This is an EXCELLENT article and video about the differences between Niagara Falls, Ontario and Niagara Falls, New York.
From ABC News/Good Morning America:
Niagara Falls, which spans both America and Canada, provides a telling example of the region’s economic troubles.
Walk down what was once the main shopping thoroughfare on the New York side, and you’ll see boarded-up storefronts and deserted sidewalks.
Across the waterfalls in Canada, though, shine the bright lights of casinos, hotels and restaurants.