Buffalo to The Bronx: a sports-mad dash across New York State

This October, the stars of the NFL descend on London once again as the British capital is immersed into the all-American football spirit. Among the teams playing are the Buffalo Bills, trading their New York State home ground of Highmark Stadium for that of the Tottenham Hotspurs.

Make no mistake, New York is a great place to be a sports fan – in fact, it’s regularly ranked among the best in the world, eclipsing both London and LA in the 2021 ranking by prestigious agency BCW. Along with the Bills, it’s home to several football superstars including the Giants and the Jets, while the Knicks rule basketball, and the Mets and the Yankees are beloved by baseball fans. And sporting highlights are not simply confined to the Big Apple, as from Buffalo to Syracuse, halls of fame stuffed to the gills with legends that have made the whole state famous.

As anyone who has travelled across New York State has discovered, it’s home to some truly jaw-dropping landscapes, including dizzying waterfalls, rugged mountains and come autumn, the kind of majestic colours that demand you stop to admire the view more than once. It’s the perfect place for a good old-fashioned road trip, where you can intersperse big games with even more spectacular scenery.

Buffalo

Not simply famous for its eponymous chicken wings, Buffalo is proud of its long sporting history, boasting one of the first teams in the NFL in 1920. Several sports heritage bus or walking tours are available, including at c, and don’t miss a Bills game on their home turf too. Elsewhere, stunning architecture includes the Art Deco masterpiece of City Hall, while the pretty Allentown district is buzzing with bars, nightlife and antique shops.

Rochester

Buffalo may have the big-name Bills, but Rochester is the one of the best places in the whole country to discover the joys of minor league sports. It would also be remiss not to take a break from your busy sporting schedule to visit the Finger Lakes wine region, home to over 100 wineries that capitalise on the excellent climate and the 11 long, spindly lakes that give the area its name.

Ithaca

Some of the most beautiful coves and gorges in the state, particularly at the Buttermilk Falls State Park, have made the town a hotspot for watersports enthusiasts, particularly rowing. Most importantly, it hosts the International Rutabaga Curling Championship on the last day of summer, which involves flinging root vegetables at a target. If you can time your visit with that, all power to you.

Syracuse

A famous college town that’s been cited by Bleacher Report as home to one of the top 50 college football stadiums in the USA, the JMA Wireless Dome. Nicknamed ‘The Loud House’ thanks to a capacity of almost 50,000, the roaring crowds always bring the house down watching the city’s nationally ranked football team, and both men’s and women’s basketball and lacrosse matches. Don’t miss the iconic Landmark Theater or Destiny USA – the sixth largest shopping and entertainment complex in the whole country – while the city is also a good jumping off point for swimming, hiking and biking Green Lakes State Park.

The Bronx

Even if you weren’t a sports fan to begin with, you’ll be waving a foam finger with the best of them by the time you’ve left the Bronx. Definitely see a Yankee game – a team so synonymous with New York that you don’t even need to be interested in sport to have heard of them – at their home ballpark, one of the most expensive stadiums ever built. Enjoy a pre-game dinner at the iconic Hard Rock Café or surf and turf at the stadium’s own NYY Steak, and squeeze in a culture fix by visiting the white cottage where Edgar Allen Poe lived.

Staten Island

It goes without saying that you should get your souvenir shot of Lady Liberty on the Staten Island Ferry, and swing by the Staten Island Sports Hall of Fame, featuring (at current count) 178 inductees of local sporting legends. Runners and bikers will also enjoy the excellent trails over 3,000 acres of Staten Island Greenbelt Park.

For more information and to start planning your next trip to the United States, visit visittheusa.co.uk