Thoughts for a European moving to the burgh (Pittsburgh, New Kensington: lease, neighborhoods)

[Aqua Teen Carl]

Originally Posted by sweem

I am not afraid to look at the options and possibly lean towards a relocation, and no matter how it goes, I will be able to say "well at least I tried" and that is important to me.

That is an excellent attitude to have, especially if you're looking to expatriate.

I think we're in the opposite boat actually. I grew up here, was educated in the US and in Europe (Ireland), and I'm looking to move to Europe to at least try a new way of life. I have never been to Sweden but I have plans on visiting Malta. I have heard about the difficulty of getting a job as a young person in Sweden. Granted, you will not have a problem getting a job here as a young person, but you might have a problem getting a good and well paying job (many jobs in the city are "permatemp" positions).

You will want to make sure your health insurance situation is sorted when you come here as that is very important. Also as I'm sure you know we're not really big on vacation days here so don't expect to get near the 25 minimum vacation days you get in Sweden (and if you do it may be frowned upon to taking them).

[sweem]

Originally Posted by UKyank

My fiancé regularly plays in various 'fun' leagues. 2 of them play at the complex you are considering and the other is at the Greentree sports complex. I know there is one in Monroeville she played at as well. I'm sure there are others around the area as well (I would imagine the big new complex up in Cranberry has some). I can give you some more specific info from her if you decide to make the move.

One thing about soccer in this area is that it is much more popular in the suburbs then the city.

The area itself isn't the greatest but can be fine until you get settled, save some funds & move somewhere more desirable.

That sounds perfect, like a fun league, that's all I'd be looking for. Thankfully the interest of soccer even exists at all, as I thougt everything was all about American Football and Baseball over there ^^ and since Pittsburgh does not have an MLS team I figured it's probably a tiny sport then. But hey thanks for letting me know

[sweem]

Originally Posted by eschaton

I do think Millvale is probably the best balance of convenient travel and having something to appeal to a young person. Your chances of finding a rental there is much greater as well. Not so much because it's incredibly larger (it has a bit over 3,000 people) but because it has more rental housing and less homeowners in general, and due to the close proximity to the city, apartments in Millvale are frequently advertised. I believe Millvale still has a regionally-famous French bakery as well, although it gets less business now that the one in Lawrenceville is open. Plus it has Mr. Smalls, as I noted before, and easy access to the riverfront park and trails.

The only other place I would consider is Sharpsburg. There is probably very little which would be fun for you there, but a bus goes through the neighborhood (the 91) which goes to Lawrenceville (where I think you'd want to do most of your socializing) and at the Waterworks (a local shopping center, not the best, but you can't beat having a supermarket on a bus line.

I've not heard one negative thing about Millvale so far and it just boosts my interest for the area more. I will look more into it for sure. I do not mind that it's small with "only" 3k people. I'm used to bigger areas sure, born in the third biggest city in Sweden, then moved to a smaller place with 100k ppl and now here in Malta there's about 5k where I live so it's pretty similar. I really like Millvale because of it's location and it seems to be pretty convenient for a commuter. Is it an expensive area for rentals though? What are some average prices? I bet you can find anything as it obviously depends what you're looking for though..

Sharpsburg seems fine too, haven't heard too much about it but location wise it's very good as well. Which one of these two locations would you give the most "+" to?

[sweem]

Originally Posted by Aqua Teen Carl

That is an excellent attitude to have, especially if you're looking to expatriate.

I think we're in the opposite boat actually. I grew up here, was educated in the US and in Europe (Ireland), and I'm looking to move to Europe to at least try a new way of life. I have never been to Sweden but I have plans on visiting Malta. I have heard about the difficulty of getting a job as a young person in Sweden. Granted, you will not have a problem getting a job here as a young person, but you might have a problem getting a good and well paying job (many jobs in the city are "permatemp" positions).

You will want to make sure your health insurance situation is sorted when you come here as that is very important. Also as I'm sure you know we're not really big on vacation days here so don't expect to get near the 25 minimum vacation days you get in Sweden (and if you do it may be frowned upon to taking them).

Definitely, if you are looking to move to Europe, just take Sweden off your list. Malta though, you should consider. There are tons of British people here, and more importantly it's an English speaking country so you'd not have to face the communication issues that the rest of Europe would have unless you're thinking about Britain. Malta has the most Public Holidays in Europe, and I think also in the world.. I guess I've become a little spoiled with that now after a year here.

Well, as for America. I don't have a great insight in the market for young people there, but as this opportunity popped up, I want to see what can be done about it. I graduated high school in social science with an individual focus on media/journalism/marketing kind of program, but I've always had a passion for sports and therefore, I see this opportunity as a possible entrance for doing something I'd like.

Yes, obviously when everything is decided and if the role seems as good as I imagine it to be, I will have to look into the vital aspects, i.e health insurance as you mention.

