Rank Pittsburgh's Quality-of-Life (Philadelphia, Scranton, Wilkes-Barre: low crime, to buy, luxury)

[Pghuser]

I would've voted excellent. More sunshine and less cold would be ideal but that's OK.

[okaydorothy]

I would have voted excellent.

The schools are wonderful, people are so nice, its great to live just a wee bit from a decent size city, but yet in the subarbs.

We love it here. Havent come across a downside yet.

[SteelCityRising]

It's been roughly six months since anyone has contributed, and we've gained at least a few new residents since then. I was just curious to see if there were any new perspectives or insights.

[gg]

I voted good. Too much pollution, litter and lake of cycling infrastructure to be any better than that. I think Pittsburgh is doing better little by little, but tons of poverty in the city and that brings crime, litter and a mess. I do think in 20 years or so it will be "very good", but it is a long way off.

[zman63]

Originally Posted by SteelCityRising

My partner and I took a day-trip recently to Wheeling, WV via the "National Road" (U.S. Route 40) through Washington County and on into West Virginia. You would never guess you were within commuting range of some of Pittsburgh's outer employment centers (i.e. Southpointe, Robinson, and the Airport) judging by how impoverished and run-down some of those places on the "scenic route" seemed. While Pittsburgh itself seems to be improving daily---not a day goes by that I don't notice another home being renovated on my travels---you don't have to venture far outside of the suburbs to see just how unkind the recession has been.

And the suburbanites want to dispute the poverty thing. Imo western pa as a collective whole is poor compared to the eastern part of the state. Even other metro areas in comparison the suburbs here are poor and run down. Yes there are pockets where it is nice but it isnt the norm around here.

[szug-bot]

i cant vote - i just dont have proper perspective. i fabricated this life of mine to be hassle free - my commute is a 3 minute walk to work. my hobbies and spare time stuff are either a tolerable bus ride, or...more walking to nearby destinations.

i know this is the exception rather than the rule. oh, and the public schools? i am not fond of the district for various reasons, but i dont have to deal with it with my children in its system.

so, im so insulated in a way. i honestly do not know how i would rate it. id say "excellent", but that is based on factors affecting ME - and i dont think that is the way anyone should vote on anything. sorry to over-analyze - just offering some insight.

[zman63]

Originally Posted by Love2Golf09

I couldn't agree more. Personally, I don't get the appeal of living in the city. There isn't a whole lot of difference between some streets in Wheeling and the overpriced, decaying rowhouses in Bloomfield and Lawrenceville. I don't want to get too political here, but it annoys the hell out of me to see these liberals from places like Lawrenceville and Regent Square talk crap on these small town folks which used to be the backbone on the Democratic party. Now days, the jerks that run the party are disgusted by the common man and wouldn't be caught dead in a place like Wheeling. Something's very wrong with that.

Wheeling looks like pittsburgh on a much smaller scale. You drive through the tunnel on I 70 and dtown wheeling is right there. Also there isnt much diff in housing either.

[SteelCityRising]

Originally Posted by h_curtis

I voted good. Too much pollution, litter and lake of cycling infrastructure to be any better than that. I think Pittsburgh is doing better little by little, but tons of poverty in the city and that brings crime, litter and a mess. I do think in 20 years or so it will be "very good", but it is a long way off.

I must say I've noticed the litter issue here improving since I moved here in 2010. We went from what I would consider an above-average amount of litter for a city of our size, in my humble opinion, to an average amount of litter for a city of our size. Naturally I'd like to see further improvement, but we're heading in the right direction on that front.

I also never understood this commentary about Pittsburgh being "very polluted". We have far fewer "Ozone Alert Days" in the summer than many other cities. Even since 2010 I've noticed fewer and fewer Hummers, Chevy Suburbans, and GMC Yukon Denalis in the city proper and more and more SmartCars, Honda Civic Hybrids, Toyota Priii, Honda Fits, and other smaller more fuel-efficient (and less polluting) vehicles.

