P'Burgh for a student (Pittsburgh, Scranton: neighborhoods, schools, universities)

[vegasboy]

My son is researching universities in the US to pursue a undergraduate degree in 2012. When I visited there a few years ago, Pittsburg CBD and surrounds seemed like a ghost town, but I may have been there at the wrong time of the year.

Any comments on what P'Burgh and the Universities there are like? Thanks in advance.

[I_Like_Spam]

Downtown, the CBD, is usually empty on weekends and evenings.

However, several of the major schools aren't in town, but several miles to the east in Oakland which has an entirely different vibe.

[UKyank]

What's CBD?

[Lobick]

Originally Posted by UKyank

What's CBD?

I would imagine Central Business District

The entire Downtown or Golden Triangle in Pittsburgh

[Mr. Humble]

I went to Duquesne, on the Bluff, UPtown.. but Oakland is much closer to a typical college environment.. Pitt or CMU..

[nuwaver88]

Pittsburgh's Downtown is small and compact and would be akin to an area like Wall Street in Manhattan, being primarily a financial distict and should not be judged on this area alone. I met a lady from Scranton today and she was commenting on how Downtown Scranton is so much livelier than Pittsburgh on a Sunday. I explained that unlike other cities, Pittsburgh's pulse in it's neighborhoods. For example, does Scranton have a three mile stretch of bars and restaurants like East Carson from Station Square to South Side Works? Does Scranton have an area like Oakland? A Mt. Washington? Pittsburgh functions differently than other cities due to topography. That is why so many people love it. It is unique. Once people get to know the city and how it functions, they can understand why Downtown Pittsburgh is not party central as it is in other cities. Once they have been here for a while and grow to love and respect the city, they then can join us in how to get our lovely Downtown area more populated and more vibrant when the sun goes down. To assume our whole city is lame because Downtown is quiet at night and weekends compared to city X is more ignorance than stupidity, because city X unlikely has the neighborhood make up of Pittsburgh. Maybe someone from the Greater Scranton-Wilkes Barre area can chime in.

[UKyank]

Originally Posted by Lobick

I would imagine Central Business District

The entire Downtown or Golden Triangle in Pittsburgh

Ah, got it thanks; thought it was a school I didn't know about.

[PreservationPioneer]

Why is everyone so hard on downtown? Compared to the downtowns in most rust-belt cities, ours is fantastic. It's not like we're downtown Steubenville.

Downtown Pittsburgh may not be the center and the heart and location of every single cultural or nightlife activity in Pittsburgh, like most cities' downtowns are because they lack vibrant neighborhoods, but our downtown does have a significant measure of vitality and certainly has a pulse.

[SteelCityRising]

Originally Posted by nuwaver88

Pittsburgh's Downtown is small and compact and would be akin to an area like Wall Street in Manhattan, being primarily a financial distict and should not be judged on this area alone. I met a lady from Scranton today and she was commenting on how Downtown Scranton is so much livelier than Pittsburgh on a Sunday. I explained that unlike other cities, Pittsburgh's pulse in it's neighborhoods. For example, does Scranton have a three mile stretch of bars and restaurants like East Carson from Station Square to South Side Works? Does Scranton have an area like Oakland? A Mt. Washington? Pittsburgh functions differently than other cities due to topography. That is why so many people love it. It is unique. Once people get to know the city and how it functions, they can understand why Downtown Pittsburgh is not party central as it is in other cities. Once they have been here for a while and grow to love and respect the city, they then can join us in how to get our lovely Downtown area more populated and more vibrant when the sun goes down. To assume our whole city is lame because Downtown is quiet at night and weekends compared to city X is more ignorance than stupidity, because city X unlikely has the neighborhood make up of Pittsburgh. Maybe someone from the Greater Scranton-Wilkes Barre area can chime in.

I, too, am originally from Scranton/Wilkes-Barre (there's a slew of us here---reppin' the 570!), and I must say I am quite skeptical about this woman's assertion that Downtown Scranton is more vibrant on weekends. Downtown Scranton was on life support, let alone having a "pulse" to speak of! LOL!

Pittsburgh reminds me of a much larger version of Scranton in many respects; however, to claim that Downtown Scranton is "livelier" than Downtown Pittsburgh is sheer ignorance.

[vegasboy]

Originally Posted by nuwaver88

Pittsburgh's Downtown is small and compact and would be akin to an area like Wall Street in Manhattan, being primarily a financial distict and should not be judged on this area alone. I met a lady from Scranton today and she was commenting on how Downtown Scranton is so much livelier than Pittsburgh on a Sunday. I explained that unlike other cities, Pittsburgh's pulse in it's neighborhoods. For example, does Scranton have a three mile stretch of bars and restaurants like East Carson from Station Square to South Side Works? Does Scranton have an area like Oakland? A Mt. Washington? Pittsburgh functions differently than other cities due to topography. That is why so many people love it. It is unique. Once people get to know the city and how it functions, they can understand why Downtown Pittsburgh is not party central as it is in other cities. Once they have been here for a while and grow to love and respect the city, they then can join us in how to get our lovely Downtown area more populated and more vibrant when the sun goes down. To assume our whole city is lame because Downtown is quiet at night and weekends compared to city X is more ignorance than stupidity, because city X unlikely has the neighborhood make up of Pittsburgh. Maybe someone from the Greater Scranton-Wilkes Barre area can chime in.

Very informative, thanks. It's almost like tourists visiting Cape Town Table Mountain and Waterfront and then claim they know what living in Cape Town is all about....lol.