Overview
Cheektowaga is a town of 89,877 (2020) in the Northtowns of Erie County, New York. It is a suburb east of Buffalo.
3 sights · 2 things to do · 1 places to eat · 17 places to stay
Updated from Wikivoyage on 1 October 2026 · Something wrong or missing? Improve it on Wikivoyage
Best things about Cheektowaga
Our Lady Help of Christians Chapel
Built in 1853 in Greek Revival style.
Reinstein Woods Nature Preserve
292-acre complex of forests, ponds, and wetlands.
Tomb of Rabbi Eliyahu Yosef Rabinowitz
Belying the modest size of Western New York's Hasidic community is its importance in the history of that strain of Judaism: it was to the B'rith Sholem Synagogue on the Near East Side of neighboring Buffalo where Eliyahu…
Polish-American Arts Festival
The Polish-American Arts Festival has been held annually since 1979 at Cheektowaga Town Park to honor Casimir Pulaski, the Polish nobleman and mercenary who played a pivotal role in the American Revolution. Aside from th…
Sky Zone Buffalo
Plan your trip
Best time to visit & weather
Most comfortable: May–Sep. Summer highs reach about 80°F; winter lows dip to about 19°F. Cold months (Jan, Feb, Dec) can bring snow and ice; check road conditions. Wettest: Sep and Oct. (climate data from nearby Buffalo)
Blue bars: average daily high and low (°F). Purple columns: average monthly rain and melted snow (inches).
Getting there
- From you: to see whether to drive or fly, and how long it takes.
- BUF Buffalo Niagara International Airport, Buffalo — 3 mi away (major hub). Directions
- IAG Niagara Falls International Airport, Niagara Falls — 17 mi away. Directions
Budget & where to stay
No prices are listed for this place yet. See the Sleep guide ↓ for options.
Sample 1-day itinerary
Day 1
- Morning Our Lady Help of Christians Chapel, Sky Zone Buffalo, Tomb of Rabbi Eliyahu Yosef Rabinowitz
- Lunch Taqueria Los Mayas
- Afternoon Reinstein Woods Nature Preserve, Polish-American Arts Festival
Stops are grouped by area so each day needs little backtracking. Check opening hours before you go.
Food for you
Cuisine (tap to filter)
What to ask about, for your diet
Diet labels come from each listing's description and cuisine; “likely” means the cuisine usually has good choices, not a promise. Check with the restaurant. Open the food finder
Photos
Map
Every listing with a location. Tap a pin for its Google Maps link.
Get in
By plane
By train
- Train operator:
- Routes stopping at Buffalo-Dewep:
- Empire Service operating twice daily between Niagara Falls (New York) and New York City including stops in Buffalo (Exchange Street), Buffalo (Depew), Rochester, Syracuse, Rome, Utica, Schenectady, Albany (Rensselaer), Hudson, Rhinecliff, Poughkeepsie, Croton-on-Hudson, and Yonkers.
- Maple Leaf train operating daily between Toronto and New York City, in partnership with VIA Rail Canada. Stops between Toronto and Niagara Falls (New York) include in Oakville, Burlington, Grimsby, St. Catharines, and Niagara Falls (Ontario). Stops between Niagara Falls (New York) and New York City are the same as those made by the Empire Service. Border crossing processing takes place in Niagara Falls, where passengers must detrain with their baggage. Train crew members are staffed by VIA Rail within Canada, and by Amtrak within the United States.
- Lake Shore Limited operating daily between Chicago and Boston or New York City. It makes stops at most stations along the route, though it does not stop at some of the smallest stations. Trains consist of train cars from both branches between Chicago and Albany (Rensselaer). The trains split into separate branches between Albany (Rensselaer) and both Boston and New York City. Stops between Chicago and Albany (Rensselaer) include South Bend, Elkhart, Waterloo, Bryan, Toledo, Sandusky, Elyria, Cleveland, Erie, Buffalo (Depew), Rochester, Syracuse, Utica, and Schenectady. Stops between Albany (Rensselaer) and Boston include Pittsfield, Springfield, Worcester, Framingham. Stops between Albany (Rensselaer) and New York City include Rhinecliff, Poughkeepsie, and Croton-on-Hudson.
