Neighborhood Asset #4: Transportation

This post could be subtitled "You Can Get There From Here". Living in our neighborhood has many advantages, one of which is the ease with which you can access most of the good things Erie has to offer.

State Street: Erie's main artery runs right through the Academy Neighborhood. Need to be at an Otters game starting at 7:30? You can leave at 7:15 if you like - if you know the smart places to park downtown. Remember there are people driving into town for events at Erie Insurance Arena and the Warner Theater from hours away. From State Street it is easy to get to 38th, 26th, and 12th Streets in a matter of minutes. And let's not forget if you are downtown you can zip south to our neighborhood on French Street. It isn't the prettiest drive but it is one of the fastest shortcuts in Erie.

Routes 20, 97, and 8: All three state roads are within a block or two of every home in our neighborhood. Route 20, 26th Street, gets you east into Wesleyville and Harborcreek and west into Millcreek easily. Route 97 (Old French) gives you access to Interstate 90 in a matter of minutes at Exit 27 and the same goes for Route 8 (Pine Avenue) which gives you easy access to Exit 29. 

EMTA: The "E" has three routes intersecting our neighborhood. Route 27 can get you up and down State Street, from Dobbins Landing to Presque Isle Downs. Route 23 travels up Old French and can get you to Mercyhurst University or locations downtown via Parade Street. Route 26 travels East 26th on it's way from Dobbins Landing to Penn State Behrend.

Drive times according to Google Maps...
Mercyhurst University: 3 minutes
Erie Zoo: 5 minutes
Saint Vincent Health Center: 6 minutes
Erie Insurance Arena and Warner Theater: 8 minutes
Millcreek Mall: 10 minutes - We know this one is very dependent on traffic & time of day
Presque Isle Downs & Casino: 10 minutes
Blasco Library: 11 minutes
Splash Lagoon: 13 minutes
Penn State Behrend: 13 minutes
Waldameer and the entrance to Presque Isle State Park: 17 minutes
Erie International Airport: 19 minutes

And of course we are within 2 hours of Pittsburgh, Buffalo, Cleveland, and the Allegheny National Forest. The Academy Neighborhood; you can get there from here!

Baker's Field - A Look Ahead

I'll keep this short. First of all, it should be stated for the record that Baker's Field is named after Isaac Baker, who served as an Erie School Director for over 40 years, and who is the Isaac Baker in Isaac Baker's Men's Wear. Baker's family donated the land to the Erie School District and the field was dedicated in the spring of 1951.

We are in contact with the Baker family and they are excited about our efforts to revitalize the field and restore the monument to Baker at the corner of Holland and East 32nd Streets. Please "stay tuned" for more developments over the next few months.

I recently was at Community Park in Harborcreek Township. I was pleasantly surprised to see two things.

Garbage and recycling cans - over a dozen of them!

 Monuments and memorials that have not been damaged or stolen. 

This is what we should expect for any municipally owned property in our neighborhood. No exceptions.