Erie

Erie is a city of about 100,000 in Northwestern Pennsylvania. It is Pennsylvania's only lake port on the Great Lakes (Lake Erie).

Understand
Erie is the fourth largest metropolitan area in the state of Pennsylvania. However, in terms of size and stature, there is a clear gulf between the first and second cities (Philadelphia and Pittsburgh) and the second-tier cities, like Erie, Allentown, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, and Harrisburg. Erie is roughly in the center of Pennsylvania's only coastline, bordering Lake Erie. The city sits on Presque Isle Bay, which is formed by a long, narrow peninsula known as Presque Isle that reaches from the west around the north of the city.

Erie was founded in 1795 after the purchase of the surrounding territory from New York. It made its mark on history during the early 19th century, when Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry's small fleet of warships used the bay (then known as Misery Bay) to regroup and repair between skirmishes with the British fleet on Lake Erie. (A reconstruction of the Brig "Niagara" can be found at the Erie Maritime Museum.)

The late nineteenth century brought industrial development, primarily heavy equipment and the locomotive industry. Like many other cities in the so-called rust belt, this development has slowly withered away to outside competition, with the notable exception being General Electric, which maintains a large and active presence in the rail industry (GE Rail).

Erie's climate is similar to most of the Northern United States, but with a big winter twist known as lake effect snow. Snowfall amounts vary wildly within a zone south of the lake. Most of the time the immediate vicinity of the lake receives light snowfall, and the range from three to fifteen miles receives a whollop. Snowfalls are also generally heavier as you go east. The NY/PA border region typically receives the most snow until you move far enough away from the lake for the effects to diminish. The roads are well maintained, but some snow squalls come on so suddenly, it is impossible to keep up. If you are driving in the winter, be prepared with emergency gear. The good news is that by January, it is often cold enough for Lake Erie to freeze over, greatly diminishing the lake effect.

By plane
Erie is within a two-hour drive of Buffalo-Niagara, Cleveland-Hopkins and Pittsburgh International Airports. A medium-sized airport worth considering is

By bus
Erie has a Greyhound Bus Station across from the Library and Maritime Museum. Buses come and go frequently from Buffalo and Cleveland. Erie can be accessed from New York City, Chicago, and Toronto typically with only one transfer. City buses stop at the station, so you can visit parts of the city without a taxi or car, although you will have less freedom.

By train

 * Train operator:
 * Route stopping in Erie:
 * Lake Shore Limited operating daily between Chicago and Boston or New York City. It makes stops at most stations along the route, though it does not stop at some of the smallest stations. Trains consist of train cars from both branches between Chicago and Albany (Rensselaer).  The trains split into separate branches between Albany (Rensselaer) and both Boston and New York City.  Stops between Chicago and Albany (Rensselaer) include South Bend, Elkhart, Waterloo, Bryan, Toledo, Sandusky, Elyria, Cleveland, Erie, Buffalo (Depew), Rochester, Syracuse, Utica, and Schenectady. Stops between Albany (Rensselaer) and Boston include Pittsfield, Springfield, Worcester, Framingham.  Stops between Albany (Rensselaer) and New York City include Rhinecliff, Poughkeepsie, and Croton-on-Hudson. Eastbound trains call at Erie in the middle of the night while westbound trains have a more reasonable departure time around 7AM.

By car
Erie is easily accessible via Interstate 90 and 79. The Bayfront Connector Highway links the northern terminus of I-79 through the city along the bayfront and then through the industrial East Side and newer housing and office developments around Knowledge Park and Penn State University (Behrend College). The highway is 3-4 lanes, but has few buildings or side streets that connect directly with the road, making traffic relatively smooth and making it much easier to get in and out of the downtown. The highway is a scenic detour away from the traffic and strip malls of I-90 south of Erie.

By car
Erie is laid out in an easy to understand grid pattern paralleling the Lake Erie coastline. Numbered streets starting with the northern most 2nd Street run roughly east-west. (The bayfront highway loops around this grid, taking the place of what would be a "1st Street". Major E/W thoroughfares are 6th, 12th, 26th and 38th Street.  The center of town is split north-south by State Street.  N/S streets on the west side of town are typically named after trees (Peach, Poplar, Chestnut) and on the east side after countries (French, German, Holland).  The two major north-south routes through the center of town are State and Peach (Peach diverges to the southwest after 26th street.)  Major N/S streets listed from west to east are Pittsburgh, Greengarden, Liberty, Chestnut, Peach, State, French, Parade, East.  As you can see, this naming convention is not hard and fast, and breaks down in all directions the further you get from the city center.  The suburbs of Fairview, Millcreek, Harborcreek, Lawrence Park and Wesleyville also stick to this rough grid pattern to some degree as you move away from the city.

