Anyone here ever been to Pittsburgh, PA? (Detroit, Grand Rapids: 2014, how much)

[EddieOlSkool]

I will post the opposite question in the Pittsburgh forum. But I ask for relocation purposes. I am getting a job offer in Pittsburgh PA and another one in Grand Rapids. They are essentially the same job and wages to cost of living factors in as the same (i.e. the Grand Rapids job makes less money but the cost of living in Grand Rapids is way less than Pittsburgh).

If anyone here has been to Pittsburgh, how do you compare it with Grand Rapids? I have been to Pittsburgh before but not enough to really get a good feel for the city. Likewise I have been to Grand Rapids but did experience it to where I can say I would like living here. Can anyone really compare these two or know any websites that compare them?

If you have been to Pittsburgh, would you go live there or choose Grand Rapids assuming those were the only two cities you had to choose?

[Informer]

Originally Posted by EddieOlSkool

I will post the opposite question in the Pittsburgh forum. But I ask for relocation purposes. I am getting a job offer in Pittsburgh PA and another one in Grand Rapids. They are essentially the same job and wages to cost of living factors in as the same (i.e. the Grand Rapids job makes less money but the cost of living in Grand Rapids is way less than Pittsburgh).

If anyone here has been to Pittsburgh, how do you compare it with Grand Rapids? I have been to Pittsburgh before but not enough to really get a good feel for the city. Likewise I have been to Grand Rapids but did experience it to where I can say I would like living here. Can anyone really compare these two or know any websites that compare them?

If you have been to Pittsburgh, would you go live there or choose Grand Rapids assuming those were the only two cities you had to choose?

Greetings,

Tough to compare Pittsburgh, PA to Grand Rapids, MI.

Metro Pittsburgh is roughly 2.4 million population (metropolitan) vs Grand Rapids at around

1 million (metropolitan). Naturally Pittsburgh will win on many levels due to its size.

Pittsburgh, PA is pro sports, fine dinning, hilly setting, skyscrapers, hustle and bustle, heavy traffic

(especially through tunnels) and Iron City beer. Been to both cities - IMO Grand Rapids appears to be more

of an up and coming metro - while Pittsburgh is, well Pittsburgh...

Being a Steelers, or Pirates fan, would be beneficial.

This link will allow you to compare both cities on a city vs city basis.

Moderator cut: link removed, linking to competitor sites is not allowed

Good Luck...

Cheers...

[EddieOlSkool]

Originally Posted by Informer

Greetings,

Tough to compare Pittsburgh, PA to Grand Rapids, MI.

Metro Pittsburgh is roughly 2.4 million population (metropolitan) vs Grand Rapids at around

1 million (metropolitan). Naturally Pittsburgh will win on many levels due to its size.

Pittsburgh, PA is pro sports, fine dinning, hilly setting, skyscrapers, hustle and bustle, heavy traffic

(especially through tunnels) and Iron City beer. Been to both cities - IMO Grand Rapids appears to be more

of an up and coming metro - while Pittsburgh is, well Pittsburgh...

Being a Steelers, or Pirates fan, would be beneficial.

This link will allow you to compare both cities on a city vs city basis.

Moderator cut: link removed, linking to competitor sites is not allowed

Good Luck...

Cheers...

That site is awesome! Thanks!

It has given me great insight.

Though to tell you the truth, Pittsburgh's skyline and the skyline of Grand Rapids are quite similar. Though it seems that unlike Pittsburgh, Grand Rapids set its downtown area on the hilly part of the city, whereas Pittsburgh's "dahntahn" area is flatter and the residential areas are more hilly. Though Grand Rapids hills are really 1/10th the steepness or height of Pittsburgh's.

I didn't realize that Grand Rapids gets more than twice the snow Pittsburgh does. Yikes. But it is flatter, making it less inconvenient, it seems. Grand Rapids due to its size seems quieter. And of course the Grand Rapids women seem cuter.