What would you consider a "good" hourly pay for one in my age though? I know the levels here in Malta but would be fun just to compare with over there

[eschaton]

Originally Posted by sweem

I've not heard one negative thing about Millvale so far and it just boosts my interest for the area more. I will look more into it for sure. I do not mind that it's small with "only" 3k people. I'm used to bigger areas sure, born in the third biggest city in Sweden, then moved to a smaller place with 100k ppl and now here in Malta there's about 5k where I live so it's pretty similar. I really like Millvale because of it's location and it seems to be pretty convenient for a commuter. Is it an expensive area for rentals though? What are some average prices? I bet you can find anything as it obviously depends what you're looking for though.

One thing to make clear about Millvale is it kinda looks like a dump. I mean, it's safe, but it tends to have run-down, 19th century housing. Look around on streetview a bit and you'll see what I mean. Despite how it looks, it's not a bad neighborhood though. Americans tend to have less care about upkeep of their properties than Europeans, and people in Pittsburgh even less than most Americans.

A good budget for Millvale is around $500 per month for an apartment these days, although you can find things ranging from $400 to $650.

[Aqua Teen Carl]

Originally Posted by sweem

What would you consider a "good" hourly pay for one in my age though? I know the levels here in Malta but would be fun just to compare with over there

If you're living in one of the river towns $20 dollars USD an hour would have you setup pretty well. This pay is absolutely abnormal for a 20 year old in this area (when I was 20 I made $11 bucks an hour and I had a degree, this was 8 years ago though). However with that being said if the company is looking to relocate you from Europe you would think they would pay a decent salary lower 40k salary.

[sweem]

Originally Posted by eschaton

One thing to make clear about Millvale is it kinda looks like a dump. I mean, it's safe, but it tends to have run-down, 19th century housing. Look around on streetview a bit and you'll see what I mean. Despite how it looks, it's not a bad neighborhood though. Americans tend to have less care about upkeep of their properties than Europeans, and people in Pittsburgh even less than most Americans.

A good budget for Millvale is around $500 per month for an apartment these days, although you can find things ranging from $400 to $650.

Lol honestly the pictures of Millvale didn't look to shabby, looks like a standard area here in Malta, and even if it's not houses made of gold or an extraordinary fresh look, as long as it's livable it works ^^ I've experienced every kind of living in terms of housing and area in spite of my age. Been living luxury, medium, and lower class places, so I don't mind the look of it, and the prices for rentals..wow that's cheap IMO. I currently pay 600 EUR for a two bedroom apartment with seaview, so $400-$650 seems fair. Thanks for info. How about property/estate agencies there? How does it work? Do you contact an agent and they look up options for you based on your requirements and budget? And take a first time desposit as well I'd imaigne?

[eschaton]

Originally Posted by sweem

Lol honestly the pictures of Millvale didn't look to shabby, looks like a standard area here in Malta, and even if it's not houses made of gold or an extraordinary fresh look, as long as it's livable it works ^^ I've experienced every kind of living in terms of housing and area in spite of my age. Been living luxury, medium, and lower class places, so I don't mind the look of it, and the prices for rentals..wow that's cheap IMO. I currently pay 600 EUR for a two bedroom apartment with seaview, so $400-$650 seems fair. Thanks for info. How about property/estate agencies there? How does it work? Do you contact an agent and they look up options for you based on your requirements and budget? And take a first time desposit as well I'd imaigne?

In Pittsburgh the best way to find apartments is on the local Craigslist. Beware of scammers, although Millvale isn't the hottest area, so I'd say most ads are probably legit. When you search for apartments, remember there's a Millvale Avenue in Bloomfield, and to ignore said apartments.

[sweem]

Originally Posted by Aqua Teen Carl

If you're living in one of the river towns $20 dollars USD an hour would have you setup pretty well. This pay is absolutely abnormal for a 20 year old in this area (when I was 20 I made $11 bucks an hour and I had a degree, this was 8 years ago though). However with that being said if the company is looking to relocate you from Europe you would think they would pay a decent salary lower 40k salary.

Ah alright. Based on the quick read about the opportunity I got, it's between $20-25 hourly, but I'll get more info about that after meeting face to face with the manager. This is not the company themseleves asking to relocate me, I basically made it clear to them that I am thinking about a relocation there and they said they have something for me If I do want to come down, and that's how it started. So since I got to know about it, I've been starting this whole research about a relocation, but sounds like the pay is manageable right?

[sweem]

Originally Posted by eschaton

In Pittsburgh the best way to find apartments is on the local Craigslist. Beware of scammers, although Millvale isn't the hottest area, so I'd say most ads are probably legit. When you search for apartments, remember there's a Millvale Avenue in Bloomfield, and to ignore said apartments.

Thanks mate, will search a bit for fun to see what comes up