This article was written by community member Olivia Goldstein.

I think I’m an expert in moving to Buffalo. I’ve boomeranged back twice now – in 2017 (for 2 years) and again in 2023. Both times, I’ve had to navigate the tough questions like, how do I build out my professional network, how to live in a city with amazing food and not gain weight, and is Allentown still a cool place to go out (update: nope not for this 30-something-year-old).

Here’s my best advice for those new to Buffalo or coming home from another city:

Building a Professional Network & Making Friends

When I first moved back to Buffalo in 2017 after spending a decade away, I had to build my professional network from scratch while also building my business. And I knew exactly one person in a professional capacity. What came next was incredible, that one person connected me to a few people, who connected me to a few more, who connected me to more, and soon enough I was completely immersed and welcomed into the entrepreneurial community. (Jon Spitz, if you ever read this – THANK YOU!) I still haven’t forgotten that you’re the one who introduced me to StartFast!

When I came back again to Buffalo a few months ago (March 2023), I felt like I had to start over again. The city had evolved so much. When I left Buffalo, the city’s startup scene was in its infancy. Smaller investment checks & fewer investors, a few committed groups to growing the community and fewer community leaders, and limited general public awareness. By the time I returned, the energy and impact had exponentially grown. The realization point for me was when I started seeing people I went to high school with working at ACV Auctions. I thought – OK this is a different place now. There are so many new faces getting involved in the startup & tech ecosystem. New meetup groups, more events, greater community collaboration. I felt like I had to re-meet Buffalo.

So I used the same strategy I did the first time around. I put myself out there. I told myself when I moved back in March, I needed to try to meet at least 1 new person (not on Zoom) per week. And I’ve held myself to that. It’s tough, especially because I’m an introvert. But really the only way to meet new people (professionally or in making friends) is to get out of the house. (See this awesome clip from Scott Galloway).

I put myself out there, a lot. I force myself out of my comfort zone so I can meet more people and try new things. I asked a girl at the gym out on a friend date because I liked her energy (although this can backfire – when I was 21 and living in Moscow I did the same thing and the woman told me she was too old to be my friend lol). Sometimes I go to game nights. I meet up with people for coffee from Slack groups. I’m trying to learn to play golf. 

There’s no doubt that it’s tough as an adult to meet new people. So if you’ve tried and feel like you still don’t know enough people – hit me up.

Read more on our guide for How To Make Friends in Buffalo

Staying Healthy

Pizza, chicken wings, chicken finger subs, beef on weck, sponge candy, Sahlens. Buffalo has amazing food. But when you’re looking for something different, there are a lot of really great places that you can frequent to help balance out those indulgences.

I’m a big fan of meal prep services. They match my lifestyle because I frequently (…never) don’t have time to cook. 95Nutrition is one great example – they have multiple locations throughout WNY (also maybe I’m biased because I went to SHA with the owner – what’s up Lindsey). EatRite has good meals too – they also sometimes run specials where the meals are just $5.

If you find yourself in Williamsville, Fresh Catch Poke has great Poke bowls, and just down the street is Squeeze Juicery. They both have locations in the city too.

There are tons of boutique places to exercise and stay active. I recently joined Evolve Gym. It’s a really special community and has even been the source of new friends for me. In fact, after a class recently, we all walked over to the Pride Parade together. They have daily strength classes and affordable options for personal training. Or just use their facilities. I’m also really into spinning and frequently go to Revolution. The ambiance, music, and instructors will definitely have you keep coming back.

Out & About

As you can tell, I’m not home very often. Lucky for me, there’s so much to do in Buffalo.

There are whole guides & resources dedicated to Buffalo’s dining scene, but here are some spots I’ve been to recently:

• For some reason, I always seem to have coffee meetings at Spot. When I’m in the mood for a great cup of coffee, my go-to’s are Unapologetic Coffee, Public Espresso, Undergrounds, or Tipico.
• Five Points is a Sunday staple
• For bar/lounge vibes: High Violet, Waxlight, Ciao, Twin Petrels, Black Iron Bystro, Prescott’s Provisions, Marble + Rye 

Other cool discoveries:

• I haven’t been yet, but worth mentioning – Albright Knox just reopened after being closed since 2019.
• Canalside. Obviously.
• I used to think Slow Roll was a few dozen people. LOL apparently hundreds go!

Beyond Buffalo, I love visiting historical sites and important landmarks. If you’re looking for a day or weekend trip in Upstate New York, I have lists on lists of places to go! I’m also very aware of what goes into moving to a new city – having also lived in Pittsburgh, DC, Moscow, Bangalore, NYC, and Syracuse. So if you ever need a sounding board on how to immerse yourself in a new place – reach out.