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Old 12-13-2010, 08:56 PM
 
Location: Dayton
26 posts, read 52,024 times
Reputation: 14

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Hello. I am a 45 yrs old A-A female professional currently living in OH. I have read that Pittsburgh is one of the top 10 affordable areas in the country to live. I will be graduating in six months with my masters degree. I am married with three children ages 14, 10 and 7. My husband works as a corrections officer in a prison. We are a culturally mixed family.

Ohio has grown stale for us and the jobs market is horrendous. In addition, I don't stand a chance of having higher earnings once I graduate. I don't want to feel like I went to school for nothing. We are looking for more diversity and a town that feels alive. I am wondering if moving to Pittsburgh is right for us.
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Old 12-13-2010, 10:44 PM
 
Location: Marshall-Shadeland, Pittsburgh, PA
32,606 posts, read 77,287,663 times
Reputation: 19071
Quote:
Originally Posted by macdee425 View Post
Hello. I am a 45 yrs old A-A female professional currently living in OH. I have read that Pittsburgh is one of the top 10 affordable areas in the country to live. I will be graduating in six months with my masters degree. I am married with three children ages 14, 10 and 7. My husband works as a corrections officer in a prison. We are a culturally mixed family.

Ohio has grown stale for us and the jobs market is horrendous. In addition, I don't stand a chance of having higher earnings once I graduate. I don't want to feel like I went to school for nothing. We are looking for more diversity and a town that feels alive. I am wondering if moving to Pittsburgh is right for us.
Hello!

Well, I really can't definitively say that Pittsburgh would be "right" for you or your family unless you can help us out by providing us with a bit more information, as your post was a bit vague. I know we're always happy to have more upstanding middle-class families moving into our community, but every city isn't necessarily a good fit for everyone.

Pittsburgh is very much a "zebra" metropolitan area---mostly Caucasian (white) or African-American. The tightest concentration of other ethnicities/races in the area is probably in the city's Oakland neighborhood, which is home to many college students. Race relations amongst the white and black middle-class here are very harmonious; however, there is also a large black under-class here that has segregated itself (or, more correctly, has been abandoned by whites) into a select few neighborhoods (i.e. Homewood, Hill District, Lincoln-Larimer, etc.) I have already befriended African-Americans in this city, and I'm happy for that. Nevertheless there are some predominantly African-American neighborhoods I'd tell middle-class blacks to even avoid. My current employer has requested to not have to deliver to a few neighborhoods that are prone to violence. A driver for our company that worked for another location was robbed and nearly had his vehicle stolen in Wilkinsburg, so we're likely not going to be delivering there, either. It would be nice if Pittsburgh had a solidly middle-class predominantly African-American neighborhood, but, sadly, the majority-black neighborhoods here are largely the crime-ridden ones.

Pittsburgh has a very strong job market, actually, relative to many other cities. It has had an unemployment rate consistently below the state and national averages during this Great Recession. I just moved here, unemployed may I add, from Virginia two weeks ago, and I already have a full-time job helping to launch a new business venture. I had no fewer than a half-dozen interviews either completed or on the horizon when I accepted my current position, and I had more leads available. It was very nerve-wracking moving here with no job, but thankfully there are jobs here for those who want them, apparently, if my own experience lends any credibility to that.

Does Pittsburgh feel alive? Meh. It depends. It's a city that has a very off-putting self-deprecatory personality. For example, I was told I needed to "tone down" my cheerleading for the city and my desire to help revitalize my current neighborhood. Why? I wouldn't "fit in" otherwise. Most of these people who hate it here are the same ones who have never lived in other areas, especially ones in the uber-stressful BosWash Corridor. Since moving to Pittsburgh my own stress level has been greatly reduced. I'm happy. I do nothing but smile. It would be nice to not be lonely, but every other aspect of my life improved---vastly---when I moved here from Virginia.

We need more information about you and your family to give you some better insight. Interests? Hobbies? Your field of study?
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Old 12-14-2010, 12:18 AM
 
Location: Kittanning
4,692 posts, read 8,988,628 times
Reputation: 3668
Dayton and Pittsburgh seem like apples and oranges to me. Pittsburgh is bigger, but it's not a huge city. If you don't like Dayton (and other Ohio cities), you may not find what you are looking for in Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh IS affordable, has a decent job market, and is probably more vibrant than many of the cities in Ohio (Cleveland, Cincy, and Columbus being possible exceptions). Western Pennsylvania is a more geographically interesting area-- lots of hills, rivers, and mountains. I wouldn't call Pittsburgh "alive," in fact I'm sure there are many people who might call it a "dead" rust belt city. However, I would most definitely call it stable, or as stable as a city can be during this recession. As far as diversity is concerned, it's mostly black and white.

Do move to Pittsburgh if you appreciate history, architecture, dense urban cities, four seasons, affordability, great educational institutions, and the availability of jobs (although probably not extremely high-paying ones).

I moved from Michigan. The differences between Pittsburgh and the cities in Michigan mostly have to do with the vibrance of the city itself (people with money actually live, work, and play in the city).
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Old 12-14-2010, 03:18 AM
 
5,802 posts, read 9,852,741 times
Reputation: 3051
First it depends on the type of Job you're looking for....Pittsburgh's not going to be a one stop shop for all industries, just because you have a degree....It's all about you're field...Pittsburgh is becoming increasingly more like a Boston, DC, SF, Seattle...where the majority of the "Good Jobs" are skilled white collar...the Blue Collar HS Diploma workers are having it tough for "Good Jobs"...

