Growing up all around the Buffalo area is one of the best things that could have ever happened in my life. While there are definitely undesirable things around the area, you will find some of the greatest places and people in all of New York in Buffalo.

1. The Cheerio Smell.

One of the first things you grasp when you travel through the city of Buffalo is the distinct cereal smell coming from the General Mills Factory. To some, it's the smell of home, to others it's a reminder of the pride they have for their city.

2. Albright Knox Art Gallery.

As cheesy and boring as it sounds, the gallery is actually a great place to walk around and just look at random paintings. The most fun is walking around with your friends and playing the game "guess that."

3. Canalside.

You will never run out of things to do here whether in the summer or the winter. In the summer there are concerts, restaurants, fireworks, boat rides, tanning areas, leisurely walks along the naval park, or a beautiful outlook to the waterfront near the harbor. In the winter, Canalside is known for ice skating or ice-biking as a nice alternative. The naval park is still open for sight and the same goes for the outlook near the harbor.

4. Shea's Performing Arts Center.

This is a theater where you can go to watch live plays that they show quite frequently. I've seen shows such as "Wicked" and "Grease." The cool part about Shea's is that if you get involved enough, you can get into programs where you can actually go on stage and take classes.

5. Sponge Candy.

This is one of the many fine delicacies that Buffalo has to offer. Apparently it's not even slightly common in any other areas. Don't knock it before you rock it because it tastes a lot better than it might look. With a crunchy caramel-like inside and a chocolatey outside, this dessert has the perfect taste.

6. Delaware Park.

This great, spacious area is where a lot of fundraising events are held. You will usually be able to find tons of people walking in the park for a cause such as a cure for breast cancer, cystic fibrosis, etc. Other great uses of the park are basketball, rollerblading, or walking dogs and babies.

7. Botanical Gardens.

This is a great place to go on a rainy or snowy day. You will always find beautiful flowers sprouting everywhere you turn as you walk through the many rooms of the building. While there are seasonal flowers inside during the winter, there are open windows and outside activities during the summer.

8. Tim Horton's.

This coffee shop is tremendously popular in Buffalo. It was first started by a hockey player who came from Canada to play on the Sabres team. You can't go 10 blocks down the road without finding another Timmy Ho's and even though they're so heavily multiplied around the area, each one of them will still have a huge drive-thru line every single morning. You're one of the odd ones in Buffalo if you prefer Dunkin' Donuts over Tim Horton's. Some popular menu items are bagels, hot chocolate, coffee, and iced caps.

9. The Buffalo Zoo.

The zoo is always a great thing to do year-round. They have a huge selection of animals to view and many shows to go to. Some of the most popular animals are the elephants, the giraffe, the gorillas, the polar bears, the rainforest exhibit and, believe it or not, the seals. There are many other things to do at the zoo such as get a bite to eat, dig for bones in the sand pit, or play on the playground.

10. Food Truck Tuesdays in Larkin Square.

From April till the end of summer, Larkin Square hosts a food truck event every Tuesday. You can choose from any truck you like and grab delicious food. On some days there are concerts and always a ton of people to meet up with. A few favorite trucks are Lloyd's Taco Truck and The Cheesy Chick.

11. Wings.

Yes, we do just call them "wings" here and we couldn't be more proud. We are the home of the Anchor Bar which is where the chicken wing was invented. They're crispy, saucy, and delicious.

12. The Buffalo Bills/Ralph Wilson Stadium.

Many Buffalonians, especially the ones born and raised in the city, are die-hard fans of our native football team regardless of the success rate. Buffalo is often referred to as "a drinking town with a sports problem." You can't go to a game without running into hundreds of tailgaters waiting to scream when they get a touchdown.

13. The Buffalo Sabres/First Niagara Center.

Yet another native sports team that we have which is located right in the heart of the city. Much like football, our hockey team has die-hard fans whether they win or lose. The hockey center is amazingly beautiful and impossible to have a bad time in. And yes...that is how you spell Sabres.

14. Buffalo Bisons/Coca Cola Field.

The Buffalo Bisons baseball team is a great activity to attend in the summer. On special days during the summer they have after-game fireworks and it's always a great time. During the game, you can find "Conehead" in the stands asking if you want peanuts or popcorn, and "Buster" the bison throwing free T-shirts at you. In the middle of the game, they hold a race between mascots: celery, wing, and blue cheese.

15. Snow...

Although some people believe Buffalo is not the one to get the most snow in all of New York State, we have been hit quite heavily for the past couple of winters, especially 2014. No matter how hard we are hit, we still know how to handle it and probably won't have a snow day. Seeing other places with a weather advisory warning for one foot of snow is a continuous joke for us.