cranberry schools, plum schools and nice safe rentals... (Pittsburgh, Butler: new home, neighborhoods)

[Seaharbour]

We may end up in Pgh.. I have heard that plum and cranberry are both nice areas, are there bad areas within these townships and are the schools good? THANKS!

[guylocke]

First thing you should note is that those two areas are in different counties. Cranberry is in Butler County (lower taxes) and Plum Boro is in Allegheny County (higher taxes).

The vast majority of Cranberry kids go to Seneca Valley (they are on strike right now..)
Plum Boro kids go to Plum School District.

I think both are fairly decent, but nothing too sensational compared to some other school districts. I might say Plum is a bit better than Seneca Valley.

They are in completely different directions, too. Cranberry is north and is a booming city of brand new residential and commercial construction everywhere.

Plum is east and is a bit more rural, but is also seeing some growth, just not at a overwhelming rate like Cranberry.

Personally, both places have some beautiful neighborhoods.

[yagerha]

I have lived in Cranberry for 20 years. It is a nice area with all the conveniences..... close to shopping, restaurants and the city of Pittsburgh is a half hour drive. A great place to live if working downtown. I have been very happy with Seneca Valley. I have elementary school children and both have excelled. We have had some absolutley fantastic teachers.

Lots of great community activities for the kids. and a new YMCA for everyone.

[guylocke]

A great place to live if working downtown.

Plum is a lot closer :P

[Hemingway]

I can't comment on Cranberry, I have driven through....seems like a lovely place. I've lived in Plum for 4 years. It has 5 Elementary schools, 1 middle and 1 High school (total enrollment at the HS is about 1500). Plum is somewhere around 25 to 30 square miles, so it is fairly large. Mostly middle class. Very large participation in community activities, i.e. youth sports, community festivals and such. It has a rural 'feel', with rolling hills, farms etc. On a good day it is about 15-20 mins. to downtown, bad day 25-35 minutes. there are several new home developments(200,000 to 350,000 range), as well as many established older neighborhoods. Most are very well kept. The schools are considered to be very solid, no major issues. Personally, we have found the teachers and and administrators to be very caring and proactive. I don't personally care for the HS administration, they are the least proactive...but Plum residents are very vocal about their children's education, so I think we will see changes at the HS, eventually. HTH

[PghREA]

Originally Posted by guylocke

Plum is a lot closer :P

However, it is an easier commute from Cranberry. I-79 to I-279 and no tunnels.

[guylocke]

However, it is an easier commute from Cranberry. I-79 to I-279 and no tunnels.

Depending on where he would live in Plum he might not need to go through tunnels, either.

[Seaharbour]

Thank you guys, my hubby goes on his interview in the middle of next month, we have to wait and see here, I pray we can move back home, we really missed pgh, and want to stay and retire there...THANKS again, we both grew up on the outskirts of the east side and have no idea what other areas are like, and i am sure many have changed over the last 20 years too!

[Seaharbour]

We want to rent a home, either in these areas or even Gibsonia, all areas are bout 1/2 hour from Vandergrift and all seem to have nice schools, and they are also close to downtown, reasonably anyhow with shopping, I just did not like any homes or apts in vandergrift and that area over there, but we can always commute to other places too!

What bout rent to own homes in the 125 range, is this doable? We are having a very hard time selling our home here, was toldby our realtor that it just may not sell, companies are leaving, no jobs, nothing professional or otherwise..its bad here, so we have to leave, if it sells or not here, we would like a nice rental that we can own one day, that is our goal here, to start over...we are praying however itwill sell but it looks bleak..

[guylocke]

We are having a very hard time selling our home here, was toldby our realtor that it just may not sell, companies are leaving, no jobs, nothing professional or otherwise..its bad here, so we have to leave

Where are you coming from again?

I'm surprised you haven't found anything closer to Vandergrift. None of Cranberry, Gibsonia, or Plum are really that close.

If you are looking at places at those distances I would most definitely, positively, look into Murrysville. They have one the best school districts in all of western Pennsylvania, Franklin Regional. It's not really any further from Vandergrift than Plum is.

It is sort of south east of Plum a bit, but there are faster highways from Murrysville to Vandergrift than from Plum to Vandergrift.

Plus, in Murrysville, you avoid Allegheny County taxes.