We were planning a half day for Buffalo before our flight and this was our favorite stop. It's actually very nice here. As we were driving around we weren't sure what to expect. But this area is very clean! It has the BUF sign for pictures and has military ships and beautiful views. Definitely worth a stop while in Buffalo! read more

Canalside - Parks Near Me - Buffalo, New York

Came on a Sunday afternoon on labor day weekend. It was a nice way to fill a hour of my time by walking around. The downtown area is still pretty sad but the renovations done here is pretty legit - easily making it one of the better things to do in the city. There's a few things to do around canal side. You can bike, walk, paddleboard / water activities. There are benches for you to sit on and a decent amount of grass to lay on and even have a picnic. When I came there was a Buffalo Bills boat parade to get ready for the season where there was a bunch of drunk old white men trying to out drink each other and yelling at each other. As you continue down the boardwalk there was a horse merry go-round and a sand pit for children to experience the "beach." I was in the area so I stopped by but I wouldn't necessarily go out of my way to visit if you're out of town. There are adjacent parks near it but unless you're biking in the day or on the water, it's simply an okay spot. Parking like most of this city is a nightmare. Found parking on the street near an apartment complex. Lucked out and only had to walk 20 minutes to go to canalside. The other parking would add another 10 minutes to your walk. read more

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Buffalo has been such a great destination ever since Canalside was developed. Now it has even more fun to do with things happening year round. Yes, even in the dead of winter, Canalside is still a great spot. I love going and walking through the Naval park in the summer. It was so much fun back when Pokemon Go was big because there were so many people down there hanging out and taking in the sights. With all the fun things to do there in the summer, it's the place to be in Buffalo. There's something there for everyone whether it be kayaking, water-bikes, the Naval park, or even the Explore & More Children's Museum. Here is a couple of shots that I gathered over the weekend. read more

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Had a fabulous time Ice skating @ Canalside. Rentals were $5 per person. Admission is $8. Lockers $1. Pros: beautiful landscape. Friendly people willing to give out free lessons. Cons: they were out of many sizes of skates due to the demand of people coming in. Skates were hit or miss. Some were good condition, some were completely mangled. Long waits for rentals (so bring your own!!) Parking is sparse unless you are okay with paying ($5-$20). Overall, I would come again. Probably not on the weekend since parking is tricky & the crowding on the ice makes it hard to find your rhythm. read more

Canalside - Parks Near Me - Buffalo, New York

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This place was an amazing experience. I just loved how they redeveloped this whole area. It is truly a destination spot for the locals as well as visitors. We took a boat ride down the canal looking at all the new (and redeveloped) spots as well as the historical silos. As a photographer, all I could see were opportunities to take wonderful pictures. There are plenty of places to just sit and relax or head over to one of the bar areas and enjoy the music with a drink. There are plenty of kiosks to purchase drinks, snacks, and desserts, etc... It was also nice to see the restored carousel that only charges a minimum amount for a ride.... Extremely family friendly. We did not have enough time to tour any of the ships here and the war memorials along the route are both beautiful and meaningful. This area is a true gem to Buffalo and I look forward to coming back spending a little more time here... BTW.... do not miss shark girl. KUDO's to the whole experience at Canalside read more

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Enjoyed the Blue Angels air show and scenic waterfront/Canalside area in Buffalo on 6/20/21. Buffalo's waterfront is still 5 stars! Love the waterfront in downtown Buffalo! Lots to offer in the summertime as well. (My previous review of this wonderful location was a winter-time oriented review). Darts on the lawn, food trucks, restaurants, and boat tours are offered. Lovely gardens and tree-lined walkways. Free yoga and exercise classes compliments of Blue Cross Blue Shield of WNY - check out the website: www.buffalowaterfront.com. Or just sit back and take in the water and people-watch. read more

Dedicated volunteers work to build this ship and educate the public on their work. Situated in the heart of Canalside and not to be missed read more

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Canalside has changes so much over the last few years. Thankfully most of the changes have been good. The concert area (currently quiet), kid's play area with a giant sandlot, multiple chairs and benches for relaxing, ice cream stand, and several boat rides including the bike ferry across the river. The list goes on and on. This on top of the main attraction in my mind, the water. There's a great view of Lake Erie and the Buffalo River. A few years ago we got to see the world's largest rubber duck (fun) and last summer we saw 12 Tall Ships sail into the harbor. Besides all that its a nice place to just sit and enjoy a cool breeze and maybe a sunset. read more

