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I never been to Pittsburgh maybe going on trip there in few months how it compare to other Northeast cities I feel it it is underrated city
Does Pittsburgh have Northeast feeling ?
How Pittsburgh suburbs ?
Is it worth the visit ?
First and foremost, Pittsburgh is definitely worth the visit. Now, to the other questions:
-Does Pittsburgh have a Northeast feel?:
This is going to be the most controversial point. People are going to tell yo that Pittsburgh is nothing like BOS-Wash cities, and they would be PARTIALLY right. While the city bears no resemblance to NYC, it’s more similar to Philly and Baltimore (aside from demographics) than it is to Cleveland or even the other major not-quite-East-Coast city, Buffalo. Because Pittsburgh sits at the confluence of the Northeast, Midwest and Appalachia, it’s going to feel a little different, but it’s far more northeastern than midwestern. Zero comparison to Detroit, Indianapolis, Columbus, etc.
-How are the Suburbs?
They Suck. Some of my least favorite suburbs in the country.
Pittsburgh is a surprisingly pretty city, with a cool collection of neighborhoods, great cultural amenities, and a good food scene. If you’re into sports,
I never been to Pittsburgh maybe going on trip there in few months how it compare to other Northeast cities I feel it it is underrated city
Does Pittsburgh have Northeast feeling ?
How Pittsburgh suburbs ?
Is it worth the visit ?
The most defining characteristic about Pittsburgh is being surrounded by hilly terrain and small mountains. It does not feel coastal like the northeast.
Think revived rust belt city with a nice skyline plunked down in Appalachia. Pretty unique city to visit.
Absolutely worth the visit. I don't want to hype it too much, but I went in May and got more than I expected...
It feels more Northeast than Midwest, BUT (big 'but' here).......if you're equation of "Northeast" is the BosWash corridor, and/or your equation of "Midwest" are the Great Lakes cities, it could feel more Midwestern than Northeastern to you. Fortunately for me, my mental scope is broader than those simplistic definitions...
You're from Connecticut, it's definitely gonna be different from there, so if Connecticut is quintessential Northeast to you, Pittsburgh may not seem Northeast to you, or at least not as Northeast...
I think Baltimore has some parallels with Pittsburgh. So does Richmond, Cleveland, Buffalo, Philadelphia, Rochester, Charleston WV, Charlottesville VA, and probably more cities. Depending on the perspective of the speaker and the point they're trying to make, they may favor one city over the others. Probably the biggest parallels I could conjure while there was a larger version if Binghamton/Ithaca, New York, which isn't the most popular comparison because most people aren't familiar with those cities, but those cities looked and have a personality similar to Pittsburgh's as much as any other city anyone will tell you...
Pittsburgh is certainly unique, and has become one of my favorite cities in the nation...
One of the features of the major BosWash cities is that they each have vibrant live/work/play CBDs. When visiting them, having a car would be a hassle, not an asset. How do those familiar with Pittsburgh see this aspect of the city?
One of the features of the major BosWash cities is that they each have vibrant live/work/play CBDs. When visiting them, having a car would be a hassle, not an asset. How do those familiar with Pittsburgh see this aspect of the city?
Two things are happening here. First, your notion of a live/work/play CBD is historically inaccurate for all of the cities except Philly. New York’s financial district was a ghost town, after hours, until very recently. No one lived or played there. Downtown Boston had shopping and tourism, but nightlife was limited, and residential was practically nonexistent. I’m not going to address downtown DC, because people tend to define it in the way that best suits their argument.
The other issue is that you’re comparing Pittsburgh to cities that are 4 to 10 times its size (and conveniently excluding Baltimore from BOS-WASH). DC, New York, Philly, and Boston are the only cities were having a car would be inconvenient, and, truthfully, it isn’t even inconvenient in Philly, outside of Center City.
First and foremost, Pittsburgh is definitely worth the visit. Now, to the other questions:
-Does Pittsburgh have a Northeast feel?:
This is going to be the most controversial point. People are going to tell yo that Pittsburgh is nothing like BOS-Wash cities, and they would be PARTIALLY right. While the city bears no resemblance to NYC, it’s more similar to Philly and Baltimore (aside from demographics) than it is to Cleveland or even the other major not-quite-East-Coast city, Buffalo. Because Pittsburgh sits at the confluence of the Northeast, Midwest and Appalachia, it’s going to feel a little different, but it’s far more northeastern than midwestern. Zero comparison to Detroit, Indianapolis, Columbus, etc.
