mdexphys

Any advice for areas to avoid/choose in the Pittsburgh area to buy a house less than 200K? Don't know the area at all; will be working in downtown Pitt. No website seems to offer honest advice about specific neighborhoods.
Thanks!

baylady

Best advice...don't move there! We endured FIVE long years there. Has to be one of the most provincial cities in the country. The sun goes away for weeks at a time in the winter...look it up, it is among the leading cities with the fewest days of sun! Which means it is dismal in many ways. Sorry to be so negative..

Sevastopol

Okay, I don't like to post negatively either....but we endured 2 long years there and it was the worse time of my life...baylady described it perfectly...the most provinicial city in the country.

If you must live there, please do not live in the suburbs. They are so depressing...and, to boot, we endured the manipulations of a nosy, slimy landlord who always dropped by unexpectedly..... or, worse, when we weren't home to "check things out"...of course, when we moved to Chicago, he found it very convenient to keep our deposit. And, belive me, the house was in much better shape when we left it than the day we arrived.

I hope you have a better experience than we did....for housing, look in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood or somewhere near the universities.

Stephanie

Md:

Ignore the others, I live 16 miles west of Downtown Pittsburgh near the International Airport and there is major suburban sprawl out here but plenty of housing available. There is a huge shopping mall called Robinson Towne Center which means you'll never have to shop in the City of Pittsburgh when everything is out here. If you want a house under 200K it shouldn't be too hard to find. If you want a short commute, than where I live, there is the Crafton Ingram Shopping Center area (about 6 miles away from downtown). It is very close to the West Busway so getting a variety of buses to downtown would be easy (parking in downtown is expensive unless you try the Mon Wharf). Crafton is only a few miles from the Intersect of I-79 and Route 60. There is also Kennedy Township and Sewickley which are nice areas (both in the west suburbs).

If you want to be extremely close to the downtown area and be in the City of Pittsburgh I'd suggest South Side which is right across the Monongahela River from downtown. Lots of neat retro shops and restaurants and it has a big Giant Eagle grocery store right in the area. The neighborhood has lots of small houses, and is ethnic with lots of senior citizens and college kids from U. of Pgh, Duquesne and Carlow. I never really liked the South suburbs of Pittsburgh too many people. I lived in Squirrel Hill (Jewish neighborhood) for almost 6 yrs. (Bartlett Street and Shady Av intersect), nice area just that the housing on Shady Avenue and in the back streets are expensive (mansion-like in size) may be past the 200K price range you are looking for. Shadyside may have some houses (which are smaller) that are more reasonable and this neighborhood is upscale (everyone keeps their lawns really clean and pretty) and it has its own shopping area on Walnut Street. I use to walk there from Squirrel Hill, neighborhoods are about 2 miles away from each other.

I could go on, feel free to ask me questions as I grew up west of the city but know other parts of the area.

hugglynn

Mdesphys

Here are two websites that might help you with relocating:

http://www.city.pittsburgh.pa.us/por...hborhoods.html

www.pittsburghmoves.com

Before anyone else poo-poohs your move, and while I can't give you specific advice on neighborhoods since I live 50 miles south of the 'burgh, I can tell you there are a lot of good things about living in this area.

First, while we may not have San Diego's sunshine, we also don't have CA earthquakes, Seattle's rain, San Francisco's fog, Chicago's wind, midwest tornadoes, Florida hurricanes, Minneapolis cold. Our weather is seasonal, but above and beyond that, we have fairly consistent weather--the occasional thunderstorm or snow storm is about as drastic as it gets. Spring, summer and fall are all great times to live here.

Within a few hours drive you can be at the beaches of the eastern seashore or in just 1 1/2 hours in the beautiful mountains just south of Pittsburgh in Fayette and Somerset Counties, a little longer to bordering Maryland or West Virginia.

You won't want to move in the City of Pittsburgh--definitely move to the 'burbs because of the continuing financial crisis the city is having. But there are plenty of great neighborhoods and the financial situation is must different for Allegheny County.

