Moving from Boston this summer - suggestions on neighborhood? (Pittsburgh: sales, apartments)

[taylor88]

Hi everyone,

Hoping to get some help on here. I am moving to the area soon for a job and have NO idea where to begin. I know nobody in Pittsburgh and could really use some advice.

I am single 25 female looking for somewhere safe, young, friendly. I am in sales and my territory will actually be north of the city but I would prefer to live near an ubran area as I currently reside in downtown Boston. Cost is not really an issue - just somewhere young and fun, safe, close to the city, but not a terrible commute north. Any suggestions??

[I_Like_Spam]

Where is your job at in the Pittsburgh area? Are you bringing a car? How little do you want to pay in rent?

[taylor88]

I'm in sales and will have a very large territory north of the city and into Ohio. I don't mind paying high rent to live in the right area, and yes I will definitely have a vehicle.

[Aqua Teen Carl]

You will get suggestions for the East side: Shady Side, Squirrel Hill, Point Breeze etc.

[ferraris]

Long list, but:

Downtown itself (probably the closest thing to where you live now)
Shadyside (affluent, high end shops and restaurants within walking distance)
Squirrel Hill (affluent, but maybe not urban feeling enough for you)
Bloomfield/Friendship (very walkable, good bargains on rent)
Lawrenceville (a little gritty, artsy)
South Side Flats (lots of bars and restaurants)

You might also want to look in some of the North side neighborhoods, as that will save a few minutes on your commuting time and still give you some nice urban areas.

Central Northside/Mexican War Streets
East Allegheny/Deutschtown
Allegheny West

All 3 of those essentially form one larger neighborhood, they all have some beautiful places to live and a good amount of places within walking distance (including the sports stadiums and being walking distance to downtown). I also have a feeling they might be the most analgous to some of the historic neighborhoods in Boston; a lot of the buildings are 19th century.

[SteelCityRising]

Fortunately for you commuting from the city to the northern suburbs is generally a breeze. That's one of the few rush-hour commuting routes that's typically not congested, as the Parkway North mostly serves people from the northern suburbs commuting into the city and not the other way around (although if Cranberry continues its explosive job growth that may change in the coming years). I believe ML North (or someone else who lives in the North Side of the city perhaps?) commutes to the north and has generally a hassle-free commute.

I would actually suggest the North Side to you, especially the Mexican War Streets area. The stately historic rowhomes and narrow streets there would remind you at least a little I would think of Beacon Hill in Boston, and you'd be within walking distance of the North Shore (stadiums, casino, science center, RiverWalk, Warhol Museum, etc.) and Downtown. The "T" is being extended as we speak into the North Side and should be finished next year if I'm not mistaken. You'd then realistically be able to live in the Mexican War Streets, walk to the "T", take that under Downtown and over to the South Side where you could get off and enjoy the nightlife of Station Square or hoof it perhaps a half-mile to the nightlife and action of Carson Street in the South Side. Yes, there are some ghettoes in the North Side, but if you're currently living in the city proper of Boston then I'd presume you'd have enough street smarts to just avoid venturing into those areas. Since I'm now applying for jobs in Cranberry and other northern suburbs myself and since my partner already works on the North Side I'm now considering the Mexican War Streets for us when we move in together next summer.

These lofts are quite popular on the North Side for young professionals such as yourself. Although they're not quite in the "middle of the action" you can easily walk via the adjacent RiverWalk to the North Shore, Downtown, or Mexican War Streets if you so chose. You could also walk to the Strip District from here, which I'll detail below as another suggestion:

Heinz Lofts, Apartments in Pittsburgh

The Strip District may be another option for you. It sits just to the northeast of Downtown and is roughly across the river from the Heinz Lofts. While historically industrial in nature with a lot of low-slung warehouses many new loft housing options have been coming here in recent years, capitalizing upon this area's walkable proximity to Downtown. There are many "classic" Pittsburgh businesses here, generally along Penn Avenue, Smallman Street, or the numbered streets that run between them (generally starting at 16th Street and heading to 31st Street). You'll find Klavon's (old-fashioned ice cream parlor), Spaghetti Warehouse (Italian restaurant), Pennsylvania Macaroni Company (market specializing in breads, pastas, sauces, cheeses, etc.), Perlora Leather, Pamela's Diner, Primanti Bros. (dive bar noted in pop culture for its large sandwiches with fries and slaw on them), Pittsburgh Popcorn Company, Mon Aimee Chocolates, Fudgie Wudgie, Penzey's Spices, Roland's, Wholey's (fresh seafood market), Savoy, some custom framing shops, some Oriental rug galleries, some Asian markets, some stationery stores, florists, and much more. There's a great indoor public market on Smallman Street on the weekends, and there's also a farmers' market near the Firehouse Grille on Penn Avenue. Right by Nature, an organic grocery store, was here but recently closed.

Some of the most popular living options here include:

The Cork Factory - loft apartments on the river

31st Street Lofts

Otto Milk Condos

The Brake House Lofts Apartments in Pittsburgh, PA | Apartments.com

[gg]

Originally Posted by Aqua Teen Carl

You will get suggestions for the East side: Shady Side, Squirrel Hill, Point Breeze etc.

This is my suggestion as well. I wouldn't go South Side or down that way. It is easier to get from Shadyside or Point Breeze to north and into Ohio. Squirrel Hill is getting a little further away, but not too much.

[I_Like_Spam]

Seems like you should consider the Sewickley area- close to the airport and I79 with a urban feel to the place.

Bellevue and Ben Avon are less expensive and closer to the heart of Pittsburgh and the activities here and also pretty close to the interstates.

[ferraris]

Originally Posted by I_Like_Spam

Seems like you should consider the Sewickley area- close to the airport and I79 with a urban feel to the place.

Bellevue and Ben Avon are less expensive and closer to the heart of Pittsburgh and the activities here and also pretty close to the interstates.

Sewickley is a great suggestion location wise, but I'm not so sure it would be considered "urban" to someone who currently lives in downtown Boston.

[SteelCityRising]

I'm not so sure I'd consider Sewickley to be "urban" by any means. It feels like picking up Walnut Street in Shadyside, plopping it out in the boonies, and then surrounding it with some of the "North of Forbes" residential streets of Squirrel Hill. It's a gorgeous community to be sure, but if the OP is accustomed to the liveliness of Downtown Boston she'll feel like a rat in a cage living in Sewickley (although the occasional Sidney Crosby sighting would make any girl swoon!)

Bellevue is a consideration, but once again it has more of a "small town" atmosphere than an "urban" element to it. I stand by my own recommendations of the Mexican War Streets or the Strip District with the East End neighborhoods of Shadyside, Lawrenceville, Friendship, and Bloomfield coming up next in no particular order. I don't really think Squirrel Hill offers enough of an advantage over these other areas to justify a longer commute for the OP. Point Breeze is nice, too, albeit its business district is bite-sized.