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Both cities are similar in these areas. Erie also has a healthy refugee/immigrant population, thanks to its very well regarded International Institute. Lots of Italians, too ...
If we go with the metro area, then Utica has very close access to the Adirondack Mountains, which are partly within the metro. There are a couple of beaches in the Utica area, including this resort town: Sylvan Beach Tourism | Tourism Events, Hotels, Shops & RestaurantsSylvan Beach Tourism but they aren't next to Utica the way that Lake Erie is next to Erie.
Since there are only so many possible city vs. city matches between large metros, I thought it would be interesting to analyze small cities/metros!
Which metro area do you think is a better place to live? Erie, PA or Utica-Rome, NY?
I have been to both (during the winter) and they both generally appeared to be somewhat depressed, but the people in the Erie area were very friendly. Both metro area are approximately 300,000 in population size, and are both located in the northeast, although Erie may have a Midwestern touch.
For starters, I have compiled a list that I believe to be generally objective points about each metro area.
Erie
Adjacent to Lake Erie and provides a somewhat coastal feel to the area
Wegmans
Friendly people
Equidistant to some amazing cities like Buffalo, Pittsburgh and Cleveland
Exciting lake effect snow
Leans liberal with politics
Crime is high
Utica
Interesting topography and greenery
Not too far from Syracuse and Albany
Leans conservative with politics
Crime is high
I don't know if I'm bumping, but I'd have to give the edge to Erie solely because it is equidistant between Cleveland and Buffalo, and that it has the 79 going right through it so you have easy access to the south.
People are friendly in Utica. There isn't a Wegmans (which I've grown up with since before I was born), but the food around town is phenomenal. Though it just looks like a dot on the map, if you are standing in the upper northern (or southern) hills at night, looking down on the city, the effect the lights on the hillier areas of the metro and city actually make it look big.
Utica could benefit from a 4 lane highway going south but that is highly unlikely. The area's tide is turning though as there are some pretty big research investments going on at the SUNY campus. That could be a plus down the road that actually cancels out Erie's advantages.
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