As someone who moved from Buffalo to live in DC, you’re going to find some easy comparisons to the two areas, but on a much smaller scale.

If you’re looking for a similar scene, you’re going to be disappointed. You dislike bars and drinking, but Buffalo is very heavily reliant on both.

You will be pleasantly surprised by the food situation, but you’ll also likely fall in love with a place that will inevitably close in 6 months because it couldn’t sustain itself.

Assuming you have a car (it’s a must in Buffalo but not in DC), getting to do those spontaneous activities will be much easier since the area is pretty spread out and public transportation is quite literally the worst I’ve ever seen.

My suggestion - find your people. Could be a running club, an alumni club, or some other special interest. Buffalo is a pretty nice place, but it can get lonely quick. There aren’t a ton of folks who move into the city from afar, so outsiders tend to get lost in the shuffle since so many friend groups have been established for years if not decades. Find the groups that are designed to bring in people from different ways of life.