5 Coffee Shops for Studying in Erie, PA

Posted on April 18, 2022 by wandererie814

5 Coffee Shops for Studying in Erie, PA

We know what time of year it is. Finals week is quickly approaching and end of the semester projects are due. Knowing there are many colleges in the Erie area, we wanted to highlight a few coffee shops students may want to stop by to have a cram session or work on a project while taking in some much needed caffeine, and maybe even grab a bite to eat!

Pressed

If you’re looking for a place to not only grab a coffee and study, but do a little shopping for books and gifts too, Pressed is a super cool place to visit. Head into the bookstore first and pick up some new reading material (or bring your own) and then walk through the doors into the coffee shop to grab a drink and a snack to enjoy while you read. Hightops, tables, and a couch provide different locations for you to relax while you indulge (in studies or coffee, or both). You can also sit outside, right in front of the shop. This is a great option for Gannon and Mercyhurst students, as it isn’t a very far drive from either. Open from 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday through Friday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. on Saturdays, and 10:00 a.m.-3 p.m. on Sundays, convenient for those of you who may have evening classes.

Interested in more info? Click the picture above.

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The Crick Coffeehouse & Eatery

Although it is a small drive from most colleges in the area, we think The Crick is worth it. With seating indoors and outdoors, you can choose your atmosphere. This is a great place to go if you’re looking for a place to study while eating breakfast or lunch. The Crick is great for students who enjoy studying earlier in the day, as it is open from 8 a.m.-3 p.m. every day except Monday, when they are closed.

The Mainstreet Cakery Cafe: 2 Locations

Either location (Fairview or Millcreek) of The Mainstreet Cakery Cafe would be great for studying while grabbing a bite to eat. While both locations offer indoor and outdoor seating, you will find a wonderful atmosphere to dive into your studies while enjoying a coffee, eating a meal, or even indulging in a bakery treat or some ice cream. The tables are spaced well, and it’s a great place to meet up with a group for dinner as you dive into your studies. Open from 7 a.m.-8 p.m. every day except for Sunday, this is for studiers at any time of day.

Want more info? Click the picture above.

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Javamango’s Outpost

A quaint coffee shop and small eatery as a pass-through inside of an office building, Javamango’s Outpost offers a few tables and a hightop bar that are perfect for posting up while hitting the books and enjoying some much needed caffeine. Enjoy the calm atmosphere of a quiet space while you get your study on. Open from 6:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Monday-Friday, and 8 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturdays, this is for morning and early afternoon studiers.

Romolo Chocolates

Studying while drinking coffee in a candy store? Initially, it sounds like a bad idea, and quite unattainable. But if you’ve ever been to Romolo Chocolates, you would understand why it’s a good idea. With a quiet atmosphere in the ice cream and coffee shop, you’ll find couches and tables set up for social interactions or some time to yourself. If you’re more of an outside person, you’ll find several tables outdoors in front and to the side of the building, and even heaters available to warm you in the colder months. Enjoy the provided scenery of a fictional alleyway well lit with many Instagram worthy spots to snap a picture in between cramming for your classes. And added to all of that, you can induldge in some amazing sponge candy! Romolo Chocolate is open from 8 a.m.-8 p.m. Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m.-8 p.m. Saturdays, and 10:00 a.m.-5 p.m. Sundays.

Above: Seating inside of the shop
Beside: Seating in front of the shop

[Editors Note: We know there are several other coffee shops in Erie, some we have yet to visit and post on our site. We are not trying to be selective, simply offering choices from our current blog posts. If you have any suggestions of other places we could visit and highlight, please comment and let us know! We want to make sure we mention as much of what Erie has to offer as we can! All business hours are current as of 4/18/2022, please check the hours on their Facebook pages or Google Search if you are reading this at a much later date.]

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[Editor’s note: Please be aware that we are not affiliated with any of these businesses in any way. This is true of all of our posts. We simply enjoy wandering around Erie as we know finding what to do in Erie, PA area can be hard.]

Erie Zoo Boo

Posted on October 20, 2021 by wandererie814

Erie Zoo Boo

Erie Zoo Boo is one of our favorite events of the year. There’s something about taking your own kids to events that you went to as a child; not only is it nostalgic, but you get to experience it through your child’s eyes, which is such a beautiful thing.

This great Halloween event not only provides fun for the entire family, but is also a major fundraiser for the Erie Zoo contributing to animal care and daily operations. We get to have a great time while knowing we’re helping the animals? Sign us up!

Location:

Zoo Boo is located at the Erie Zoo, 423 West 38th Street, Erie, PA 16508.

