From the Editor: January 2025

Erin Phillips

Erie has, historically, had a bit of a self-esteem problem. There is always that portion of the population that feels like Erie can just never seem to get it right.

But in the past decade or so, all the other Erieites have really gotten to work, flipping that script. Slogans like "It's okay to love Erie" started popping up on shirts, bumper stickers, and eventually, in the hearts and minds of the people who call this place home. And while our shift towards self-love has come from many sources, the branding campaigns of places like Erie Apparel, winner of 2024's Best Boutique, (its owners and staff pictured gorgeously on our cover this month by the talented Jessica Hunter) have hammered that idea home. It really is okay to love Erie — and to be vocal about that love, and to show your support for the people and places working to make Erie more lovable.

That sentiment couldn't be more appropriate for our issue this month: Best of Erie.

Many of you have taken the time out of your busy lives to show your love — by voting en masse for those people, places, and things that make Erie so great. The Best of Erie issue is always one we look forward to — a chance to give a proverbial pat on the back to those businesses working so hard, those folks putting their creative ideas on display, those places — both naturally occurring and human-made — that keep us coming back again and again. Those entities that make Erie a place we feel okay loving.

This month, our writers take that a step further. Liz Allen points out those people and places outside of identifiable categories that represent the best of Erie — advocacy groups helping those unhoused in Erie find regular, dependable warmth and comfort, and neighbors (and neighborhood groups) pitching in to help dig us all out of an unprecedented snowstorm. A new columnist, Edwina Capozziello highlights the kind of experience one can only have in Erie as she patronizes Urbaniak Brothers for the first time. Jonathan Burdick points out the best in public programming on WQLN — those faces, both human and puppet, who have, for generations, bolstered America's children's academic growth along with their (arguably more important) empathetic, social-emotional growth.

As we head into this new year, let's take a moment to celebrate that which makes us, as a community, unique. The folks, food, art, and experiences listed among these pages are just part of the story. What makes the Erie community so special are all the people who voted them there (psst… that's you). Thanks for collectively making Erie a place that feels (more than) okay to love.