^---- from Western NY<p>How about they put some money into the surrounding area and build restaurants &#x2F; hotels &#x2F; gardens and attractions? Or - god forbid - a casino!<p>We went to the american side last year and it&#x27;s amazing how night and day different it is from the Canadian side &#x2F; Clifton Hill - I&#x27;m not saying Clifton Hill is great - it&#x27;s very touristy -  but theres a ton of stuff to do there from getting cheap pizza &#x2F; ice cream to some nicer sit down restaurants &#x2F; rides for kids, the casinos, etc...<p>The American side has always been neglected. Look what has been done with Canal Side downtown Buffalo - and it gets better by the year. Theres actually reason to go downtown by Sabres arena winter and summer. The wife and I took a bike ride there last year along the water front, stopped for lunch and a drink - we spent the day there - something we&#x27;d never do in years prior.<p>Takes just as long to get downtown as it would to Niagara Falls... and to stop and watch the falls &#x2F; take pictures would be better then just looking at a lake.