Understand
Erie is the fourth largest metropolitan area in the state of Pennsylvania. However, in terms of size and stature, there is a clear gulf between the first and second cities (Philadelphia and Pittsburgh) and the second-tier cities, like Erie, Allentown, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, and Harrisburg. Erie is roughly in the center of Pennsylvania's only coastline, bordering Lake Erie. The city itself sits on Presque Isle Bay, which is formed by a long, narrow peninsula known as Presque Isle that reaches from the west around the north of the city.
Erie was founded in 1795 after the purchase of the surrounding territory from New York. It made its mark on history during the early 19th century, when Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry's small fleet of warships used the bay (then known as Misery Bay) to regroup and repair between skirmishes with the British fleet on Lake Erie. (A reconstruction of the Brig "Niagara" can be found at the Erie Maritime Museum.)
The late nineteenth century brought industrial development, primarily heavy equipment and the locomotive industry. Like many other cities in the so-called rust belt, this development has slowly withered away to outside competition, with the notable exception being General Electric, which maintains a large and active presence in the rail industry (GE Rail).
Erie's climate is similar to most of the Northern United States, but with a big winter twist known as lake effect snow. Snowfall amounts vary wildly within a 40 mile zone south of the lake. Most of the time the immediate vicinity of the lake receives light snowfall, and the range from three to fifteen miles receives a whollop. Snowfalls are also generally heavier as you go east. The NY/PA border region typically receives the most snow until you move far enough away from the lake for the effects to diminish. The roads are well maintained, but some snow squalls come on so suddenly, it is impossible to keep up. If you are driving in the winter, be prepared with emergency gear. The good news is that by January, it is often cold enough for Lake Erie to freeze over, greatly diminishing the lake effect.
Get in
By air
Erie is within a two hour drive of Buffalo-Niagara, Cleveland-Hopkins and Pittsburgh International Airports. Erie International Airport (ERI) is a medium airport that is worth considering. The airport is served by four major airlines: Continental (via Cleveland), Delta (via Cincinnati and new service to Atlanta), Northwest (via Detroit), and US Airways (via Pittsburgh or Philadelphia). Bargains can be had and the airport itself is a breeze to navigate, get in and out of, and also has a full compliment of car rental agencies on-site. Parking is easy, but it is also fairly pricey. (Erie's airport is not large enough to justify a competitive parking market like most larger airports have - park on-site, get a friend to drive, or take a cab/bus.)
By train
Amtrak serves the downtown Union Station, although this is not a common method of transportation, as most, if not all trains arrive or depart between midnight and 6:00 AM.
By car
Erie is easily accessible via Interstate 90 and 79. The recently completed Bayfront Connector Highway links the northern terminus of I-79 through the city along the bayfront and then through the industrial East side and newer housing and office developments around Knowledge Park and Penn State University (Behrend College). The new highway (completed Summer 2005) is 3-4 lanes, but has few buildings or side streets that connect directly with the road, making traffic relatively smooth and making it much easier to get in and out of the downtown. The completed highway is a scenic detour away from the traffic and strip malls of I-90 south of Erie.
Get around
Erie is laid out in an easy to understand grid pattern paralleling the Lake Erie coastline. Numbered streets starting with the northern most 2nd Street run roughly east-west. (The bayfront highway loops around this grid, taking the place of what would be a "1st Street". Major E/W thoroughfares are 6th, 12th, 26th and 38th Street. The center of town is split north-south by State Street. N/S streets on the west side of town are typically named after trees (Peach, Poplar, Chestnut) and on the east side after countries (French, German, Holland). The two major north-south routes through the center of town are State and Peach (Peach diverges to the southwest after 26th street.) Major N/S streets listed from west to east are Pittsburgh, Greengarden, Liberty, Chestnut, Peach, State, French, Parade, East. As you can see, this naming convention is not hard and fast, and breaks down in all directions the further you get from the city center. The suburbs of Fairview, Millcreek, Harborcreek, Lawrence Park and Wesleyville also stick to this rough grid pattern to some degree as you move away from the city.
