The Niagara Frontier is the westernmost region of New York State, centred on Buffalo and Niagara Falls. It is a part of the state that has reinvented itself after decades of industrial decline — Buffalo in particular has undergone a genuine revival, with a growing food scene, restored architecture, and a pride that comes from having weathered hard times.
Buffalo, New York's second-largest city, has more going for it than most visitors expect. The Albright-Knox Art Gallery holds a world-class collection of modern art. Frank Lloyd Wright's Darwin Martin House is one of his finest Prairie-style works. The city's radial street plan, designed by Joseph Ellicott on the model of Washington DC, gives it a grandeur unusual for a Rust Belt city. Delaware Park, designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, is beautiful in every season.
Niagara Falls needs no introduction — the American Falls and Horseshoe Falls draw millions of visitors a year. The town of Niagara Falls itself is scrappier than its Canadian counterpart across the gorge, but the Whirlpool Rapids and the Niagara Power Vista are worth seeing. Lockport, east of the falls, is an Erie Canal town with a well-preserved historic centre. The Tonawandas — twin cities straddling the canal — have the charming Herschell Carousel Museum.
