Buffalo New York’s Canalside was previously called Erie Canal Harbor and is situated on the Buffalo River, which used to be land owned by the Seneca Nation. Much later in Buffalo Canalside’s history, it became a primarily Italian neighborhood, before being subjected to gentrification where The Buffalo Skyway and the old Buffalo Aud replaced the former neighborhoods. In 1996 the Buffalo Aud was closed down where the erection of a new auditorium, initially titled “Crossroads Arena”, was started. The Buffalo Aud remained vacant for 13 years until in 2009 it was demolished, which paved the way for other attractions to take the place on those same grounds. The Canals at Buffalo’s Canalside and WNY Immediate Care Pavilion currently are housed on the former Buffalo Aud’s grounds. A Bass Pro Shops retailer was proposed back in 2007, which was later rejected, to much disappointment of the local community. The Explore & More Children’s Museum has been added to the mix down at Buffalo Canalside, and a public Roller Rink was recently opened just this last August in 2021, which is complementary to the Ice Rink that is open in the winter times. There is also the “famous” Shark Girl statue, by Casey Riordan Millard, which many tourists and locals alike take pictures of themselves next to and post on social media. The former ‘Thursday at the Square’ concert series, which took place in Lafayette Square, was later adopted by Buffalo Place and started to put on “Buffalo Place Rocks the Harbor” shows, to which Canalside eventually became the permanent home for the concert series.
More at Canalside:
The Canalside has bike trails all about the waterfront, and have hosted Buffalo Bike Tours. The Canalside’s Central Wharf used to be home to many different businesses including taverns and stores back in the 1800’s, but is now a relatively vacant boardwalk with many benches, and Clinton’s Dish (a place to grab something to eat, drink or even an ice cream), for a nice scenic stroll down the waterfront. There is even the Heritage Carousel at Buffalo’s Canalside, a fully refurbished, antiquated, park-style carousel which was conceived by Spillman Engineering in North Tonawanda.
Many bus stops lead to Canalside, as well as the Metro Rail ends (or starts, depending on your perspective) right at the grounds. There are also a plethora of parking lots surrounding the area, so every event and attraction is easily accessible. Buffalo’s Canalside is located at 44 Prime St, Buffalo, NY 14202
