Dear craigslist, you are the worst. Relocating long distance! (Pittsburgh: apartments, rental market)

[misspumpkin]

I'm relocating to Pittsburgh in exactly 20 days from Idaho for nursing school. I've found some places via craigslist, zillow, trulia....every housing rental application available basically.

I'd LOVE some advice from people who know the area as I don't... I'm originally from DC but outside of Boston, NY, and DC...I have zero experience with areas on that side of the Mississippi, and the bonus is I can't fly in to look at places, so googlemaps has been my only way to see neighborhoods.

I've found a place in McKees Rocks which looks fantastic...the owners have been pretty rad about the fact that I have a million dogs (see: three.) Finding a place with a fenced in yard with my budget has not been the easiest...but it just takes leg work. I'll be going to RMU and am willing to drive about 45 minutes if the place is right. Any advice on neighborhoods? I have three dogs, zero human children, and don't scare easily, since I'm not actually from Idaho...I've just been stuck here for the past several years.

Any help is greatly appreciated as craigslist has basically become my mortal enemy...and the closer August 1st gets, the more I am worried I might be developing an aneurysm from stress.

[SK360]

Since you will be on the West side of the city anyway at RMU I would look in the Beaver county area to see if you can find anything as well (Hopewell, Center Township, Monaca, Beaver etc) Rent and everything else tends to be cheaper since it's outside of Allegheny county and the commute to Moon/RMU is simple.

[gg]

With three dogs, I suggest you take what you can get pretty much. This city has a pretty strong rental market and the landlords can be more choosy. I think in two years the landlords won't be able to be as choosy, but that isn't right now.

I have had good luck with CL on a lot of front, so don't give up.

[Merge]

The Rocks is a borough filled with the working poor. It can be rough, especially in "The Bottoms"- which is the flat neighborhood by the river/industry. There is some blight there.

Having said that, with your dogs and your confident attitude, you should be fine. It is very tough to find a decent rental when you have multiple dogs, and as long as you mind your own and don't engage the neighborhood ne'er-do-wells, you should be fine. The commute to RMU will be fairly convenient too. Once the stretch of 51 that heads from the area to Downtown/the Southside of PGH is completed (they are saying August?), it will be a very convenient location.

[misspumpkin]

It's been difficult to find a rental when you have an actual dog (see: husky mix) and not a rat in a dog costume (see: chihuahua). I think everyone has their own opinion on how safe/dangerous a neighborhood is. I was a 17 year old white broad living with a roommate in Compton, CA and the neighbors were awesome to me there...because I was THE 17 year old white broad of the complex. I've never had issues in neighborhoods I've been to because I just keep to myself and don't get involved in business that isn't mine. I'm thinking of singing the lease at the McKees Rocks place...but I just want to make sure I'm not going to get stabbed.

Also, my car is covered in Bruins swag...so there's that.

[Merge]

We have a poster on here that goes by the name "PreservationPioneer" that (I believe) owned a house in the Rocks when he first moved to the area... he would definitely be the one to ask for a more detailed and specific answer.

[bluecarebear]

As another poster said, you will have a tough time with 3 dogs. Most likely you will be living in dumpy place located in a poor neighborhood with a fair amount of crime. It is what it is. Pittsburgh is tough on renters. You could probably find a trailer for rent if you would extend your commute time to at least 1 hour one way. That would give you some land for the dogs and safety.

BTW, it doesn't matter your color here in Pittsburgh. There are more poor white people in the region than any other race.

The Rocks has been on the decline. One of the issues:
No Safe Harbor: McKees Rocks, Homestead left with clusters of mentally ill residents | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

[liz-momof2]

As someone who lives in another "sketchy" river town (Ambridge) and has had very little problems (beyond the occasional brat neighbor kid who suffers from poor parenting,) I think the place in McKees Rocks seems like a good option. I do agree with posters that if you are going to RMU to look in the Beaver County area too, especially the areas of Hopewell, Monaca, and Center. Even places on the other side of the river, such as Ambridge and Baden or Leetsdale would not be out of the question, as you can take one of the bridges and be over to Moon in short time. We drive over to the Robinson area frequently and it usually takes us no more than 30 minutes to get there. The drive in just a few minutes from RMU and we go there at least twice a month. When I went back to school, I looked seriously at RMU but chose a different school because of the format. Also, I would keep hacking away at Craigslist. I have found that privately owned homes that are managed by the landlord are more likely to allow pets on a case by case basis rather than a large complex.

[BMan_152]

As other posters have indicated, McKees rocks can be gritty and rough (depending on where in the neighborhood you are), but other parts seem to have a very isolated, close-knit community vibe (Especially up by the cemeteries).. As long as you have a little bit of street smarts & don't mind driving past a bunch of run down buildings on the way home, you should be perfectly fine.

The neighborhood is definitely very convenient not only to RMU, but pretty much everything else the city has to offer as well!
-Tons of shopping nearby (robinson, kennedy)
-Mancini's Bakery
-Convenient to 79, 65 & 51 (assuming they don't decide to keep 51 closed for yet another year)
-Awesome RMU run mini golf on Neville Island
-Downtown is minutes away
-Remember When (giant soft serve cones) & Top That Yogurt (friendliest owners ever!)

If McKees rocks doesnt pan out, I'd also suggest looking into the following neighborhoods:
-Coraopolis
-Bellvue/Avalon
-Carnegie
-Moon/Crafton/Ingram/Robinson (if you can afford them)

Having dogs while renting definitely narrows your options quite a bit unfortunately
Your best bet is probably to focus on single family detached homes.

[eschaton]

Originally Posted by Merge

We have a poster on here that goes by the name "PreservationPioneer" that (I believe) owned a house in the Rocks when he first moved to the area... he would definitely be the one to ask for a more detailed and specific answer.

He didn't live in McKees Rocks. He lived in a nearby urban portion of Stowe Township.

I'm 90% sure McKees Rocks Bottoms is not the worst part of the borough - actually it's one of the better portions. The bad areas are the projects (Myers Ridge Mixed-Income Apartments, Hays Manor, Uansa Village), along with a couple of residential areas off of Island Avenue and Chartiers Avenue.