[Mvl]

Born in NE PA, lived in upstate NY for 28 yrs and just moved to GR to remarry. Hands down, go East Coast. Pittsburgh is a great place to raise a family. I know several families who were transferred to Pitt and thoroughly loved the area.
Milder weather.
And nowhere near as religiously conservative or judgmental.
Pro sports, college sports, accessibility to the East Coast. Much nicer than the Midwest.
JUST MY OPINION.
Explore New England, NY, Philly, Baltimore, Annapolis, Washington DC, Carolina's.....

[magellan]

I don't really think of Pittsburgh as "East Coast." It's closer to Toledo than it is to Atlantic Ocean. But I also think of the East Coast as cool but really, really expensive for what you get and over-crowded, so maybe Pittsburgh being away from the coast is better?

This is a pretty good resource for Pittsburgh life. I know the people who run it, and they know the city well. http://popcitymedia.com/ There's a similar one for Grand Rapids: http://rapidgrowthmedia.com/

[Meemur]

Please go spend a weekend in Pgh and drive around! Go everywhere - do a pretend commute to work. Shop.

I thought the culture was awesome, but the hills in winter were a deal-breaker for me (just my experience!) but you might find some level area between where you live and work.

That said, I agree with the last poster. I wouldn't like in GR right now until Michigan gets a better handle on the economy. Why pay for Detroit?

[magellan]

Originally Posted by Meemur

Please go spend a weekend in Pgh and drive around! Go everywhere - do a pretend commute to work. Shop.

I thought the culture was awesome, but the hills in winter were a deal-breaker for me (just my experience!) but you might find some level area between where you live and work.

That said, I agree with the last poster. I wouldn't like in GR right now until Michigan gets a better handle on the economy. Why pay for Detroit?

How exactly are we "paying for Detroit" in West Michigan?

I think we're doing okay...

http://www.mlive.com/business/west-m...s_the_nat.html

http://www.mlive.com/business/west-m...ranks_3rd.html

http://www.mlive.com/business/west-m..._forbes_l.html

[EddieOlSkool]

I'm from the Midwest. The East Coast doesn't appeal to me as a place to spend the rest of my life. One reason Pittsburgh appealed to me was because it didn't boast an East Coast feel. Not overly populated, not horrible traffic, very blue collar Midwestern type of feel. Though as a Midwesterner I do think the New York accent is the coolest.

[EddieOlSkool]

I hear so much about the GR Metro area being very socially conservative. Is this really that common?

[emplerte]

Hey Eddie, I grew up in GR- lived there for 20 years and now have lived in PGH for about 7 years.

Your size comparison/geography is off. Pittsburgh downtown, and the city limits are much much larger than GR. I consider GR and surrounding area flat now when I go back and visit. The hills don't compare to PGH, and the downtown area is about the only flat part of the city. Most winters in PGH have been similar but more mild than GR, this last winter was a bit more rough though. Way more snow in GR (lake effect), the surrounding areas of PGH get a lot more snow than we get in the city limits. Speaking of the lake, GR has lake michigan a short drive away. This is huge if that's something that draws you, because there's nothing remotely like it near PGH.

Socially I'd say there is way more to do in PGH than GR could ever offer. Museums, restaurants, plays, music... simply put, GR is not a large city and PGH is. It's all in a concentrated area with public transit. I used to spend 100s of dollars in gas when I moved from GR. I fill my tank once a month or so now.

GR is socially conservative. For sure. Getting away from that was the best part of moving. It's hard for me to say how much that might have changed since I moved. I was shocked when I heard how liberal the marijuana laws are in GR now, but you'll still see several churches on each block. PGH is no liberal haven, but it sometimes seems so compared to Fox-news loving midwest MI.

PGH is also a college town- Pitt and CMU campuses overlap in the city. I wonder if the population stats reflect this, because it's very noticeable when students are gone for the summer.

Personally, I like PGH more. It depends on your lifestyle though. GR is growing very quickly, and I could see moving back some day (I have family there though, which is a very big draw to me). Because of its size, even if you live IN GR, you'll likely end up with a strong suburban feel. PGH, while not as large as a place like NYC, offers a city living feel.

I could go on longer I'm sure, so if you want to know more just ask.