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AOL
Category:
Entertainment & Arts
Erie,
Pennsylvania 16501
(800) 605-9764
I am the epitome of the AOL hater. I never had anything good to say about them. Overpriced and...
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I am the epitome of the AOL hater. I never had anything good to say about them. Overpriced and crappy service was my motto for them.
Then I had a friend who offered to pay for my service during a bad time in my life. He used AOL and offered the same. I figured... crappy AOL was better than nothing, which was I could afford, so why not?
Wow, did I get a surprise. I will admit they recently went up in pricing but I believe this was to switch most of their customers over to a high speed connection versus dial up. BUT that being said and pricing set aside, I have to admit I love them. Ssssh.. don't tell the computer guru's this! But truly, I do. Not only do they offer great and free anti virus but they have so many other little products they offer like their online games and newslines that I can't help but enjoy their product! I've never had an issue with being dropped in my dial up service (ok, quit laughing that I still have dial up!) and I've never gotten a busy signal. What I have gotten was great service, even when I had some problems that were computer oriented, free anti virus and pop up blockers, spy ware, free game rooms that I'm so addicted to, chat rooms that I'm not so addicted to but might be some people's bag and basically good service from a company I used to hate! I confess, I like AOL!!!
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Ok, all those closet geeks that love to read and dive into a good book for an afternoon raise your...
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Ok, all those closet geeks that love to read and dive into a good book for an afternoon raise your hand. That's what I thought... you're out there. If you enjoy a quiet afternoon or evening with a good book then Border's is the place for you. While their music area tends to be slightly more expensive than, let's say WalMart or Best Buy, they offer a great deal more and will special order anything you might want that they don't have.
Their book selection is wonderful and again, while some of it may be slightly higher than something you would purchase at WalMart the selection alone is worth staying on the lower Peach Street level, not to mention the slightly less crazy traffic as you can slip off I-79 directly into the drive that goes to Borders, outside the mall area.
What I love most and is most enticing to those of us who just simply want to disappear for a few hours in a good book and cup of java is the café that is tucked into the corner of the store. You can order a big cup of coffee or whatever your taste buds crave and slip into a comfortable table or overstuffed chair to read a good book. They even sometimes have some comforting local performers there to soothe you with some jazz or light rock.
They also have a fairly good magazine area that has a lot of hard to find publications and their kids area is really pretty good. They offer a computer to help you look for books you can't find, which I found especially helpful in the children's section! They sometimes run special readings and fun stuff in the children's area also.
All in all, a good experience for anyone who loves books!
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Buddha's Body Art
Category:
Tattoos
2761 W 12th St
Erie,
Pennsylvania 16505
(814) 833-0439
If you go to Buddha's, you are not going to get your tat done by some Hindu god, but you will get...
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If you go to Buddha's, you are not going to get your tat done by some Hindu god, but you will get a work of art on your body. They also offer body piercing on almost every place you can think of on your body. They have designs or you can bring your own. They sterilize, but always make sure you double check things before you make this permanent choice.
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Bush Framing Gallery
Category:
Art Galleries & Dealers
3799 Shannon Rd
Erie,
Pennsylvania 16510
(814) 899-5450
Face it, no matter where you go you are going to pay a pretty price for custom framing. That...
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Face it, no matter where you go you are going to pay a pretty price for custom framing. That being said, Bush really does a good job for the money. I also prefer to go there as opposed to going up to the mall area or Peach Street for custom framing. I find that Michael's frame department is very limited and much more expensive also.
Bush is family owned and really does do an excellent job with most any type of framing you need. They also have a great art gallery with their business that you can browse and pick up some local artists' works for a fair price.
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Chuck E Cheese's
Category:
Amusement Parks
7200 Peach St
Erie,
Pennsylvania 16509
(814) 866-2938
Ok, so he's a mouse.... but Chuck E. Cheese is really a place to have fun and is for kids of all...
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Ok, so he's a mouse.... but Chuck E. Cheese is really a place to have fun and is for kids of all ages. I love their kids party packages for the younger crowd. You simply cannot beat the price when you figure out how expensive it is to do something at home, provide food, cake, and fun. Plus, face it.. there's a lot to be said for letting the kids trash someone else's place!!!
The game room is tantalizing to kids of all ages. I've seen just as many 'big kids' and so called adults there as I have little ones! We're all kids at heart, right?!
I love the fact that they stamp your hand and you children's hands so they must leave with you and nobody else. It's an added measure of security because it's fairly easy to loose a kid in there on a weekend!
Weekdays are a lot less crazy and also they offer slightly cheaper birthday packages on a weekday.
The food... pizza is acceptable. It's basically what you would expect for a large, chain pizza company. You're basically paying for the atmosphere.