Avoid Homewood, McKeesport, Hazelwood, the Hill District. These are the high crime areas.

Check in to North Hills, Cranberry, South Side, Mt. Lebanon/Upper St. Clair, Squirrel Hill, Oakland, Shadyside among a few.

rjw_lgb_ca

Downtown Pittsburgh is a bit depressed and depressing-- attempts at urban renewal are not getting any traction, and the streets roll up quite early. The neighborhoods around the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie-Mellon are good, if a bit overpriced given the local economy. Squirrel Hill and Shadyside are the best choices. Public transportation from those neighborhoods is also pretty good.

I won't get into the fray vis-à-vis whether it's a good move or not other than to say: I grew up there, and have lived the last 19 years in southern California. I wouldn't move back to Pittsburgh for a billion dollars. The chance of an occasional earthquake is outweighed by the fact that on Saturday I did my Xmas shopping with the top down on my convertible enjoying 80 degrees and sun (and clean air!!). And being single, I like places with a little nightlife. But that's me; Pittsburgh is a pretty good place to raise a family (cheap, pretty good schools) with lovely summers and autumns-- but long, dreary winters as a general rule. Oh well....

help

I suggest Cranberry Twp...it is just across the Allegheny County line, in Butler County...which is a plus..a nice area and about 15 to 20 drive to downtown PGH..I love the area..it is right off of I- 79...Howard Hanna(.com) is a good realty co. to work with.....I have no connection w/them..we have the 4 changes of season here..if you like that...and good areas for entertainment...life is what you make of it..some people are miserable in the best of circumstances...there is a good relocation guide..I think in the pittsburghchannel.com...I'll look and see..there is the Pittsburgh Post Gazette paper too to look at homes..

Ann41

I personally wouldn't choose to live in Cranberry Township. Strip malls and such abound. It's got the negatives of the suburbs without the positives.

Overall, I like Pittsburgh. It's come on leaps and bounds over the past 10 years. It's not depressing like it used to be, and it kind of mixes the benfets of city and small-town life.

TravelingMom

Mdexphys -

We moved to Pittsburgh just over a year ago, and I do feel like I'm enduring my time here to a certain extent. However, I grew up in Virginia Beach so I really miss the temperate winters and the beach in the summer. It's also hard because I don't have any family in the area.

However, it's really not such a bad place. Like Stephanie, we live west of the city in Robinson Township. There is a lot of convenient chain-store shopping at the Towne Centre, but we can also venture downtown if we're looking for more variety.

It's only about a 20 minute drive (w/out traffic) to get downtown. I have hit some pretty nasty traffic getting through the tunnel and it's taken me an hour, but that's not the norm.

When we moved here, we looked at houses everywhere, it seemed. We liked Sewickley but couldn't find something in our price range (250K) with the stuff we wanted (yard, garage, storage, new-ish house). There are some really cool older houses in Mt. Lebanon, but they also didn't have the lot size that we were hoping for. I really liked that area, and you might find something in your budget.

I really didn't like a couple areas, but can't really put my finger on why. You'll have to visit them to get your own vibe...

Good luck. At least we have the Steelers

jett

I'm with Baylady, being provincial, please do not move here. Pittsburgh is great just the way it is. If the honest truth ever gets out about how great our city truly is then it will become just another overcrowded US metropolis like San Fran (or is that Frisco?) without the charm and character that is has so much of now. RJW_LGB_CA Clear air in SoCal? Very funny! You have not been to Pittsburgh since at least 1984? The old smoky city is long gone. Maybe you should get out of SoCal a bit more often. Besides, watching the Chargers get pummeled in the playoffs by the Steelers is going to be a bit ugly! At least you have the palm trees and clean air to ease your pain. Do they play football in LA or is that soccer?

hugglynn

jett

AMEN!