By bus
Bus (EMTA) service primarily stretches from Fairview in the west to Harborcreek in the east, and south to the I-90/Peach Street shopping district. Regional shuttles connect the outlying communities of Edinboro, Waterford, Corry, Union City, Girard and Albion. EMTA is available by phone at.

By taxi
Taxis are rare in Erie. Taxi services are provided by Hansen's Errand Service where pre-booking is needed. Other options are Uber and Lyft.

Spectator sports
Erie is a city of minor league athletics with two minor league professional teams and a major junior hockey team. The city also has two NCAA Division II athletic programs, one of which will move to Division I in July 2024.



Buy
The main shopping area in Erie is centered around Peach Street, south of the city to its junction with I-90. Many of the typical national chains can be found, many of which are contained in Millcreek Mall, a sprawling single-story mall/strip complex.

Smaller niche shopping is available on the west side of the city in plazas on West 8th, 12th, and 26th Streets. The downtown also has a few stores, but has not been a large retail draw since the late 1970s.

Erie is a popular shopping destination because of Pennsylvania's waiver of sales tax on clothing. Many people from the surrounding states and Ontario make special trips to Erie for this reason.

Eat
Erie has a few local foods unique to the area that you might want to try:

Greek Sauce- It's kind of like hot dog chili, but with different spices, and usually put on hot dogs and hamburgers, as well as other things. The local chain New York Lunch claims to have the 'original' Greek Sauce, and many would agree that theirs is the best.

Ox Roast- Thin sliced beef cooked in a beef broth, usually eaten as an Ox Roast Sandwich.

Pepperoni Balls and Pepperoni Bread- Italian Bread with pepperoni baked inside.

Smith's Hot Dogs- A hot dog brand local to the area that is very tasty. They are so well liked that there are stories of people from Erie who moved to other parts of the country having Smith's Hot Dogs overnighted to their new home. Good for camping and grilling out.

There are plenty of chain restaurants in Erie as well as ethnic and local places to eat. Peach Street has a large concentration of restaurants as does downtown Erie.



Drink
There are plenty of places to go for the night scene. Numerous bars and dance clubs are located throughout the metropolitan Erie area. Some night clubs are:

Sleep
Hotels are concentrated along the heavily travelled Interstate 90 corridor, primarily at the Peach and State St. exits. There are also a number of chain and locally based hotels and motels along Interstate 79 north of I-90 and to the west on 12th and 26th streets towards Presque Isle. Finally, the downtown offers a third option, offering anything from barebones motel to full-service hotel to bed and breakfast.



Stay safe
As in the rest of North America, the emergency number for fire, police, and ambulatory services is 911. The city of Erie is served by the Erie City Police Department, while Millcreek is served by the Millcreek Township Police Department. All ambulatory services are served by EmergyCare.

Erie, for the most part, is safe, and an average tourist will have no problems with violent crime, especially in Millcreek, where the mall and other shopping areas are. The East Side, especially near lower Parade Street, can be more urban and rough, but the people are mainly working class immigrants for the most part, and will not cause a problem. Near the General Electric plant near Harborcreek, however, the depressed, formerly industrial neighbourhoods can breed much in the way of criminal activity; it's recommended that a tourist avoid these areas, although these areas do not offer much in the way of what a visitor would wish to see to begin with.

Perry Square in Erie's urban core has multiple bars that are frequented on weekends by both rowdy college kids from Gannon and middle-aged professionals; one must be extremely careful when driving downtown overnight, especially after final call at 1:30AM.

Other than these notes, one should just use common sense; avoid flashing expensive articles while in thickly populated areas such as downtown Erie.

Go next

 * Chautauqua
 * Buffalo is an hour and a half east on I-90.
 * Cleveland is an hour and a half west on I-90.
 * Conneaut
 * Meadville
 * Franklin
 * Titusville
 * Finger Lakes
 * Holiday Valley
 * Peek'n Peak