some questions about Pittsburgh neighborhoods and relocation (Allentown, Erie: foreclosure, condo)

[The King of Um]

After living in Jacksonville, FL for 16 years, I've decided to relocated to Pittsburgh. There's no doubt about it, Pittsburgh is a pretty cool place! I love all of the Victorian (especially Second Empire and Italianate) architecture you have up there--we don't have that in FL! Also, you're a gay-friendly Democratic city, which is good, especially since I'm a 33-year-old gay male who happens to be a politically-active progressive.

I need a little advice about neighborhoods, though. I'm kind of on a budget, but I want a decent house in a safe, walkable neighborhood, nonetheless. I don't drive, so I would need to be close to public transport. I want to purchase my home for cash, as I've accumulated about $60,000. I don't want a mortgage because I'm currently debt-free and plan on staying that way. So my question is, in what neighborhoods would I find a nice late 19th-century/early 20th-century, preferably brick home for less than about $60,000? Like I said, safe and walkable are important attributes in a neighborhood.

[SteelCityRising]

First of all, welcome in advance to Pittsburgh! I strongly admire your enthusiasm, and your passion for historic architecture is one that I share. We have a member on this forum, alleghenyangel, who, like you, pays for everything in cash and dislikes taking on debt. He bought a great brick end-unit rowhome in the suburb of Stowe Township for $10,000. Deals like that are pretty much unavailable now due to Pittsburgh's rising cost-of-living; however, I am going to make a plug for a home that I've fallen in love with on the city's North Side. It is listed for $40,000, is solid brick, was built in the 1800s, and is in a neighborhood that is destined for improvement.

848 Blossom Way, Pittsburgh PA - Trulia

I'm gay, and so is my partner (imagine that!) We've found Pittsburgh to be immensely LGBT-friendly. Most of the city's gay nightlife is split between Shadyside and the Strip District/Lawrenceville.

[jay5835]

Originally Posted by SteelCityRising

I am going to make a plug for a home that I've fallen in love with on the city's North Side. It is listed for $40,000, is solid brick, was built in the 1800s, and is in a neighborhood that is destined for improvement.

848 Blossom Way, Pittsburgh PA - Trulia

I don't know that neighborhood, but I'm checking it out for bus convenience. It looks as if you'll have an easy time getting to Downtown and Oakland. Go to "get directions" and enter locations you'll want to go to, at the time of day you want to get there.

https://maps.google.com/maps?oe=utf-...ed=0CDMQ8gEwAA

Where will you want to commute to?

If you need further assistance, let me know.

[The King of Um]

Wow, a $10,000 house is astonishingly cheap! I wish decent homes could still be purchased for such rock-bottom prices! I've noticed a few properties in that range on Zillow and Trulia, but they look kinda cruddy--as if, you know, they need more than cosmetic work. Right now, the economy is picking up throughout the country, and from what I've read, Pittsburgh has completely emerged from the recession (which probably explains the appreciating home values).

I've saved for years for a house and, God willing, will finally own one within a few months! After considering several cities (e.g., Erie, Buffalo, Syracuse, Harrisburg, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, Altoona, and Cleveland), I decided on Pittsburgh. I like the city's scenery, its history, its architectural styles, and its liberal politics. I would move back to NYC, where I'm originally from, but there's no way I could afford to.

Wow, the Blossom Way property is very nice! What a cute Victorian row! I think it's overpriced, though.

It's good that you, as a gay man, have a partner who happens to be gay, too. I'm not too much into the nightlife these days; when you're quickly approaching 34, that stuff gets a little old. However, it would be nice to find myself in a larger, more varied, more "out" gay community--that's non-existent here in the conservative south.

[eschaton]

I hate to say it, but I don't think at $60,000 in cash you can get a historic brick house within a walkable neighborhood in the city core any longer. At least, not unless you go through an alternate means to get it (like auction or foreclosure) or buy something truly trashed and barely habitable. The house SCR has his eye on is one of the few available, and it's very small, in an alley, and in a neighborhood which, while not a ghetto, is in high disrepair, with around half the buildings demolished.

In terms of what compromises to make, I could see a few.

