Young couple working in Wheeling, WV- Where to live? (Pittsburgh: apartment, rental)

[speagles84]

Maybe checkout the airport corridor (North Fayette, Moon, Robinson). Lots of activity there, its all newer housing, and its not a terrible commute either (either 22 to Weirton and down Ohio-7 OR 79 to Washington and out 70.)

[I_Like_Spam]

Originally Posted by speagles84

Maybe checkout the airport corridor (North Fayette, Moon, Robinson). Lots of activity there, its all newer housing, and its not a terrible commute either (either 22 to Weirton and down Ohio-7 OR 79 to Washington and out 70.)

Its still close to an hour of high speed driving from the airport to Wheeling, I think that's a lot.

If the OP chooses this, they should really like to drive.

[Nick538]

If you are working in Wheeling, how often do you plan on enjoying the amenities of Pittsburgh, anyway?

My GF lives south of Wheeling and commutes to Shadyside in Pittsburgh every day. We love the Burgh but Wheeling has a lot going for it.

Wheeling has relatively low crime, lots of nice housing, the nation's finest municipal park system, lower property taxes, great city services and easy access to Pittsburgh and Columbus. For shopping, there is everything you can need (Super Wal-Marts, Target, JC Penney, Best Buy, Sam's Club, Cabela's, Tim Horton's, Steak & Shake, pet stores, a mall, Macy's, two cinemas, Quaker Stake & Lube, Primanti's, a soon to be Chipolte, the Lebanon Bakery and a hundred other great places, bars, fast food, a walking/biking trail that is several miles long, a skate park, great golf, Wheeling Park, a new sports facility in East Wheeling, the riverfront stage, the Wheeling Symphony, the former State Capitol building, Stifel Center, Wheeling Jesuit & West Liberty University, Bethany College, a community college, an Artisan Center, Center Market Historic District, two very good hospitals, great veterinarians, community parades & festivals, riverfront fireworks, the Wheeling Nailers Hockey Club, family friendly neighborhoods, beautiful, historic cemeteries and an opportunity to start new businesses, among many other great things.

Look into Wheeling, especially the areas near Oglebay or Wheeling Park (Shawnee Hills, Oglebay, Woodsdale, Oakmont, Pleasanton, Dimmeydale, etc.)

Good luck!

[bradjl2009]

Originally Posted by bluecarebear

Wheeling is way cheaper than Pittsburgh. If marketing was done correctly, Wheeling would be the new hot suburb of Pittsburgh.

Do you mean Weirton? Wheeling is over an hour from Downtown Pittsburgh on a good day.

[bluecarebear]

Originally Posted by bradjl2009

Do you mean Weirton? Wheeling is over an hour from Downtown Pittsburgh on a good day.

No, Wheeling. The rest of the panhandle can be thrown in too. Most megacities have outlying suburbs.

[bluecarebear]

What we are starting to see develop is a common characteristic of larger metros across the US. For a multitude of reasons, growth will start to occur in the hot areas of the Pittsburgh region. Expansion farther out in the direction of Washington and Butler counties. Eventually, going past what would be the reasonable boundaries.

I know the trend is for urban development but if you ever lived in one of the "fastest" growing regions before the housing market crash, then you will understand how growth will expand out and not towards the downtown.

[durhamjd]

Originally Posted by Nick538

If you are working in Wheeling, how often do you plan on enjoying the amenities of Pittsburgh, anyway?

Look into Wheeling, especially the areas near Oglebay or Wheeling Park (Shawnee Hills, Oglebay, Woodsdale, Oakmont, Pleasanton, Dimmeydale, etc.)

Good luck!

Nick, I definitely agree with you in many ways. I've been rather impressed with what Wheeling has in many ways, but wanted to expand my search outwards because there seems to be a serious shortage of dog-friendly, remotely modern housing in Wheeling. I'd also likely be looking for a church closer to Pittsburgh to find somewhere with a more active group of young adults.

