Groundhog Day has come and gone. Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow. And all we can say is...

Yay!

That means we have that much longer to hang out.

Spring, who needs it? Not us Buffalonians, when we have neighborhood hangouts that are the envy of the rest of the free world. 'Tis a blessing to us, that bathing suit weather is six weeks' further away.

The best thing about winter is how it cries out to be warmed up with good company, drinks of our choosing and maybe some music, too. There doesn't have to be a special occasion. It doesn't have to be expensive. Buffalo boasts superb hangs — places that may not get the publicity, but are well known to "the locals." Places to go when you don't want to play in the snow or drive the slippery streets.

Winter is short. Let's not waste another second. Head to your neighborhood hangout. Here are a few that the News staff recommends.

Amherst/Snyder: Snyder Bar & Grill

2067 Kensington Ave. at Hamilton Drive, Snyder; 839-4846. Open daily from lunch on.

Casual neighborhood pub atmosphere. Good food, wonderful people, great tunes.

I've always been fascinated by corner bars, neighborhood pubs, and "hole in the wall"-type places, where an evening can be passed with a drink (or two) and a friend (or three). I trace this to a few things in my youth — the first of which is my upbringing in an out-of-the-way, salt-of-the-earth part of Massachusetts, and the second of which is my love for Neil Young's song "Sail Away", particularly its second-verse lyrics: "See the losers in the best bars, meet the winners in the dives/Where the people are the real stars, all the rest of their lives."

Nothing against the glitzy places where all the beautiful people congregate, but sometimes, you just want warm conversation and cold beer, without really caring what you look like, etc.

The Snyder Bar & Grill has a few things to recommend it — not least of which is its location, within walking distance of my home. Yay! There is a "regular" crowd of neighborhood people, including the owners and bartenders; the music on the jukebox is always good, and the selection deep; and there is a complete absence of pretension in the air. It's just a cool place to hang and pass a few hours on, say, a Thursday evening.

&#8212 Jeff Miers

North Buffalo: The Wellington Pub

1541 Hertel Ave. 833-9899, wellingtonpub.com

A classic tavern that is just plain there when you need it.

The Wellington Pub, on the corner of Hertel and Wellington, is one of those neighborhood institutions that are so ingrained that you hardly notice them. Forever, it has sat on Hertel Avenue next to Bob and John's pizza place, which has also been there forever. Bob and John's is home to the legendary Buffalo blue cheese pizza. But that is a whole other story.

Bob and John's and the Wellington Pub more or less share a patio. People sit out there and smoke. Even with the traffic on Hertel, the patio is often more restful than the goings-on inside. There was one evening when a waitress came out of the Wellington Pub, rubbing her head. "They're singing in there," she said.

Walk into the Wellington Pub, and you are in a noisy barroom, with sports blasting overhead, friendly bartenders, usually someone you know in the crowd. A quieter dining room is off to the side. It used to be that a group of elders from the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra would gather here one night a week. A few times I was allowed to join them. I have interviewed people here for the paper and attended meetings on the patio on summer evenings with music types from UB. Many times I've also gone to the Wellington with my friends, just for the heck of it. I love their soups, their fattening chili, their basic bar food.

An old-fashioned tavern, the Wellington Pub is suitable for all purposes. It picks up traffic from nearby St. Mark's and St. Margaret's. Once we held a birthday party for my mom there and it was great. They pushed a bunch of tables together. I was on a diet so I had a Caesar salad, which was delicious, and everyone else ordered fish fries and pitchers of beer. What more can you ask of a bar? I can't imagine.

— Mary Kunz Goldman

South Buffalo: Caz Coffee Cafe and Dog Ears Bookstore

688 Abbott Road; 825-7806, cazcoffee.com. Hours: 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Wednesday; to 10 p.m. Thursday and Friday; 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday; 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday.

A place that beckons us to "come in and sit for a while."

