Why did you move to Pittsburgh? (Erie, Reading: smog, budget, apartment)

[amylynn83]

Do you like it? Why or why not? Where were you moving from?

[BrianTH]

I grew up in the Detroit area (suburbs), went to Connecticut for college, then came to Pittsburgh for grad school.

Originally I thought Pittsburgh was OK, particularly for someone living on a student's budget, but in general not a great place for young people. I used to make a lot of weekend road trips to places like NYC or DC to see college friends, and planned to leave after grad school.

Eventually though I met someone and got married, and then we bought a house, and now we have a child. As I have made the transition from young adult to family guy, I have become more and more impressed with Pittsburgh. Meanwhile, I think the city (at least in my part) has been getting nicer and nicer.

So now I like Pittsburgh a lot. In a nutshell, it is in much better shape than, say, Detroit when it comes to the economy and urban development. But it remains a lot less expensive than places like NYC or DC (largely thanks to much cheaper housing). That is a pretty nice balance, and I value it.

[supersoulty]

I grew up in Rural West Central PA. Personally, I hate that area, and hated pretty much the entire area. For most of my life I wanted to move down to North Carolina or Virginia. I am not a homebody or a "local pride" kinda person in the least and would have done anything to get out of the region and to a place where something was happening.

I'm not exactly sure when I started to change my mind, but when I got up to Erie, I started to gain some appreciation for the (former) Rust Belt, I looked more at the things that we have here that you wouldn't find in a lot of the country and started to recognize the particular "charm" that this region has. I still wanted to be where the action is, though. Over the course of the last four years, I started to make some trips down to Pittsburgh for more than just field trips and the city started to grow on me quite a bit.

Being involved in politics, I was still very determined to go to Washington though, until I actually spent some time down there. One thing about being in Washington is that, unless you are a die hard, red meat political junkie, the luster starts to die off very quickly. I'm not really interested in politics so much as I am in issues, and leadership. So I started to look elsewhere.

To make a long story short, I started to fall in love with Pittsburgh, and when I finally made the decision to get into Urban and Regional Planning, I decided to go for a "Pitt or bust" strategy. It worked, and so here I am today and I couldn't be more pleased with my decision.

As for the "what I like"... well, its hard to quantify, really. I like the character of the city and as I mentioned, its charm. I like how its big, but not too big. I like that it is reinventing itself, to an extent, but that people still have a firm grip on the past. As Brian said, alot of improvements have been made, even from the limited things that I can remember, coming here when I was little. I like the way it looks. I like the way it feels. I like that it is on the way up (hopefully). I really don't know how else to say it.

[Kish]

My company offered me a transfer here. I came for an interview with my wife, we liked the place and here we are. I have lived several places in Britain and have spent a lot of time in various US cities. On balance, the only place i think offers a better quality of life is Edinburgh - though the cost of living there is very high.

What do I like? the cost of living is relatively low, the city is a manageable size (it has most of what you need but it is small enough to get around easily), the arts scene is pretty good, the city has lots of parks and greenery and the rivers add hugely to the character of the place.

What don't I like? The roads are dreadful, free-range meat is difficult to find, the Fox Chapel - Blawnox area where I live and work doesn't have many streets with sidewalks. And it's too hot in summer.

[SteelersFan09]

I moved to the area from Wheeling,WV for school (I'm finishing my undergrad at Robert Morris) and barring unemployment after graduation, I don't see myself leaving anytime soon. I love it here. I love it because I find it very versatile. I can go to the southside, drink penn pilsner and eat wings. I can go to a Pens/Pirates/Steelers game and follow the teams and sports I love in person. But I can also go to great museums, enjoy great parks, and go to some terrific poetry readings all over the city. My interests in life are pretty eclectic so Pittsburgh fits me perfect in that regard. Plus, the college education I'm receiving at RMU is phenomenal, light years ahead of the school I transferred here from.

[gallacus]

I posted this a while ago on another thread I started, but it pretty much answers your question:

I grew up in Greensburg, a small town about 45 minutes southeast of Pittsburgh, and while it was a great little town with almost anything you could want for a town its size (about 16,000 people) I wanted nothing more than to leave the area when it came time to look for colleges. I was considering UCLA, NYU and The University of Colorado. I ended up at the University of Colorado in Boulder, and loved attending school there, but there was something that the Denver area lacked. The mountains were beautiful, the weather was great, but overall I didn't feel at home there.

