Houses on Sale for $20,000? (Pittsburgh, Duquesne: 2013, apartment, safe area)

[szug-bot]

Originally Posted by Catia

szug bot--if your beginning to look/plan for 2015, it's good to start now & seek out what you want & you can zone in on potential areas.

I consider West End to be West End, meaning down in the valley by the west end bridge--which is a great little area, run down but safe, mixed cultures, nice neighborhood & a nice friendly restaurants/bars. This IS a decent city neighborhood, but not a lot goes up for sale there.

Sheraden/Elliott/Crafton Heights/Westwood is West Pittsburgh, & it seems you have a pretty good idea about this area as far as borders. If you are looking/considering these parts of Pittsburgh, don't forget Oakwood, Fairywood, Esplen--the lesser known nooks

gracias for the information. im weird, though - i want transportation options, even being able to use the bicycle if i wanted to. as much as Oakwood and some other western neighborhoods looks cozy and quiet (AND...not far from wendys, taco bell, and arbys! all in one block!), its pretty much car-dependent. but, who knows what i'd do. I like the idea of re-use, and fixing up a decent structure, but then again a very young house would be nice (you rest assured that there are probably few if any unforeseen issues).

i know i will catch hell on this board, but my favorite type of home is the typical 1960's - era ranch style home that you see usually in the outer neighborhoods. one sold for $145,000 in upper greenfield on Montclair Street this year. i couldnt believe it - its TINY! its a great neighborhood, though...

[hinsey86]

Originally Posted by szug-bot

gracias for the information. im weird, though - i want transportation options, even being able to use the bicycle if i wanted to. as much as Oakwood and some other western neighborhoods looks cozy and quiet (AND...not far from wendys, taco bell, and arbys! all in one block!), its pretty much car-dependent. but, who knows what i'd do. I like the idea of re-use, and fixing up a decent structure, but then again a very young house would be nice (you rest assured that there are probably few if any unforeseen issues).

i know i will catch hell on this board, but my favorite type of home is the typical 1960's - era ranch style home that you see usually in the outer neighborhoods. one sold for $145,000 in upper greenfield on Montclair Street this year. i couldnt believe it - its TINY! its a great neighborhood, though...

Despite being lucky enough to find a true dream house and property (1870's sandstone farmhouse on 2 acres) I still love a 50's/ 60's rambler. Lottery plan is to convert a current replica beach house on our property to a mid century modern party house. Plan B is finding one near downtown Beaver when we are ready to downsize.

[grep]

Originally Posted by szug-bot

gracias for the information. im weird, though - i want transportation options, even being able to use the bicycle if i wanted to. as much as Oakwood and some other western neighborhoods looks cozy and quiet (AND...not far from wendys, taco bell, and arbys! all in one block!), its pretty much car-dependent.

You could live car-free or low-car in the West End (in the valley, that is): it's a flat, 2-mile trip to downtown, although getting there isn't super pleasant (sidewalk on West Carson to sidewalk on Ft Pitt Bridge or sidewalk on West End bridge to trail system that goes over Ft Duquesne Bridge). There are a lot of buses to take you downtown as well. From Elliot it would be about the same, plus one big hill. Farther into the West End, making the majority of your trips by bicycle becomes increasingly difficult. There are people that do it, and you could certainly be one of them, but you have to *really* like to bike

For a basic map of the more bike friendly areas to live, you don't even have to take my word for it-- just look at the neighborhoods with dots on the proposed map of bike sharing stations. To this, also add Allegheny East, Allegheny West, Manchester, Highland Park, Squirrell Hill, and maybe Upper Lawrenceville.

[eschaton]

Originally Posted by szug-bot

gracias for the information. im weird, though - i want transportation options, even being able to use the bicycle if i wanted to. as much as Oakwood and some other western neighborhoods looks cozy and quiet (AND...not far from wendys, taco bell, and arbys! all in one block!), its pretty much car-dependent. but, who knows what i'd do. I like the idea of re-use, and fixing up a decent structure, but then again a very young house would be nice (you rest assured that there are probably few if any unforeseen issues).

i know i will catch hell on this board, but my favorite type of home is the typical 1960's - era ranch style home that you see usually in the outer neighborhoods. one sold for $145,000 in upper greenfield on Montclair Street this year. i couldnt believe it - its TINY! its a great neighborhood, though...

Oakwood is stereotyped as being suburbia, but a lot of the housing stock isn't that different from Highland Park.

[I_Like_Spam]

Originally Posted by szug-bot

i know i will catch hell on this board, but my favorite type of home is the typical 1960's - era ranch style home that you see usually in the outer neighborhoods. one sold for $145,000 in upper greenfield on Montclair Street this year. i couldnt believe it - its TINY! its a great neighborhood, though...

Nothing wrong with preferring 1 level living- no climbing of stairs, its a real good idea for folks with heart conditions, orthopaedic conditions or perhaps in a wheelchair.

[Catia]

well where do you want to bike to?

if you're not dead set on Pittsburgh city there are lots of cheap houses along the Allegheny passage bike trails as you head down the mon--you can start house searching with me lol

[Uptown kid]

Yeah, but is the "bad" side of Sheraden really that much different than the good side? We like to create divisions within neighborhoods, but to be honest I don't see that much difference between the two sides of Sheraden..

I know this is a bit off topic but here we go...
The bad side if Sheraden is much different than the best part of West Sheraden... From vacancy rates to murder rates, no exaggeration...

The area of West Sheraden around Southernland Avenue (recently turned undesirable in the opinions of many) is not that much different from the nicest part of West Sheraden. This is so simply because of time; on the other hand, most of East Sheraden has been bad/in decline for ten years thus its LARGELY different.

[Catia]

fixer upper--Saline St Greenfield--
Pittsburgh Classifieds - Pittsburgh Pennysaver

[szug-bot]

Oakwood - huh...that is not the Oakwood i thought i knew. attractive street, but i guess i dont have a comprehensive knowledge of it. still, by geography, it is not that "attached" to its sister 'hoods, is it, without major arteries (like Noblestown Road)?

Saline Street - thanks again...but i have 2 more years of graduate school. i really cant get into a home obligation. and i have a several minute walk to work, so i think i should stay put for a couple years.
ah, if only i could have the last 10 years back....

biking or walking from West ENd Valley - makes sense...i always forget there is a sidewalk on the Fort Pitt Bridge. its too narrow when its heavily used in the summer, with peds and bikes and minor chaos (mostly because people just dont move or slide over so you can ride by and get your bike out of the way...).
thanks for those reminders.....but down in that area, i would guess you have to be VERY careful on a bike, simply because they are so rare there.

bike share - oh, thats really gonna happen? not sure how i feel about that because its public money, and also because most people apt to actually bike....OWN THEIR OWN BIKES! similar programs in NYC and Toronto have been money pits.

fun thread...

[gg]

Originally Posted by Catia

I consider West End to be West End, meaning down in the valley by the west end bridge--which is a great little area, run down but safe, mixed cultures, nice neighborhood & a nice friendly restaurants/bars. This IS a decent city neighborhood, but not a lot goes up for sale there.

Can you ride a bike or walk to the city from there safely? Can you get on the West End Bridge somehow from there on a bike without killing yourself? Oddly, I have been all over that area around the West End Bridge, but never rode my bike to that little area you speak of and don't know how you could do it. If you can do it on foot or bike, that area would have quite a good chance at some point. What a great view of the city on the way to work while you are walking or riding a bike. Also it would be a flat commute by Pittsburgh standards.