Villanova is headed to Buffalo for the First Round of the 2017 NCAA Tournament and many fans are heading to Western New York. As an effort to help those Wildcat fans, we’ve reached out to our friends from UB Bull Run, SB Nation’s University of Buffalo site, for some background on the city and their Go-Tos for out of town visitors.

Logistics

Tipoff: 7:10p ET. Thursday, March 16th

Where: KeyBank Center [map]

Official Fan Hotel: Hyatt Regency [map]

Open Practice: Wednesday, 4:25-5:05p ET

Transportation

Uber/Lyft: Does not exist in Buffalo. Seriously.

Public Transport: Metro Rail will be your friend. The Above-Ground sections are free downtown and can take visitors to the Special Events Station, next to the KeyBank Center.

And, oh hey, Friday is St. Patrick’s Day, The Buffalo News has a guide to keep you busy.

UB Bull Run answers our naive questions

Chris Lane: Best Wings (I'm sure this is 'anywhere' so feel free to provide multiple choices):

Bull Run: If you want nostalgia go to the Anchor Bar. It's "the home" of the original wing. They are pretty average but better than what you get in Philly.... We all seem to like Duff's Wings for quality and I'm partial to a little dive bar in south Buffalo called 9-11 they have HOT HOT HOT wings..

For fans downtown at the games I'd strongly recommend Gabriel's Gate for wings. It's not Duff's but is a great option not far (though not walkable) from the arena.

Lane: Most Overrated Wings?

Bull Run: It's hard to have a bad wing in Buffalo, but I'll go with Anchor Bar. It's a tourist type place, fun to eat but the wings are.. meh...

Lane: What are the Best Bars? We need to give people options for day-drinking / late-night.

Bull Run: Buffalo's a put town, so there will be good bars everywhere. If you want to find one near the arena there is the Pearl Street Brewery. It's a short walk to the light rail which goes into the Arena.

Lane: Best Food (breakfast, lunch, dinner)

Bull Run: Our site did a whole bracket thing a couple of summers ago... A lot of good places there in our Munch Madness. Also there is a pretty uniquely Buffalo sandwich called the Beef on Weck (a sandwich is traditionally served rare, thin cut roast beef, with the top bun getting a dip au jus and spread with horseradish on a kummelweck roll) . You can get it in most any area but the best downtown might be at Andersons.

While Villanova Fans are in Buffalo what else should we do?

• In addition to the waterfront I suggested to UConn fans, and the Falls which were mentioned to Stony Brook fans there are some great sights right in down town Buffalo. The New York Times has said "Buffalo is home to some of the greatest American architecture of the late 19th and early 20th centuries."

A good deal of it can be seen on foot around the Marriott.

• First and foremost there are the falls. The American Side is not nearly as tourist friendly as the Canadian side so if you really want to have fun grab a passport or New York enhanced drivers license. The Maid of the Mist runs from either side of the falls but the Cave of the Winds is only on the American Side.
• For my money the Cave of the Winds is a better investment if you have a water proof camera. You will pass in front of the Bridal Veil, on a series of decks and walkways. Tropical storm-like conditions can be experienced, as winds can reach up to 68 mph underneath the falls.

Getting to the Falls

Also Goat Island is a small island located in the middle of Niagara Falls and has the best views of the Falls.

OK, what else?

• The Buffalo Zoo is the third oldest zoo in the U.S.
• Albright-Knox Art Gallery is a contemporary and modern-art hub that was founded in 1862.
• Aquarium of Niagara
• Darwin Martin House is an Iconic Frank Lloyd Wright's Martin House Complex.
• Theodore Roosevelt Inaugural Site

Media Team: Verne Lundquist / Jim Spanarkel / Allie LaForce