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our family of 5 (3 kids elementary school age) are considering Pittsburgh for a potential move. We live in DC metro and are looking for a smaller, safer town to settle down and put down roots. My husband is from the Southern US, I am European, we have no family in the area. I am still hoping one day we may move back to Europe but without going to detail, I think right now we may need to settle in the US.
We both went to Pitt for grad school, lived in Oakland and have somewhat of an idea of what Pittsburgh has to offer. However this was YEARS ago :-), we were single, no kids, no car, we were also very poor which tinted our experience at the time somewhat :-) - it was different lifestyle. Pittsburgh keeps coming up as a great place to live though and that is why we want to come back and visit, and consider potential relo. My jobs is flexible when it comes to location and husband could arrange for transfer within his current employer so it is pretty do-able.
Here is what I would like in ideal world - and we plan to visit soon so as much specifics about neighborhoods and places to visit within each (like park, school, where exactly are the business nodes) would be appreciated!
1/ good public schools. Our kids now go to parochial school b/c our local public is not good. As a result they do not have friends in our neighborhood and that is very important to me. So the good school is needed for both, academics, safety and also link to the neighborhood community
2/ urban-ish. Let me explain. As an European, car-based lifestyle drains me. I like that PIttsburgh has some history and sidewalks and I would want to be able to walk to coffee shop, a pub (sans kids ha ha) , corner grocery story, for the kids to bike to their friends house, and ideally also have a gym close by. I love to walk where there are OTHER people outside, ie not just walk outside around the hood for exercise and then head back home and drive everywhere. Not sure if I explained it right :-)
3/ walkable/bikable/safe - I currently can walk to places but it is not safe. I need for my kids to grow independent and not be having to wait for mommy and her car to take them places, like swimming pool, park, icecream store. I want a place where kids hop on their bike and get to school, friends, baseball field, pool, practice (rec center?) on their own!
4/ anemities - rec center with outdoor swimming pool. Place where kids can spend their summer days with their neighborhood buddies. Tennis courts/baseball field (here most rec centers have this, not sure if it is specific to our state?) Park/playground. Ideally exercise classes offered in a rec center or somewhere close by. Some bike paths? Library?
5/ public transit - I read through many treads and hear people say public transit is not safe???? I remember taking the bus all the time as grad student, never feeling threatened? Would you send your 10yo kid on the bus a few stops to get to say swim practice? If you have kids, how do they get around?
6/ our kids are very athletic - does the city/county/ other have good sport options? We have a gymnast, soccer, hockey, competitive swimmer, all and more in the family :-)
last but not least - neighborhood where we can settle and find friends. People open to new friendships. People hanging out at block parties, bbqs, casually stopping by at night for a quick beer on the porch. We have some of this in our current small neighborhood and is so so so important. Especially since we do not have a family or anyone is Pittsburgh! Of course, we are happy to pitch in to help make things happen but just want people be open to "trasnplants".
Thank you. Our budget for SFH would be rent up to 2300/month initially, and I think we can stretch to 400k/450k for a house. I dont care about style of the house as long as the above criteria are met. Commute is not an issue right now since I think we both would either work from home or travel.
our family of 5 (3 kids elementary school age) are considering Pittsburgh for a potential move. We live in DC metro and are looking for a smaller, safer town to settle down and put down roots. My husband is from the Southern US, I am European, we have no family in the area. I am still hoping one day we may move back to Europe but without going to detail, I think right now we may need to settle in the US.
We both went to Pitt for grad school, lived in Oakland and have somewhat of an idea of what Pittsburgh has to offer. However this was YEARS ago :-), we were single, no kids, no car, we were also very poor which tinted our experience at the time somewhat :-) - it was different lifestyle. Pittsburgh keeps coming up as a great place to live though and that is why we want to come back and visit, and consider potential relo. My jobs is flexible when it comes to location and husband could arrange for transfer within his current employer so it is pretty do-able.
Here is what I would like in ideal world - and we plan to visit soon so as much specifics about neighborhoods and places to visit within each (like park, school, where exactly are the business nodes) would be appreciated!