When entering Zoo Boo, pay attention to signs as advanced ticket holders can head right to the tent to enter, which is not located where you normally enter the zoo, but to the right of the entrance if you’re looking at it.

This year, Zoo Boo is open as follows. Wednesday – Friday Oct. 13th-15th from 6 p.m.-9 p.m., Saturday & Sunday Oct. 16th & 17th from 12 p.m.-9 p.m., Wednesday – Friday Oct. 20th-22nd from 6 p.m.-9 p.m., Saturday & Sunday Oct. 23rd & 24th from 12 p.m.-9 p.m., Wednesday – Friday Oct. 27th-29th from 6 p.m.-9 p.m., and Saturday Oct. 30th from 12 p.m.-9 p.m., giving everyone the opportunity to attend one of our favorite events in Erie, PA.

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Property Description:

Think the Erie Zoo, but add everything Fall and Halloween! There are inflatables, statues, photo opportunities, and so much more! There are 10 trick-or-treat stations situated around the zoo, and they can cause a back up of traffic in some areas. (For more information on the Erie Zoo unrelated to Zoo Boo specifically, see the link at the bottom of the article.)

What to Do:

First and foremost, this is the first year that everyone is welcome to trick-or-treat at the event! When purchasing your tickets online, all you have to do is select “treater” if you would like to get goodies yourself! We thought this was wonderful and so fun, as this opens up the event as a great way to have a date night in Erie, PA! Technically you could do this previously, but being able to trick-or-treat adds that element of fun! It will cost slightly more to trick-or-treat, as a trick-or-treat ticket is $2.00 more than a non-treater. (See ticket prices in the Who Can Go section of this post.)

There are 10 different stations placed around the zoo that you can trick-or-treat at. Each station passes out candy, a drink, or other treat to take home with you. Trick-or-treat reusable shopping bags are provided for you upon entering, but you can bring your own bag if you’d like.

This event is wonderful because it allows you to view animals at night, when we wouldn’t otherwise see them. Not every animal is out, but you will see a lot of them.

One thing our kiddos loved was the music in the center of the zoo. DJ Bill Page is playing all of the popular songs at his Spooky Jukebox, and there’s a big dance floor for all the kids to let out that energy they’ve been bottling up all day!

If you like getting photos of the kids, you’ll love the Chick-fil-A photo spot in the Wild Wings Theater. There’s also a wonderful Zoo Boo entry display, and our advice is to get that photo right as you come in! We noticed a lot of people doing that, and we made the mistake of waiting until the end of our Zoo Boo fun, which had us waiting in a line to get that photo. We also had cranky littles who didn’t want to take a picture.

Don’t forget to have fun as you go through the UPMC Wellness Walk! Mimic the signs as you walk down the path and head towards the dance party!

And don’t forget to pass through troll bridge! You’ll have to answer a riddle to continue on to the children’s zoo!

If you’re hungry while there, you’ll find a GrubsHub right on the front lawn! Lombardo’s Concessions and Fowler’s Taffy provides food nightly at the event!

There are even more activities throughout the zoo, such as a giant talking pumpkin, make-a-monster contest, the train, carousel, and more! We don’t want to spoil all of the fun, so head on out and see it for yourself!

Who Can Go:

Zoo Boo is for everyone to enjoy! Make sure you bring the kids in their Halloween costumes! We love events that encourage them to dress up and have the opportunity to wear their costumes! And let us just put this out there, it’s OK for adults to dress up, too! We have been rocking the matching family costumes for a while, but our costumes tend to be very toned down from the littles.

Ticket Pricing this year is:
Advanced Member Treaters: $8.00,
Advanced Member NonTreater: $6.00, Advanced NonMember Treater: $11.00,
Advanced NonMember NonTreater: $9.00. All ticket prices will increase by $2.00 at the door. This event will not be refunded, and is held rain or shine! You can reserve your date and purchase your tickets by clicking here!

Final Thoughts:

We may be a little biased as we love this event, but we truly had a wonderful time at Zoo Boo in Erie, PA this year! Not only is it exciting to have another opportunity to trick-or-treat, but it’s really cool to see the animals out at night. We would recommend this event to everyone!

For more information about the Erie Zoo, check out our previous post about this zoo in Erie, PA on a typical day!

Click here for more Fall fun in Erie, PA!

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[Editor’s note: Please be aware that we are not affiliated with the Erie Zoo or any of the events sponsors in any way. This is true of all of our posts. We simply enjoy wandering around Erie as we know finding what to do in Erie, PA area can be hard.]

