Niagara Falls, NY is a city just outside of Buffalo. It sits next to the Niagara Falls State Park, and it is a wonderful place to view both the Horseshoe and Bridal Veil Falls of Niagara Falls. Canada's city of Niagara Falls can be seen on the other side of the river. Once a very industrial area, it is now very much a tourist destination. If planning a vacation here you can find hotels, attractions, and restaurants in the Niagara Falls, NY yellow pages.History has seen this city through good times and bad. Europeans first came to this area in the 17th century. Robert de la Salle was the first person to record a visit to this area. He came with Louis Hennepin, who was a Belgian priest. Hennepin is the first person on record as having seen the falls. The city of Niagara Falls, New York was formed from people coming to work at the power plants here. The power of the water coming over the Horseshoe and Bridal Veil Falls of Niagara Falls is used to create energy. This area was very much industrialized by the 19th century. During the 1950s and 1960s many factories moved here to take advantage of this energy. Things like petrochemicals, plastics, abrasives, and rubber were being manufactured here.
When the Schoellkopf Power Project fell into the Niagara River the industrial prosperity came to an end. After that Niagara Falls struggled along. Tourism became their main focus for rebuilding the city. When the Indians opened up the Seneca Niagara Casino the tourism industry began to take off. It was a slow process. In the city there were many vacant buildings. The one street they had devoted to tourists had slowly closed up over the years. With a new push to bring people in, the street has been revitalized. Today, there are a growing number of hotels, gift shops, and restaurants spreading across the area next to the Niagara Falls State Park. When it was passed that people could not cross back into the United States without a passport, many American tourists started visiting the American side of Niagara Falls. Attractions started popping up all around the area. Along with the Niagara Discovery Center, they now have an aquarium, museums, theaters, and Maid of the Mist rides. When visiting you can find many of these businesses in the Niagara Falls, NY business directory.
Written by Lyndsey Morgan
