Young post-doc family relocating to Pittsburgh (Philadelphia, Lebanon: big house, purchasing, new construction)

[sealie]

Apologies to the OP for that little digression.
Do you have any rentals in particular that you're interested in yet? The one negative to me about Swisshelm Park (OK, two negatives, the first being that if you want to be in a very centrally located neighborhood where you can walk to restaurants and bars, it's a bit of a hike, lots of young families and a nice safe area but it looks a little suburban) is that if you are going to CMU, the buses that go through Swisshelm Park (and part of south Squirrel Hill and Greenfield) may not stop as near your house; I don't think Swisshelm has the transit coverage that Shadyside and N Squirrel Hill and even Regent Square do. So it could be a half mile walk to get to a bus. It also may look like a short walk by the map to campus, but it has more hill than people are necessarily comfortable walking up on a daily basis.

[SteelCityRising]

Originally Posted by jay5835

IOW, you have only yourself to blame for the Great East End Housing Crisis. Maybe you should apply those lips again and suck the smoke back out.

My lips are all chapped now through overuse!

[SteelCityRising]

Originally Posted by sealie

Apologies to the OP for that little digression.
Do you have any rentals in particular that you're interested in yet? The one negative to me about Swisshelm Park (OK, two negatives, the first being that if you want to be in a very centrally located neighborhood where you can walk to restaurants and bars, it's a bit of a hike, lots of young families and a nice safe area but it looks a little suburban) is that if you are going to CMU, the buses that go through Swisshelm Park (and part of south Squirrel Hill and Greenfield) may not stop as near your house; I don't think Swisshelm has the transit coverage that Shadyside and N Squirrel Hill and even Regent Square do. So it could be a half mile walk to get to a bus. It also may look like a short walk by the map to campus, but it has more hill than people are necessarily comfortable walking up on a daily basis.

On the plus side for Swisshelm Park, though, is that there are a decent number of young families living there so there will be instant playmates for the OP's children. We have many customers there, and they're all friendly people, too, which is another asset. If I remember correctly it's also the city's safest neighborhood.

I do indeed think the neighborhood suffers a bit because it does feel very "isolated" for being in the city. I shudder to think of what a pain in the backside it would be if and when Commercial Street is ever closed for reconstruction, a landslide, etc. One would have to schlep through Swissvale and backtrack through Regent Square to get anywhere in the East End (or go through the tunnel inbound). Once the new phase of the Summerset at Frick Park subdivision is completed it will be much more convenient to access the Waterfront from Swisshelm Park.

There's really a lot of options for the OP to consider.

[ElijahAstin]

Originally Posted by SteelCityRising

Co-signed. I grew up in a cul-de-sac-laden sprawling mess outside of Scranton and still can't see what sorts of "benefits" that provided to me growing up as opposed to living in a diverse walkable urban area.

You love X and despise Y, therefore Y cannot legitimately suit anyone else's needs? I just want to make sure I'm understanding correctly.

[SteelCityRising]

Originally Posted by HeavenWood

You love X and despise Y, therefore Y cannot legitimately suit anyone else's needs? I just want to make sure I'm understanding correctly.

I don't see how ANYONE would benefit growing up in a neighborhood with no sidewalks, no diversity, and along a cul-de-sac that fed into a busy four-lane commuter belt. I couldn't ride my bike anywhere and, consequently, am embarrassed to admit that as an adult I don't know how to ride a bike. A new "power center" anchored by a Wal-Mart Supercenter now abuts my parents' subdivision, yet they can't walk to it due to fencing around the property boundary severing the retail and residential areas. When a lesbian couple from Philadelphia pondered purchasing a home in the subdivision it was the "talk of the town". I ran recreationally along the commuter-belt and had frequent near-misses with soccer moms in SUVs who were drifting onto the shoulder as they texted. I felt "trapped" until I was 16 and able to drive.

Part of the reason I'm so dull today as a person is a direct result of living in that island in suburbia. I feel like I missed out on so much of my youth not being able to walk to the movies, a bowling alley, parks/playgrounds, an ice cream parlor (or at least an ice cream truck), friends' homes, museums, a library, pizzerias, etc. just so my parents and their Baby Boomer peers could relish in the exclusivity of living in a subdivision. I would never inflict that sort of soul-crushing environment upon my own future adopted children, and I really don't understand why other parents would want to either.

[ElijahAstin]

Originally Posted by SteelCityRising

I don't see how ANYONE would benefit growing up in a neighborhood with no sidewalks, no diversity, and along a cul-de-sac that fed into a busy four-lane commuter belt. I couldn't ride my bike anywhere and, consequently, am embarrassed to admit that as an adult I don't know how to ride a bike. A new "power center" anchored by a Wal-Mart Supercenter now abuts my parents' subdivision, yet they can't walk to it due to fencing around the property boundary severing the retail and residential areas. When a lesbian couple from Philadelphia pondered purchasing a home in the subdivision it was the "talk of the town". I ran recreationally along the commuter-belt and had frequent near-misses with soccer moms in SUVs who were drifting onto the shoulder as they texted. I felt "trapped" until I was 16 and able to drive.

