Erie's Bicentennial Tower on Dobbin's Landing with a beautiful Erie sunset in the background
From time to time, folks have mused about moving to other parts of the country to make the electoral map a little bluer. Could it be extra folks from really blue states load up the moving van? Could it be blue folks from redder states flee to a bluer place? Alec MacGillis posed the question in a great piece in the NY Times, “If you really want Democrats to win in Iowa, move there.” Well this is my gambit, my charge to you with tongue only partially in cheek, but it’s not Iowa I’m suggesting. If you want to win again, help strengthen the blue by moving to Erie, Pennsylvania.
Why Erie? The waterfront is beautiful, and there is Presque Isle State Park — home to the best freshwater beach in the US. There is historic architecture, great old houses which can be had for a song -— HGTV should do its own show from here. :-) Having recently moved back from a very expensive crowded west coast city, I could swear that traffic jams are simply illegal here (can I tell you how much I don't miss traffic?!?) except for Upper Peach Street, which is outside the city limits. And more reasons, which will get thrown into this diary here and there, but back to the political. Like a lot of Rust Belt cities, Erie has challenges. But Erie is also proof that the characterization of such cities as being hotbeds for Trumpism just isn’t necessarily true.
Pennsylvania “went red” in the 2016 Presidential election for the first time since 1988 (whether or not one believes that to be accurate is moot for the purpose of this diary) by roughly 45,000 votes. Erie County had not voted red since 1984, and often Erie was the subject of discussions by the punditry about being one of those Rust Belt places where Trump could appeal to voters who had not voted Republican in a while, if ever.
Trip Gabriel wrote a piece in the NY Times (Nov 12) called "How Erie Went Red: The Economy Sank, and Trump Rose."
Gabriel wrote: Election night maps of Pennsylvania for decades included a bright blue crescent in the upper left corner. It was Erie County, a Democratic stronghold with an industrial economy that President Obama won by 16 percentage points in 2012. But Mr. Trump flipped the county, winning by two points as he carried Pennsylvania, one of the Rust Belt dominoes whose white working-class voters came out in droves for him.
As a resident of the City of Erie, though, I need to point out a bit of a substantial and misleading flaw with this article, well-written as it was. I have even emailed the author about it but have not received a response. Erie didn’t go red. Erie County did, the suburbs and small towns and rural areas around Erie did, but the City of Erie did not.
From the November 20 Erie Times article by Kevin Flowers, “Final Erie County vote totals shed light on Trump's win,” this little tidbit that I pointed out to Trip Gabriel (but again, I received no response) stands out.
Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton won each of the city's 69 voting districts, her campaign buoyed by the city's more than 2-1 Democratic voter registration edge.
Image of Erie County 2016 vote by district — with the City of Erie entirely blue. Thanks, Gatehouse Media and Erie County Voter Registration Office.
So yeah, that’s a little bit of a problem for Trip Gabriel’s assertion -— Erie didn’t go red. Erie went blue by a mile. The suburbs and small towns and rural areas almost all went red — way to buck the trend, Edinboro! — but Hillary Clinton won EVERY.SINGLE.DISTRICT in the City of Erie.
In the article, there is a fun interactive version of this map where you can click on each district to see election results. In the City of Erie, it wasn’t even close.
It may interest people to know that in 2015, The Advocate wrote a piece largely focusing on the environment for LGBT folks largely in smaller cities, which said Erie is the 7th Queerest city in the US. Cool! No doubt this is a plus as we wonder if/when the Bannon/Trump anti-LGBT executive order comes. But it goes beyond that, into another area where Donald Trump threw his anger and bigotry -— refugees and immigrants. Out of about 100,000 residents, the City of Erie is home to 10,000 refugees, and 20,000 immigrants overall. As James Fallows of The Atlantic noted, Trump came to Erie in August and gave another one of his angry rallies where he blustered on about the economic decline of the area and the threat posed in particular by Syrian refugees. Two weeks after that event, Deborah Fallows penned 'America Is a Dream Country' What does it mean to spend years as a Syrian refugee and then land in a brand new life in Erie, Pennsylvania?
Erie has a long history of immigrants and refugees, beginning in the early 20th century with an influx of Poles, Italians, Germans, Irish, and Russians. Now, the faces have changed: Somalis, Congolese, Bhutanese, Iraqis, and Syrians. Some 10 percent of today’s Erie residents arrived there as refugees.
Erie Stands with Refugees and Immigrants — 1/29/2017
Turns out, at least 300 Syrians are now living in Erie. It also turns out that when Fallows asked, people pretty much said that they didn’t recognize anyone coming to the Trump event as being from the City of Erie, that they looked like they were from “the outlying rural areas.” (Trip Gabriel, you should do your homework.) Looks like the people of the City of Erie were just a little too smart to buy into the anti-refugee stuff.
By the way, here is an Erie Reader link to a fantastic photo exhibition of New Americans in Erie — all credit to Erie’s Maitham Basha-Agha — and the “Meanwhile in America” story in The Atlantic about it.
(Let me take a moment to give an extra special thanks to James and Deborah Fallows for their wonderful pieces about Erie in The Atlantic. Thank you, and please keep telling our story!)
