Take Your Beer For a Walk: January 2025

Jeff McCullor

A sudsy stroll down one of Erie's oldest streets in the historic Marvintown neighborhood brings multiple opportunities for sweet treats and maybe even a sweet new ride from the Erie Bike Co-op.

January, what a month. We're full of robust resolutions, confident we can accomplish serious fitness goals if we just hunker down and actually do it this time. Well you may have noticed this column is ALL about fitness as we log some serious steps each month scampering all over town with a local beverage in our hand, celebrating Erie's lack of open container prohibition.

Speaking of beverages, let's get to it shall we? Choose your favorite locally-made malt beverage, alcoholic or otherwise. Yes I see you, dry January subscribers! Lace up those sneakies, grab a pair of gloves unless you're adventurous, and let's hit the bricks!

We'll begin this month at the storied corner of East 28th and Parade streets. You can take it all in from the parking lot of the now-closed Rite Aid on the northeast corner. This part of town once served as the main traffic artery between Erie, Wattsburg, and Waterford. Longtime farmer Elihu Marvin owned all the property adjacent to this intersection back in the 1800s. He eventually sold off his land, which was then parceled out into individual properties that originally accommodated Erie's first large population of German immigrants. The area was subsequently dubbed Marvintown – in fact, you may know a local elder who played baseball at Marvintown fields. Cheers to you, Mr. Marvin!

Next, let's take our beverage north on Parade Street. Walking a block and a half, halting our travels across the street from Mighty Fine Donuts at 2612 Parade. Have you ever paired a beer with a donut? Well, this might be your chance. Swing in and snag a six pack of donuts that have been made the same way since 1967 (uh, deliciously?). New ownership took over in 2023, continuing the tradition. If you've never had these donuts before, they are indeed mighty fine. Cheers to you, Mighty Fine Donuts!

From here, we'll continue moving our cherished liquid north along Parade to the intersection of East 26th Street. Walk across the intersection, looking to the west where you'll see Pulakos Chocolates, in continuous operation since 1903, with this location becoming home base in 1971. Make yourself a brain bookmark to stop by for chocolate-covered strawberries on or before Valentines' Day, or really any random weekday you need some extra fruit in your diet. Cheers to you, Pulakos Chocolates!

Next, we'll move our beverage east along East 26th Street, we have one more stop to make at address 436, the Erie Bike Co-op. Sure it isn't peak cycling season, but this elevated garage space is busy as can be all winter, fixing and rehabilitating bikes of all sizes for those in need when the time comes. If you find spare time in your schedule, inquire about volunteering as any and all skill levels are welcome. You might even learn some mad bike repair skills from Garrett Raszmann (Erie's 40 Under 40 Class of 2025), the leader of the group himself. Cheers to you, Erie Bike Co-op!

Hey, thanks for taking a walk with me and bringing your beverage along for the trip. We'll do it again next month!

Jeff McCullor is the co-owner of Erie Ale Works. He can be reached at jeff@eriealeworks.com