Getting outside and getting active is essential for our mental and physical health. Now that it’s summertime, there’s a national spotlight on parks and recreation in America’s cities. How does Buffalo measure up in comparison to other major cities in the United States?

According to a new list from WalletHub, Buffalo was ranked #73 out of 100 in “2022’s Best and Worst Cities For Recreation.” 

Eek. Not great.

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WalletHub used forty-seven different metrics in four key categories to rank the top 100 cities in the United States, including Entertainment and Recreational Facilities, Costs, and Quality of Parks. The metric with the highest weight - and the one to guarantee Buffalo a low spot on the list- was the weather. In fact, Buffalo was ranked dead last of all the cities when it comes to ideal weather. 

In comparison, here are the top five US cities for recreation according to WalletHub:

  1. Las Vegas, NV
  2. Orlando, FL
  3. Cincinnati, OH
  4. Tampa, FL
  5. Scottsdale, AZ

What do most of those cities have in common? Nice weather for most of the year.

Weather aside, Buffalo is an amazing city in the US for recreation! With beautiful parks to enjoy like Delaware Park and Riverside Park, along with developments in recent years like Canalside, Buffalonians have a plethora of places to get some outdoor fun in their lives. Not to mention all of the free activities available for residents to enjoy outside like waterfront movies, free fitness classes, and bike-sharing groups… 

Let’s take this ranking with a grain of salt. So what if it snows here in the winter? So what if it can get cold? Take away the elements out of our control (we’re looking at you, Mother Nature), and Buffalo IS one of the best cities for recreation in the United States. Fight us on it.

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