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Walked looking at the boats on a warm fall day the boardwalk wasn't full like as if it was a weekend but the weather will be changing soon

Canalside is a wonderful redevelopment of the river walk area in Buffalo. It is near all the historical grain silos, and is a great place to rent a bike or just walk around! There are a handful of little kiosks to purchase drinks, snacks, and desserts. There is also a carousel that was recently restored that is a $1 per ride! Very family friendly area and great for first time (and repeating) visitors! read more

It's a beautiful evening with Buffalo getting an increasingly rare dusting of snow as skaters bask under Canalside's glaring lights. read more

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Canal side is always very nice and well kept! Today me and my mom went to canal side for the Bills mafia boat parade and it was very nice they had food trucks and vendors there and all the shops were open. And the boat tours are a lot of fun and I've done 2 different boat tours and they were very good with helping me with my walker. Everyone one who works there is very nice and the food at the restaurants are pretty good. read more

Canalside - The boat parade - Parks Near Me - Buffalo, New York

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It was cold but I went down with my Meetup group, the Young Black Professionals of Western New York and we tried out Curling! It was fun and challenging. The staff on the ice were friendly and knowledgeable and for $15 ($10 before 5pm) per person you get an hour of Curling time, quick intro and lesson included. Worth checking out at least once to say you've been Curling read more

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The fam came in from out of town for a 'winter fest' day yesterday. It was savagely cold and windy. Unfortunately we couldn't walk past the ships due to the weather but the fam could see it from the road where we were walking and thought it was really cool. We started off curling but could only do it for about 30 minutes due to the bitter cold wind tearing through the area but it was really fun and different! Luckily the rink is more protected. We skated first then moved on to the ice bikes which was the crowd favorite!! When our time was up the gentleman helping us 'park' and get off the bikes advised us the creator of the bikes was in the booth. Obviously we went up to say how much fun we had (and girl power to her!). The fam loved it so much despite numb legs, fingers and butts they want to come back for some summer fun! *My gripes: to the cafe right there: UNLOCK THE DOORS!!!! We spent a good 15 minutes in the bitter cold trying to get in being told to go to different places by 2 different employees. Luckily a very nice young woman working the desk at the museum let us in to go down the stairs. *Do you really need to charge for the walkers?? My 11 y/o niece had hers stolen when she left it up again the wall for a brief moment. * Do the igloos need to be $200 for 90 minutes? We did consider it and would have hacked up the $ but you can't bring anything in!! If we were going to pay, we want to bring our own snacks and drinks. I mean, it's $200! read more

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Stopped by today to enjoy walking by the river and see the Spillman carousel. What an awesome job the did with restoration work! It's absolutely beautiful. Can't wait till the music is up and running with it. The round building with solar roof is really cool! Go take a ride, it's only $1 and will bring back your inner child for a few minutes! read more

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I had such a great time there. There are so many things to do downtown. Ride bikes, take 3 different little cruises, look at all the ships,boats,airplanes,grenades, all kinds of stuff. Walls of "Fallen Heroes" . So much to look at ,explore & do. For kids, there is sort of like a mini beach ,with a boat they can climb on. There are plenty of food stands, vending machines, restaurants & bars. A caricature drawer . (A bit expensive, but if you're a tourist in Buffalo, all this stuff is worth the money. I've lived here my whole life, so I won't spend that kind of $$. ) An ice cream stand with ice team that looks so good !! Hot dogs smell amazing ! It's a very relaxing, beautiful atmosphere to sit, chill, eat,drink, walk around & if you play Pokèmon Go, you'll be in heaven here. (Stop after stop) I highly recommend bringing your kids down, riding the paddle or pedal boats around, and spending the whole afternoon here. It's just gorgeous !! read more

