Hamburg mediates between Southtowns independence and Buffalo's gravitational pull. Downtown rooms fill with families who identify as Hamburg first, Erie County second, while Village hosts the commuters who work in the city. Main Street draws the established residents. Armor and Blasdell add the working-class roots. Lake Erie beach venues pull the summer crowd. The comedy here navigates the tension between suburban autonomy and urban orbit. Open mics become the space where both allegiances sit together. The comics who honor Hamburg's specific Southtowns identity find audiences grateful someone knew the difference from Buffalo proper.