Erie: the gritacular hub of northwestern Pennsylvania!

[Evergrey]

"Much of the city is as gritty as gritty gets" - pj3000 (Erie native and SSP forumer in a previous Erie thread)

The City of Erie (pop. 103,717) is the fourth largest municipality in Pennsylvania (after Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Allentown). However, it ranks as the commonwealth's 9th largest metropolitan area at 280,843 (though 2nd largest in PA west of Harrisburg). Erie's Urbanized Area has a population of 194,804. The city of Erie is the seat of Erie County, which is coterminous with the Erie Metro.

Erie is located in Pennsylvania's northwestern corner and is the state's only coastal and Great Lakes city. It serves as the hub of northwestern Pennsylvania and is home to major cultural institutions, shopping destinations, recreational facilities, and health care (Hamot) and educational (Gannon, Mercyhurst, Penn State Behrend, Lake Erie College of Medicine) institutions.

Erie remains a heavy manufacturing city to this day, and can be considered the "epicenter of the Rust Belt"... being roughly equidistant from Pittsburgh, Cleveland and Buffalo. While located in PA, Erie doesn't really look like anything else in PA... and has a typically "Great Lakes" style of urban development and vernacular architecture. It is quite similar to neighboring Lake Erie cities Cleveland and Buffalo (and Detroit somewhat) in terms of urban environment, neighborhood style, climate, industrial heritage and demographics... though it has also had a close relationship with Pittsburgh to the south... the "in-state" factor facilitating greater population and business interchange. Erie is known for its "lake effect" climate, which dumps an average of 88 inches of snow each year... but also moderates the summer climate and provides optimal conditions for grape and fruit cultivation.

Brief history:

Before Erie was founded, the French built a Fort Presque Isle along the bay in 1753, the northernmost of a string of frontier forts running south to Fort Pitt (Pittsburgh), also including: Fort LeBoeuf (Waterford) and Fort Machault (Franklin). When the British defeated the French at the Battle of Fort Niagara in 1759, the French abandoned and burned Fort Presque Isle. The British built a new Fort Presque Isle, but the garrison was massacred during Pontiac's Rebellion of 1763. Erie was founded in 1795, but before that... the area around Erie... a triangle of land wedged between New York and Ohio... was a point of contention.... claimed by PA, NY, CT and MA (the latter two having wide-reaching ambiguous territorial claims from colonial days). The other states eventually released their claims on the land to the federal government, from whom Pennsylvania purchased the land in 1792. Andrew Ellicott arrived in 1795 to survey Erie and settlement began.

"We have met the enemy and they are ours." - Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry

During the War of 1812, Erie would once again take a key military role. President James Madison ordered the construction of a naval fleet at Erie, which was headed by Daniel Dobbins. Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry led the American fleet to a famous victory over the British fleet at the Battle of Lake Erie. Perry's name is today ubiquitous throughout Western Pennsylvania, adorning schools, monuments, parks and towns.

Erie then became a significant transportation hub (rail and port) and manufacturing center. In the late 1900s, Erie fell into the typical Rust Belt economic malaise along with the rest of the region. However, even with the dramatic shrinkage of the manufacturing sector, Erie's economy is still heavily reliant on manufacturing... producing locomotives (Erie-based GE Transportation), aerospace components (Erie-founded Lord Corp.) and 10% of the nation's plastics. Today, Erie's growth sectors include the usual mix of health care and services. Beaches and grape heritage form important bulwarks for the emerging tourism trade. Erie is home to one Fortune 500 company: Erie Insurance Group.

Erie's urban core fell into the usual pattern of American urban neglect, disinvestment and active destruction in the 2nd half of the 20th century. Furthermore, the region stagnated beginning in the 1970s due to industrial decline. Neighborhoods throughout the city fell prey to the usual toxic cocktail of urban ills... and Erie's downtown was largely wiped out... replaced by suburban buildings with tragic architecture, parking lots, and a shocking system of inner-city 4-6 lane highways. While recovery has been slow... downtown and bayfront development seems to finally be gaining significant traction in recent years. Erie has assets totally unique to Pennsylvania, which will hopefully allow this city to fulfill its potential once again.

Now on to the photos. Due to Lake Erie, Erie has a unique micro-climate. It was sunny and 88F when I left Pittsburgh... but arrived to 62F and heavy rain 2 hours north in Erie (I failed to check the Erie weather forecast). I tried to make the best of it... though you might notice some raindrops in my photos.

First a couple shots from Presque Isle State Park... a remarkable peninsula jutting into Lake Erie. It is home to many beaches and trails. The weather was horrible, so I didn't get to explore much.