Rachel

Lived in the burgh in the early 80s and loved it. Being from Buffalo, Pgh was almost balmy in the winter to me. It has great neighborhoods w/i the city, nice burbs, good public transportation, reasonable housing prices, excellent medical facilities and many things are accessible. You can get and afford to go to the symphony, live theatre, sporting events, something that isnt so accessible in larger cities. The many universities add a lot to the city also.
I think anyone offering advice as to where to live, needs to know more about what you want and what your lifestyle is. Married, single, kids, do you want to use public transportation or walk to get to work and around town? are you looking for a suburban or city lifestyle? If I didnt have school age kids, I would probably reccommend Squirrel Hill or Shadyside or the Southside. Mount Washington is beautiful (but pricy) Go with an open mind and you will enjoy Pittsburgh.

Elisachristina

Oh my goodness...clearly the people who replied negatively to your message didn't live in the right neighborhoods of Pittsburgh. I live in Pittsburgh, right in the heart of it, and I think it is a great place to live. (If you know where to live and go for fun). I know Pittsburg very well...And yes, I've lived in other cities and I travel quite often to "the city" in New York. The problem with Pittsburgh though is that it has the highest elderly population and its filled with people who never travel(ed) too far outside of their "comfort zone." So yes, I can understand where some of the negative comments came from, but you can easily avoid this if you know where to live. However, on the other hand we also have a very diverse population of people (from all types of places in the world) who live here via Carnegie Mellon, Pitt, the other 5-6 universities in the area, and the highly regarded medical/cancer/research facilities. We have a fabulous cultural district downtown too which lines the streets with restaurants and theatres. Yes, the weather isn't good, but it is the same as NYC or any other East Coast city. However, I am a city person. As such, I would NEVER live in the suburbs. Basically what the other people said about the suburbs in Pittsburgh is true though. As for the that guy who talked about Robinson Towne Center...well...if you like Suburban sprawl and having a Pet Smart on every corner then that is a good place for you...I would never live there though. It’s depressing to me, but that is just my opinion.

My advice to you, someone from out of town, is this; if you are going to move to Pittsburgh you must live in the city. YOU ABSOLUTELY CANNOT LIVE IN THE SUBURBS--or else it is very "townie" and if you go too far out its can be like Deliverance. Unless you live in Sewickley, which is Stepford; and its over-priced.

If you are going to be working downtown you should definitely live in the East End (Shadyside/Friendship, Point Breeze, Squirrel Hill, Highland Park, Regent Square, Edgewood). I worked downtown for 5-6 years and I used to take the EBA from Shadyside (East Bus All Stops) directly into town. It took me 7 minutes to get into downtown on this bus way (it has its own roads that cars can't drive on). The city just raised the parking rates downtown and the average price to park per day is around $25.00. So you may want to think about taking the EBA or the T (the T however only runs into town from the South Hills—a very “Pittsburgh” suburban area; not known for having too many outsiders).

I wouldn’t live anywhere besides the East End b/c it’s the most vibrant and young area in the city. This is a nice thing for a city that has the largest elderly population. Also, unlike the suburbs, you can walk to many places or take the EBA downtown, and it has character. The East End can be pricey, if you want something nice. However, my fiancé and I recently bought a beautiful Victorian home in the booming Friendship neighborhood. Friendship and Shadyside are right next to each other (Shadyside is a very desirable neighborhood with a prestigious reputation). Friendship is so close to Shadyside though that part of our neighborhood has a Shadyside zip code. Nevertheless, our house in Friendship is a gorgeous 6 bedroom Victorian with stained glass windows, 7 fireplaces, tiger oak wood work and all hard wood floors. Our block is lined with beautiful trees and houses. We got this house for a fraction of what it would cost us in Shadyside, but we are virtually still in the same neighborhood. My neighborhood is filled with these types of homes that usually do sell in the $200K range; or below. You should check them out. They go pretty fast though because all the young people who are looking for homes in the $200K range in the east end are moving here b/c they've been priced out of Shadyside, Squirrel Hill and Point Breeze. Plus, the homes in Friendship are known to have large yards and garages. Yards are rare in the other areas. Our neighborhood is really great too. It’s filled with people from all over the world actually...and the neighbors are very friendly. People came over to introduce themselves, bring cookies, flowers on the day we moved it. This is rare, especially when you live in the city. Nothing provincial here. Plus, Friendship is in walking distance to the EBA, Shadyside's fabulous shops and restaurants; and Bloomfield's restaurants. Bloomfield is Pittsburgh's Little Italy.

