City of Greensburg? (Pittsburgh, State College, Chambersburg: middle-class, Valentine's day, apartments)

[NYCgirl(inDublin)]

I know this is outside Pittsburgh. Can anyone tell me about it? I have found some older homes in the "city of Greensburg" and was wondering if it is safe or run-down like other older city centers? Thanks. My DH and I might be moving to the area east of Pit. Can anyone recommend a nice, safe but relatively cheap place to live? We have a champagne lifestyle on a lemonade budget. We have three young children so schools are an issue. We are from NYC and are living abroad in Ireland. Any comments? Are there good private or public schools?

[pslOldTimer]

Oh, gosh, this brings back memories. My wife is from Greensburg, and I met her there when I lived there for a couple of years -- way back in 1961-1962!

Her parents lived there for several more years, and we last visited somewhere around 1986. We went to her 40th class reunion in 1998, and will no doubt be back again in 2 years for the 50th.

Greensburg is about 30 miles East of Pittsburgh and is the county seat of Westmoreland County. It's a small city, and it had a small town atmosphere back in those days. It was the kind of town where everyone went to the HS football game on Friday night.

I don't know exactly what it's like today; but I can't imagine it changing very much. It's one of those timeless American towns. There are probably a few more malls and some more housing developments, but we really didn't notice much change between 1962 and 1998.

It was a nice place to live, and I suspect it still is.

Lots of hills...

[Lookingforasafehome]

It is located in Westmoreland county, where many fleed to get away from the crime, but little good did that do cause its crime ridden with herion use, and its one of the top areas that need to be cleaned up.

[JacksPgh]

Greensburg is a pleasant place to live. There are many large Victorians that have been renovated and are quite beautiful, near the Westmoreland Museum of American Art, off of North Main Street. There are also some great homes near Westmoreland Hospital. Being the county seat it has easy access to the entire region and is about 45 minutes to Pittsburgh.

Downtown Greensburg is going through a bit of a renaissance. There are 2 office buildings going up and Seton Hill University is developing large area near the County Courthouse and rail station for student housing and administrative buildings. The old rail Station has a very nice popular restaurant called the Red Star. Downtown has many decent restaurants and bars that are popular with the office workers that come with being the County seat. Like many older cities the Main Street is pretty much utilitarian and serves the many lawyers and office workers that come with the county courts, banks and accountants and such. There is a great shopping district on Pennsylvania Avenue, just West of Main Street and South of the County Courthouse. The Palace Theater has gone through a major renovation and has many different events year round. Ther are numeous parks and bike trails. Its surrounded by golf courses.

The city is flanked on the east with a major mall and all the business that typically surround such a place. Just west of the city there is the typical sprawl of Walmart, Home Depot Lowes and all that typically surround those types. It's near skiing at Seven Springs, White Water rafting at Ohiopyle and historic sites all through the region. It is a pleasant place to live and, like all cities, there are good areas and bad.

Main Street



Courthouse



Pennsylvania Avenue


Palace Theater


Ston Hill University plans



Train Station


Saint Clair Park



Westmoreland Museum


Courthouse expansion


YMCA

[marjean]

I like Greensburg and those were some great pictures of the city. It has changed some since there are more new subdivisons but it is far from overbuilt. There are some very nice new shopping areas with stores like Panera Bread and Starbucks etc. It is where I go to shop. The mall is great with bookstores and great restaurants nearby. An old theater downtown with some great entertainment people who come. etc.

[NYCgirl(inDublin)]

ooh! Thanks everyone. The pictures are great! My husband might take a job at the University. Anyone know about good Pre schools? Are there waiting lists for the good ones?

[chinenjim]

Come on Jack. You could find pics that good looking even in South Central LA. Quit misleading people, or at least show something a little more unbiased. Perhaps you should have thrown in a pic or two of the new methadone clinic in South Greensburg where all the junkies go. Or mabey some snapshots of Greensburg's many schitzophrentics walking down Pittsburgh Street talking to themselves.

[damfinejoe]

Originally Posted by MarcFromGreensburg

Grow the hell up. You seem like the kind of person who takes stock of the few bad elements of some place and then believes that place is entirely defined by those elements. No city of average means is picture-perfect, including Greensburg. But this city is not defined by the existence of a methadone clinic (wasn't the proposal rejected anyway?) or by "schizophrenics walking down Pittsburgh Street talking to themselves" as if that's an everyday occurance. Greensburg is as nice and as flawed as any other middle-class town. Most grown-ups are smart enough to build that into their expectations rather than assume a few nice photos of a city means it's perfect.

Hey MarcFromGreensburg,
You and I have traded posts before as I am moving from San Francisco to Greensburg to live with my dad. I was born in Pittsburgh, mom and dad moved to Greensburg about 4 years later. My dad opened an appliance store in the Greensburg Shopping Center called Shopping Center TV and Appliances, and 46 years later he is still in business at the same location. That in itself says something about the town of Greensburg. I moved to CA after graduating from Clarion State College in 1981 and have been ever since. I am moving to Greensburg on Valentine's Day this year and am really looking forward to going back home. I agree with everything you say and I have lived in a few different places and I definitely have something to compare with. No matter where you live, you are only as accepting as your attitude will allow you. I feel sorry for the people writing the negative posts about where they live. If it's that bad, then why not do something about it like move...obviously their lives are miserable and they have a terrible attitude toward their town and probably about life in general. Oh well, Greensburg is a lovely city without earthquakes, wildfires, mudslides, hurricanes and a few other nasty things that mother nature throws at us in CA. Greensburg is not perfect, but with the right attitude, it can be your paradise. What part of Greensburg do you live in Marc?

[chinenjim]

I don't live in Greensburg. I used to, but I moved. I had my reasons for moving...mostly because I didn't like the town. I have a right to my opinion.

Perhaps I was too harsh with what I said about the town, and I apologize. I didn't want to offend anyone who lives there. I have family in Greensburg, and I visit them alot. I also find Greensburg's bar scene alot nicer and cleaner than Pittsburgh's. Again, sorry for painting a negative overall picture of your town.

I was responding to JacksPgh's photos and the way he candy-coats everything about this area to people considering moving here.

[jbrocious]

I moved to greensburg to goto school at the university of pittsburgh at greensburg in 2001. Now after being here for nearly 6 years I can say that Greensburg is my favorite town in PA. I have lived in 3 apartments in greensburg, and each has its own flavor. The pictures that are posted by JacksPGH are what greensburg really does look like!!! I nice sunny day really shows the beauty of downtown. With the new construction goin on downtown and around town has really turned greensburg into a nice place to live.

My fiance and I unfortunately might have to move out of greensburg shortly, but my future mother-in-law moved down to greensburg after our recommendation.

The other perk of this town is that Rt. 30 wraps around the town with exits!! it is more like a highway than the constant stoplights like most other rt.30 towns have! i used to live in Chambersburg (south of harrisburg on I-81 and rt.30)

hope this helps!