Rough Draft - Newcomer's guide to Pittsburgh - Part 1 - Northside (neighborhood, high school)

[CaptainPittsburgh]

Originally Posted by robrobrob

That is a lot to blow up. Basically, everything but the Children's Museum should go. It would be great if they could blow it up and put in some nice single family housing that is priced from 175-300,000. I think we have too many lofts or condos already.

For some reason that Weezer song "Only in Dreams" springs to mind, haha. Man, that would be great.

[Lobick]

Originally Posted by robrobrob

That is a lot to blow up. Basically, everything but the Children's Museum should go. It would be great if they could blow it up and put in some nice single family housing that is priced from 175-300,000. I think we have too many lofts or condos already.

I'm all for rethinking Allegheny Center (reconnecting the grid, traffic patterns, etc.) but I couldn't think of a worse idea for the area than single family housing. Historically, that was the center of Allegheny City, commercially, governmentally, etc. IMHO, what the area needs is activity, density, vibrancy so it can serve its purpose again. There's plenty of room on the Northside to contemplate single family housing but in Allegheny Center it would be tragic.

BTW, the old library/ New Haslet Theatre obviously needs to stay as well. I've little problem with most of the outlying buildings.

[ferraris]

If it has to be residential, it should be single family homes in the style of Columbus Square or Federal Hill. But some street level retail would work great also.

Honestly, even leveling it and making it part of Allegheny Commons park would be a better use of the land than the current situation. Just leave the Children's Museum and Hazlett theater sitting in the middle of it a la the Aviary.

[norcider]

Everything but the Children's Museum AND the old, former site of the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh's Allegheny Regional Branch. It is designated a historic site afterall.

[bikemarkpgh]

One suggestion - can you change the name of one neighborhood, "Perry North" to "Observatory Hill". We bought there many years ago and are raising our family there. The houses are great and if you like late Victorian-to-Craftsman style houses -- we have a ton. One of them was featured on the Today Show's real estate segment back in June as a 'Deal Under 200K". Click here for the link to the video

The name thing is a pet peeve. No one who lives there calls it Perry North. It has always been Observatory Hill. The street signs say Observatory Hill (back when Mayor Sophie got street signs up in all the neighborhoods in the late 1980s). The only folks that call it Perry North are the Dept. of City Planning folks - and they refuse to change their maps (I know, I have asked). And as City Planning goes, so goes ESRI, Census, and Google Maps.

Haven't read all of the posts - and am not able to take the time to look at the methodology you used to come up with your boundaries - so no general comments yet on that aspect - but getting the name change would be great.

Thanks.

[norcider]

bikemarkpgh - Good point. I have always despised that naming as well, and Observatory Hill is more idyllic. FYI, the site of the original observatory is on the hill where Triangle Tech now stands.

[eschaton]

Originally Posted by bikemarkpgh

One suggestion - can you change the name of one neighborhood, "Perry North" to "Observatory Hill". We bought there many years ago and are raising our family there. The houses are great and if you like late Victorian-to-Craftsman style houses -- we have a ton. One of them was featured on the Today Show's real estate segment back in June as a 'Deal Under 200K". Click here for the link to the video

The name thing is a pet peeve. No one who lives there calls it Perry North. It has always been Observatory Hill. The street signs say Observatory Hill (back when Mayor Sophie got street signs up in all the neighborhoods in the late 1980s). The only folks that call it Perry North are the Dept. of City Planning folks - and they refuse to change their maps (I know, I have asked). And as City Planning goes, so goes ESRI, Census, and Google Maps.

Haven't read all of the posts - and am not able to take the time to look at the methodology you used to come up with your boundaries - so no general comments yet on that aspect - but getting the name change would be great.

Thanks.

I've heard the name used before, of course, but I was unsure if all of Perry North was called Observatory Hill, or only a portion.

[norcider]

"I've heard the name used before, of course, but I was unsure if all of Perry North was called Observatory Hill, or only a portion."

I see Observatory Hill as neighborhood between Perrysville at Bascom to Perrysville at Marshall. Then there is the "Perry Hilltop" which to me means the neighborhood between Perrysville and Federal St. Extension, area up by old channel 11 station and up Perrysville to Charles Street.

[ferraris]

Isn't there a business district outside of city limits with blue banners proclaiming the "Perrysville" name? I can't find it on google streetview, but it's right on Perrysville highway.

[greg42]

Originally Posted by ferrarisnowday

Isn't there a business district outside of city limits with blue banners proclaiming the "Perrysville" name? I can't find it on google streetview, but it's right on Perrysville highway.

It's way north of where they're talking about though in Ross Township, north of West View borough, which is also on the other side of 279, etc, even though technically it is still the same road up there.