Watch for coupons, they're always out there and make dining with the Cheese-Meister slightly more affordable for a family.
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This is a wonderful atmosphere to take the kids to for fun. The Children's ExpERIEnce Museum is...
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This is a wonderful atmosphere to take the kids to for fun. The Children's ExpERIEnce Museum is not only nicely priced for a family but I highly recommend getting the family membership if you think you might even go one more time. I guarantee, if you leave it up to the kids you'll be going more often!
They have great science exhibits that are hands on. Geared towards children ranging from about 3 or 4 up to at least 10, kids of all ages will enjoy the various projects, learning about science in a fun way. My kids loved the bubble exhibit when they were small and of course the dress up area where you can pretend to be anything you want. Wegman's Market provides a wonderful and realistic grocery shopping experience for both kids and adults to participate in. Tons of fun for hours.
The Erie Art Museum is very hit and miss though. While it can often boast some great works of art and entertainment, there are often long periods of nothingness when they're setting up for the next exhibit. A few exhibits are there all the time, such as the very life like miniature city and the photo/portrait exhibit of local Erieites to remember from various eras. They do have a 'free' day when you can give a donation for the visit and I highly recommend calling ahead to see if they have exhibits running before you go.
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Erie Maritime Museum
Category:
Museums & Galleries
150 E Front St # 100
Erie,
Pennsylvania 16507
(814) 452-2744
When it first came to Erie I thought.. come on.. is this really going to be interesting? One...
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When it first came to Erie I thought.. come on.. is this really going to be interesting? One visit told me it was!!!
While the price of entry is a little steep, once you realize what all you get for the money, you know it is!
Not only is there an interesting array of maritime items, pictures and hands on adventure - you also get to go on board one of the most beautiful ships ever built, The Flagship Niagara.
If all you got was the Flagship tour the cost would be worth it, but add on the interesting history and relics of the great lakes that are inside the museum and you are one very happy camper!
A small giftshop allows you to keep a souvenier of your adventure but beware, they offer them at a price. While they do have some items that are inexpensive, most are over priced.
Call ahead to be sure the flagship is docked and open for viewing or your trip isn't worth it. They do leave often for great lakes tours and it is not always in the dock!
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Erie Playhouse
Category:
Movie Theaters
13 W 10th St
Erie,
Pennsylvania 16501
(814) 454-2852
If you ever get a chance to see a performance at the Erie Playhouse, take it. It will be one of...
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If you ever get a chance to see a performance at the Erie Playhouse, take it. It will be one of the best experiences you will have. It was so much fun for the kids. We adults also enjoyed it. There isn't a bad seat in the house. It is a memory my child will never forget and it makes it worth it! It's local talent and it's great to see kids on stage that are from the area and putting themselves out there for fun and learning.
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Erie Seawolves
Category:
Sports Events
110 E 10 St
Erie,
Pennsylvania 16501
(814) 456-1300
The SeaWolves are the AA farm team of the Detroit Tigers, but they are part of Erie. It's...
More 7 months ago
The SeaWolves are the AA farm team of the Detroit Tigers, but they are part of Erie. It's affoardable family fun, and its players who can make it to the maor leagues. But people need to support it or else Erie will lose the team.
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Say what you'd like, the Erie Zoo is a step above the rest and when you compare it to others in...
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Say what you'd like, the Erie Zoo is a step above the rest and when you compare it to others in larger cities, it ranks as well if not in some areas better. They are constantly trying to keep the Zoo up to date. New animals slowly come in one by one (not quite Ark like in 2 by 2's but they're trying!) and new babies are being born often. New birth at a zoo means one thing, the zoo is doing things right. This also helps to purchase or trade for other animals to other zoos.
The Erie Zoo has a much smaller area to work with then the other surrounding, larger zoos but yet it still maintains nearly as many animals. What I love most is that you don't walk for miles, like some zoos, and see nothing. Every step there is something to view.
The new Asian area is wonderful. Not only does it contain many wonderful animals in the exhibit, including a baby orangutan, but it also makes the walk through interesting for kids with hands on, push button questions and answers areas.
During the summer hours a wonderful old train ride can be taken for very little cost. Travel through parts of the zoo in style as you get a tour of the new children's area and a special section saved just for the train riders. A carousel ride is always a must for kids young and old. The indoor exhibits offer more to look at on rainy, colder days than on sunny warm ones when many of the animals are let out to their outdoor pens. You can always enjoy the beautiful and oldest female gorilla in captivity, Samantha. While Sam may seem bored at times, she's far from it. She watches tv back in her private area, plays with visiting mice, and believe it or not watches the visitors as intently as they watch her. She's wonderful.
Membership is a must for anyone visiting, not only because you can access the Erie Zoo free once the membership is purchased but many others throughout the US and Canada.
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