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Reader's Digest names Buffalo the "nicest place in America"


JÂy RÛßeÒ

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https://www.rd.com/article/buffalo-nicest-places/

And Damar Hamlin wrote an open letter to thank the people of Buffalo

https://www.rd.com/article/damar-hamlin-thank-you-buffalo/

 

Quote

On the day I was drafted, my little brother, who was 6 at the time, said, “Damar, do they have beaches there?”  I told him, “No, brother, we are going to Buffalo.”


There isn’t a beach in the world that I would trade for the gift I’ve been given to become part of this community and feel its warm embrace. The people of this great city inspire me to keep praying, keep loving, keep going­, no matter what the circumstances. To count my blessings and just show up every day with love.
 

As I look forward, I’m grateful to call this city home, and it will always hold a special place in my heart. Buffalo is a city of fighters, and I’m proud to be one of them.

 

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The monetary wealth of this city may have long since gone away when it was the wealthiest city per capita in the entire US at the turn of the 20th century in 1900, but it never left, it just shifted to a wealth that money can't buy and why it leaves so many people in other cities feeling empty and like something is missing. Pretty much the way I have felt in every other place I have lived outside of WNY.

Edited by Big Turk
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I don’t mean to rain on the parade, but as somebody from Buffalo who was  born here, left and come back a few times, I find Buffalo less friendly than other places. 

 

I think if you’re a lifer it’s great.

 

And even if you transplant yourself here it’s good. But I my experience even for transplants there’s an undertone. You’re never just “John”. You’re introduced to Buffalo bred friend groups as “This is my friend John from Tampa”. And in that group you’re referred to as “Mango’s friend, John, from Tampa”. There is a separation there. 
 

It’s an odd sort of gate keeping. Sort of harkens back to coming home for the holidays and on a random Wednesday I can find the same group of guys in the same corner of Coles, doing the same thing we were doing in HS, and their first words to me are “Did you see Canisius beat St. Joes twice in football this year?”…No…No I didn’t. 

 

I also find that transplants tend to conglomerate together more in Buffalo than other places. 
 

In other places I’ve lived in MA, NJ, OK,  I am just Mango and my friend group has been pretty diverse. 
 

Just a few things I’ve picked up on in my comings and goings as well as some stuff I’ve noticed and talked about dating transplants in the city. 
 

Buffalo is a great town, I just wish it would be more confident in who they are today and where they are going, rather than rallying around the past. 

Edited by Mango
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8 minutes ago, Mango said:

I don’t mean to rain on the parade, but as somebody from Buffalo who was  born here, left and come back a few times, I find Buffalo less friendly than other places. 

 

I think if you’re a lifer it’s great.

 

And even if you transplant yourself here it’s good. But I my experience even for transplants there’s an undertone. You’re never just “John”. You’re introduced to Buffalo bred friend groups as “This is my friend John from Tampa”. And in that group you’re referred to as “Mango’s friend, John, from Tampa”. There is a separation there. 
 

It’s an odd sort of gate keeping. Sort of harkens back to coming home for the holidays and on a random Wednesday I can find the same group of guys in the same corner of Coles, doing the same thing we were doing in HS, and their first words to me are “Did you see Canisius beat St. Joes twice in football this year?”…No…No I didn’t. 

 

I also find that transplants tend to conglomerate together more in Buffalo than other places. 
 

In other places I’ve lived in MA, NJ, OK,  I am just Mango and my friend group has been pretty diverse. 
 

Just a few things I’ve picked up on in my comings and goings as well as some stuff I’ve noticed and talked about dating transplants in the city. 
 

Buffalo is a great town, I just wish it would be more confident in who they are today and where they are going, rather than rallying around the past. 

Diametric opposite of my experience as a transplant.

 

I find myself frequently reminding my very close friends who grew up here that I didn't.

 

I can't tell you how many times I've had to say "no, I don't remember the car wash shaped like a whale...". 😂

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Gotta say - a huge pet peeve of mine is opposing fans lazily saying that Buffalo is a terrible place to live.  Western NY is friggin' awesome.  Not only a beautiful area in general, but the people are incredible. City of Good Neighbors & all that - it's a true story.  I've lived in other places, and it's not the same.

 

If you don't like snow, it might not be the greatest.  But otherwise...

 

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29 minutes ago, Mango said:

I don’t mean to rain on the parade, but as somebody from Buffalo who was  born here, left and come back a few times, I find Buffalo less friendly than other places. 

 

I think if you’re a lifer it’s great.

 

And even if you transplant yourself here it’s good. But I my experience even for transplants there’s an undertone. You’re never just “John”. You’re introduced to Buffalo bred friend groups as “This is my friend John from Tampa”. And in that group you’re referred to as “Mango’s friend, John, from Tampa”. There is a separation there. 
 

It’s an odd sort of gate keeping. Sort of harkens back to coming home for the holidays and on a random Wednesday I can find the same group of guys in the same corner of Coles, doing the same thing we were doing in HS, and their first words to me are “Did you see Canisius beat St. Joes twice in football this year?”…No…No I didn’t. 

 

I also find that transplants tend to conglomerate together more in Buffalo than other places. 
 

In other places I’ve lived in MA, NJ, OK,  I am just Mango and my friend group has been pretty diverse. 
 

Just a few things I’ve picked up on in my comings and goings as well as some stuff I’ve noticed and talked about dating transplants in the city. 
 

Buffalo is a great town, I just wish it would be more confident in who they are today and where they are going, rather than rallying around the past. 

As ya know human interactions/dynamics are incredibly complicated. ... I think local Buffalo people hold strongly to old/real values. We may be a little old fashioned but if you earn trust, you're golden. ... If ya show up looking too new times superficial, real people probably react differently because they have seen and know how crap works.  Yep they're real. .. If you're real, you fit and understand. ..... just the truth

 

 

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5 minutes ago, Kornfed said:

As ya know human interactions/dynamics are incredibly complicated. ... I think local Buffalo people hold strongly to old/real values. We may be a little old fashioned but if you earn trust, you're golden. ... If ya show up looking too new times superficial, real people probably react differently because they have seen and know how crap works.  Yep they're real. .. If you're real, you fit and understand. ..... just the truth

 

 


This is sort of what I was eluding to. It sort of breaks down to “If you’re real enough we will accept you. But if we don’t accept you it’s because you’re too superficial and there is something wrong with you. Be better and you too can be one of us”

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