Here is a list of this year’s Zoo Boo sponsers; you’ll find a lot of them running the trick-or-treat booths! UPMC Health Plan, Utz, Hammerlee Dental Care, ERIEBANK, Sam’s Club, Jet 24/Fox 66/YourErie, Mason Farms, McDonald’s, Gannon University, John V Schultz Furniture & Mattress, Z1023/1043 The Vibe/Nash FM 979/CBS Sports Radio Erie 96.3 1260/Classy 100, Chick-fil-A Erie, Sonic Drive-In, BOTH Studios, McCreary Roofing Co., National Fuel, The Erie Community Foundation

Serendipity Sweets

Posted on September 27, 2021 by wandererie814

Serendipity Sweets

**WE’RE SORRY TO SAY THAT SERENDIPITY SWEETS HAS CLOSED THEIR LOCATION ON EAST 38TH STREET. THEY ARE CURRENTLY LOOKING FOR A NEW LOCATION, AND WE WILL UPDATE YOU AS SOON AS WE HAVE MORE INFORMATION**

Summer is leading into Fall, and we haven’t brought you all of the amazing ice cream stands in Erie just yet. However, we did recently visit Serendipity Sweets, and we think it’s worthy of being added to your lists of places to visit in the summer, and in the colder months as well!

Location:

Serendipity Sweets is located at 861 East 38th Street, Erie, PA 16504.

If you are looking for things to do by Mercyhurst College, Serendipity Streets is a quick walk away from the college.

Property Description:

Serendipity Sweets is a very colorful, uplifting space that definitely makes you feel like a kid in a candy store, or in this case, a kid in an ice cream and bake shop! We loved all of the colorful tiles on the floor and the bright blue bubbly walls that made us almost feel like we were underwater.

There are plenty of tables set up inside, and there are also benches available outside if you want to enjoy the nice weather.

Tables set up inside
A little lounge area and bar top
Outside benches

What to Do:

Serendipity Sweets was different than any other ice cream bar we’ve ever been to. You will start at the left of the counter and make your way down towards the right. You choose your flavor, and then choose toppings from the sundae bar that will be put on for you. Or, you can choose a specific sundae and they will just make it as it is on the menu. Once you pass through the bar, you can make your way to the topping wall. There are dispensers with several different toppings, such as sprinkles, Reese Puffs, Skittles, and snickerdoodle cookies that you can “dump” onto your ice cream or non dairy ice cream. Each topping will cost you an additional fifty cents.

Not only does Serendipity Sweets offer ice cream, frozen yogurt, and non dairy ice cream, but they also offer baked goods as well. Grab a brownie, cake slice, or even an entire pie when you stop in! They even offer froyo pies! Yum!

We are always on the lookout for menu items for those who have food allergies or need vegetarian or vegan foods, and Serendipity Sweets was so accommodating for those of us who have food restrictions. They have several gluten free options, not only in ice cream but baked goods as well. They also have non dairy ice cream choices, which is actually what one of us got, and it was really, really good!

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Who Can Go:

This is a really cool ice cream shop and bakery that anyone can come to. It is very easily accessible for a wheelchair or a stroller. If you’re limited on time, you can go to their website and place an order to be picked up at their drive through window! You can find the link to order by clicking here.

They do offer private parties in their dining area, which I believe are held on the weekends before their normal hours of operation.

And for those of you who go to Mercyhurst College, Serendipity Sweets would make for a great quick date or even a place to study at, given the tables and the small barstool area as well as the booth area in the corner.

Final Thoughts:

We thought this was a really cool place to grab a DIY sundae. The atmosphere was really fun and bright, and you just feel happy as you walk in. As far as finding ice cream in Erie, PA, this is a very fun and different location!

Serendipity Sweets is open from 4 p.m.-9 p.m. Thursday through Sunday.

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[Editor’s note: Please be aware that we are not affiliated with Serendipity Sweets in any way. This is true of all of our posts. We simply enjoy wandering around the Erie area as we know finding what to do in Erie, PA can be hard.]

Erie Zoo

Posted on September 15, 2021 by wandererie814

Erie Zoo

The Erie Zoo is easily one of our favorite places to go in Erie. Whether you’re looking for something to occupy your whole day or even just an hour, this zoo makes it easy to do either. From observing and learning about the animals, to getting some exercise, going on a few rides, and getting some yummy treats, the Erie Zoo provides the perfect outing for anyone in Erie, PA.

