York-Penn League.
Lacrosse
Lacrosse
Lacrosse is a team sport of Native American origin played using a small rubber ball and a long-handled stick called a crosse or lacrosse stick, mainly played in the United States and Canada. It is a contact sport which requires padding. The head of the lacrosse stick is strung with loose mesh...
is growing in popularity in the region, with the Buffalo Bandits
Buffalo Bandits
The Buffalo Bandits are a team in the National Lacrosse League . They play at the First Niagara Center in Buffalo, New York. The Bandits played in the Major Indoor Lacrosse League from 1992 to 1997, until the MILL turned into the NLL in 1998....
and Rochester Knighthawks
Rochester Knighthawks
The Rochester Knighthawks are a professional lacrosse team in the National Lacrosse League. They play in Rochester, New York at the Blue Cross Arena at the War Memorial. The Knighthawks were previously members of the Major Indoor Lacrosse League from 1995 to 1997...
both perennial contenders in the National Lacrosse League
National Lacrosse League
The National Lacrosse League is a men's professional indoor lacrosse league in North America. It currently has nine teams; three in Canada and six in the United States. Unlike other lacrosse leagues which play in the summer, the NLL plays its games in the winter and spring. Each year, the playoff...
. College hockey
College hockey
College hockey refers to ice hockey played between colleges with their teams composed of enrolled students. College hockey is played in Canada and the United States, though leagues outside of North America exist....
can also be said to be growing, with Canisius College
Canisius College
Canisius College is a private Roman Catholic college in Buffalo, New York, United States. The college was founded in 1870 by members of the Society of Jesus from Germany and is named after St. Peter Canisius. The college is one of 28 institutions in the Association of Jesuit Colleges and...
, Niagara University
Niagara University
Niagara University is a Catholic university in the Vincentian tradition, located in the Town of Lewiston in Niagara County, New York. Originally founded by the Congregation of the Mission in 1856 as Our Lady of Angels Seminary, it became Niagara University in 1883. The University is still run by...
, and Rochester Institute of Technology
Rochester Institute of Technology
The Rochester Institute of Technology is a private university, located within the town of Henrietta in metropolitan Rochester, New York, United States...
competing at the Division I level and several other teams (including most of the SUNY schools) competing in Division III.
External links
- http://www.wnylegacy.org
New York°N date=December 2010°W