Defining the Erie Region

30Apr2008 Filed under: Blogs, Economic Development, Erie Author: Peter Panepento

Suzanne Morse’s Smart Communities blog is running a series this week on regionalism. Those who have been following the debate on whether Erie should adopt a more regional approach to its government and economic development efforts would be wise to check it out.

It might help frame some of the discussions we’ll be having in July at the Rust Belt Bloggers Summit.

It might also help define what, exactly, the Erie region consists of. Is it simply Erie County? Is it all of northwestern Pennsylvania? Does it include parts of western New York and eastern Ohio? Does it extend into the regions of larger cities like Pittsburgh and Cleveland?

One early post on the blog says you can define a region by answering three questions:

where do you shop?
where do you go to the hospital?
what newspaper do you read daily?

Based on those questions, the Erie region would consist of areas that center their shopping on Peach Street, their hospital care at Hamot or St. Vincent, and their newspaper reading on the Erie times-News.

I’m not sure if those standards apply neatly in this case. But it’s worth having the debate.

And if those questions are the guide, just how far does the Erie region actually extend?

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11 Responses to “Defining the Erie Region”

George Vietze
May 1st, 2008 at 8:32 am

Erie County alone covers over 800 square miles, borders New York and Ohio and Rts. 79 & 90 meet in Erie County and provides easy access to Canada, New York, Ohio and entire Eastern Seaboard.

Although my son and I live in Waterford, own land in Venango Township, shop and buy antiques in Erie and surrounding towns, read the Erie Times and other national and international publications view local, regional, national web sites, visit local restaurants, hotels, attractions in the Erie area as well as places like Peek’nPeek, Chautaque area and Bemus Point, sell antiques and other items purchased in Erie in Ohio, Pittsburg, North Carolina, Atlanta, Massachusetts, all over other places in Pennsylvania including Erie, Virginia, Delaware advertise on web sites and craiglist ALL OVER trying to change the perception of Erie and attract new residents. What is our REGION?

I live in the country now because I like the quiet country lifestyle but like the convenience of being close to the convenience and services in the City. The shopping is closeby, the hospitals and Doctors are available when needed. When the time comes have assisted living and care it is available. Visitors have lots of places to go and enjoy Erie and a diversified list of choices. The vitality of the surrounding Townships and Counties are directly connected to the success of both Erie and the County and Townships the quality of life, the value of our real estate, the attraction of the area is directly connected to people wanting to live, work and enjoy the entire area, how far that region expands is directly connected to HOW FAR DO YOU WANT IT TO BE?

I am having some success with California and Arizona friends considering coming to Erie, not sure everyone will agree that is a good thing, but a lot of local people take a lot of things for granted like clean air,
beautiful scenery, less congestion, Erie like “fashion” sans the pretense, country life style, small town feel and
friendly people that actually speak to one another and care about each other not to mention the affordable real estate compared to other areas.

When people decide to visit Erie for the first time and do not know very much about Erie they visit they look in the local newspaper, view local web sites, talk to local people, have you ever read the blog sites on the Erie Times Web Site…after reading some of the local comments and taking to some of that crowd it sometimes gets difficult to get beyond that….that is changing with sites like globalerie and the availibility of some of the NEW ERIE material and exposure on TV etc., and as the word travels about the up-dated facts of some of the new developments in Erie. OUR REGION IS EXPANDING!!
Michael Mahler
May 1st, 2008 at 9:45 am

Forgive me if I am missing something, but are the details for where and etc for the Rust Belt Bloggers summit set yet? I was looking to pass the word along.
Richard Dressner
May 1st, 2008 at 11:30 am

how far that region expands is directly connected to HOW FAR DO YOU WANT IT TO BE?

Exactly, George. Political and geographical boundaries pale in strength compared to populace identification and cohesiveness.

As long as we think of ourselves as living in a backwater area with downward trends where nothing much good ever happens, nobody in the greater area wants to associate with us.

We need an almost in-your-face positive attitude. A willingness to shrug off bad news and create success stories. Say what you want about Nick Scott and Paul Nelson, they get it. They invest in Erie, and not just the Erie bounded by senatorial districts and limit signs, they invest the region as they see it. And that region is a whole lot bigger than we imagine. They represent our strengths.

The recent idiocy over the airport expansion, golf course, gaming revenues and other bones of contention illustrate our great weakness: we aren’t a cohesive region, but a lot of small fiefdoms with limited vision for the future. It’s all about power and money for the micro-regions, not what’s best for the greater region, and the blame lies with all of them.
john morris
May 1st, 2008 at 11:34 am

I believe that the plan is for July 11th and 12th in Erie.But I may be out of touch and I don’t know other details on the exact location. The best plan, I think is just to pass along the link to the Rust Belt Blogger Network which is open to all bloggers with an interest in the region. Updated info will likely appear there. There are currently 55 members from places like Erie, Pittsburgh, Youngstown, Cleveland, Detroit and even Saint Louis and Millwaukee.

I think Dick Longworth will be there. He wrote a recent book about the Midwest’s struggles with globalization called Caught In The Middle.

Click here to read more.

“I heard back from Global Erie and July 11th-12th is a go. I’ve heard that a bunch of Youngstown bloggers are planning on attending.

Start spreading the word and we’ll begin working out the details and logistics of the conference. I think PodCamp Pittsburgh would be a good model for our event.”
john morris
May 1st, 2008 at 11:57 am

I won’t have much time to comment today, but I think making connections to a wider region and the world will be critical for everyone. Jim Russell has a lot of great thoughts on the general subject of connections, immigration and diaspora networks– it’s pretty much the subject of his blog. The Rust Belt Blogger network is also his idea.

