Erie PA area
Jul 11th 2010, 2:39 pm
#1
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Joined: Jul 2010
Location: littleton, colorado
Posts: 11
Erie PA area
Just wondering if there are any expats in the ERIE, PA or surrounding area?
i currlently live in Denver, Colorado and me and my wife are thinking about moving that way.
i currlently live in Denver, Colorado and me and my wife are thinking about moving that way.
Jul 11th 2010, 5:44 pm
#3
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Joined: Jul 2007
Location: Huddersfield,UK
Posts: 30
Re: Erie PA area
Hi, I'm not an expat yet but have spent a lot of time in the Erie area as my husband is from there. It's a pretty depressed area with a lot of unemployment (rust-belt) . Weather-wise it's humid in the summer and gets a huge amount of lake effect snow in winter. The surrounding area is mainly fruit growing - the landscape is ok but nothing outstanding. There is a decent mall (Mill Creek). Property can be cheap - especially in Erie itself (and there are some areas you would definately want to avoid) but in the more desirable outlying townships such as Northeast and Fairview it's more expensive.
Sports are big, not much other cultural stuff. Schools and colleges are generally ok. Hospitals are pretty good.
It's probably nicer than you imagine but - put it this way - despite all the family we have there - it's not on my top 20 list of places to live when we finally make our move over.
- melly
Sports are big, not much other cultural stuff. Schools and colleges are generally ok. Hospitals are pretty good.
It's probably nicer than you imagine but - put it this way - despite all the family we have there - it's not on my top 20 list of places to live when we finally make our move over.
- melly
Jul 11th 2010, 10:34 pm
#4
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Joined: Oct 2002
Location: Atlanta via Dubai, Belgium, Greece, Saudi Arabia
Posts: 953
Re: Erie PA area
Having had to visit Erie for work a few times I was asked if I would like to relocate, I replied by telling them the only good thing about visiting Erie is the leaving..
Apart from the locomotive plant which is shrinking year on year there is nothing in Erie many of the employers have either moved out or closed down.
As has been said the summers are reasonable but the winters are brutal with 12 inches overnight and continuing for a week common.
We had a young guy from Erie whose mother was from Ipswich used to regularly post but havent seen him in a while.
I would be asking why do you want to move or is hubby being pushed?
Apart from the locomotive plant which is shrinking year on year there is nothing in Erie many of the employers have either moved out or closed down.
As has been said the summers are reasonable but the winters are brutal with 12 inches overnight and continuing for a week common.
We had a young guy from Erie whose mother was from Ipswich used to regularly post but havent seen him in a while.
I would be asking why do you want to move or is hubby being pushed?
Jul 11th 2010, 11:59 pm
#5
@matthewb76
Joined: Jul 2003
Location: Missouri
Posts: 21,886
Re: Erie PA area
Buffalo is a good day out.
that say's it all about Erie.
that say's it all about Erie.
Jul 12th 2010, 5:56 pm
#10
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Posts: 12
Re: Erie PA area
Okay...after a long time lurking, there is finally a thread I have to reply to! I should say that hubby is British, I'm American (and naturalised British) and kids are both!
I was born and raised in Erie, PA and while the others are generally correct about the weather (hot humid summers and snowy winters) and the economics of the place (job market is depressed and there are basically only a few big employers...get a job with one of them and you can do really well...otherwise, practise "Do you want fries with that" now!), there are some positives as well.
The Pennisula is beautiful at all times of the year. The schools in the suburbs (Millcreek or Fairview) are very good and the city schools have an excellent selective "academy" for the brightest that is getting national attention. There are some lovely neighbourhoods with very affordable houses especially in Millcreek or further afield (Fairview).
A lot depends on what you are looking for...why you would want to relocate. We started there when we moved back to the US (about two years ago) because my whole family is there. The kids loved the schools and I loved being close to my family (hubby can weigh in with his own opinions if he so chooses), but after six months we were unable to find work...or at least well paying work!
We are now in Buffalo (well, just outside) and are finally feeling settled in here. Kids have adjusted to yet another new school and are happy here. I think we are better off here, as there is a lot more opportunity here than in Erie (for things for the kids to do, I'm not sure the job market is any better, but I'm not sure it is much better anywhere at the moment).
Funnily enough, we actually considered Colorado when we were moving, but decided it would be nice to be closer to my family after all the years away!
I was born and raised in Erie, PA and while the others are generally correct about the weather (hot humid summers and snowy winters) and the economics of the place (job market is depressed and there are basically only a few big employers...get a job with one of them and you can do really well...otherwise, practise "Do you want fries with that" now!), there are some positives as well.
The Pennisula is beautiful at all times of the year. The schools in the suburbs (Millcreek or Fairview) are very good and the city schools have an excellent selective "academy" for the brightest that is getting national attention. There are some lovely neighbourhoods with very affordable houses especially in Millcreek or further afield (Fairview).
A lot depends on what you are looking for...why you would want to relocate. We started there when we moved back to the US (about two years ago) because my whole family is there. The kids loved the schools and I loved being close to my family (hubby can weigh in with his own opinions if he so chooses), but after six months we were unable to find work...or at least well paying work!
We are now in Buffalo (well, just outside) and are finally feeling settled in here. Kids have adjusted to yet another new school and are happy here. I think we are better off here, as there is a lot more opportunity here than in Erie (for things for the kids to do, I'm not sure the job market is any better, but I'm not sure it is much better anywhere at the moment).
Funnily enough, we actually considered Colorado when we were moving, but decided it would be nice to be closer to my family after all the years away!
Jul 12th 2010, 10:03 pm
#11
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Location: Dubuque, Iowa, USA
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Re: Erie PA area
Jul 13th 2010, 1:08 am
#12
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Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 232
Re: Erie PA area
Why Erie? Is Gary Indiana full?
Jul 15th 2010, 1:11 am
#13
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Joined: Mar 2009
Location: Erie PA - From Ipswich England
Posts: 381
Re: Erie PA area
I'm a British expat living in Erie P.A, and the posts are pretty much correct. No real jobs and a city full of miserable people. The only big employer is GE (General Electrics) and they lay off people regularly. We recently had a women that was an engineer there that now works with me at a Giant Eagle grocery store ,making no more money than i do. Yes, the winters are terrible !
The best places to live is in the south of the city or in one of the suburbs of Erie; Millcreek, Lawrence park, Wesleyville. Harborcreek is very nice with great schools, but its a few miles farther to the east, out in the country.
The best places to live is in the south of the city or in one of the suburbs of Erie; Millcreek, Lawrence park, Wesleyville. Harborcreek is very nice with great schools, but its a few miles farther to the east, out in the country.
Last edited by YoungSteve17; Jul 15th 2010 at 1:18 am.
Jul 18th 2010, 8:01 pm
#14
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