Name: Erie, PA
Rating: 0.0

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( 63 Ratings )

Living in Erie, PA

Ranks better than 82% of areas Follow

Population

96,616

Median Age

34.5 Years

Erie Area Facts

Erie has a Livability Score of 82_/100, which is considered exceptional
Erie crime rates are 29% higher than the Pennsylvania average
Cost of living in Erie is 11% lower than the Pennsylvania average

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What do the locals think about Erie?

43%

Family friendly

63%

Public transit is accessible

45%

Walkable to grocery stores

13%

Yards are well-kept

77%

Lots of parks

54%

Walkable to restaurants

Friendly neighbors

Safe at night

Pet friendly

Streets have sidewalks

21%

A quiet area

16%

Sense of community

Based on 56 votes from AreaVibes users. Take the poll

Erie Reviews

Write a review about Erie Tell people what you like or don't like about Erie…

Pretty place ugly trashy nasty people...ZERO SERVICE AND AMENITIES!!!! 1 rating By Anonymous ( Jan 04, 2022) First of all lets cover services; house, car, medical,, veterinary, sales. In every aspect you will be frustrated and severely disappointed! It's amazing these people live this way. I guess it takes all kinds and now I know where all the lazy professional unskilled rude small mi ...Read More nded backward people are made! It's a great place as long as you don't interact with the wildlife ( residents ) ! If you are a sophisticated educated person of taste and class your quaily of life with most certainly be deminished if you choose to reside in this place. I suggest waiting until it's evolved beyond the level rudimentary life ! Read Less

It’s A Wonderful Summer Vacation Spot But Don’t Live Here. 2.5 rating By Anonymous ( Oct 04, 2020) Erie is a wonderful place to visit and spend your summer vacation at, there is Lake Erie, Dobbins Landing, Waldameer Amusement Park, Millcreek Mall, many great hotels and of course Presque Isle. But living here is different, you have to deal with people who blast music super loud ...Read More , people speeding on the streets, yes it’s definitely not quiet here at all. At night its hard to get sleep because there is either people fighting outside or people speeding. Also there is not a lot of safe areas at all in the City of Erie. The only safe areas are the upper West Side near Glenwood and in the Greater Kahkwa & Frontier neighborhoods. That’s really it. Downtown is just a ghost town of its past self with homeless people peeing on buildings. Oh and Downtown wreaks of urine, bike down there you’ll see yourself. I’ve also almost had my bike stolen multiple times and almost got robbed one time when I was just talking a walk minding my own business. So yes, please for the love of god don’t ever live in the city of Erie, it’s a great place to visit for a few weeks but don’t ever live here. Read Less

Lived here 9 years 4 rating By Anonymous ( Apr 03, 2020) I moved to Erie from Northern Virginia (DC area) about 9 years ago.
As a transplant, I’ve come to find Erie has everything I could possibly want! There’s plenty of locally owned restaurants to enjoy, museums, an amusement park, beaches, and playhouses!!!
I live in the heart ...Read More of the city and I’m close friends with my neighbors. Erie has a strong sense of pride and community. Read Less

The Worst Place To Live 1 rating By Anonymous ( Mar 08, 2020) To sum up Erie, it’s a nice place to live. Living here however is a whole different story. You can’t sleep at night without having to hear people racing outside and blasting loud rap music. Don’t even try going into the Lower East Side or Lower West Side unless you wanna ge ...Read More t shot? Fun things to do in Erie? Well there’s a few, the lake, the beaches, waldameer, and exploring abandoned houses and messing with homeless people. This city is so depressing that everybody here relies on medication. Read Less

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Lived here 9 years 4 rating By Anonymous ( Apr 03, 2020) I moved to Erie from Northern Virginia (DC area) about 9 years ago.
As a transplant, I’ve come to find Erie has everything I could possibly want! There’s plenty of locally owned restaurants to enjoy, museums, an amusement park, beaches, and playhouses!!!
I live in the heart ...Read More of the city and I’m close friends with my neighbors. Erie has a strong sense of pride and community. Read Less

The Worst Place To Live 1 rating By Anonymous ( Mar 08, 2020) To sum up Erie, it’s a nice place to live. Living here however is a whole different story. You can’t sleep at night without having to hear people racing outside and blasting loud rap music. Don’t even try going into the Lower East Side or Lower West Side unless you wanna ge ...Read More t shot? Fun things to do in Erie? Well there’s a few, the lake, the beaches, waldameer, and exploring abandoned houses and messing with homeless people. This city is so depressing that everybody here relies on medication. Read Less

Drug Infested City 1.5 rating By Anonymous ( Sep 17, 2019) Everyday somebody overdoses on heroin, or prescription pills, it’s a sad and depressed town and crime doesn’t make it any better. Seriously a C? Should be an F! 4 people got shot yesterday and 2 people got stabbed today. Happens almost everyday somebody dies from getting kill ...Read More ed by somebody or a drug overdose. Read Less

Why you should move/stay away from Erie. 1.5 rating By Anonymous ( Aug 06, 2019) I’m gonna list off some pros and cons of this city.
1. We are very close to cities like Cleveland, Ohio, Buffalo, New York & Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
2. We have a local amusement park here called Waldameer & Water World.
3. The Millcreek Mall (although it is pretty dead)
4. Pr ...Read More esque Isle State Park
5. Bayfront Convention Center
6. Lake Erie + Beaches
Now here’s the cons.
1. Not safe at night.
2. Drugs & Crime are sky high.
3. East side of Erie is the worst part of town, and crime is also starting to rise in the west side.
4. Many abandoned/low income housing.
5. Shootings & Stabbings Constantly
6. Weather absolutely SUCKS Read Less

