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Location: The Flagship City and Vacation in the Paris of Appalachia
2,773 posts, read 3,857,920 times
Reputation: 2067
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Quote:
Originally Posted by pman
unlike the south, erie doesn't have any major military installations afaik. tourism-why should anyone visit erie? who knows about erie? what are erie's strength's and weaknesses?
Why should anyone visit Erie? Maybe you should ask the 4+ million people that visit Presque Isle every year, or you could ask the thousands of fishermen/women. Just the recreational steelhead fishing industry alone in Erie PA generated over $5.7 million in new revenue in 2003. See this study: http://fishandboat.com/images/fisher...4/000index.pdf
In addition to steelhead, walleye, perch, bass, etc. add to Erie and the great lakes recreational fishing industry that totals over $7 billion a year in economic impact and fishing in Lake Erie is over 80% of the industry.
Above and beyond fishing and outdoors activities there is Splash Lagoon, the tax free shopping for New York, Ohio, and Ontario residents, the casino, the Warner theater, the Erie Insurance arena, the Bayfront Sheraton, the Bicentennial Tower, the wineries, etc.
Location: The Flagship City and Vacation in the Paris of Appalachia
2,773 posts, read 3,857,920 times
Reputation: 2067
Quote:
Originally Posted by pman
on the smaller side I've read that fishing has all but been outlawed because of a state law on nets (essenting banning nets that are used to catch whiting). getting rid of that law and bringing back fishing (rather than just sport fishing) could help.
This is an absolutely terrible idea and commercial fishing is a mere pittance when compared to the revenue potential for recreational fishing. Additionally, I think you mean lake whitefish, not whiting, which is a saltwater species. Whitefish cannot be caught with the trap nets that are currently legal in PA and they can only be caught with gillnets that are outlawed in PA, but legal in Canada.
Whitefish cannot be caught with the trap nets that are currently legal in PA and they can only be caught with gillnets that are outlawed in PA, but legal in Canada.
Ironic that fishermen have to be sacrificed for sport fishing. if it's legal in canada, why is it such a terrible idea?
I'd expect that one can purchase fresh from the lake whitefish at local restaurants right? one of the benefits of visiting waterfront cities is fresh seafood (in this case, lakefood). I'd add that if the elimination of fishing results in an increase in imported food its actually a negative for the region. I'm not an expert so you may be right but one needs more than potential to make money...I suspect that a less extreme solution such as a quota would have made more sense than an outright ban.
Quote:
Originally Posted by track2514
Why should anyone visit Erie? Maybe you should ask the 4+ million people that visit Presque Isle every year, or you could ask the thousands of fishermen/women. Just the recreational steelhead fishing industry alone in Erie PA generated over $5.7 million in new revenue in 2003... In addition to steelhead, walleye, perch, bass, etc. add to Erie and the great lakes recreational fishing industry that totals over $7 billion a year in economic impact and fishing in Lake Erie is over 80% of the industry.
Above and beyond fishing and outdoors activities there is Splash Lagoon, the tax free shopping for New York, Ohio, and Ontario residents, the casino, the Warner theater, the Erie Insurance arena, the Bayfront Sheraton, the Bicentennial Tower, the wineries, etc.
the point isn't that there's no reason to visit, but that the question "why should anyone visit erie" be answered and advertised. I've had lakefront wine from OH and it was awful, is Erie different? where is Erie advertised? how is it advertised? a list of buildings isn't alluring, maybe pictures would do it justice. is it a cool waterfront city with good food?
Location: The Flagship City and Vacation in the Paris of Appalachia
2,773 posts, read 3,857,920 times
Reputation: 2067
Pman
The whitefish issue is rather complicated because as a species whitefish are not really targeted or caught by anglers due to their feeding habits, but they have an extremely high commercial value. However, gillnetting is a risky process that kills everything caught in the net because of how the process works. The main issue with this is that when commercial fisherman are targeting whitefish, they end up killing a significant amount of "sport" fish unintentionally. Additionally, some of these fish like lake trout, walleye, perch, and sturgeon (endangered), etc. are native to Lake Erie and their numbers need to be protected. I don't have all the answers regarding this issue, but I am not sure I agree with Canada's gillnetting policies because of the nature of the process.