Edgewood and Regent's Square also have some gorgeous neighborhoods where the homes are in the $200K range. RS is right next to a beautiful park (Frick Park) which separates it from Squirrel Hill. It would be nice to be close to Squirrel Hill b/c like Shadyside it also has nice shops, restaurants, movie theatres (neighbor hood theatres).

So basically in a nut shell...here is the honest advice you asked for: If you want a cosmopolitan environment (no strip malls--good restaurants--good groceries--good specialty stores, close to downtown) then you want to live in the East End (Friendship, Edgewood, Regent's Square, Highland Park--all have houses for under $200K) Shadyside, Squirrel, Point Breeze are more pricey. If you want to live in Stepford then go to Sewickley. If you want to live in Suburbia where you will find every chain store and restaurant possible then North Hills, Monroeville area, Wexford (probably the nicest suburb), Franklin Park, Cranberry, Robinson Township (probably has the most chains--its nothing, but chains and strip malls), Moon Township.

As a footnote, Forrest Hills is probably the closest suburb to the city and the East End. As far as suburbs, its not bad. Also, the houses are very reasonably priced. It should be easy to find something under $200K. Mt. Lebanon is also another suburb that is probably nice if you like suburbs. Many Pittsburghers actually love it. Its in the South Hills and you can take the T into work. The prices of homes vary, but you can most definitely find a house for under $200K.

I almost forgot about the Mexican War Streets neighborhood. STAY AWAY FROM THERE! Seriously, people from out of town get fooled into buying there b/c the Victorian townhouses are gorgeous; and reasonably priced, but the neighborhood is VERY dangerous. People who don't know the area think they are getting a deal, but then they are stuck with the place once they find out how bad the area is crime ridden. REMEMBER THE NORTH SIDE IS A VERY BAD NEIGHBORHOOD, not to be confused with the North Hills (a high traffic suburb). You may also want to stay away from the South Side (it’s not a nice place to live unless you are 21 and want to go to bars every night); Lawrenceville (its “up and coming”, but its pretty seedy).

Gosh, I hope this helps.

Elisachristina

You can find more information about Friendship; and other city neighborhoods from this websites: http://www.city.pittsburgh.pa.us/dis...riendship.html

Stephanie

Again, avoid the South Hills area. It is way too overcrowded. I've lived in Squirrel Hill and enjoyed it but totally not a city person. Trash, spitting and urine spots and smells is not my idea of fun. If you live in the city stay in Squirrel Hill or Shadyside. Personally, I'd rather live in Shadyside because its so clean. I've gone to the Squirrel Branch of the Carnegie Library (right on the corner of Murray and Forbes and have been greeted by fresh vomit on the steps while trying to take back books.

I'd have to disagree that the west suburbs are just strip malls. There is one area with many, many shops but there are small neighborhoods around that have been around for years before the Yuppies came out to the west suburbs. Other places in the west you may want to consider is Coraopolis, Moon Township or Neville Island. All are very convient to Pittsburgh. There are bad areas of Pittsburgh but surprisingly they are far outnumbered by the safe areas. Actually Pittsburgh is a very safe city. I've gone to night classes over at the North Side and never felt threatened by anyone.

happymz

The only area I would mention to add to the above great list is the area northeast of the city along the allegheny river - e.g. Oakmont & environs. I have family in that area & they love it, as do I. When you're there you feel like you're in a small town, with nice shops & restaurants, tree-lined streets & sidewalks - - but you're not that far from downtown (15-20 min). In my experience, it wouldn't qualify as 'stepford'-like, and while it may not be as affordable as friendship, it is a nice area that doesn't seem too suburbanite.

