Clarence, NY Road Trips

At the 2010 census, Clarence had a population of 30,673 citizens living on 53.5 square miles (138.6 km²) of land that's mostly flat, but bisected by the Onondaga Escarpment (known locally as "the Ledge") which runs in a roughly west-to-east direction through the southern part of town. With a median household income of $83,281 per year (in that same census), Clarence is the wealthiest town in the Buffalo-Niagara Falls metropolitan area. In addition to its upper-middle-class and somewhat snobby reputation, Clarence is known as a town that is politically conservative and overwhelmingly white (the 3.6% of the population that is Asian represents by far the largest visible minority in Clarence, with other groups making up no more than 1% of the population each). Clarence's development pattern is typical of Buffalo's second-ring suburbs: the parts of town nearest the city—principally Harris Hill and the Transit Road corridor—are fully suburbanized with (respectively) leafy residential subdivisions and a massive commercial strip of shopping centers, stores and restaurants, while its outer fringes are still largely rural and agricultural, looking much as they did a century ago. In the transition zone is found some of the toniest real estate in the Buffalo area, with McMansions in exclusive communities such as 1 Spaulding Lake selling for $750,000 on average—and often much more. Like many second-ring suburbs, over the past few years Clarence has sought to impose limits on suburbanization and particularly on the encroachment of new development onto agricultural land.

1 Clarence Arboretum, 1 Town Pl.. Dawn-dusk. On a tract of 18 acres (7.3 ha) at the north end of the Town Hall complex, on Goodrich Rd just south of Roll Rd near Clarence Center. Conceived in 2002, several years after Dutch elm disease and the installation of a new sewer line required many of the trees in this area to be cut down, the Arboretum now contains over a hundred trees representing dozens of native species, including rarities like the American Chestnut. Walking paths traverse a verdant setting, winding alongside two ponds, over a charming footbridge, and past a restored stone wall. Free. 2 Clarence Historical Society, 10465 Main St., ☏ +1 716-759-8575. Tu 4:30PM-7PM, W (except first W of each month) 10AM-2PM, first Sa of each month 11AM-3PM, Su 1PM-4PM Mar-Oct, also by appointment. Housed in a charming old Greek Revival-style church in Clarence Hollow that was built in 1844, this society has been enlightening visitors on the topic of the town's history since its opening in 1994. Exhibits here include a gamut of historical artifacts that bring to life the prominent individuals, community institutions, and daily life of the town in bygone days. However, the pride and joy of the society is the original pioneer log cabin built in 1815 at the rear of the museum building, and the Greatbatch Exhibit, which pays homage to Dr. Wilson Greatbatch, the Clarence native who was the inventor of the implantable cardiac pacemaker (and whose charitable fund was responsible for the foundation of the museum).

As mentioned earlier, by far the most popular activity for visitors to Clarence is antique shopping. For a comprehensive list of antique shops in and around Clarence, please see the "Buy" section below. There are about a dozen heritage buildings along Main Street, some of which are among the oldest existing buildings in Erie County. As mentioned in the "Get Around" section above, Clarence boasts a robust network of bike trails that are popular during the warmer months with joggers, cyclists and other outdoorsy types. Namely, the Clarence Pathways is a network of four multi-use trails that traverse Clarence and the neighboring town of Newstead; they were developed in conjunction with the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy and run along former railroad rights-of-way. Two of these trails are partially or entirely within Clarence: The West Shore Trail runs for 3.5 miles (5.6 km) along the former West Shore Railroad through the southern portion of Clarence. Beginning at the town's southern border, on Wehrle Drive about half a mile (1 km) east of Shimerville Road, the trail proceeds in a northeastward direction through a mixture of landscapes including woods, fields and suburban residential areas before entering the business district of Clarence Hollow. Deviating slightly from the railroad right-of-way, bicycles are routed onto a dedicated bike lane on Main Street, from Sawmill Road eastward through the heart of the Hollow.

1 Clarence Grille, 10250 Main St., ☏ +1 716-759-8917. Open daily for lunch and dinner. Located at the west end of Clarence Hollow, this "restaurant and rathskeller" is the purveyor of what they claim to be "Clarence's Best Chicken Wings", which are available in barbeque, parmesan, garlic and Cajun styles as well as traditional Buffalo style. In addition to the usual pub grub, the Clarence Grille boasts an admirable selection of burgers, sandwiches and hoagies that is matched by an equally extensive offering of salads and a full soup bar. Dinners are also offered, including Friday fish fries and baby back ribs, the latter a house specialty available in both half and full racks. $15-30. 2 Gianni Mazia's on Main, 10325 Main St., ☏ +1 716-759-2803. Su-Th 11AM-10PM, F Sa 11AM-11PM. Evolving from its roots as a humble take-out outfit offering pizza, wings and subs, today Gianni Mazia's is a full-service restaurant offering delicious food in a family-friendly environment at reasonable prices. Traditional, hearty Italian fare such as spaghetti and meatballs, lasagna, chicken Florentine, calzones, and wood-fired brick-oven pizzas form the core of the menu, with other simple fare such as burritos and fajitas, burgers and sandwiches, and barbeque wings on the menu as well. Gianni Mazia's also offers delivery service. $15-30. 3 The Hollow Bistro & Brew, 10641 Main St., ☏ +1 716-759-7351. M-Sa 11:30AM-3PM & 5PM-9:45PM.

