Aliquippa Anyone (Beaver Falls, Ambridge, New Brighton: section 8, low crime, house)

[MagStar]

Hello everyone..

I just posted on another thread but wanted to start my own so I can keep track. Well my husband and I both work in the IT field we are hoping to transfer with in our company but if that doesn't work out I'd like to know what the IT market is like in PA. I don't know where Aliquippa is but we were told it's a very nice place and affordable. Oh and it's also about 20 minutes from our headquarters. We have 2 very active boys, they currently participate in soccer and baseball and water polo when warm. The community we live in has the "small town" feel but the crime rate and the cost of living are causing us to look for a better place to raise our children. We also have a daughter (my stepdaughter) who lives with her mom but would be traveling to visit us. What can anyone tell me about flights to and from PA?

Are there lots of activities for children in and out of school?
What about the qualitiy of education there, how does it compare to other places?
Also weather, what is winter like? We all love to ski and snowboard so the cold isn't an issue but bad storms are.. LOL!

Any info you can provide would be helpful. Thank you!

[bon2mom3]

Depending on what your used to, I have found the same number of kids activities that we had in SoCal. We found a great school district, but you really need to be careful. You can try [link] it's a good website that grades schools. (look for free lunches) I haven't lived here during the winter yet, but we came out in Feb. (8 degrees while house hunting) so it's cold, but there wasn't any snow. Everyone I talk to who skiis goes to NY, but there might be closer resorts. As far as Aliquippa goes, I heard from several different people that it's awful. High crime/gangs/drugs. Most of the downtown has been boarded up w/no action to revitalize. Pgh airport is really nice and you can get in/out quickly. Our children just flew solo, and it went okay. Hope this helps you out, good luck.

[Nobiku]

Aliquippa maybe the most dangerous place in Western PA! Black gangs dominate. Boarded up areas. Cops getting murdered walking the beat in residential neighborhoods - then the nitwits get violent when officers arrive to investigate. Just AWFUL!

[MagStar]

thank you both for your replys. guess we'll have to start looking else where. Our parent company is based in pittsburg, what surrounding area/s would you recommend we look at? And in what order? We want a nice quiet neighborhood, with schools, parks and maybe some shopping close by.

Any ideas?

[Bruzer]

I am a residant of Aliquippa and think that the remarks are slightly exaggerated. Just like any other place there are bad areas, but there are also nice areas. There is an area known as "the Terrace" or "Sheffield Tarrace" that is very nice. It's a community that is divided into three different townships; Center, Hopewell, and Aliquippa.

Now the idea that you have active children of school age tells me that you may want to consider Center or Hopewell. The Aliquippa school district is not exactly known for it's scholors.

I hope this helps a little. Check out Center or Hopewell.

[Jizzle1]

I am offended by the comment. I was born and raised in Aliquippa. I went to the Hopewell Senior High for my last two years of High school.Aliquippa has always had a bad rep.You could live in Raccoon which is kinda on the country side and go to Hopewell schools but have an Aliquippa address.As far as publics schools I would not want my kids to attend Aliquippa.But as far as crime rates compared to the popualtion it seems far worse than it is.As far as
killing cops I think a cop got killed a few years back.

[Agbor]

Aliquippa, the best areas to live are in Center Township or Hopewell..those are the
surburban areas just outside of(downtown) Aliquippa..downtown is basically a ghost town last
time I was there..I think the library, a drugstore and the Post Office are what is left..
Hopewell and Center are outside of downtown and are higher income residential areas..

The bad areas are the Plans 11 and 12 I think and the housing projects Linmar Terrace?
these areas are out of the way so you would have no reason to go to them...

When steel was king in the 60s, all of Aliquippa used to be nice,but people who could move,moved...people went away and got their education and kept on going...the old
folks died off..they tore down the Hollow section where the bad element was and that
element spread out into the Plans..so as long as you are out in Hopewell or Center you should be fine as far as crime is concerned..

[mare63]

stay the hell away from Aliquippa....even Sheffield Terrace is horrible....the gangs are moving down from the projects to the (used to be)nice areas..thanks to section 8 and the black churches who buy up the property and put undesirables in there. Center Twp. is good, the closer you go to Monaca. Monaca is a great town...low crime, and a really good school system. It has great shopping, movies, restaurants....

[ward6923]

The "Quip" is a dump. look elsewhere. It may be the worst place to live in Beaver County.

[Internet Superman]

My sister taught school there and lived across the river in Ambridge and every day at the end of school she prayed that she would be able to get out of town with her life.

You are talking about a 90% black community and very few positive role models.

There is nothing wrong with Rochester, Monaca, New Brighton and Beaver Falls.

Please don't hold the other posters opinion against us, but Aliquippa is a pretty dangerous place to live.

If it was my kid and I wanted to send her to school, I would send her to Quigley, regardless of what your religion is. A good education is very important these days.

In the city there is never many outdoors things to do within walking distance such as skiing or snowboarding. But you might could have a snow shoveling contest about the 3rd week in January.