1/ good public schools. Our kids now go to parochial school b/c our local public is not good. As a result they do not have friends in our neighborhood and that is very important to me. So the good school is needed for both, academics, safety and also link to the neighborhood community
2/ urban-ish. Let me explain. As an European, car-based lifestyle drains me. I like that PIttsburgh has some history and sidewalks and I would want to be able to walk to coffee shop, a pub (sans kids ha ha) , corner grocery story, for the kids to bike to their friends house, and ideally also have a gym close by. I love to walk where there are OTHER people outside, ie not just walk outside around the hood for exercise and then head back home and drive everywhere. Not sure if I explained it right :-)
3/ walkable/bikable/safe - I currently can walk to places but it is not safe. I need for my kids to grow independent and not be having to wait for mommy and her car to take them places, like swimming pool, park, icecream store. I want a place where kids hop on their bike and get to school, friends, baseball field, pool, practice (rec center?) on their own!
4/ anemities - rec center with outdoor swimming pool. Place where kids can spend their summer days with their neighborhood buddies. Tennis courts/baseball field (here most rec centers have this, not sure if it is specific to our state?) Park/playground. Ideally exercise classes offered in a rec center or somewhere close by. Some bike paths? Library?
5/ public transit - I read through many treads and hear people say public transit is not safe???? I remember taking the bus all the time as grad student, never feeling threatened? Would you send your 10yo kid on the bus a few stops to get to say swim practice? If you have kids, how do they get around?
6/ our kids are very athletic - does the city/county/ other have good sport options? We have a gymnast, soccer, hockey, competitive swimmer, all and more in the family :-)
last but not least - neighborhood where we can settle and find friends. People open to new friendships. People hanging out at block parties, bbqs, casually stopping by at night for a quick beer on the porch. We have some of this in our current small neighborhood and is so so so important. Especially since we do not have a family or anyone is Pittsburgh! Of course, we are happy to pitch in to help make things happen but just want people be open to "trasnplants".
Thank you. Our budget for SFH would be rent up to 2300/month initially, and I think we can stretch to 400k/450k for a house. I dont care about style of the house as long as the above criteria are met. Commute is not an issue right now since I think we both would either work from home or travel.
Thank you!!!
Having read through your post, Mt. Lebanon sounds like the best fit for you from my perspective. They're always in the top 5 rated public schools in the state, there are several business districts near which you can live, the community prides itself on being walkable (the neighborhoods each have their own schools and there is no bussing of students), great rec center and pool (currently being remodeled) with many parks as well, access to several bus lines and the T, and will definitely fit within your budget criteria.
Having read through your post, Mt. Lebanon sounds like the best fit for you from my perspective. They're always in the top 5 rated public schools in the state, there are several business districts near which you can live, the community prides itself on being walkable (the neighborhoods each have their own schools and there is no busing of students), great rec center and pool (currently being remodeled) with many parks as well, access to several bus lines and the T, and will definitely fit within your budget criteria.
I would also suggest Aspinwall, Sewickley, and of course Squirrel Hill. IMHO while parts of Mount Lebanon are walkable, it's too big of a municipality to say it is universally so. I really only think they'd feel comfortable within walking distance of the T stops.
If DC is their guidepost as to what bad public schools are, than the vast majority of schools in Pittsburgh will look excellent in comparison.
Having read through your post, Mt. Lebanon sounds like the best fit for you from my perspective.
That was definitely my first thought too. Aspinwall seems like another obvious fit. Both top-ranked school districts with good commercial districts and other services.
Squirrel Hill may be another possibility depending on what exactly you're looking for in a school. You'd want to look in Colfax K-8 district, probably either right by Blue Slide Park (which is where the baseball diamond and playground are) or North of Forbes (great proximity to the library, the JCC, and the rest of the commercial district).
our family of 5 (3 kids elementary school age) are considering Pittsburgh for a potential move. We live in DC metro and are looking for a smaller, safer town to settle down and put down roots. My husband is from the Southern US, I am European, we have no family in the area. I am still hoping one day we may move back to Europe but without going to detail, I think right now we may need to settle in the US.
