Moving from Texas: Apartments for Rent, Health Insurance (Pittsburgh, Lebanon: house, employment)

[Mrs Watts]

Hello!
First of all, THANK you so-so much for taking your time to answer my questions. This forum is extremely helpful, especially when it comes to moving from one state to another.
My husband, our 9-months-old son, our cat and I are moving from Texas to Pittsburgh in November. Our initial plan was West Virginia but we got a better job opportunity in Pittsburgh.
We have a few questions:

1) We are looking for a safe neighborhood (as we have a baby) where we could rent a studio apartment or a 1- bedroom apartment but not an expensive one. Close to public transportation, with sidewalks. And if there were parks and stores, that would be great! We love going to museums and walking in parks. The town where we live now have NO sidewalks, and we are sick and tired of that, especially when we want to take our son for a walk. .

2) Where could we apply for the health insurance for our baby? Now our son is on Texas Health Steps Program but obviously it is good only for Texas.

Thanks in advance for your help!

[Hopes]

What part of the are will your husband be working? If he will be in the suburbs or near Canonsburg, I recommend Mt. Lebanon. If he will be working closer to downtown, I recommend Squirrel Hill. Both are safe walkable communites with public transportation, sidewalks, stores and restaurants. Squirrel Hill has the added benefit of being within walking distance to the museums.

Won't your husband's employer be providing health insurance? That's the best way to continue health coverage. Pennsylvania has CHIP. If you're over the income limit, I also believe you can buy into the CHIP plan. You have to be a resident of Pennsylvania for 6 months before you can get onto CHIP; however, children under 2 may be exempt from waiting.

Your other option is to buy private health plans. Off the top of my head, the following health insurance companies are commony accepted in this area: Highmark, UPMC, Cigna, United Healthcare, Aetna. There are many others. For a child, coverage will be minimal for a private plan. You shouldn't run into pre-existing condition issues with a private plan since your child is already insured and won't have a lapse of coverage.

If your husband isn't provided health insurance, what do you plan to do about ensuring you both have health insurance? Healthy babies need healthy parents.

[Hopes]

BTW, what's your budget for a studio or apartment? You say no expensive one. That definition varies from person to person. Just checking to make sure Mt. Lebo and Squirrel Hill are within your reach.

[ferraris]

Here are the Income Limits and premiums for PA's sCHIP program.

A general idea of where you'll be working and a general budget will help a lot. Pittsburgh and the surrounding suburbs have a lot of areas that fit your description; it needs to be narrowed down a bit.

[Mrs Watts]

First of all thank you so much for responding to my questions. My husband is a Personal Trainer and the gym does not offer Health Insurance. Yea I know. Sucks but what can ya do. When it comes to rent we are trying to stay around 425-500/month. We are trying to save as much money as possible. I have heard that Squirrel Hill is a great place but can we afford it on our budget? My husband's new job is at Squirrel Hill but he might take a job that is located at 325 Sixth Avenue. Is there a 'happy medium' place to live between the two? Thank you again for your responses it is a huge help for our family.

[Hopes]

Any place we recommend will be convenient for both of them, except Mt. Lebanon won't be as convenient to the Squirrel Hill location. You might luck out and find something in Squirrel Hill but it will be sheer luck for that price range.

Are you needing the public transportation for him to commute? Or for you to get around while he has the car? If he is going to work at Squirrel Hill and use public transportation, you'll be limited to neighborhoods along the bus line if he doesn't want to ride into downtown and transfer to another bus. Sounds like a hassle but I think working as a personal trainer in Squirrel Hill might be more desirable than downtown. But maybe not. Maybe downtown workers hire personal trainers as much as Squirrel Hill residents.


Convenient for working in Squirrel Hill or Downtown:

Regent Square: Great city neighborhood with businesses and a huge park nearby. It's sort of hip.

Greenfield: Affordable city neighborhood with some businesses.

Morningside: It's like a suburban city neighborhood with sidewalks, not many businesses. A large park is close, within walking distance, but not immediately nearby.

Bloomfield: Great business district. Parks not so close, except for grass area in the middle of the road along side hospital.

Oakland: I'm going to add this. Not really a family neighborhood. Lots of slumlords for university students. But the location is ideal for walking to the museum so it's worth honorable mention.


More convenient if he works downtown and plans to take public transportation:

North Side: Some small business areas scattered around. Parks. If interested, get details on specfic parts that are best.

Mt. Lebanon: Great suburban neighborhood with business district and train into town. Probably out of your price range but you might luck out.

Mt. Washington: Public transportation into town is the incline down the hill which is petty cool. Has businesses. Sidewalks. You'll love walking this neighborhood with the beautiful views on Grandview Avenue.

Southside: Very nice business district. Crazy at night and on the weekends because it's a huge party place.


I'll quickly mention further away places that are safe, have "some" busineses and typically low rent. He can commute into downtown via bus from these places. If he is driving, he can easily get to Oakland from most.

Bellevue

Millvale

Etna

Sharpsburg

Oakmont



I'll add more later. Most of Pittsburgh's neighborhoods are safe.

Keep in mind, for the rent you're hoping to pay, you're going to be renting in an old building, either an entire small house or a large house that has been split into apartments.

[Mrs Watts]

Howdy Hopes. This is Mr. Watts.

Thank you so much for responding so fast to my wife's questions. The public transportation is for her. We do have one car but she does not drive. She is looking for work as a secretary and we were wondering which place would be great to find work for her. Would Regent Square be a good place to look? She does speak/read Russian, German, and English. Maybe there is a higher paid job area for her talents? If you know that would be great, if not well at least we asked. Thank you again.

[Tirade]

Hopes has some great suggestions, but finding an apartment in those neighborhoods on a $425 - $500 budget might be tough.

If you're priced out of those areas, I strongly recommend looking into Brookline. It's a walkable, family-friendly area with a nice main street and two parks. There's a bus line with frequent buses that cuts through the main roads in the neighborhood. Additionally, from where I live in Brookline, I'm twenty minutes walking distance from the T (light rail) and the South Busway (express buses). All of these options will get you Downtown quickly and easily. This area is more within your price range.

Beechview is another area to consider. The walkable areas aren't as nice as Brookline or the other neighborhoods mentioned, but it sits along the T and can't be beat in terms of public transportation to Downtown. Also well within your price range.

[Hopes]

The neighborhoods are too small to focus an employment search in just one area. Downtown is convenient via public transporation from every neighborhood mentioned. She should focus there since she will rely on the bus system. Her speaking Russian and German will give he an edge for positions requiring that qualification but won't necessarily command her higher pay.

[ferraris]

A quick search on Craigslist turns up a few (but not a lot) sub-$500 apartments in Regent Square, Squirrel Hill, and Bloomfield. I think you'll be able to find something, but it will take some searching and you'll have to be comfortable with living in a small, austere apartment. You could get nicer apartments in other neighborhoods, but I completely understand the desire for a short commute, and that area of the city is pretty good for kids.