relcoating to Pittsburgh and concerns (Bethel Park, Oakmont: apartment, credit, construction)

[Katiana]

Originally Posted by PPG

I think by the time you hit 40 you are automatically "unhip"

Sadly, I think you are right. I know I am not hip in the eyes of my 20 something daughters! But I have a better credit rating than they do, so it works out.

[JoeP]

Living near a steel mill was urban planning.

Of a much different sort and era.

Simply living in a city doesn't = urban or an ideal urban situation.

Some cities have some quite suburban areas within city limits proper.

Some neigborhoods in cities are as bad as it can get.


While people can find different neighborhoods within city limits and there are variations of amenities. Much of the urbanist qualities that are commonly desired are dense neighborhoods with many walkable amenites including markets, cleaners, restaurants, perhaps nightlife or stage/movie theater.

Maybe not all of those aspects, but at least some things in walkable distance in an urban fabric.

That's what the urban planners want, for all of us to walk or take public transportation to work, to "live above the store",

Well being close to work is better than clogging interstates. Living above work is never really been pushed as so much as if a neighborhood is "mixed use" than it can provide options.

Well, either the South Side is artsy and bohemian, or it's upscale. First you claim it to be one, then the other.

It not either or, it can be both.

I wouldn't call South Side upscale, but now you can find pricier redone homes and some pricey lofts etc.

Again, it might be for you, or me, but that doesn't negate the changes that have happened.

American Eagle Outfitters sited the neighborhood's attractiveness to younger employees as part of their decision to relocate their corporate headquarters from the North Hills to there.

That would have not even been a thought 20 years ago.

[Katiana]

I didn't want to get back into this, but I want to clarify. This was in response to several specific posts.

Well, either the South Side is artsy and bohemian, or it's upscale. First you claim it to be one, then the other.

The other poster was drawing a difference between one and the other. I'm not sure the SS is really any of those things. It's a bar, restaurant and shopping area. That, especially the first, is probably the attraction to 20 somethings.

As someone pointed out on another forum, dense neighborhoods bring about more traffic, b/c like it or not, everyone has cars and is going somewhere in them. A lot of the new urbanists want us to walk or take public transportation everywhere. That is simply not feasible. Especially if you have kids to drag along with you.

An anecdote: We have a "new urban" neighborhood where the old Denver airport was. When my 20something daughter was looking for an apt, she said "who would want to live there and never leave the neighborhood?" Of course, having a grocery store, etc in walking distance doesn't mean you have to use them, but perhaps you get her point. It's sometimes nice to get out of one's own little bubble. The neighborhood where she lives has most of these things w/in a reasonable drive, or even walk if you wish, but she does get out of the bubble when she leaves her apt. Even I like her 'hood in the city.

I might add that even here in deepest suburbia (not really, I am exaggerating a bit) we have grocery stores, restaurants, parks, the library and such close enough to walk to. But it's certainly not a new urban or even new suburban (if there is such a thing) 'hood.

[NewBurg]

Originally Posted by pittnurse70

Hmm. . . the high school is shuttered. Those "hip chains" are in every mall in America that I have ever been to. You could be at FlatIron Crossing in Broomfield, Colorado. "Nestled" in the "mountains"? I don't think so.

You're reaching here. I've found that if you want to find fault in something, you can find it no matter what. As you're driving through the southside, you can look for flaws or be cynical about things, but the positives are so obvious. From all of the positive things mentioned on my post, the only thing you respond to is the couple of chain stores that are common in other cities (of course they are), and the words "nestled" and "mountains", when the topography is awesome and unique no matter how you want to phrase it. It just looks to me like you're denying the obvious.
It's OK... of course you're entitled to your opinion and I guess we could just agree to disagree...
It's just that there is such an obvious, unique, historical urban fabric running through this neighborhood... to deny this on an urban forum just seems kind of ironic.

[Katiana]

From Hopes:

Originally Posted by pittnurse
One of my compainions said "if you go a block off that main street it's a slum". Please note this is not my statement.

Goodness, you didn't leave main street?

Yes, we left the main street. That's what made him say it's a slum off the main (Carson) st. As I said several times, we covered a lot of territory; drove up the slopes as well as all the way down Carson plus over to the South Side works. Apparently, my posts were not very carefully read, because that is all in there.

NewBurgh:

You're reaching here.

How am I reaching? What do you think I am reaching for? And "mountains" is a bit exaggerated.

It just looks to me like you're denying the obvious.

What is so obvious? To three out of towners, one from the Pgh suburbs (well, two if you count me from way back), it looked like a strip of bars, restaurants and shopping, not some incarnation of the "Miracle Mile" or whatever. Unique? About as unique as The Old Market in Omaha, the 16th St. Mall in Denver, the Pearl St. Mall in Boulder, etc. This is the latest in urban redevelopment. None of those places sell anything useful, though they may be fun to go to.

[NewBurg]

"An incarnation of the Miracle Mile"...

Are you referring to that big stretch of strip malls in Monroeville? If so, is that something that you would consider to be positive?

If so, we're obviously coming from different worlds.

[Katiana]

No, I was thinking of this: Miracle Mile, Los Angeles, California - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Perhaps you've heard of it? I guess not, actually. And mods, before you shut this thread down and blame me, I wanted to quit talking about this several posts ago, as I stated. I am just responding to those who are questioning me.

[NewBurg]

Originally Posted by pittnurse70

I didn't want to get back into this, but I want

As someone pointed out on another forum, dense neighborhoods bring about more traffic, b/c like it or not, everyone has cars and is going somewhere in them. A lot of the new urbanists want us to walk or take public transportation everywhere. That is simply not feasible. Especially if you have kids to drag along with you.

An anecdote: We have a "new urban" neighborhood where the old Denver airport was. When my 20something daughter was looking for an apt, she said "who would want to live there and never leave the neighborhood?" Of course, having a grocery store, etc in walking distance doesn't mean you have to use them, but perhaps you get her point. It's sometimes nice to get out of one's own little bubble. The neighborhood where she lives has most of these things w/in a reasonable drive, or even walk if you wish, but she does get out of the bubble when she leaves her apt. Even I like her 'hood in the city.

New urbanism isn't all about staying in a bubble and never leaving your neighborhood, and that's not what "they" want you to do - you should sometimes travel and explore. It's about smart communities that rely on public transportation and walking or bicycling to stores and amenities. This is a good thing. You can and should leave your neighborhood at times, but it's wasteful to have to hop in the car every time you need something, even every other time you need something. It's all about conserving resources and living in a smart, environmentally responsible manner...riding the bus or light rail to work, walking to the market, eating locally. These aren't far-fetched ideas thrown out by environment nuts. When it comes down to it, given all of the information available to us, it's just common sense.

[Katiana]

I do not see that I used the word "they" anywhere in that post. I just thought my daughter's comments were interesting. I don't think she had heard of 'new urbanism', it not being a topic covered in her biology major in college.

BTW, I have never been to the "Miracle Mile" shopping center in Monroeville, though I've heard of it. You make too many assumptions.

[tommygoat]

New Urbanism? LOL ...