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Old 06-28-2012, 01:41 PM
 
Location: Highland Park
172 posts, read 331,333 times
Reputation: 380

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Quote:
Do you suggest anything that we particularily see or do?
It depends on how much time you have. Given what little you've revealed about your interests, if you've never been to Pittsburgh before, and you have a bit of time, then I would: 1) drive through the Ft. Pitt tunnel and enjoy the view; 2) visit the Strip District on Saturday morning (huge open-air market); 3) visit Squirrel Hill's commercial district (at Forbes and Murray) and its park (try Frick Park, a/k/a the Blue Slide Park).

Quote:
What's up with Cranberry? My husband keeps hearing alot about it. Is it the 'place to be'?
I have to be careful here. I loathe big-box, strip-mall, McMansion-style suburbia with every fiber of my being. Cranberry is a big-box, strip-mall, McMansion-style exurb. It was essentially an empty field as of 1990, but then the government finished building I-279, which makes Cranberry a good place for logistics businesses (access to I-79, I-76, and I-279) and gives people living up there a fast route into the City. So it has exploded growth-wise over the past 20 years, and it is the kind of place that one transplant will tell another about, which is why you've probably heard of it. It will probably remind you a lot of Charlotte in that respect (i.e., it will look like Charlotte and will have a lot of transplants like Charlotte). For people who like this kind of thing - living in a new house, driving their kids to the mall, etc. - it is the kind of thing that they like. I would hate it, but different strokes make the world go 'round.

Quote:
Once the kids start school, I'm sure we'll move to the burbs.
That's not necessarily necessary. A "good" school is almost always one in which the kids have "good" parents - i.e., people who got married before they had kids, stayed married afterward, encourage and value education, etc. There are quite a few city neighborhoods - Squirrel Hill is the classic example - where the parents are good and therefore the schools are good, too. My wife and I know some really high-income couples who live in Squirrel Hill and are happily sending their kids to the city schools. Another option is private school, if you can afford it. Yet another is Catholic school, which is where my kids go (growing up Catholic is great; even if you reject it as an adult, you'll have great stories).

You are going to LOVE the 'Burgh. I lived in Charlotte a decade ago and liked it, but I really missed the neighborhoods, the sense of history, and the public spaces here in Pittsburgh. If you get to the Strip or Frick Park while you're here, you'll see what I mean - they're great, and there's nothing like either one of them in Charlotte.
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Old 06-28-2012, 02:21 PM
 
11 posts, read 15,768 times
Reputation: 14
Thanks so much for all your help! Both of my boys already have IEP's so they'll be covered once we're there (through public school). I just want to make sure I'm in an area with a good school system. I'm a former educator so I've worked hard to get them the best possible care- early! They're both in a fabulous program at Radford University in Radford, VA- and my oldest has attended a great elementary school (with pre-k) for the last year here in Roanoke, VA. I plan to find additional services in Pittsburgh- I just want to make sure I have good basic service through the public school (a good school system). So I'll keep researching. Your help has been wonderful! I've found a great house on Craigslist but don't know the location yet. I know this sounds outrageous- but any ideas of where this may be?

http://pittsburgh.craigslist.org/apa/3106513355.html
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Old 06-28-2012, 02:38 PM
 
11 posts, read 15,768 times
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Thanks Joe! That gives me alot of insight. I'm not opposed to city schools. I taught in inner city Charlotte for years- so I know that just bc it's a 'city school' doesn't mean it can't be a GREAT school, with awesome teachers. And my husband went to Catholic school- so yes, it does allow you great stories- but I want my children in public school. We've lived in the 'new neighborhood' type of communities before- pros and cons. My husband grew up near Philly and misses the diversity of those neighborhoods but now he likes the newness of the suburbs. I, on the other hand, grew up in southern West Virginia and have never lived in a 'city' environment (I consider Charlotte a very NEW city). So I'd love to try someplace like Squirrel Hill and see what I think. I think it would be fun- especially with two young boys.

