Arbor Heights
Shopping and dining along Peach and West 38th streets
Peach Street is one of Erie’s main business corridors, featuring medical offices, retail stores, credit unions and restaurants, like Federal Hill Smokehouse. This popular barbecue place has a historic, urban vibe, with exposed brick walls and well-worn wooden floors. From its pulled pork to its brisket, the place sells out daily. For a special occasion, Colao’s Ristorante occupies the corner spot deep within a residential set of blocks and blends with the homes around it. The same family has owned and operated it since 1999, and family recipes used for generations are still used. There’s a Tops Friendly Market where West 38th crosses Peach, part of the Liberty Plaza shopping center. Across the street, locally owned furniture store Fred’s has served the community since 1968, and Werner Books and Coffee, an independent bookstore, offers plenty of room to work, meet and study. The Erie Zoo is also off West 38th. Here, visitors can see over 400 animals, stroll through 11 botanical gardens and spend time at the Flo Fabrizio Ice Center, which offers public skating from November to February and events rentals the rest of the year. For an afternoon of shopping, residents need only follow Peach Street about 3 miles south to the Millcreek Mall. This shopping complex features over 170 well-known stores and eateries.Single-family homes tucked away behind the commercial
Most homes in Arbor Heights were built in the late 1800s to early 1900s and are within blocks of businesses and city amenities. Craftsman-style bungalows with original hardwood floors and woodwork feature off street parking and detached garages and sell for $70,000 to $175,000. Mid-sized colonial-style houses list from $50,000 to $175,000. They feature three or more bedrooms, large open or enclosed front porches and full basements. A smaller number of midcentury ranch-style homes and Cape Cods fill this neighborhood, too. Ranches are priced between $100,000 and $175,000. Many have been updated with metal roofs and covered back patios. Capes run in the same range, from $100,000 to $165,000, and can include spacious second stories with dormers and enclosed front or back porches that serve as additional living space. “A lot of homes are being fixed up,” Crosscut says, “although it’s not unusual to see one neglected a few doors down. You’re in the city after all. The point is you’re close to all the conveniences the city has to offer.” Duplexes and other multi-family homes are available, too. They run from $80,000 for a two-unit property to $300,000 for a four-unit apartment-style building.Outdoor and indoor recreation in Arbor Heights
Glenwood Park, a green space that follows Glenwood Park Avenue south of the Erie Zoo, features a playground and covered pavilions. It is a popular place to hold birthday parties and other celebrations. The wooded area opposite the park offers a narrow trail that runs the park's length, giving hikers a taste of the forest in the city. The J.C. Martin Golf Course is right next door. The 9-hole, par-32 short course is well suited for young players who want to learn the game and experienced players who want to enjoy a leisurely round of golf. North of the course, the Glenwood Park YMCA has served the region since 1962 and offers many amenities, including personal training, group classes, family and lap pools, racquetball/handball courts, a fitness center and youth programs.From good eats to fun trick-or-treats
Erie Restaurant Week is held every January to attract new customers and welcome back old ones at its many eateries, including Federal Hill Smokehouse on Peach Street mentioned above. Some restaurants offer prix fixe menus and special pricing during this event. The Erie Zoo, too, holds a two-week event in October. Zooboo is kid-friendly with trick-or-treating, talking pumpkins, a DJ who plays spooky music, train rides through the “bootanical” gardens and live entertainment nightly. The Halloween events lasts from the middle to the end of October.Erie High School welcomes back students with a new stadium, sports facility
The schools that serve Arbor Heights belong to the Erie City School District, which receives a C-plus from Niche. Perry Elementary, within walking distance, and Strong Vincent Middle, farther west toward the lakefront, are both C-rated schools. In 2024, Erie High, another C school located at the center of the neighborhood, completed renovations on a new football field named after Pro Football Hall of Famer Fred Biletnikoff, the high school’s most famous alum. The $6 million renovation turned the stadium into a multi-sport facility. Adjacent to the neighborhood, Northwest Pennsylvania Collegiate Academy, an A-plus high school, has its own stadium that seats 10,000. The school boasts a 100% four-year college acceptance rate and is in the top 1% of American public high schools. Students must apply to attend.A handful of colleges are also within a 3-mile radius of Arbor Heights, including Mercyhurst University and Gannon University, both Catholic co-ed institutions. Erie County Community College has multiple locations and enrolls part-time and non-traditional students. The Penn State Behrend campus is 7 miles east.
