Nestled along the shore of Lake Erie, the City of Erie is home to approximately 102,000 residents making it the second largest city in western Pennsylvania. It is the county seat for Erie County and students attend schools that are a part of the Erie County School District along with having the choice of a number of private schools such as Cathedral Prep, Villa Maria, and Mercyhurst Prep among numerous other private elementary and secondary schools private schools.
A number of higher education institutions call Erie home that include Gannon University, Mercyhurst University, Penn State - Behrend and LECOM.
Entertainment abounds in Erie from theater and the arts to outdoor activities and sporting events, there is something to keep everyone in the family busy all year long. A big summer attraction is Waldameer Park located on Presque Isle. Splash Lagoon is a great indoor water park that is a great retreat from the cold Erie winters.Three professional sports teams keep the sports enthusiast busy all year watching the Erie Seawolves, Erie Otters and Erie Bay Hawks. The Warner Theater hosts the Erie Philharmonic among many other traveling shows. For nature lovers and beach goers alike, Presque Isle State Park is a top notch destination with a multitude of beaches and beach activities along with kayaking, sailing, biking, hiking and nature watching. Erie also offers a plethora of restaurants from casual bars and chain restaurants to ethnic and fusion specialty restaurants. A wine bar, Cloud 9 and many micro breweries are also great choices.