Has anyone seen this "Leaving Pittsburgh" website?

[pghdude28]

I've seen the site and the most common word I've found was "insular." A lot of posts on there described an insular culture here in PGH as compared to other cities. I'm sure there's some truth when you see the mess of road systems here and the stagnant economy. Don't forget the nepotism in local politics. With the lack of economic opportunity, especially for recent grads, it doesn't surprise me so many leave this region. Add to that the crumbling bridges, potholes, and constantly gloomy skies, and you have a recipe for a not so inspiring place to live. To each his own.

[Craziaskowboi]

Originally Posted by pghdude28

I've seen the site and the most common word I've found was "insular." A lot of posts on there described an insular culture here in PGH as compared to other cities. I'm sure there's some truth when you see the mess of road systems here and the stagnant economy. Don't forget the nepotism in local politics. With the lack of economic opportunity, especially for recent grads, it doesn't surprise me so many leave this region. Add to that the crumbling bridges, potholes, and constantly gloomy skies, and you have a recipe for a not so inspiring place to live. To each his own.

Nepotism, like the Daley family in Chicago? Or the lack of economic opportunities for recent college graduates which explains the 24.7% increase in the population of graduates under the age of 30 between 2006 and 2011?

Oops.

[bradjl2009]

Originally Posted by pghdude28

I've seen the site and the most common word I've found was "insular." A lot of posts on there described an insular culture here in PGH as compared to other cities. I'm sure there's some truth when you see the mess of road systems here and the stagnant economy. Don't forget the nepotism in local politics. With the lack of economic opportunity, especially for recent grads, it doesn't surprise me so many leave this region. Add to that the crumbling bridges, potholes, and constantly gloomy skies, and you have a recipe for a not so inspiring place to live. To each his own.

This post is spot on.....................if it was only 1990. You are completely wrong on the economy, Pittsburgh has had positive domestic migration for several years now, and Pittsburgh one of the lowest rates of people moving out too.

[Tallysmom]

Originally Posted by SteelCityRising

I don't understand why everyone has to be dismissive of those who have complaints about our beloved city. When I lived in Northern Virginia I absolutely detested it, and everyone lambasted me for my grievances instead of looking inwards to see if perhaps there were issues requiring resolution in the region. I was told I was the type of person who'd be "miserable anywhere". Guess what? I've been in Pittsburgh over 2.5 years and am still in love with the city, proving that sometimes an area is just a bad fit for someone's personality type.

Our area is wonderful, but it certainly has its faults. There is still a large "trashy" contingent of folks, even here in the city (i.e. the Millvale parents who let their 10-year-old daughter ride in a dog cage with their dog in the back of their pick-up truck on the freeway or the South Hills mother who dropped her son to his death and is now blaming the zoo for not telling her she shouldn't be holding a child over a railing). Litter is atrocious. Our streets require a major overhaul. Many of our bridges (including the Liberty Bridge) are "structurally deficient". Our light rail system is woefully inadequate. Corruption issues continue to emanate out of the City-County Building. Our below-average city public school system drives many middle-class parents to suburbia annually. It's cloudy here---a lot. Our rental prices are soaring much more rapidly than income levels due to our housing shortage. Jaywalkers run amok.

Despite all of those flaws, though, I really love it here. I just can't comprehend why any of you would want to malign or mock anyone who wants to air grievances about the area, though.

But here's the thing, Steel -- your complaints aren't a strictly Pittsburgh phenomena. When we moved into our little house 27 years ago, we took out this large over grown patch of ivy -- to find loads of used hypodermic needles from all the junkies in our area. People constantly both leave trash and steal stuff off the back of my husbands truck bed (my personal favorite is the laundry detergent containers. They are guaranteed to leave their laundry urine fresh, as my husband doesn't have restroom facilities at any of the condo complexes he cleans)

Several years ago, we had three drunk morons taunting a Siberian Tiger in her pen, and before security to get to them the tiger SCALED THE WALLS, mauled one of the morons to death and the poor dear had to be killed. THEN -- the other two morons (brothers in their early 20's) robbed a Target and got arrested.... and their mommy and daddy sued the zoo and police department. Both morons are in jail... and the parents lost.

They have been building the new earthquake resistant Bay Bridge for TEN YEARS..... and NOW -- nearing completion, there's widespread speculation about broken bolts, bad welds, massive corrosion and billions over budget.

Most people drive way too fast on the freeways, and a fair number cut in and out of traffic, but on city streets almost everybody absolutely REFUSES to go the speed limit, preferring to go MUCH slower. Out here -- it's not a stop sign, it's a life decision.

Streets appear to made out of cotton candy -- one rain storm and holes appear out of nowhere.

And litter? Well -- once a week I walk around my building's exterior and I pick up a bag full of litter. In our garage, I have sand in ashtrays on top of trash cans..... the sand remains clean sand, but the floor is littered with butts, along with loads of trash, and garbage tossed into clearly marked "recycle only" bins. Face it -- people are pigs. An people are pigs EVERYWHERE.

I'm going a long way to make a point here. Every place anyone goes has problems. If there are people there, there's problems. What you have to do is find a place you like SO much that the ordinary problems don't outweigh the good you find there.

If the worst thing someone can say about a place is the freaking weather -- well -- it's not your place. Move, and find your place. Life is too short to be unhappy. As we say on another board -- stop JADEing (Justify, apologize, defend and explain)

I just sort of find these specious arguments about litter and lawsuits dumb. It's truly okay to just not like a city. I find San Francisco extremely annoying, and I only go there when I absolutely have to -- about once a year. Other than visiting a friend, there is nothing in "The City" I can't find in Oakland...

BUT -- on the other hand, if you can find a way to FIX said problems -- fix them and quit bitchin'.