Cheektowaga

Cleveland Hill, 7 miles from downtown Buffalo, is distinct from its closest neighbors for its home styles. “It’s a small pocket of Cheektowaga where a lot of homes were built pre-World War II, and that’s a rarity,” says Buffalo-born and raised Realtor Dominic Lettieri, who grew up next to Cleveland Hill. Cleveland Hill is also zoned for the Cleveland Hill School District, which is highly rated. All of this, coupled with the area's affordability, leads to an increased demand. “The neighborhood is also super close to shops and airports. It’s right in the middle of everything.” Lettieri works for Hunt Real Estate. After Amherst, Cheektowaga is the second largest suburb of Buffalo. The area was once comprised of rural farms, but development boomed after WWII, transforming the area into a thriving suburb. The name Cheektowaga derives from Chictawauga, meaning “land of the crabapples” in the language of the Seneca people. However, the area's earliest inhabitants were the Iroquois. The median build year for homes in Cheektowaga proper is 1956. Alongside the Cleveland Hill School District, some residences are also zoned for the Cheektowaga-Maryvale Union Free School District and Amherst Central School District. One pipeline in the Cleveland Hill School District is Cleveland Hill Elementary School, Cleveland Hill Middle School and Cleveland Hill High School. The elementary school earns a B minus from Niche, the middle school earns a B score and the high school is rated A minus. The high school holds a winter band and chorus concert each year, adding warmth to cold months. “One side of the neighborhood is in the city, and the other is more suburban. It’s still a suburb overall but very busy and full. People are always out walking and driving,” Lettieri says. The area is dense, with 10 people per acre living in Cleveland Hill, and houses sit relatively close together. Brick Cape Cods, Tudor-style homes, a few ranch-style properties and Colonial revivals dot the streetscapes. Some residences have hipped roofs and chimneys built into their front façade or are painted colors from salmon pink to bright yellow and teal. A cozy cottage in Cleveland Hill could sell for $200,000, a four-bedroom ranch that’s been fully renovated may go for $300,000 and a stately five-bedroom Tudor-style home might sell for around $400,000 There are local shops and chains along each main road in Cleveland. Bailey Avenue has a little bit of everything, including an Imperial Food Market and M&T bank. The Jamaican restaurant Caribbean Experience is also on Bailey Avenue, and their jerk chicken bowl has been described by locals as divinely delicious. There’s also a Tops Friendly Market and a WellNow Urgent Care along Harlem Road. For a large shopping center, Walden Galleria Mall — with its 200 stores from Sephora to Zara, Primark and more — is less than 4 miles from the neighborhood. Cherry Park, which some locals can walk to from their homes on Gardenvale Drive and Peachrow Lane, has basketball and tennis courts and a playground. Cheektowaga Town Park, 2 miles away along Harlem Road, also has an outdoor pool for summer days and family fun. Cleveland Hill locals are focused on connecting and staying active. “They have community-drive softball leagues for both adults and kids. They also have a little library system where people have makeshift boxes propped on their lawn with used books inside,” Lettieri says. The Buffalo Metro Rail, operated by the Niagra Frontier Transportation Authority, serves Cleveland Hill. Walking to many places on foot is possible as the neighborhood is only a few miles in any direction. The nearest airport is Buffalo Niagara International, only 4 miles away along Route 33, which bounds the community to the south. New York State Route 240 also runs directly through the area. Cleveland Hill is also bordered by Interstate 99 to the East, making it a well-connected place to live.