South Buffalo has always been its own little world complete with all the necessities -- there's plenty of bars (are there ever), pizza joints and an Irish center that caters to this historically Irish-Catholic neighborhood. When the Caz Coffee Cafe opened five years ago, many of us felt that South Buffalo was now complete. The joy was doubled in 2008 when the nonprofit Dog Ears Bookstore (and its Enlightenment Literary Arts Center) opened in the back. A coffee shop and bookstore -- South Buffalo was suddenly hip.

The cafe is in an older house colored with character (tin on the ceiling, tile floors) and an innate coziness. It's by a busy five-corner intersection near Mercy Hospital, Mount Mercy Academy, Trocaire College and Cazenovia Park, but it's worlds away from the hustle. Students, teachers, hospital professionals and neighbors stop by for a morning coffee, lunch or a quick bite for dinner. The menu proclaims its South Buffalo heritage: Mercy Me (smoked turkey panini), Timon Topper (pizza panini) and Caz Breakfast Wrap. Art created by local artists is scattered throughout; bagged varieties of Caz Coffee fill a wall.

Comfy arm chairs, tables for two and low lighting create a welcoming atmosphere. Thursday nights are often packed for Open Mic; there's also live music on Friday and Saturdays. For absolute quiet, stop in the bookstore and curl up in a chair or browse the shelves that are surprisingly well-stocked for such an intimate space.

— Toni Ruberto

West Side: Morning Glory Cafe

308 Porter Ave., 886-9755. Open Monday to Friday from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and Sundays from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

A neighborhood coffee and sandwich shop with colorful clientele.

At the Morning Glory Cafe, housed in an unassuming little building near the corner of Porter and West avenues on Buffalo's West Side, the crowd is at least half the attraction. On Sundays, the small coffeehouse becomes a post-church hangout for women who trickle in after Mass at nearby Holy Angels Church. The place has more than its share of eccentric regulars on a recent Sunday, one woman in a leopard-print coat regaled patrons with a show tune from "South Pacific" and a weekend trip for a breakfast sandwich and cup of joe is liable to turn into a lazy afternoon of community spectator sport. I'm constantly peering over the top of my newspaper to see who will walk through the door next.

During the week, students, staff and faculty from D'Youville College pack the place during lunchtime and the atmosphere turns bookish. Whenever you decide to drop by, an endlessly friendly staff is on hand to serve up an entirely respectable selection of wraps, paninis, soups, salads and, of course, espresso beverages of every conceivable configuration.

More than just a pit stop for a quick bite and a dose of caffeine, Morning Glory is the consummate neighborhood joint, full of color and character. And your order always comes with a side of entertainment.

— Colin Dabkowski

Niagara County: The Orange Cat Cafe

703 Center St., Lewiston; 754-2888. The cafe is open 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday; 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday; and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday.

Quaint, yet hip at the same time, and definitely aromatic.

Nestled in the heart of a village known for its historic charm, the Orange Cat Coffee Company beckons friends and strangers alike into its cozy 1820s surroundings.

The rich, commingling aromas of a staggering number of freshly ground coffees (there are 140 varieties mostly organic) waft through the air as patrons sit and chat at marble-topped tables or lounge in leather, high-backed chairs. There is seating in a front and back room, and many dream of balmier days ahead when they may revisit the dozen umbrella-topped tables scattered in the beautiful courtyard.

As patrons of all ages cheerfully congregate and move chairs about to accommodate new arrivals, it seems like everyone already knows one another. But Robin Faulring, who helped start the business five years ago with owner Michael Broderick, said countless new friendships have been formed right under this roof.

"Everyone is welcome here," she said.

The Orange Cat offers coffee, tea (40 organic varieties) and a full-service espresso bar. It also provides different homemade savory soups each day, like the popular African peanut soup -- as well as freshly made salads, wraps, homemade scones (think cranberry almond) and muffins.

"We like to keep it simple and all-natural," Broderick said.

— Teresa Sharp