Erie

Erie is Pennsylvania’s third largest city and only Great Lakes port. Our historic past is reflected on our newly developed waterfront where the U.S. Brig Niagara, Oliver Hazard Perry’s flagship at the Battle of Lake Erie during the War of 1812, has been restored to a sailing tall ship and is berthed at the Port of Erie. Thus, Erie has been designated as the Flagship City of Pennsylvania. From tourism to manufacturing, from a newly developed bayfront to energized neighborhoods, we are a city that is experiencing dynamic growth. Presque Isle Park boasts thirteen miles of sandy beaches and, according to National Geographic Magazine, we enjoy the world’s second most beautiful sunset, surpassed only by Hawaii. 

Erie is a mecca of educational, recreational and cultural sites. We are justly proud of our institutions of higher learning: Behrend College-Penn State, Edinboro University, Gannon University, and Mercyhurst, a nationally ranked Liberal Arts college. An acclaimed Philharmonic Orchestra, an award winning regional theater, a Civic Center which hosts varied sports and entertainment events, several local ballet companies and a Maritime Museum which shares space with our newly built Blasco Public Library on our bayfront are only a sample of what attracts thousands of visitors each year. A new state-of-the-art ballpark resides in Erie’s downtown and is home to our AA team, the Erie SeaWolves, and anchors much of the summer nightlife which now includes a popular comedy club. "We Love Erie Days," an annual August celebration featuring major entertainers and many ethnic foods culminated by a spectacular fireworks display, draws visitors by boat across Lake Erie from Canada. Erie’s location in a tri-state region and Interstate hub offers ease of access to larger cities such as Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Buffalo and Toronto, Canada, providing along with its port facilities intermodal transportation opportunities for a rich and diverse economic base. A city rich in diversity, boasting over twenty-three different ethnic populations, we are a very "neighbor-centered" city, and we embrace the richness these varied groups offer.