Should Erie copy Pittsburgh? (Carnegie, Edinboro: real estate, insurance, neighborhoods)

[ghostee]

Do people think Erie will find its own success by copying what Pittsburgh is doing? What is Pittsburgh doing that Erie doesn't do? Isn't Pittsburgh still dead or declining in population terms? And I know Pittsburgh is scaled by hundreds thousands more in population relative to Erie, so I expect Erie's mileage will vary.

I would love to see more abundant jobs around Erie. I would also love to see more people living in the area.

[Geeo]

It took 30 years for Pittsburgh to recover from the collapse of steel in the 1980s, so success doesn't come overnight. It's nice to see all the young people pouring in and so much new construction and jobs. Most of it has happened in the last ten years.

I think the advantages Pittsburgh had and has are the research universities like Carnegie Mellon and Pitt, the healthcare industry, which is huge, the banking industry, and a lot of other smaller industries that have sprung out of CMU. Because of CMU, the city has attracted Google, which now has an 800-person building in the East End; Uber, which has a large R&D facility for self-driving cars; Facebook; Disney; and Microsoft. There are companies working in the area of artificial intelligence and robotics that isn't being done anywhere else. It took a long time, but there is now a solid core of new industries that are attracting people.

Another huge development is the ethane cracking plant to be built by Shell Oil on the banks of the Ohio River. This is a multi-billion dollar plant that will take advantage of the gas fields in Pennsylvania, turn the by-products into plastics that will attract new industries that will be able to use the plastics that it generates.

We are lucky to have an active county executive and a forward-looking mayor who go to other cities and countries to tout the city, and it seems to be paying off. It's a brain-driven economy now and we're reaping the benefits.

The population has stabilized and is growing in some areas of the city. One disadvantage is that real estate prices and rents are going up quickly in the East End neighborhoods, but many parts of town are still affordable.

We still need more immigration because immigrants help stabilize neighborhoods and start businesses, and also because people from other parts of the country who move here want to live in an area with a diverse population.

There are still problems that every big city has, like racism and income inequality. Those must be addressed.

[ghostee]

All those things make me long for Pittsburgh or somewhere else even more. I like Erie I think, but I've been having the "same-old Erie" feel imposed on me for my entire life since I was born.

[trackstar13]

Originally Posted by ghostee

All those things make me long for Pittsburgh or somewhere else even more. I like Erie I think, but I've been having the "same-old Erie" feel imposed on me for my entire life since I was born.

I am not sure Erie should or could copy Pittsburgh because they are very different types of cities. Pittsburgh is much larger and has significant numbers of young adults due to the world class universities in the city (Pitt and Carnegie Mellon). Erie has universities in the area, but they are more regionally focused and their specialties are not technology focused. For instance, I believe Mercyhurst is known for Intelligence Studies and Gannon is known for Health Sciences, while Edinboro is known for Education and the Arts and Penn State Behrend is a well rounded branch campus that primarily focuses on Plastics Engineering. I think Erie should try to copy successful similar size cities like Rochester (MN), Boulder, Green Bay, Billings, Hillsboro, etc.

[Geeo]

I agree. Erie should play on the strengths of Erie. And one good way, as you mentioned, is to capitalize on the strengths of the educational system. Not too many cities Erie's size have that many universities, and each one excels in something that they can capitalize on. I'm sure they're already collaborating with each other. And I saw in the news about the Innovation Zone - that has a lot of potential.

Erie has a downtown with good bones and there has been a lot of development in the last decade. It also has a lot of vacant land and buildings that can be used creatively to build a mixed-use neighborhood with new and innovative companies, housing, and possibly some retail. And the arts community is often a catalyst for revitalization - especially artists who are looking for cheap space for their craft and to display.