Public transportation and other resources in Erie
With businesses just a few blocks from most homes, Arbor Heights encourages walking since sidewalks are everywhere and most traffic is confined to main streets like Peach, West 26th and West 38th. The Erie Metropolitan Transit Authority buses have stops throughout the neighborhood every few blocks. Interstate 90 is only 4 miles south of the neighborhood, connecting drivers to Buffalo, 95 miles east, and Cleveland, 100 miles west. Interstate 79 is even closer, just 2.5 miles west on West 26th Street. It runs to Pittsburgh, 125 miles south.Erie has its own Amtrak station, no more than 2 miles away, and the closest airport is Erie International Airport, 8 miles west, with nonstop flights to Charlotte and Orlando. “The introduction of Orlando flights is huge,” Amendola says. “Erie has a fair number of snowbirds that leave after the holidays and head down to Florida to miss the winter. Passengers often fly out of Buffalo, Cleveland or Pittsburgh. Adding these flights locally will keep business here.”
Saint Vincent Hospital and the Erie VA Medical Center are only a few blocks from Arbor Heights, and a children’s urgent care and primary care facility through UPMC Hamot is right off Peach Street next to Erie High School.
Flood risk and noise in Arbor Heights
Homes along Glenwood Park Avenue, which runs along Mill Creek, can flood along with the creek during heavy rains. In 1915, the creek caused widespread damage and loss of life in the city after a tropical system forced it to overflow. Today, the creek is piped underground starting at West 30th Street and emptying in Lake Erie, one of the most comprehensive flood mitigation projects of its time. Other trouble areas include moderate street flooding in the western half of the neighborhood. Except for Peach and West 26th streets, which are the busiest, the rest of the neighborhood is relatively quiet, save for the expected city background noise.


Agents Specializing in this Area
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Fred Amendola
Keller Williams Realty
(814) 840-8170
415 Total Sales
20 in Arbor Heights
$62K - $182K Price Range
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Emily Foht
Foht REALTORS
(814) 983-6598
81 Total Sales
5 in Arbor Heights
$44K - $120K Price Range
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Tom Jones Group
Keller Williams Realty
(814) 983-7634
89 Total Sales
3 in Arbor Heights
$69K - $170K Price Range
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Olga Antipovitch
Responds QuicklyNashDom Realty, LLC
(814) 738-9622
2 Total Sales
1 in Arbor Heights
$160,000 Price
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Dana Dickerson
Responds QuicklyAgresti Real Estate
(814) 631-5380
129 Total Sales
9 in Arbor Heights
$100K - $145K Price Range
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MK
Melinda Koeth
Responds QuicklyHoward Hanna Erie Airport
(814) 983-6097
73 Total Sales
4 in Arbor Heights
$41K - $113K Price Range
Schools
Interested in learning more about homes in this area? Reach out to
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Transit
Crime and Safety
1 - Low Crime, 10 - High Crime | Arbor Heights | US |
---|---|---|
Homicide | 5 | 4 |
Sexual Assault | 4 | 4 |
Assault with Weapon | 5 | 4 |
Robbery | 5 | 4 |
Burglary | 4 | 4 |
Motor Vehicle Theft | 4 | 4 |
Larceny | 4 | 4 |
Crime Score | 4 | 4 |
Source: WhatIsMyCrimeRisk.com
Arbor Heights Demographics and Home Trends
On average, homes in Arbor Heights, Erie sell after 57 days on the market compared to the national average of 70 days. The median sale price for homes in Arbor Heights, Erie over the last 12 months is $381,900, down 54% from the median home sale price over the previous 12 months.
Housing Trends
Neighborhood Facts
Distribution of Home Values
Homes for Sale
Homes for Rent
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Property Mix - Square Feet
This Neighborhood Has More Owners
Demographics
Finances
Education and Workforce
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Area Factors
Bikeable
Bike Score®
Somewhat Walkable
Walk Score®
Some Transit
Transit Score®
Sound Score® measures the noise level of any address. Transit Score® measures access to public transit. Bike Score® measures the bikeability of any address.
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