Is Ambridge just another Aliquippa? (York, Columbia: renters, lawyers, homes) - Pittsburgh - Pennsylvania (PA) - City-Data Forum

ak_47_00 · 10-31-2007, 11:55 AM

I already know the danger of Aliquippa.

Pitt Chick · 10-31-2007, 01:22 PM

Both towns are quite similar, so... maybe???

What is 'the danger of Aliquippa'?

South Range Family · 10-31-2007, 05:15 PM

If Aliquippa was rated a 10 on the danger scale, I would give Ambridge an 8.5 and climbing. There are many places that you could say that if you aren't looking for trouble,
you won't be bothered. These are not those places.

Rochester is one of those places. Try looking around there or Monaca, or Freedom.

I lived on Maratta Rd. climbing out of Aliquippa into Hopewell. I lived there, I know what it's like. At first I just quit driving through at night. Then it wasn't even safe to drive through during the day. After a while you just avoid the whole town. I remember when the Freedom pee wee football team refused to play at Aliquippa anymore. I wonder how many other teams did the same thing.

ak_47_00 · 11-01-2007, 08:15 AM

There was an eminent feeling of danger driving through parts of Aliquippa. I have had this same feeling in parts of Norfolk, Va, Youngstown, Oh, Cleveland, Oh, Atlanta, Ga, and Akron, Oh. It's the feeling that you don't belong and your car had better not fail on you. I try to avoid these areas at all costs, but being the out of towner that I am, it's not always possible to. I try to not venture off of the main strip, but it's not always possible.

South Range, your posts are of great help to me. I have narrowed it down to a few areas so far. Columbiana, Center Twp, East Palestine, Chippewa, Monaca, Rochester, around the Beaver Co. airport, and a few other areas seemed appealing to me.

AK

Katarina Witt · 11-01-2007, 08:35 AM

Chippewa is nice, though very suburban, IMO.

Tallysmom · 11-01-2007, 11:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pittnurse70

Chippewa is nice, though very suburban, IMO.

See -- my memory of Chippewa was that it was rather upscale suburbia, but Brent says I'm wrong.... he says it was rather dumpy.

Katarina Witt · 11-01-2007, 01:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tallysmom

See -- my memory of Chippewa was that it was rather upscale suburbia, but Brent says I'm wrong.... he says it was rather dumpy.

I went to jr. high (ugh!) in Chippewa (lived close and that's where the school was). My family also went to church there. Jr High angst notwithstanding, the general opinion was that people in Chippewa thought they were a cut above the average Beaver Fallsian, whereas, truth was, most of them worked as skilled laborers in the mills like everyone else. I guess Chippewa did have perhaps its share of professionals, though I really don't remember going to school or church with many kids of drs, lawyers, etc.

A little history, Chippewa started out as a farm area, with a few little stores, such as a hardware store, and a community church, which is now a Methodist church. The post-war suburban boom helped Chippewa to grow into a suburb. I was in jr high, I think, before Chippewa even had its own grocery store. Now, there's the usual suburban shopping there, and several churches.

Going back to visit as an adult, the homes that seemed so fancy at the time of my childhood are small and dated. They looked nice b/c they were new, whereas we lived in "This Old House" in Patterson Hts. There has been a little building in the area in the last 40 yrs (since I graduated from high school), and lots of traffic in the main shopping area.

Tallysmom · 11-01-2007, 05:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by pittnurse70

Going back to visit as an adult, the homes that seemed so fancy at the time of my childhood are small and dated. They looked nice b/c they were new, whereas we lived in "This Old House" in Patterson Hts. There has been a little building in the area in the last 40 yrs (since I graduated from high school), and lots of traffic in the main shopping area.

Which is actually kinda funny, because my husband grew up in Van Buren Homes, which was old slapped together Army housing. They were cheap little AND I MEAN LITTLE duplexes that after the war people bought into and "rented" real cheap. They could do anything they wanted as long as they could take the cottage back down to it's original size and shape after the renters left (cashed out)...

And he thought Chippewa was dumpy.

And Brent's uncle Tom Cochran was the principal or superintendent of schools in some school district that began with an N from around Beaver Falls -- a good expensive part of Beaver Falls -- any chance you remember the name? I keep thinking it's Chippewa, because his aunt loved to remind everyone she met they had a summer home in Chautauqua New York.... and they both begin with a CH...

Katarina Witt · 11-01-2007, 06:21 PM

I do not remember the name of the district, but I do remember the name Tom Corcoran. Any chance it was Highland Suburban SD? They had several schools in Chippewa. That district is now part of Blackhawk SD.

goodgirl49 · 11-01-2007, 06:24 PM

I grew up in Aliquippa and I've always thought that Chippewa and Beaver were much nicer. I do remember Van Buren Homes. They weren't that bad, but they were project like. If I were ever going to move back to Beaver County, I would probably live in the upper part of it, close to the Ohio Line.