Here’s his latest post.

He also has a disturbing observation about the way political boundaries and state political power and money have come to warp the regional community in an earlier post.

“That the Northeast Ohio (NEO) regional project stops cleanly at the state line ignores the economic geography of Youngstown and provides another example of the Other Ohio problem. Worrying about connectivity to Pittsburgh is something of little interest to Cleveland power brokers. Pork from Columbus is the primary concern, instead of a stronger relationship with Youngstown. Unfortunately, NEO re-entrenches the same dysfunctional political geography that Richard Longworth criticizes in his book, “Caught in the Middle.”

The biggest factor, I really got wrong when I came to Pittsburgh was not realising how few connections it had to the outside world. I just looked at a map and assumed regional connectivity that just isn’t there.In a world built on trade and rapid change- this can’t be a good thing.
john morris
May 1st, 2008 at 11:59 am

Sorry, here’s the link that quote came from.

http://burghdiaspora.blogspot.com/2008/04/supporting-other-ohio.html
George Vietze
May 2nd, 2008 at 3:01 am

While regionalization is spreading in this Global Marketplace and world economy and I am all for the whole is worth more than the sum-of-the-parts and win-win concepts there seems to me there are built in conflict of interests that have to be discussed.

Erie’s retail shoppng thrives on drawing people from New York, Ohio, Canada because of the sales tax incentives on food and clothing. If that law ever changed and we came together as a “Region” beyond state lines, how would that effect the Erie retail economy? Erie’s and the State of Pa. gambling revenue draws people from Ohio, New York, Canada and other places. Horse farms from Maryland, West Virginia, Ohio are finding it more attractive sometimes in Pennsylvania as Pennsslvania changes it laws and rules to compete and increase its own revenue. Erie has struggled to widen its base beyond manufacturuing to stabalize its economy while we all care about each other and the world and we all want to work together as a whole for the benefit of all mankind these conflicts of interest need to be put on the table and discussed openly because THEY EXIST as a question to be asked not as a deterent to REGIONALIZATION because there are many areas we can work together on as a group or section but the ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM needs to be talked about.
George Vietze
May 2nd, 2008 at 3:34 am

Not all people from Ohio subscribe to “Regionalization”!!!

http://youtube.com/watch…

Insane
Akron, OH Reply »
|Report Abuse |#15 Tuesday Apr 8

George Vietze wrote:

Pennsylvania and Erie are getting the “spotlight” by the media as April 22 approaches. April 23 is the GE shareholders meeting. The main reason GE is having their shareholders meeting in Erie is that Erie Transportation, even in tough economic times, has produced tremendous profits and GE considers the Erie plant as its best manufacturing site.

The New York Times in a recent article characterized Erie as “hard pressed”. GE is coming to Erie to reward the Erie site for excellent “productivity” by its Erie workers.
This story needs to be highlighted along with other stories that portray the NOW ERIE. The local newspaper and media need to market their own town and help off-set the out-dated old perceptions.

The election and the GE meeting will attract international, national and local media. Local groups are mobilizing to do their part, record adverting in both the Chamber of Commerce magazine and other magazines will be available. The newspaper needs to SPLASH the BEST OF ERIE during that week and featuring GE Transportation for its fine economic results. Erie needs to promote and market its successful industry examples. More local support might have been helpful in keeping the Cancer Institute in Erie. Missed opportunities are lost forever but we can start NOW to build an awareness prior to losing our prime projects.

Erie will grow and be prosperous because it is making a transition towards a new era, the demographics are strong and growing stronger, a more assertive and focused local media will help to set the stage and image. Erie cannot afford to have outside media create the OLD perceptions. Erie is on the move! GE Transportation is a world leader, the new Convention Center is up and running and the convention hotel will open in April, Erie has over 4,000 hotel rooms and counting, great attractions for tourists, i.e. Presque Isle beaches, Waldemeer Park (improving),Family Sports Park, 2007 Casino/Race Track of the year, downtown redevelopment, politcal support to re-develop the Tullio Center, and great potential for Bayfront development, great hospitals, four universities.

Combine our quality lifestyle together with our comparable cost of living and Erie rates high as place to raise a family and retire. Let us not miss the up-coming April opportunity to show the world the BEST OF ERIE.

LMFAO

Please take your meds, your family needs your SS!!!!!!!!

Other comments from other Ohio commenters were things like..”Go shoot yourself!”
Jim Russell
May 2nd, 2008 at 3:56 pm

Forgive me if I am missing something, but are the details for where and etc for the Rust Belt Bloggers summit set yet? I was looking to pass the word along.

John has the dates right, July 11th-12th. Where shall we meet? I don’t anticipate any more than 20 people, but interest may pick up as we get closer to the anointed time.

Could Erie Brewing Company handle us?

I’m shying away from a formal conference like Podcamp Pittsburgh. But if someone on the Erie end has a grander vision, I’m all in.
Peter Panepento
May 2nd, 2008 at 3:57 pm

I suggest the Brewerie — it’s owned by fellow GlobalErie blogger Jim Berlin and would have enough space for our group. Plus the food and beer are quite good.
Jim Russell
May 2nd, 2008 at 5:29 pm

I checked out the Brewerie website. Jim’s establishment looks to be a perfect venue for our RBB Summit. Consider this matter settled.

I greatly appreciate the recommendation.

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About 'Outside Erie'

Peter Panepento After more than six years working as a journalist in Erie, I'm now the web editor for the Chronicle of Philanthropy in Washington, D.C., and the publisher of GlobalErie.com. I still maintain close ties to Erie - a community that I care about deeply. I hope this Web site can help inspire a better future for Erie.

Outside Erie