Category: Hamburg

11 Unique Things To Do in Buffalo with Out-of-Town Guests

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It’s fun getting visitors in Buffalo. We are always pretty dang pumped to show people around and give them ideas for things to do, places to eat, and where to stay so they will have the ultimate WNY experience. 

Besides the usual suspect stops in and around town, here is a list of our fav 11 unique things to do when you have fam and friends in town:

Shark Girl Selfie / Canalside

You’ll learn fast that Buffalo is getting bigger and bigger on public art (thanks to many initiatives of the Albright-Knox Art Gallery). One such famous public resident is Shark Girl, located at Canalside near the upcoming Explore & More Children’s Museum. Getting a selfie with this girl is a must! Who is Shark Girl??

Forest Lawn Trolley

We have famous dead people. Presidents, musicians, artists, pioneers…look up the tour schedule and book one through the cemetery. It’s manicured landscape adds to the awe of who you see in there and you’ll be surprised by the history you’ll learn. Book a Forest Lawn Tour

Hatchets + Hops

photo: Megan Ann Photography

Axes and beer. Guaranteed your friends and family haven’t done anything like this before! Throw some axes and see if you can bullseye it. Hang out at Misuta Chows after (nearby). Yep, sign me up!

McKinley Assassination Site

A small piece of history is over on Fordham Dr. where McKinley was shot in 1901 at the PanAm Expo. An underdog spot to visit where you feel like you’re back in time. Take me there!

Mural tour (on your own)

Us, Niagara Falls, NY

Murals pop up all over the city every couple of months. We’re are becoming a destination to see these, so why not map out some sites you want to see and get some great pics? Use Nickel City Pretty as a good reference point on where to find some.

The real wings at Nine-Eleven Tavern and Bar Bill

wings at Bar Bill

Take it from a local: we know where the best wings are. Take the off-beaten path and take a ride to East Aurora for Bar Bill wings (and beef on weck!) and the South Buffalo underdog Nine-Eleven Tavern.

Explore Buffalo Tours

Historic Shea’s in downtown Buffalo

Nothing better than hearing the history from the best. Check out their site to see what kind of tours they have going on. Architecture…food…crime history…something for everyone. Explore Buffalo

West Side Bazaar

An expo of some of our best international dishes in Buffalo. Get a little bit of everything including Thai, Indian, and Ethiopian. It doesn’t get more authentic than here. You’ll find beautiful artisan work here, too. Take me to the West side

Pedal Tours

pic from Buffalo Pedal Tours Instagram

A couple years ago, Buffalo got a few pedal tours under its belt for bar crawls, food tours, and city views. From Buffalo Pedal Tours to the Consumer Craft, the Tiki Tour to CycleBoats…ya gotta really work it to get there!

Niagara Wine Trail

Rent a small bus and take the wine trail experience. Great way to see Niagara County, taste some wine, eat some chocolate, and hang out in the vineyards. A fun event for guests to take home some wine! Follow the trail…

Riverworks: Zipline/Rock Climb/Kayak/Roller Girls

Riverworks has something for everyone. Adventure, food and drink, views, and if you check the schedule…some badass chicks on wheels. You can definitely make a solid day of hanging out there. Everything at Riverworks

Welcome to the Grit….House

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What’s up, WNY? Guy bird here- showing you where I like to take a [workout’] beatin’ these days. If you live or venture out to the Southtowns and enjoy pushing your body to the limits, Grit House is where it’s at. This place is pumping out beats that run through your veins while you watch the sweat drip from your brow. The fitness family here welcomed me with open arms…which quickly turned in to kicking my a** and keeping me focused.

Grit House offers a range of classes 7 days a week from 5:15am to 7:30pm and all are designed to have you crawling to the door. It’s a true experience and their style of workout is unique to them. I have popped in to many gyms and have to say, ya gotta experience the Grit to understand what goes on behind that garage door…but if that garage door is open- prepare yourself. They offer classes like ‘Camp Grit’ and ‘Athlete 2.0’ where you will find familiar terms like spin, cardio, pilates, tabata, ropes, yoga, and boxing.

As someone who has been to tons of workout classes, I know that a place is only as good as their instructors. At Grit, you won’t find anything but intense in-your-face and ready-to-roll instructors. *drum roll, please* You’ve got Ashlee ‘No Joke’ Lonergan, owner. Something about someone smiling as they yell at you has always confused me. Next up- Jay ‘I Run 16 Miles at 2am Then Instruct Back-to-Back Classes’ McFadden. Jay will test you constantly while he admires his sweet beard. Then we have Matt ‘Can’t Stop. Won’t Stop’ Bermingham. This sexy beast of a man is about to be 50. I almost hurled taking his boxing class. Win. Last but not least- Jenea ‘Twinkle Toes’ Castanza-Smith. Her pilates class is unique to her and if my wife won’t say it, I will- my a** is lookin’ pretty good.

The atmosphere and environment at Grit House is genuinely cool. They have accomplished setting themselves apart and creating a style of working out that can only be understood by showing up. Side note…did I mention they have showers? HUGE PERK and I think I may be the only one that uses it and that’s fine with me.

What you need to know: they’re located at 97 Main St. in Hamburg. Download the MindBody App to sign up for classes. They are one of the few that offer a monthly unlimited rate (a no-brainer in my world). Classes fill up quickly and signing up a week in advance is recommended.

To Ashlee and Jay- thank you for welcoming me in to your fitness family down here in the Southtowns and for opening up roughly a year ago. Let the pain, sweat, tears, and smiles continue. December Challenge is in full swing and I’m getting my a** handed to me…but that’s the point.

-Beau

Grit House// 97 Main St. Hamburg, NY 14075 // www.grithousebuffalo.com