Erie Stands with Refugees and Immigrants — 1/29/2017
Last Sunday 1/29/2017, many Erieites braved the cold and snow to gather on the waterfront to support our New Americans. Erie also had a great turnout for the Women’s March, and a Science March is being planned for next month.
So just a quick check in ….. a low-cost very blue city with an amazingly beautiful waterfront which has an incredible history of welcoming and supporting refugees. Interested yet? Erie continues to welcome refugees -— sorry-not-sorry, Donald.
About that low-cost of living. What would you pay for a 1500 square foot downtown loft condo with 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms in an 1875 restored building? Here's one listed for under $190,000. How about a century old brick house in a walkable neighborhood for under $60,000? An historic residence on Millionaire’s Row for $210,000? Or splurge a bit -— 2500 square feet built on a pier in Presque Isle Bay, under a half million. You can do your own “Zillowing,” or wait for a new waterfront development to come along, but if you live in a much more expensive area (as I did) the real estate costs are going to be eye-opening, in the good way. Lots of opportunity for fixer-uppers, if that’s your thing -— and for these prices, you could afford to bring the Property Brothers here yourself.
Spencer House in Erie, Pennsylvania — West 6th Street Historic District
Not sure what you’ll do after you move to Erie? Channel your inner Bob Newhart and buy the Spencer House, an historic B & B on Millionaire’s Row in Erie, and work from home. This is larger than many of the homes in the West 6th Street Historic District, Erie’s Millionaire’s Row, but you’ll get a sense of the style of those historic homes from it.
I’ll be totally jealous if you do buy it. Watch the video and see more pictures here. Why, oh why, could I just not win the lottery? haha
Attracting more and better paying jobs has been a challenge for Erie, as has been the case for many old manufacturing cities. Erie was also once a great fishing port and shipbuilder. But Erie is learning to innovate. Partnerships with local industry such as Erie Insurance (our 1 Fortune 500 company) and universities are helping develop an innovation district in downtown Erie. Silicon Valley we are not, but a major local company renovating a derelict building downtown instead of staying in suburbia hasn't been the usual for Erie. The times, they are a-changin’ ….
What else could you want? How about great local theatre with the Erie Playhouse. Great music from the Erie Philharmonic. The Erie Maritime Museum is a true gem. So are the Tom Ridge Environmental Center and the Erie Art Museum and the Erie Historical Society Museums. Don’t forget The Erie Zoo and Waldameer and Erie Otters hockey. Tons of ethnic and cultural festivals each Summer ….. and the great food that comes with them. Quirky local foods? Got ‘em. Pepperoni balls. Ox roast. Greek sauce. And an airport where you will have to do connecting flights to all but Detroit, Philadelphia, or Chicago, but you will never get lost or have to wait to get through security in the Erie Airport. Honest. ;-)
Erie has frequently gotten it wrong on historic preservation. Actually, our record on it is a bit embarrassing — google Hotel Lawrence for a particularly infamous example. But there is one historic place where Erie has got it right, the Warner Theatre. It opened in 1931, at a time when Warner Brothers were building similar theatres all across the country, it is one of very few which remain. It’s a stunning place to attend a concert or play, or the late George Carlin as I did at the age of 15. How I got permission for that, I will never know. I’ll let Wikipedia say the rest:
Erie’s Warner Theatre
“Erie’s Warner Theatre is “an Art Deco and French Renaissance-styled theater located in downtown Erie, Pennsylvania in the United States. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. It was used as a movie theater until 1976, when it was sold to the City of Erie. In the early 1980s, Erie converted the theater to a performing arts center, which has become the focus of a downtown revival.
The theater features a 65-foot-by-28-foot proscenium stage and is complemented by crushed velour, gold and silver leaf, and gold-backed French mirrors. Today it hosts concerts and Broadway theatre performances and is home to the Erie Philharmonic and the Lake Erie Ballet. The Warner's Grand Lobby has capacity for up to 500 persons for a reception.”
Harvesting grapes for Ice Wine near Erie, Pennsylvania
By the way, it snows in Erie. Long time residents can still tell stories about particular storms the way everyone in Boston can about the Blizzard of ‘78. Erie is a regular contender for the Golden Snow Globe Award … which means that you can go skiing without huge lift lines or waits with less than an hour drive from downtown. It also means you should go check out some fantastic ice wines at Erie area local wineries. (and the rest of the year too).
UPMC Park in downtown Erie, Pennsylvania
But then Spring comes, and you can go head to the ballpark with the Erie Seawolves, and maybe even get First Based Reserve seats, which ESPN ranked among the best in all minor league baseball. UPMC Park may be quiet in January, but then Spring comes. Can you tell I am totally ready to go to a game?
