Pittsburgh vs. Denver (Butler, Republic, Penn: home, taxes, live)

[Katiana]

Originally Posted by gallacus

I'm not quite sure what Pittnurse is getting at, are you comparing Pittsburgh to Longmont or Denver? I lived in Denver and rent/home prices drove me out. I simply couldn't afford to live in the city. In Pittsburgh, I've got one of the nicer houses in the Southside with an amazing view of the city. I know what you are saying, that Pittsburgh has an abundance of these super cheap homes in ghetto areas, but living in the southside is still FAR cheaper than trying to live in a comparable unit in LODO or the Highlands.

Here is a good site to check out. Use the links on the left to switch between comparison parameters:
Moderator cut: link

I've seen people quote rents for apts in the $700/mo range in Pgh. My DD pays $650 for a 2 BR, apt in a "hip" neighborhood in Denver. That is where I am coming from. I said it may cost more to buy, but I posted the median price for November in metro Denver of $229,500. The Pgh median may be lower, because you can find houses in say, the Beaver Valley, for $40,000, but they are not the type of houses most people are looking for in the location most want.

Re: guylocke's post- I am not sure about this shopping thing. It would be interesting to read the whole article to see what basis of comparison they are using. I never thought of Pittsburgh as a shopping mecca. Well, not Denver, either, but we have several huge malls here, and the normal stuff everywhere. What is meant by "low-impact sports"? Denver seems to have just about every sport imaginable, plus 5 major-league teams (baseball, basketball, football, hockey and soccer). I also don't get the gambling. We don't have gambling in Denver. It is in the mtns, Blackhawk, Central City and Cripple Creek. There are frequent articles in the papers about how gambling has ruined those towns.

[guylocke]

I am not sure about this shopping thing

I don't believe they used the type of shopping. For example, NYC didn't score extra because they have Bergdorfs and Pittsburgh lower because we have Saks. It's the retail trade establishment that they rated. You can do major shopping in Pittsburgh in quite literally ANY direction. Retail is actually QUITE strong in Pittsburgh, possibly due to a lot of exposable income? I'm not sure, that could be a whole different can of worms.

Low-impact sports include golf courses and country clubs; marinas; bowling centers, etc. I'm not specifically sure about bowling, but Pittsburgh has a HUGE abundance of golf courses/country clubs and marinas.

Denver seems to have just about every sport imaginable, plus 5 major-league teams (baseball, basketball, football, hockey and soccer)

Actually (according to them), going to watch a game would be considered entertainment. Denver did score a bit higher in that regard than Pittsburgh.

There are important things they left out, too, I'm sure some could argue would bring Pittsburgh's score down or maybe even raise it. For example, they didn't include natural parks in their methodology (as far as I can tell). I guess they aren't fun enough. If they included parks, I bet you anything Pittsburgh would have a very impressive score. I'm not positive, but there's some statistic Pittsburgh holds for being the best city for park per person/capita or something like that. Don't quote me. Of course, if they included simply "outdoor activities" I'm sure Pittsburgh and Denver would have both done very well, perhaps Denver edging out Pittsburgh. I'm not sure. Denver has the mountains but Pittsburgh has the water.

As for gambling, they definitely didn't just include "city-proper" in their methodology. I believe gambling is also illegal in Seattle proper but Seattle ranked VERY high in gambling opportunities.

[Tallysmom]

As a responsible pet owner, the one thing I know about Denver and Pittsburgh...

Denver -- no fleas

Pittsburgh -- fleas

Thank you, thank you very much.... Elvis has LEFT the building....

[guylocke]

Denver -- no fleas

Pittsburgh -- fleas

LOL, Tallysmom you make me laugh so much. Now, was this your personal experience? Denver and Colorado DO have fleas. LOL. So does Pittsburgh. I don't think there is a climate in the USA where fleas can't thrive.

[Katiana]

Originally Posted by guylocke

I don't believe they used the type of shopping. For example, NYC didn't score extra because they have Bergdorfs and Pittsburgh lower because we have Saks. It's the retail trade establishment that they rated. You can do major shopping in Pittsburgh in quite literally ANY direction. Retail is actually QUITE strong in Pittsburgh, possibly due to a lot of exposable income? I'm not sure, that could be a whole different can of worms.

I guess I still don't get how Pittsburgh beat out Denver, but oh, well.

