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My son spent 3 years in Pittsburgh after graduating from the Art Institute, and recently moved back to CA for better job opportunities. There was a lot of competition for graphic design jobs and wages were depressed. Yes, his rent was less, but other expenses were comparable. I wish you the best of luck wherever you go. PA needs to change a lot of its state policies to encourage employers to set up business there.
Thanks very much, goodgirl49. I really appreciate that. Don't get me wrong, this will always be my home and I love it. I just can't make a decent living here and the only other option is to leave.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Merge
I find it odd that you are complaining about the conditions of Pittsburgh, yet you live in Sewickly. I don't know much about your taxes or the food prices out that way, but I imagine you could probably do better if you actually move to Pittsburgh.
Well, contrary to popular belief, Merge, most of Sewickley is not wealthy. You're confusing Sewickley Village with Sewickley Heights (and Bell Acres...lots of money there, too). It's middle class, and people are leaving it left and right because property values and taxes have gone through the roof in recent years. It's lost a lot of population because of it. People can't afford it anymore. Sewickley Heights and Bell Acres is where the money is, not the village. I lived in Moon for many years. I also lived in the Bellevue area. I grew up on the North Side, in Brighton Heights--and if you think that colleges don't look at the school district you were in when it comes time for admissions, you're quite wrong. And quite frankly, I live in Sewickley for the school district. Quaker Valley is fantastic, with a very economically (if not racially) diverse student population. My kids do better there than they ever did at Moon Area even though the curriculum is tougher. And the city schools, or Northgate, can't compare. Sewickley's not snobby like Moon is, no matter how much perceived wealth there is--and yes, there are plenty of people who are very wealthy. But most of us in the village are your average, middle class folks who are struggling to get by just like everyone else.
Well, contrary to popular belief, Merge, most of Sewickley is not wealthy. You're confusing Sewickley Village with Sewickley Heights (and Bell Acres...lots of money there, too). It's middle class, and people are leaving it left and right because property values and taxes have gone through the roof in recent years. It's lost a lot of population because of it. People can't afford it anymore. Sewickley Heights and Bell Acres is where the money is, not the village. I lived in Moon for many years. I also lived in the Bellevue area. I grew up on the North Side, in Brighton Heights--and if you think that colleges don't look at the school district you were in when it comes time for admissions, you're quite wrong. And quite frankly, I live in Sewickley for the school district. Quaker Valley is fantastic, with a very economically (if not racially) diverse student population. My kids do better there than they ever did at Moon Area even though the curriculum is tougher. And the city schools, or Northgate, can't compare. Sewickley's not snobby like Moon is, no matter how much perceived wealth there is--and yes, there are plenty of people who are very wealthy. But most of us in the village are your average, middle class folks who are struggling to get by just like everyone else.
If property values are "going through the roof", then maybe it's no longer the middle class village you are making it out to be. I realize it must bother you, but you are being priced right out of Sewickly. There are plenty of great neighborhoods throughout the area that are still middle class and affordable, and have decent school districts. Try stepping out a bit.
I gotta say...as much as I love my hometown, fragglewaggle is right. As we speak I am getting ready to pick up and move. There simply are no good jobs here. I cannot afford to raise my kids by myself on what I get paid (even if I move to another part of town)--and there are no better paying jobs in my field. More and more, those jobs are being given to foreigners of all descriptions. The second I find a job (probably in a related field), I am outta here. There is simply no reason a woman of my education and experience should have to beg for a job...and when I see men with less education and experience making more than me simply because they are men in a female-dominated field, I've had enough. It's always the Good Old Boys Club here in Pittsburgh, and it will never change. I should not have to marry again just for financial security, and if I stay here that is what it will come down to.
I should have left 10 years ago, but I didn't. Do I regret it? Absolutely. I have finally been driven to it by the fact that we haven't had a raise in 5 years (despite consistently scoring 98% and above on performance evaluations). That taxes are going through the roof. That the price of food is outrageous--go to Virginia, the Carolinas, and Florida. You'll pay half the price for food as you do here. And let's not talk about gas or anything else.
Even if I did stay here, I fully expect that my children will leave. There is simply no reason for them to stay. There's nothing here, and there won't be for many, many years to come.
Sorry, but there it is. I love Pittsburgh, but I cannot stay here if I want to survive and provide for my kids. I want the best for them, and for me, and that isn't going to happen here.
It's so sad that you must leave to support your family. I understand everything you say, I am originally from Buffalo, New York. My family is there, but we cannot find profitable enough jobs to live there. Shame, really....
If property values are "going through the roof", then maybe it's no longer the middle class village you are making it out to be. I realize it must bother you, but you are being priced right out of Sewickly. There are plenty of great neighborhoods throughout the area that are still middle class and affordable, and have decent school districts. Try stepping out a bit.
