Is Buffalo’s Chippewa Strip Dying?

I recently spent an obscene amount of time on Chippewa. And yes, I realize that I’m way too old to hang out at these bars, but we had out-of-towners visiting (most who are older than me!) and they requested we pay a visit. It was a Friday night. But it seemed more like a Wednesday.

It. Was. Dead.

I couldn’t believe it. No lines to get a beer. No lines for the bathroom (awesome!). No pushing. No shoving.

It was incredibly sad.

Now, like I said, I’m old, so I don’t hang out on Chippewa very often. I think I was down there once last year. It was a Friday in June. And it was hopping. But, even though the weather was nice this visit, I couldn’t get over the lack of partiers downtown. And we stayed out to the wee hours of the morning.

I honestly can’t believe that some of these bars are still in business. Take the Buckin’ Buffalo, for example. I remember when that was a hot place to go to. Scantily-clad girls, many Buffalo Sabres and a slew of other people all flocked to that scene. Now, it’s a ghost town (the buffalo didn’t even work!). 67 West was the same way. And so were a lot of the other bars that have since changed their names since I used to party there.

Now, Allen Street, my go-to for downtown partying, is usually packed. But it’s not the same crowd as Chippewa. So what happened? Is the scene of Chippewa dying? Is there a new hot spot that I’m too old to be invited to?

Whether we like it or not, the Chip Strip is one of Buffalo’s claims to fame. And it will be a shame if business doesn’t pick up. I’m not saying we need to spend every weekend there, but maybe we should all pledge to spend at least one night on the town every now and then on Chippewa. Just don’t forget to wear your stilettos.