I attended Pitt & lived in pittsburgh several years - and while the dismal winters weren't great, they're no better out here near NYC either - and when you compare the cost & quality of living, not to mention the sports teams, let's just say my dream is to move back to Pittsburgh eventually (hopefully to pay around 200k for a house just like elisachristina's!). Good luck!

Elisachristina

Oh yeah, I agree with HappyMZ. I forgot about Oakmont and even the Aspin Wall area..these neighborhoods are a little farther from the city, but they are also very desirable areas. They both have character and are definitely not the typical Pittsburgh suburb/nor Stepford. Oakmont is a very quaint little area with beautiful homes. I am not familiar with the prices of these homes though; I assume they are over $200K, but Aspin Wall (across the river) is probably more affordable.

My fiance grew up in the Moon Twp/Corapolis area. As such, he always complains about how the strip malls and chains have taken over his old "neighborhood" --which primarily consists of older housing plans. To reiterate, that area is also over- crowded. On many occasions we've been out that way visiting his parents and we couldn't even find a place to eat b/c the waits are so long (for chain restaurants); not to metion the traffic congestion trying to get out of there.

Elisachristina

PS- As for the North Side. I know some people who moved here from DC and bought a Mexican War Steet Townhouse over there. Its a gorgeous house, but the female (wife) has been mugged twice going into her front door (purse snatched); and assaulted once. They've been trying to sell their place for a long time now and nobody wants it. Meanwhile, their right side neighbor was selling and so is their left side neighbor b/c of the crime. I've been to their house many times and I've seen the drug look-outs on all the corners. There is also a high rate of shootings in that neighborhood. In the summer they constantly hear loud bass coming from cars; and its common to hear gun shots! I never realized how bad it was until I personally knew someone who lived there.

rjw_lgb_ca

jett: Actually, I go back to Pittsburgh quite a bit to manage staff in my (CA-based) company's PA office. Not by choice, but since I'm a principal of the firm, I do what I have to.

Sorry, but I stand by my comments: Pretty but provincial. Half the population it had when I was growing up there (one could think that's a good thing, I suppose), and what's left is rapidly aging. Bad nightlife for singles (and believe me, I've checked). They love their sports, though.

But if you have to live near downtown Pgh, Shadyside is the best choice by far. Basically quite safe, nice neighborhood, a few things to do.

But personally, I'll take smoggy southern CA any day. Especially on Sundays, when instead of watching football I can be riding my bike or inline skates on the beach bike path. Or play beach volleyball. Or catch lunch at the Getty Center. Well, when it's not raining. Or when the LA Phil isn't blasting something grand at Disney Concert Hall.

bermudafan

I was browsing for advice on traveling to Seattle when I stumbled upon this thread....and having been born & raised in the burbs of Pittsburgh I felt compelled to reply in its defense! I now live in Boston and love it, however, I will always be a fan of Pgh for many reasons, mainly the people! They may not be the most worldly or sophisticated but they are true, friendly and as down to earth as they come! No, the weather isn't the greatest. The shopping and restaurant/nightlife choices are mostly chains and less than exciting. I'm not sure if you are single or moving with a family but that makes a big difference. I grew up in Mt. Lebanon and loved it! As I said the people are great, you get a huge bang for your buck with housing prices, there's an excellent school system (I went to Harvard after Lebo High) and it's very safe. The town has a rec center with an indoor ice rink, an outdoor olympic size pool, the town tennis courts are clay and the high school stadium is astroturf and one of the largest I've ever seen! There's even a planetarium in the high school! Can you tell I'm partial?

I would recommend the South Hills if you're moving with a family. McMurray is an up and coming South Hills suburb with less crowding. Mt. Lebanon has older homes and more charm, however, the homes are closer together. But that does make for great neighborhoods and fun for kids.

If however you are single and looking for a faster urban life, I agree with the other posts recommending Shadyside. I still have single friends who live there and love it. Also Mt. Washington has lots of cool condos.

I'm sure since you have gotten so many resposes you are completely confused now...but, if you do make the move I think it will be a great experience. I lived there for 20 years and I think I am a better person for it! Go Steelers!