When people look to move to a quieter lifestyle without leaving the city behind, neighborhoods like Maryvale end up as probable solutions. Located only 8 miles northeast of downtown Buffalo in the town of Cheektowaga, Maryvale is a walkable, highly residential area with plenty of access to shopping and dining. “This area is going to put you in the middle of every suburb and directly in front of the city,” says Devote Davis, a Realtor with eXp Realty who’s been serving the Buffalo area for over seven years. “It’s the next step out of the city and gives you that suburb feel. You can’t beat the central locality.” Comprised almost entirely of residential streets, Maryvale is a hop-skip away from the Buffalo action, and the connectivity of all the subdivisions makes it a highly walkable area. The most common architectural styles are painted Cape Cods and Tudor-inspired cottages, often built in the mid-20th century, sporting decorated front yards and trees shading the rooftops. Now and again, multi-level homes stagger the horizon of the street line, with Colonial Revivals making an appearance. “Post-COVID prices have gone up, but you still get a safer area at a relatively affordable price compared to the city,” says Davis. “Smaller three-bedroom homes, you’re looking at around $190,000, but true two-story, larger homes are going to be around $225,000.” Public institutions are served by the Cheektowaga-Maryvale Union Free School District, and students start at Maryvale Primary before heading to Maryvale Intermediate, which receives a B on Niche. It maintains a small student-teacher ratio of 12-1 to focus on more personalized learning. Students move on to Maryvale Middle, which takes home an A-minus from Niche, before finishing primary education at Maryvale High. Graded by a B-plus, Maryvale High is perhaps most well-known for its athletics, with teams from all sports attending championships since the 1970s and as early as 2020. The local neighborhood green space of Knob Hill Park is a popular go-to spot for residents when it’s time to get fresh air. It has an expansive playground for the kids, a baseball diamond, and several courts including tennis, basketball and pickleball. Catalyst Fitness is an excellent solution for those who want to work out indoors and find community through gym classes. Maryvale is bordered by Interstate 90, also known as the New York State Thruway, and Route 33; these are major thoroughfares for getting around the larger Buffalo area. There are several bus stops along Wehrle Drive, run by the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority. Just east of the neighborhood is the Buffalo International Airport. There are a few big-name essentials in the area, such as the FedEx Ship Center and Dollar General, but most restaurants are locally owned, and residents can easily walk a couple blocks to grab a pizza from Gandy’s. “If you want bar food and a good strong drink, 33 Speakeasy is a great place to go and just hang out,” Davis recommends. For shopping, Maryvale is only a few minutes from the Walden Galleria, an expansive shopping mall with numerous retail shops, restaurants and a connected movie theater. As Maryvale is only a 15-minute drive from downtown Buffalo, residents can quickly get to any of the weekly and annual events that the city hosts. There’s plenty to explore, from Taste of Buffalo, the largest weekend food festival in the country, to interactive art activities during First Fridays at the Buffalo AKG Art Museum.

Just 5 miles from downtown Buffalo, the Pine Hill neighborhood in the town of Cheektowaga offers all the perks of the city without the exasperating traffic. Residents here relish the slower-paced, suburban vibe, as well as the proximity to shopping in Cheektowaga and entertainment in Buffalo. “The Pine Hill area is highly residential. There are only a couple of restaurants and some corner stores, but you’re close to everything,” says Harold Kraven Weeks, a licensed real estate salesperson with Mootry Murphy & Burgin Realty Group, who has been selling homes in the area for seven years. “You can get to Walmart, Wegmans, the Walden Galleria mall or downtown Buffalo within 15 minutes or less. It’s a fantastic location.” Those looking to move here will primarily find homes built from the early-to-mid 1900s. They come in a range of styles, including Dutch Colonials, ranch homes and Colonial Revivals. Properties commonly rest on sidewalk-lined streets with compact manicured lawns and established shrubbery. The average list price hovers around $180,000. A cozy three-bedroom, 1,000-square-foot home goes for around $130,000, while a more spacious three-bedroom, 1,800-square-foot home sells in the mid-$200,000s. “Things sell quickly there,” Weeks says. “Homes in that area are averaging 12 days on the market.” Public school students may attend Union East Elementary, Cheektowaga Central Middle and Cheektowaga Central High. The elementary and middle school earn C-plus Niche grades, while the high school scores a B-plus. Home of the Warriors, the high school boasts championship-winning boys’ track, softball and basketball teams. From Walmart Supercenter to Wegmans grocery store, nationally known retailers are less than 5 miles away via George Urban Boulevard. At Walden Galleria indoor mall, on Walden Galleria, residents will find more than 200 retail shops and eateries, including Macy’s and P.F. Chang’s. For dining out in the neighborhood, Raymondo’s Pizzeria, on East Delavon Avenue, has been a local favorite for its king-sized slices and sweet pizza sauce since the 1980s. La Bella Sicilia, on Genesee Street, is the go-to spot for ample portions of traditional Italian standards, such as spaghetti and meatballs and veal parmesan. For outdoor fun, residents can head to Cedargrove Park, on Idlebrook Drive, to play a game of tennis or watch their kids frolic on the playground. And entertainment on a larger scale awaits in downtown Buffalo, which is 5 miles west via Genesee Street. Popular options, along downtown Buffalo’s Main Street, include ice-skating at the Ice at Canalside or checking out a Broadway musical at Shea’s Buffalo Theatre, a 1926 movie palace.

