A Bad feeling about G.E. Erie plant closing (moving to, suburbs)

[loose cannon]

That is the problem with these people. It's a big country. Explore, meet new people, have new experiences. Why sit like a lump on a log in some one horse Pennsyltucky town?

[eschaton]

Originally Posted by loose cannon

That is the problem with these people. It's a big country. Explore, meet new people, have new experiences. Why sit like a lump on a log in some one horse Pennsyltucky town?

Seriously dude?

1. The Erie plant has among the best-compensated manufacturing jobs in the country. Unlike a lot of other shops, the local union has never given in to management demands for two-tier pay. Everyone makes $30+ per hour. With enough overtime you can have a low six-figure salary. If they get laid off, they'll probably take about a 50% pay cut to work anywhere else, whether in Erie or elsewhere.

2. The Eire area has been stagnant in terms of real estate values. It's not like people are going to be able to cash out and buy a nice home somewhere else.

3. Lots of people like the place they live, and wouldn't want to move for various reasons. Remember, most of the workforce is over 50. People have friends and family in the area, possibly kids still in school, etc. Most people past the age of 30 who have a family do not just want to uproot their whole life on a whim.

[loose cannon]

If they paid at least 30 an hr at least 2-300 could have been banked each week for years. Plenty of money to go on a traveling bender.

[BeerGeek40]

Erie....LOL.... great town if you like snow, wind, and cold.

[PreservationPioneer]

Usually, the people with the worst things to say about a city are the ones who left, are miserable, and can't stand the idea that some people are passionate about the place they decided to leave.

[North Beach Person]

Originally Posted by PreservationPioneer

Usually, the people with the worst things to say about a city are the ones who left, are miserable, and can't stand the idea that some people love and stay in a place they decided to leave.

Or people who will never be happy no matter where they are.

[Ohiogirl81]

Originally Posted by loose cannon

If they paid at least 30 an hr at least 2-300 could have been banked each week for years. Plenty of money to go on a traveling bender.

You have a peculiar outlook on life, I'll say that.

Originally Posted by BeerGeek40

Erie....LOL.... great town if you like snow, wind, and cold.

LOL ... and beaches, sand, water, boating and sailing, and fishing. And skiing and sledding and snowmobiling and snowshoeing and skating and ice fishing/boating/sailing.

I wonder when weather became the ultimate criterion in measuring a city's desirability? When did we become such wimps?

There's no such thing as bad weather; there is only inappropriate clothing (and/or tires).

Originally Posted by PreservationPioneer

Usually, the people with the worst things to say about a city are the ones who left, are miserable, and can't stand the idea that some people are passionate about the place they decided to leave.

I couldn't wait to get out of there when I was 18. It was another 20 years before I realized what a great place Erie was to grow up, and before I could see myself living there again. I'll probably buck the trend to move south when/if I retire, and go back to Erie. The older I get, the more I want to be around people I've known for a very long time and to be in familiar surroundings. Erie, for me, is an old, but still serviceable and attractive, comfortable shoe.

[gwillyfromphilly]

I don't mean to come off as a homer but have any of you Erie residents thought about moving to Southeastern PA? The Philly area has a lot more job offerings than Erie County and has a very diversified economy. Southern PA has the best amenities in the state with beautiful suburbs and a world class city at the urban core. I could list many other things Philly has to offer and I think a lot of the Erie residents would love it over here.

[trackstar13]

Originally Posted by gwillyfromphilly

I don't mean to come off as a homer but have any of you Erie residents thought about moving to Southeastern PA? The Philly area has a lot more job offerings than Erie County and has a very diversified economy. Southern PA has the best amenities in the state with beautiful suburbs and a world class city at the urban core. I could list many other things Philly has to offer and I think a lot of the Erie residents would love it over here.

While I do miss some of the larger city amenities, I'm not sure many people living in Erie would enjoy the Philly traffic and parking issues. Additionally, while the Erie job market is not very good, Erie is also a very cheap place to live and the barriers to create your own business are very minimal. I could be wrong, but people typically compare and contrast Philadelphia with cities like Pittsburgh or Washington DC. In other words, of course Philly has more amenities and this is what I would expect from a large, world class city. One of my favorite things about living in Erie is the slower pace of life and not having to worry about the "rat race." Erie is very close to several medium size cities and a few larger cities and I can always get my bigger city fix in when I need it.

[Ohiogirl81]

Originally Posted by gwillyfromphilly

I don't mean to come off as a homer but have any of you Erie residents thought about moving to Southeastern PA?

I think the real question is how to attract business and entrepreneurs to Erie, so the residents will have more choices when it comes to jobs.