Male upper 20's strongly considering job offer in Pittsburgh (Lebanon: real estate, apartments)

[sahran]

Hey guys,
This is my first time posting on this thread and I wanted to get some feedback on what you guys think of Pittsburgh...

I've read at length varying opinions about Pittsburgh and whether or not its a good place to live...I get the sense that there is a strong public perception that the city is underrated and while it has its fair share of problems- weather/government/urban blight in areas/roads can be difficult to navigate and flat out drive on...

I want to know, having considered the cons, is Pittsburgh a good place for a young single male to enjoy? I do really enjoy exploring hidden gem neighborhoods that are safe to walk in- (sounds like a Shadyside or Squirrel hill), I love catching sporting events/and enjoying the nightlife as well... and I also enjoy modern suburbs with all the usual amenities (the malls/newer construction apartments)... I maybe asking for too much...

I guess my main issue, is while I've heard Pittsburgh has nice neighborhoods, I get the sense that some of you think Pittsburgh is an "ugly" city.. Kinda rough/blue collar and I am hoping that this not the case for the majority of it.... Is urban blight in this city a lot more than most mid-size to larger cities? Are there other quirky/fun neighborhoods to explore besides Shadyside/Squirrel Hill? finally, I've heard that Robinson and Moon are growing at a rapid pace and have the more newer Apartment for rent construction... any other suburbs that are also worth checking out? Plz shed some light on your opinions... thank you!

[BrianTH]

There are lots of other nice areas to explore besides Shadyside and Squirrel Hill, many in the City but also some in the suburbs. Downtown, Mt Washington, the North Shore, the Strip, the South Side, Oakland, Lawrenceville, Bloomfield, Friendship, increasingly East Liberty, Point Breeze, Regent Square, Greenfield, Swisshelm Park, Mt Lebanon, Sewickley, Aspinwall, Oakmont . . . and many more.

I think part of the overall confusion in the debate is that Pittsburgh definitely is an older city on average than most. Some people see something older and automatically think "dirty", and others think "cool". The fact is that many neighborhoods in Pittsburgh aren't blighted, just older.

And in the suburbs--you can pretty much find whatever sort of suburbs you like.

[TelecasterBlues]

Yeah, you really can't expect anything at all out this way to resemble a place like San Diego/Seattle/Atlanta/Charlotte/etc...at least not in the way of infrastructure, design, overall look, and "newness". Pittsburgh has its fair share of just about everything from cookie cutter suburban developments(although not too many), to country landscapes, to old factories and whatnot that have been converted, to crummy old slums, etc. It varies greatly around here for sure and you can find just about anything that you want. However, the whole "ugly" thing is both true and untrue. There's a ton of older brick structures and whatnot from decades ago, and the city as a whole has a very sort of gritty/urban Europe look to it in most areas. I dunno, it's not necessarily my type of thing but it is cool in a sort of throwback to the early 1900s kind of way. And downtown is very much something like a miniature Manhatten. If it's a well paying job and you don't have any comparable options, I'd definately say to give it a shot. You'll know within a few months if the city is for you or not. The wage vs housing/cost of living ratio is ridiculous around here and overall, most people will stand to have a better financial lifestyle in this city compared to where they came from depending on the specific job.

But as far as the "ugly" goes...here's a set that shows the grittiness and weird characteristics that you'll either view as rundown and nasty or incredibly cool and unique, and again..this is definately NOT the entire city and will only cover one little oddball stretch of Pittsburgh that's very popular and expensive these days despite its old coaltown/riverboat community look that would be a turnoff to many people. It's very "Appalachian" around Pittsburgh, it just feels like an old mountain city despite not really being in the mountains exactly:

Pittsburgh's South Side Slopes: a neighbourhood on the brink - SkyscraperCity

And by contrast...here's Squirrel Hill South, pretty much the polar opposite of what you just saw:

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=668940

And there's a lot of good overall shots of the city to give you a visual idea of sorts on this site:

http://www.pittsburghskyline.com/

[sahran]

Thanks guys... you know, from the pics I see, "gritty" is definitely not bad looking ... this has been a lot of help!

[TelecasterBlues]

Yeah it depends on what you're used to and where you're comming from. Somebody who's lived their life in upscale LA or Miami with all the glitz would probably die here...yet somebody who's from the NE/Midwest and is rather down to earth would see things as beautiful in a rustic sort of way. It's definately not "ugly" at all, just very old. And as far as quirky stuff to explore...that's basically the entire city/metro area and then some. There's a lot of weird, oldschool towns and whatnot throughout the area and definately throughout the mountains and WVA. You'd probably have fun with it by the sound of things. As far as the blue collar comments...yes and no. The younger residents within the 20/30-somethings age group are fine, it's just the older residents and leftovers from the steel bust..."Yinzers"...who have something of a chip on their shoulders and a very rough personality. Obviously that's not every older resident in the city, but tons of them are a trip to deal with. For the most part, the younger generations are more white and green collar by nature...but there's definately something of a country influence within the region with a few yokels and idiots running around.

As for weird and quirkey...here's a video showing the weirdest parts of the South Side neighborhood, mainly the old staircases and sloping paths that run all over the place. The South Side was pictured above in the first link that I showed you...basically it's a somewhat "rundown" area that used to be a mining/mill community ages ago. It's become the place to be for night life and young professionals over the alst two decades. Really weird place from a physical standpoint...but real estate has climbed and it's one of the most in demand places for property these days. Lots of crazy stuff like old churches being converted into condos and whatnot...dunno if I could do the church thing, it'd creep me out...but the South Side/Shady Side/Oakland/Squirrel Hill/Lawrenceville will be the places that people your age are trying to get into.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jyNIYYXlpRc

[jay5835]

What part of town is your job in? And where do you live now?

[sahran]

Thanks for all the comments... I am coming from Raleigh, NC.. which IMO has a lot of urban sprawl, for better or for worse. My job would be in the heart of downtown...I have to admit, I think I am right in the middle in terms of liking new modern "cookie cutter" developments and the more vintage/rustic look. I like a little of both I guess and by the looks of things, Pittsburgh seems to offer both probably more heavy on the older side. That said, it seems to be a pretty interesting place with lots of culture and things to do...

[jay5835]

Originally Posted by sahran

Thanks for all the comments... I am coming from Raleigh, NC.. which IMO has a lot of urban sprawl, for better or for worse. My job would be in the heart of downtown...I have to admit, I think I am right in the middle in terms of liking new modern "cookie cutter" developments and the more vintage/rustic look. I like a little of both I guess and by the looks of things, Pittsburgh seems to offer both probably more heavy on the older side. That said, it seems to be a pretty interesting place with lots of culture and things to do...

Do you want to drive to work or take the bus?

[sahran]

I am open to either option frankly, just a matter of what will cost me the least and if its efficient or not

[BrianTH]

If it were me, I'd look at actually living Downtown. It is a great mix of architecture, and couldn't be more convenient if you are working Downtown. People will point out it isn't Pittsburgh's busiest nightlife area, which is true to some extent but it is coming along as the nightime population is growing, and it is also very easy to get from Downtown to most of the happening neighborhoods.