Buffalo, NY is the second most populous city in the state of New York, behind New York City. Buffalo is located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario.  Buffalo is the principal city of the Buffalo-Niagara Falls metropolitan area and the seat of Erie County. The city itself has a population of 292,648 (2000 Census), and the Buffalo–Niagara–Cattaraugus Combined Statistical Area is home to 1,254,066 residents. ^[1]

Originating around 1789 as a small trading community near Buffalo Creek, Buffalo grew quickly after the opening of the Erie Canal in 1825, with the city as its western terminus. By 1900, Buffalo was the 8th largest city in the country^[2], and went on to become a major railroad hub ^[3] and home to significant steel-making operations.