Location:

The Erie Zoo is located at 423 W 38th St, Erie, PA 16508. It’s conveniently located near the Glenwood YMCA, the NWPA Pet Emergency Center, Flo Fabrizio Ice Center, and J.C. Martin Golf Course.

Zoo Entrance
Right outside of the Main Building

Property Description:

The zoo has 7 main areas that house animals such as mammals, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and insects. The zoo is 15 acres; to give you an idea of how big it is, the zoo website suggests to plan for a leisurely stroll to take about 2 hours, but our time frames at the zoo have varied from 30 minutes to 4 hours, depending on what our goal was for the day and who we went with.

There is a gift shop that is located at the entrance to the zoo, with many different types of fun things to take home to remember your trip to the Erie Zoo.

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What to Do:

There’s so much to do at The Erie Zoo! We love walking around, looking at and learning about all of the different animals! There are over 400 animals to discover! You can enjoy watching the big cats, llamas, and even walk through a kangaroo exhibit and aviary!

The zoo is also home to 11 gardens located throughout the property. Some of these gardens help in creating a habitat for the animals, while others display specify plants or have a theme. They are absolutely beautiful, providing an added abundance of color to your trip to the zoo. They also attract many insects that are not official members of the zoos internal family of animals, such as butterflies.

There are a few food and beverage stands throughout the zoo. The Children’s Zoo has the only current indoor location, with food available such as popcorn, pizza, animal cookies, and cotton candy. If you’re thirsty, you can get a slushie (with a souvenir cup or not) or a soft drink. Other stands are located near the train and by the porcupines. The stands that are open vary, so be sure to ask upon entering which locations are serving on that particular day.

Children’s Zoo Food Stand
Animal Crackers
Pizza
Popcorn

There are two rides at the Erie Zoo, the train and the carousel. The train ride takes roughly 10-15 minutes depending on what the animals near the creek are doing, and the carousel rides vary, but we would estimate about 3-5 minutes. Both rides require additional cost to admission; both the train and the carousel are $3 for nonmembers and $2 for members. The train is located at the front of the zoo, and the carousel is located in the Children’s Zoo.

There is also a wooden playground located inside of the Children’s Zoo for the kids to get out that extra pent up energy!

The zoo also hosts several themed days, such as equipment day, throughout the summer and a special Zoo Boo in the fall.

Who Can Go:

Anyone can enjoy the Erie Zoo. It’s easily accessible by stroller or wheelchair, and you can rent either of these at the gift shop, strollers ranging from $7-$8.

And although you can’t bring your own animals to the zoo, they do allow service dogs.

Keepers and caretakers of the animals walk around the zoo throughout the day in order to do their job. We have spoken with them on a few occasions, and they were happy to answer any questions we had and tell the littles all about the animals they take care of. If you’re truly interested in learning about an animal, please do not hesitate to ask a keeper any questions you have!

A zoo educator talks about Toby, the Eurasian Lynx, and how he’s trained by the keepers.

We think that often times people just think a zoo is a place to stare at the animals, when in fact, it can be a place to have a true learning experience and understand how these animals are being cared for and protected.

Final Thoughts:

We absolutely love and appreciate the Erie Zoo. The care that we have seen the keepers give to animals there has always been very loving and we can tell how much they truly adore the animals.

The Erie Zoo is currently fundraising for what they’re calling Wild Open Spaces. The goal is to raise $10,000,000 to offer more wild open spaces for the animals and to help them better take care of the animals and plants at the zoo. They also want to expand the zoo, creating a new giraffe building and yard and a new bear exhibit. They also plan to add a new indoor concession area providing amazing views of the zoo and surrounding property. We think everyone in Erie is super excited about this addition, as the Erie Zoo is a beloved part of Erie County. If you feel called to donate to the zoo, please click here to learn more and to donate.

And one fun fact for you guys about an Erie Zoo native; Dugan, formerly Spike, is a rhino that was transferred to the Erie Zoo in 1998. He lived at the zoo for 20 years until 2018 when he was transported to Disney’s Animal Kingdom, where he is part of the AZA Species Survival Program and has had two offspring (that we’re aware of) since he got there. [ source: https://www.worldrhino.com/spike-dugan-1080/ ]

Find out more about the Erie Zoo at www.eriezoo.org.

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[Editor’s note: Please be aware that we are not affiliated with The Erie Zoo in any way. This is true of all of our posts. We simply enjoy wandering around the Erie area as we know finding what to do in Erie, PA can be hard.]

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Tag Archives: things to do by Mercyhurst college

5 Coffee Shops for Studying in Erie, PA

Erie Zoo Boo

Serendipity Sweets

Erie Zoo