Canalside - Parks Near Me - Buffalo, New York

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This was our first time at Canalside. It was nice and spacious. They had a lot of different areas and chairs to sit and enjoy the view. They put on a nice light show, which was unexpected and cool. My only complaint and why I didn't give 5 stars was the lack of food options. They only had one stand, and it pretty much only served hotdogs or veggie hotdogs. (No chicken options). I mean, that was it. There was also a food truck, and they only served hamburgers. So if you don't eat beef, there are absolutely no real options for you to eat. read more

Canalside - Canalside light show - Parks Near Me - Buffalo, New York

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Very nice park and walkway along the canal . They have kid's play areas. Benches along the boardwalk to sit and enjoy the breeze and view. Booths to rent paddle boats, kayaks, cruises line up the way. . A food kiosk and I spotted a drinks(alcoholic) kiosk too ice Cream. caricature & Henna booths. I stopped to get a Sweatshirt from one of the booth; it was getting cool. On this evening the place had plenty of people of all ages, families. Even when the clouds were dark and ominous, people were enjoying themselves, and not paying attention to the cook breezes. read more

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We were staying in town and found this spot to check out. Parking was easy and we found a free spot around 5pm on a Thursday night. We walked through the Buffalo and Erie County Naval and Museum park to get to the Canalside area. Super chill spot with plenty of benches and Buffalo Sunset chairs to sit and enjoy the views. They have games to play such as connect four or ping pong. They have a large chair for a photo op. Food and drink trucks. The park was clean and I appreciated the signs with the historical information about the canal and memorials. Relaxing spot to just sit and watch the sunset over the canal. They had live music when we visited and they were playing good music. Check this spot out if you're in the area. Be sure to check their website to see what's going on since they events here. Wish we came earlier to get on a history tour. The last boat had already left by the time we realized what it was. read more

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When I visit Canalside today, I remember what it was like when I was a kid and I have a hard time believing it's the same place. But it is! And it's so much cooler now. The ships and other military stuff (tank, plane, etc) were always there. If they weren't so big, you might not even know there was a tourist attraction, with all the dirt and gravel and chain link fences under a highway overpass... But now, they're surrounded by flowers and trees and green grass and nice landscaping! Plus there's shops and museums and restaurants. There's a merry-go-round and a pit of sand for kids to play in. There's a skating rink. Events are hosted here all summer long. It's morphed from "oh yeah, the dirty area with ships next to the arena" to one of my favorite parts of Buffalo. It's small. It's charming. It's a perfect little encapsulation of some Buffalo culture. read more

Canalside - Waterfront - Parks Near Me - Buffalo, New York

Great food, fast service, large portions. It was so nice to eat here. We were a large group.

Not to be confused with Analside, which is something different entirely. It would be more fun if this were called "Canalslide" because it would then be a really cool water park, with an unfortunate ending to each cascading thrill-ride... landing in Buffalo's canals and rivers and lakes would be a very bad idea given the pollution levels, the filth and the smells... nevertheless, it still sounds like a lot of fun. Remember "Waterloo" from the Bill & Ted movie? Now imagine that, only with the slides emptying out riders into the downtown canals... awesome, right? No? OK. How did I not know about this place until recently? It's basically Buffalo's coolest concert venue at the moment. Buffalo has caught on to what a lot of other cities have been doing with the downtown concerts with the backdrop of cityscapes, a little like the old Thursdays in the Square but even cooler. The skyline is the background, the Skyway thunders directly overhead, the water is right there, and the smell of cereal fills the air from General Mills. It's pretty much a perfect location for a concert. The crazy part is that the whole area in front of the stage is a mud pit. I don't know if girls (and boys) covered in mud is your thing, but there are few things sexier. On summer nights, basically all the cute people in WNY take off all their clothes (almost) and get covered in mud and dance to legendary bands like... um... Shaggy. Yes, Shaggy was the "band" that I saw here, played all of his legendary hits (um... Oh Carolina... Bombastic... and my fave, It Wasn't Me). It's an experience I recommend everyone enjoy at some point or other, although you should not wear any clothes you don't want to get muddy, and you should prepare to smell a lot of smoke and weed and ew-gross-icky stuff like that, and also know that a lot of jerk guys will come around and throw mud all over you... they may even be looking for fights. You will also get hit on (maybe?), I got a few numbers without even meaning to just by being here. It's a great place to have fun and enjoy the summer. So if your girl comes in and she catches you red handed, banging with the girl next door, then just tell her "it wasn't me, it was Shaggy", and take her to Canalside to see a mud-pit show. She'll be over it in a flash. Especially when she sees the mud-covered, shirtless muscle guys that wander around flirting with every Western New York girl (and some boys too) that they see. read more

