Inside Edition pays a visit to...Brownsville?!?!

[Craziaskowboi]

Originally Posted by Evergrey

I remember the Brownsville of 2008... vibrant... no storefront vacancy... growing economy and population... it was wonderful.

Yeah, 90% population loss in five years. It doesn't help that the ninja biker gangs have staked their territory, and have also begun harassing motorists on I-70.

Originally Posted by ki0eh

I remember the West Brownsville borough official crowing that they are shown on the PA Official Transportation and Tourism Map in larger type than Brownsville.

Hooray for West Brownsville, I guess. Maybe one of these days they'll get to McKeesport's level.

By the way, the first step in municipal consolidation is to eliminate all the "north/south/east/west" towns that are adjacent to the towns they're named after. (Yeah, I'm looking at you, East Pittsburgh and Southwest Greensburg.)

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by Gnutella

By the way, the first step in municipal consolidation is to eliminate all the "north/south/east/west" towns that are adjacent to the towns they're named after. (Yeah, I'm looking at you, East Pittsburgh and Southwest Greensburg.)

There are actually a couple munis between East Pittsburgh and Pittsburgh.

[PreservationPioneer]

I just have to add that I think Brownsville is one of the most beautiful places in the Pittsburgh region. Yes, the main business district is abandoned, and there are a lot of abandoned buildings. However, the scenery in the area, and the views of the river from the city, are out of this world. There is a fantastic riverfront park. The early 19th century architecture (streets of restored homes dating back to 1806, and some even earlier, marked with historical plaques), the churches, the riverboat history, the old cemeteries with ancient grave stones, the pioneer spirit of the town that still comes through.. Most importantly, the feeling that you are in a place of great historical importance to western Pennsylvania. And the shock of seeing one of our oldest (and most intact) cities abandoned and awaiting an uncertain future. At the same time, there is a strange charm and ambiance in the place simply because it has a Norma Desmond vibe to it. Its past glory days are over, the evidence of those days is all around!

[Aqua Teen Carl]

I love places like this in PA. Really eerie but charming.

Downtown Oil City is half way to being like this too, only the place itself is on a much larger scale (there are people living in and around the area but the downtown is deserted).

[airwave09]

The Neck could be transformed into a Main Street-style outlet mall, a la Grove City, and all the people using the evolving Mon-Fayette Expressway, from Morgantown, W.Va., to Pittsburgh, could come and make a day of it.


"It's the midpoint of a $2 billion road," Ernest Liggett said, selling the dream they've failed to sell to developers. "So that's kind of a no-brainer."

Well there you have it, these people bet everything on the MFE which we all know now will never be finished. Sad, because it's another little treasure trove of architecture that will likely decay until it meets the wrecking ball.

[DaBurgh]

it's been a dump for as long as I've been alive (almost 4 decades)

[jimsmith022968]

Originally Posted by airwave09

Well there you have it, these people bet everything on the MFE which we all know now will never be finished. Sad, because it's another little treasure trove of architecture that will likely decay until it meets the wrecking ball.

Next month, phase 2 of the Uniontown-Brownsville section of the MFE will open to traffic. Once that happens, there will be 60 straight miles of expressway from I-68 in Cheat Lake, WV to PA 51 in Allegheny County. That's a significant accomplishment.

[escilade18]

Sad part is, the MFE drops you off a good 20+ miles away from Pittsburgh on one of the worst roads for traffic in the area. As it currently stands, it is essentially a highway to nowhere

[ki0eh]

I actually drove the MFE today - all of it, from PA 51 to I-68 (including as yet US 40 crossing the Mon and above Brownsville). From PA 51 to I-70 I saw about one car every mile - in morning rush hour. It picks up south of I-70 - a little. Signage and speed limits and toll booths are pretty inconsistent, from whiz by at 55 with EZpass to wait for a barrier to go up.

With the talk of raising the speed limit on the Turnpike, maybe they should raise the limit to 90 mph from PA 51 to I-70 to get the sports car crowd at least paying toll.