Alive? - Depends on what you mean by that...Pittsburgh is not NYC, LA, SF in terms of 24/7 Go Go lifestyle.....It is a city very much in the thick of reinventing itself...Offers a plethora of Big City Amenities (Culture, Dinning, Nightlife, Shopping, Professional Sports) for a city its size....and is Small Town Affordable....Pittsburgh is very much Black and White with pockets of diversity in Oakland, Shadyside, Squirrel Hill, Greenfield, Greentree....

Pittsburgh also has quality (atleast I consider it one) of having very distinct Neighborhoods that share the wealth of Vibrancy, so Pittsburgh's "Aliveness" is not all centered in it's Downtown....Very Few Cities offer this.

Now as a Professional AA Female Born and rised in the Burgh, I can tell you Pittsburgh is not Atlanta when it comes to large concentrations of "Successful" Blacks...Pittsburgh is very much the typical Northeastern Midwestern city in this regards majority of Blacks are improvished ghetto neighborhoods, but there are strong Middle Class neighborhoods with blacks who have made nice livings for themselves yes they have to live amongst whites but unless you have a problem with assimilation its never an issue, most would tell you they prefer it that way, and seeing as though you're a mixed family you're probably more likely to agree...

But unlike the Bigger Cities of NYC, Boston, DC, Chicago...Pittsburgh's strong middle/working class can afford everything the city has to offer..Except maybe Steelers and Pens tickets.

One thing you will notice about Pittsburgh vs Ohio is the hard Border between Midwestern Ohio and Northeastern Pittsburgh....The Burgh associates itself overwhelmingly more with East Coast cities than it does with the cities in the Midwest or Ohio even...Hell the majority of Pittsburghers couldn't tell you a thing about Ohio, which is odd because of the proximity of Ohio to Pittsburgh...I've always said the PA/OH Border might as well be the Berlin Wall when it comes to Pittsburgh's association with Ohio...

Last edited by Blackbeauty212; 12-14-2010 at 03:30 AM..
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Old 12-14-2010, 08:41 AM
 
93 posts, read 330,952 times
Reputation: 35
If you are not in the Health Care Industry, Or College Teacher/degree then it will be "hard" to find a job/career in pburgh over 10-11 bucks an hour.

Now, that is my opinion from my hardships after being laid off in Pittsburgh and looking for work daily. Seems the top employers in Pburgh is Healthcare/Colleges...GL !
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Old 12-14-2010, 08:59 AM
 
5,802 posts, read 9,852,741 times
Reputation: 3051
Unfortunately this is the way America economy is going....You have to have a skill/degrees in specific fields to get "The Good paying jobs".....HS Diplomas, Limited Skills, Uneducated are going to find it increasingly tough for decent wages going forward....Steel mills are gone, Manufacturing is minimal in the US, Unions are not the strong hold they once were (outside of Transportation workers)...

We are becoming an Information Technology based society/economy, its the world we live in now..Computers are replacing humans for jobs so companies are getting more done with less....It's Not just Pittsburgh..
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Old 12-14-2010, 10:00 AM
 
Location: Texas and Fairfax Virginia
23 posts, read 66,404 times
Reputation: 18
Reston Runner, you seem to be very knowledgeable about the areas. My question is about work and living. I'm debating on relocating to PA and working in Pittsburgh or somewhere in between Pittsburgh and Monroeville...Areas I've considered are Squirrel Hill and Murrysville for work. Can you give more insight as to which areas are less desirable for living? You have mentioned Lincoln but I want the whole scoop! It would also be nice to know what the more upscale communities are as I'm in the health and wellness field and would like to offer my services to those most likely to use them. Not to say that people in lower scale areas aren't familiar with health and wellness but you know what I mean. Thanks in advance!
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Old 12-14-2010, 10:12 AM
 
Location: Macao
16,265 posts, read 42,984,230 times
Reputation: 10231
Quote:
Originally Posted by macdee425 View Post
Hello. I am a 45 yrs old A-A female professional currently living in OH. I have read that Pittsburgh is one of the top 10 affordable areas in the country to live.
I would think Ohio would have extremely similar 'affordable area of the country' status.

Meaning, I don't think you'd necessarily see much of a cost saving going from Ohio to Pittsburgh.

If you had other reasons for Pittsburgh it makes more sense...but based on that reason, I am not so sure. I mean, I think partly what makes the cost of living so low in this part of the country, is that jobs don't pay much to drive them up either.
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Old 12-14-2010, 12:05 PM
 
Location: O'Hara Twp.
4,359 posts, read 7,483,988 times
Reputation: 1611
In order to determine if a move is right for you I would look at your husband's job first. Is he close to getting his pension? If he is I would suggest sticking it out because he will likely be starting over once he moves here. Frankly, a pension is a great thing to have and not very common any more.

Also, remember you need to consider both of your employment prospects when moving.
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Old 12-14-2010, 01:41 PM
 
93 posts, read 330,952 times
Reputation: 35
Sally, just to chime in. I live in Sq Hill and LOVE IT. Sq Hill is situated right by the Parkway entrance to go to Monroeville or Downtown Pittsburgh, it is also minutes away from the "Waterfront" which has numerous high end/regular shops/eating/ and Lowes Theater. Sq Hill is a nice area, with a great downtown feel with plenty of shopping/eating/walking/ etc. It is 5 minutes away from shadyside and Oakland which is big in the nightlife.

Sq Hill is diverse. I see daily a lot of single professionals/ young parents/ and also teenagers. Sq hill has a big Jewish base as well. You will see them around town with suits and big beards and hats every day..

But with the parkway right at Sq Hills back door, it may be an easy commute for ya.

Also sq hill is very affordable, not sure if your going to be buying or renting..

Places in Pittsburgh I would stay away from due to crime etc is : Wilkinsburgh, Hill District, Homestead...
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