By Joyce Kryszak
Buffalo, NY – Buffalo climbed one spot to become the number eight arts destination in the country. That's according to this year's reader's poll by AmericanStyle magazine. The results of the top 25 list were released in the June issue that went on sale at newsstands Sunday.
According to AmericanStyle, there's an artistic rebirth of the "rustbelt" going on. And Buffalo is leading the charge. The "Queen City" moved up another rung on the must-see arts city ladder.
But this year, Buffalo is in good company. The top 25 list also included former "rustbelt" buddies, Chicago as number one, along with Columbus, Cleveland and Milwaukee. Christine Kloostra, a spokesperson for AmericanStyle, says the cities should be applauded for shedding their "rustbelt" reputations.
"I don't know that Buffalo, or Pittsburgh for that matter, will ever bump up to the number one spot. But it's been very surprising that how we've seen those cities jump up during the past three years," Kloostra said. "I think the citizens of those cities and the tourists who have gone to visit them have felt the need to recognize that they're making an effort.
"They may not be New York, Paris or Chicago, but they're trying hard to overcome their past image."
Kloostra says readers this year tended to vote for groups of their favorite "rustbelt" destinations. She says that shows people are discovering these cities have plenty to offer and want to help spread the word. And what did people like best about Buffalo? Kloostra says the Albright Knox Art Gallery received rave reviews.
"I actually was just looking up on the database and we had pages of people who mentioned that as their favorite place to visit," Kloostra said.
Buffalo and New York City were not the only New York cities to make the list. Corning, New York, home of the Corning Glass Museum, also squeaked in at number 22.