Wanting city life with 13 year old (Pittsburgh, Washington: apartment complexes, rentals, houses)

[Wanderer1979]

Just returned home from a weekend in Pittsburgh. I knew I would love it, but I am determined to move there now! I am 7 hours away, so I am doing as much research as I can online but plan on returning one more time to look at apartments. I really would like to live in a highrise or somewhere I can have a city view, meanwhile, not putting my son in a dire situation. I have looked at Washington Plaza and Allegheny Center (online) and while it is within my budget, not sure it would be suitable for my son. (I seen no mention of children living there) I am thinking I would not want to send him to the public schools in that area, and will probably try the lottery system as I do not believe I could afford private schools. Is it possible to have the city life and keep my son safe and secure? (We will be coming from a small rural area with a good school so I want the shock to his system to be as minimal as possible) I will eventually buy a home there, but am wanting the opportunity to live there first and explore more. Any insight is appreciated!

[guy2073]

when the mayor was on undercover boss all the city employees sent their kids to private school. that should say something about the state of the city schools. i am not an expert in the city schools but if i was going to live in the city i would start to look at the school feeders first and then think about location.

[Wanderer1979]

School feeders?

[Lobick]

Originally Posted by guy2073

when the mayor was on undercover boss all the city employees sent their kids to private school. that should say something about the state of the city schools. i am not an expert in the city schools but if i was going to live in the city i would start to look at the school feeders first and then think about location.

Don't let that stop you from bashing them though....

[SteelCityRising]

Lobick, Eschaton, and a few other "regulars" on here are raising children in the city, and if I'm not mistaken they all seem to be doing just fine. We live in the city and plan to raise our future adopted children in the city. There's a common misconception that suburban schools are automatically "better" than city schools when that is not necessarily always the case, especially when factoring in the distinctive advantage children from affluent backgrounds in suburban areas have over their urban counterparts when it comes to standardized testing.

By "city view" I presume you mean you want to live somewhere with a skyline view? I can't think of any neighborhoods with a skyline view that would have public schools for your son that would be generally considered to be "good". The best school feeder pattern in the city is in the Lower East End in neighborhoods like Squirrel Hill, Point Breeze, Regent Square, Swisshelm Park, and Greenfield. Your son, at age 13, would be entering his Freshman year of high school, correct? These neighborhoods are all family-friendly and feed into Taylor Allderdice High School, which is considered to be the best non-magnet public high school in the city.

I'd recommend looking for rentals in Squirrel Hill that are walkable to the Forbes & Murray business district. You can still get that "city" feel with lots of delis, pizzerias, bakeries, banks, grocers, a theater, ice cream parlors, a library, houses of worship, etc. at your fingertips while also having decent schools for your son AND proximity to two great city parks---Schenley and Frick.

Pittsburgh is an easily-accessible and navigable city (once you become oriented). A drive from Squirrel Hill to the heart of the city via the Boulevard of the Allies through South Oakland would be about ten minutes.

[jea6321]

The city schools are not fantastic, but they are not all horrible either.

You can definitely live in the city and feel pretty safe/secure with your son.

what is your budget for rent? are you only looking at bigger apartment complexes? there are a lot of divided up older homes in pittsburgh and some are quite lovely. Where will you be working? will you have a car? any other must haves or absolute deal breakers?

[guy2073]

Originally Posted by Wanderer1979

School feeders?

i am not a city school expert but i believe diffrent areas feed into different schools, i dont know if i got the correct term.

[Wanderer1979]

Thanks for the positivity! Much appreciated and a big SHEW. I do not need or expect to put my son in a four or five-star school. (whatever the stars go to) I do believe that experience and flavor in your younger years make you a more well-rounded person. With that being said, I don't want to put him somewhere where he is totally out of his element. He is very easy-going, quiet, smart and just generally a go-with-the-flow kind of guy. Yes, he will be entering his freshman year next year, so I would like to find a high school where he can become established and graduate and not have to switch even if we move from an apartment to a home after a year. I am still confused about the lottery system.
Yes, I want a skyline view. I at least need a balcony. I need outside air. We have a small dog and a cat. Work location is not an issue. I do have a car and I would like to have easy access to parking.

[guy2073]

Originally Posted by Lobick

Don't let that stop you from bashing them though....

on school digger they are ranked 423 out of 459 school districts in the state. if i was going to move into the city i would do more research and locate the best high schools in the city and then move there.

[gg]

Do you have to live IN the city? Your child is 13. Can't you rough it for 4 or 5 more years and live in Aspinwall, so you don't have to worry about school, then move to that high-rise after your kid graduates?