Low-impact sports include golf courses and country clubs; marinas; bowling centers, etc. I'm not specifically sure about bowling, but Pittsburgh has a HUGE abundance of golf courses/country clubs and marinas.

Not loads of golf courses here (I have noticed it's more popular in Pgh), though almost every city has a golf course (even Louisville!) and there are some country clubs. Not as much bowling, and of course, not many marinas. However, biking/hiking/camping is WAY big here, but maybe they didn't count that as low-impact (I would). There are lots of bike trails in the cities and burbs, and some close-in hiking in Boulder and Golden, for example. Camping, of course, has to be done in the mtns, or at least in a rural area.

Actually (according to them), going to watch a game would be considered entertainment. Denver did score a bit higher in that regard than Pittsburgh.

There are important things they left out, too, I'm sure some could argue would bring Pittsburgh's score down or maybe even raise it. For example, they didn't include natural parks in their methodology (as far as I can tell). I guess they aren't fun enough. If they included parks, I bet you anything Pittsburgh would have a very impressive score.
So would Denver, trust me. Denver owns a lot of land in the mtns that is called "Denver mountain parks". Plus there are some large parks in the city and some nearby state parks.

I'm not positive, but there's some statistic Pittsburgh holds for being the best city for park per person/capita or something like that. Don't quote me. Of course, if they included simply "outdoor activities" I'm sure Pittsburgh and Denver would have both done very well, perhaps Denver edging out Pittsburgh. I'm not sure. Denver has the mountains but Pittsburgh has the water.

As for gambling, they definitely didn't just include "city-proper" in their methodology. I believe gambling is also illegal in Seattle proper but Seattle ranked VERY high in gambling opportunities.

LOL! It's also very popular in Omaha, NE where it is illegal as well, but you drive across the river to Council Bluffs, IA and go gambling on a riverboat casino that is moored in Iowa. Most of the customers are from Omaha.

[Tallysmom]

Originally Posted by guylocke

LOL, Tallysmom you make me laugh so much. Now, was this your personal experience? Denver and Colorado DO have fleas. LOL. So does Pittsburgh. I don't think there is a climate in the USA where fleas can't thrive.

Well -- heck -- I was told Denver Colorado was too high for fleas.... or was that the fleas are too high, dude?

Nope -- definitely heard that Denver was too high for fleas to live.

I have so many cats it's costs me over a hundred bucks a month for Advantage! (Nine cats we claim as ours + two cats that "winter" with us (ferals that move in -- long story) and three wee fosters that we have tamed and are looking for homes for)

Oh -- not to mention the other two orange boys that are moving in...

[guylocke]

definitely heard that Denver was too high for fleas to live.

Definitely untrue.

They are a nuisance, that be nice if there were places they didn't exist if you're an animal lover.

WOW! After some quick google searches, I found out that IS indeed a myth. A lot of people are under the impression that there are no fleas in Colorado. Is that the state highest above sea level or something or just a random myth? I also found sites who are quick to de-bunk the myth.

Here is a sort of disturbing news article from Denver where apparently the fleas are not only thriving, but are violent!
The Denver Post - Cops attacked by fleas in vacant house

[Tallysmom]

Originally Posted by guylocke

Definitely untrue.

They are a nuisance, that be nice if there were places they didn't exist if you're an animal lover.

WOW! After some quick google searches, I found out that IS indeed a myth. A lot of people are under the impression that there are no fleas in Colorado. Is that the state highest above sea level or something or just a random myth? I also found sites who are quick to de-bunk the myth.

Here is a sort of disturbing news article from Denver where apparently the fleas are not only thriving, but are violent!
The Denver Post - Cops attacked by fleas in vacant house

That poor dog! They ABANDONED the dog! That's something that really gets me riled....

Hopefully someone else gave it good home with people who will love him.

And -- fleas like that are NO fun at all... our house was like that when we moved in... we took our three cats (at the time) to the vets for grooming and flea bathing and bombed the house. TWICE.

Now we aren't perfect, but we are pretty flea free.

[gallacus]

My girlfriend's dad that lives in Denver just had an enourmous flea infestation in his house. His friend's dog came over and infested his entire place. He was so miserable, he said it was the worst thing he's ever had to deal with. Looks like you're not the only one that has had to deal with these annoying pests!

[Katiana]

You guys are a lot of fun. I will say this: our cats have never had fleas here. Back home in Beaver Falls, the cats had to be defleaed all the time.