Cheektowaga, NY

Buffalo Niagara International Airport lies within Cheektowaga, placing a major regional transportation facility inside this inner-ring suburb immediately east of Buffalo. The town also contains the village of Sloan and roughly half of Depew; outside those villages, much of the town is represented by the Cheektowaga census-designated place. The 2020 census recorded 89,877 residents. Cayuga, Ellicott, and Scajaquada creeks cross the town, while its location east of Lake Erie makes lake-effect snow a recurring part of winter conditions. Cheektowaga’s public recreation ranges from developed sports facilities to a substantial nature preserve surrounded by suburban streets. The state’s 292-acre Reinstein Woods contains forests, ponds, and wetlands, with an environmental education center, accessible boardwalk and pavilion, free guided tours, recurring woods walks, and seasonal programs such as snowshoeing and skiing.

The town park system includes year-round trails at Stiglmeier Park and inclusive play equipment there, as well as municipal pools, athletic fields, and playgrounds. At the Youth and Recreation Center, the arena is used for ice skating and indoor soccer, and the town also operates an adapted-recreation program. Two Cheektowaga Public Library branches add meeting, study, computer, and program space. The Anna M. Reinstein Memorial Library also houses the Reinstein Family Archives, while the larger meeting room at the Julia Boyer Reinstein Library accommodates public programs and library board meetings.