East Liberty - 2015 (Pittsburgh, Franklin Park, Franklin: to live in, restaurant, floor)

[selltheburgh]

Originally Posted by friendsheep

It would be amazing to see some new to Pittsburgh clothing chains here like Uniqlo, Zara, Topshop.. This would be the perfect urban location in Pittsburgh for some of these fast fashion brands. It would be great to see an REI here or a smaller urban model Dick's location if that even exists other than True Runner.

However with Old Navy I think we're more likely to see Payless, Claire's, and a Five Below.

I'm curious to see. It is the same developer / landlord as Whole Foods, Target, etc and they are going to have 350+ expensive apartments as part of the development.

I'm thinking it'll probably be a mix of lesser expensive shops and some high end. Other cities make that work.

[theta_sigma]

Originally Posted by SteelCityRising

I often stroll the Strip District on my warmer (i.e. not subzero) Tuesdays off and patronize many local merchants along Penn, Smallman, the numbered side streets, and the Pittsburgh Public Market to try to keep some of my dollars local as I munch Pittsburgh Popcorn, but, alas, I DO find myself buying apparel at "the chains", especially if you consider the Goodwill Store on East Carson Street to be a chain. As has already been mentioned there is a real dearth of non-chain mid-range men's apparel stores in this city, hence why American Eagle Outfitters (can they be considered "local" since they're headquartered here?); H&M; and Express Men is where many of my dollars go when I want to splurge on a new button-down plaid shirt or accessory.

I'm probably an anomaly as a 20-something that I refuse to buy ANYTHING online, regardless of cost savings. If I could buy a $20 pair of American Eagle sandals at their flagship store at South Side Works or the same pair online for $15 on eBay or Amazon I'm going to walk into the store and buy them to help keep the LOCAL sales associates working there employed. From a "chain" standpoint I do love to spend hours browsing and purchasing items at Barnes & Noble and Best Buy and know I'm, sadly, going to live in an era in which both stores will be obsolete as everyone else just "window-shops" at those places before going home and ordering online from Amazon instead.

I also recently downloaded the "ShopKick" app, which rewards you with gift cards simply for walking into stores when your app is on and/or scanning the UPC codes of certain items they're promoting. You can't get free gift cards simply for gawking at things online. I almost have enough "kicks" accrued for a free Venti drink at Starbucks.

I'm talking dry goods, SCR, not food (prepared or otherwise).

I also try to avoid Amazon because I hate their business practices, and just try to avoid unnecessary consumption in general because terrible business practices are pretty much par for the course any more, but let's be real: the average middle class American overwhelming shops either at chains or online. The supply chain infrastructure is just not set up to allow small businesses to be able to compete in most sectors.

I shop a lot at Wild Card in Lawrenceville, whenever I need to buy a gift for someone, and I do a lot of my grocery shopping in the Strip where I also sometimes pick up a few incidental dry goods (like kitchen gadgets at In The Kitchen) but for clothes, housewares and electronics, there's really not much available in the average person's price range that isn't a chain.

[I_Like_Spam]

Originally Posted by eschaton

FWIW, Downtown now has a parking minimum of zero, and plenty of Downtown apartments are going on market, and getting leased quickly, with no parking available. The argument that East Liberty isn't the same as Downtown can be made, and is compelling. But the experience of other cities suggests if we want to wean the city center off of cars, you need to start with eliminating the parking minimums, not presume that they'll be eliminated in some point in the future when an arbitrary density is reached.

The Pittsburgh Parking Authority gives priority and special rates to downtown residents in their garages.

And of course there are numerous non-PPA garages and lots in town as well, someone well heeled enough to move there presumably would be able to afford.

East Liberty really doesn't have much public parking except on the street or attached to retail businesses. Assuming a "car free" lifestyle in Pittsburgh for someone pay skyhigh rents beginning at 1500, when they can rent a place for 1/2 that with parking not that terribly far away, well its a tough sell particularly when you have hundreds of units to peddle.

[Der Schwabe]

The discount/special rates is the exemption from the City's tax on parking downtown. At least that is how Alco explained the discount. PPA garages usually have very long waiting lists. When I was living downtown, the discount took my garage rate from $300+ (IIRC) down to $200.

[CFP]

will rents be higher for apartments with unobstructed views of the surface parking lot?

[Geeo]

I think that's the new street and bikeway that will connect Highland with Penn near the Target. The traffic signals have already been installed at both intersections.

[WhoIsStanwix?]

Originally Posted by Geeo

I think that's the new street and bikeway that will connect Highland with Penn near the Target. The traffic signals have already been installed at both intersections.

This is what I thought based on walking by as well.

[CFP]

Originally Posted by Geeo

I think that's the new street and bikeway that will connect Highland with Penn near the Target. The traffic signals have already been installed at both intersections.

according to this plan it's the new street/surface parking lot - very scenic

[eschaton]

Originally Posted by CFP

according to this plan it's the new street/surface parking lot - very scenic

I think most of those spaces are going to be hidden by elevated levels of building A.

[theta_sigma]

CFP, you don't have to live there, what does it matter to you?