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Old 03-03-2015, 10:55 AM
 
80 posts, read 95,239 times
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and what do you not like?

I'll most likely be starting graduate school in the fall in Pittsburgh and I'd like to get to know a bit more about what people think about the QOL.

Also, any information about the area around CMU would be appreciated.
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Old 03-03-2015, 11:25 AM
 
Location: Pittsburgh
697 posts, read 774,322 times
Reputation: 889
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ambitions View Post
and what do you not like?

I'll most likely be starting graduate school in the fall in Pittsburgh and I'd like to get to know a bit more about what people think about the QOL.

Also, any information about the area around CMU would be appreciated.
Ah, you will get quite a range of answers.

Here are some positive ones, you can filter by "young professional."

Less diverse than many places, although the area you are considering is much more diverse due to the student, higher ed and medical communities concentrated in that area. Diversity is increasing and a city initiative.

Nice local park system - Frick, Schenley.

Three major sport teams; I believe there is a student rush for discounted Penguins tix.

I'm out of the grad student lifestyle so can't give good input about other QOL aspects.
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Old 03-03-2015, 11:45 AM
 
80 posts, read 95,239 times
Reputation: 50
Quote:
Originally Posted by DaisyDaisy View Post
Ah, you will get quite a range of answers.

Here are some positive ones, you can filter by "young professional."

Less diverse than many places, although the area you are considering is much more diverse due to the student, higher ed and medical communities concentrated in that area. Diversity is increasing and a city initiative.

Nice local park system - Frick, Schenley.

Three major sport teams; I believe there is a student rush for discounted Penguins tix.

I'm out of the grad student lifestyle so can't give good input about other QOL aspects.
Thanks for your reply. Very useful information. Diversity is a plus for me, but I definitely don't get hung up over it.

Also, I've never actually been to a NFL game. Maybe I can change that...
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Old 03-03-2015, 12:05 PM
 
3,589 posts, read 3,354,930 times
Reputation: 2515
I like the fact that I can do or get anything I need, and it is all under a 30min car ride. I am always hearing Pittsburgh is lacking what other cities have, but it is not true. The only things I can't do are sit on a beach in January, and see a NBA game live.
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Old 03-03-2015, 12:23 PM
 
80 posts, read 95,239 times
Reputation: 50
You mentioning the water brought up another question. Do people actually use the rivers recreational purposes?
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Old 03-03-2015, 12:28 PM
 
Location: Squirrel Hill PA
2,195 posts, read 2,573,514 times
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There really is no one thing. For me Pittsburgh and the surrounding area is the total package. I love the topography the museums and parks, the diversity and just the general friendly down to earth feel of the area.
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Old 03-03-2015, 12:37 PM
 
Location: Marshall-Shadeland, Pittsburgh, PA
32,606 posts, read 77,308,465 times
Reputation: 19071
LIKES:
  • Four distinctive seaons of variable weather to keep things interesting.
  • Professional sports.
  • Great cultural opportunities.
  • Generally friendly people.
  • Relatively affordable housing (albeit on the rise, especially for rentals).
  • Growing population of educated young professionals.
  • Expanding culinary options.
  • Increasing diversity.
  • Less segregation along racial lines than many other comparably-sized cities.
  • Beautiful skyline.
  • Great parks (Schenley, Frick, Riverview, Grandview, Point State Park, etc.)
  • Proximity to great outdoor recreational opportunities like skiing, hiking, mountain biking, whitewater rafting, and fishing.
  • Generally low violent crime outside of a few select impoverished neighborhoods that can be easily avoided.
  • Very LGBT-tolerant.
  • Leans left of center (liberal) politically---militantly so in the East End to more centrist in the suburbs.
  • Expanding employment opportunities with a commensurate relatively low unemployment rate.
  • Progressive mayor, progressive city council (sans Burgess and Harris), progressive county executive (sans his love of fracking in our parks and promotion of urban sprawl).
  • Visible signs of progress (dumpsters, construction vehicles, cranes, etc.) on seemingly every block these days.
  • Increasingly cyclist-friendly.
  • Unique flavor and identity in an era of appealing to the masses via suburban homogenization, especially in the Sunbelt.