[bluecarebear]

Pittsburgh and Erie are about the same. Very few good jobs with the universities and hospitals being the only things keeping the cities from being the next Detroit. Heck, Erie laid off a ton of teachers years ago and major manufacturing employers are leaving. In Erie, there is also the weather, remote location, crime, politics, and refugee population that have caused people I know to leave the city.

[ghostee]

Originally Posted by trackstar13

I am not sure Erie should or could copy Pittsburgh because they are very different types of cities. Pittsburgh is much larger and has significant numbers of young adults due to the world class universities in the city (Pitt and Carnegie Mellon). Erie has universities in the area, but they are more regionally focused and their specialties are not technology focused. For instance, I believe Mercyhurst is known for Intelligence Studies and Gannon is known for Health Sciences, while Edinboro is known for Education and the Arts and Penn State Behrend is a well rounded branch campus that primarily focuses on Plastics Engineering. I think Erie should try to copy successful similar size cities like Rochester (MN), Boulder, Green Bay, Billings, Hillsboro, etc.

I actually agree with you that Erie shouldn't copy Pittsburgh. I was just wondering what the general consensus for improvement and growth was.

[SlurmsMcKenzie]

Lake Erie/Presque Isle/ the bay are a tremendous asset. I was in Erie for a weekend a few summers ago and was surprised at how beautiful the lake shore and bay are after hearing about how dirty it was for years. Erie has a lot going for it, from the lake to all of the other outdoors activities available nearby. I think Erie could really appeal to people who want decently close access to major cities yet don't want to have to deal with all of the big city issues. And while Erie is vastly different from Pittsburgh, I do think the rebound in Pittsburgh (and Buffalo and Cleveland as well) can have an impact on Erie.

[trackstar13]

Originally Posted by SlurmsMcKenzie

Lake Erie/Presque Isle/ the bay are a tremendous asset. I was in Erie for a weekend a few summers ago and was surprised at how beautiful the lake shore and bay are after hearing about how dirty it was for years. Erie has a lot going for it, from the lake to all of the other outdoors activities available nearby. I think Erie could really appeal to people who want decently close access to major cities yet don't want to have to deal with all of the big city issues. And while Erie is vastly different from Pittsburgh, I do think the rebound in Pittsburgh (and Buffalo and Cleveland as well) can have an impact on Erie.

I agree with what you are saying here and these are many of the reasons I like to live in Erie. I really enjoy no longer having to deal with traffic and I like being so close to the lake and outdoor activities. I am just hoping that Erie can turn the corner and start to improve, because I want to see the area succeed and selfishly I would like to see more amenities in the area.

[SteelCityRising]

Originally Posted by SlurmsMcKenzie

Lake Erie/Presque Isle/ the bay are a tremendous asset. I was in Erie for a weekend a few summers ago and was surprised at how beautiful the lake shore and bay are after hearing about how dirty it was for years. Erie has a lot going for it, from the lake to all of the other outdoors activities available nearby. I think Erie could really appeal to people who want decently close access to major cities yet don't want to have to deal with all of the big city issues. And while Erie is vastly different from Pittsburgh, I do think the rebound in Pittsburgh (and Buffalo and Cleveland as well) can have an impact on Erie.

I agree with you. I fantasize all the time about leaving behind the stressors of big-city living in Pittsburgh in favor of adjusting to life in a smaller-sized metropolitan area with a fraction of the expense or stress. Erie would put you within day-trippable range of Pittsburgh, Cleveland, and Buffalo/Niagara Falls. Presque Isle in and of itself is a tremendous stress reliever. I've been known to drive all the way up to Erie on a weekday "mental health day" off and spend hours walking the entire circuit around the peninsula---bird-watching, people-watching, reading all of the historic placards, taking in the sounds of unspoiled nature, etc.

Plus? Erie has Wegman's, Tim Horton's, Krispy Kreme, and Jelly Belly. If they could get a Trader Joe's I might just be kissing the rapidly-rising rents and very rude people of Pittsburgh good-bye in my rear-view mirror to vie for a job with Erie Insurance!