Erie - The good and the bad (Pittsburgh, York: apartment, to rent)

[astrogal]

onthemove.....you definitely want Edinboro over Waterford.....BUT.....if you really want snow you need to be on the other side of the county by Peek and Peek....and more hills for that matter. I lived out there.....about 1/2 mile from the NY/PA line....off Kimball Rd. Took me about 1/2 hour to get to erie on a good day for work. In the winter...I think the worst was about an hour and a half but it was whiting out and at the time I didn't have 4WD. I have had white knuckle moments many times out there. One time I got stuck in the middle of the road...WITH 4WD...couldn't even tell it was drifted....had a big tractor pull me out.

I swear to god it snows there when there is no sign of snow anywhere else. There are many winter-loving souls such as yourself there. Back in the day everyone hung at the Beechwood Inn and the Phillipsville Tavern, but I think they closed that? Anyways, good luck in your search for the white stuff.

[vwscottie]

Originally Posted by astrogal

I lived out there.....about 1/2 mile from the NY/PA line....off Kimball Rd.

I used to drive that road to go to Wilderness Lodge.

[astrogal]

yep....actually I saw more traffic in the winter then summer :-)

[astrogal]

another thing that was cool in a morbid way was every winter Lifestar helicopter would have a regular route over my place....some poor soul biting the dust skiing being whisked off to Hamot....at least that is what I always figured.

[vwscottie]

Originally Posted by astrogal

another thing that was cool in a morbid way was every winter Lifestar helicopter would have a regular route over my place....some poor soul biting the dust skiing being whisked off to Hamot....at least that is what I always figured.

There are a lot of injuries, not necessarily someone dying, but I think there is at least one death out there every year. We went home about a month ago and they are really expanding Peak N Peek.

[londonbarcelona]

Originally Posted by vwscottie

I laugh at people in Pittsburgh when they complain about the cold and snow

Me too. When we bought a place there (coming from Phoenix, AZ).
I thought it'd be like the tundra. But it barely snows much at once and it's hardly cold much of the time. I'm originally from Buffalo, NY I know about snow and cold!
Pittsburgh is a piece of cake weather wise!

[coldking]

Originally Posted by kpoeppel

Industries are moving out because of the blue-collar democrat mindset. In most places, you get more money by getting better educated. In Erie and western PA, you get more money by going on strike. A lot of people around here believe they are entitled to a $50k/yr job with full benefits doing work that any illiterate peasant could do for far less.

There seems to be a sort of "sociological filter" effect. The people with ambition and initiative find far better opportunities elsewhere and move. The people who lack those qualities are still here. And they vote. So companies leave. And the cycle repeats.

Between this and the, oh well that company left we will raise taxes to make up for it thinking, now they want to put a toll on I-80! I'm glad I was one of those people that left!

[Investrman]

I recently found these sites and came upon Erie and the posts regarding it. I was born in Erie, raised on Glenridge Road and later I owned a home when I was married on Grubb Road also in Millcreek just of Sterettania Road. I also had a great education there, though I did not go to a City School, that today when I tell people my curriculum and studies I had in highschool back in the 1970's, they cannot believe it and how the quality of my education then was beyond what many 2 year colleges teach today!

Erie is or was a very unique place. The Tom Hanks movie "That Thing You Do" is superficially based in Erie, PA and it definitely was just like that in those days. People had plenty jobs and blue collar was another word for middle class of America and I would say 98% of all people in Erie were blue collar. Nobody wanted for anything, and you could get a job anywhere, as there were many opportunities then including white collar management type jobs too. The skilled trades were big as always and was another popular route. The main point is, people worked hard and had pride in what they did and all could afford to raise families and live a decent life. Sadly, that is not Erie today, nor many other regions around the country. The major reason in general, is the aftermath of NAFTA 20+ years ago and this new age global economy, where the USA is dictated to by governments of other nations and the USA as a whole is no longer a producing nation as we had been for over 100 years- and people could "guarantee" themselves a decent retirement and longevity with an employer as well as their chidlren for generations as it had been.

I have been out of Erie since 1996, moving to Colorado and kept in touch with friends from Erie. I have been back several times since. Sadly I went through a costly divorce and in 2000 moved to western NC and remarried again. But I will tell you this about the South. In Asheville, NC where I have lived several years, you cannot afford housing or to live there unless you shack up with a couple people, because the affluent wealthier baby boomers migrated there forcing real estate so high the locals cannot even afford to live there and are moving out. It has become a rich man's playground controlled by the influence of the Biltmore House "castle" there and Grove Park Inn resort crowd.

Charlotte has become so exploded in suburban sprawl that gangs & crime are the major problems there and the overall wages anywhere in NC are so far below national averages, you still have hard time to live. Then you have to understand NC holds the largest amount of poisonous snakes in the USA, and places like Charlotte it has become regular that copperheads get into peoples' garages and cars and homes that people get bit. In the moutnains since they have a warmer climate, you have to always be aware while hiking of rattlesnakes as well as copperhead snakes, and in lower elevations near water, watch out for water moccassins while swiming or boating. Growth in NC has been huge, but it also has affected many habitats, one which is that of the huge snake populations here amongst other critters. Then you will always have to fight the constant underlying resentments from born southerners to Northerners (yankees) and will still feel anger from the damn Civil War. Jobs are mixed with preference given to locals first though they will not tell you that- you will experience that first hand.

