Info on Erie anyone? (Pittsburgh, Lancaster: appointed, fit in, for sale) - Pennsylvania (PA) - City-Data Forum

bigmoveapproaching · 02-25-2010, 12:49 PM

My husband, son, and I will be moving to Erie in the coming summer. We are very excited as my husband has made the decision to make a big career change and will begin pharmacy school in the fall. We have subscribed to the Erie Times newspaper and have been searching online for any information we can find about the city as we are moving from Kansas an have no idea what to expect living in the Northeast portion of the United States.

I have been pretty disappointed when it comes to finding rental homes that would be family friendly (quiet, spacious, safe, pet friendly, etc.) Our previous rental experiences in Tulsa and Dallas have been really positive and we are hoping that Erie will have something to offer us.

Anyone who can give me any advice or information about living in the city of Erie or even in that area of the US would be great. We will be living there for four years or so, so we want to make the best out of our original move so we will not have to move around during our time there.

Any info is appreciated

psulions2007 · 02-25-2010, 02:48 PM

I went to school in Pennsylvania for 3 years, including a 3 month stint in Erie during a summer...and now I've been living in Nebraska for the past 8 months, so hopefully I can give you some good comparisons between the two!

First off, the people... People are nice in Erie, but are a lot more cautious than people in Kansas. While Kansas is a "red" state, Erie is a working class blue city. Get out and meet people, but know that you will have to earn their trust first before getting too deep. Keep in mind too that there are a lot of people in the area depressed about the state of the economy/city politics. I always suggest trying to look for the positives!

Second off, winters. While Kansas is very windy and cold, with occasional blizzards.... Erie just has snow...and lots of it. More than you have likely seen, in fact. It is the windiest place in Pennsylvania as you have northwest winds coming off the lake and making lake effect snow, but it isn't nearly as windy as Kansas. Invest in snow chains and a hefty snowblower. Also keep in mind that there is a HUGE difference in the annual amount of snow between areas closer to the shore than places further inland. Places in inland Erie County (Waterford, for example) average over 100" of snow per year. Closer to the shore, you see 60-70". This has to do with the fact that lake effect snow bands need time to cool down/snow before dumping their loads. Cold Minimums during the winter in Erie are not as cold as the minimums in Kansas....certainly there are no long strings of subzero temperatures...but it is cold, and you should be good to go.

With that said, you will be moving to Erie at the best time of year. Arguably, Erie is one of- if not the most beautiful places in Pennsylvania during the summer. Highs in the 70s, lower 80s...plus the immense beautiful beaches on Presque Isle (swimming, volleyball, tanning, boating, skiing, etc.) generally make what's great with living in Erie.

Another great thing about the summer is all of the wineries in the area. The Niagara/Erie region is a very large wine producing area (and a lot of Welch's grapes come from here)...go out and tour the wineries! They are certainly a lot of fun.

One great thing about Erie that Kansas doesn't have is all of the opportunities for one-day getaways nearby. You are a day's drive and return of the following: Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Buffalo, Niagara Falls/Canada, Pymatuning Lake, Conneaut Lake, Lake Chautauqua, Geauga Lake, Northern Tier Mountains of PA, Seneca Indian Casinos, etc.

Fall is beautiful in the area... and there are plenty of skiing/snowboarding opportunities in winter nearby and in the mountains to the east.

One more thing- NOTHING beats ice cream made in PA! Take a weekend trip to Central PA/Lancaster for that experience (and see the amish)!

Good luck! You'll love it... but be ready for tremendous differences from Kansas!

bigmoveapproaching · 02-25-2010, 06:27 PM

Hey thanks for the info. It seems as though once we get settled we will not have a problem finding interesting/fun things to do. I am excited about the large snows as I do not have a problem being couped up during a stormy day or two.

I do however worry about finding that right place to settle in to for the years we will be in Erie. Did you happen to go to school at LECOM? I am wondering if we will be able to find a rental home/townhome within walking distance to LECOM so that my husband will be able to get to school regardless of how many feet of snow is on the ground. We also need a place that will be friendly for our 100lb Weimaraner, from what I can see in the newspaper it dosen't seem that Erie is very dog friendly.