In keeping with its reputation as a quiet, conservative, quaint, and largely rural town, Clarence is not exactly a hotbed of nightlife. Most of the places on this list are friendly, unpretentious neighborhood bars patronized mostly by long-time regulars. An exception is Brennan's, which attracts a somewhat more youthful and energetic crowd. In addition to the places listed here, many of the chain restaurants on Transit Road—Applebee's, Chili's, and so forth—have bars. For more thorough descriptions of many of these places, see the "Eat" section, just above. 1 Brennan's Bowery Bar, 4401 Transit Rd (Shops at Main & Transit), ☏ +1 716-633-9630. 2 Harris Hill Inn, 8585 Main St., ☏ +1 716-634-2464. 3 Clarence Center Coffee Company and Café, 9475 Clarence Center Rd., ☏ +1 716-741-8573. M 7AM-6PM, Tu & F 7AM-11PM, W Th 7AM-8PM, Sa 8AM-11PM, Su 8AM-6PM. 4 Goodrich Coffee & Tea, 9450 Main St., ☏ +1 716-759-1791. M-F 6AM-10PM, Sa 7AM-10PM, Su 8AM-10PM. 5 Ohlson's Bakery & Café, 8500 Sheridan Dr., ☏ +1 716-626-7783. M 7:30AM-6PM, Tu W 6:30AM-6PM, Th F 6:30AM-7PM, Sa 7:30AM-4PM. 6 SPoT Coffee, 5205 Transit Rd., ☏ +1 716-276-8158. Su-Th 6AM-11PM, F Sa 7AM-midnight.

In addition to the lodgings listed here, travelers—especially those interested in a conventional chain-hotel experience—should consider the large group of establishments clustered around Exit 49 of the New York State Thruway, along Transit Road. Though these hotels are not in Clarence, they are convenient to most major attractions in the town, and to the Buffalo Niagara International Airport, the Interstate, and restaurants and shopping. Also, travelers along Main Street (NY 5) will note a large concentration of 1950s-style motels between Transit Road and Clarence Hollow. These motels are vestiges of the days before the construction of the Thruway, when Route 5 was the main road out of Buffalo from the east. Many of these motels have since been demolished or converted into apartments or offices, but some still cling precariously to life under their original purpose. Though perhaps interesting from a historical perspective, one would be hard-pressed (to say the least) to recommend most of these establishments to visitors. 1 America's Best Value Inn & Suites Clarence/Buffalo East (Formerly Village Haven Motel), 9370 Main St., ☏ +1 716-759-6845. Free Wi-Fi, free local and long-distance calling to US and Canada, outdoor pool open seasonally. Guest rooms include microwave, mini-fridge, coffeemaker, cable TV with ESPN; suites include whirlpool tub. Pets welcome for a nominal fee. $87-139/night in high season. 2 Budget Inn Williamsville, 8255 Main St., ☏ +1 716-634-6622. Room service, fax & photocopy service. Free Wi-Fi.

By car, Clarence can be accessed most easily by Exit 49 of the New York State Thruway (I-90). After exiting the highway, turn left on NY 78 (Transit Road) and proceed north to NY 5 (Main Street), then turn right. Clarence Hollow—the focus of most of the town's attractions—is along Main Street about 5½ miles (9 km) east of Transit Road. As a suburb of Buffalo, travelers arriving from outside the immediate area via plane, train, or bus should follow the directions listed in the corresponding section of the Buffalo article. Specifically, train and bus passengers should opt for, respectively, the Buffalo-Depew Amtrak station (BUF) and the bus stop at the Buffalo Niagara International Airport terminal—both of which are relatively closer to Clarence than their counterparts in downtown Buffalo.

For all practical purposes, a car is an absolute necessity for traveling around Clarence. Clarence's main street is, appropriately enough, Main Street. Also known as NY 5, Main Street runs in a roughly east-to-west direction at the southern edge of the town, passing through the suburban neighborhood of Harris Hill and the quaint business district of Clarence Hollow. The most important north-south route in Clarence is Transit Road, or NY 78, which serves as Clarence's western boundary with the Town of Amherst. Transit Road is the only place in town where large shopping malls and plazas, chain restaurants, and other large-scale suburban retail can be found. Other major roads that run through Clarence include: East-West Routes: From south to north: Wehrle Drive, Sheridan Drive (NY 324), Greiner Road, Roll Road, Clarence Center Road, County Road, Tonawanda Creek Road. North-South Routes: From west to east: Harris Hill Road, Shimerville Road, Goodrich Road, Strickler Road, Salt Road. Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Enterprise, Hertz, National, and Thrifty have facilities at the Buffalo Niagara International Airport. In addition, the following agencies also have offices directly in Clarence: 2 Avis, 4545 Transit Rd. (At the Sears Auto Center in the Eastern Hills Mall), ☏ +1 716-634-1701. 3 Enterprise, 6755 Transit Rd., ☏ +1 716-636-8400. Buffalo and its surrounding area, including Clarence, is served by the NFTA Metro System, which comprises a network of buses and a light rail line.

Like anywhere else, common sense — lock up valuables, keep your wits about you, etc. — applies. However, the crime rate in Clarence is negligible, and realistically speaking, travelers have nothing to worry about in this regard. Clarence is locally notorious as probably the only town in Erie County that actively enforces the "residents only" policy of its parks. Visitors to Clarence town parks who are neither residents of the town nor guests of a resident could theoretically face trespassing charges, though in nearly all cases police will send visitors on their way without incident. Of course, it is more likely that the police will not happen to be around at all. Still, visit town parks at your own risk.