Pittsburgh restaurant serves food from countries at conflict with US (Liberty: neighborhood, to buy)

[bluecarebear]

Originally Posted by SteelCityRising

I'm just cranky because I loved Pittsburgh in 2009. In 2014 I like Pittsburgh. It seems like over the course of these past five years rents have skyrocketed, making it harder to afford a comfortable lifestyle here without working in excess of 40 hours per week; people have become more unfriendly and hurried (not to mention more pompous, as I've now been called "the help" TWICE); and I see more and more people moving here to "be a part of something" (a la Austin, Portland, Asheville, Williamsburg (Brooklyn), Boulder, etc.) instead of just appreciating Pittsburgh for what it is.

I don't want Pittsburgh to become Williamsburg or Portland. I want us to have SUBSTANCE. I don't want us to orient ourselves around trends and what's "hip" in pop culture at any given moment. I don't know how building more $1,600+/month 1-BR apartments is going to help Pittsburgh stay down-to-earth and not skew it in a more homogenized, commercialized, and "yuppified", if you will, direction.

There's a difference between wanting the region to clean up its act in terms of smoking, obesity, air pollution, and urban blight vs. wanting the region to shed its treasured historic ambiance to "compete" with other shallow, baseless cities.

I could not agree more with everything you have said on this thread. I can not fathom what has happened in the last 5 years. The city has a completely different vibe than when I first moved here. I was willing to move closer downtown, now...I want to leave Pittsburgh.

[bluecarebear]

Originally Posted by Evergrey

Maybe you should try Scranton.

I have only visited Wilkes-Barre and have to say that I was extremely impressed. The valley and mountains are beautiful and the center city is lovely.

[I_Like_Spam]

Originally Posted by SteelCityRising

So what will happen in ten years when Brookline Boulevard handles enough spillover of East End housing price refugees that it exchanges its laundromat for a "performing arts space"; its pizzeria for a "community engagement center"; its grocery store (didn't know it had one) for a vegan coffeehouse; its bakery for a comic books store; its pharmacy for an art gallery; its branch library for a gourmet dog biscuit store; etc.? Rent will rise even more, while the existing residents are able to walk to even LESS useful things. .

Relax, there are only a limited number of limo libs out there.

I suppose Brookline could become a new home for them if points east become too infested. But there aren't enough of these folks to fill the whole area.

Places like the Rocks, Avalon and Brentwood should still be home to old school Pittsburghers looking up their nose at all things metrosexual.

Traditional Pittsburghers are only moving from their original habitats like the South Side and L'ville, they aren't being rubbed out.

[sskink]

Originally Posted by TheYO

There's a place in Oakland that serves Cuban and Chinese food.

I think there's a Cuban place in Lawrenceville too

I wonder if you could open a restaurant in Mt. Lebo called "Marca Cuban" without getting sued...

[ProFiction]

Originally Posted by TheYO

I think there's a Cuban place in Lawrenceville too

Indeed. It's called Salud and it's wonderful.

[PghYinzer]

SCR should write a book entitled..."Chasing the Rust Belt: My Ongoing Search for a Latte Free Life."

Also, the things you label as "fluff" are useful to some people, just not you. I think a laundromat is fluff since I have a washer and dryer at home.

Now back to this Cuban restaurant...they dont have a website, but from what I could see on Yelp and Urbanspoon they are open late and the food looks great. Definitely going to have to try this.

[SlurmsMcKenzie]

Parts of Pittsburgh may become like Portland or Williamsburg/Brooklyn. And what's wrong with that? Those are two wildly successful places who are attractive to a great many people. But our WHOLE CITY will not go this route. Portland is a west coast city, specifically PNW, and its going to skew liberal anyways just like San Fran and Seattle. And even Portland has largely hipster-free zones (I know, I've been there). Williamsburg is a big place but there is still plenty of different locations within NYC for everyone else. If your end of town becomes hipster and you don't like it, thats life I guess. Change is good but sometimes painful, too. Even if the east end becomes 100% inhabited by hipsters (improbable), there will always be the other, non-east neighborhoods for the rest of us.

I'm not willing to bash a demographic that generally arrive on the scene once an area is on the upswing. I'm sure places like Buffalo and Youngstown would love to have such a problem.

[charisb]

Originally Posted by SteelCityRising

I'm just cranky because I loved Pittsburgh in 2009. In 2014 I like Pittsburgh. It seems like over the course of these past five years rents have skyrocketed, making it harder to afford a comfortable lifestyle here without working in excess of 40 hours per week; people have become more unfriendly and hurried (not to mention more pompous, as I've now been called "the help" TWICE); and I see more and more people moving here to "be a part of something" (a la Austin, Portland, Asheville, Williamsburg (Brooklyn), Boulder, etc.) instead of just appreciating Pittsburgh for what it is.

I don't want Pittsburgh to become Williamsburg or Portland. I want us to have SUBSTANCE. I don't want us to orient ourselves around trends and what's "hip" in pop culture at any given moment. I don't know how building more $1,600+/month 1-BR apartments is going to help Pittsburgh stay down-to-earth and not skew it in a more homogenized, commercialized, and "yuppified", if you will, direction.

There's a difference between wanting the region to clean up its act in terms of smoking, obesity, air pollution, and urban blight vs. wanting the region to shed its treasured historic ambiance to "compete" with other shallow, baseless cities.

I love Pittsburgh more now than I did in 2009. My social group has expanded as more new people have moved into my neighborhood. Many great restaurants and bars have opened. After a miserable year of doing nothing I was able to leave my crummy apartment and buy a house in a neighborhood that isn't particularly hip, but works great for us (Greenfield). My friends around the country no longer feel sad for me that I moved here, and are now lining us to visit.
I don't notice more unfriendliness now and I am not sure what that means. But I don't understand 1) these people you say are moving here to be 'part of something' or 2) how a city can be 'shallow and baseless'.

[Aqua Teen Carl]

Power LOL at transplants who moved here 5 years ago longing for the "old" Pittsburgh as if they have any idea what that actually was.

The hip/artsy/yuppie/whatever element probably constitutes 5% of the city at best. Cross some rivers some time weirdos, if you don't like that stuff it simply doesn't exist outside of a very small number of neighborhoods.

As far as Conflict Kitchen is concerned: did not have authentic Mexican, 0/10

[gortonator]

Originally Posted by Aqua Teen Carl

Power LOL at transplants who moved here 5 years ago longing for the "old" Pittsburgh as if they have any idea what that actually was.

The hip/artsy/yuppie/whatever element probably constitutes 5% of the city at best. Cross some rivers some time weirdos, if you don't like that stuff it simply doesn't exist outside of a very small number of neighborhoods.

I did giggle uncontrollably at that one too. And the implication that Portland/etc doesn't have substance nearly made me laff my pants off.

And Portland is exactly the same as you describe Pgh above. Drive 15 mins to Gresham or Beaverton or Hillboro or Vancouver (WA), and you soon discover Portlandia is a very small part of the city. There's a lot of old time, hardly changing Portland surrounding the small hipstery weirdo (and super fun)) inner city core.

Back on topic - I might see what Conflict Kitchen has for lunch this week