Batavia (New York)

Batavia is a city and town in Genesee County, New York.

Holland Land Office Museum

Understand

Get in

Batavia is almost impossible to miss if you're driving anywhere near Genesee County. As the oldest population center in this part of the state, it was only natural for major roadways to be built radiating outward from here. Sure enough, four different state routes all pass through the city, all meeting at the intersection of Main and Oak (and three of them concurrently occupy a small stretch of West Main). New York State Route 5 is a major east-west route through the state, from the Pennsylvania border all the way to Albany. Route 33 runs between Buffalo and Rochester. Route 63 starts up in Lyndonville, and runs southeast through Batavia (skirting Tonawanda Creek) to Geneseo and past Dansville. Finally, Route 98 runs from Lake Ontario's Point Breeze in the north all the way down to the Southern Tier just outside Salamanca.

Oh, and the New York State Thruway (I-90) also passes just north of the city. You know, the major cross-state expressway. It's a toll road, but it's unquestionably the fastest way to get to Batavia; take exit 48 (for Route 98).

If you'd prefer to fly, Genesee County Airport (FAA LID: GVQ) sits just north of the Thruway off of Route 98. There are no scheduled commercial flights, but it's got a mile-long runway and about a hundred private planes come and go each day.

Get around

RTS Genesee (formerly Batavia Bus Service, or the B line) takes people around the region. It goes all over the place, and even takes people to the community college.

See

• 🌍 Holland Land Office Museum, 131 W Main St, ☎ [phone]. Tu-F 10AM-4PM, Sa 10AM-2PM. Museum housed in the former office building of the Holland Land Company, detailing the settlement history of Western New York. Suggested donation $5 families, $2 adults, $1 children and students. 

Do

• Batavia Muckdogs, Dwyer Stadium, 299 Bank St, ☎ [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. Enjoy Minor League Baseball from mid-June to the end of August. During 2014, the Muckdogs are an affiliate of the Miami Marlins. 
• 🌍 Palm Island Waterpark, 8250 Park Rd (At the Clarion Hotel. Next to Target Plaza by the thruway.), ☎ [phone]. Great place to go if you have kids. 

Buy

Eat

• 🌍 Alex's Place, 8322 Park Rd, ☎ [phone]. M-Th 11AM-10PM, F Sa 11AM-11PM, Su noon-9PM. People flock from miles around for Alex's ribs, which are quite frankly among the best you'll taste anywhere. They've got a pretty good menu of other steak, seafood and chicken options, but if you're in the mood for ribs, you can't go wrong. The restaurant is a bit cramped and not well lit—thirty years ago, it would have been smoky, too—but there's always a crowd. 
• Center Street Smokehouse, 20 Center St, ☎ [phone]. M-Th 4PM-10PM, F Sa 4PM-11PM, Su 4PM-8PM. A southern-style BBQ joint in an old building dripping with history. The industrial interior is the perfect setting for Center Street's slow-cooked meats. And though the meats—pork, chicken, brisket, and ribs—are the main attraction, they've got a wide-ranging menu, including flatbreads, pasta, seafood, salads, and more. Whichever way you go, the portions are huge; if you're not careful (or if you fill up on their complimentary cheese biscuits) you're going to have a ton of leftovers. (updated Sep 2017)
• Willow Bend Inn, 3489 W Main St Rd, ☎ [phone]. Tu W noon-9PM, Th F 2PM-10PM, Sa 2PM-2AM; dinners F Sa 4PM-9PM. Once a stagecoach stop along the road between Rochester and Buffalo, this building has been through a lot of owners in its two centuries of existence, but it's continued to serve travelers and locals alike. Dinners (as opposed to bar fare) are served only on Friday and Saturday nights, with steaks cooked up in the open char pit right in the dining room. (updated Sep 2017)

Drink

Sleep

• Best Western Crown Inn & Suites, 8210 Park Rd, ☎ [phone], toll-free: [phone], e-mail: [e-mail]. 71 smoke-free rooms. Hot breakfast. Heated indoor pool. 

Connect

Go next

Routes through Batavia

Buffalo ← Clarence ←	W  E	→ Le Roy → Albany
Buffalo ← Clarence ←	W  E	→ Le Roy → Auburn
Buffalo ← Lancaster ←	W  E	→ Rochester → END
Lyndonville ← Medina ←	N  S	→ Jct W E → Geneseo → Dansville
Point Breeze ← Albion ←	N  S	→ Franklinville → Salamanca via