It's half and half really. 2.5 rating By Anonymous ( Feb 03, 2019) Erie has many great options, like an amusement park, the lake, hotels. But, the crime here is not the best. I would say crime is really a D or an F. There is a lot of stabbings and shootings here, mostly in the lower East side of town, I never feel safe at all walking at night ei ...Read More ther. Crazy, I wish I could move. Read Less

This place is horrible 1.5 rating By ShellyLee ( Mar 18, 2016) Lived here way to long. Over 35 years. Ready to move. The humidity is horrible (over 50%) and we are called the Mistake On The Lake and Dreary Erie for a reason. The crime is horrible on the lower East side and the lower West side is getting worse. Sure the cost of living might b ...Read More e appealing but there are NO jobs here and it is a customer service based industry which does not pay a livable wage. Presque Isle usually has a half a dozen beaches closed normally due to e coli and other gross stuff in it. The sun rarely shines here. The winters are brutal and a temperature difference of 30-40 in a 24 hour period is normal. We are always on the top 5 list for the most snow accumulation. We rarely have 4 seasons anymore. It is cold cold COLD. The summer is more like a spring with a never ending cold winter. Also the poverty is horrible and we are listed as one of the top states in the US for welfare recipients. LOTS of bars and drunks. Red Necks in Fairview, Girard, Lake City, Edinboro, Albion and I could go on and on. The place just has BAD energy now and has been getting worse for years. The fact that the weather is listed as a D+ and not an F while Sedona, AZ is listed as an F is pure bs. Read Less

Pennsylvania's Coolest Vacation Hot Spot - Erie, PA 4 rating By Anonymous ( Jun 11, 2010) Once, I had asked my friends where they thought a great vacation spot was within the state of Pennsylvania. I usually get responses for Pittsburg or Philadelphia as the usual hotspots. After wanting to see something different that the state of Pennsylvania had to offer, I had the ...Read More pleasure of spending time in Erie during the week after Easter; where I found something new and exciting to do each day. During my visit to the city of Erie, I found much more than I could have ever expected. Located in the northwestern part of the state, on the shore of Lake Erie; the city provides entertainment and fun for everyone; in addition to a small town friendliness from its residents.

There is an indoor water park which was loads of fun, as was the zoo and botanical gardens; only to name just a few of the attractions within the city of Erie. I found there was so much to do and so many attractions to see that I did not have the time to fit everything in during my stay. A drawback to my trip was that things were a bit pricier than I had expected for a city of its size, although given that the cost for the outstanding degree of entertainment, shopping, lodging and restaurants which I found in Erie (in comparison) other Pennsylvania cities are a great deal more expensive. In a financial aspect, I felt it was one vacation spot well worth the price.

I am looking forward to visiting Erie once again, however, this time it will be with my family during this summer. I am planning to stay for two weeks so we may take in everything the city has to offer. Another disadvantage I've found is that because of its location, the area is sometimes pummeled with lake effect snows during the winter season. Unless you are a resident of the area or have the tenacity to brave the icy elements, I suggest traveling at some point in the spring through fall because of the comfortable temperatures of spring and summer plus (if driving) the glorious autumn foliage. In my opinion, the city and everything it has to offer is well worth the trip. Read Less

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Erie, PA

Erie is one of the five largest cities in the State of Pennsylvania, and as you have most likely guessed, it is located on the shores of Lake Erie. With over 95,000 residents, the city has played an important role in the economic development and history of the region. Waldameer Park and Water World is one of the top attractions in the area that has a fun collection of slides, roller coasters, and more to entertain you and your family on beautiful summer days. While Erie's population has been shrinking in recent years due to the loss of manufacturing jobs, the area still has some amazing things to do. The outflow of people has also resulted in some incredible home prices for those who are looking to buy a home in the area.

The Erie Zoo is another must see attraction in the city that has a giraffe exhibit that you would not expect to find in a city this size. Water plays an important role in the life of the city and its residents, and the Erie Maritime Museum will help master mariners and sea lovers learn about the area's nautical history. It is worth a full day to explore due to the number of exhibits and articles that it has on display. The Flagship Niagara is a fun site to see when it is out sailing on the open waters of Lake Erie.

Getting around Erie is easy since traffic is rarely ever a problem. In those rare instances where an accident backs up a particular street, you can almost always find an alternate route to get around the delay. The Erie Metropolitan Transit Authority operates a fleet of over 75 busses that serve over 30 routes on a regular basis. The service is fast, reliable, and very popular with local residents.

Downtown Erie and Little Italy are two areas of town that consistently get high marks and recommendations from local residents. These areas are good for both first time homebuyers and those who are established with a career and kids. While Erie's public school system may not be the greatest in all of Pennsylvania, it does have teachers who care about their students' well-being.

Erie Insurance, the Plastek Group, and Gannon University are a few of the highly-regarded employers in Erie. If you are fortunate enough to work for one of these companies, you understand what sets them apart. Erie has a good selection of shopping, dining, and entertainment options. Mi Scuzi, Casablanca Grill, and Lawrence Park Dinor are just three of the many options that are available and highly recommended. If you love getting out on the water for adventure, Erie is your place to live.