Moving to Pittsburgh!!! (Dormont, Bellevue, Carnegie: apartments, rentals, neighborhoods)

[wi_golfer]

Hello everyone,

I just accepted a job near the airport (15275) and I start in a little less than 3 weeks. I'm fresh out of college and I don't know a soul in Pittsburgh, so needless to say I'm a little nervous. But I'm excited, and looking forward to discovering what the Steel City has to offer.

With that said, I'm looking for some advice. I have to relocate very soon (2 weeks) and I am flying into Pittsburgh in the 1st week of Dec for 2 days (!!!) to find a place to live. I have read on here that Southside is a great place for the younger crowd and I'm thinking I should start there. I wanna stay within a 30 minute commute to my job though, and I'm not sure if I can get that from Southside.

I discovered this site awhile back and you guys all seem incredibly friendly and thorough in your answers to people in similar situations, and that's why I'm here! So if you could help me, I have a few questions myself:

1) How far is the commute from Southside to the airport in the morning and evening?
2) Any other great areas within 30 min. of the airport for me to check out that would be similar?
3) Any good apartment buildings that you can recommend? Since I only have 2 days to find a place, I would like to be smart about where I look.

I guess that's it for now, I'm sure I will come up with others as we go. I appreciate the help in advance, and I'm looking forward to this! Happy Thanksgiving!

[gameguy56]

Originally Posted by wi_golfer

Hello everyone,

I just accepted a job near the airport (15275) and I start in a little less than 3 weeks. I'm fresh out of college and I don't know a soul in Pittsburgh, so needless to say I'm a little nervous. But I'm excited, and looking forward to discovering what the Steel City has to offer.

With that said, I'm looking for some advice. I have to relocate very soon (2 weeks) and I am flying into Pittsburgh in the 1st week of Dec for 2 days (!!!) to find a place to live. I have read on here that Southside is a great place for the younger crowd and I'm thinking I should start there. I wanna stay within a 30 minute commute to my job though, and I'm not sure if I can get that from Southside.

I discovered this site awhile back and you guys all seem incredibly friendly and thorough in your answers to people in similar situations, and that's why I'm here! So if you could help me, I have a few questions myself:

1) How far is the commute from Southside to the airport in the morning and evening?
2) Any other great areas within 30 min. of the airport for me to check out that would be similar?
3) Any good apartment buildings that you can recommend? Since I only have 2 days to find a place, I would like to be smart about where I look.

I guess that's it for now, I'm sure I will come up with others as we go. I appreciate the help in advance, and I'm looking forward to this! Happy Thanksgiving!

Yes, the southside is a great place for young professionals. Lots of bars, clubs and things to do. Google maps has the drive taking 20-25 minutes, mostly on the penn-lincoln parkway.

[Chautauquast]

Yeah, the central South Side would be good for a renter. Lots of amenities to walk to and endless bars and resaturants. Lots of folks get by with bicycles or scooters. Parking a car can be an issue. Depending on which block you live in, just don't always expect a good night's sleep!
If you're commuting to the airport from S'Side you'll be travelling in a good direction to miss rush hour traffic. Still, it'll be a good half hour or more.
There are neighborhoods in the South Hills that might suite your needs. Still close to the night life of S'Side's Carson Street, but less expensive and a little closer to your workplace.

[goodfortune]

To be near nightlife, and still have a reasonable commute to work, the Southside is your best option.

Also, consider Bellevue; it is also close to downtown, and it seems to be a good area with reasonable rent prices. Either option (Southside or Bellevue) should give you a reverse commute, as you will be heading away from downtown in the morning.

Good Luck!!!

[wi_golfer]

Thanks for the info so far, so what about Bellevue? I'm looking for a 1 bedroom or a studio in a neighboorhood where it would be conducive to meeting people, without being too far away from work. I'm searching Craigslist and other sites and I keep seeing rentals at decent prices there. Is Bellevue safe? How would you describe it?

Thanks for the help.

[gallacus]

I live in the Southside and commute about 40 minutes East. The commute is easy as cake, I get to drive past all the people sitting in traffic waiting to get into town! Anyway, as I always do to people inquiring about the Southside, I would personally recommend the Southside Slopes. (The Southside neighborhood is split up into two sections, the Slopes and the Flats -- The flats is the area between the river and the hill, and the slopes encompass everything on the hill.)

The slopes generally offer a much better parking situation, less drunken idiots on the weekends, amazing views, and believe it or not, the slopes are much cheaper than the flats. From here your commute should not exceed 30 minutes.

The zip code for both the flats and the slopes is 15203 if you are looking for properties.

[stevo6]

Dormont might be an option. Its on the other side of the tunnel (the airport side) from the South Side, has a lot of rentals (and young people) and is quieter than the South Side.

[chelez613]

wi_golfer,

I have lived in Bellevue for the past 7 years and we love it. It is not the same as the south side. Bellevue is a dry town so it does not have any bars and has just a few restaurants. It does have 2 cute coffee shops that we enjoy. It also has a great little shopping district and many different churches. Bellevue is a lot quieter than the south side by far. It is mostly young families and senior citizens. There are young professionals that move to Bellevue but it is not because it is party central like the south side. It is because it is a safe, quiet, affordable, & charming neighborhood. Also, the local income tax is much less than in the city. Our rate is 1.5% and the rate in the city is somewhere around 3 - 4 % I believe. The commute to the airport area would be easy for you from Bellevue because you wouldn't even have to go through downtown Pittsburgh. You would always be going the opposite direction of traffic. You could definitely get there in less than 30 minutes. Here are a few apt listings that I found for you in our local paper & pennysaver:

Studio: Balcony, A/C, Laundry, Parking $299 - $400 + electric 412-999-6150

1 BR: A/C, Laundry, patio/balcony $515 + electric 412-761-3783

1 BR: Laundry, Parking, newly remodeled $450 + electric 412-400-0220

Hope that helps. Good luck with your search and your move to the Steel City!!

[johnnytang24]

Why not live near the airport and commute to the southside when you want to go out? You don't have to pay the additional city tax, you don't have as long of a commute, and rent will probably be less (or more living for the same price).

[Shenandoah]

I know alot of young people live in Carnegie, and again, you'll be traveling opposite of the heavy rush hour traffic. There's also alot of studio apartments in Robinson, near the mall. Handy to the mall, the restaurants, bars, etc. Just not as 'hip' as the Southside.

blessings, Shen