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I came here to visit a friend and see a concert when the weather had already started to turn and it was raining - so that definitely colored my experience. On the one hand it was nice to have the elevated road to shield you from the rain, but crowding around under and overpass on a cold wet day isn't the nicest visual or experience. Security and staff were all nice. I didn't like that they barricaded off the entire front area by the stage for VIP's. The headliners were a punk band, and a very nice man who rolled in on a boat and was missing some teeth was very loudly declaring his intention to tear down those barricades, I hope he did! I stayed well behaved and thrashed with the masses in back. Food trucks were awesome, I had an amazing garbage plate mac n cheese - I wish I remembered the name of the business, this is the best thing I've ever eaten out of a truck. Beer was offered in plenty of places and lines moved fast. Speaking of boats, it is cool that you can just dock right there and enjoy whatever is going on. The park offers a lot more than just shows and it seems like a great place for events and activities if you're local. read more

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Nice downtown area attractions for those who want to enjoy the outdoors. You have water activities such as kayaks, peddle boats, and water bikes. You also can book a ride on the bigger boats such as Mrs Buffalo, and the Grand lady. Walking across the boardwalk, you have a few food vendors as well as artist doing cartoon portraits. There is a area where you can picnic or even relax in the lawn chairs that is provided there. There's even a huge sandlot for the kids to play in. When your done you have the Naval marina adjacent to the canal side and even a kids explore and more building. This afternoon was a little less crowded and not to much activities going on. If there are no concerts or other organized events going on this place is fairly boring. I would like to see more attractions down here like, a mini carnival and even more venders. read more

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I love what they have done with canalside through the years. It's really a family friendly area with plenty to do, beautiful views and many events. There is a large grass area where you can play some kanjam or catch. They have a beautiful wooden boardwalk, it's right next to the naval park where you can board some large old ships, and there is a cool outside bar area with Cornhole and pingpong. You can rent kyacks or waterbikes for a fun family activity. It's so nice to see how many people go to the waterside to enjoy the buffalo views. read more

Canalside - Parks Near Me - Buffalo, New York

I wasn't there for an event. I just wanted to take in the view, take a walk, and drink my coffee. It was really pretty and very well maintained. After about an hour and a half I was done with it and on my way. It was getting really hot and humid out. I'd love to go to an event here in the fall. I bet it's even nicer and cooler out. read more

We just happened to wonder up to this place and I'm go glad we did! Since the weather was so beautiful, we walked up and down the boardwalk watching all the boats. All along the way there are random games scattered throughout. I played chess with an over-sized board and pieces, had a blast playing ping pong in the sun. We stopped at the beer garden that is located right on the boardwalk for a cold refreshing beer on draft... Hayburner by Big Ditch local Brewery right down the road. There is so much to do here with the waterfront restaurants, the Navy boat tours and concerts galore. Also a great place to sit back relax in the sun. Great people watching with some many activities going on all around you, volleyball, kayaking we even saw a wedding taking place on a docked boat. Love that they have so many free things to do here and kid friendly.... fun local spot. read more

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We were here for the Christmas Tree lighting. It is a very tall and beautiful tree. It certainly adds a lot to the ice rink atmosphere for the holidays. There was open/free skating that evening, so the rink was very busy, as was the tent set up for skaters to change from their shoes/boots into their skates. There were some vendors selling cocoa and beer and a few food items. There were also some people giving away windshield ice scrapers and Canalside gloves.....both great give-aways in Buffalo There were some a capella singers and short speeches by some of politicals before the tree was lit. After the tree was lit, there was a 15 minute fireworks display. the fireworks were spectacular. read more

