Well, I’ll be damned. People across the continent are buzzing about Buffalo—and there’s not a single flake of snow on the ground.

Thanks to a major push by Visit Buffalo Niagara (formerly the Buffalo Niagara Convention and Visitors Bureau), the good word about Western New York is spreading. Back in April, VBN hosted a dinner in Toronto that spurred one Canadian writer to visit Buffalo. His Toronto Star article, “How I overcame my prejudice against Buffalo,” wasn’t a glowing review of the city, but it was honest, and he wrote with an open mind—that’s all we want, right?

And just when we thought Toronto couldn’t show us any more love, they did. The Toronto Sun published a piece about the Erie Canal Harbor, including some interesting bits of history about Buffalo’s waterfront. The harbor area once housed a lot of hookers, for example. Hey, I just learned something. Thanks, Canada! And thanks, VBN, for bringing a slice of Buffalo’s canal history to the attention of Toronto media peeps. Buffalo’s food scene also got a nice write-up in Toronto’s City Bites.

Stop with all the flattery, Toronto, you’re making Buffalo blush.

WNY’s gardeners, pat yourselves on the back. Due to your own lawn beautification efforts (and some help from VBN), both Pittsburgh and Waterloo media outlets took notice. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette published an extensive piece on the National Garden Festival, held right here in the Queen City. And, according to the Waterloo Record, a trip to Buffalo’s Garden Walk is “well worth the drive.”

It’s nice to see Buffalo getting the press it deserves. High-fives to VBN for making outsiders take notice of some of the city’s attractive offerings.