Considering a move from WDC (Pittsburgh: home, to buy, salary)

[jay5835]

Originally Posted by SteelCityRising

You do realize the City of Pittsburgh has two Barnes & Noble locations, right? One is in the Waterworks Shopping Center and one is near Duquesne University in Uptown/Bluff/SoHo/Card-Carrying Identity Crisis Neighborhood Anonymous Member.

You do realize that up 'til about a month before we became aware of your plight in Reston, VA, there was a Barnes & Noble I could walk to in Squirrel Hill, right? I practically lived there. And that there was one downtown on Smithfield Street? And that there was a Borders in East Liberty?

The Duquesne store is a pale, weak imitation of a bookstore, mostly selling Duquesne sweats. And the Waterworks store, well, it's at the Waterworks. Hardly walking distance (it's about as far from where I live as Old Town Alexandria is from Dupont Circle). Hardly the bookstores we used to have.

[SteelCityRising]

Originally Posted by jay5835

You do realize that about a month before we became aware of your plight in Reston, VA, there was a Barnes & Noble I could walk to in Squirrel Hill. I practically lived there. And that there was also a Borders in East Liberty.

The Duquesne store is a pale, weak imitation of a bookstore, mostly selling Duquesne sweats. And the Waterworks store, well, it's at the Waterworks. Hardly walking distance. Hardly the bookstores we used to have.

I'm well aware there was a Barnes & Noble on Murray Avenue, right next to the Manor Theater. Its building remains vacant. Ditto the Borders on Penn Circle South-ish/Centre Avenue-ish in East Liberty-ish/Shadyside-ish. Both are victims of the Internet, as you said.

[Caladium]

Originally Posted by jay5835

It's no better here. The only record store left here sells only records. Every other store that sold music has been done in by the internet. Same with bookstores and camera shops. It's not the rent; the internet has simply made these places unnecessary to 90% of the population.

I don't have a turntable, so I literally haven't gone shopping in a store for music (CDs) in maybe five years. It's amazon, baby, all the way. There is a bookstore, a Barnes & Noble, in a suburb that's as distant from where I live as Old Town is to Dupont Circle, or one on Pittsburgh's equivalent of Rockville Pike. So again, amazon (though I'd return every last byte of digital cybercrap in a heartbeat if I could go shopping at Olsson's one more time). The camera store I used to go to is now a franchised massage parlor. When's the last time anyone got film developed?

I think the same thing is happening in most cities. Maybe even every city. Galleries are closing, and those that manage to remain open aren't hiring. If they do hire an employee, it will be one of their unemployed friends, not someone who just moved to a city. Music stores and book stores are closing left and right because those things are now purchased online. Camera stores are disappearing even faster.

Having said that, I'd move to Pittsburgh anyway because the rents are low and the city has a lot of things that could inspire an artist. Beautiful hills with oddball staircases, remnants of bygone eras combined with sprouts of future growth, architectural details--those things could attract an artist IMO.

Another thought might be Brattleboro, VT or Greenport, NY. Greenport is not at all urban but the last time I was there the galleries seemed to be doing all right. At least, as far as I know--I'm certainly not an expert on art galleries in Greenport NY. But I do know a few people in NYC who still buy art, and they seem to be heading to Greenport lately. And there are wealthy people on Shelter Island who need art for their summer house there. It's the final stop on the LIRR, so you're connected to the city yet apart from it--and the rents are much lower. Just a thought. Also, the Coventry Neighborhood just east of Cleveland is urban, cheap, and still very artsy. The last time I was there I saw a great record store, plus other artsy stores, all in the same 3-4 blocks on Coventry Rd. Of course, that was a few years back so things could have changed there too. Cleveland has University Circle, though, which is pretty cool (and about 4 miles from Coventry--you could walk it if you have some energy and don't mjnd a really steep hill).

[raubre]

As far as CD stores, The Exchange is pretty decent for a regional chain. They have some vinyl and loads of CDs. If you are into vinyl, check out Jerry's in Squirrel Hill.

[Kippy]

Music stores are going the way of the dodo. Major labels are due to stop pressing CDs by the end of the year; used music stores will be the only option available soon. Time to embrace the digital age!

[Caladium]

What about the music collection at Pittsburgh libraries? Even if the record stores are disappearing, a good library collection could be a draw.

[raubre]

Originally Posted by Kippy

Music stores are going the way of the dodo. Major labels are due to stop pressing CDs by the end of the year; used music stores will be the only option available soon. Time to embrace the digital age!

Doesn't the music industry realize if you save it on your computer, you run the risk of losing the music when your computer crashes? Give me a hard copy any day. Thank heaven for indie labels.

[BrianTH]

A CD doesn't really have any storage advantages over flash memory (the stuff in USB drives, memory chips, MP3 players, and so on).

[wpipkins]

Originally Posted by raubre

As far as CD stores, The Exchange is pretty decent for a regional chain. They have some vinyl and loads of CDs. If you are into vinyl, check out Jerry's in Squirrel Hill.

Stedafords East Ohio Street / North Side.

[wdcgirl]

Hi all

thanks again for so many responses. Nice to hear from some former DCers too. (BTW Olsson's is now a daycare center - I work about 2 doors down).

Anyhoo - yea I get it... about the internet taking over pretty much. I guess what I miss is just the character of having some unique shops and stores in the city... U street is still kinda like that here, except it's so freaking expensive that area too...

Oh, and yes I actually do get film developed I went to Penn camera a lot for that (which is now closed - but apparently going to stay open in a few locations now that Calumet bought them).

i appreciate everyone's insight. My thinking now is just why the heck not? I feel somewhat trapped here, in a dull monotonous office job, will never afford to buy a place here or move out of my tiny apt if I stay. I might as well do it while I'm young and if I find out it doesn't work, I'll try something else. I don't have a family to support, I guess I feel like now's the time I have nothing to lose you know?