While you're correct that the cycling infrastructure here continues to be lacking I've also noticed an UPTICK in the number of people cycling since moving here, which is only going to make things safer for everyone as more drivers become more familiarized with cyclists and the concept of "sharing the road." We also have a new mayor in the city proper, and he happens to be in favor of expanding cycling infrastructure. Some of the grievances cyclists have are born of their own ignorance of what is available to them. For example, I always see so many people pedaling up and down Fifth Avenue in Shadyside. Why? Ellsworth Avenue roughly parallels Fifth Avenue and is a much more bike-friendly street. People still insist on cycling on Penn Avenue through Point Breeze when Reynolds Street and/or Meade Street are much safer alternatives. Why? Some cyclists have the "it's MY right..." attitude when it comes to cycling on Penn Avenue or Fifth Avenue, but that's meaningless when you're being carried into the back of an ambulance.

Originally Posted by zman63

And the suburbanites want to dispute the poverty thing. Imo western pa as a collective whole is poor compared to the eastern part of the state. Even other metro areas in comparison the suburbs here are poor and run down. Yes there are pockets where it is nice but it isnt the norm around here.

I strongly disagree with this. I view this area as being "middle-class" overall. There are some affluent pockets such as Shadyside, Point Breeze, Squirrel Hill, Fox Chapel, Franklin Park, Sewickley, Oakmont, Upper St. Clair, etc. that are home to dually-employed couples where both have terminal degrees. There are also some poorer pockets such as McKeesport, Duquesne, Homewood, the Hill District, Beltzhoover, McKees Rocks, etc. where the vast majority of people have no formal education beyond high school. The "norm", though, would be a place like Polish Hill, Beechview, Troy Hill, Shaler Township, Braddock Hills, Bloomfield, Dormont, Carnegie, etc.---home to dually-employed working-class couples with a couple of kids, a Bachelor's Degree and an Associate's Degree between them, driving newer Fords or Chevrolets, attending the occasional sporting event, going out to eat every other week and ordering a pizza on the "off" weeks, etc. What I like about this region is that "working-class" types such as me and my partner can live here comfortably and have a variety of options. We make about $65,000/yr. combined. In many "great" cities that income would relegate us to near-poverty. Here we don't flinch at ordering food, seeing a movie, dropping $40 at the casino every now and then, etc. I drive a 2013 vehicle. We have DVR, HBO, Showtime, Music Choice, a landline with caller ID, etc. My partner has an iPhone. I have an iPad. I can give to charity without wincing. In Northern Virginia I wasn't earning far below that figure we're jointly earning here, yet I felt like I was living in abject poverty in comparison.

I always wanted to live in an area where I'd feel as if I was "middle-class". I do here. I was "rich" growing up in a very economically depressed area, although our family was truly middle-class by typical American standards. I didn't like that. I also didn't like feeling "poor", either. Here I feel "just right".

Originally Posted by szug-bot

i cant vote - i just dont have proper perspective. i fabricated this life of mine to be hassle free - my commute is a 3 minute walk to work. my hobbies and spare time stuff are either a tolerable bus ride, or...more walking to nearby destinations.

i know this is the exception rather than the rule. oh, and the public schools? i am not fond of the district for various reasons, but i dont have to deal with it with my children in its system.

so, im so insulated in a way. i honestly do not know how i would rate it. id say "excellent", but that is based on factors affecting ME - and i dont think that is the way anyone should vote on anything. sorry to over-analyze - just offering some insight.

Well, this entire thread was based upon the supposition that you would be voting on how YOU perceive the area to be based upon YOUR personal experiences. If you don't like it here I wouldn't expect you to vote "Excellent" just because you feel like that's what you should be voting or vice-versa.

[SteelCityRising]

Originally Posted by zman63

Wheeling looks like pittsburgh on a much smaller scale. You drive through the tunnel on I 70 and dtown wheeling is right there. Also there isnt much diff in housing either.

No. Wheeling was much, much more economically-depressed than Pittsburgh. We tried sauntering around and "exploring" Downtown Wheeling and were extremely underwhelmed. For God's sake they have a Lowe's Home Improvement store right in the middle of their historic district.

[bradjl2009]

Originally Posted by zman63

Wheeling looks like pittsburgh on a much smaller scale. You drive through the tunnel on I 70 and dtown wheeling is right there. Also there isnt much diff in housing either.

No it's not like Pittsburgh in many ways.