Potential Move to Pittsburgh - Have a Few Questions (Lebanon: apartments, to rent)

[UpstateNYNative]

I enjoy the City-Data site and find the postings very interesting and informative, but have never posted until now.

My partner has been interviewing for a new job in Pittsburgh and it appears likely he will be offered the position and we will be relocating. He is returning next week for interviews and everything is progressing very well. I've read many of the threads on this forum about Pittsburgh and have found a wealth of information which has been helpful. I've been to the city years ago on business, but didn't see much other than downtown, and my partner has only been downtown for interviews.

We are a gay couple in our late 40's/early 50's, and have lived in Minneapolis for 13 years, but are originally from the Rochester/Buffalo, NY area. We are considering different areas for possible places to live, and are thinking that Squirrel Hill, Shadyside, downtown, and possibly close-in suburbs like Mt. Lebanon would be best, but don't want to overlook anything.

My partner will be working downtown, and I most likely will be working downtown or from home. We prefer living in the city to the suburbs, and like to be close to cultural activities, shopping, theaters, restaurants, and nightlife. We would probably rent instead of buy a place, but wouldn't rule out buying if we found a great place and it made sense financially. Price range would probably be in the $350K - $500K range. If we rented, we would be looking to rent a place that would typically be in that price range. Both single family homes and condos are fine. Schools are not an issue as we have families but our kids are all adults and on their own.

My main question is what areas would fit this criteria? A second question would be are any of them more desirable or more suitable for a gay male couple? Our experience in Minneapolis has been that the GLBT community lives throughout the city and there is not really any one particular "gay" neighborhood. This is great, but I know it's not the case in all cities.

We plan to visit Pittsburgh to explore the city and various neighborhoods once my partner has an offer, but any advice you can provide would be much appreciated!

[Hopes]

You can live anywhere. Most Pittsburghers don't care that you're gay.

If you want a gay neighborhood, there is a higher concentration of gays in the Mexican War streets area, but that absolutely is not the only place gays live.

Your price range allows for a condo or loft in or immediately near downtown. Have you considered that type of lifestyle?

All of the East End neighborhoods are great.

Mt. Lebanon isn't a city neighborhood. It's a suburban neighborhood with an urban feel. It's not in close proximity to cultural activities, theaters or nightlife.

[squarian]

Originally Posted by UpstateNYNative

My main question is what areas would fit this criteria?

Your list is a pretty good start - you're likely to find the East End attractive to you. In the price range you quoted, you'll have a great many options - you can still buy a lot of house for $500K in Pgh.

A second question would be are any of them more desirable or more suitable for a gay male couple? Our experience in Minneapolis has been that the GLBT community lives throughout the city and there is not really any one particular "gay" neighborhood. This is great, but I know it's not the case in all cities.

You've got it. Working-class areas of the city might be another story - I can't say. But you're not likely to encounter significant homophobic reactions in any middle or upper-middle class neighborhood in the city or prosperous inner 'burb areas. Gay single men or couples I know (hardly a scientific survey of course) live all over the East End. But for what its worth, when we were shopping for a house, back in the late 90s when the Gay Pride rainbow flag was still in fashion, by far the largest concentration of houses flying it was the neighborhood where I live now, Regent Square. Several of the businesses in Rgt Sq are owned by LGBT couples.

[SteelCityRising]

I happen to think you and your partner will acclimate very well to life in Pittsburgh. When I was tiring of the rat-race of Northern Virginia I narrowed down a lengthy list of potential relocation destinations to just two---Minneapolis/St. Paul or Pittsburgh. In the end I chose Pittsburgh for the slightly milder climate, closer geographical proximity to my family, and slightly lower overall cost-of-living, which would make it easier for a young professional such as myself to "start fresh". Both Minneapolis/St. Paul and Pittsburgh ranked very highly in all of the quality-of-life categories I found to be most important.

As has already been addressed there really isn't one particular "gayborhood" in Pittsburgh. I know Loring Park in Minneapolis has a slightly denser concentration of the LGBT community than the rest of Minneapolis as a whole, and to that extent I'd have to guess the Mexican War Streets (in the North Side) and Shadyside (in the East End) are our two closest neighborhoods to having a relatively dense concentration of gays/lesbians similar to Loring Park. The vast majority of Metropolitan Pittsburgh is not only LGBT-tolerant but also LGBT-friendly.

