North East, Pennsylvania. What does this mean to you? It means home to me. I will forever be grateful for the small town that I am from. The soothing feeling as you’re getting off the interstate with the full view of the lake in front of you will never go away. Trust me.
1. The sunsets
If someone asks me to tell them one thing I like about my town, the first thing that comes to mind is the sunsets. Everyone knows of their own spots on a hill where they can get a perfect view of the sky, or even just a drive down to the beach to watch the sun go down.
2. The grapes
There is absolutely nothing better than North East in the fall. In the fall, everyone has their windows open just to smell the grapes. The only downfall is getting stuck behind a grape picker while you’re driving down the road. Do you really live in NE if this has never happened to you?
3. The location
Conveniently located on the boarder of New York, North East is in the center of several awesome cities. Being an hour from Buffalo, anyone can easily make a day trip to Niagara Falls. A two-and-a-half-hour drive south and you’ll be in Pittsburgh, and a two-hour drive west and you’ll be in Cleveland. How convenient is that, though?! You can easily make a trip to any of these cities for awesome sports events or concerts.
4. The activities
To some people, it might seem like there really isn’t a whole lot to do in North East. But if you really think about it, there is a lot more than some places. We have beaches for summer and a ski resort 15 minutes away for the winter. We have amazing locally owned restaurants, cafes, boutiques and vintage stores that are all completely underrated. We need to appreciate the small things.
5. The community
Living in such a small town can have its perks. Sure, running into several people you know at the grocery store is inevitable, but just forget about that for a second. We have such a wonderful community around here. People are always getting involved in things around town. We have community events that are held year round and a variety of seasonal events. Everyone genuinely cares about our town and that is such a great thing.
6. The weather
Yeah, I know. I’m sure you are probably wondering why weather, out of anything, made the list, but think about it for a minute. We actually have all four seasons. I have relatives down south who always wanted to experience a major snowfall. We have beautiful (but rainy) spring weather, as well as mild summers. It never gets too hot to the point of it becoming unbearable. I consider us pretty lucky.
7. The schools
It’s pretty funny -- all throughout middle and high school I always hated how small our district was. But honestly looking back now, I wouldn’t want to a big school. Yes, there was constantly “drama,” but after you graduate, none of it even matters. The close-knit community with the teachers really amounts to a great experience. My memories from my school years are ones I am going to take with me for the rest of my life.
8. The Cherry Festival
This festival is the highlight of the summer in our tiny town. We generate people from all over Erie to celebrate – yes you heard it right – cherries. Vendors and carnival games are brought in for our entertainment and to raise money for our fire department. All in all, it really is a great community event for anyone and not just a loitering fest for teenagers.
North East really is an amazing town. Once you appreciate the small things, you come to realize everything that you were missing before. It is such a beautiful place with amazing history and I am so glad that I can call it home.
