counties beyond city limits (Pittsburgh, Butler: middle-class, homes, neighborhoods)

[Hopes]

Originally Posted by fivecrazykitties

Thanks for the comments. But I don't want to be in the city limits, Allegheny county.

This doesn't make sense. The county is not the city. The city is a very small area located in the center of Allegheny County.

[Hopes]

Originally Posted by fivecrazykitties

looking at the different real estate sites & city-data.com, Westmoreland county seems to offer the most for the money I am willing to spend. thanks for the heads up about traffic. Being I am still in the research stage and don't know where I will be employed, downtown Pittsburgh is a central point of reference. I'm currently driving 50+mins to go 20 miles. Traffic will suck no matter where I live being a need to be near a city for work.

That's not true. In this area, it's entirely possible to have a very short commute into the city. Mine is only 20 minutes. I know people who have even shorter commutes of mere minutes. And we aren't living in the city. I'm a bit confused as to why you think you need to live in a different county. There are many suburban and even rural parts of Allegheny County. You don't need to live far away to have the lifestyle you want. As a matter of fact, it seems the only lifestyle you are going to replicate is less home time with your family by moving so far away from employment. Maybe that's the way you like it. Maybe too much home time is undesirable for your particular family situation.

[fivecrazykitties]

And this comment is relevant because to my question because ?????

[eschaton]

Originally Posted by fivecrazykitties

And this comment is relevant because to my question because ?????

It might have been a bit sarcastic, but she has a point.

Why live outside of the county, and suffer a long commute, if you don't have to? Essentially the only advantage is county property taxes are lower, but unless you buy in an expensive house somewhere like Peters or Cranberry Township, it's entirely possible you'll lose any savings on property taxes in added gasoline costs.

[fivecrazykitties]

I want a home to retire in. than gas prices won't be an issue. why not live outside of the county?

[Kippy]

The Greensburg/Hempfield area has affordable housing and low taxes. Without traffic, you would be looking at about a forty-five minutes to an hour commute into the city. Another option might be to work in the healthcare industry outside of the city. There are two large hospitals in Monroeville, including a brand new UPMC facility. Greensburg has its own hospital, which is part of the Excela Health network, and several Excela outpatient facilities scattered about the area.

[Velvet Jones]

Originally Posted by fivecrazykitties

I want a home to retire in. than gas prices won't be an issue. why not live outside of the county?

I guess it depends on why you want to live there. Westmoreland county is the second largest in western PA, and a large chunk of it is as suburban as Allegheny. The areas around Greensburg are even very city like. So it is not the most rural of places, at least on the western side. The commute in to the Pittsburgh is also rough. As others have mentioned, Washington or Butler may be more to your liking if you want something outside the urban areas.

[Love2Golf09]

Originally Posted by fivecrazykitties

why not live outside of the county?

One reason is that Westmoreland's public transportation sucks. As some others have noted, inside allegheny county you could take the T and there are park and ride options. Of course, PAT is nothing to brag about, but Westmoreland Transit is a joke. I believe the last bus leaves downtown at like 6pm, so you better be on it or you're screwed. Also, it has giant 2 hr gaps, like first bus at 7am, 2nd at 9am, third at 11am. Well, that sucks. If you're thinking of parking in the city, good luck. The parking in oakland is virtually impossible and downtown can be pretty expensive, not to mention the nasty commute through the parkway east. If you can get a job in Monroeville and live in westmoreland, then you're set. Also, population growth in Westmoreland is low, so I don't know how much value your home would increase there. Seriously, just drive through North Huntingdon and see how many homes for around $150k are available. They are a dime a dozen and there are tons of "for sale" signs around. Cranberry would probably give you the cheapest taxes and they have some population growth. Plus, your commute into the city would be easier than Westmoreland. However, I doubt $150k would get you much there. I'm not sure why someone mentioned Peters Twp. You aren't getting much in Peters for $150k, that's for sure. If I were you, I'd probably get a home in Ross Twp, have a short commute, and just bite the bullet on the taxes. They aren't THAT much higher than Norwin, Penn-Trafford, Hempfield, or Franklin Regional taxes. Plus, you may make a few bucks on the house in Ross, but dont count on it. You won't lose value though. It's a solid neighborhood in a good school district.

[Pitt Chick]

Originally Posted by Love2Golf09

One reason is that Westmoreland's public transportation sucks. As some others have noted, inside allegheny county you could take the T and there are park and ride options. Of course, PAT is nothing to brag about, but Westmoreland Transit is a joke. I believe the last bus leaves downtown at like 6pm, so you better be on it or you're screwed. Also, it has giant 2 hr gaps, like first bus at 7am, 2nd at 9am, third at 11am. Well, that sucks.

Not all true!

I pulled one route randomly.

Greensburg to Pittsburgh - Route 1F

Departs the Greensburg Transit Center
5:25 am
5:40 am
6:00 am
6:05 am
6:15 am
6:40 am
7:00 am

Seven departures in 95 minutes - NO giant two hour gaps.


I also think that Westmoreland's transit system beats that in any other adjacent county.

[SoButCounty]

Keep in mind that if you live in Westmoreland County and work in the city, you will most likely commute using the Parkway East (I376) which will require you to use the Squirrel Hill tunnel daily. That in itself along with the potential daily backups it entails is an important consideration.

Southern Butler/Northern Allegheny counties have the Parkway North (I279) which although a bit further is a new road. Although not immune to backups, it does generally flow well at rush hour and has an HOV lane to ease congestion.

You will also find higher taxes and less affordable housing in Northern Allegheny County unless you get in closer to the city (Ross, West View, etc).