Relocating to Pitt from Detroit (Pittsburgh, Duquesne: apartments, lofts, layoffs)

[Tiger Beer]

Originally Posted by SteelCityRising

Isn't Grand Rapids supposed to be a nice city?

For whatever reason, I can't imagine hipsters or young people going for that. Also, never think of recent college graduates thinking of moving there either. Always struck me as more of a city that if you grew up in, you go back to, but not a whole lot of other people attracted to going there.

The reputation is of a very conservative, family city that usually votes Republican (not many cities in the U.S. that vote like that)....apparently most of the population are conservative Dutch Reformist, don't know what that entails exactly. Actually, I never thought much of it....so I never got to know GR.

I did live in Lansing for a year when I was 18...that was kind of okay.

Ann Arbor seems to be the one that actually attracts people from out-of-state though...but usually because of the Univ of Michigan. Seems a better place to study though, but some people love it so much, they never leave. Personally, it's just a little too small for me, but a lot of people love it there.

[Denton56]

Originally Posted by SteelCityRising

But, but, but...Reston, VA is a real city, too! (As my nose grows longer and longer...)

Hahaha, Reston isn't even a TOWN, much less a city!

[PreservationPioneer]

Originally Posted by SteelCityRising

We have a lot of Michigan transplants (presumably those seeking better employment options while still being somewhat near "home" and being in a similar climate and built environment)

The built environment in Michigan is really nothing like western PA. In Michigan, you have a lot of small lumber towns (which are nothing like old steel or river towns in character). You don't see attached housing, mill-houses, or anything similar there. In Michigan, you see a lot of Sears-style bungalows, Victorians, and post-war cottages.

[PreservationPioneer]

Originally Posted by SteelCityRising

Isn't Grand Rapids supposed to be a nice city?

Grand Rapids = Michigan's second largest city really isn't all that large. It's also very conservative. It's a pleasant enough place, but it's not "big city" like Pittsburgh.

Kalamazoo = pleasant small city

Ann Arbor = big college town. Basically, take Oakland and Morningside (think boring midwestern 1940s architecture) out of Pittsburgh and put it on the prairie, and you have Ann Arbor (minus the row-houses).

Lansing = has the vibe of Erie, PA, except the downtown has been decimated by urban renewal and parking garages in an even more devastating manner.

Flint = (McKeesport + Duquesne + Larimer) x 10, with a decent downtown (which architecturally looks a lot like East Liberty) that is on the path to revitalization. Otherwise, forget it. #1 most dangerous city in the USA.

Detroit = same story as Flint. Downtown is doing better, but it's surrounded by mostly urban prairie, blight, and crime (#2 most dangerous city in the USA)

Jackson / Battle Creek / Bay City / Saginaw = small industrial cities that are almost completely dead. Think the Mon Valley with the built environment of East Liberty, on the prairie.

Factor in that you will probably never find full-time permanent employment with benefits in any of these places and you can see why I left. I was actually trying really hard to find a job in Jackson before I left, because I love the Victorian architecture there and the mostly intact downtown. I was also really fond of Carriage Town (the historic district) in Flint, and would have moved there in spite of its problems, if I could have secured some kind of employment.

This is a cool article about Carriage Town: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/20/garden/20flint.html

[BrianTH]

My brother lived in Kalamazoo for a bit. It is a cool little town, but it is little.

[SteelCityRising]

Originally Posted by alleghenyangel

In Michigan, you see a lot of Sears-style bungalows, Victorians, and post-war cottages.

^ Which you also see a lot of in Crafton, Ingram, Aspinwall, and several other suburbs in the area as well as some city neighborhoods like Morningside. What I meant by "built environment" was more along the lines of older towns with sidewalks, tree lawns, old-fashioned "Main Street" corridors, etc. Believe it or not such communities are rare in many other parts of the country nowadays. They were an endangered species in NoVA, for example, as outside of Falls Church (the city), Vienna (the town), and a few other select areas the area otherwise felt like one giant suburb.

[BrianTH]

Lots and lots of Michigan (including where I grew up) is standard post-WWII, master-planned, autocentric suburbia. Of course lots of everywhere is like that.

[PreservationPioneer]

Originally Posted by SteelCityRising

^ Which you also see a lot of in Crafton, Ingram, Aspinwall, and several other suburbs in the area as well as some city neighborhoods like Morningside.