Bus (EMTA) service primarily stretches from Fairview in the west to Harborcreek in the east, and south to the I-90/Peach Street shopping district. Regional shuttles connect the outlying communities of Edinboro, Waterford, Corry, Union City, Girard and Albion. EMTA is available by phone at (814) 452-3515.
Taxis are rare in Erie - apart from the airport and perhaps the very center of town, calling ahead is a must.
See
Do
Buy
The main shopping area in Erie is centered around Peach Street, south of the city to its junction with I-90. Many of the typical national chains can be found, many of which are contained in Millcreek Mall, a sprawling single-story mall/strip complex.
Smaller niche shopping is available on the west side of the city in plazas on West 8th, 12th, and 26th Streets. The downtown also has a few stores, but has not been a large retail draw since the late 1970's.
Erie is a popular shopping destination because of Pennsylvania's waiver of sales tax on clothing. Many people from the surrounding states and Ontario make special trips to Erie for this reason.
Eat
There are plenty of chain restaurants in Erie as well as ethnic and local places to eat. Peach Street has a large concentration of restaurants as does downtown Erie.
Drink
There are plenty of places to go for the night scene. Numerous bars and dance clubs are located throughout the metropolitan Erie area. Some night clubs are:
Sleep
Hotels are concentrated along the heavily travelled Interstate 90 corridor, primarily at the Peach and State St. exits. There are also a number of chain and locally based hotels and motels along Interstate 79 north of I-90 and to the west on 12th and 26th streets towards Presque Isle. Finally, the downtown offers a third option, offering anything from barebones motel to full-service hotel to bed and breakfast.
Get out
Erie (pronounced ) is a major industrial city on the shore of Lake Erie in the northwestern corner of the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. Named for the lake and the Native American tribe that resided along its southern shore, Erie is the state's fourth-largest city with a population of 104,000. Erie's Metropolitan Area consists of 281,000 residents. The city is the seat of government for Erie County.
Erie is centrally located between Cleveland, Ohio; Buffalo, New York; and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Once swarming with heavy industry, Erie's heavy manufacturing sector now consists mainly of plastics and locomotive building. Known for its lake effect snow, Erie is in the heart of the rust belt. The city has begun to focus on tourism as a driving force in its economy. Annually over four million people go to swim, hike, and fish at Presque Isle State Park, while a new casino named for the state park is growing in popularity.
Erie is known as the Flagship City because of the presence of Oliver Hazard Perry's flagship Niagara. Erie has also been called the Gem City because of the sparkling lake.
Present day Erie would have been situated in a disputed triangle of land that was claimed by the states of New York, Pennsylvania, Connecticut (as part of its Western Reserve), and Massachusetts. It officially became part of Pennsylvania on March 3, 1792, after Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New York released their claims to the federal government, which in turn sold the land to Pennsylvania for $151.6 million in Continental certificates. The Six Nations of the Iroquois Confederacy released the land to Pennsylvania in January 1789 for payments of $2,000 from Pennsylvania and $1,200 from the federal government. The Seneca Nation separately settled land claims against Pennsylvania in February 1791 for the sum of $800.
The General Assembly of Pennsylvania commissioned the surveying of land near Presque Isle through an act passed on April 18, 1795. Andrew Ellicott, who famously completed Pierre Charles L'Enfant's survey of Washington, D.C. and helped resolve the boundary between Pennsylvania and New York, arrived to begin the survey in June 1795. Initial settlement of the area began that year.
In order to wrest control of Lake Erie from the British during the War of 1812, President James Madison ordered the construction of a naval fleet at Erie. Noted shipbuilders Daniel Dobbins of Erie and Noah Brown of New York led construction of four schooner–rigged gunboats and two brigs. Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry arrived from Rhode Island and led the squadron to success in the historic Battle of Lake Erie.
