Buffalo natives know the secret: that snow, sleet and hail aren't all there is to our beloved hometown. Tainted by the weather, with a football team on a mega-rollercoaster and an economy and government that have yet to be a positive force in the Queen City, we have one thing to look forward to through it all: super summers.
1. It's last call for classes, not for the bars. School's out for summer, but that doesn't mean closing time is any later. Now, enjoy getting drunk on Allen or Chippewa and not having to worry about getting up for classes. Buffalo's closing time is 4 a.m. - one of the latest in the country. If you're staying in Buffalo for the summer, this is definitely something to enjoy. If you're going home, an earlier closing time in your home town is just one of the many reasons you'll be counting down the days till you're back in Buffalo. Oh, and you know those really obnoxious, drunk freshmen? They went home to mom and dad.
2. Explore under the Peace Bridge. So it's an incredibly dangerous place to be - one of the most dangerous in the city. People get shot there, drug deals go down, and if you can get past all of that, it's a great place to go with a date (someone muscular and who can haul out of there fast). There's a beautiful walkway where you can walk up to and past the base of the bridge, walking so close to the rapids you can feel the mist (or dispose of a body). Seriously, it's peaceful and nice if you've got the guts.
3. Eat. No, seriously. There's a festival with food from just about every ethnicity. The Italian Festival lights up Hertel Avenue every summer, with Italian restaurants and bars taking over the block. Polish, Russian, German and even Chinese mini-festivals pop up all over the city around mid-June and July, giving college students an alternative to hanging on the Chip Strip night after night. Rides for the kids, packed bars for the adults makes for one hell of a summer night. The Taste of Buffalo showcases all of the bang of Buffalo food, but you'll pay a pretty buck for it. Still worth checking out.
4. Thursday at the Square. I don't like it, but maybe you will. Bands anywhere from mid-level to international sensations groove on the stage in Lafayette Square every Thursday. Whether you're down with jammin' away your summer nights and enjoying some good beer on the grass, or your only go because your friends do and take solace in the fact that it's free, this is a great student summer hangout. Check out Canal Fest and Canal Concerts too.
5. The Bisons. They're not the best baseball team, but students can go there for next to nothing. It's a good, inexpensive way to relax on those nights where you're so bored you could die. And they have Dip n' Dots.
6. The Art. Shakespeare in the Park, free for the public, is held in Delaware Park every summer. It's another free activity, and you can do it up right with wine, cheese and even costumes. Or just go, relax and enjoy the show - a lot of local professional actors are part of the plays, so the show isn't sub-par by any means. There are other opportunities to enjoy the art, with programs like "Free Fridays" at the Elmwood Art Gallery. In case you didn't get this, it's on Elmwood... and it's free on Fridays. There's also Allentown, if you feel like heading down to a liberal village to explore. There's the Allentown Art Festival, as well as bars, festivals and whatnot.
7. Canadian Beer. Not to sound like an alcoholic, but so many Buffalo activities involve beer because we've got the touch of maple leaf on our drunken tongues. Try finding a Labatt Blue during your three months in Florida - ain't gonna happen.
8. The Beaches - try driving up to Canada or heading to Beaver Island to get a sunburn and splash around. The water is relatively clean, and the beaches usually aren't that crowded, save days like Memorial Day.
9. Road Trippin'. In a column about why Buffalo in the summer is great, I shouldn't advocate leaving. But locals know it's somewhat necessary. We're only two hours from Toronto, three from Cleveland, five or six from New York City and an hour and a half from Rochester (which is questionably more boring than Buffalo). See the country - hop on one of many thoroughfares that connect to North Campus. Just put the gas on your parent's credit cards. Lie and say it was an emergency.
10. UB MT. UB becomes a little abandoned during the summer. Not so much that you'll never see another soul on the Spine, but there might be no one to hear you scream, especially on North Campus. South stays somewhat lively, as medical, dental and PT students generally stay to take classes almost all year. While campus might get lonely, there's also the benefits of not having to sit next to anyone on the bus, fight to register for classes, be bothered when you're relaxing at Baird Point, or best of all, fight for a parking spot. And if you're really quick, you can sneak into events where they're giving people at orientation food. People sub-leasing their apartments usually go for cheap, rather than leave them empty all summer. Summer is the time to enjoy being on campus and not feel like a number in a sea of thousands, so relish in it.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