I have no idea where you live, Merge, but if it weren't middle class people would be able to afford the rise in prices. I'm not even sure when this price surge started--probably years ago, but it's now to the point that it is outrageous. A friend of mine just put in an offer for a house owned by a man who's moving back to Seattle. They bid what they thought was a reasonable amount...like $250,000, which is the market value. But he wants $800,000 for it and won't take a penny less.
That house has already been on the market for over 2 years. It'll probably be two more before he finds a buyer. This is Pittsburgh, not the West Coast.
As far as "stepping out", I've lived all over Pittsburgh, not just Sewickley and Moon, and not just in the suburbs, either. Prices are increasing because people are using their homes as their personal ATM's and not as a home.
Quote:
Originally Posted by londonbarcelona
It's so sad that you must leave to support your family. I understand everything you say, I am originally from Buffalo, New York. My family is there, but we cannot find profitable enough jobs to live there. Shame, really....
I'm sorry to hear that you had to move, too. I know it's just as rough in Buffalo and the other Rust Belt states.
Last edited by LadyOfTheLake; 12-18-2007 at 02:01 PM..
I have no idea where you live, Merge, but if it weren't middle class people would be able to afford the rise in prices. I'm not even sure when this price surge started--probably years ago, but it's now to the point that it is outrageous. A friend of mine just put in an offer for a house owned by a man who's moving back to Seattle. They bid what they thought was a reasonable amount...like $250,000, which is the market value. But he wants $800,000 for it and won't take a penny less.
That house has already been on the market for over 2 years. It'll probably be two more before he finds a buyer. This is Pittsburgh, not the West Coast.
As far as "stepping out", I've lived all over Pittsburgh, not just Sewickley and Moon, and not just in the suburbs, either. Prices are increasing because people are using their homes as their personal ATM's and not as a home.
I'm sorry to hear that you had to move, too. I know it's just as rough in Buffalo and the other Rust Belt states.
This sounds almost as bad as what's been going on here around LA. It doesn't seem like any region is immune from the rising prices. It takes longer for houses to sell here too because a lot of people don't want to pay these outrageous prices for old middle class homes in the San Fernando Valley. We may have a decent economy with enough jobs, but it's still hard enough to get ahead. Sewickley is a nice town, but $800,000 seems a bit much for an average home, that's not in Edgeworth or Sewickley Heights.
I have no idea where you live, Merge, but if it weren't middle class people would be able to afford the rise in prices. I'm not even sure when this price surge started--probably years ago, but it's now to the point that it is outrageous. A friend of mine just put in an offer for a house owned by a man who's moving back to Seattle. They bid what they thought was a reasonable amount...like $250,000, which is the market value. But he wants $800,000 for it and won't take a penny less.
That house has already been on the market for over 2 years. It'll probably be two more before he finds a buyer. This is Pittsburgh, not the West Coast.
As far as "stepping out", I've lived all over Pittsburgh, not just Sewickley and Moon, and not just in the suburbs, either. Prices are increasing because people are using their homes as their personal ATM's and not as a home.
"I have no idea where you live, Merge, but if it weren't middle class people would be able to afford the rise in prices."
I'm sorry, but I don't understand what you are trying to say with this sentence. On one hand you are telling me that your village is "middle class", but then on the other you are saying that property values are skyrocketing so that middle class people can't live there. Certainly no one in a "middle class" area in Pittsburgh is going to be demanding $800K for their house. You can find great homes in what you defined as your "reasonable" range ($250,000) all over Pittsburgh and its immediate suburbs. And that house would be the equivalent of an upper middle class house in just about any other major US City. I don't know what to tell you if you think the Pittsburgh area is "over-priced". If you need me to recommend a good local real estate agent, then let me know.
Where else can you start a business and keep your costs low, still enjoy life beceause everything is so cheap, and have the resources from Carnegie Mellon and Pitt at your disposal.
I've started two companies here, bought a bunch of real estate, and will continue making it happen in Pittsburgh while I watch my friends from around the nation live from paycheck to paycheck in overpriced condos.
Oh, and I'm originally from Manhattan, NY.
Joey
Last edited by Yac; 12-22-2007 at 09:42 AM..
Reason: link removed, advertising not allowed
Where else can you start a business and keep your costs low, still enjoy life beceause everything is so cheap, and have the resources from Carnegie Mellon and Pitt at your disposal.
I've started two companies here, bought a bunch of real estate, and will continue making it happen in Pittsburgh while I watch my friends from around the nation live from paycheck to paycheck in overpriced condos.
Oh, and I'm originally from Manhattan, NY.
Joey
It's good that you found opportunity in Pittsburgh starting businesses, but that's not for everyone. Overall job creation is pretty slow there.
Last edited by Yac; 12-22-2007 at 09:43 AM..
Reason: quote fixed
it depends on what you do goodgirl, my husband had three job offers to choose from, he is an engineer...its a hot market for that kind of work now...
Yes, probably in that field it would be good. My son didn't find a good graphic design job, and felt that competition was great and salaries depressed. It seems that scientific and technical fields have better opportunities in Pittsburgh.
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