Well, after a while looking for a job, my husband has been offered a job, but in Erie, PA. Unfortunately, neither of us know anything about the area or what its like to live in PA. I've always lived in New York, in the Rochester area and in the 1000 Islands and my husband grew up in Los Angeles and lived for a while in Buffalo before we both moved up here.

My questions start with, first and foremost, what are the best schools in Erie. For instance, when living in Rochester, it was the Pittsford schools that were sought after and in Buffalo, my husband said Clarence schools were the best. So, what schools would be great for my kids? We'd like to live near a mall and we have a boat, so living near water would be good. I saw on Mapquest that Edinboro was on a lake. Is it nice there?

We aren't snobs, so we don't want to live amongst the hoi paloi, on the other hand, we don't want to live in a neighborhood that could be featured on COPS, either.

Also, we're tried and true Sabres/Bills fans. Moving to PA, would be have to become (gasp!) PENGUINS fans ....or worse...STEELERS FANS ?

Anyhow...anyone from that area or who knows the area, your input would be greatly appreciated. We aren't moving there for sure, but its a serious option for us.

Thanks!!

About ten years ago, I lived in Erie for about two years. It is a nice area in terms of natural beauty (you are aware that it is located on Lake Erie, right?). The parks there are quite nice, and I used to go to the beach every weekend in the summer (google Presque Isle State Park); it is a quick 10 or 15 minute drive to the beach.
Erie is the smallest city I've ever lived in so I found the area to be depressed, economically-speaking, but keep in mind I am used to major metropolitan areas. In addition, I think the area has seen a bit of a comeback in recent years. I think for a family, it would be a nice place to live. If your husband is used to Buffalo, he'll be pleased with Erie, as it is a livelier and more vibrant place to be, in my opinion.
Sorry, I don't have information on school districts, as I have no children, but I never thought of Erie as being a junky place at all, so I never heard that even the public schools were bad. Contact a real estate agent in the area. S/he will provide you with statistics and information on school districts, taxes, etc. for the city and suburbs. An agent will be more than pleased to aid you in orienting yourself to certain parts of town.
Edinboro is better than 20 miles away from Erie, and there's no real need to live there for water, as you have one of the Great Lakes in your backyard. There are plenty of lovely homes in Erie and the surrounding suburbs to choose from. I lived in a new housing development and am sure there are many more to choose from now. I recall that Erie proper has many stately older/renovated homes as well.
Good luck in making your decision! Go visit, and see what you think. You'll be able to get a good feel for the city over the course of a weekend.

Thanks for the info! What do you know about the suburbs of Erie?

Anyone else have any opinions of Erie, PA? I'm really, really interested in the schools. Or if anyone has any comparisons to living in Pennsylvania vs. New York State (upstate).