Erie could do a better job of targeted advertising so we can agree here, but I am not sure how to respond to your wine comments. The south shore of Lake Erie has some very good wines and some not so good wines. The main issue is the type of grapes that are prevalent and grow well in the region. The concord and Niagara grapes are the most abundant on the south shore of Lake Erie (Ohio, PA, New York) and they are very sweet grapes so the wine tends to be very sweet. Some of the Rieslings, and sweet reds are pretty good in these areas, but if you are looking for excellent, dry wines that are not as sweet you will have to go further upstate in NY or to the Finger Lakes region or the north shore of Lake Erie (Canada). The PA and Ohio wineries are rather sweet wines and as you get further upstate in NY and into Canada there are some great dry wines. It works well for us because my wife loves the sweeter wines and we can get those in PA and then cross the border in NY or Canada to get the wines that I like to drink on a regular basis.
The whitefish issue is rather complicated because as a species whitefish are not really targeted or caught by anglers due to their feeding habits, but they have an extremely high commercial value. However, gillnetting is a risky process that kills everything caught in the net because of how the process works. The main issue with this is that when commercial fisherman are targeting whitefish, they end up killing a significant amount of "sport" fish unintentionally. Additionally, some of these fish like lake trout, walleye, perch, and sturgeon (endangered), etc. are native to Lake Erie and their numbers need to be protected. I don't have all the answers regarding this issue, but I am not sure I agree with Canada's gillnetting policies because of the nature of the process.
Erie could do a better job of targeted advertising so we can agree here, but I am not sure how to respond to your wine comments. The south shore of Lake Erie has some very good wines and some not so good wines. The main issue is the type of grapes that are prevalent and grow well in the region. The concord and Niagara grapes are the most abundant on the south shore of Lake Erie (Ohio, PA, New York) and they are very sweet grapes so the wine tends to be very sweet. Some of the Rieslings, and sweet reds are pretty good in these areas, but if you are looking for excellent, dry wines that are not as sweet you will have to go further upstate in NY or to the Finger Lakes region or the north shore of Lake Erie (Canada). The PA and Ohio wineries are rather sweet wines and as you get further upstate in NY and into Canada there are some great dry wines. It works well for us because my wife loves the sweeter wines and we can get those in PA and then cross the border in NY or Canada to get the wines that I like to drink on a regular basis.
I'm not here to criticize erie, just to respond to the OP's question as someone who has seen other places turn around and given a good amount of thought to what it takes (good design, renovated buildings, interesting businesses, etc) and doesn't take, (namely big expensive convention centers particularly at the expense of any old areas and particularly if they have a poor design).
never had whitefish but they're highly regarded which seems like they should have a role in erie's economy in some fashion, even if not enough are caught for export beyond pittsburgh. it's not bad to have a local fish that isn't widely exported but there's little benefit to serving salmon from the pacific nw, everyone gets that. just one man's opinion.
wineries-part of the problem is the plcb I suppose, which makes it hard to gain recognition statewide (as well as nationally)...would be cool if erie wineries had stands in the reading terminal (Philly) and public market (Pittsburgh). If they're allowed more, then erie and perhaps lancaster central market.
the point isn't that there's no reason to visit, but that the question "why should anyone visit erie" be answered and advertised.
Did you read the link? If you can't figure it out, you're not trying or you're just trolling.
Quote:
I've had lakefront wine from OH and it was awful, is Erie different?
"Lakefront" wine? LOL Oh, and California, Italy and France make cheap, crappy wines, too.
Quote:
Originally Posted by track2514
Additionally, some of these fish like lake trout, walleye, perch, and sturgeon (endangered), etc. are native to Lake Erie and their numbers need to be protected.
Exactly.
Quote:
if you are looking for excellent, dry wines that are not as sweet you will have to go further upstate in NY or to the Finger Lakes region or the north shore of Lake Erie (Canada).
Not so. All of the local wineries make excellent cabernets, pinot noir, pinot grigio, etc. If you can't find them, you're not looking very hard.
Did you read the link? If you can't figure it out, you're not trying or you're just trolling.
how am I just trolling? what does your link say in relation to the question?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ohiogirl81
"Lakefront" wine? LOL Oh, and California, Italy and France make cheap, crappy wines, too.
actually, I had very good, cheap wines in italy...but Ohio isn't italy.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ohiogirl81
Exactly.
