Really delayed response for this thread but I recently had a full day trip in Buffalo. Compared to my previous visit back in 2013, there's definitely been some steady improvements and gradual investment towards its urban scene.
Began the day with the standard outlet mall stop first. On the drive into the city we took the non-toll road, which was slower than the highway but you get to see some of the grittier parts like North Tonawanda. We saw the Buffalo Armory on the way, which was a pretty impressive building.
From there we drove right away towards downtown and further down into the Silo City area. Apparently there was a private event that day, so we couldn't really step in there. But we took some photos from the outside along with the neat steel bridge that connected to it. There's also an adjacent mini-island which with Ganson Street, it's an interesting drive for those who are industrial enthusiasts.
Then drove back north and went to this place called Resurgence Brewing Company for lunch. A newer looking craft brewery that serves food and with a nice outdoor patio space.
After that we walked around the Elmwood Village area checking out the older and for the most part well maintained housing stock. The area felt like a mix of the Annex and Bloor West Village.
Made a quick visit at the Albright-Knox Art Gallery museum. They also have a nice pond behind it which leads into Delaware Park. From there we walked towards the Richardson Olmstead complex which is a former asylum which is now a hotel. A really large and expansive building. It's what I imagine the Toronto asylum may have felt like before it was demolished for CAMH on Queen West. That eventually lead back into Elmwood Village where we grabbed a quick drink at a pretty busy place called Forty Thieves.
After that we drove back downtown and are dinner at this place a few blocks east of their City Hall called Deep South Taco. We walked along the Theatre District which was actually a really dead place on the weekend.
We ended the night at one more place for drinks in Allentown called Allen Street Hardware. Allentown along with Elmwood Village were two of their livelier neighbourhoods with decent pedestrian life. The main street had multiple bars, indie cafes, and live music venues. There's also a good stock of older housing and apartments. I felt it was a similar vibe to the Junction.
One attraction that we ended up missing was the Buffalo Central Terminal which is now revitalized and turned into an event space. Hopefully on another visit soon.