Thanks again for your help- and the info about what to do this weekend. I had already written down the Strip District- it sounds awesome. Any advice on a great place to eat? We like everything! I was in the mood for a burger when I was researching last night and found someplace called Burgatory- any good?

Thanks again!
Jen
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Old 06-28-2012, 02:49 PM
 
11 posts, read 15,768 times
Reputation: 14
Just got an email. That house is in Brighton Heights. Advice????
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Old 06-28-2012, 02:51 PM
 
Location: Charlotte
1,763 posts, read 3,274,966 times
Reputation: 1178
Since you taught in Charlotte (where I currently live) I can tell you that the city's best high school, Allderdice is similar to Myers Park High school in that both schools have a significant population of well off families but also have some diversity.

Edit: as for Brighton Heights, I don't know much about the area, but there was this disturbing letter to the editor in today's paper"
http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/...nation-642229/
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Old 06-28-2012, 03:29 PM
 
Location: Highland Park
172 posts, read 331,333 times
Reputation: 380
Brighton Heights is in many ways one of the city's best-kept secrets. It is very affordable, and it has a great community feel. It doesn't have a huge business district but a very good one (in Bellevue) is just up the hill, and there is easy access to main roads and freeways. It's quiet and pretty safe. Some friends of ours lived there for about five years with their two littlest ones and loved it.

Having said that, there are downsides. The houses are small and so are the yards. It's part of the North Side, which gets very sketchy just downhill from Brighton Heights, and which has sub-standard public schools. If you and your husband are college graduates, you'll be in a minority up there.

Brighton Heights is a place that I might choose to call home, but only after I'd gotten to know my way around Pittsburgh. It's not a great starter neighborhood - you'll get culture shock! So unless you are in love with the rent, I'd look elsewhere for now.
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Old 06-28-2012, 04:15 PM
 
20,273 posts, read 32,877,652 times
Reputation: 2910
For burgers I like Winghart's in Market Square (Market Square, and Downtown in general, is worth a visit):

Winghart's Burger & Whiskey Bar - Downtown-CBD - Pittsburgh | Urbanspoon

There is a lot of controversy over the best burger in Pittsburgh these days, however.
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Old 06-28-2012, 05:33 PM
 
11 posts, read 15,768 times
Reputation: 14
Ok- so much for Brighton Heights. What about Pine Township?
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Old 06-28-2012, 06:33 PM
 
Location: Pittsburgh area
9,912 posts, read 24,543,247 times
Reputation: 5162
Quote:
Originally Posted by jennifer7910 View Post
Ok- so much for Brighton Heights. What about Pine Township?
Pine Township is mostly another "strip-mall, McMansion-style" suburb as so noted above, just within Allegheny County and taken overall somewhat more upscale than Cranberry (but many individual parts could be seen as equal). Much of Pine Township is also referred to as Wexford. The name "Wexford" is the one that evokes the reaction typically; which way the reaction goes may depend upon who you're talking to. (Some people might nod approvingly, some might make assumptions about your tastes or means, etc.) Pine is mostly residential though; the strip mall stuff is confined almost entirely to Rt 19 (aka Perry Highway) and it's not as much of it because other shopping is south in McCandless and Ross and north in Cranberry. In fact more of that highway space in Pine is probably taken up by car dealers than strip mall shopping (although some of the car dealers are in McCandless). The major big box chains are all north or south of there, not by so far as to be too inconvenient really, but enough that the immediate stretch is not overrun by them. So I left "big box" out of the description in the beginning.
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Old 06-28-2012, 06:57 PM
 
43,011 posts, read 107,645,904 times
Reputation: 30710
My opinion of Cranberry is simialr to Joe's.

It's one of the areas where you'll find more HOAs. And I'm not a fan of the whole HOA concept.

Thankfully, HOAs aren't the norm for this region so you can easily find a home without an HOA elsewhere.
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