Like it or not, Buffalo has its fair share of pessimists who don’t recognize the surplus of activities this wonderful city has to offer.

As a member of the community and an advocate for objective thinking, I feel it’s my duty to inform the oblivious of all the happenings that are available year round.

The city is evolving.

People are investing money, making appropriate transformations that will undoubtedly shape the future of this town. Buffalo is a city of rich history; it’s like an ocean, waiting to be explored.

Peter Burakowski is the communications manager for Visit Buffalo Niagara (VBN), a company that focuses on giving an insider’s perspective of all the amazing things to do in this city.

According to Burakowski, there is no shortage of things to do in Buffalo.

“There are some things Buffalo is particularly strong with. In arts and culture, we really have an incredibly strong scene here in Buffalo,” Burakowski said. “(The Albright-Knox Art Gallery) has one of the world’s best modern and contemporary collections. Every major name of the late 19th to the early 20th century in art (can be found) within the doors of the Albright-Knox.”

Fredrick Law Olmstead, the same gentleman who designed Central Park in New York City, designed a number of parks here in Buffalo.

Perhaps music or theater is more up your alley?

“There’s a great, vibrant music scene here in Buffalo,” Burakowski said.

Buffalo offers everything from the Buffalo Philharmonic — a two-time Grammy Award-winning orchestra — to off-Broadway musicals, edgy subversive plays, and hip hop, rock and country concerts.

A new concert venue even opened its doors this past week. Buffalo Iron Works, located at 49 Illinois Street, is expected to be a local hot spot. The concert scene is refreshingly intimate and the bar is absolutely massive!

A few steps away from Iron Works is Helium Comedy Club, located at 30 Mississippi St. In recent months, their stage has seen the likes of Charlie Murphy, Gilbert Gottfried, Paul Mooney and Erik Griffin (of Workaholics fame). They have shows every Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.

Canalside, the $295 million dollar project, is a great place to soak in the rich history of Buffalo. VBN calls Buffalo’s Canalside district “the perfect balance of history and family fun.” This year, over 800 events were hosted. There are fantastic eateries, outdoor concerts, free yoga, a military park featuring World War II warships, and of course the First Niagara Center, home of the Buffalo Sabres.

(Canalside is) a really laid back and cool place to hangout,” Burakowski said.

Buffalo Sabres owner Terry Pegula has also been working on enhancing the experience near the First Niagara Center with the $123 million HARBORcenter project. The project will feature two full-size NHL ice rinks, a full-service hotel, a two-story restaurant and a massive parking structure. Construction should be completed by September 2014.

“Canalside has seen a rebirth the past few years and we expect our project to act as a catalyst for future development on the waterfront,” Pegula said. “We’re going to create a destination attraction to draw hundreds of thousands of people to Buffalo’s waterfront on a yearly basis.”

The food is also a wonderful attribute of the city. There are over 400 restaurants in the area serving up anything from pub food to fine dining options. Annual events like the National Buffalo Chicken Wing Festival and Taste of Buffalo have been bringing in thousands of visitors for years!

Sports are also available year round. On March 20-22, Buffalo will host the second and third round NCAA college basketball tournament games, which will bring thousands of people to the area.

“We look at ourselves as curators of great experiences,” explained Burakowski. “There’s so much to do in Buffalo. What we try to do is help sort it out a little bit.”

VBR has a great visitor center located at 617 Main St. in Buffalo. Anybody is welcome to check out the visitor center, especially those new to the area.

The employees are more than willing to help. You can find maps, visitor guides, and event listings. They are also available by phone at 1-800-BUFFALO, online at VisitBuffaloNiagara.com and they’re active on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

The next time you hear somebody say, “There is nothing to do in this town,” show them that this is simply untrue.

Check it out for yourself. Get out and experience first-hand all the amazing things this community has to offer!

Email: [email protected]

Twitter: @ShaunTylerC