For me, this was a rather difficult conclusion to come to for a myriad of reasons. First off, I’m not sure if there are any places on campus at all that I particularly ‘like’. The campus mostly feels plastic and fake – as if it is entirely secluded from the ‘real’ world. I can’t exactly put my finger on this feeling, but it just feels hollow. It is also quite busy and cramped which makes me feel anxious at times. Plus, why is every chair at UB immensely uncomfortable? It is ridiculous. For example, take the weird, post modern chairs in front of the Corner Cafe in NSC. What an atrocity. In addition to this, the campus is just horrendous, grotesque, and depressing to look at. Whoever designed the buildings and the overall layout ought to be shot. The only building that doesn’t make me want to vomit is Center For the Arts. Most of the buildings either look incredibly boring, or completely out of place. There is no consistent design language or any sort of unique character to be found in the architecture at UB’s North Campus. It is just a mish-mosh of bland and drab concrete and brick. Yuck. Again, excluding CFA, the interiors of these buildings are utterly lifeless as well. I want to spend as little time as possible in these awful structures.
Alright, so if I don’t have a favorite place on campus, that leaves us with the surrounding area of UB. Which is of course Amherst. So, once again, my options are pretty terrible to pick a favorite place. Let’s not lie to ourselves, UB North’s location is just horrid. Amherst sucks. It’s just massive roads, stoplights, and chain restaurants as far as the eye can see. It is heaven if you are a wealthy, upper middle class white family looking to raise your family free from those dirty people in the city. The area is absolutely devoid of culture, which again is depressing. Don’t get me wrong though, I love Buffalo and I love western New York. Growing up in Salamanca, NY, I viewed Buffalo as the crown jewel of the area, and I still do. But Amherst ain’t Buffalo. All the good bars, restaurants, music venues, museums, or anything interesting, are all in the city or just south of Buffalo. Want to do anything of merit? You’ve gotta drive 15-20+ minutes away. It is simply cruel that UB is placed on the island of Amherst.
However, if I could stop being so dramatic for a moment, I do enjoy quite a few places in the Amherst area. One that immediately comes to mind is Elmo’s. I’ve been a wing enthusiast for as long as I can remember, and in the years I’ve attended UB I’ve made it to most of the acclaimed wing joints in the greater Buffalo area. Elmo’s recieves my vote for best wings in the area. Their hot wings have adequate heat, which is rare even in Buffalo, and are consistently the crispiest around. But the flavor that will truly rock your socks off is their honey mustard cajun double dip. Sure, you’ve gotta pay a bit more for the ‘double dip’ variety, but let me tell you – it’s worth it. I won’t say anymore about them. If you are a wing guy – and if you aren’t then go to hell – these will instantly be among the best you’ve ever had. In addition to their stellar food, I also love the atmosphere inside. It’s poorly lit, rather dingy, very outdated, and not attractive to the eye at all. I love it. It just feels real and authentic, like they weren’t trying to be or emulate anything. As if the owner says, “Eh, I don’t give a damn. My wings are good enough”. I respect that mentality. Sure the prices are fairly high, like any Buffalo area establishment. But at least with Elmo’s, what you pay is entirely worth it. Yet again, I’m from Salamanca, where food, and everything else, is comparatively dirt cheap. Who’d’ve thought that mass poverty would lead to good and low prices? Lastly, Elmo’s has always had great service during all of my visits. It always seems to be the same guy waiting on me and my pals. He’s about 5’10 or so, bald, and dons a disheveled Bills jersey of a player who’s been off the team for years – like CJ Spiller or other (which adds to the experience tenfold). He’s great and I always love leaving him a healthy tip.
Right, so if I had to pick a favorite place on or near UB’s north campus, I’m going with Elmo’s. I’d go every week if I wouldn’t certainly suffer a heart attack by the age of 30 as a result. A visit to Elmo’s once a month will suffice.
The Pointless Blog 