Elmwood Village Named One of the "10 Best Neighborhoods in America"

The city of Buffalo, New York has recently been getting national attention in many respects, in everything from fine arts (Albright-Knox Art gallery, Burchfield Penny Art Center) and Architecture (Frank Loyd Wright, H.R. Richardson), to sports and leisure, but perhaps the most important recognition yet bestowed upon the City of Buffalo is the Elmwood Village (http://foreverelmwood.com/) being named one of "The 10 Great Neighborhoods in America" by The American Planning Association.( www.planning.org) Their very own explanation best sums up the award:

"The American Planning Association has selected Elmwood Village as one of 10 Great Neighborhoods in America for its vitality, broad spectrum of cultural and social assets, and its commitment to maintaining high community standards while solving real problems."

This was the first ever award of this kind for the Planning association, and it was a high honor for The Elmwood Village to receive it. I would like to take you thru a little walk, and recommend some places within the Elmwood village, for anyone visiting the City of Buffalo.

First and foremost is the shopping. There are so many different styles of clothing you can buy on the Elmwood strip, from cute boutique ("Sweet n' Dirty", "Damsel in a Dress") to skate shops and catchy t-shirts (http://krudmart.com/) and "high fashion", at pretty much every block of the village you can find a different clothes shop for you. This isn't limited to just clothes, with a eclectic shop "Shoe Fly" in the village also.All the while, since this beautiful area is located in Buffalo, NY, prices are always more than reasonable, and the fashion always up to date (being in the same state as NYC helps)

The coffee shops are also one of the many things you can't miss in the Elmwood village. Whether it's the ever famous "spot Coffee" with rich blends, free Wi-Fi, and excellent food (even talked about in Peter Kings "MMQB" article, read by millions every week on SportsIllustrated.com) or quality places such as "Talking Leaves", were you can get coffe, and buy new or used books in the same building. We take coffee very seriously in Buffalo.

Looking to get pierced? The Artvoice Best of Buffalo (www.artvoice.com) reigning piercing place is the Cowpoke, which now offers tattoo's also.

Last but not least, of course, is Buffalo's most serious addiction: Great food. Starting with deserts, you can stop at the Western New York favorite Fowler's Chocolates, or the wonderful desert heaven known as Sweet Tooth. Looking for something outside the normal? Try the falafel bar. Looking for a staple in Buffalo, try Just Pizza, one of the most famous pizza places around! Everywhere you look there is great food. Late night hunger ? Try the 24 hour Greek place Pano's, cheap eats and great food. In the summertime, you can sit on the open patio and watch college kids stumble back to their frat/sororiety! Dinner and entertainment!

There are plenty of places to visit in the summertime or wintertime. So don't be afraid to come to Buffalo, and the Elmwood Village area!