Bellevue was settled in the early 1800s by abolitionists who participated in the Underground Railroad. The area began taking off in the 1880s when wealthy business professionals created a trolley line, a now long-gone park, and a hotel that still stands. Bellevue has become a quiet town at the heart of Buffalo's suburbs that's nearly half park and nature preserve. "We're the closest neighborhood to our biggest mall and centrally located to the downtown area. I always say you're 10 to 15 minutes from everything here," says Realtor Shawn Smith. Smith grew up in Bellevue and now sells homes in the area through Nichol City Realty. Families in Bellevue participate in its history simply by tending to their lawns. "Cheektowaga means the land of the crabapples, and most people have at least one in their yard," Smith says. Home styles vary, though the area maintains a suburban identity overall. There are mobile homes on Carefree Lane, Colonials with sidewalks on Elmleaf Drive and modest to split-level ranch-style properties on Gabrielle Drive. Property prices range from $200,000 to $400,000. Anything higher is a rarity; fixer-uppers' entry points can be as low as $80,000. The most expensive residence on the market is a four-bedroom Tudor-style house on 2 acres, costing around $900,000. According to Smith, prices in Bellevue are middle-of-the-road for Cheektowaga. Homes are also off the market in roughly 19 days, faster than the national average of 38. The Cheektowaga Central School District serves Bellevue students and there are only three schools in the district: Union East Elementary School, Cheektowaga Middle School and Cheektowaga High School. The elementary school is within 3 miles of the neighborhood's core, and the middle and high are centrally located. Both the elementary and middle earn a C plus rating from Niche, while the high school scores a B plus. The high school integrates a character trait of the month into its curriculum to instill personality traits like leadership, optimism, kindness and more. The most convenient restaurants in Bellevue are along Union Road and Como Park Boulevard. On the boulevard, locals can fulfill their pizza and pasta cravings at Bobby J's Italian American Grille or grab a bite and a drink with friends at the original Bellevue Hotel. When they're craving pierogies or classic Americana, Polish Villa and Rock Burger are on Union Road, with various shops spaced along its street, including a nail salon. The grocery store Tops Market is 3 miles away from Bellevue on Transit Road. And Walden Galleria — the largest shopping center in Buffalo with over 200 retail stores, a cinema, an escape room and restaurants like Cheesecake Factory — is less than 3 miles away. The Loft, Eddie Bauer and Free People are among its many box chains. Its escape room plays out themes like Escape from Alcatraz and Zombie Apocalypse. Stiglmeier Park, built next to the 292-acre Reinstein Woods Nature Preserve, is at the heart of Bellevue. Mostly wooded, the park contains playgrounds, soccer and baseball fields, picnic tables and 3 miles of trails that pass by Cayuga Creek. The creek passes through not only the park but also the neighborhood. Some people use it for fishing, and a common catch is steelhead. The Reinstein Woods Nature Preserve, with its wetlands and ponds with lotus flowers, also has trails and shelters the largest forest-grown beech tree in New York State. Seasonal and weekly events happen at Stiglmeier Park, including their pop-up date nights for couples, where lovebirds download a digital date night box that guides them through outdoor activities until sunset. The park is also decorated with lights during the holidays, becoming a festive exhibit. Due to the area being suburban and spread out, cars are important for everyday amenities in Bellevue. Bus stops lining Union Road connect locals to and from Walden Galleria and Downtown Buffalo. Buffalo Niagara International Airport is 4 miles away via Dick Road for faraway trips.

