Interesting talk about population, density, water, etc.

[SteelCityRising]

Originally Posted by kettlepot

Never having been to Pittsburgh, how many of the neighborhoods within the city really feel like urban neighborhoods? I hope it's a lot of them.

Originally Posted by BrianTH

I think of Pittsburgh as having lots of "semi-urban" neighborhoods. These are neighborhoods which are not dominated by high-rise apartment buildings (although there may be some low-rise apartment buildings), but the lots are relatively small, and there may be some or many rowhouses. The streets are often laid out as a compact grid with sidewalks, and there is often at least a small neighborhood commercial district within walking distance.

As usual, BrianTH really nailed this one for you, Kettlepot. As a prime example of this I live in Polish Hill. From here I can literally WALK Downtown in about 25 minutes at a decently brisk pace and can see the skyline in just a three-minute walk, yet it's quieter living here (save for some current water line replacement work) than in the suburban neighborhood I moved here from in Northern Virginia. I even saw two deer near the 28th Street Bridge one day as I went for a run down into the adjacent Strip District. Our neighborhood only has about 1,200 residents and is comprised of primarily historic rowhomes (c. 1900ish), yellow-brick sidewalks, and tight alleys. Our neighborhood is relatively dense, yet it's not dense enough to support much of an independent business district---if you want to easily go to a laundromat, buy groceries, or enjoy a sit-down meal you're best served having a vehicle (although I do know of a couple of brave neighborhoood souls who schlep onto buses with their laundry baskets and reusable grocery shopping bags).

What I love most about living here is that the neighborhood is pretty much a time capsule. I can stand at the top of Brereton Street, look down, and survey nearly the exact same scene that people enjoyed generations ago (save for the unsightly overhead wiring and the vehicles parked on-street). Our neighborhood is positioned on a steep hillside between the Hill District and Strip District and also has very easy access to surrounding areas like Bloomfield (Little Italy), Lawrenceville (hipster land), and Oakland (the city's "Second Downtown"), which has made it a popular place nowadays---definitely the best bargain in the rapidly-appreciating East End. I pay only $550/month for a 1-BR apartment with laminate flooring, high ceilings, ample natural light, a modern kitchen, exposed interior brick, and a walk-in closet. Ideally I would just buy this floor of my landlady's rowhome and make it my permanent residence, but I don't think that would fly. We have a small fenced fear yard that used to also feature another dwelling facing Phelan Way, the alley behind our home, and there was a small shared brick courtyard between our residences. To access my apartment from Brereton Street one must go through a long and very narrow pedestrian tunnel, up a flight of stairs to the rear courtyard, and then up another flight of stairs. It's the most character-replete place I've ever lived. I know how you used to like some of my Northeastern PA photo tours when I lived there, Kettlepot (i.e. West Pittston, which now, sadly, is very flood-damaged). Given your appreciation for such places you'd fall in love with Pittsburgh as quickly as I did.

You may also want to check out AlleghenyAngel's blog and his photo tours to see more of our neighborhoods. What I enjoy most about being a Pittsburgher is that we truly ARE a patchwork quilt of small independently-functioning neighborhoods all stitched together. Many of these neighborhoods have their own small business district, annual parades and holiday celebrations, block parties, crime watches, etc. This is the lifestyle I sought in NoVA for the nearly two years I lived there before realizing that where it DID exist it was VERY cost-prohibitive (to echo ex-burgher's lamentations about Charlotte). Although I'm earning less money up here in Pittsburgh my cost-of-living has also dramatically decreased, and my quality-of-life has improved. In NoVA I felt like I had the career and literally nothing else. Here I have everything BUT the career. I guess you have to just carefully examine the type of person you are. Can you derive enough satisfaction from your work to compensate for the sacrifices you'd have to make to live in an area that doesn't suit you otherwise, or would you rather be chronically underemployed but having your dream life otherwise?

[BrianTH]

Polish Hill is a good example of how the dynamic local topography and associated bits of urban wilderness can create an unusual effect--these neighborhoods aren't post-WWII master-planned cul-de-sac suburbs, but they don't feel like an arbitrary part of a huge, dense city either . . . it more feels like someone packed a bunch of pre-WWII small towns into one area, close but not touching.