I see your point about older, walkable communities, but I did want to make the point that, architecturally, there is a much different vibe in Michigan. Crafton, Ingram, and Morningside, etc. really do not look like the typical Michigan towns. For one thing, the towns in Michigan were not built up all around the same time, as these suburbs mostly were, so there is more diversity of architectural styles. For example, you might see a Sears bungalow like the one pictured above, next to an 1870s Italianate, next to a farmouse style (above) home. Also, in Michigan you do not see brick homes everywhere like you do in Western PA. I was amazed by all of the brick homes when I moved here. Michigan has an abundance of cottages, and they don't look much like the small homes you see in western PA. Also, the yards are generally larger and the houses further apart. I wish I had taken pictures when I lived there, so I could show the difference. Especially along the lake shores, and in the old lumber towns in western Michigan, there are much different architectural influences. Also, Sears-style cottages, or even "prairie" style architecture is not very common in western PA, although it is huge in Michigan.

There is one Pittsburgh suburb that reminds me of Michigan, though, and that is Sewickley. The typical Michigan small town looks a lot like Sewickley, architecturally. The big yards, the diversity of housing styles, even the business districts which tend to be compact. Obviously, the standard Michigan town is not as upscale or as gentrified as Sewickley, though.

[Tiger Beer]

Originally Posted by alleghenyangel

I see your point about older, walkable communities, but I did want to make the point that, architecturally, there is a much different vibe in Michigan. Crafton, Ingram, and Morningside, etc. really do not look like the typical Michigan towns. For one thing, the towns in Michigan were not built up all around the same time, as these suburbs mostly were, so there is more diversity of architectural styles. For example, you might see a Sears bungalow like the one pictured above, next to an 1870s Italianate, next to a farmouse style (above) home. Also, in Michigan you do not see brick homes everywhere like you do in Western PA. I was amazed by all of the brick homes when I moved here. Michigan has an abundance of cottages, and they don't look much like the small homes you see in western PA. Also, the yards are generally larger and the houses further apart. I wish I had taken pictures when I lived there, so I could show the difference. Especially along the lake shores, and in the old lumber towns in western Michigan, there are much different architectural influences. Also, Sears-style cottages, or even "prairie" style architecture is not very common in western PA, although it is huge in Michigan.

There is one Pittsburgh suburb that reminds me of Michigan, though, and that is Sewickley. The typical Michigan small town looks a lot like Sewickley, architecturally. The big yards, the diversity of housing styles, even the business districts which tend to be compact. Obviously, the standard Michigan town is not as upscale or as gentrified as Sewickley, though.

Cool, pictures!

Yeah, same feelings as me, about all the brick housing everywhere in Western Pennsylvania. Very interesting.

I was just thinking that one thing Michigan does excel well with, is it's small towns. They are generally more walkable with a small downtown area. Their structures are generally there anyways, even though most of their customers are getting pulled away to larger wal-marts and such.

The cities look bad...at least Detroit, Flint, Saginaw....but the small towns are pleasant. Western MI cities seem to be a bit better - Kalamazoo, Grand Rapids.

I actually have a ton of cool photos of interesting houses along the Great Lakes of Michigan...if I get a chance I'll post them. Not sure if this is the best thread for it....but I might do that (at a later time)...

[blc58]

I currently live in the Edgewood area and have about a 5 min. drive to Regent Square/Squirrel Hill (these two neighborhoods are only a couple of minutes apart). Those two areas would probably suit you best since they are extremely close to 376, which makes it easier to get most places in and around the city. Squirrel Hill has plenty of shops, bars, etc. and is generally my favorite neighborhood in Pittsburgh. It is also a very short drive to Oakland, Shadyside, and East Liberty (I work at Whole Foods and my drive is less than 15 minutes most of the time) where you will find a lot more to see and do. There are some great places to eat in Regent Square, Squirrel Hill, Shadyside, and East Liberty. It's incredibly expensive to live in Shadyside though, and you'll have a harder time getting on 376, so it would probably be best if you stick with somewhere like Squirrel Hill where you can reach all of the other neighborhoods and the highway easily. From Squirrel Hill 376 you can get to South Side within 5 or 10 minutes and downtown in a few more. Squirrel Hill is also very close to the Waterfront where there a lot of great shops, a couple of bars, and an awesome movie theater. If you can't find an affordable place in Squirrel Hill, then you may be better off in Regent Square/Edgewood/Swissvale (these 3 neighborhoods kind of run into each other) where you also have quick access to 376. That's my 2 cents. Welcome to the 'Burgh=]