Moving to Pittsburgh (Penn: house, private schools, income)

[lchagen]

Me and my husband are moving to Pittsburgh, he is going to be working from home and I am hoping to get a teaching job. We would really like to know some of the best areas to live in Pittsburgh. We are a young couple, hoping to start a family within the next few years. We dont want to live too far from the city, but also not necessarily in the center either. We have two dogs so we ultimately want some where that has big yards, and is safe to walk them. I know a city will obviously have crime, but I want to avoid areas where I cant walk them at all. My husbands family live in Ohio and would travel down to see us on I-76/79 so if possible we want somewhere they can reach easily from there. We cant afford too much and our upper limit for a budget would be 150k. Has anyone got any suggestions?

[smokecitytdi]

Pittsburgh is a nice town but you must be crazy to move here from Cary, NC. It's my retirement dream...6 more years and I'll never set foot in Pennsylvania again...(Yes it's my opinion, sorry Pittsburgh Cheerleaders)

I think you need to read the teachers post. The pay and benefits are great but it's difficult to find a teaching job...

http://www.city-data.com/forum/pitts...ittsburgh.html

Maybe you should look into Charlotte? See below, taken from "Ryan101" originally from Pennsylvania.

Why do I love Charlotte?

Well, firstly...it's the complete antithesis in terms of environment to what I saw while living in the PA Commonwealth.

By environment I mean : the people in NC are social and generally rather friendly, the economy is growing instead of decaying, the weather is warm (love it love it), and there are plenty of things to do here that DON'T involve alcohol. Also, the cost of living is considerably less, and the taxes are about halved of what they were in PA. I have an apt with more amenities than my house did, in a considerably more convenient location, and it costs monthly several hundred dollars a month less than my mortgage.

Plus....I can actually use my degrees. Couldn't use 'em in PA for spit, in NC they're useful...and financially rewarding.
Anyhow...Charlotte has answered many things for me, and I hope those examples helped to answer your question.

-Ryan

[claremarie]

Don't even think of moving to the Pittsburgh area without a teaching job lined up, unless you can afford to live indefinitely on your husband's earnings.

[chloride1]

I would check out Greentree, Brookline, Dormant, and Mount Leb. They are just south of the city and are family-oriented; also, they are very near 79. The schools in Mount Leb. are outstanding (but that means the housing costs are higher) Good luck.

[Katiana]

I agree with clairemarie. If you are serious about this move and really need your income as a teacher, apply to every district in the area. I know there are some on this forum who would say avoid the "bad" areas, but you can always turn a job down. The trick is to be offered one.

[goodgirl49]

Originally Posted by pittnurse70

I agree with clairemarie. If you are serious about this move and really need your income as a teacher, apply to every district in the area. I know there are some on this forum who would say avoid the "bad" areas, but you can always turn a job down. The trick is to be offered one.

I'd also apply to private schools.