When you think of Buffalo, New York, recreational water activities may not be the first thing that comes to mind. However, the area has many attractive options for people who love spending time around or on the water.
- The Buffalo area has many options for boating, fishing, and kayaking, among other adventures.
- Water sports such as skiing, wakeboarding, and paddleboarding are all available around Buffalo.
- If you’d like to buy or rent a place to spend time while you’re enjoying the water activities in the area, Ellicott Development has several options for you.
Visit Buffalo for Top Recreational Water Activities
The Erie Canal and Niagara Falls helped Buffalo grow into a significant urban center by facilitating shipping and electricity over the course of the city’s history. Today, they provide residents and visitors with many opportunities to enjoy recreational water activities. Here are six fun ways to enjoy the great outdoors in and around the water in Buffalo, NY.
- Hiking along the water is a favorite activity in Buffalo. The area features some of the most beautiful views you’ll find anywhere in the region. For example, Niagara Gorge offers breathtaking sights as hikers follow the Niagara River’s limestone cliffs and crystal blue waters. The Niagara Gorge whirlpool is a wonder to behold as it spins at 30 feet per second. The trails are not too crowded, even in the busiest part of the tourist season, so they are ideal for bird-watchers and other wildlife lovers.
- Biking the Outer Harbor is another fantastic way to explore the beauty of the Buffalo area. A bike trail runs through Central Park, nestled between the Buffalo River and Lake Erie. Bikes are available for rent if you don’t have one of your own, and the Bike Ferry costs just a dollar each way to get to the Outer Harbor and back. The trail is an easy, mostly flat surface so that you can enjoy the views as you ride. When you’re ready for a break, enjoy a meal at Buffalo Harbor State Park restaurant and let your children enjoy some time on the playground there.
- Kayaking is one way to go if you want to get out on the water instead of cruising or hiking around it. Floating along the Elevator Alley on the Buffalo gives you a view of the grain silos and elevators that played an essential role in the city’s growth. You’re free to explore independently, but a guided tour helps you learn more about what you’re seeing. The trip is about three miles, and the current is mild, so this is a kayaking trip that’s good for beginners and experienced kayakers, though the currents make you work harder at times. As you float along, notice how the historic properties are getting new life through repurposing that respects the heritage of the area.
- Cycle boating, also called water biking, may be the most fun way you’ve never heard of to enjoy the Buffalo waterways. You can choose a solo version where you have a bike mounted on pontoon floats all to yourself, or you can get a group of friends and enjoy drinks while you all pedal together to propel the vessel along the water. Cycle boating is an excellent way to get some exercise while you explore the Buffalo, NY, area. The crew members on the group vessels know how to keep things safe, fun, and lively as you enjoy your trip.
- Recreational water sports such as paddle boating, swimming, and even surfing are readily available in Buffalo, NY, in the summertime. Several companies along Lake Erie can teach you how to manage a paddleboard or kiteboard; many offer guided hikes and rock-climbing around the water as well. Whitewater rafting along the Genesee River in Letchworth State Park takes you past three impressive waterfalls. Fort Niagara State Park, an easy 40-minute drive from Buffalo, is a popular spot for swimming.
- Boating takes many forms in the Buffalo, NY, area. Charter fishing trips can take you to some of the most productive waters in the region. History tours via boat and harbor cruises introduce you to the beauty and history of the waterways from a unique vantage point. You can even sail on a 70-foot sailboat for an evening with a themed tour.
Learn More About Ellicott Development Properties in Buffalo
With all these fun water activities around, you may start to feel like making your permanent home in Buffalo. Ellicott Development is here to help when you’re ready to lease a residential or commercial property in the Buffalo area. We’ve been part of the community for more than 40 years now and have earned a reputation for top-quality service and properties. We make every effort to preserve the majesty of beautiful historic buildings while modernizing them with the comforts and conveniences you want. Here are just a few of the places we’d love to show you.
- The Pardee at 451 Elmwood Avenue is part of the Elmwood Crossing development, a project to repurpose the former Women and Children’s Hospital of Buffalo. The newly-constructed building has five floors of mixed-use space, including residential, office, and retail. Along with shopping and office spaces, 26 apartments up to 2,150 square feet occupy floors three through five. The living spaces feature premium amenities and amazing views of downtown. They’re convenient to the summertime water activities of Buffalo as well.
- The 1050 Niagara apartment building was once home to the Niagara Lithograph Company. Built in 1903, the facility offers beautiful views of the Niagara River and the Peace Bridge. Six two-bedroom apartments feature custom kitchens, quartz countertops, and porcelain tile baths. On-site parking is included in the lease rate.
- At 4034 Rensch Road in Amherst has 12 market-rate apartment units for lease. Choose from one, two, or three-bedroom units, and all feature bistro kitchens, in-unit laundry, and air conditioning. Four of the apartments are multi-level townhouses with an attached garage for one vehicle. The Rensch Road building is just 20 minutes from Niagara Falls.
- The Fairmont at 199 Scott Street is an elegant eight-story building near the Waterfront district. The mixed-use building has 30 new apartments in various sizes, from studios up to three-bedroom units. Open floor plans, on-site parking, and in-unit laundry appliances make these apartments a joy to call home. The designers have taken great pains to preserve the beautiful historic look of the building by using polished concrete floors and exposed brick in the walls and columns.
Buying and Leasing With Ellicott Development
When you visit Buffalo and experience all of the joys of living near the water, you may decide to make it a year-round home for you or your business. Ellicott Development can help with apartments, townhouses, and condominiums as well as retail and office spaces. We manage more than 5,000,000 square feet of commercial space and more than 1,500,000 square feet of hotel and residential space in the Buffalo and Niagara areas. Our friendly and professional team can help you find a property that’s convenient to your favorite place to enjoy the water. Contact us today!
Image Source: everydoghasastory / Shutterstock