-How are the Suburbs?
They Suck. Some of my least favorite suburbs in the country.
Pittsburgh is a surprisingly pretty city, with a cool collection of neighborhoods, great cultural amenities, and a good food scene. If you’re into sports,
I find it interesting that Pittsburgh has a Northeastern accent...at least closer to Northeastern than Midwestern or any other region....while Buffalo has a strong Midwestern/Great Lakes accent which makes sense considering it is on a Great Lake...but it's still interesting how they sound so different from each other.
First and foremost, Pittsburgh is definitely worth the visit. Now, to the other questions:
-Does Pittsburgh have a Northeast feel?:
This is going to be the most controversial point. People are going to tell yo that Pittsburgh is nothing like BOS-Wash cities, and they would be PARTIALLY right. While the city bears no resemblance to NYC, it’s more similar to Philly and Baltimore (aside from demographics) than it is to Cleveland or even the other major not-quite-East-Coast city, Buffalo. Because Pittsburgh sits at the confluence of the Northeast, Midwest and Appalachia, it’s going to feel a little different, but it’s far more northeastern than midwestern. Zero comparison to Detroit, Indianapolis, Columbus, etc.
-How are the Suburbs?
They Suck. Some of my least favorite suburbs in the country.
Pittsburgh is a surprisingly pretty city, with a cool collection of neighborhoods, great cultural amenities, and a good food scene. If you’re into sports,
Two things are happening here. First, your notion of a live/work/play CBD is historically inaccurate for all of the cities except Philly. New York’s financial district was a ghost town, after hours, until very recently. No one lived or played there. Downtown Boston had shopping and tourism, but nightlife was limited, and residential was practically nonexistent. I’m not going to address downtown DC, because people tend to define it in the way that best suits their argument.
The other issue is that you’re comparing Pittsburgh to cities that are 4 to 10 times its size (and conveniently excluding Baltimore from BOS-WASH). DC, New York, Philly, and Boston are the only cities were having a car would be inconvenient, and, truthfully, it isn’t even inconvenient in Philly, outside of Center City.
Wow! I mean wow! Did it touch a nerve? I am not making an argument. I am asking a question. But since you brought it up . . .
Regarding NYC, when was the last time you were Downtown? It buzzes now. Also, I consider Midtown to be its own downtown. Since you're into arguments, I would make one that Manhattan, crisscrossed by subways carting people everywhere, serves as the downtown for the other 4 boroughs.
Regarding Boston, when were you last in Downtown Crossing? The Combat Zone is long gone, replaced with luxury condos: Downtown Crossing Boston Luxury Condos for Sale | COG. Also, one could live and work in Back Bay or the South End and have plenty going on outside their doors after work and on the weekends.
So, let's look at some facts:
1) Here is a list of the top 10 US cities where people walk or bike to work (The Top Cities for Walking and Biking to Work | Money):
Boston: 16.7%
Washington, D.C.: 16.7%
San Francisco: 13.9%
Seattle: 12.9%
Portland: 12.1%
New York: 11.2%
Philadelphia: 10.6%
Minneapolis: 10.4%
Chicago: 8.1%
Baltimore: 7.7%
Five (exactly half) are the big 5 BosWash cities.
2) Next, here is a list of the top 8 US cities with carless households (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_o..._without_a_car):
New York City: 56%
Washington, DC: 38%
Boston: 37%
Philadelphia: 33%
San Francisco: 31%
Baltimore: 31%
Chicago: 28%
Detroit: 26%
The top 4 spots are owned by the BasWash cities with Baltimore tied for the 5th spot with SF.
So two questions:
1) Would a visitor spending three days in Pittsburgh be well-served to have a car or not in order to see the best the city offers? and
2) Does downtown Pittsburgh, like its BosWash cousins, currently boast a live/work/play lifestyle?
Two things are happening here. First, your notion of a live/work/play CBD is historically inaccurate for all of the cities except Philly. New York’s financial district was a ghost town, after hours, until very recently. No one lived or played there. Downtown Boston had shopping and tourism, but nightlife was limited, and residential was practically nonexistent. I’m not going to address downtown DC, because people tend to define it in the way that best suits their argument.
The other issue is that you’re comparing Pittsburgh to cities that are 4 to 10 times its size (and conveniently excluding Baltimore from BOS-WASH). DC, New York, Philly, and Boston are the only cities were having a car would be inconvenient, and, truthfully, it isn’t even inconvenient in Philly, outside of Center City.
Yikes! lol
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