Buy a car and move to the suburbs?

[ferraris]

There's no reason to specifically aim to leave the city for cheaper rent. I would really evaluate the cost of owning a car. I have one, and I really wish I did not sometimes. It's 200/month for the payment alone (just a $10,000 car, so nothing extreme), another 100 for insurance, plus gas. But then there's maintenance, which has really kicked my butt. In two years, I've spent 1500 total come inspection/oil change time. Zipcar may be the way to go, especially if you never need to leave their 200 mile radius.

Are you hoping to find a house, a 2 bedroom apartment, or a 1 bedroom apartment? In most neighborhoods, there's nothing inherently more expensive about owning a car in the city than in the suburbs.

[greg42]

Originally Posted by Tinare

Of course there are suburbs that do still have transit options, so that's a consideration as well. Just because you have a car doesn't mean you always have to use it. That would reduce that expense. Sub parking for bus (or T) fare and save a few dollars on parking and some gas. (Unless your student status would still allow transit to be free, which would be even better.) Just another thought.

Yeah, true. You wouldn't have to drive to Oakland. Although sometimes with two people (assuming those 3 days you would both need to go in) driving wins out over the transit cost. Although with Oakland parking, it probably wouldn't. Now if the transit as a grad student is still free, something I hadn't really considered, then there could be money to be saved by taking a bus in. You'd want to look somewhere where there might still be a route that goes direct to Oakland, if such a thing still exists after the upcoming cuts. If everything is a transfer anyway, then you might as well add proximity to the T, although I don't know if most of the rents down there are as cheap as some of the places mentioned so far.

[heartchya]

Originally Posted by hnsq

Why not move apartments in the city? Move to Bloomfield, for example. You can pay the same as you are now (or even less) and be within walking distance of a zipcar station. Is it really worth it to move outside of the city? Especially to move to a place like Etna or Millvale (which are pretty run down compared to where you are now). You need to consider quality of life. With all due respect, the neighborhoods suggested so far will not give you nearly as good of a quality of life as where you currently live.

I mean...for $800/mo you can find some pretty good apartments in bloomfield, shadyside or squirrel hill (all of which have ZipCars).

Things people say like this about Millvale really make me laugh. Millvale may not be all that beautiful but it has it's pro's. # 1 rent is cheap...actually buying may be even cheaper. # 2 I would say it is very safe. I have been here a few years and have never had any problem. I even forget to lock my car quite a bit and no one has ever touched it. # 3 You can walk to Pamela's, a bakery, a new coffee shop, a laundry mat, Yetter's ( a candy store), Sunoco, and a few bars. There is a Shop N save about 3 minutes away. Rita's Ice you can walk to as well. Lawrenceville and Bloomfield which are much more expensive are literally 5 minutes away. Millvale also has the riverfront park and trail. There is a small skate park, Three Rivers Rowing, and a bait shop down there. I walk down there quite a bit with my toddler. There are always people down there biking or walking and they have been friendly. It is also part of Shaler School District which is pretty decent school system. You can take the bus downtown. There also used to be a bus that went to Oakland....though I am not sure if it was cut. Mcknight Road is a 5-10 minute drive.

I bought my house here for 40,000 when I was 24. My mortgage ( if I had one...which I don't) would be less than rent. The house directly behind me sold last summer for about 80k to a nice young couple who now have a infant. Another house sold a few weeks ago on my street for about the same to a young couple as well.

Don't discount Millvale just because you drove through and thought it's ugly. It has a lot to offer. They also have multiple community events--Millvale Days, Brewfest, holiday parties for kids, clean up days, community gardens, and are working on a library.

Rant over. I just had seeing Millvale get a bad rap. I am moving...but not due to anything about Millvale. I will recommend this area to anyone who wants to be close to the city and get a great deal. It is a really unique and great place. Don't judge a book by it's cover.

[gg]

Originally Posted by heartchya

Things people say like this about Millvale really make me laugh. Millvale may not be all that beautiful but it has it's pro's.

I agree that Millvale does have a lot to offer. Best bakery in Pittsburgh and the best wings I have eaten here at Sideline's Bar. The park that Millvale has by the river is a huge benefit. You can ride into the city in no time on a bike and it is a flat ride. If you are into rowing it is perfect. You can walk across the bridge, yes there are people walking, to Lawrenceville in minutes. The homes aren't all that pretty, but the location and safety make Millvale pretty good. Prices are crazy low for housing and it is hard to believe. I would consider Millvale. There are some homes there that are like living in the country which is pretty cool as well.

[MeinGlanzendMotorrad]

*cough*Perry South*cough*

[Copanut]

I'm a fan of Millvale, reminds me of my home town. Not the greatest looking homes, but extremely affordable and lots of amenities within walking distance. If they can limit the Section 8 onslaught, it can only get better.

There used to be a camera repair shop that I used quite a bit back in the old 35mm days.

[Hopes]

I was just in Millvale last night (or was it the night before?) when dropping kids off at Mr. Smalls.

I saw a young couple walking down the sidewalk. They were dressed so cute---not really hipster, more like educated, trendy, artsy. He was wearing a jacket with jeans. She was wearing a skirt with tights. They looked like they were dressed for a date, walking hand in hand---like they walked out their front door and were heading down the street to go out to each somewhere local. They looked very Bloomfield/Lawrenceville/Shadyside-ish if that makes any sense.

The sight of them just adds to my sense that Millvale is definitely attracting many types of people who see what Millvale has to offer. Millvale is not pretty but it's much safer than Lawrenceville, and it has a lot to offer people who are looking for affordable housing.