See
See Tomb of Rabbi Eliyahu Yosef Rabinowitz
Belying the modest size of Western New York's Hasidic community is its importance in the history of that strain of Judaism: it was to the B'rith Sholem Synagogue on the Near East Side of neighboring Buffalo where Eliyahu Yosef Rabinowitz came from his home in what's now Ukraine to serve as the first Hasidic rabbi in the United States. Rabbi Rabinowitz's stay in the area was short — from 1908 until his death just two years later — but his piety, modesty, and exceptional knowledge of the Torah so endeared him to local Jewry that his passing made national news. Today, his ohel (tomb) near the entrance to Ahavas Sholem Cemetery on Pine Ridge Road is an important pilgrimage site for Hasidim from New York City, Toronto, and elsewhere, especially on his yahrzeit (the anniversary of his death), the 13th day of Cheshvan in the Hebrew calendar, which usually falls in early to mid-November. It's said that anyone who visits his grave on that day can present a request to the rebbe and it will be granted within a year.
Do
Do Polish-American Arts Festival
The Polish-American Arts Festival has been held annually since 1979 at Cheektowaga Town Park to honor Casimir Pulaski, the Polish nobleman and mercenary who played a pivotal role in the American Revolution. Aside from the General Pulaski Parade down Harlem Road that kicks off the festivities each year, the Polish-American Arts Festival offers polka dancing, food and drink, and live music over three days in mid-July.
Buy
- There are also plenty of other big-box department stores and plazas along Union Rd. and Walden Ave. in the general vicinity of the Galleria.
Eat
Eat Taqueria Los Mayas
From the looks of it, tucked between an auto body shop and a tired-looking suburban strip mall out by the airport, you'd never peg this as the place where locals flock to enjoy the best Mexican food on the Niagara Frontier. But appearances are deceiving at Los Mayas — and the word "flock" is apropos too; rare is the time when there's not a long wait for a table. Tacos come on house-made corn tortillas with a variety of fillings from the familiar (ground beef, chicken, al pastor) to the more esoteric (cactus leaf and potato; chorizo with buche, i.e. beef chitterlings), with a full toppings bar to visit once you've been served; the balance of the menu consists of familiar Tex-Mex standbys enhanced with an extra zing of authenticity. Service is friendly, but slow and rather inattentive.
Sleep
Mid-range
Stay Millennium Airport Hotel Buffalo
Immediately adjacent to Walden Galleria and convenient to Walden Avenue shopping. Indoor pool, fitness center with his-and-hers saunas, business center, valet services, guest laundry, satellite TV in all guest rooms. Fine dining at Waldens Restaurant and casual poolside fare at Twigs Lounge.
Stay Oak Tree Inn Buffalo Airport
Guest rooms have been specially designed and constructed to optimize quality of sleep, including special HVAC units, soundproof walls, and sound therapy digital alarm clocks. Fitness center, whirlpool, laundry service, fax and copy service. Free breakfast for hotel guests at Alton's Restaurant, located next door.
Stay Quality Inn-Buffalo Niagara International Airport
Business center, fitness center, whirlpool rooms and suites available. Coin laundry. Free incoming and outgoing faxes. Best Park-and-Fly rates on Genesee Street. Wall Street Journal (weekdays) and Buffalo News (Saturdays and Sundays) available free to all guests. Complimentary hot and cold continental breakfast served daily. Flat-screen TVs in each room. Microwave ovens and refrigerators available on request. Friendly and helpful staff. Highly recommended.
Splurge
Stay Fairfield Inn & Suites Buffalo Airport
Directly across the street from the Buffalo Niagara International Airport. Large HDTVs with LCD screens available in all guest rooms, with premium channels available. Wired and wireless high-speed Internet in all rooms. Business center, fitness center, coin laundry, valet dry cleaning, and lovely indoor pool.
Stay Holiday Inn Buffalo Airport
Business center, free incoming faxes, fitness center with hot tub, outdoor pool open seasonally, guest laundry, game room, valet service. Each room has a coffeemaker, iron and ironing board, flat-panel HDTV, and bath products from Bath & Body Works. On-site dining is available at Max's Classic American Grill.
Nearby
West Seneca
City / town · 7 listings · 4 mi away
Buffalo
City / town · 92 listings · 5 mi away
Lancaster
City / town · 5 listings · 6 mi away
Lackawanna
City / town · 4 listings · 7 mi away
Amherst
City / town · 29 listings · 7 mi away
Tonawanda
City / town · 12 listings · 8 mi away
Clarence
City / town · 83 listings · 10 mi away
Orchard Park
City / town · 21 listings · 10 mi away
My experience
Write about your trip here. Notes save automatically in this browser as you type; back them up from My journal.