Quality of Life

Sherman - a family-orientated, walkable, and bikeable community

The Village of Sherman’s iconic skyline and historic character contributes to its charm and identity, with the beautiful Italianate bracketed cornice top along the antique brick façades, the pendant lights aligned under the covered walkway awning along the attached row buildings, and the draped colored lights celebrating each season crossing overhead on Main Street.

Quality of Life

Affordable Housing

The compact tight-knit village is a safe walkable and bikeable community made up of lower- and middle-income residents. The target area provides a sense of place consisting of eateries, parks, trails, a library and museum, with increasing amenities for residents and visitors. The downtown mixed-use attached row buildings have 2nd floor apartments, with more 2nd and 3rd story possibilities. There are too few rental apartment units and a high demand for single-family dwellings and small single-story homes accommodating the accessibility needs of senior citizens.

Commercial & Retail Main St Businesses

The Cornerstone Restaurant, Cooler Bar & Grille, Mama’s Pizza, and Sherman Hotel are successfully growing the restaurant business. However, Sherman is lacking fresh food options, such as a local farmer’s market (which ended during COVID), local goods store, or general store that would provide healthy, fresh options for residents in the greater Sherman community whose only current option is a Dollar General, and eleven miles to the next grocery store. The downtown has a variety of retail establishments but needs more experiential shops accommodating the increasing number of visitors.

Walkability & Bikeability

The Village’s Beautification Committee initially planted over 100 street trees and will resume once the stormwater improvement projects are completed. The Village has committed to installing 5ft wide sidewalks. The Complete Streets Policy adoption bolsters and better defines the Village’s plans to extend sidewalks, calm traffic, install crosswalks, and improve signage and wayfinding. The Chautauqua Rails to Trails, a developing part of the greater Erie to Pittsburgh Trail, provides connectivity to the region and beyond.

Community Space, Recreation, Cultural & Entertainment Amenities

The Community Center with coffee shop and return of the weekly Farmer’s Market, will provide a public space available to all residents and visitors for fellowship and programming. The neighboring Cooler Bar & Grille holds outdoor concerts and hosts volleyball tournaments. George Edmunds Memorial Park that sits behind the south side of Main Street along French Creek is the grounds for annual community festivals, including Sherman Days, the Annual Sherman Music Festival, and the Christmas week celebration concluding with the growing and creative Sherman Lighted Tractor Parade routed down Main Street.

Community Space cont.

The family-friendly neighborhood experience continues with the Village of Sherman’s French Creek Yorker Museum, a Living History Museum transporting you back in time with the beautifully curated local antiques and history overseen by the Sherman Historical Society; and the Minerva Free Library offering afterschool, preschool, summer reading programs, book club, and game nights. In addition, We Rock the Spectrum – Sherman is coming soon to Main Street with the recent purchase of the 23,000 sq ft industrial building it’s converting into a sensory gym that abuts the Rosie Billquist Trail on French Creek. The goal of bridging the gap for the children in the community and surrounding areas will be complemented with the development of the adjacent Autism Nature Trail.