Thinking of relocating to Forest Hills (Pittsburgh, McKeesport: real estate, apartment, how much) - Pennsylvania (PA) - City-Data Forum

Tony_Soprano · 09-12-2011, 04:24 PM

Hello, I currently reside in the Cranberry Area. I'd really like to move closer to the city and also prefer being east of the city since I have family in that general direction.

I've been looking at houses online and I'm really intrigued the Forest Hills area. I realize that the biggest complaint about that area is the Woodland Hills School District. That is of little/no concern to me. I'm mostly looking at location and price and Forest Hills seems to be ideal.

My questions are this: what are some of the negatives and positives of living in Forest Hills? How are taxes compared to other areas of Allegheny County?

Thank you for any information you can provide!

PreservationPioneer · 09-12-2011, 05:04 PM

Hi Tony,

I lived in the Forest Hills area when I first moved to Pittsburgh. I lived there for about a year. There is a neighborhood adjacent to Forest Hills called Chalfant, and that was where my apartment was. The area is quiet, the houses are older (1920s-1950s, for the most part) and most are well-maintained. I always felt safe living there. The commute to the East End and Monroeville is easy. It's a nice, walkable community, with grocery stores, etc. nearby. Walmart is just down the road in North Versailles.

One drawback is that the business district is very small. It would be nice to have a larger, traditional business district, but at least it has one. I really can't think of any other drawbacks, besides that. I still remember the eastern suburbs fondly (all of them, including East Pittsburgh, Turtle Creek, Wilmerding, East McKeesport, etc.). I don't think you can go wrong in that area, or in any of the neighborhoods I mentioned, although keep in mind that some of them are in decline. Chalfant and Forest Hills seem stable, though.

I have actually been thinking of moving back to that side of town when and if I move again.

robrobrob · 09-13-2011, 08:24 AM

Forest Hills is still fairly nice. Although, it probably isn't going to "improve" any time soon. I had a friend who moved from there a two or three years ago. He liked it and had no problems.

School District taxes are pretty high.

Tony_Soprano · 09-13-2011, 09:16 AM

Thanks for chiming in!

I agree about some of the surrounding areas being in decline. I hope that it doesn't make its way over to Forest Hills. One factor I love about Forest Hills is the close proximity to the things that are important in my life. I visit family often so it would put me closer to them. I shop at Whole Foods and Trader Joe's and those stores are just a few miles from Forest Hills. I'm an avid movie goer and having Destinta Theater and the AMC Waterfront so close is also something for the plus column.

The only negative that I can think of (other than paying higher taxes) is the traffic before the Squirrel Hill Tunnel. Traffic is often at a near-stand still even outside of rush hour traffic. The good thing is that I can always take alternate routes to the city.

Tony_Soprano · 09-13-2011, 09:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by robrobrob

Forest Hills is still fairly nice. Although, it probably isn't going to "improve" any time soon. I had a friend who moved from there a two or three years ago. He liked it and had no problems.

School District taxes are pretty high.

The flip side to that is the housing seems to be very affordable. From the little bit of looking that I've done online, it seems that a lot of the houses are a good fit for a single person like myself. One car garage is perfect for me as long as there is a garage.

Yes, I know that virtually anywhere I move to in Allegheny County will have high school taxes. I'm in the Seneca Valley school district and my taxes are ~2,000/year. If I can find something in Forest Hills for about 500 - 700 more, I would consider that a minimal increase.

Scientist Mom · 09-13-2011, 10:14 AM

A recent thread touched on your questions (esp. the 2nd page).

http://www.city-data.com/forum/pitts...ific-area.html

I know several families that live in Forest Hills. They seem to like it except for the School District.

Tony_Soprano · 09-13-2011, 10:21 AM

Thank you, Scientist Mom. That link provided some good info. The biggest bit of info is the ability to re-sell because of the school district. I'm not sure how much weight I should put into that. You never know where life will take you, but if I buy a place in Forest Hills, I certainly don't plan on moving again unless I have to move out of state.

robrobrob · 09-13-2011, 11:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tony_Soprano

Thank you, Scientist Mom. That link provided some good info. The biggest bit of info is the ability to re-sell because of the school district. I'm not sure how much weight I should put into that. You never know where life will take you, but if I buy a place in Forest Hills, I certainly don't plan on moving again unless I have to move out of state.

It really depends on what you expect to get out of your house when you sell it. If I sold a house in Forest Hills, that I just purchased, within the next 5 years, I probably wouldn't expect to make any money and would feel lucky to break even and cover the real estate fees.