Read The Onion ? Erie even has its own fake news source, The Mockerie. Kos readers will particularly appreciate the article from last Summer, “Erie Arena Crews Work Overtime To Clean Up Load Of Bull**** Left By Trump Speech,” and perhaps nominate it for a Pulitzer. Likewise, The Mockerie uncovered yet another scandalous Trump-Putin tie which went ignored by the national media, “Trump Taps Putin As Partner In Local Cornhole Tournament.” Sadly, Erie’s seedier underbelly was revealed to the world by “Erie Caught Falsifying Snowfall Totals To Lead National Snow Contest” as well as the behavior of one local high school’s hockey team, “Cathedral Prep Holds Annual ‘Running Of The Morons’.” But only The Mockerie was able to reveal the true nefarious nature of The Elf on the Shelf. Kudos, Mockerie! You do a great job.
Erie will be electing a new mayor in 2017. Not the purpose of this diary, but I am proudly supporting Erie County Council President Jay Breneman. Kos readers who have spoken of wanting more and better Democrats, check him out — Jay is definitely more and better. The video of his campaign announcement will make you smile -— trust me. Want to live in a blue city with the opportunity to elect a bright, young, progressive mayor whose leadership focuses on service? Move to Erie.
And when you do, you’ll get to work on some of those challenges. For my celebration of what is good about Erie, we must talk about those challenges. For those who are committed to serving (as well as getting PA’s electoral votes back in the blue column), Erie is a place where we would welcome the influx. We would welcome the help, but we know this can be a dynamic and progressive city.
Schools are woefully underfunded, as there is a huge swath of city property owned by non-profits and others not required to pay property tax — and the GOP-controlled Pennsylvania legislature hasn’t exactly been helpful in working with Governor Tom Wolf to overhaul the education system in the Commonwealth.
A half-century ago, Erie was a city of about 140,000 people. Today, it is arguably at 100,000. Erie has 4,700 vacant housing units, and more considered to be in distress. Like other cities, blight is a problem. The Erie Land Bank was created in November, to fight blight and help strengthen Erie neighborhoods.
Local polar bears dining al fresco at the Erie Bayfront Sheraton. It is Winter. Who says you can’t be outdoors? haha
There is a strong sense that now is the time that Erie has to decide to move forward; I would be remiss if I didn’t say there is some “it’s now or never” within that, but that is not to detract from the positive energy that has emerged in Erie. Charles Buki, a consultant from CZB who has helped forge comprehensive development plans — Erie Refocused -— for Erie termed it as time for Erie to have its first adult conversation in 40 years. With a little bit of irony, since the City of Erie stayed loyally blue, the desire for the past to come back does exist among some. But most recognize that we need that conversation, and the energy to do so is present and growing -— with a greater sense of this needing to happen NOW. This will be front and center in the upcoming city elections. There is also a sense that some current leadership is dropping the ball on this, but new leadership is coming with this year's elections as many current office holders are ineligible to run again. The sense of urgency is present, but within it is the sense that true renewal really can happen here.
In a city which employs no urban planner (sigh), candidates are actually talking serious about plans, like the aforementioned Erie Refocused, but also the new Downtown Master Plan which focuses on the assets of the areas of our downtown. Erie’s Bayfront is already thriving, with the Bayfront Convention Center, hotels, marinas, restaurants, and more. Linking the Bayfront to Downtown is one of our next challenges, and developing this will be a focus in the near future. Erie is realizing that it can innovate, and is innovating, but must do more of it. We have to be careful, as Erie still suffers from some woeful redevelopment decisions of the past, like the epic failure that was the Transitway Mall. The energy is here. Erie Refocused is now part of our future.
Presque Isle Bay from the West Bayfront neighborhood
Neighborhood organizations are taking an increased role — The West Bayfront and the East Bayfront neighborhoods are both close to the water, and very walkable in terms of amenities, In Little Italy, a community partnership has received substantial grant funds to revitalize. If you were ever priced out of neighborhoods with “high walkability,” Erie is a city for you to consider. Cultural events, sporting events, restaurants, bars, museums -— Erie offers that on foot … sometimes even with the million-dollar view like this one, which doesn’t cost a million dollars in Erie.
US Brig Niagara — thanks, Flagship Niagara League (from Tall Ships 2010)
Summer in Erie is beautiful. Glorious days on the water, the cultural festivals, swimming at the beaches of Presque Isle State Park ….. and the tall ships. Tall Ships Erie is a celebration that you just can’t have without our beautiful bay. Seeing these ships on the bay …. wow. Erie has an historical role in this, having been the shipbuilder for ships which won the Battle of Lake Erie in September 1813. The U.S. Brig Niagara helped lead this battle where Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry defeated the British, and its replica tall ship calls our Erie Maritime Museum home. Perry’s replica flagship also sails each summer, a great experience for anyone.
We remember Perry’s words from 1813 -— Don’t Give Up The Ship. Erie is our ship, and we’re not giving up. There were moments in the Battle of Lake Erie when victory didn’t look likely, but with ingenuity and creativity, Perry prevailed. That is the spirit of Erie. We’re not giving up our ship, not locally, and not nationally. We’re setting sail on the blue waters. We’d love to have you on board.
So, how about it? Make the move. Won’t you be my neighbor? Come be part of this. Who says you can’t live in your affordable progressive blue bubble with great sunsets, and simultaneously help rebuild the blue wall? See you in Erie!
