questions about Brookline, Beechview, and Dormont (Pittsburgh, Scranton: low income, income, living in)

[Goodjules]

Originally Posted by Hip Priest

By the way, I've heard people mention zip cars. What's a zip car?

Essentially, it's a very short term car rental available in many cities. Sort of a modern, hip version of Hertz. You can use them for longer trips, but mostly it's for short trips within a city. Here's their website: Car Sharing, an alternative to car rental and car ownership – Zipcar

[Goodjules]

You are willing to invest incredible amounts of time and effort into living extremely frugally. Therefore, I think you may be able to live virtually car-free in the less expensive neighborhoods. If it were anyone else, I would tell you to think seriously about owning a small, basic, older used car for those times when the weather is awful or you need to carry more than you can on foot. I can think of lots of other scenarios where a car would be a godsend, but I won't even mention them.

Clearly the time and effort you "spend" to save the money you would spend on car ownership is worth it to you.

[The King of Um]

Originally Posted by juliegt

Essentially, it's a very short term car rental available in many cities. Sort of a modern, hip version of Hertz. You can use them for longer trips, but mostly it's for short trips within a city. Here's their website: Car Sharing, an alternative to car rental and car ownership – Zipcar

Thanks very much for the info on Zipcar, Julie. If worst comes to worst and I absolutely need a car for whatever reason, I now know where to go.

[Stijl Council]

Originally Posted by Hip Priest

Say, can anyone recommend a very good brand of snow/ice boots? I'll be walking a lot, as you know.

I got a pair of insulated boots from L.L. Bean (the women's version of these) about five years ago and have been happy with them. The tread is good -- when I take the bus to/from work I have about a one-mile hilly walk each way, and they do well in those circumstances -- and my feet stay dry and warm in them.

[Hopes]

Originally Posted by juliegt

Are there $60k homes there in safe areas?

I can't think of anywhere. If there were, SCR would have snatched one up. That's for sure.

[Goodjules]

Originally Posted by Hopes

I can't think of anywhere. If there were, SCR would have snatched one up. That's for sure.

True dat.

[jay5835]

So much truthiness:

Originally Posted by Hip Priest

Cars nowadays are made to be unnecessarily complicated. Why on earth, for example, do they have to run off of a computer chip? Years ago, a person could fix his own car; it was relatively simple to do so.

Originally Posted by Hip Priest

cars haven't been attractive since the '60s; today, they're downright ugly. The last cool, attractive car I've seen was my uncle's '68 Mustang or my parents' '67 Cadillac Fleetwood.

I used to love American cars in the 1960s. I couldn't wait for my father to take me to look at new cars every year. I collected Chevrolet brochures and other propaganda.

Cars are so ****ing ugly now. And, with few exceptions, they all look the same.

[The King of Um]

Originally Posted by Stijl Council

I got a pair of insulated boots from L.L. Bean (the women's version of these) about five years ago and have been happy with them. The tread is good -- when I take the bus to/from work I have about a one-mile hilly walk each way, and they do well in those circumstances -- and my feet stay dry and warm in them.

Thanks very much! I'll have to purchase a pair of those or something similar; I've heard good things about L.L. Bean. They are quite attractive, and the price isn't too terribly high, either. I don't want to risk slipping on the ice this upcoming winter; being laid up is not an option.

[Tirade]

Originally Posted by Hip Priest

Also, the Kuhn's on Banksville Rd is only approximately 1.5 miles away--that's certainly walkable for me.

This is not an easily walkable area. If you're going to walk to it, then you'll need to approach from the back via Dormont Ave because Banksville Road has no sidewalks or shoulder around the Kuhn's shopping center (or on any part of that road really). Walk the route yourself before you buy in the area to see if it's doable.

[fleetiebelle]

Originally Posted by Tirade

This is not an easily walkable area. If you're going to walk to it, then you'll need to approach from the back via Dormont Ave because Banksville Road has no sidewalks or shoulder around the Kuhn's shopping center (or on any part of that road really). Walk the route yourself before you buy in the area to see if it's doable.

As an aside, last week as the final part of the Banksville Road renovations crews were putting up new crosswalks/crosswalk signs. Where all these pedestrians are coming from I can only imagine. I guess people walk down the hills to catch buses at corners, but anyone walking along Banksville has a death wish in most spots.