By Regina Lunch-Hudson

Editor’s note: Doing Biz In features continuously updated coverage of a full spectrum of top cities where readers conduct business. Publicist and travel writer Regina Lynch-Hudson has penned destination catalogs and articles for companies such as Vacation Express, North American Airlines and AirTran Airways.

City Smarts: Buffalo Niagara is emerging from its roots as a heavy industry/ manufacturing center to a white collar/ technology/life sciences/Finance/services industry economy. The recently completed Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus in downtown Buffalo is home to the New York State Center of Excellence in Bioinformatics and Life Sciences, Roswell Park Cancer Institute and Hauptman Woodward Medical Research Institute. More than $250 million in total pubic, private and institutional research expenditures occurred in the region in 2004 alone.

Buffalo Niagara’s strategic location on the border with the province of Ontario, Canada, is near the economic and demographic heartland of Canada, positioning the region to experience the cultural, economic and recreational benefits of a bi-national marketplace. The Buffalo Niagara border with Canada is one of the busiest international crossings in the world. Approximately 38 percent of total Canada-US trade crosses at Niagara, as well as many new immigrants and millions of annual tourists.

The population of Buffalo Niagara (Erie and Niagara Counties) is 1,154,526; the city of Buffalo holds 284,626; and the city of Niagara Falls has 53,728.

Buffalo Niagara’s top private sector companies (by revenue amount) include Rich Products Corp. (International Food manufacturer and owner of the Buffalo Bisons Triple-A Baseball franchise); and Delaware North Companies (hospitality, food service, retail and recreation management). The top employers are Tops Markets LLC, Kaleida Health, The University at Buffalo, HSBC Bank N.A., The Catholic Health System and M&TBank.

The Buffalo Niagara Convention Center, located in the heart of downtown, provides more than 110,000 square feet of exhibit space. For more information, call 716-855-5555 or 800-995-7570 or visit www.bfloconvcenter.org.

Jetsetter: Sundra Ryce, President and CEO of SLR Contracting, heads one of the most successful construction/contracting businesses in the Buffalo Niagara region. Only 32 years old, the African-American powerhouse laughed as she commented that she started in the construction business at the age of 13. Ryce worked for her father who was also in construction.  Her 10-year old company specializes in commercial construction, handling many US government accounts. SLC Contracting completed a 25,000 square foot military entrance processing station at Niagara Falls Air Base. Ryce says that she hopes to expand to other parts of the country, including Atlanta, where she once held an embryo office. For more information, call 716-896-8148 or visit www.slrcontracting.com.

Getting Around: You won’t be stuck in traffic reading a book for 40 minutes on Interstate 285 when in Buffalo. Known as the “20-minute City,” their average commute time of just under 20 minutes consistently ranks at the top of the list nationwide. Buffalo’s Metrorail light rail rapid transit system transports passengers along Main Street, from the University at Buffalo’s South Campus into the downtown Theatre District, Central Business District and Cobblestone District.  Metrorail is operated by the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority (181 Ellicott St., Buffalo, NY, 14203). For more information, call 716-855-7300 or visit www.nfta.com.

Survival Kit: Bring and appetite and an ear for music for Buffalo Niagara’s variety of ethnic restaurants and cultural festivals.

Catching ZZZs: Featured in Architectural Digest and on the Travel Channel, The Mansion on Delaware Avenue is Buffalo Niagara’s only AAA Four Diamond hotel and event facility. Built in 1869 and renovated in 2001, the historic luxury hotel is an ideal location for overnight guests or as a unique banquet or meeting site. With 24-hour butler and business services, the hotel was designed to meet the challenges of the business traveler while creating an enviable level of comfort for the leisure traveler. Centrally located in the downtown area between the Theatre District and the Allentown Arts and Antique district, and just minutes from the Canadian border and Niagara Falls, the ideal locale places you in the heart of the region’s offerings. The Mansion is located at 414 Delaware Ave. For more information, call 716-886-3300 or visit www.themansionondelaware.com.

Cultural Chow: No visit to Buffalo Niagara is complete without a sampling of its signature food dish ― Buffalo-style chicken wings. For a variety that will have you licking your fingers and shamefully begging for more, visit The Anchor Bar, 1047 Main St., the famed birthplace of the original “Buffalo Wing.” For more information, call 716-886-8920 or visit www.anchorbar.com.

Power Lunch: The top places for “power lunches” among Buffalo’s business leaders include the Buffalo Club (private, 716-886-6400); the Chef’s Restaurant (Italian cuisine, 716-856-9187); and the Towne Restaurant (Greek, 716-884-5128).

Networkin’: To experience a taste of the local business grind, The Buffalo Niagara Partnership, 665 Main St. Suite 200, hosts numerous networking events throughout the year geared specifically for the private business community. Events include monthly “Networking with a Twist” events and business-to-business roundtables. For more information, call 716-852-7100 or visit www.thepartnership.org.

Cyber Site: SPoT Coffee in downtown Buffalo, 227 Delaware at Chippewa Street, offers the idea spot to hook up your laptop while reenergizing over a cup of favorable caffeine. For more information, call 716-332-2299 or visit www.spotcoffee.com.

To De-Stress: Visit Buffalo’s Erie Basin Marina for picturesque strolls along the downtown waterfront. Downtown’s Chippewa Street strip, Allentown and Elmwood neighborhoods offer a wide variety of nightlife and Greenwich Village-like charm. The region is renowned for its year-long schedule of festivals, honoring cultures and traditions from around the region and the world.

Footloose and Fancy Free: One of the world’s greatest natural wonders, Niagara Falls, is located 25 minutes from downtown Buffalo in Niagara Falls, NY.

Flight Time Buffalo Niagara International Airport is just 15 minutes from downtown, with flight times of one to two hours to New York City; Washington, DC; Boston; Detroit; and Philadelphia. For more information, call 716-630-6000 or visit www.buffaloairport.com.

AirTran Airways offers daily low-fare flights from Buffalo/Niagara to Atlanta, and over 50 major U.S. cities. AirTran Airways is the world's largest operator of the Boeing 717. For more information, call 1-800-AIR-TRAN (247-8726) or visit www.airtran.com.

Someone Helpful: The Buffalo Niagara Enterprise, marketing the Buffalo Niagara region for new business and economic development; call 716-842-1330 or 800-916-9073 or visit www.buffaloniagara.org. The Buffalo Niagara Partnership, organization of local businesses (business services and advocacy); call 716-852-7100 or 800-241-0474, or visit www.thepartnership.org. The Buffalo Niagara Convention and Visitors Bureau; call 800-BUFFALO (283-3256) or visit www.visitbuffaloniagara.com.

Editor’s note: Doing Biz In features continuously updated coverage of a full spectrum of top cities where readers conduct business. Publicist and travel writer Regina Lynch-Hudson has penned destination catalogs and articles for companies such as Vacation Express, AirTran Airways and North American Airlines. Lynch also organizes cultural press trips and handles destination marketing for resorts, bed and breakfasts and tourism boards. More information on The Write Publicist & Co. can be found at www.thewritepublicist.com.