Canalside - Parks Near Me - Buffalo, New York

THE RINK AT CANALSIDE: A BUFFALONIAN HAPPYPLACE Music listening... History learning.... Quiet reflecting... Outdoor exercising... Beer drinking... Board walk walking... Sand playing.... Shark Girl selfying... Ice cream eating... Water bike riding.... Skyway traffic hearing... Fresh(ish) air breathing... If this list isn't enough to get you from your spot on your couch where you currently lie like a goober, and head over to Canalside to hang underneath the Skyway like a troll under a bridge, then add skating at the Rink to the bunch and go nuts. The unpleasantries: The price is going to cost you about $8 a person to skate, but there are some discounts available (for example, a veteran's discount of about $2, and kids under three are free). However, this price is just for admission. Need skates? It'll cost ya. Fancied using a penguin on skies to lean on to help you skate? It'll cost ya. Now that that's out of the way, there are tremendous upsides to the Rink: pond hockey leagues, curling, broomball leagues, ice bikes rentals... ...And then there's the open skate! It's you, tweens trying to impress one another pathetically , 6 year-olds skating circles around you like a pack of hungry killer whales and you're an endangered baby seal stuck out on a teeny sheet of ice and moments away from being eaten, and of course your swollen, bruised tailbone battered from trips down to the ice. You think that sounds bad? Don't. Your tailbone isn't anything more than a relic of ancient times when our species used to swing by our tails to avoid ice all together... but now we get skate on it! God, I love evolution (irony of the year). read more

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Great contemporary and historical place to celebrate Buffalo circa 1855. The historic part could be improved and that may be the reason for construction areas. Going to try the kayaks in the harbor and silo area. read more

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Canalside is a Buffalo's very own waterfront park with various everyday activities. You can do ice bikes, curling, and ice skating starting from late November to early March. During summer, you can do pedal / paddle boat, water bike, kayak, and Buffalo River History Tours. There aren't too many special activities in spring and fall. When I visited here earlier this month, some areas were still visibly under construction. Boardwalk was clean and both Buffalo and Erie County Naval & Military Park (open weekends only in November and closed from December ~ March) and KeyBank Center are also located right next to the boardwalk. Last but not least - do not miss out the Shark Girl! It is a sculpture of girl with shark head located by the Commercial Street Bridge (near the intersection of Perry Blvd & Commercial St - about one block away from Buffalo and Erie County Naval & Military Park). Overall Canalside is a really nice park and if there is nothing going on here, then at least say hi to the Shark Girl! read more

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We've been down to Canalside in the summer, but nothing beats the space for its ability to bring fun winter events to get people out of the house during the long, dark winter. Me and my husband decided to try out the ice bikes and we were not disappointed. Neither of us are really great skaters. I can hold my own but have a difficult time stopping without just coasting into a wall, and he struggles with it even more, so if you're like us, the ice bikes are the perfect solution. The bikes were very easy to maneuver. I've done the water bikes, and love them, but I do find it a bit of a workout to pedal on them, but the ice bikes just seemed to glide along the ice. The atmosphere was awesome for a sunny but cold winter day, and we enjoyed people watching as we pedaled around. There were food trucks, wintery games around, hot chocolate and lots of people walking around. We had a great time and highly recommend it to any couple or group of friends looking for a way to beat the winter blues! read more

Canalside - Parks Near Me - Buffalo, New York

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Skating at Canalside just opened for the season. Tree lighting tonight at 6.30. Now a nice show with dance squad etc. Skating is pretty crowded. I did not experience it this year yet but enjoyed it last year. The ring was well maintained, the rental skates were terrible however. Hard plastic, uncomfortable shoes. Better bring your own. You even get a little discount if you are Blue Cross. read more

I was pleasantly surprised! We stopped and visited Canalside and truly enjoyed our time there. Canalside is located in Downtown Buffalo and is situated past the Key Bank Arena. During the summer months you'll find a full service restaurant, several different food carts and kiosks. Canalside also has a beautiful jaw dropping memorial for the Veterans alongside USS Little Rock and two retired military jets. For activities, they offer several year round and there is an info booth with a list that you can pick up for the schedule. Upon our arrival we saw a large crowd gathered to watch a family movie on the lawn. If you are in the area, it is definitely worth while to stop by and spend an hour walking along the boardwalk. Onsite there is kayaking and we saw several chartered boats sailing along the way. read more