Houseboats!


looking towards Ontario (country radio from London comes in quite clearly in Erie)


this old lighthouse is on the East Side of the city


Mercyhurst is a small Catholic liberal arts college on the city's southern edge... the school is known for its excellent hockey teams... Go Lakers!


a Catholic school... Erie is one of the most Catholic cities in the country


the southern edges of the City of Erie are very 1960s/70s bland suburbia (ranches, split levels, no sidewalks)... the portion of South Erie further in is more of a 1930s/40s "suburbia" that reminds me of working class suburbs like Parma (Cleveland) and Cheektowaga (Buffalo). It's not terribly interesting... but has a lot of "boulevard" residential streets with grass/tree medians.


I think of these types of houses as "cottages"




Moving further into Erie's urban core... the city's East Side is extremely gritty...




this type of housing is very common in Cleveland (though they have a distinctive "duckbill" architectural flourish)








a pocket of wealth along the eastern shore








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much like Cleveland, Buffalo and Detroit... massive institutional structures from the 1880-1930 era are scattered throughout the city neighborhoods




same style... but brick this time!








Erie's gigantic industrial heart in the center city


catering to the working man




When you enter Erie from the south on I-79... the W. 12th St. exit is one of the most awesome urban heavy industrial entrances a city could have... it is brutal, terrifying and awe-inspiring


example of residential boulevard


26th St. has some decent commercial








:haha:








much of the city's west side is also quite gritty


on the city's far west shore there's a neighborhood called Kanawha(sp?) that has the city's largest area of upscale mansions... it reminds me of Cleveland's Edgewater neighborhood... which is also located on that city's far west shore










some bay housing




the section of the city along W. 8th and W. 6th near Gridley Park is my favorite... it's got some nice stuff... though it too is still rather gritty




























some bayview apartments


Front St... at the edge of the bluff high above the bay






Downtown next to the Bayfront Parkway...


Modern Tool complex


really handsome block downtown... the Erie Museum of Art is at right


building at left dates from the 1830s


this is another fantastic block downtown... the Starbucks is gorgeous and seems to function as the hub of Erie's intellectual community... and Sherlock's at left is a rather famous nightlife spot








Erie County Courthouse (1855) in downtown




a Gannon University building




the old Boston Store


State St. is the main drag through town... featuring many of the high-rises and much of the nightlife... the Warner Theatre is an opulent art-deco venue


I think this is Erie's tallest skyscraper... it's also my favorite


another strong block featuring the Erie Playhouse


the Avalon Hotel presents a blank face


destroy it


Cathedral of the Erie Catholic Dioceses


I imagine there used to be a lot of houses like this one in central Erie... only a few remain... "erratics" amongst blighted streetscapes of parking lots, mid-century trash and automobile-centric facilities


Nice block... much of State St. south of the railroad remains pretty solid








condo conversion in progress








Peach St. is 5 lanes in one direction downtown... a thoroughly depressing environment


more wide-ass boulevards of desolation




ooo... the Professional Building!




hideous residential building and abandoned Burger King


too wide!


oh... Verizon


another lonely survivor with the crappiest arena ever in the distance






that dude at bottom right is the mascot for Troyer Farms potato chips... the best chips in the world


how could an architect live with himself after designing such a monstrosity?








the best houses always turn out to be law firms and funeral homes






Erie's bayfront has seen plenty of development lately... there's Erie's sexy and sleek new convention center and Sheraton hotel


the Flagship Niagara led the American fleet during the Battle of Lake Erie in 1813... the current ship was reconstructed from the sunken remnants




the former Pittsburgh Wind Symphony barge is hanging out at Dobbins Landing


Gannon students coming down to the bayfront to watch the tall ship


Perry Monument across the bay on Presque Isle




finishing up with some near East Side... this area has some serious problems... but I really like its narrow streets and tree canopies...








heading south on Parade St.

[Sabretooth]

Originally Posted by Evergrey

Wow. Move over, Cheektowaga! You've been bested! Actually, it looks more like this person robbed an Applebee's - but had no interest in the cash drawers or safe, if you know what I mean.

Originally Posted by Evergrey

When you enter Erie from the south on I-79... the W. 12th St. exit is one of the most awesome urban heavy industrial entrances a city could have... it is brutal, terrifying and awe-inspiring

Buffalo from the south on I-190 is pretty interesting too.

Originally Posted by Evergrey

that dude at bottom right is the mascot for Troyer Farms potato chips... the best chips in the world

I would tend to agree, just I usually don't like to spend that much on chips (Store brand and occasionally Lays are much cheaper). Same goes for Cape Cod, but they're a bit dry IMHO.

[xzmattzx]

Nice pictures. I'm glad that it was a gray, rainy day for your pictures; that's the weather that I had when driving past Erie last Summer, and I think I'd like to see Erie with that kind of weather now. I never had the chance to stop in Erie and take pictures myself. I was en route to Pittsburgh from Buffalo, and needed to get into Pittsburgh in time for the Phillies game. I had spent too much time in Jamestown and Mayville, and wanted to see Meadville (which was less "city" to swallow and take pictures of). The next time I drive down to Pittsburgh from Buffalo, or decide to go somewhere in Ohio, Erie is going to be one of my stops.

