Buffalo gets a bad rap for its seemingly paralyzing winters and its daunting lake-effect snow . The mere mention of the western New York region is met with responses like "Ugh, the snow!" or "it's way too cold up there for me."

But there's a reason millennials are shuffling off to Buffalo in droves , and it's not just for the access to incomparable buffalo wings (although it does help).

Buffalo, or Buffalove as some proud habitants affectionately call it, boasts plenty of reasons to visit (and stay) -- from a rousing art scene to great shopping to yes, the food.

Here are 17 reasons Buffalo is New York state's hidden gem:

1. Buffalo wings just skim the surface of its bustling food scene.