Where are newer homes? Are there any?! (Pittsburgh, Ross Township: real estate, chapel)

[Decepticon]

I am possibly relocating to the Pittsburgh area and am trying to get a feel for the housing there. Are there any subdivisions being built out there? Who are the big builders there? I've been looking and can't seem to find any builders at all.

I am looking for a more affluent area with great schools, newer homes, and newer shopping. Someplace with a great old-fashioned downtown would be great, too.

The position I have been offered is in downtown, so I would like to live no more than 30min out. Is traffic bad? (stop and go? or does it at least move?)

[la_torquemada]

The new houses are all in the Cranberry area. There is tons of shopping there, but no downtown at all, and most places have no sidewalks. In my experience the quality of the new construction is also pretty low, so look carefully past the shiny veneer. It's also more like 40 minutes drive from down, longer during traffic, especially during the afternoon commute. Traffic moves, but slowly.

I hate to beat the Mt Lebanon horse, but if you're looking for a nice, affluent suburb with a downtown and great schools, Mt Lebanon is your place. The houses are older, but really beautiful and well-kept, and many are on large lots. Sewickley and Ben Avon are other options, again with older houses. Squirrel Hill is also very nice and convenient to everything, but the public schools are not as good -- lots of private schools to choose from though.

[guylocke]

Mars, too. The Cranberry craze is spilling into Mars quite quickly - except, both Cranberry and Mars might start running beyond a half hour especially during high traffic times. There is new housing and planned development in many, many, places, no different than any city. I'm surprised you're having a hard time finding what you're looking for. But then again, don't forget, Pittsburgh is a very old and established city that once had many, many, many more people than it does now. The suburbs have been tapped- out long ago and were settled long, long ago. Some of Pittsburgh's most trendy and interesting places to live are old cities that are experiencing heavy gentrification (in the good way).

[Katiana]

From what I have seen of Sewickley, it is for the ultra-affluent, whereas some of the other areas mentioned are for the merely affluent. You could try Beaver, PA, too. Affluent, small-town atmosphere, very old homes in the city (borough/) proper.

[schwinghammer]

you want to stay mostly north of pittsburgh.

McCandless, Wexford, Cranberry, sewickly heights

there are other places in other directions but north of pittsburgh has the most growth unless you go down into Washington County.

[guylocke]

you want to stay mostly north of pittsburgh.

I hate when people say this, because as a general rule of thumb, this may hold a tiny ounce of water, but you are leading them away from some really nice areas even if there is little growth because it's all built up.

As tireless as it may sound, Mt. Lebanon and Upper St. Claire are south of Pittsburgh. Robinson and Moon are east Pittsburgh and they are still growing quite a lot, especially in surrounding Moon. Fox Chapel is more east than north. Even Murrysville which is growing immensely and has some truly beautiful neighborhoods is east and out of Allegheny County taxes!!

In all truth and honesty, if I had to recommend ONE place, in terms of overall beauty, proximity to Pittsburgh, taxes, and growth, it would be Murrysville. Some of those back neighborhoods (old and new alike) are just stunning and the country club is gorgeous and that area is really growing.

[MaryS80]

There are new, to newish developments in Pittsburgh. Sewickely is upscale, buts its mostly older homes. There are some newish developments in Moon. Moon is nice typical quiet suburb.

There's newer stuff in Robinson and Greentree as well. It's out there, but the older homes dominate the market. If you aren't familiar with the area meet with a local real estate agent who can help you find your way around.

[Hopes]

Originally Posted by boylocke

As tireless as it may sound, Mt. Lebanon and Upper St. Claire are south of Pittsburgh. Robinson and Moon are east Pittsburgh and they are still growing quite a lot, especially in surrounding Moon.

I don't think Mt. Lebanon and Upper St. Claire are growing enough to easily find new subdivisions.

Originally Posted by boylocke

Fox Chapel is more east than north.

Regardless, it's considered the North Hills. Anything north of the Allegheny River is the North Hills.

Originally Posted by Decepticon

I am looking for a more affluent area with great schools, newer homes, and newer shopping. Someplace with a great old-fashioned downtown would be great, too

I find your desires to be quite amusing. Affluent areas in Pittsburgh are older areas. Truly weathy people choose to live in long established affluent neighborhoods. They don't move into new building developments. Furthermore, wanting newer homes with a great old-fashioned downtown is also a complete contradiction. Downtowns aren't built overnight. Towns in this region have existed for over 100 years. Houses in the towns are 100 years old or more. The houses on the outskirts can be 50+ years old. You have to get significantly away from a "downtown" to have a new housing development. You must be from the western part of the country to not realize this. The northeast is where the United States was colonized so what you're hoping to find is nearly impossible here.

[guylocke]

I don't think Mt. Lebanon and Upper St. Claire are growing enough to easily find new subdivisions.

That is what I used this disclaimer for :P

you are leading them away from some really nice areas even if there is little growth because it's all built up.

Anything north of the Allegheny River is the North Hills.

That's not really, true. Maybe in an extremely, extremely broad sense that I've never heard of, it is. lol. The North Hills generally consists of Ross Township, Borough of West View, Shaler Township, Franklin Park, Marshall Township, Bradford Woods, McCandless, Hampton Township, Pine Township, Richland Township, Cranberry Township, and Seven Fields. A broader definition of the North Hills may include the municipalities of Reserve Township, Millvale, Etna, and Ohio Township.

Fox Chapel is definitely not in the North Hills. Did you mean North Pittsburgh is everything North of the river?

[Hopes]

Originally Posted by boylocke

That's not really, true. Maybe in an extremely, extremely broad sense that I've never heard of, it is. lol. The North Hills generally consists of Ross Township, Borough of West View, Shaler Township, Franklin Park, Marshall Township, Bradford Woods, McCandless, Hampton Township, Pine Township, Richland Township, Cranberry Township, and Seven Fields. A broader definition of the North Hills may include the municipalities of Reserve Township, Millvale, Etna, and Ohio Township.

Fox Chapel is definitely not in the North Hills. Did you mean North Pittsburgh is everything North of the river?

You're right. I live in Fox Chapel, and I've always considered it the North Hills.

I just looked it up, and Fox Chapel is in what's considered "Allegheny Valley."

Here are the townships that are part of the North Hills Chamber of Commerce:

Northern Allegheny County Chamber of Commerce

Here are the townships that are part of the Allegheny Valley Chamber of Commerce:

Allegheny Valley Chamber of Commerce

With Shaler in the North Hills and Fox Chapel in Allegheny Valley, it's truly just a technicality.

Fox Chapel is literally right next to what is technically the "North Hills."