Why are Pittsburghers so geocentric? (York, Butler: homes, neighborhoods, to buy)

[Aqua Teen Carl]

We all know the stereotype: Pittsburghers don't cross rivers. But with all stereotypes there is some truth in there, right?

Throughout my life I have seen and heard Pittsburghers from all different walks of life who work, live, and play in the same small area of the metro. South Hills residents won't leave the South Hills, East End residents think their section is figuratively the only part of Pittsburgh, North Hills residents do not venture far from their comfort zone, and suburban/rural areas have their own level of never leaving their bubble. From this, geocentric attitudes and values are formed to the point where many are out of touch with the very city they call home.

It's an amazing phenomenon when examining this behaviors. While the canned response is "this happens everywhere" but does it really happen to the level that it occurs in Pittsburgh? I have been to plenty of cities where people work one place, play in another, and live in a third. That simply seems like a rarity here when you actually look at the city's behavior as a whole.

But it's not just a "good old Pittsburgh past time" to be so geocentric. I have seen first hand these attitudes form very negative, backwards, and flat out wrong views of other people just based on location. There are still many people who think East Liberty is a war zone, view Butler county residents as racist hicks, think every suburbanite is a boring fool, and think their part of town is so damn awesome that everywhere else is garbage. I see these sort of terrible attitudes both in real life and on this very forum and overall it's damaging as a whole.

So what causes this? Is it our (very real) geographic divides? Is it years and years of these attitudes not only being passed from one generation to the next but to people who move here as well? Is it the toughness of mobility from one place to the next (whether it be traffic, lack of public transit, terrible road layout, etc.)?

[charisb]

I think it is human nature. People are like this everywhere I have ever lived. I don't think it is worse where than other places. When I lived in New York there were people who wouldn't leave their general neighborhood, and they had all of these outdated and erroneous ideas about other boroughs.

[lifepgh2op]

Originally Posted by Aqua Teen Carl

Is it the toughness of mobility from one place to the next (whether it be traffic, lack of public transit, terrible road layout, etc.)?

This. I have noticed lately that to travel just 6 miles takes over 30 minutes in certain parts of the county.

[TheYO]

It's because it's such a pain to get from one place to another. Traffic is usually a nightmare, the road layout is confusing and hard to navigate and the public transit is inefficient. Being a car-dependent city makes it more of a pain to travel around. I live in the South Side, and I've fallen victim to this way of thinking. I rarely leave the South Side for anything except work or a Pirates game. If there's something going on in Shadyside, I've got to be really interested to drive there and try to find parking just to go to it.

I spent some time in Chicago. When I lived there I'd have no problem traveling to many different neighborhoods to go restaurants, shops and bars. It was as easy as hoping on a bus or El. Having to drive everywhere is the worst.

[gg]

Originally Posted by charisb

People are like this everywhere I have ever lived.

Yep. The only places that people aren't like that are the really transient cities like Orlando, because people in those cities seem to be always on the move. Pittsburgh is like most places. People like their homes and neighborhoods, which is nice.

[LIRefugee]

Originally Posted by Aqua Teen Carl

While the canned response is "this happens everywhere" but does it really happen to the level that it occurs in Pittsburgh?

Yes

[Tiger Beer]

Originally Posted by Aqua Teen Carl

We all know the stereotype: Pittsburghers don't cross rivers. But with all stereotypes there is some truth in there, right?

Throughout my life I have seen and heard Pittsburghers from all different walks of life who work, live, and play in the same small area of the metro. South Hills residents won't leave the South Hills, East End residents think their section is figuratively the only part of Pittsburgh, North Hills residents do not venture far from their comfort zone, and suburban/rural areas have their own level of never leaving their bubble. From this, geocentric attitudes and values are formed to the point where many are out of touch with the very city they call home.

