Why do people from Pittsburgh care so much about money? (York: rent, how much)

[geography_guru]

I grew up in Pittsburgh and then went to Cleveland for college. While I was growing up, my parents would make frequent trips to Cleveland because we have family in Cleveland. Because of that I feel I have a pretty good perspective of both cities. One of the major differences I see between Pittsburgh and Cleveland is how people from Pittsburgh are always bragging about how much money they have, how expensive their house is, where they live, the price of their car, etc. I understand people are proud of their accomplishments, but in Cleveland I hardly hear people talking about the amount of wealth they have. The 'nicer' areas in Cleveland like Beachwood, Shaker Heights, Bay Village, Avon Lake, etc. all have nice cars, homes, etc. just like Peters Township, Mt. Lebanon, Upper Saint Clair to name a few.

[Agbor]

Maybe they came from a family that was never used to having anything...

[Pittsburghpride83]

Originally Posted by geography_guru

I grew up in Pittsburgh and then went to Cleveland for college. While I was growing up, my parents would make frequent trips to Cleveland because we have family in Cleveland. Because of that I feel I have a pretty good perspective of both cities. One of the major differences I see between Pittsburgh and Cleveland is how people from Pittsburgh are always bragging about how much money they have, how expensive their house is, where they live, the price of their car, etc. I understand people are proud of their accomplishments, but in Cleveland I hardly hear people talking about the amount of wealth they have. The 'nicer' areas in Cleveland like Beachwood, Shaker Heights, Bay Village, Avon Lake, etc. all have nice cars, homes, etc. just like Peters Township, Mt. Lebanon, Upper Saint Clair to name a few.

I don't really notice this living here. Maybe I just don't hang out with the type of people that make a big buck. Most of my friends that live around here make stereotypical "Pittsburgh" type of money. Meaning they don't make what they are truly worth. They cannot afford to live in the trendy/expensive city neighborhoods or suburban townships / boroughs that seem to be promoted on this board. Everybody I know that is a young professional with a degree lives in places like Observatory Hill, Brighton Heights, Baden Borough, Swissvale Borough and Whitehall Borough.

IMO, People can be snobby anywhere. Not just Pittsburgh...

[doo dah]

Peters Township, Mount Lebanon and Upper Saint Clair are not in Pittsburgh. Obviously, it is the suburbanites who care so much about money.

[Pittsburghpride83]

Originally Posted by doo dah

Peters Township, Mount Lebanon and Upper Saint Clair are not in Pittsburgh. Obviously, it is the suburbanites who care so much about money.

True, but I find most people refer to these places as Pittsburgh in this forum. It is much like how the areas the the OP mentioned are not in the City of Cleveland either, but are typically referred to as Cleveland.

I think the posting board can be misleading on this site. Pittsburgh is the 62nd largest city in the country, but the "Pittsburgh" area which is typically spoken about on this board is the 20th largest metro in the country. Pittsburgh, like Cleveland, is a heavily majority suburban and exurban metro. The city limits of each are tiny in both cases are 55 square miles for Pittsburgh and 77 square miles for Cleveland

So yes none of the places you just mentioned actually fall in the city limits of Pittsburgh. On another note, having these types of places inside the city limits would greatly help pittsburgh exit Act 47 oversight and pay its bills.

[geography_guru]

With what Pittsburghpride83 said, when I speak of 'Pittsburgh' and 'Cleveland' I am talking about the greater metro areas.

Also, my family isn't "rich" but every time I am in Pittsburgh at the mall or talking to friends, they all are speaking of how someone is wealthy because they are building a new house, buying a new BMW, etc. and I am just wondering why they feel the need to always compete against other people to have the newest car, most expensive house, etc.

BTW I am not some "rich" person complaining I can't even afford to buy those types of things lol

[Mr.BadGuy]

Compared to other places I've lived, Pittsburghers are more likely to regard the surrounding suburbs as part of the city. And one aspect of suburban life that has vexed many people since the concept of suburbs first started taking off in the 1950s is the prospect of keeping up (or not keeping up) with the Joneses. I submit that the talk of money and who has what is not unique to the area, but is instead an American phenomenon that you will find just about anywhere. Ever been out on Long Island? Oh boy, do they keep up with the Joneses there! In fact, we have plenty of 30/40-something peers in NYC who will go on and on about their "vacation homes" in the Hamptons or Montauk or whatever, but dig a little deeper, and it's ALWAYS either a time-share or a house that's been in the family for generations. They don't own them...they RENT them, just like most people do...but they care a LOT about coming across as having "more" than others.