The Mexican War Streets neighborhood is home to quite a few LGBT households, yet businesses catering to the LGBT demographic there are sparse. The most "gay-centric" part of Shadyside would probably be within a few-block radius of the 5700-5900 blocks of Ellsworth Avenue. In that stretch you have 5801 and Spin, which are two very popular gay bars. I've also noticed one apartment in that block has rainbow curtains. My partner and his gay and bisexual roommates all live nearby on Alder Street very near to many other LGBT households. This doesn't mean Shadyside is "better" for gays/lesbians, per se, but if you wanted to unwind at a gay bar that is the only part of the city with a couple of options in close proximity to one another. Supposedly P-Town, which is on Baum Boulevard in North Oakland, is another gay bar, but I've never been there. Donnie's Place (if it's even still open?) is/was another gay bar in my own neighborhood of Polish Hill, which in and of itself also has a surprisingly high number of gays/lesbians. You'll also find a decent concentration of LGBT households in Regent Square, Lawrenceville, Mt. Washington, and South Side. I don't mean to just single out all these neighborhoods, though, because as has been stated nearly the entire area is LGBT-friendly.

[PA_Native71]

You will enjoy Pittsburgh and basically no cares anymore, heck tonight my brother brought his black(I know I know I'm tired of keeping with the terms) girlfriend to meet tonight and she was kind and polite that is all I care about and I can tell he really likes her so I am hoping it works out and I will be glad to have her as a sister in law, and I am from the rural area, people around western PA and Pittsburgh are very laid back with those kind of views so it doesn't matter to people anymore, so you will be relaxed here, you will have your bigot but they are rare nowadays, now my suggestion is rent an apartment for a year and take your time looking around that way you will find your perfect home, and believe me with some of the views from different neighborhoods you will find one that will be amazing for you and you can investigate all that Pittsburgh has to offer too and that helps to make a decision where to live too, the only thing is you better make sure you have some black and gold, going with another team might get you real trouble then or really harassed by your friends and neighbors(out of good fun tho), you do not have to be a fan just support is all we ask, but you will find some nice places to see, there is some converted apartments like the Heinz lofts that was the actual Heinz plant some say they are great some say they are horrible but that is anyplace, and a few other places that were warehouses and factories now they are apartments lofts and condos so something to think about.
Good luck and welcome to Pittsburgh

[beaumecpdx]

with 500 thousand dollars you could buy half of Mt. Oliver, and give me and all of your friends a house and help save a cool area. Im quite sure you gentlemen will enjoy Pittsburgh, as long as you dont mind that people still have the freedom to smoke, and drink, and have fun. J'ai envie!!!

[BrianTH]

As an aside, you can use this map to see where the highest concentrations of same-sex couples are living:

Mapping America ? Census Bureau 2005-9 American Community Survey - NYTimes.com

As everyone is noting, there are gay couples living all over, but there are also pockets of somewhat higher concentration, including in the North Side, around Regent Square, and in the Bloomfield/Friendship area.

Anyway, with your price range, work location(s), and desired amenities, I'd definitely start by looking at living right Downtown. You can't beat a walking commute and it has most of what you are looking for.

The North Side could also be a good choice, as well as anything in the East End along the East Busway. That would include the Shadyside/Friendship area and the Regent Square area. It probably isn't a coincidence this appears to overlap the existing concentrations of gay couples--gay or straight, if you are a couple of decent means, and you work Downtown, and the local feeder schools are not your top concern, these are good neighborhoods to consider.

[gg]

In that price range, I would look at Shadyside first. MUCH better shopping district that you can walk to than the Northside which is sorely lacking. Squirrel Hill would be fine or if you want a little quieter place, Point Breeze and you can walk to Shadyside from there and enjoy Frick Park.

Again, considering your price range, focus on Shadyside. Trader Joes, Whole Foods and so many restaurants and places to enjoy all within walking distance.

[Bong477]

,Shadyside is probably the best choice, but other suggestions are worth checking out.

[Lobick]

Originally Posted by SteelCityRising

The Mexican War Streets neighborhood is home to quite a few LGBT households, yet businesses catering to the LGBT demographic there are sparse.

As a War Streets resident I can co-sign the initial part of this statement but am not really sure what SCR means by the last part. I guess there are no "dedicated" gay bars in the area, but that's a dying business model anyway. The definition of "catering" seems really ambiguous but I can assure you if there was a business in this neighborhood that discriminated in any way, chance are they wouldn't be in business for long. The Monterey Pub on a Friday night has a large number of gay couples having dinner. The area might align pretty well with your age demographic as well.

Another point that I wanted to make is the proximity of the War Streets to downtown. On nice days you or your partner's commute could be a walking one which is something that the East End cannot offer. The cultural district downtown is very close by as well.

Long-term, downtown and the "north shore" appear to be growing together, with an increasing number of amenities and housing, not to mention an increasing amount of development in the War Streets/ Allegheny West/ Deutchtown area, all of which is walkable.

Bottom line is, prior to settling anywhere, I'd at least check out the War Streets, Allegheny West, Deutchtown areas of the North Side.