History & Service Area

West Side N.H.S. and Black Rock-Riverside N.H.S. each opened separately in 1980. In 2008, the agencies signed a memorandum of understanding to share staff and services, combining and expanding their service areas to all neighborhoods west of Main Street in the city of Buffalo.

Our Service Area

West Side
The West Side runs from Porter Avenue on the south to Buffalo State College and the Scajaquada Expressway on the north, and from Elmwood Avenue west to Lake Erie. Buffalo’s West Side is one of the most diverse neighborhoods in the city. A full 29% of households speak a language other than English at home in the West Side.

Both the West Side and Black Rock neighborhoods are seeing a dramatic rise in refugee immigration, especially in Burmese, Somali, Sudanese and Karen communities.

Black Rock and Riverside
Black Rock is a historic neighborhood north of the West Side, "centering on Hertel Avenue and Niagara Street along the Black Rock Canal" (UB Map Collection: Black Rock). It played an important role in the war of 1812 and was officially incorporated into the City of Buffalo in 1853. Like the West Side, it is home to an increasingly diverse population and a wide variety of historic architectural styles. 

Riverside is the northernmost neighborhood in our service area, adjacent to the Niagara River and the Olmsted-designed Riverside Park.

About Buffalo
Buffalo is situated in the Buffalo-Niagara region of Western New York along Lake Erie, and is the second most populous city in the state of New York. Its low cost of living, short commutes and proximity to a wide variety of family-friendly attractions caused Forbes to name it the 10th Best Place in America to Raise a Family in 2010.

West Side NHS receives some funding from the Buffalo Urban Renewal Agency (BURA). Read more at the City of Buffalo website.