Buffalo, New York

Buffalo is a city located in Erie County, New York. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 292,648. It is located on the eastern end of Lake Erie. It is located at the beginning of the Niagara River which flows northward, over the Niagara Falls and into Lake Ontario. Erie and Niagara Counties have a combined population of 1,170,111 (2000). Buffalo itself the second largest city in New York state after New York City. It is the county seat of Erie County⁶.

A good way to see Buffalo is from the observation deck at the top of the 30-story City Hall. Buffalo has the third-oldest zoo in the United States, the Albright-Knox Art Gallery[?], and Kleinhans Music Hall,[?] known for its acoustical qualities.

The world-famous Buffalo chicken wings were invented in a Buffalo bar (The Anchor Bar) in 1964. The city is also famous as the birthplace of folk singer and songwriter Ani DiFranco.

Several US Navy ships have been named USS Buffalo in honor of the city.

Table of contents 1 History 2 Geography 3 Demographics 4 Climate 5 Sports Teams

History The first European settlement in what is now Erie County[?] was in 1758 by the French at the mouth of Buffalo Creek. It was destroyed a year later because of an impending English attack.

The first American to settle in Buffalo was Cornelius Winney in 1796. By 1811, 500 people were living in the village of Buffalo.

Upon the completion of the Erie Canal in 1825, Buffalo became the western end of the 524-mile waterway starting at New York City, and the population of the city boomed. Buffalo became a city in 1832.

Several U.S. presidents are connected to Buffalo history. Millard Fillmore took up permanent residence in Buffalo in 1822 before he became president. Grover Cleveland lived in Buffalo from 1854 until 1882, and became mayor of the city. William McKinley was shot on Sept. 5, 1901 at the Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, and died in Buffalo on Sept. 14. With over half a million people, and many immigrants from Ireland, Italy, Germany and Poland, Buffalo was one of the major cities of the United States at the time.

Buffalo was a terminus of the Underground Railroad, an informal series of safe houses for runaway slaves from the South. After hiding at the Michigan Avenue Baptist Church, the slaves would take a ferry to Fort Erie, Canada[?], and to their freedom.

Geography Buffalo is located at 42°54'17" North, 78°50'58" West (42.904657, -78.849405)¹.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 136.0 km² (52.5 mi²). 105.2 km² (40.6 mi²) of it is land and 30.8 km² (11.9 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 22.66% water.

Demographics As of the census² of 2000, there are 292,648 people, 122,720 households, and 67,005 families residing in the city. The population density is 2,782.4/km² (7,205.8/mi²). There are 145,574 housing units at an average density of 1,384.1/km² (3,584.4/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 54.43% White, 37.23% African American, 0.77% Native American, 1.40% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 3.68% from other races, and 2.45% from two or more races. 7.54% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There are 122,720 households out of which 28.6% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 27.6% are married couples living together, 22.3% have a female householder with no husband present, and 45.4% are non-families. 37.7% of all households are made up of individuals and 12.1% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.29 and the average family size is 3.07.

In the city the population is spread out with 26.3% under the age of 18, 11.3% from 18 to 24, 29.3% from 25 to 44, 19.6% from 45 to 64, and 13.4% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 34 years. For every 100 females there are 88.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 83.5 males.

The median income for a household in the city is $24,536, and the median income for a family is $30,614. Males have a median income of $30,938 versus $23,982 for females. The per capita income for the city is $14,991. 26.6% of the population and 23.0% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 38.4% are under the age of 18 and 14.0% are 65 or older.

Climate The heavy snowfalls of the region are caused by below-freezing winds blowing over the warmer water of Lake Erie. Often the meandering "snow belts" are only ten or fifteen miles wide, with sun shining in one spot, and a raging blizzard occurring only a mile or two away.

Sports Teams Buffalo is the home of many professional and semi-pro sports teams. These include the Buffalo Bills (football), Buffalo Sabres (hockey), Buffalo Bisons[?] (AAA baseball), Buffalo Destroyers (arena football) and Buffalo Bandits (lacrosse).