Bayfront East Side Taskforce

To
borrow America250PA’s catchphrase: “Start here, Erie did!”

The Historic
East Bayfront is Erie’s oldest neighborhood, and the Bayfront East Side
Taskforce (B.E.S.T.) was Erie’s first non-profit focused on a single
neighborhood. Our central mission at B.E.S.T. is to improve the quality of life
for residents in the East Bayfront and assure a stable, desirable working environment
for businesses and their employees.

Our
vision here at B.E.S.T. is that the East Bayfront neighborhood will continue to
build up quality of life, better housing, and great businesses. The stronger
the East Bayfront is, the stronger Erie as a whole becomes.  

Our current
efforts include:

• Eliminating blight through renovation or the creation and maintenance of greenspace


• Adding pocket parks for recreation 


• 
  Overseeing the area’s largest and only USDA-designated People’s Garden Community Garden on East 5th Street with help from the Master Gardeners of Penn State
  


• Creating and maintaining safe, affordable rental property for renters in the East Bayfront neighborhood


• Organizing neighborhood clean-ups, park beautification, and volunteer efforts in partnership with Groundwork Erie, Love Your Block, Erie Insurance, Northwest Bank, Keep PA Beautiful, and ServErie


• Providing information regarding façade beautification and home improvement resources to homeowners in the East Bayfront which helps increase property values 


• Offering summer employment opportunities for neighborhood youth along with piloting a Same Day Work and Pay litter clean-up program to protect our drinking water and keep our sidewalks and streets safe


• Hosting community-building activities, such as National Night Out


• Working to make the neighborhood safer and more walkable with a security camera program 

In short, our mission is to make the Historic East Bayfront
the BEST place to live, work, and play. And with your help, B.E.S.T.
makes Erie better!