When I graduated and began looking for jobs and houses, I realized that the difference between how much I would make as an entry-level programmer and the cost of living was outrageous.

My mother, in an effort to get me looking at Pittsburgh again, would from time to time send me articles about how hot this neighborhood was in Pittsburgh, called the "South Side." I visited Pittsburgh a couple times, and each time we strolled around Mt. Washington and the South Side looking for prospective houses, and I was stunned by how interesting and communal the South Side was. Everything you could want is right there on Carson St.!

I ended up purchasing a house on the South Side Slopes -- an area of the South Side up on the hill overlooking the city and the river -- and couldn't be happier where I am. Everyone in the slopes are as friendly as can be, there is a real sense of community with all kinds of events and organizations, and I am so close to the city! I walk to the T station on First Ave. and take it to anywhere downtown for free, and I can ride my bike anywhere with all the amazing bike paths. I can walk to the Penguins games, ride my bike to the Steelers and Pirates games, I kayak on the rivers with my kayak I bought at the REI on the South Side (if you haven't kayaked on the rivers around Pittsburgh yet you are missing out! It is GORGEOUS), and I can look out over the beautiful skyline of Pittsburgh every night from my back deck.

I honestly don't understand how Pittsburgh still has the negative image that it does, it is the perfect little city -- Especially for twenty-somethings looking for urban adventures! (By the way, I believe Pittsburgh was ranked among the top cities in America for urban adventures)

[Geeo]

Moved here in 1981 after college in Erie. I did the Mary Tyler Moore thing and moved to the nearest big city, threw my hat in the air, and the rest is history. I like the landscape here, love seeing history at every turn, like the fact that I can be anonymous but still have a close circle of friends. Like the gay culture here - more genuine than NYC or San Fran. Like the arts scene - you can go to professional theaters or show up for a reading of an experimental play in Lawrenceville. I like the fact that grandmothers still have the family over for Sunday dinner. I'm a history buff, and I am grateful that Pittsburgh is preserving its old buildings and building anew in the old neighborhoods. I love the industrial landscape, marvel at the development along the rivers, and am proud that it's gone from one of the diriest cities in the country to one of the most beautiful. Stefan Lorant said it in his book on Pittsburgh: "And when the smoke and smog had gone, and the rivers and hills emerged, Pittsburgh presented itself as one of the most beautiful places inthe land."

[vwscottie]

Originally Posted by amylynn83

Do you like it? Why or why not? Where were you moving from?

I love it.

I had lived all my life in Erie. The company I was working for eliminated the position I was working for, and had to decide if working for them was worth it any longer, which I decided it was not. So I had pursued the company I am now with for around three months. I had interviewed for positions with this company in New Hampshire, and in the Erie area, Meadville Pa area, and Reading PA area. Then a position came open in Uniontown and I applied for that. I got an interview, and drove to Monroeville from Erie one afternoon. I was offered a position with the company, but eventually not in Uniontown, but in the South Hills. I eventually moved in town on October 30th 2006 and moved into Shadyside. A week later, I ended up meeting the woman I will now marry on October 18th. We now live in a beautiful apartment in Point Breeze. One of the greatest things about living hear is Frick Park. I love to mountain bike and it's a paradise for me.

One semi regular member of this group recently remarked that essentialy there is little to do in Pittsburgh, which is so far from being true it's ridiculous. Although my career pays well, and after all time I put in to seeking it out, the biggest disappointment is the hours I work which allows me not nearly as much time to enjoy all this city has to offer.

[SteelersFan09]

Originally Posted by vwscottie

One semi regular member of this group recently remarked that essentialy there is little to do in Pittsburgh, which is so far from being true it's ridiculous. Although my career pays well, and after all time I put in to seeking it out, the biggest disappointment is the hours I work which allows me not nearly as much time to enjoy all this city has to offer.

I agree with you 110%. I just moved here last July and every weekend I'm finding something new to do and wanting to do the thing I did the weekend before over. I sometimes will run into people who have lived here their whole lives and they complain there's nothing to do but get drunk in bars. It kind of makes me think they take their city for granted.

[vwscottie]

Originally Posted by SteelersFan09

I sometimes will run into people who have lived here their whole lives and they complain there's nothing to do but get drunk in bars.

People who make comments like that don't have much ambition for living.