Why you should NOT move to Pittsburgh (Washington, Butler: crime, home)

[gswpa]

I am writing this because I am a realist. Unfortunately, certain citizens of Pittsburgh believe that their city is great and everything is turning around. It's not. It's actually getting worse. Property taxes and crime are high. The schools are terrible. Parking fees are the highest in the country. The high paying jobs are located in outlying counties. The city is facing a financial [SIZE=2]bankruptcy within the next few years. The population numbers are dwindling. Pittsburgh is still a Rust Belt city. [/SIZE]
(We can't even get family and friends to go to Pittsburgh when they come to visit because they think it's a slum.)

Therefore, I plead with you to move to an area outside of Allegheny county. Property taxes and crime are low. It's a quick drive to shopping and work. The public and private schools are excellent. Great colleges are located in surrounding counties. Even the Catholic church has seen greener pastures and is building new schools in Butler county and closing ones in Pittsburgh. Again, I suggest a move to Westmoreland, Washington, Beaver, Armstrong, or Butler counties. Please keep the home appreciations rising in the outlying counties! Thanks!

[PghSuburbs]

Why is it when you post your hateful lies you never cite any legitimate sources for what you are saying?

[Stagger Lee]

That's it, I got to slice my wrist now...

I love how everybody on this forum always suggest sprawing out to the burbs.

How are the colleges outside of the city. Last I knew they were inside the city.

How are our parking fees highest in the country? Wow, I know they are high, but gwspa have you ever really been to another town. Do you think these problems are only in Pittsburgh? You seem to be really naive.

Your family and friends must also have never got out either. Personally, I think Pittsburgh is not nearly as bad as many east coast towns. Pittsburgh is very clean actually to say, Philly, Baltimore, Washington, areas of Chicago, LA, Buffalo, etc. I know a few areas of Pittsburgh are bad, bat that is in every city. Tell your family and friends to get out more, and look at the unique things of the burgh instead. Like our inclines, go to the mattrass factory, see the architecture in the War Streets,downtown, shadyside etc. Go to a Carnegie museum, the science center, a theater, there is so much to do. Usually it is hard to get unintelligent negative people to focus on things like this though. SO, I guess I understand.

[kpoeppel]

Originally Posted by gswpa

I am writing this because I am a realist. Unfortunately, certain citizens of Pittsburgh believe that their city is great and everything is turning around. It's not. It's actually getting worse. Property taxes and crime are high. The schools are terrible. Parking fees are the highest in the country. The high paying jobs are located in outlying counties. The city is facing a financial [SIZE=2]bankruptcy within the next few years. The population numbers are dwindling. Pittsburgh is still a Rust Belt city. [/SIZE]
(We can't even get family and friends to go to Pittsburgh when they come to visit because they think it's a slum.)

Therefore, I plead with you to move to an area outside of Allegheny county. Property taxes and crime are low. It's a quick drive to shopping and work. The public and private schools are excellent. Great colleges are located in surrounding counties. Even the Catholic church has seen greener pastures and is building new schools in Butler county and closing ones in Pittsburgh. Again, I suggest a move to Westmoreland, Washington, Beaver, Armstrong, or Butler counties. Please keep the home appreciations rising in the outlying counties! Thanks!

Remember that when many people on this forum refer to "Pittsburgh", they are referring to the entire Pittsburgh metro area, including those counties you mentioned. It's the same thing when people talk about living in "Chicago" or "St. Louis"...they most likely mean somewhere in the suburbs of those cities, not the cities themselves.

I think if you compare the city limits of Chicago and St. Louis to the city limits of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh is quite livable. Ever been to north St. Louis or south Chicago? They are warzones. High-crime areas in Pittsburgh are quite benign by comparison! Pittsburgh also has hills, trees, and natural scenery within the city limits...you won't find much of that in the inner cities elsewhere.

Yes, the city of Pittsburgh itself is bankrupt, and a majority of the citizens refuse to change the leadership, as indicated last Tuesday. This is most unfortunate, I agree.

[guylocke]

Yes, the city of Pittsburgh itself is bankrupt, and a majority of the citizens refuse to change the leadership, as indicated last Tuesday. This is most unfortunate, I agree.

I don't mean to spoil the fun cause I agree with you you guys (Stagger Lee and kpoeppel) but this statement isn't actually true.

In fact, by the end of this year they are anticipating about 100 million dollars worth of surplus in the bank (they already have about 40 million), 60% of which the mayor plans to use for infrastructure.

This will be the third year in a row Pittsburgh has had a surplus and the budget has been balanced.

Now 100 million for a city isn't all that extremely exciting, but that's a pretty darn get start for a city that WAS almost bankrupt (Pittsburgh has never officially declared a state of bankruptcy, it had never came down to that and doesn't seem like it will).

[fragglewaggle]

How about going one better? I suggest folks leave Western Pennsylvania altogether, like I did.

Let's see: I could've stayed in the Pittsburgh area and remained unemployed, or I could've moved someplace where I don't have to beg for a job. I chose the latter.

And really, as a woman, why would I stay in a region where women earn 69 cents for every dollar a man earns?

Why would I stay in an area that talks a good game about having an educated workforce, but according to the Pennsylvania Economy League, has some of the highest college tuition costs in the nation?

Why would I stay in a supposed 'high-tech' region where the educational offerings to keep myself on top of the latest in technology are nonexistent? (Does CMU offer continuing education related to technology? Nope. How about Pitt? Nope. How about any of the other four-year colleges in our region? Nope. How about our community colleges? Ha ha ha...don't make me laugh.)

If you want to have any semblance of a successful future, I urge you to leave Western Pennsylvania. You will not regret it.

[kpoeppel]

I just wish he'd use the money to pay off some of the massive debt. 25% of the budget is interest! Pittsburgh would have an even bigger surplus next year if the debt were paid down. The next year, a bigger surplus still...and so on and so forth. Imagine having 25% more money per year without raising taxes or cutting services!

[guylocke]

I just wish he'd use the money to pay off some of the massive debt. 25% of the budget is interest! Pittsburgh would have an even bigger surplus next year if the debt were paid down. The next year, a bigger surplus still...and so on and so forth. Imagine having 25% more money per year without raising taxes or cutting services!

Maybe we'll see it happen!!

[guylocke]

How about going one better? I suggest folks leave Western Pennsylvania altogether, like I did.

Let's see: I could've stayed in the Pittsburgh area and remained unemployed, or I could've moved someplace where I don't have to beg for a job. I chose the latter.

And really, as a woman, why would I stay in a region where women earn 69 cents for every dollar a man earns?

Why would I stay in an area that talks a good game about having an educated workforce, but according to the Pennsylvania Economy League, has some of the highest college tuition costs in the nation?

Why would I stay in a supposed 'high-tech' region where the educational offerings to keep myself on top of the latest in technology are nonexistent? (Does CMU offer continuing education related to technology? Nope. How about Pitt? Nope. How about any of the other four-year colleges in our region? Nope. How about our community colleges? Ha ha ha...don't make me laugh.)

If you want to have any semblance of a successful future, I urge you to leave Western Pennsylvania. You will not regret it.

As vwscottie would say, don't let the door hit ya.

[kpoeppel]

Originally Posted by fragglewaggle

And really, as a woman, why would I stay in a region where women earn 69 cents for every dollar a man earns?

Are they working the same jobs as men? Just because that statistic exists doesn't necessarily mean women are being unfairly paid...it just might mean that more men are going into highly-paid fields.

I do agree that the economy is much better elsewhere, sad to say. I'm actually thinking of moving to Houston since their job market for mechanical engineers is excellent.