We both went to Pitt for grad school, lived in Oakland and have somewhat of an idea of what Pittsburgh has to offer. However this was YEARS ago :-), we were single, no kids, no car, we were also very poor which tinted our experience at the time somewhat :-) - it was different lifestyle. Pittsburgh keeps coming up as a great place to live though and that is why we want to come back and visit, and consider potential relo. My jobs is flexible when it comes to location and husband could arrange for transfer within his current employer so it is pretty do-able.
Here is what I would like in ideal world - and we plan to visit soon so as much specifics about neighborhoods and places to visit within each (like park, school, where exactly are the business nodes) would be appreciated!
1/ good public schools. Our kids now go to parochial school b/c our local public is not good. As a result they do not have friends in our neighborhood and that is very important to me. So the good school is needed for both, academics, safety and also link to the neighborhood community
2/ urban-ish. Let me explain. As an European, car-based lifestyle drains me. I like that PIttsburgh has some history and sidewalks and I would want to be able to walk to coffee shop, a pub (sans kids ha ha) , corner grocery story, for the kids to bike to their friends house, and ideally also have a gym close by. I love to walk where there are OTHER people outside, ie not just walk outside around the hood for exercise and then head back home and drive everywhere. Not sure if I explained it right :-)
3/ walkable/bikable/safe - I currently can walk to places but it is not safe. I need for my kids to grow independent and not be having to wait for mommy and her car to take them places, like swimming pool, park, icecream store. I want a place where kids hop on their bike and get to school, friends, baseball field, pool, practice (rec center?) on their own!
4/ anemities - rec center with outdoor swimming pool. Place where kids can spend their summer days with their neighborhood buddies. Tennis courts/baseball field (here most rec centers have this, not sure if it is specific to our state?) Park/playground. Ideally exercise classes offered in a rec center or somewhere close by. Some bike paths? Library?
5/ public transit - I read through many treads and hear people say public transit is not safe???? I remember taking the bus all the time as grad student, never feeling threatened? Would you send your 10yo kid on the bus a few stops to get to say swim practice? If you have kids, how do they get around?
6/ our kids are very athletic - does the city/county/ other have good sport options? We have a gymnast, soccer, hockey, competitive swimmer, all and more in the family :-)
last but not least - neighborhood where we can settle and find friends. People open to new friendships. People hanging out at block parties, bbqs, casually stopping by at night for a quick beer on the porch. We have some of this in our current small neighborhood and is so so so important. Especially since we do not have a family or anyone is Pittsburgh! Of course, we are happy to pitch in to help make things happen but just want people be open to "trasnplants".
Thank you. Our budget for SFH would be rent up to 2300/month initially, and I think we can stretch to 400k/450k for a house. I dont care about style of the house as long as the above criteria are met. Commute is not an issue right now since I think we both would either work from home or travel.
Thank you!!!
Welcome (possibly) back to Pittsburgh! I'm assuming you are late 20s/early 30s now? Pittsburgh has changed for the better over the past 10-15 years. The job market has gotten better and better, and hopefully will continue to. The city has become loads safer as compared to the 90's, and the blighted areas are becoming less and less obvious. First of all, good transit here isn't good transit in DC. Some areas have a few bus routes through them, but its not nearly as good as DC. Also, the housing is WAY, WAY, WAY, WAY, Way cheaper here. You'd have to go to a top notch area to find the average home price in the $400,000-$500,000 range. As the previous poster said, Mount Lebanon fits your bill perfectly. I'll give other options as well.
1/ good public schools
2/ urban-ish.