Canalside - Parks Near Me - Buffalo, New York

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Canalside has so much to offer from the great Naval ships to tour, the Thursday concert series in the summer with major acts is a must see, there's ice skating in the winter, a carousel to ride, plus restaurants to grab a bite to eat.Such a great place to relax, unwind & people watch by the beautiful water.Plus a visit to sharkgirl is a must. read more

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A relaxing place to take a book, find a chair & feel the cool breeze.A nice restaurant is available if your hungry. A short walk will take you to the naval ships which you can tour.Beautiful photo opportunities, you can even take a picture with Sharkgirl.Plus there's the Thursday summer concerts to attend. read more

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I'm a pretty big fan of Canalside on the whole. When I first moved to Buffalo this was one of the first places I visited. All throughout the year you can find nice views, fun, and festivities. In the summer you can paddle boat, kayak, paddle board, and more. In the winter you can ice skate, ice bike, and more. I have been to Canalside on several occasions for concerts, fireworks, or just for some quick fun. A great spot for a date, family times nice walk, and more. When in Buffalo, be sure to check it out! read more

Canalside - Getting geared up for water bikes! - Parks Near Me - Buffalo, New York

Canalside has evolved in the last two years pretty remarkably. There are now plenty of winter activities including ice skating, some winter bikes (which I haven't yet got a chance to ride). It is a really nice outdoor space to meet friends with beer flowing in the summer, a plethora of kayaking adventures and waterfront dining. They have built up a great thing with the free Thursday concerts at Canalside, but I've heard there maybe changes coming up where the residents have complained and the outdoor concerts may move (noooo!). Either way, Canalside is a must to walk through on a nice day in Buffalo when showing off the city. The grandeur of the naval ships and the nice boardwalk and space to hang out is fun to show off! read more

Scout it, Shout it, and Yelp all about it! Clutch the pearls, how this place has changed and how it feels so sudden! Growing up in Kenmore my family never came to the waterfront unless we were going to an event at the Memorial Aud or later Marine Midland a/k/a HSBC Arena a/k/a First Niagara Center and at two different times I once worked at HSBC Arena and then later HSBC (LOL). It's simply amazing how a parking lot has turned into a complex and the dead buildings around the corner have come alive again. I one time remember writing someone about the derelict building across the street from the Buffalo News and since then it has become a bustling and gorgeous hotel! Over these last few years I've made my down here a number of times for a variety of events or just a walk to kill some time and it's great to see that in the Shadow of Industry Buffalo's Renaissance is coming to LIFE! Haters are gonna hate, hate, hate but Buffalo just needs to shake it off, shake it off, shake it off. We are coming around to the times and trends and I think Canalside is a prime example. I recently came down here for the opening of the new outdoor ice rink and I was taken aback, I haven't been here since the summer when this area was still a pit being worked on so to see such a large rink out in the open with paths leading around it and bridges to walk over, take a seat and enjoy was amazing scenery. One of my favorite things is that there are places to sit, although the Adirondack chairs need a little love, some screws tightened and a bit of glue there are folding chairs with tables on the new bridges. While taking my mother out to explore these areas, being older she needs a seat from time to time so the fact that there are regular seats is extremely helpful and valuable for her comfort and enjoyment. I also like that this seems to be one of the few places the food trucks are welcomed to without any annoyances I can't wait to see how this area continues to grow and improve and how this cornerstone of development feeds out to the community around it. Canalside truly is all season experience. read more

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Wow, from concerts to board games to Adirondack chairs to kayaking to food, there sure is something for everyone at Canalside. I've been visiting Canalside since they moved Thursday in the Square to the waterfront. I still go to some of the concerts but I now find myself enjoying the Adirondack chairs, green space, and waterfront while relaxing reading a book. It's awesome that children (and adults) can play free games such as ping pong, giant Connect 4, Foosball, among others. I love the backdrop of the skyway on one side and the waterfront on the other. You can get some great pictures of the sunset accompanied by some of the navy ship. If you're feeling hungry, there are a couple of different convenient options: Clinton's Dish, Liberty Hound, and possibly even the Hatch or Templeton Landing. Parking can be a little tricky when there are concerts but there are options. It's nice that motorcycles get VIP parking right in front near Lloyd Street. It will be interesting to see what happens when the HarborCenter project is completed but either way, I'm looking forward to going back to Canalside time and time again. read more

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