By MATT CHANDLER
Buffalo Law Journal

Wanted: midlevel employee willing to relocate to the third-poorest city in America. Must own snowshoes, have a willingness to blindly support a struggling professional football team and be able to stomach paying some of the highest property taxes in the nation. Send your resume to attention: human resources.

Telemarketers aside, the toughest job in Buffalo may belong to those whose job it is to recruit employees to the Queen City. Companies find themselves competing with counterparts in cities such as Chicago, Miami, Los Angeles and New York and, at first glance, don't appear to have a chance to draw top talent to this area.

Yet for all of the negatives associated with life in the Buffalo Niagara region, there is an ace in the hole that both employers and employees says is a hidden gem: a vibrant arts and cultural scene.

From the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra to the Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Hallwalls Contemporary Arts Center and Shea's Performing Arts Center, recruiters can sell to prospective employees a quality of life here built around a rich cultural experience.

Brian Townson knows a bit about relocating for a job. The vice president of corporate relations for Rich Products Corp. has lived all over the world, including Europe and Asia. He relocated to Western New York, settling in East Aurora, and has become part ambassador, part salesman for out-of-town recruits visiting Rich Products.

"First, we like to position ourselves that we are in the Western New York community, not just Buffalo, because then there are broader features we can talk to prospective associates about," Townson said.

"One of the favorite things I do (with a potential recruit) is to drive them down Delaware Avenue on the way to the office. That gives you a chance to talk about the Theatre District, where we have 24 theater companies in Western New York, and I would say it is second only to Broadway in New York.

"Once we do that," he said, "you can also drive down past the Albright-Knox and slip over and look at the new Burchfield Penney (Art Center). If (recruits) are still looking for recreation, we've got two major-league teams and the Bisons, the Zoo, (the) Chautauqua Institution. There is so much to talk to a prospective associate about this area."

When asked whether recruits are surprised, upon their first visit to Western New York, to discover that the region offers more than just cold weather and hot wings, Townson said most are impressed by the depth of cultural opportunities, and first-time visitors tend to fall in love with the Queen City.

"What's become my favorite saying is this: There are only two classes of people who don't like Buffalo - those who have never been here and those who have never left," he joked.

Count Kelly Hayes McAlonie among those impressed on their first visit. The native of Newfoundland was working as an architect in Ithaca when she began to consider moving to Buffalo, where her boyfriend worked. McAlonie said being in an artistic field, once she secured a position at Cannon Design - where she is associate vice president - she began looking into what Buffalo had to offer in the way of the arts.

"I found Ithaca a little bit small, and I wanted to come to a city that had some life," she said.

Since relocating here, McAlonie has immersed herself in the arts and cultural scene.

"I love going to Shakespeare in (Delaware) Park in the summer, and in the winter we go to the Theatre District, and it always feels like there is something to do," she said.

McAlonie counts Studio Arena Theatre among her favorite cultural hot spots but, with its closing, she and her husband now regularly attend productions at the Irish Classical Theatre Co. The affordability and accessibility of many cultural activities also were a draw, she added.

"Most of our friends are part of the ‘creative class,' if you will, and we all love it here. It is just fun to be in a place where life goes on in spite of the weather," she said.

Locals aren't the only ones who appreciate the arts scene. American Style magazine ranked Buffalo as the No. 1 arts destination for an American midsized city in both 2008 and 2009. The city also made the New York Times list of "44 Places to Go in 2009," which singled out the Burchfield Penney as a must-do. American Style, meanwhile, highlighted the Albright-Knox for its world-class exhibits. Director Louis Grachos said he has seen many companies utilize cultural centers like his to broaden appeal for the city.

"As groups like the medical community are recruiting people to come into town, one of the strong selling points is the idea that the quality of life is superior here in terms of the chances to experience the visual arts, the music, through the BPO, and the other wonderful things Buffalo has to offer," Grachos said. "We get a real sense of pleasure when people are coming to look at whether or not they should relocate to take a position in Buffalo, and they see what we have to offer. The Albright-Knox, Burchfield Penney, Hallwalls - they are all part of the fabric of this community and collectively bring outstanding exhibits and programs to the community."