Relocating to Pittsburgh soon ! (Johnstown, Somerset: low crime, safe neighborhood, colleges)

[EVee1234]

I currently live in northeast Ohio, and I plan on attending college in Pittsburgh.
I don't want to live on campus though.
And I'm also not sure at all what to expect.
I've visited a couple times, but didn't really see much to get a chance to get a feel for it.

What is an appropriate neighborhood for a college student?
Somewhere that's affordable, but with decently low crime rates would be nice.
I'm hoping to bring a roommate along, but if that doesn't work I don't want to be living in an unsafe neighborhood alone.

Another thing, what is Pittsburgh's art scene like? Any good museums or festival type things?

And let's say I lived in the "middle" of this city, how long of a drive would it be to find pretty nature? Like big parks. I've been to Somerset and Johnstown, so I know about those places. Byt something closer would be nice.

Night life is important, too. Not necessarily clubs, but things to do in general.

[BrianTH]

Which college? And what do you consider "affordable"?

Generally there are several neighborhoods with relatively low crime rates, a healthy mix of students and families, and good access to most of the local colleges. With answers to the questions above, we can help narrow that down. The areas with the most nightlife are not necessarily the lowest crime, but you can live near such neighborhoods, or decide if you are OK with a bit more crime.

Pittsburgh has a vibrant art scene: many museums, galleries, festivals, and so forth.

There are several large "urban wilderness" parks right in the City itself, and in fact some of the neighborhoods I mentioned are right next to such parks. There are many more large parks in the suburbs (call it 30 minutes or so), and then there are more serious state parks and such within an hour or two.