The Erie area

[dogwielder]

Erie is a beautiful little city with no jobs. It's my hometown, it's where my parents and sisters still live. I would love to be there also but I had to move to Cleveland, OH to find work in my field (IT). I would not suggest moving there before lining up a job. The employment situation is dire in most industries.

That said, if you do find work, I think most anybody would like it as a place to live. It's easy to get around thanks to the Bayfront Parkway. Presque Isle is just gorgeous, and it's not hard to see why it attracts so many visitors every summer. Downtown is safe, and there's enough going on to keep you busy. The Erie Philharmonic is quite a good little orchestra. The Seawolves are ... well they're a baseball team. There's the Otters if you like hockey. I hear there's even an NBA farm team in town, now!

There are good and bad parts of town. From what I remember anything from about 12th street up to 26th can be dodgy, some areas more than others. Still, looking at the crime data I notice the overall number is roughly half of the bigger cities within 2 hours of the place, so it's really nothing to worry about.

You mentioned liking the snow but I should point out this is not just snow. This is Snow. Erie is among the top 15 snowiest places in the country. They don't close school unless several feet fall in one night AND the plows can't keep up. You will acquire a new wardrobe and several new cuss words by the time you make it through your first winter.

Erie still feels very much like a small town, and I suspect it always will. It's in much better shape now than it was when I left, and maybe that will continue. I hope it does, and I hope some day I can move back. And hey, I hope you can live there too! Good luck.