It's an amazing phenomenon when examining this behaviors. While the canned response is "this happens everywhere" but does it really happen to the level that it occurs in Pittsburgh? I have been to plenty of cities where people work one place, play in another, and live in a third. That simply seems like a rarity here when you actually look at the city's behavior as a whole.

But it's not just a "good old Pittsburgh past time" to be so geocentric. I have seen first hand these attitudes form very negative, backwards, and flat out wrong views of other people just based on location. There are still many people who think East Liberty is a war zone, view Butler county residents as racist hicks, think every suburbanite is a boring fool, and think their part of town is so damn awesome that everywhere else is garbage. I see these sort of terrible attitudes both in real life and on this very forum and overall it's damaging as a whole.

So what causes this? Is it our (very real) geographic divides? Is it years and years of these attitudes not only being passed from one generation to the next but to people who move here as well? Is it the toughness of mobility from one place to the next (whether it be traffic, lack of public transit, terrible road layout, etc.)?

From my outsider perspective, I notice that theme wherever areas have all their amenities and can be self-contained.

If you are out west, people can easily drive 100 miles to buy shoes. I use to work at Yellowstone National Park, and it was quite common people would drive up to Bozeman, Montana to get basic amenities.

The more conveniences you have in your immediate area, the less likely you are to go longer distances, etc. This kind of sums up why so many people in NYC ever go to NJ. For that matter, even people in NJ, who seldom go into NYC.

Applying it to Pittsburgh, I get the impression that many people from Morgantown regularly take the pilgrimage to Pittsburgh all the all the time, despite also being in the mountains, etc.

I think the Pittsburgh terrain just created a system, way back when, where people didn't want to walk up or down hills, so they built things that supplied all the conveniences they needed in their respective neighborhoods.

[speagles84]

Originally Posted by Aqua Teen Carl

We all know the stereotype: Pittsburghers don't cross rivers. But with all stereotypes there is some truth in there, right?

Throughout my life I have seen and heard Pittsburghers from all different walks of life who work, live, and play in the same small area of the metro. South Hills residents won't leave the South Hills, East End residents think their section is figuratively the only part of Pittsburgh, North Hills residents do not venture far from their comfort zone, and suburban/rural areas have their own level of never leaving their bubble. From this, geocentric attitudes and values are formed to the point where many are out of touch with the very city they call home.

It's an amazing phenomenon when examining this behaviors. While the canned response is "this happens everywhere" but does it really happen to the level that it occurs in Pittsburgh? I have been to plenty of cities where people work one place, play in another, and live in a third. That simply seems like a rarity here when you actually look at the city's behavior as a whole.

But it's not just a "good old Pittsburgh past time" to be so geocentric. I have seen first hand these attitudes form very negative, backwards, and flat out wrong views of other people just based on location. There are still many people who think East Liberty is a war zone, view Butler county residents as racist hicks, think every suburbanite is a boring fool, and think their part of town is so damn awesome that everywhere else is garbage. I see these sort of terrible attitudes both in real life and on this very forum and overall it's damaging as a whole.

So what causes this? Is it our (very real) geographic divides? Is it years and years of these attitudes not only being passed from one generation to the next but to people who move here as well? Is it the toughness of mobility from one place to the next (whether it be traffic, lack of public transit, terrible road layout, etc.)?

It is everywhere ATC. Seriously, some of my girlfriends relatives in Bucks County have NEVER been to New Jersey. "You have to find somewhere to cross the Delaware! And it costs $10! Why go there? Its the same here."

[SolitaryThrush]

And on the local news they have weather for every town, township, and neighborhood in the area.

[ElijahAstin]

Originally Posted by speagles84

It is everywhere ATC. Seriously, some of my girlfriends relatives in Bucks County have NEVER been to New Jersey. "You have to find somewhere to cross the Delaware! And it costs $10! Why go there? Its the same here."

What bridge are they taking? lol

I think it's a class/education thing more than anything else. Also, some people are curious about their surroundings while others... simply aren't.