Young couple moving to Pittsburgh. Need apartment advice. (Washington, Shiloh: apartments, lease)

[TheYO]

Hi everyone.

My girlfriend and I are considering moving to Pittsburgh next month. Despite living just across the border in Youngstown, we know next to nothing about the different neighborhoods in the city. We need some advice on neighborhoods and even specific buildings if possible.

Here are our details:
-I'd be working at Station Square
-She'd be working in Squirrel Hill and would be traveling around the city for work, so she'd be driving to work everyday
-We only want one car, so we need to either be within walking distance to Station Square or close to public transportation that goes to Station Square
-We are both 22-years-old and fresh out of college, so we'd like a hip neighborhood with some nice bars and restaurants close-by
-We just need a one-bedroom place. Doesn't have to be huge, but we don't want a studio.

Our budget is $1100 a month, plus utilities. What do you recommend?

[Hopes]

Originally Posted by TheYO

-We only want one car, so we need to either be within walking distance to Station Square or close to public transportation that goes to Station Square
-We are both 22-years-old and fresh out of college, so we'd like a hip neighborhood with some nice bars and restaurants close-by
-We just need a one-bedroom place. Doesn't have to be huge, but we don't want a studio.

Our budget is $1100 a month, plus utilities. What do you recommend?

For public transportation convenient to Station Square, South Side and Mt Washington.

South Side is hipper and has lots of bars and restaurants.

You can easily find a nice 1 bedroom apartment within your budget.

[ferraris]

Do you have any pets? If not, then you're set. That budget is rather generous for Pittsburgh.

Realistically, you can easily commute to Station Square by walking, bike, and transit from a lot of areas. Way too many too list. Since you're young and want a trendy neighborhood, and your budget allows it, I'd suggest living in the South Side Flats. The flats would put you in walking distance to Station Square (the only other walking distance neighborhood is Downtown). The South Side's main drag is Carson Street, which is roughly 20 blocks of bars, restaurants, and shops. The neighborhood has a very different vibe day vs night, and that's the only potential drawback. During weekend nights, it gets absolutely swamped with bar goers. Don't even think about driving somewhere on a weekend night, and be prepared to see drunks roaming around (they usually stick to Carson Street for the most part, though).

If you want a less rambunctious night time scene, I would look within downtown itself, but parking would be an extra cost there. Another good option would be Mt. Washington, where you could take the incline down directly to Station Square (a 4 minute ride). It's a little less trendy in Mt. Washington, but you could afford to either rent an apartment with an amazing view of downtown and the rivers, or rent an entire house without the view.

Since you have a car and are only an hour away, you owe it to yourselves to make a visit here and narrow down your choices. Be absolutely certain to check out th South Side on a weekend night before signing a lease there, it is definitely rowdy enough to be a deal breaker for a lot of people, even young people.

EDIT: I just wanted to stress just how generous your budget is. If you're willing to utilize public transit, you could cut that budget in half and still find a decent 1 bedroom apartment in a walkable neighborhood with businesses and other young people. Some of the North Side neighborhoods offer the T to station square, and some east end neighborhoods would give your girlfriend an easier commute, while requiring you to use a bus. However, looking in someplace like Bloomfield or Lawrenceville, which are also popular among young people and have bars and restaurants, could cut your rent in half.

[TheYO]

Thanks for the quick replies! South Side Flats sounds like a great place for us (after checking it our on a weekend night of course).

I love walkable areas of cities. Is there a grocery store within walking distance in the Flats?

What types of apartments are most common in the South Side Flats? Highrises? Smaller apartment buildings? Houses that have been converted into apartments? Not that we prefer one over the others, just curious. Also is parking usually included in the rent there? Are there any special permits we'd need to purchase to park in the South Side Flats?

On Downtown: Does is completely empty out when the work day ends?

Thanks again for the help! I think we'll be coming down Memorial Day weekend to check out everything

[UKyank]

Originally Posted by TheYO

Thanks for the quick replies! South Side Flats sounds like a great place for us (after checking it our on a weekend night of course).

I love walkable areas of cities. Is there a grocery store within walking distance in the Flats?

What types of apartments are most common in the South Side Flats? Highrises? Smaller apartment buildings? Houses that have been converted into apartments? Not that we prefer one over the others, just curious. Also is parking usually included in the rent there? Are there any special permits we'd need to purchase to park in the South Side
Flats?

On Downtown: Does is completely empty out when the work day ends?

Thanks again for the help! I think we'll be coming down Memorial Day weekend to check out everything

As a southside flats resident I'll say that the weekend nights are not nearly as crazy as nonresidents believe - yes Carson st itself can become the equivalent of Bourbon st, but outside of that it's stays pretty normal.
There's a large Giant Eagle on 20th st & smaller convenience stores scattered around so groceries aren't a problem.
I would say mostly houses available, though there are also dedicated apartment buildings as well (though relatively few highrises).
Station Square should take anywhere from 10-30mins walk depending on what end of the southside you would be on. There are buses that run the route as well.
I very much like the neighborhood with its vibrant main street littered with stores, bars & restuarants & other amenities all easily walkable.
I will say that rent prices will be on the higher end for nice places then other areas of the city.

[AaronPGH]

You know, Mt. Washington is no slouch either when it comes to things to do at night. It didn't used to be that way but a lot of new stuff has opened up in the Shiloh St. district. There are a lot of great neighborhood amenities up there. I'm in my late 20s now, so Mt. Washington has a lot more appeal than the South Side just because it's less obnoxious on the weekends. You're both 22 though, so South Side might be more your thing at this point. That's where I lived when I was 22 and it was a blast.

With that said, Mt. Washington is a bit isolated from the rest of the city, so friends of mine that live up there generally don't venture out. It would be really cool to commute to work via the incline every day though.

I think it's still worth a look!

A second option could be the North Shore/Mexican War Streets if you want something quiet. Walking to the North Shore T-stations wouldn't be out of the question (and then riding to Station Square), but it's a bit more rough over there than the other two neighborhoods.

[Evergrey]

There are a ton of Northeast Ohioans moving to Pittsburgh... so you should be able to establish diasporan links.

[BrianTH]

The South Side Flats is probably your best bet, particularly if you lived on the western side (toward Station Square).

But with your budget, I'd personally also look at Downtown. There is no doubt it has a huge daytime commuter surge, so you will notice the massive dropoff in activity level in the evening. But every time I have lingered into evening, there is still quite a bit going on in certain areas (mainly the Cultural District and Market Square).

[TheYO]

Thanks again everyone. Doing some initial searching and I found the Residence at South High (Residence at South High) It looks like it was a high school turned vocational school and converted to apartments last summer. Does anyone have an experience there? There are some units available in our price range, and it's towards the western end of the South Side Flats. It's definitely one of the higher priced places I've seen so far in the area, but it looks pretty nice.

[BrianTH]

I think the South High project is just being finished, so first-hand experience may be sparse. It appears to be priced at a bit of a premium, but it is brand-new and looks pretty high-end, with some on-site amenities and parking. I definitely think it is worth checking out (and I wouldn't bet on them lasting long).