I had a friend that went to Mercyhurst. He didn't really like it there. Actually, he thought that the nightlife in Erie was pretty bad. He and his friends would drive up to Buffalo or Niagara Falls to booze it up on many occasions.

I see housing styles that remind me of many different places. I see a little bit of Williamsport, a decent amount of Buffalo and suburban Buffalo like you mentioned, and some stuff that I've never experienced other than in photos. That must be all of the Cleveland stuff. I didn't notice too many Pittsburgh similarities, although you can tell that Erie is a Pennsylvania town. You would think that Pittsburgh would've had some influence on Erie, since Pittsburgh is the "capital" of western Pennsylvania.

[Evergrey]

I thought this seemed rather Buffalonian:

[Sabretooth]

I do know some people in Cheektowaga who have family in Erie, so there you go!

[blangjr21]

I don't think thats the crappiest arena ever. From the outside Joe Louis Arena is a disgrace to a modern American cities waterfront development.

[AKBTampa]

Originally Posted by Evergrey

the former Pittsburgh Wind Symphony barge is hanging out at Dobbins Landing

Just think there was a boat called Point Counterpoint I. Louis Kahn at his craziest.

[Sabretooth]

That boat is quite the bunker. Looks like the Monitor and/or Merrimack on steroids.

[Jaybird]

Great photos of a city I don't often see. Judging by these pictures, I think Erie has a much more Buffalo-esque feeling and look to it than, say, Cleveland, or Pittsburgh. I love that Mercyhurst College building, the Court House, and the High School there. Downtown Erie may be a bit small, but seems to have its bright spots.

Personally, I've never been in Erie, but been past it on trips to Pittsburgh. Every time I passed it, it was snowing.

Funny you mention London's country stations, because if it's a real clear day and have a strong aerial, you can get Erie's TV stations and radio stations fairly good. Also, London has Erie's PBS station on cable, which is sometimes marked WQLN 54 Erie-London.

Also, that picture of that bird with the students walking to the tall ships there is a GREAT SHOT!

[Evergrey]

You'll have to come visit Erie next time the Knights play at the Otters! Who knows... you might even become an "Erie Enthusiast"!

[Sabretooth]

Every time I've passed through Erie it's been dark.

[Jaybird]

Originally Posted by Evergrey

You'll have to come visit Erie next time the Knights play at the Otters! Who knows... you might even become an "Erie Enthusiast"!

True that. Speaking of which, I shall have to change my signature from "Blue-Collar City Enthusiast" to a "RUST BELT CITY ENTHUSIAST".

[Evergrey]

btw, are you a fan of London or Kitchener?

[Jaybird]

Originally Posted by Evergrey

btw, are you a fan of London or Kitchener?

I'm a fan of both. I actually like Kitchener a bit better, had better experiences there, and I'd like to get a job there someday.

[Evergrey]

I was referring to their hockey teams

[bayviews]

Good pictures & info on Erie!

Looks a lot like a smaller versian of Buffalo, Cleveland, or Toledo, physically quite different from Pittsburgh. In terms of demographics & economics, Erie is smaller cousin of all those cities.

While Erie's obviously lacking when it comes to vitality, its interesting how Erie has managed to retain a viable, export-based blue-collar manufacturing base, while its green lakefront has been preserved for recreation uses.

While not blessed with as great a setting, & certainly not a tourist destination, Erie has done quite well as compared to Niagara Falls, similarly-sized, but more more de-industralized & physically gutted.

On the other hand, Erie's not made the comebacks of Allentown, Reading, Lancaster or the other eastern PA rowhouse cities.

[Jaybird]

Originally Posted by Evergrey

I was referring to their hockey teams

Oh, my mistake, it would have to be the LONDON KNIGHTS!

[philadweller]

Too bad they discovered vinyl siding. I like the colors. Pennsylvania and New York are both East coast and Great Lakes states. They are like giant land bridges to the midwest.

[philadweller]

If Detroit and Cleveland had a baby it would be Erie. Detroit has those wide desolate boulevards. It is amazing that Americans lets its old rustbelt cities rot to the core. Here we are complaining about gas prices when it is automobiles that caused the demise of such classic handsome downtowns. We should be moving back to cities like this and beating our cars with baseball bats. We don't need to drill for oil. We need to zone better and bite the bullet and move to urban places that already exist. The infrastructure is already there.

[Evergrey]

yes... the wide-ass boulevards and automobile-centric retail in the middle of the city reminded me most of Detroit... the "neighborhood layout" reminded me of Cleveland... the utter lack of pretension reminded me of Buffalo