Part of the reason I'm so dull today as a person is a direct result of living in that island in suburbia. I feel like I missed out on so much of my youth not being able to walk to the movies, a bowling alley, parks/playgrounds, an ice cream parlor (or at least an ice cream truck), friends' homes, museums, a library, pizzerias, etc. just so my parents and their Baby Boomer peers could relish in the exclusivity of living in a subdivision. I would never inflict that sort of soul-crushing environment upon my own future adopted children, and I really don't understand why other parents would want to either.

Bigger lawns, more living space, better schools, peace and quiet, move-in ready new construction homes, among other things. Again, not saying your reasons for disliking where you grew up are illegitimate, but other people feel differently, and even though I don't like sprawling suburbia either, I'm ok with that. Why can't you be? People are entitled to make our own choices and our job is to listen to what they want and advise them on how to get it.

[fleetiebelle]

Originally Posted by SteelCityRising

I don't see how ANYONE would benefit growing up in a neighborhood with no sidewalks, no diversity, and along a cul-de-sac that fed into a busy four-lane commuter belt. I couldn't ride my bike anywhere and, consequently, am embarrassed to admit that as an adult I don't know how to ride a bike. A new "power center" anchored by a Wal-Mart Supercenter now abuts my parents' subdivision, yet they can't walk to it due to fencing around the property boundary severing the retail and residential areas. When a lesbian couple from Philadelphia pondered purchasing a home in the subdivision it was the "talk of the town". I ran recreationally along the commuter-belt and had frequent near-misses with soccer moms in SUVs who were drifting onto the shoulder as they texted. I felt "trapped" until I was 16 and able to drive.

Part of the reason I'm so dull today as a person is a direct result of living in that island in suburbia. I feel like I missed out on so much of my youth not being able to walk to the movies, a bowling alley, parks/playgrounds, an ice cream parlor (or at least an ice cream truck), friends' homes, museums, a library, pizzerias, etc. just so my parents and their Baby Boomer peers could relish in the exclusivity of living in a subdivision. I would never inflict that sort of soul-crushing environment upon my own future adopted children, and I really don't understand why other parents would want to either.

I prefer living in the city, but I grew up in the suburbs and can definitely see why my parents chose to live where they did. The school district is excellent, yards are large, the neighborhood is safe and fairly diverse--I grew up having matzoh with the Jewish neighbors and kim chee with the Korean family down the street. We rode bikes just fine and got rides from parents when we needed to go anywhere. Personally, my suburban childhood did not crush anything, including my soul.

[hinsey86]

Originally Posted by SteelCityRising

I don't see how ANYONE would benefit growing up in a neighborhood with no sidewalks, no diversity, and along a cul-de-sac that fed into a busy four-lane commuter belt. I couldn't ride my bike anywhere and, consequently, am embarrassed to admit that as an adult I don't know how to ride a bike. A new "power center" anchored by a Wal-Mart Supercenter now abuts my parents' subdivision, yet they can't walk to it due to fencing around the property boundary severing the retail and residential areas. When a lesbian couple from Philadelphia pondered purchasing a home in the subdivision it was the "talk of the town". I ran recreationally along the commuter-belt and had frequent near-misses with soccer moms in SUVs who were drifting onto the shoulder as they texted. I felt "trapped" until I was 16 and able to drive.

Part of the reason I'm so dull today as a person is a direct result of living in that island in suburbia. I feel like I missed out on so much of my youth not being able to walk to the movies, a bowling alley, parks/playgrounds, an ice cream parlor (or at least an ice cream truck), friends' homes, museums, a library, pizzerias, etc. just so my parents and their Baby Boomer peers could relish in the exclusivity of living in a subdivision. I would never inflict that sort of soul-crushing environment upon my own future adopted children, and I really don't understand why other parents would want to either.

I am lmao. What a totally ridiculous post. So now the suburbs create only dull people and are responsible for you dullness. You are a card dude. I guess all the hundreds of kids, probably much more, that rode their bikes in the burbs are exceptional. Was your suburb in middle of a prison or war zone?

[Lobick]

Originally Posted by HeavenWood

You love X and despise Y, therefore Y cannot legitimately suit anyone else's needs? I just want to make sure I'm understanding correctly.

Just to chip in my $.02, I don't see it that way exactly cause we're not dealing with unknowns.

If you tell me it's essentially about space...I can see that i guess; Schools I think are based on what I see as a misperception ... but OK.

I guess I just feel like I'm missing something as to why they're (suburbs) so popular and viewed by many as a superior place to live, although i do confess to having that reaction to much of what is popular today.

I'm not militantly anti-suburb; All things being equal my childhood was pretty good, certainly not soul crushing...but I still wish I grew up in Manhattan and not Nassau County.

I just thought there must be a different, more compelling reason out there and was hoping for somebody to point me in the right direction.

[ferraris]

Originally Posted by SteelCityRising

I felt "trapped" until I was 16 and able to drive.

It's interesting to hear this coming from you. I think many 16 year old suburban kids had the same feeling when they were able to drive, but came to a completely different conclusion. They associate their cars (and thus the roads, driveways, and garages that go with them) with the youthful freedom of some of their best years.