3/ walkable/bikable/safe -
4/ anemities -
5/ public transit -
6/ our kids are very athletic
If it contains your preference, the corresponding number will be next to it. "Suburban" areas
Mount Lebanon - 1,2,3,4,5,6
Dormont - 1,2,3,4,5
Brentwood - 1,2,4,6
Edgewood - 2,3,4,5 (great area, but Woodland Hills Schools are awful)
Aspinwall - 1,2,3,4,5,6
Bellevue/Avalon - 2,3,4,5 (public schools are more "eh" and not bad, just not as good as others)
Sewickley - 1,2,3,4,6 (One bus line runs through the town, but transit is more limited)
Crafton - 2,3,5 (schools aren't bad, but not top notch)
City Neighborhoods
*Note Pittsburgh Public Schools are not good as a whole
Brookline - 1,2,3,4,5 (schools are decent for city schools, but still not great)
Westwood - 2,3,4,5
Brighton Heights - 2,3,5
Troy Hill - 2,3,4,5
Lawrenceville - 2,3,4,5,6
Morningside - 2,3,5
Highland Park - 1,2,3,5,6 (schools are decent for city schools, but still not great)
Shadyside - 1,2,3,4,5,6 (schools are decent for city schools, but still not great)
Squirrel Hill - 1,2,3,4,5,6 (schools are decent for city schools, but still not great)
Point Breeze - 1,2,3,5,6 (schools are decent for city schools, but still not great)
Greenfield - 1,2,3,4 (schools are decent for city schools, but still not great)
If DC is their guidepost as to what bad public schools are, than the vast majority of schools in Pittsburgh will look excellent in comparison.
Maybe, maybe not -- if you look on Great Schools, there are about a dozen DC public schools (mostly in the northwest area of the city) that outscore every school in PPS except for CAPA. (And yeah, some that are unbelievably awful.) I had no idea that any publics within the DC city limits were considered desirable until a relative showed me a couple properties they were looking at buying and I saw the ratings and looked to find more information.
One other thing for the OP to keep in mind if they decide to look at city neighborhoods: it sounds like you're looking for a neighborhood where the kids pretty much all go to the neighborhood school and then hang out on the weekends/after school. You won't find that anywhere in the city because not only do a high percentage of families go private or parochial, but PPS also has a high proportion of magnet schools and then you throw in the Environmental Charter, which is super-popular. The result is that even in the neighborhoods where the zoned schools are good, the kids will be all over the map.
Maybe, maybe not -- if you look on Great Schools, there are about a dozen DC public schools (mostly in the northwest area of the city) that outscore every school in PPS except for CAPA. (And yeah, some that are unbelievably awful.) I had no idea that any publics within the DC city limits were considered desirable until a relative showed me a couple properties they were looking at buying and I saw the ratings and looked to find more information.
If they currently live in a part of DC they don't feel safe walking at night, they certainly are not in the part of Northwest DC with good schools. Which makes sense, since it takes way, way, way more than $450,000 to buy into that area now.
I wish we were late 20s, ha ha! Late 30s - that is why I want the move to be "final", I want to settle down.
450 is a stretch budget, of course 350 sounds way better!
Can you please talk to the safety/walkability for kids? In the neighborhoods you mentioned, do kids play outside, walk on their own etc etc? If they are say 14, can they hop on a bus safely and go to a game? Are they "nice" or stuck up"? We are very laid back, dont care too much of the type of car, etc.
ALso, where on the map is Mt Lebanon? I am having hard time pinpointing he exact neighborhood! Between which streets?
This is years ago, but I started taking the bus into the city for fun at 12 years old. That was in Squirrel Hill and later Point Breeze. I also rode my bike into Oakland to visit the museum and library. Of course Squirrel Hill has it's own wonderful library. It's what's wonderful about growing up in the city for teens. They can be so much happier and independent.
I think you would be happy in Mt. Lebanon. People on this forum really push city living. Squirrel Hill is a great city neighborhood but it is not right for you. Since you want your kids to go to school with kids from their neighborhood this really excludes city living because it is common for city kids to go to a lot of different schools.
Mt. Lebanon is great for sports. Generally speaking, ice hockey is the toughest since rinks aren't everywhere. My kids both play hockey so I am familiar with the rinks. Another reason to avoid the city is that playing ice hockey would be brutal if you lived in the city. You would have to drive your child to either RMU, Delmont or Harmarville. Not something you would want to do 2-3 times a week. Mt. Lebanon has its own ice facility and there are two others fairly close (Ice Castle and Bladerunners in Bethel Park).
Aspinwall is great and I used to live there but it is not that big. Easy to get to an ice rink from Aspinwall. Sewickley would be my next choice after Mt. Lebanon mainly because it has a great business district, a Y and a library in town. Ice rinks are fairly close - RMU and the Airport.
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