Welcome to South “Cheektavegas,” a moniker for Cheektowaga, a large suburban town in Erie County 8 miles from Buffalo. Legend says the nickname derives from the town’s rich Polish heritage, a twin city with Łowicz, Poland. South Cheektowaga is primarily residential, away from the hubbub of Galleria Mall and down the street from the Buffalo Niagara International Airport. It is embraced by its green spaces and recreation, “Between youth sports, family-centered events and teen volunteering programs, we have a very diverse community and offer something for everyone,” says Krystle Feind, Executive Director of Youth & Recreational Services. <br><br>Blooming Dogwoods, carved shrubs and towering Pine trees dot the landscape of South Cheektowaga. Homes are on long, linear lots with sidewalks, many with soundproof windows and doors to mask the sounds of airplanes soaring overhead. And basements are prone to flooding due to Buffalo’s abundant wetlands, so many residents opt for sump pumps and dehumidifiers. Prominent styles include ranchers, split levels and Neo-traditional houses, attached two-car garages, fenced-in backyards and driveways. Neighborhoods exude a uniform ambiance, with homes painted in muted greys, dark blues and soft tans. Most residences built in the ’60s and ’70s range from $185,000 for a three-bedroom with 850 square feet to $450,000 for homes constructed in 2022. <br><br>The town of Cheektowaga is the second biggest suburb in Buffalo, with a handful of school districts. The youngsters may be zoned for the Cheektowaga Central School District or West Seneca Central School District, hosting Northwood Elementary with a B rating and East Middle with a B-minus, according to Niche. East Middle offers clubs in STEM, gardening and snowboarding. Niche grades West Senior High School a B-plus, with its curriculum centering around nationally acclaimed visual arts, engineering and business academies. <br><br>Several neighborhood parks are within walking distance of homes. Dartwood Park has large grassy fields with two playgrounds, sports courts and a community center. The center hosts summer camps, preschool and yoga classes for some Zen. On Alexander Avenue, the Cheektowaga Youth and Recreation overlooks community activities, organizing swim and skating lessons, volunteer opportunities and craft nights at the library, the town ice rink and the swimming pool. “Our youth hockey program, the Cheektowaga Warriors, is very popular. We summer camp programs, offer a playground rotation in the summer and run all kinds of holiday events,” says Feind. The Reinstein Woods Nature Preserve is characterized by dense Beech-Maple Forest and low-lying wetlands, creating an escape for hiking or skiing.<br><br>Residents can find everything they need for errands down Transit Road at Walmart, Wegman’s, Target and Tops Market. Lancaster Lanes and Flix Stadium are in that same sphere for some Friday night fun. Then there’s Catalyst Fitness on French Road for a personalized workout. It is under 5 miles from Walden Galleria, with over 190 stores and restaurants; it is the biggest mall in Western New York, flooding with visitors on the weekends and holidays. For a bite to eat after activities, locals rave about Campfire Grill on Walden Avenue, with its outdoorsy inspired diner classics like griddle toast logs, fancy for French toast loaded with cream cheese. On the same street, Alton’s Restaurant transports tastebuds with its authentic Mediterranean cuisine. Closer to home is Costanzo’s, known for its homemade rolls and Anderson’s, with its old-fashioned milkshakes and custard.<br><br>When snowfall blankets the grounds, residents of Cheektowaga celebrate during WinterFest, where twinkling lights illuminate the community along with live music, ice skating, local vendors and, of course, a visit from Santa. The Cheektowaga Polish-American Arts Festival draws locals to appreciate Polish culture, bringing out traditional folk music, pierogies, and artisan crafters. And Town Park gets festive during the Fourth of July Parade, followed by fireworks. <br><br>A car dependent community, its centralized location positions residents near major arteries such as New York State Route 78, New York State Route 240 and New York State Route 277. Significant employers in Cheektowaga include manufacturing, schools, the city and health care systems.