Buffalo, New York Prides Itself On Smelling Like Cheerios

Buffalo, New York, which is lovingly nicknamed the City of Good Neighbors, the Bison City, and the Flour City (per The Buffalo News), is a town that introduced the world to a number of pop culture icons. For instance, Buffalo is the birthplace of Buffalo wings, Ball brand mason jars, air conditioning, and The Goo Goo Dolls, just to name a few. Another key Buffalo invention, according to Only in Your State, is the steam-powered grain elevator, which has made a significant impact on the food industry — particularly in the breakfast cereal sector.

The first steam-powered grain elevator, known as Dart's Elevator, was built in 1842. Sadly, it burned down two decades later in 1863, according to Buffalo Rising. Shortly after, though, a new elevator was built in its place, along with dozens of others. Since 1904, one of these elevators has been owned by consumer goods giant General Mills, states Visit Buffalo Niagara. And since 1941, it has helped produce one of the most popular cereals in history.

Cheerios, the itty-bitty rings of joy that have been filling cereal bowls for more than 80 years, are among the best things to come from Buffalo, New York, let alone the entire U.S. And if you ever get the chance to visit the lakefront metropolis (or perhaps if you're a resident), you're sure to get a whiff of toasted oaty goodness carried by the Lake Erie breeze. Buffalo recently earned a spot on Expedia's list of the nation's top 10 smelliest cities — for good reason, nonetheless. The fragrance of Cheerios provides natives and tourists with a sense of comforting nostalgia.

Visit Buffalo Niagara, the city's official tourism department, explains that Buffaloans are so proud to live where Cheerios are made, many of them even sport T-shirts and other merch items that read, "My city smells like Cheerios!" Back in 2016, Visit Buffalo Niagara celebrated the beloved, discernible aroma by handing out free sample boxes of Cheerios to anyone who stopped by the downtown visitor center, reports WFBO, Buffalo's NPR.