Erie was an important railroad hub in the mid–nineteenth century, the city being the site where three sets of track gauges met. While the delays required to unload and load passengers and cargo were a problem for commerce and travel, they provided much needed local jobs in Erie. When a national standardized gauge was proposed, those jobs, and the importance of the rail hub itself, were put in jeopardy. The citizens of Erie, led by the mayor, set fire to bridges, ripped up track, and rioted to stop standardization.
On August 5, 1915, the Mill Creek (the creek that Millcreek Township was named after) flooded downtown Erie when a culvert blocked by debris, gave out. A four block reservoir, caused by torrential downpours, had formed behind it. The "wall of water" that resulted killed 12 people. Downtown Erie continued to grow for most of the 20th century, before taking a major population downturn in the 1970's.The downtown buildings, although none of 20 stories, are separated from the waterfront by the Bayfront Parkway. For the winter of 2006–2007, Erie has received of snow. The adverse winter conditions have been know to cause whiteouts, including one that caused a 50 car pile-up on Interstate 90, and USAir Flight 499 to overrun the runway at Erie International Airport.
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Tourist destinations include many of the above, as well as the Bayfront Convention Center; the Bicentennial Tower that overlooks Lake Erie; Dobbins Landing, a pier in downtown Erie; the Erie Land Lighthouse; the Erie Maritime Museum, the home port of the US Brig Niagara; Millcreek Mall, the 11th largest shopping mall in the United States, Perry Square, a large downtown park; Presque Isle Downs, a racetrack and casino in Summit Township; Splash Lagoon, the largest indoor waterpark on the East Coast and third largest in the United States; Casimir J. Kwitowski is city controller. As of May 2007, the Erie City Council consists of: Rubye Jenkins-Husband (President), James N. Thompson, Patrick Cappabianca, Jessica Horan-Kunco, Curtis Jones, Jr., David González, and Joseph V. Schember.
In exchange for taxes the city provides its residents with police and fire protection. For quarterly payments, the city provides garbage, recycling, water and sewer services. The city has come under criticism for cutting jobs in the public service sector, most in Police of Fire Departments.
Crime is enforced by the Erie Police Department. In 2005, six murders were committed in Erie, compared to one in 2004. Despite the rise in homicides, nonviolent crime in the city dropped by 14% percent in 2005 compared to 2004. Since 2000, Erie has been experiencing a spike in drug crimes, which is due in part to a large decrease of Police Officers. Erie is the home of many large drug busts, although Erie's crime rate is lower than the national average. Erie's homicide rate per 100,000 residents increased from 1 in 2004 to 5.8 in 2005. The district has 23 public schools including elementary schools, middle schools, high schools, and one charter school. Other than public schools, the city is home to more than 40 private schools and academies including Cathedral Preparatory School and Mercyhurst Preparatory School.
Erie's collegiate scene is fairy equally split between several colleges and universities. Created in the 1970s Penn State Erie, The Behrend College is the largest Penn State branch college. The university is noted for being one of the best value colleges in the country. Other notable colleges in the Erie area include Mercyhurst College, with the number one rated Division II lacrosse team in the US; Allegheny College, with one of the most beautiful campuses in the country; Edinboro University of Pennsylvania, a large college in nearby Edinboro, PA; and Gannon University, a Catholic university in downtown Erie. Ranking officials of the City of Erie, Erie County, and the Erie School District began looking into the need for a community college in the Erie area in 2006.
The public libraries in Erie are part of the Erie County library system. The Raymond M. Blasco, M. D. Memorial Library, named for its benefactor, opened in 1996. It is the third largest library in Pennsylvania. It is connected to the Erie Maritime Museum, both of which are part of a bayfront improvement project that includes the Bayfront Convention Center and the Bicentennial Tower.
