Oh, are you from Buffalo? I bet you spend all your time in the city.
No, no, I don’t.
If you’re from Buffalo and have ever been out of the country, even out of state, I guarantee you’ve heard this before. For whatever reason, everyone outside of New York State is confused about how small a New York State really is. I know many people who have spent their entire lives in Buffalo but have not yet made it to New York City. And that’s because, while they are in the same state, they are not that close.
Buffalo is at the terminus of Lake Erie and Lake Ontario in the extreme west of the state, while New York is in the southernmost part to the east. While the two may appear to be somewhat close, the 400-mile journey between the two takes just over six hours.
It may seem like a stretch, but traveling between the two is not the most direct. If you are coming from Buffalo, the fastest way to drive is to take Interstate 90 to Syracuse and then Interstate 81, to 380, to 80, before crossing the George Washington Bridge. On a good day, you could drive in about five and a half hours, but it’s usually six or more. Traffic is slow and the journey takes you quite a long way out of your way. It would be much more convenient if there was a direct shot, cutting through the heart of the state, but unfortunately there isn’t.
To put this in perspective, the drive between Buffalo and New York City is equivalent to a drive between New York City and Virginia Beach, or even Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Even Portland, Maine, is a shorter trip at just five hours. It would be better to go to Toronto as it is less than two hours away.
So the next time you’re visiting family or friends outside of the area, don’t hesitate to give an education lesson. In no way will I condemn those who are not thoroughly vetted in their geography, I just think it is important for them to understand by the time they visit that they probably will not visit Buffalo and New York on the same trip unless they fly.
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