I hope it will not be hard for us to meet people As you mentioned locals might have problems finding trust in outsiders, but it will be even harder for us to trust our new surroundings so far from home. But hopefully we will fit in somehow. I am hoping that I will find some playdates for my two year old too.

psulions2007 · 02-26-2010, 10:15 AM

No problem! I actually went to PSU-Behrend (which, btw, is in a BEAUTIFUL area next to Wintergreen Gorge, which is great for hiking, and has great hilltop views of Lake Erie!). The people that I met in Erie either went to PSUB, Gannon, or Mercyhurst...I didn't meet anyone who went to LECOM... however, there is no shortage of great places to live nearby. Summit Township/South Peach St has loads of great shopping opportunities in a good environment (Wegmans!!!). West of I-79 in the Zimmerly/Grubb/Sterrettania Road areas are plentiful with great, safe neighborhoods.

I'm not sure how Erie is with dogs as I didn't get one until I moved to Nebraska, but I do remember a very nice park (Glenwood Park) next to the Zoo off 38th St where a lot of people took their dogs! With regards to housing, your best bet might be a rental house versus an apartment.

It shouldn't be hard for you to meet people...start with people in your classes, then you should be fine!

djgzn · 02-26-2010, 10:25 AM

Hi!

We have lived in Erie for almost three and a half years now because my husband has been going to school here. We will be done this May. Hooray!

I know of three specific houses that will be available for rent this spring. I also know of two houses for sale. (All of them nice, and I am pretty picky). One of these houses (for rent) is within walking distance of Lecom. The others are a very short drive.

As far as areas go. To be close to Lecom you are going to want to be close to Ellsworth Street between West 38th and West Grandview or somewhere near that area. That whole street is full of students. In fact a lot of it is Lecom housing offered at a reduced rate. Have you contacted anyone at Lecom about that? Have you got on "The List"?

I would be happy to email with you or talk more on this thread. We have really liked Erie, except for the Winter weather which it sounds like you are okay with.

I don't know if you are religious at all but I have made SO many friends at my church with Medical and Pharmacy students from Lecom. There are 20+ families with young children and everyone is very friendly.

Hope this helps and good luck!

bigmoveapproaching · 02-26-2010, 08:09 PM

djgzn,

Thanks for the info. Sure any info on those houses that you know about would be great! We have had our eyes on craigslist and a few of the prop management companies, but nothing too promising. We are not religious but are open to getting involved with the community and if you know of a good church that is a good outlet for socialization and is not so intense on the religious aspect (more spiritual persay) we would be interested in trying it out.

psulions2007 · 02-27-2010, 08:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigmoveapproaching

djgzn,

Thanks for the info. Sure any info on those houses that you know about would be great! We have had our eyes on craigslist and a few of the prop management companies, but nothing too promising. We are not religious but are open to getting involved with the community and if you know of a good church that is a good outlet for socialization and is not so intense on the religious aspect (more spiritual persay) we would be interested in trying it out.

Quick comment on religion: be ready for a huge difference from Kansas! While some might argue that Kansas is the buckle on the Bible Belt (understandably so with the abortion doctor killings and the city of Topeka in general).... religion is a lot less in your face in Erie. Also, whereas most religious people in Kansas are Protestant, most in Erie are Roman Catholic.

bigmoveapproaching · 02-27-2010, 09:47 AM

No kidding that is exactly why we have just kind of stayed away from "church". That of course does not mean that we are not spiritual in our own way. But we have respect for everyone no matter what religion they wish to affiliate themselves with.

matsmom · 02-27-2010, 10:37 AM

You should be fine renting anywhere in Millcreek. Not sure about the dog situation as far as rentals go, bit you can always take the pup down to Frontier Park for exercise. I must admit I had to chuckle, when you mentioned being "couped up for a day or two" - I grew up in Erie and can only remember one time when the snow closed anything! Snow is a fact of life in Erie, nothing stops for snow. You can just climb over the mounds to get to your car

As far as the churches go, the previous poster was right - mostly everyone is Roman Catholic. It is not easy to make friends in the churches if you are not like minded. You should however go to service at least once, St Peters is a beautiful church.

To really experience Erie - take advantage of all of the ethic festivals (great food), shop at Wegmans, try pepperoni balls, eat some Romolos chocolates, go to bingo, enjoy the beaches and get ice cream at Sara's, see a sunset on the beach...
I'm sure others can add more

psulions2007 · 02-27-2010, 10:49 AM

How could I forget to mention Sara's. Seriously one of the best things about summer in Erie!