I seldom think of Erie. I have no idea what the city looks like or its culture. It seems isolated from the rest of the Commonwealth.

I was raised mostly near Allentown. The earliest mention of Erie that I can remember is that before the results of the 2000 census, Mayor Heydt of Allentown and whoever was Mayor of Erie then had a bet as to which would be more populous. The Mayor of Erie lost that bet.

I suppose that I might think of Erie as a smaller version of Buffalo, but less fortunate than the larger city, as Buffalo was recorded as having gained population in the 2020 census.

I also occasionally think of Erie as having a station on the high speed rail network that I often fantasize about the United States building. It would be stop on a high-speed version of the former New York Central Water Level route from New York City to Chicago via Upstate New York.