1. If you're willing to have a frame house which was a bit ugly, you could afford more options in Troy Hill, East Deutschtown, Spring Garden, Fineview, Southside Slopes, Upper Lawrenceville, etc. These areas aren't really happening themselves in many cases, but they're not far from places which are, and are pretty dense, urban-style neighborhoods.

2. If you're willing to live somewhere a bit more removed from the core, you could get a whole lot more house for your money in somewhere like Brighton Heights, Marshall Shadeland, Allentown, etc. Something like this, for example. These neighborhoods are in some cases not the best, but they generally aren't considered ghettos either.

3. If you don't care about having your own house, you could buy this condo in Bloomfield.

4. You can find some incredibly nice, cheap houses in Sheraden, Knoxville, Mount Oliver, or to a lesser extent Carrick. All of these neighborhoods are in rapid decline, however. They aren't really ghetto areas, but it's become next-to-impossible for people to sell there. If you want to put down roots for twenty years, it may be fine, but otherwise steer clear.

[The King of Um]

Thanks for the info, eschaton. Do you mean to say a person cannot get anything except an ugly frame house in my price range in a walkable area like Troy Hill, East Deutschtown or Upper Lawrenceville? Brick residences cannot be purchased for less than $60,000?

What about Bluff? I know much of the area has been demolished, but the architecture is stunning!

I'm considering Brighton Heights. How's the public transport there, though?

I've been told to stay clear of Marshall Shadeland, but I really don't know enough about the area to make a judgement call. I've seen the ad for the house you linked to on Superior Ave., and it would do. I just don't know about the area, though. I mean, I don't want to be a crime statistic.

What is Allentown like? I don't know anything about that neighborhood.

Trust me, I'd prefer to stay clear of any area that's in free-fall. Therefore, places like Sheraden are out of the question.

[I_Like_Spam]

The 424 Brookline Blvd is a half double listed at 67.5k, and might well meet your needs.

Close to busses on Pioneer and West Liberty, there is some decent shopping on the Blvd., and Brookline is plenty safe- hundreds of police officers live out there.

Also, considering your interest in Democratic Party politics, Brookline has a lot of city employees with similar interests.

[The King of Um]

Thanks for the reference, I Like Span. That house, though, is mid-century (built in 1950), and I don't particularly care for mid-century architecture. I'm sure it's a nice, well-build house, though. It's just not for me.

[eschaton]

Originally Posted by Hip Priest

Thanks for the info, eschaton. Do you mean to say a person cannot get anything except an ugly frame house in my price range in a walkable area like Troy Hill, East Deutschtown or Upper Lawrenceville? Brick residences cannot be purchased for less than $60,000?

Brick can be had cheaper, but not in the classic, non-blighted rowhouse neighborhoods like Southside Flats, Lawrenceville, or most of the Northside. If you find a cheap brick house it's liable to either need major work, be in a ghetto, or be something in a less walkable neighborhood built some time after 1920/

Originally Posted by Hip Priest

What about Bluff? I know much of the area has been demolished, but the architecture is stunning!

You can occasionally find very cheap houses there, but they are almost always gut jobs. Frequently they're either large houses which no one has the capital to restore, or houses which front on Boulevard of the Allies (which means they now have a highway outside of their front yard). Here's one in foreclosure for cheap. Can't say if the price would be an accurate final price.

Originally Posted by Hip Priest

I'm considering Brighton Heights. How's the public transport there, though?

It has bus lines. Relatively little in the way of businesses in walking distance

Originally Posted by Hip Priest

I've been told to stay clear of Marshall Shadeland, but I really don't know enough about the area to make a judgement call. I've seen the ad for the house you linked to on Superior Ave., and it would do. I just don't know about the area, though. I mean, I don't want to be a crime statistic.

It's rough, but not a ghetto. Generally considered to have hit bottom and now be staring a recovery due to the efforts of the local community group, but nothing like gentrification yet.

Originally Posted by Hip Priest

What is Allentown like? I don't know anything about that neighborhood.

Pretty similar to Marshall-Shadeland. Someone on the forum is restoring a Painted Lady there. Hopefully he'll chime in eventually - he hasn't been around much lately.

[eschaton]

Beechview is another neighborhood you might want to consider. It's a bit off the beaten path, but one of the city's only light rail lines goes through it, which is convenient. Some cheap houses there have a certain charm to them.