I have been in Hickory, NC the last year (central between Charlotte & Asheville) but again, this area has been economically devastated and has huge amount of commercial & residential real estate sitting and cheaper than other regions, but nobody buying it and jobs very few and wages very low compared to other regions. Preference given to locals first over outsiders regardless of your skills or experience too. This town use to be the furniture capital of the world, and in the last few years, over 10,000 people lost those higher paying manufacturing jobs that used to be here as many closed or moved to Mexico. Most employers here will only use temp agencies so you must work thru a temp agency or you have no job! There are a some people who actually work a little higher paying job in Charlotte, but because of the higher costs there to live, commute from Hickory which is much cheaper in price (for obvious reasons); but expect to drive 2 hours each way minimally for your job and longer if I-77 is blocked by one of many daily accidents they encounter today on it.

We are right now trying to move out of the state ourselves to better region and considered going back to my hometown in Erie in fact, mainly for the better quality of education for my youngest son, as the schools in NC or the south in general, are nowhere the caliber they are in the northeast states. Also the humidity in the South is horrible and you are highly judged by the local especially when it comes ot anything remotely tied to religion. I have watched major employers leave Erie sadly too that had been there for decades. All along the Great Lakes region hundreds of major employers are all gone today because of NAFTA programs mainly. But it is not just exclusive to Erie. I used to work at American Sterilizer Company (AMSCO) in 1980-1982 time frame and had 2 uncles build a life and retirement from there, but they too pulled out fo Erie and moved operations to Mexico last year. Ge is about the only last major employer left, and word now is they too may be moving to Mexico in the future.

I worked as an electrician for 25+ years of my life and even started my own contracting business in Erie for 10 years before selling that in 1996 to move to a place I thought was the greatest place to live and where I have camped and traveled to many times- Colorado. But in 1996 after I moved, I witnessed a major population explosion there mainly from wealthier Californians who came in to that state, started to change its laws and regulations and altered Colorado from what its former self used to be, raised housing to unreal levels and higher costs of living, and in the process, today, the Colorado Springs region has the highest amount of foreclosures ever in their history and many former high tech jobs from CA left the area, with INTEL being one of the last there leaving in December for a plant they built in Taiwan. So Colorado Springs, CO even is in a mess like many regions today and is struggling to survive in many ways.

Be careful what you wish for, and remember the grass truly is always greener on the other side; but Erie and what I remember growing up there, and compared to other places I have lived, when it comes to my kids, the education especially in the Millcreek School System is second to none, and in Erie, at least, I or anyone can still go there and attempt to become self employed even and make a living there if they wanted to and have so much taken for granted there such as the Peninsula, as in other locations I have lived, you would have to pay fees and permits to have anything close to that.

But as with the globalization we have witnessed, I too have witnessed, the current generation is all about self ssatisfaction and BIG money and no interest in skilled trades jobs or working any type of manual labor, and lost track of the value of tradition or pride that make a difference in your lifetime, so they go elsewhere to seek them such as Charlotte as many talk about. Many young people want brand new and right now ideals that are slowly eroding themselves too I have been watching and using every dollar they make to afford them or to live in those areas, and will have nothing for their future either. So Erie is a place that in someways, you can still have a piece of yesterday and 4 seasons of the year, whereas in Charlotte, it will cost you a lot of money to exist and you pretty much have the same climate year round, except summertime temps can go over 100 with a heat index of 125 degrees and 100% humidity 24/7 which I cannot stand!

[kpoeppel]

Originally Posted by coldking

Between this and the, oh well that company left we will raise taxes to make up for it thinking, now they want to put a toll on I-80! I'm glad I was one of those people that left!

Rediculous, isn't it? But remember...it's all Bush's fault!

[kpoeppel]

Originally Posted by Investrman

Jobs are mixed with preference given to locals first though they will not tell you that- you will experience that first hand.

...and jobs very few and wages very low compared to other regions. Preference given to locals first over outsiders regardless of your skills or experience too. This town use to be the furniture capital of the world, and in the last few years, over 10,000 people lost those higher paying manufacturing jobs that used to be here as many closed or moved to Mexico. Most employers here will only use temp agencies so you must work thru a temp agency or you have no job!

It sounds like you are talking about Erie!

Originally Posted by Investrman

...the current generation is all about self ssatisfaction and BIG money...

You're talking about the baby-boomers, right?

Originally Posted by Investrman

...and no interest in skilled trades jobs or working any type of manual labor, and lost track of the value of tradition or pride that make a difference in your lifetime...

The problem is, any idiot can do manual labor. There are boat-loads of people around the world who would be more than happy to do that kind of work for low pay.

Originally Posted by Investrman

...Many young people want brand new and right now ideals that are slowly eroding themselves too I have been watching and using every dollar they make to afford them or to live in those areas, and will have nothing for their future either...

True, a lot of people fell for the massive housing bubble scam. The smart people are renting until the housing bubble deflates and prices come back to something approaching sanity.