As I said in a previous post, another difference I've noticed between Rust Belt cities vs. coastal cities is the relative perception of wealth. I've noticed for a while that some 20-somethings call peers "trust-fund kids", using that term interchangeably with "members of the upper-middle class." I observed identical behavior in Baltimore, which is usually considered Rust Belt, or at least post-industrial. Whereas to earn the moniker "trust-fund kid" in D.C., LA, or New York, you literally have to live off of dividends from investments of family wealth.

That is not just a Rust Belt thing, either. It's a youth thing, too. Young people right out of college can fall into a trap where they start comparing themselves to peers and anxiously keeping track of who has more. Some of them become obsessed with it and really drive themselves up a wall with the comparisons, to a degree that isn't healthy. I've noted that Pittsburgh has a larger percentage of 20-somethings compared to its peer cities — a more recent trend, to be sure, but it is happening. It certainly has a larger population of college students and new grads per capita at any rate, and has for a while. So it may simply be a matter of demographics, although the behavior is not unique to Pgh. 20-somethings in NYC compare wealth and gossip about who has what, too. It's just that the amount of wealth required to catch their interest is higher, due to the higher COL and salaries.

[charisb]

Why do human beings the world over often seem to care a lot about money?
Sorry, OP, this is a very silly thread. Cleveland is a cool city, but I am sure there are plenty of people there who care a lot about money.

<P.S. Gortonator, is your algorithm real? >

[szug-bot]

Why do Cleveland sports teams continue to be abyssmal? I've noticed in many other cities that they do at least have time intervals where they are competitive, and for more than one or two seasons only. It's something I've wondered for ************************************************** ******

THE NATIONAL SECURITY AGENCY HAS CEASED TRANSMISSION

WE ARE NOT AT WAR WITH OCEANIA

GO ABOUT YOUR BUSINESS

[ElijahAstin]

Originally Posted by geography_guru

I grew up in Pittsburgh and then went to Cleveland for college. While I was growing up, my parents would make frequent trips to Cleveland because we have family in Cleveland. Because of that I feel I have a pretty good perspective of both cities. One of the major differences I see between Pittsburgh and Cleveland is how people from Pittsburgh are always bragging about how much money they have, how expensive their house is, where they live, the price of their car, etc. I understand people are proud of their accomplishments, but in Cleveland I hardly hear people talking about the amount of wealth they have. The 'nicer' areas in Cleveland like Beachwood, Shaker Heights, Bay Village, Avon Lake, etc. all have nice cars, homes, etc. just like Peters Township, Mt. Lebanon, Upper Saint Clair to name a few.

And the people I know from Cleveland's 'nicer' areas are just as likely to brag about their wealth as Pittsburgh's (IE, not really). Isn't anecdotal evidence fun?

Originally Posted by doo dah

Peters Township, Mount Lebanon and Upper Saint Clair are not in Pittsburgh. Obviously, it is the suburbanites who care so much about money.

Shadyside, Squirrel Hill, and Point Breeze then.

Originally Posted by Mr.BadGuy

one aspect of suburban life that has vexed many people since the concept of suburbs first started taking off in the 1950s is the prospect of keeping up (or not keeping up) with the Joneses.

Keeping up with the Joneses was a thing well before post-war Suburbanization. Some might even call it a product of human civilization. "Thou shalt not covet," anyone?

Originally Posted by Mr.BadGuy

As I said in a previous post, another difference I've noticed between Rust Belt cities vs. coastal cities is the relative perception of wealth. I've noticed for a while that some 20-somethings call peers "trust-fund kids", using that term interchangeably with "members of the upper-middle class." I observed identical behavior in Baltimore, which is usually considered Rust Belt, or at least post-industrial. Whereas to earn the moniker "trust-fund kid" in D.C., LA, or New York, you literally have to live off of dividends from investments of family wealth.

I agree with you there.