Rank Pittsburgh's Quality-of-Life (how much, landlord, wage)

[Copanut]

Originally Posted by LIRefugee

Pittsburgh can't hold a candle to Baghdad in terms of the richness of its history. Pittsburgh has more Super Bowl wins, though.

I do believe Baghdad won the International Pickle Ball Tournament in 2008.

[SlurmsMcKenzie]

Originally Posted by Boomchee

I voted good...Great cost of living. What kept me from voting higher was poor infrastructure, crappy weather, and the need for improved mass transit. In my 15 yrs here the city has definitely made some strides for the better. One thing I will say is PGH will always hold a special place in my heart as I really learned how to make it here. At the end of the summer/fall I will be relocating back out to Portland. There are some really solid people here.

Our goal years ago was to eventually make it to Oregon. It's a beautiful area and there is so much to do outdoors. Two kids later, we have realized that we are pretty content to spend our lives here in Pittsburgh. Good luck!

As for Pittsburgh, we see the drawbacks. But I think the positives are gradually outweighing the negatives as time moves on. I'm hopeful mass transit can be sorted out and that infrastructure can be improved (I see the southern beltway as a good first step). One of the biggest draws for us is the cost of living. We have all of the common debt a person incurs (mortgages, car payments, student loans, etc...) but are realistically aiming to be debt-free by our early 40s by living comfortably within our means (I think this is becoming more of a goal with younger people these days as they see what the economy has done over the last 15 years). Couple the affordability with the fact that Pittsburgh is largely a desirable place to live and I'd have to give Pittsburgh at least a rating of 'very good'.

[ny789987]

I rate it as very good. Cost of living makes up for all the negatives. I'd rather complain about the snow plow not coming by every hour than be forced to pay a few thousand dollars extra every year in property taxes like they have to on the east coast. Let's face it: It isn't easy being a member of the middle class in America today. Here, a lot of that financial heat and pressure is toned down a bit.

[Caladium]

Originally Posted by ny789987

I rate it as very good. Cost of living makes up for all the negatives. I'd rather complain about the snow plow not coming by every hour than be forced to pay a few thousand dollars extra every year in property taxes like they have to on the east coast. Let's face it: It isn't easy being a member of the middle class in America today. Here, a lot of that financial heat and pressure is toned down a bit.

Good points! I've often been amused by the people who move to a city for the low COL and then complain because the city acts like a place with a low COL. Love the ones who move to a new city and then complain that it doesn't doesn't have all the features of the city they moved away from. So why did you move, then?Also the people who move to a city and then want to raise taxes... But guess what, they don't own property or have much of an income, so what they really want is to raise taxes for other people to pay.

[szug-bot]

^^^^^^^ *STANDING OVATION*

everything is give and take! i will always regret never having lived in NYC - in my 20s, had i had wider horizons, to so speak, i would have considered it. and im sure a couple years there would have been an amazing experience. but when youre heading to middle age and have different priorities....you get the idea.

pittsburgh is almost perfect, but no place is....edit: pittsburgh might be a top 10 'least imperfect' city in north america.

[Goodjules]

Originally Posted by SlurmsMcKenzie

Our goal years ago was to eventually make it to Oregon. It's a beautiful area and there is so much to do outdoors. Two kids later, we have realized that we are pretty content to spend our lives here in Pittsburgh. Good luck!

As for Pittsburgh, we see the drawbacks. But I think the positives are gradually outweighing the negatives as time moves on. I'm hopeful mass transit can be sorted out and that infrastructure can be improved (I see the southern beltway as a good first step). One of the biggest draws for us is the cost of living. We have all of the common debt a person incurs (mortgages, car payments, student loans, etc...) but are realistically aiming to be debt-free by our early 40s by living comfortably within our means (I think this is becoming more of a goal with younger people these days as they see what the economy has done over the last 15 years). Couple the affordability with the fact that Pittsburgh is largely a desirable place to live and I'd have to give Pittsburgh at least a rating of 'very good'.

I'm at the opposite end of the age spectrum, hoping to retire in about 10 years, but I moved here for similar reasons. I was spending so much on housing in SF and I realized that it was eating into money I could be saving for retirement. I was able to buy the big old house of my dreams here and cut my housing costs by at least 30%. Had I bought a small house, I would have seen an even bigger drop in those costs. I wanted a big place while I was still physically able to handle it. I am still amazed that someone with an ordinary income can get so much in Pittsburgh. The house I paid well under $200k for would cost at least $1.5 million in SF, and could easily cost double that in the better neighborhoods. I feel like I won the lottery!

FYI: $515,000 will get you a little old house in a bad neighborhood in SF. You will spend close to $1 million for an ordinary 3 bdr, 1 ba house in a decent neighborhood. It's nuts! The rest of the Bay Area isn't much better. http://www.zillow.com/homedetails/12...15156186_zpid/

[szug-bot]

how does anyone live in San Franscisco or in Manhattan without literally living paycheck to paycheck? and to have kids....? wow.

[charisb]

I don't particularly want Pittsburgh to be fast growing. Those cities, like Austin or Raleigh, have just become symbols of sprawl and have lost a lot of their character. Traffic is terrible and housing costs has increased significantly. As long as Pittsburgh is adding to the population, even slowly, and unemployment stays roughly in line with the national rate, I am happy for it to stay on the 'slow growing' lists.

[SteelCityRising]

Originally Posted by Caladium

Also the people who move to a city and then want to raise taxes... But guess what, they don't own property or have much of an income, so what they really want is to raise taxes for other people to pay.

Can you please stop beating around the bush when referencing me and just come right out and say what's on your mind?

Pittsburgh has a wage tax. I earn a wage. I'd be more than happy to pay a higher wage tax so we could have better public services here. My rent has increased consistently since I moved to the East End in 2010, and I'd be willing to pay higher rent to offset an increase in my landlady's property tax burden if it meant that the higher tax bill provided we residents with better services. Having roads so riddled with potholes that they are barely passable, not to mention the joke the road crews did earlier this evening with plowing/salting, is not worth saving a few bucks a year to me.

[I_Like_Spam]

Originally Posted by SteelCityRising

Pittsburgh has a wage tax. I earn a wage. I'd be more than happy to pay a higher wage tax so we could have better public services here. My rent has increased consistently since I moved to the East End in 2010, and I'd be willing to pay higher rent to offset an increase in my landlady's property tax burden if it meant that the higher tax bill provided we residents with better services. Having roads so riddled with potholes that they are barely passable, not to mention the joke the road crews did earlier this evening with plowing/salting, is not worth saving a few bucks a year to me.

If tax rates were raised, that would not necessarily mean an increase in city services. It wouldn't necessarily mean a long term increase in revenues either, as some people would leave the town to make it to the surrounding communities that offer lower tax rates.

And even if it did, the first places to receive increases in services would be the upper north side and areas south of the river which get the short end of the stick right now as far as city services.