Transportation
Erie's Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) generates an annual Erie Area Transportation Study for the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT). There are fifteen MPO's in the state, each consisting of local elected officials, representatives of major modes of transport, PennDOT officials, and others. Federal and State transportation regulations require urban areas of 50,000 or more in population to have an MPO, which is to do short-term (four years) and long-term (20+ years) transportation planning.
Erie is well connected to the Interstate Highway System. Six highway exits from Interstate 90 connect travelers to Erie from Boston, Massachusetts and points east, and from Cleveland, Ohio and points west. Those traveling north to Erie on Interstate 79 can either merge with Interstate 90 or continue north for several local Erie exits before the road merges into the Bayfront Parkway in downtown Erie. Southbound travelers of Interstate 79 can connect with Interstate 80 for points east to New Jersey or west to Akron, Ohio or Youngstown, Ohio, or continue south on Interstate 79 to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and Charleston, West Virginia. Interstate 86, also called the "Southern Tier Expressway," splits from Interstate 90 at North East, Pennsylvania and heads southeast through New York State to Binghamton.
The city has several arterial roads. Pennsylvania Route 5 (12th Street), U.S. Route 20 (26th Street and Buffalo Road), and 38th Street are major east-west routes through Erie's municipal roadway grid. The town is divided east from west at State Street, a major thoroughfare in downtown Erie. U.S. Route 19 is a major southwesterly route from downtown to a shopping area north of Interstate 90 known to locals as Upper Peach Street.
The Erie Metropolitan Transit Authority (EMTA) operates local and regional bus service seven days a week. A new city bus terminal opened in 2006. Connections are available to water taxi, rail services, and the airport. The Intermodal Transportation Center, which opened in 2002 at the Holland Street Pier, includes a commercial bus terminal. Greyhound Lines and Fullington Trailways (owned by Fullington Auto Bus Company) provide daily bus service, including routes with local stops between Erie and DuBois and Pittsburgh, with connections to other destinations.
The former "Water Level Route" of the New York Central Railroad (now the CSX mainline) travels directly through Erie. This is a major mainline for the railroad and sees scores of trains a day. The mainline of the Norfolk Southern Railroad at one time ran directly down the middle of 19th Street in the city. Norfolk Southern decided to remove the 19th Street tracks in 1998. The 19th Street rail traffic is now routed onto the aforementioned transcontinental mainline. Amtrak's Lake Shore Limited arrives at the Union Station, in downtown Erie, twice daily. Although there has been much discussion in recent years in favor of adding trains along the southern shore of Lake Erie to link Buffalo with Cleveland, and beyond, although there are no plans to begin this service.
Erie International Airport (IATA: ERI; IACO: KERI), located 5 miles (8 km) southwest of the city, hosts general aviation, charter, and scheduled airline service. Airlines serving Erie include Delta Air Lines, Continental Airlines, US Airways and Northwest Airlines. Tom Ridge Field was recognized by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation as the fastest-growing airport in the state and by the US Department of Transportation as the 3rd fastest-growing airport in the United States in 2004.
A channel on the east side of Presque Isle allows ships to transit between the bay and Lake Erie. Cruise line services land at a dock at the Intermodal Transportation Center on the Holland Street Pier. A Great American Waterways cruise makes a 15-day run from Chicago to Warren, Rhode Island, with a stop in Erie on the eastern leg of the journey. The Great Lakes Cruise Company and the American Canadian Cruise Line advertise this cruise.
Media
Erie is served in print by The Erie Times-News, the city's only daily newspaper. Erie has several alternative weekly and monthly publications.
Erie is ranked as the 142nd largest television market by Nielsen Media Research. The market is served by stations affiliated with major American networks including WICU 12 (NBC), WJET 24 (ABC), WFXP 66 (FOX), WSEE 35 (CBS), and WBEP (CW). WQLN 54 is a member of PBS. Several Cleveland stations can be seen in the area. Erie is also served by over 25 AM and FM radio stations directly, and dozens of other stations are heard from elsewhere.
Sister cities
As of June 2007, Erie has four official sister cities as designated by Sister Cities International:
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