Regarding the Wheeling as a suburb of Pittsburgh argument, as an outsider, that is what I expected prior to visiting the area. "Drive until you qualify" is big in the Raleigh-Durham area, thus a historic town within an hour's drive would likely fit that mold. However, the rural stretch of I-70 between Wheeling and Washington does make the area feel quite disjointed from the rest of the Pittsburgh region.

[SteelCityRising]

Originally Posted by durhamjd

Regarding the Wheeling as a suburb of Pittsburgh argument, as an outsider, that is what I expected prior to visiting the area. "Drive until you qualify" is big in the Raleigh-Durham area, thus a historic town within an hour's drive would likely fit that mold. However, the rural stretch of I-70 between Wheeling and Washington does make the area feel quite disjointed from the rest of the Pittsburgh region.

Although I'm one of the biggest whiners when it comes to how expensive this place is becoming nowadays be advised that only a small square mileage area of the city proper has been rapidly gentrifying to the point of pricing out many in the working- and/or lower-middle-class. These areas include Downtown/Strip District (15222); South Side (15203); parts of the Lower North Side (15212); and much of the East End, including all or at least some of (15201-Lawrenceville/Stanton Heights; 15206-East Liberty/Morningside/East Shadyside; 15207-Greenfield; 15208-Point Breeze; 15213-Oakland; 15217-Squirrel Hill; 15218-Edgewood/Swissvale; 15219-Polish Hill; 15221-Regent Square/Wilkinsburg; 15224-Bloomfield/Friendship/Garfield; and 15232-Shadyside). Good deals on both ownership opportunities AND rentals CAN still be had in these areas, but they are now quite scarce whereas just a decade ago you could buy a livable rowhouse in a place like Lawrenceville for 1/4 of what it would cost today.

As long as there are still areas even within just the city proper that are safe and proximate to walkable amenities and/or a nexus of educated professional types, I don't foresee Weirton or Wheeling truly emerging as satellite cities of Pittsburgh. People aren't even flipping nearby areas like Sharpsburg or McKees Rocks yet in large numbers, and these areas are more convenient to Downtown than "tony" areas of the city proper like Regent Square.

To address your initial inquiry you're really in a tough pickle. I, too, like Wheeling itself, but when I think of "young, innovative, fresh, upwardly-mobile professional types" I don't exactly think of Wheeling---I think of Pittsburgh. Wheeling collapsed just as hard (if not harder) economically in the 1970s-1990s as/than Pittsburgh did, and it's been struggling much more to reinvent itself, hence a dearth of a sizable young professional community. I'd probably just live in Downtown Wheeling if I were you (never underestimate a quick commute to work!) and visit Pittsburgh on the weekends, occasionally getting a hotel room on Saturday nights somewhere Downtown to truly gain the "urban experience" when you're craving it.

[crae09]

I would try to find something in the Washington Area. If you want to be closer to the city, I agree with the person who mentioned up near the airport area (Oakdale for example) Although according to Google Maps it would be an hour commute (without traffic)

[Pittsburghpride83]

Originally Posted by bluecarebear

Wheeling is way cheaper than Pittsburgh. If marketing was done correctly, Wheeling would be the new hot suburb of Pittsburgh.

Agreed!!!! Wheeling was a very wealthy steel city like pittsburgh was at one time. It was the first capital city of West Virginia. There are some nice older homes and mansions there. Downtown Wheeling is much larger than expected. There are some nice city neighborhoods, the historic district just north of downtown and the neighborhood by Wheeling Jesuit University. There is a decent amount of things to do there. They have bars, good restaurants and a casino just like Pittsburgh. There are events on the riverwalk in downtown. The Pittsburgh Penguins minor league hockey team the Wheeling Nailers play at Wesbanco Arena in downtown. The best part is you are 1 hour from Pittsburgh and 2 hours from Columbus and no toll roads.