DISLIKES:
  • Too many people here chain-smoke, and, unlike other areas, are NOT trying to quit.
  • Too many people here condone/promote underage drinking and/or driving while intoxicated.
  • Lack of a comprehensive commuter rail system.
  • Winters are a tad too cloudy for my personal tastes.
  • Median rents in the desirable parts of town have been increasing more rapidly than the increase in median real incomes in that same part of town, pricing out existing residents due to gentrification.
  • Geographic isolation: It takes forever to drive/bus/train to NYC, Philadelphia, Boston, Baltimore, or DC. We're closer to comparatively underwhelming and struggling Rust Belt cities like Cleveland, Johnstown, Wheeling, Weirton, Buffalo, Altoona, Youngstown, Akron, New Castle, etc.
  • Noticeably increasing amount of haughtiness, smugness, and pretense in the East End in the years I've lived here, especially among people who don't work very hard for their money and who shouldn't feel so "entitled" as they put down blue-collars and service sector workers. Since roughly half the city lives in the East End this threatens our prominence as being a "friendly" city.
  • Very scant Hispanic/Latino population relative to just about ANYWHERE else.
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Old 03-03-2015, 12:51 PM
 
80 posts, read 95,239 times
Reputation: 50
Quote:
Originally Posted by shadowfax View Post
There really is no one thing. For me Pittsburgh and the surrounding area is the total package. I love the topography the museums and parks, the diversity and just the general friendly down to earth feel of the area.
I've heard this city described as friendly and down to earth more times than I could count. That is awesome!

Quote:
Originally Posted by SteelCityRising View Post
LIKES:
  • Four distinctive seaons of variable weather to keep things interesting.
  • Professional sports.
  • Great cultural opportunities.
  • Generally friendly people.
  • Relatively affordable housing (albeit on the rise, especially for rentals).
  • Growing population of educated young professionals.
  • Expanding culinary options.
  • Increasing diversity.
  • Less segregation along racial lines than many other comparably-sized cities.
  • Beautiful skyline.
  • Great parks (Schenley, Frick, Riverview, Grandview, Point State Park, etc.)
  • Proximity to great outdoor recreational opportunities like skiing, hiking, mountain biking, whitewater rafting, and fishing.
  • Generally low violent crime outside of a few select impoverished neighborhoods that can be easily avoided.
  • Very LGBT-tolerant.
  • Leans left of center (liberal) politically---militantly so in the East End to more centrist in the suburbs.
  • Expanding employment opportunities with a commensurate relatively low unemployment rate.
  • Progressive mayor, progressive city council (sans Burgess and Harris), progressive county executive (sans his love of fracking in our parks and promotion of urban sprawl).
  • Visible signs of progress (dumpsters, construction vehicles, cranes, etc.) on seemingly every block these days.
  • Increasingly cyclist-friendly.
  • Unique flavor and identity in an era of appealing to the masses via suburban homogenization, especially in the Sunbelt.

DISLIKES:
  • Too many people here chain-smoke, and, unlike other areas, are NOT trying to quit.
  • Too many people here condone/promote underage drinking and/or driving while intoxicated.
  • Lack of a comprehensive commuter rail system.
  • Winters are a tad too cloudy for my personal tastes.
  • Median rents in the desirable parts of town have been increasing more rapidly than the increase in median real incomes in that same part of town, pricing out existing residents due to gentrification.
  • Geographic isolation: It takes forever to drive/bus/train to NYC, Philadelphia, Boston, Baltimore, or DC. We're closer to comparatively underwhelming and struggling Rust Belt cities like Cleveland, Johnstown, Wheeling, Weirton, Buffalo, Altoona, Youngstown, Akron, New Castle, etc.
  • Noticeably increasing amount of haughtiness, smugness, and pretense in the East End in the years I've lived here, especially among people who don't work very hard for their money and who shouldn't feel so "entitled" as they put down blue-collars and service sector workers.
  • Very scant Hispanic/Latino population relative to just about ANYWHERE else.
Great list. Pluses that caught my eye are the progressiveness and ability to bike around the city and enjoy the surrounding topography.

I'm not too big a fan of cloudy winters. I'm not sure how they compare to Purdue, where I did my undergraduate work.
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Old 03-03-2015, 12:51 PM
 
3,589 posts, read 3,354,930 times
Reputation: 2515
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ambitions View Post
You mentioning the water brought up another question. Do people actually use the rivers recreational purposes?
I kayak on the rivers, I would not use them as a swimming hole unless you go up past Boston pa. If I feel the need for a beach, I go to lake Erie.
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Old 03-03-2015, 12:56 PM
 
Location: Marshall-Shadeland, Pittsburgh, PA
32,606 posts, read 77,308,465 times
Reputation: 19071
Quote:
Originally Posted by guy2073 View Post
I kayak on the rivers, I would not use them as a swimming hole unless you go up past Boston pa. If I feel the need for a beach, I go to lake Erie.
Presque Isle State Park in Erie, PA is two hours away and is quite lovely! The beaches usually aren't very crowded, and while Lake Erie isn't the same as the Atlantic Coast it's still very nice.
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