If you haven’t already read the article by Toronto-based travel writer Adrian Brijbassi that’s sweeping across Buffalonians’ Facebook pages and Twitter feeds, give it a glance.

Brijbassi doesn’t necessarily gush endlessly about Buffalo’s beauty and splendor, but he does do something that many other non-WNYers don’t do: he gives our city a chance, and he encourages others to do the same.

The review of Buffalo is framed perfectly. Instead of leading with a background on our infamous snowstorms and chicken wings, Brijbassi starts with his first Buffalo experience where he encounters a customs officer who seems worried that another outsider would undercut the Queen City. If you, like I, was born and raised in the Buffalo area, you know exactly what that customs officer was thinking, because you also have defended your home hometown in the same way. Just this past weekend, I visited friends in New York City, and when the topic of Buffalo winters came up, everyone looked at me with crazy eyes when I proclaimed, “I actually love snow. Winter is my favorite season.”

Buffalo’s not the ideal place for everyone, but for those who chose to stay here—or like me, left town and then chose to move back years later—we have our reasons for loving this place. And for the naysayers who will never visit the City of Good Neighbors based on prejudices, they’ll never experience the rich history, breathtaking architecture, lively food scene and charming arts communities. What’s worse, they’ll never have a chance to get to know us, the people of Buffalo. And, as Brijbassi said, “Most of all, though, I was charmed by Buffalonians themselves.”