Can you tell me about Pittsburgh (Penn Hills, Bellevue: how much, homes, neighborhood)

[Copanut]

Originally Posted by zman63

Pittsburgh Job Growth Slowed Last Year, Group Says | 90.5 WESA

Jobs in Pittsburgh expanding more slowly than in other cities - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Regional Insights: Minorities getting left behind here - Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Urban Decline in Rust-Belt Cities :: Daniel Hartley :: Economic Commentary :: 05.20.13 :: Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland

I'm doing fine, as is my wife. Love the local economy.

[jjd76539]

Originally Posted by zman63

Metro Monitor - June 2013 | Brookings Institution

After looking at this report I like what I see Especially when you compare it to other cities in PA. Pittsburgh is doing better.. Thanks for posting.

[zman63]

Aging America: The Cities That Are Graying The Fastest - Forbes

[zman63]

No. 48: Pittsburgh, PA - In Photos: The Fastest-Growing Cities In The U.S. - Forbes

[zman63]

Originally Posted by jjd76539

After looking at this report I like what I see Especially when you compare it to other cities in PA. Pittsburgh is doing better.. Thanks for posting.

Pennsylvania is doing terrible as a whole. Pittsburgh ranks 72 out of 100 overall and 89 out of 100 for unemployment. Youngstown, ohio is doing better than every city in Pennsylvania

[Craziaskowboi]

Pittsburgh added 15,500 jobs between June 2012 and June 2013. Throw the numbers from March in the trash. They were an aberration compared to the prevailing trend since 2Q 2010. Stop dwelling on March and look at the bigger picture.

OnNumbers has Pittsburgh ranked 17th out of 100 in their economic indices. And that MetroMonitor report has Pittsburgh ranked average in employment growth (52nd), GDP growth (42nd) and house appreciation (60th) since the nadir of each. The unemployment rate hasn't decreased much because Pittsburgh (and Pennsylvania) have rapidly-growing labor pools.

[Copanut]

Originally Posted by zman63

Pennsylvania is doing terrible as a whole. Pittsburgh ranks 72 out of 100 overall and 89 out of 100 for unemployment. Youngstown, ohio is doing better than every city in Pennsylvania

You should probably move there.

[The King of Um]

If I said that Pittsburgh's unemployment wasn't low I'd be lying. Jobs are available. However, in this city, wages are quite low. Okay, and before you go on about how the cost of living is low here to try to justify the poor wages, well, truthfully, it's not, at least when compared with large portions of the country. The cost of living is lower, if not significantly lower, throughout the Southern states. Moreover, wages down there aren't lower; they're comparable, even higher. I should know, since I recently relocated from the South. (I expect the same can be said for large portions of the Midwest and Rocky Mountain states: lower COL than Pittsburgh, yet comparable or higher wages.)

Alright, now you people most likely are going to dish out that "but, but, the price of housing is so low here" nonsense. Okay, the price of housing is low, but only if you want to live amongst public housing projects, Section 8 renters, blight, rampant property crime, drug dealers dealing in the streets, and abandoned houses. (Where I rent, there's rampant drug dealing; I've witnessed them selling little bags of white powder. The Pittsburgh narcotics unit have been called twice. Also, I pick litter up out of my front yard every day. This is what you have to put up with in Spring Hill, one of Pittsburgh's so-called "affordable" and "safe" neighborhoods.) If, however, you want to purchase a decent house in a safe, stable neighborhood, you're going to have to pay $150,000 or more. So, as can be seen, if you want to live a normal existence, away from the chaos of the ghetto, Pittsburgh actually isn't any more affordable than any other city of its size. Don't listen to the housing affordability propaganda.

On a different note, Pittsburgh has potential. This place really could be much more livable. It would be untruthful of me to say that the city doesn't have amazing architecture, for it surely does. Many neighborhoods have great housing stock, very historic housing, yet the people who inhabit them are impeding their redevelopment (slum lords who've chopped up the larger homes, trashy tenants, Section 8 renters, welfare queens, people who just couldn't care less). Pittsburgh is an interesting place with a fascinating history. It's just a shame that so many Pittsburghers have the attitude they have. It's a shame crime and drugs are so rampant. It's a shame there are so many unkempt and abandoned properties. It's a shame there's litter up to your ears everywhere. It's a shame so many people have this apathetic, "I don't give a damn" attitude.

[CaptainPittsburgh]

Originally Posted by Hip Priest

Alright, now you people most likely are going to dish out that "but, but, the price of housing is so low here" nonsense. Okay, the price of housing is low, but only if you want to live amongst public housing projects, Section 8 renters, blight, rampant property crime, drug dealers dealing in the streets, and abandoned houses. (Where I rent, there's rampant drug dealing; I've witnessed them selling little bags of white powder. The Pittsburgh narcotics unit have been called twice. Also, I pick litter up out of my front yard every day. This is what you have to put up with in Spring Hill, one of Pittsburgh's so-called "affordable" and "safe" neighborhoods.) If, however, you want to purchase a decent house in a safe, stable neighborhood, you're going to have to pay $150,000 or more. So, as can be seen, if you want to live a normal existence, away from the chaos of the ghetto, Pittsburgh actually isn't any more affordable than any other city of its size. Don't listen to the housing affordability propaganda.

This is flat out wrong, sorry...a bit offensive, as well. You should be more mindful of the way you communicate your opinions.

I know a few people who bought homes in Upper Lawrenceville, one who bought in Brighton Heights, two who bought in Greenfield, another two who bought in West View, one who bought in Penn Hills and another two who bought in Troy Hill. Not a single one of these people paid $100,000 for their home, and all of these neighborhoods are perfectly fine.

You do not know what a ghetto is. You should stop using the term because the way you use it makes you sound like an affluent elitist who is very far removed from a "normal existence."

[eschaton]

Originally Posted by CaptainPittsburgh

I know a few people who bought homes in Upper Lawrenceville, one who bought in Brighton Heights, two who bought in Greenfield, another two who bought in West View, one who bought in Penn Hills and another two who bought in Troy Hill. Not a single one of these people paid $100,000 for their home, and all of these neighborhoods are perfectly fine.

In my six years and counting of living in Lawrenceville (which still had a rough reputation when I moved here), I have been propositioned for drugs exactly once. We've occasionally had small things stolen out of our backyard, like a metal tin and the lights on my bike. The worst thing that happened was a generator being swiped off our back steps before I could chain it somewhere. Still, that was four years ago, and as far as the travails of urban living go, I consider it pretty minor.