What makes you think it doesn't? You're not bothering to read or listen to what we have to tell you anyway.
two contradictory statementsr. don't get your panties in a knot because the only wine I've had from your state was God awful.
what's the point of your links? you keep "defending" but offering few ideas in response to the title of the thread. one might think you're trolling. do you think everything is just fine?
from your link
Quote:
Neither Erie City Councilman David Brennan nor architect Chip Wachter have an ownership stake in the 12.5 acres along Erie's west bayfront that GAF Materials Corp. once called home....The Convention Center Authority has proposed a new hotel, parking garage, a year-round marketplace, an elevated public walkway, restaurants, shops and residential housing that includes condominiums as part of its concept, which it calls "Bayfront Place."..The authority's proposal, though, has drawn criticism from Brennan, Wachter and others who say it does not make best use of the former GAF property; that it has too much of a suburban feel; and that there needs to be more public access throughout the site...Both the Brennan and Kidder/Wachter plans, though, promote denser, more urban atmospheres that still provide a variety of recreational, retail, and residential options...Brennan, the director of planning and design for the Economic Development Corp. of Erie County, calls his proposal "Canal Place."
The design features canals that run throughout the former GAF property, as well as a boardwalk, shops, mixed-use housing and lots of public space that "creates a sense of place," he said...He believes the plan that he and Kidder developed does that: multistory residential and retail buildings, office space, a hotel and parking garage and a large, landscaped "public civic space" at the center of the site that could host community events.
"I believe you need to design a neighborhood with some density to it," Wachter said, noting that he and Kidder looked to developments in Toronto, Pittsburgh, Manhattan, Boston and Memphis for ideas...
I found your article very interesting and those people have good reason to be skeptical of an "authority" plan. good urban design doesn't change that much even if scale does
Location: The Flagship City and Vacation in the Paris of Appalachia
2,773 posts, read 3,857,920 times
Reputation: 2067
Ohiogirl
My comments regarding the PA and Ohio wines are just based on my own experiences tasting the wines. I have not sampled every variety or vineyard yet, but I have gone to the wine festival events and tried many varieties at once. I have not had what I consider a good dry, semi-sweet or not very sweet wine from these vineyards yet. I have had some of the best Riesling I have ever had and I really like the Cayuga wines in NY. The PA and Ohio wineries are getting better though and the Chambourcin wines from Mazza are very good.
Location: The Flagship City and Vacation in the Paris of Appalachia
2,773 posts, read 3,857,920 times
Reputation: 2067
Pman
I can understand your point of view because up until recently I was also mostly unfamiliar with Erie. Being from Pittsburgh I had heard of Erie, but I realize that it is not known nationally or internationally as well as some other U.S. tourist destinations. However, I think more people than you realize know about Erie or have traveled to Erie. I am consistently amazed at the number of out of state license plates I see every time I go to Presque Isle or the mall. Overall, I think Erie is headed in the right direction regarding tourism, but I agree there is work to be done.
In regards to your lake whitefish comments, this is actually a challenging issue and similar to other environmental issues in PA (natural gas). I enjoy eating seafood and I have to say that lake whitefish is by far the best freshwater fish that I have ever tasted. Yes, I believe it is better than walleye, perch or anything else for that matter. There are some great restaurants around Lake Superior that serve fresh lake whitefish and it would be great if Erie were able to do the same. The main issue as I stated earlier is that lake whitefish commercial fishing could be the biggest industry in Erie very easily, but the environmental impact, in my opinion, is too great. The majority of all of the fish in the great lakes are found in Lake Erie and some species like the Blue Pike were exclusive to Lake Erie. However, the Blue Pike is now extinct due to over fishing and pollution and I am afraid commercial fishing for whitefish may lead to similar issues. In Search of Blue Pike: Minnesota DNR
I have not sampled every variety or vineyard yet, but I have gone to the wine festival events and tried many varieties at once. I have not had what I consider a good dry, semi-sweet or not very sweet wine from these vineyards yet.
Go out to Courtyard Winery on Buffalo Road and try the dry reds, especially the Noirette. Heritage makes an excellent Chardonnay. Arrowhead's Cabernet Franc is very good. Lakeview's dry reds and Chardonnay are excellent.
Etc.
Even Penn Shore -- the oldest winery in the area and mostly known for its sweet wines -- is making decent dry wines these days.
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