Pittsburgh area building too many higher end apartments (Troy: renting, condo)

[eschaton]

Originally Posted by ferraris

I was replying to a comment referencing San Francisco, so I pretty much meant "Not SF (or NYC or DC, etc.)". Let's just say "non-coastal"?

I don't think that most cities are made up of just ghettos and high end areas, working/middle class neighborhoods are pretty common, especially if you include the suburbs, which I was. The big difference, in my opinion, is that these places in and around Pittsburgh can feel pretty isolated. I can't quite put my finger on just why that is. At the least, it's some combination of the rivers, hills, and transportation infrastructure.

Eh, I dunno. I was making a direct response to a post about Etna/Sharpsburg, which certainly don't feel isolated. And if you feel okay about trying to gentrify a walkable but slightly run down mill town or old streetcar suburb, you have plenty of other options in Allegheny County. There's not a lot going on, but honestly somewhere like Coreopolis, Verona, Bellvue, or Blawnox tend to have far more in terms of potentially walkable amenities than the average low-cost first-ring suburb would.

[gladhands]

Originally Posted by WhoIsStanwix?

I've always thought of Cleveland, Cincy, and St. Louis as the closest thing Pittsburgh has to "peer cities".

I have not been to Cincy, but I think Cleveland and St. Louis are probably fairly close. Both have much higher crime rates and fewer desirable neigborhoods than Pittsburgh.

Originally Posted by eschaton

I'd put Buffalo and Milwaukee in that grouping too.

I think Milwaukee is a peer city (and one of the more underrated in the country), but again, the crime. Buffalo, I believe, is a tier below...and I like Buffalo.

[ferraris]

Originally Posted by eschaton

Eh, I dunno. I was making a direct response to a post about Etna/Sharpsburg, which certainly don't feel isolated. And if you feel okay about trying to gentrify a walkable but slightly run down mill town or old streetcar suburb, you have plenty of other options in Allegheny County. There's not a lot going on, but honestly somewhere like Coreopolis, Verona, Bellvue, or Blawnox tend to have far more in terms of potentially walkable amenities than the average low-cost first-ring suburb would.

I really can't put my finger on it and articulate why, but I do think those places feel isolated to some extent. Maybe I'm just becoming a cranky old yinzer who doesn't cross rivers or hills.

I'm the most familiar with Bellevue due to living in Brighton Heights. Bellevue itself has a good business district, but when you decide to leave your closest options are basically Mt. Nebo, McKnight, Westview, and McKees Rocks. I definitely feel like I have left the area when I go to those places.

Maybe it's a product of me being a transplant; perhaps locals are more likely to feel a belonging to the "North Hills" rather than specifically Bellevue.

[grep]

Originally Posted by ferraris

I really can't put my finger on it and articulate why, but I do think those places feel isolated to some extent.

Since I bike everywhere, old school urban layouts are the places I most enjoy spending time (small blocks, streets on grids or approximated grids, lower traffic speeds, etc.) I like living in the East End because these types of areas surround me in all directions. Whenever I'm in Aspinwall, Emsworth, or similar areas, I feel like I'm at the edge of the earth because going a little further away from the urban core will drastically increase the stress and difficulty of getting around. So to me Sharpsburg itself is nice, but it's kind of isolated because almost of the places I enjoy going are to the south or southwest of it.

[robrobrob]

Originally Posted by SteelCityRising

Seeing all of these $2,500/month 1-BR units being snatched up like hot cakes makes me even more depressed to be struggling to afford a 1-BR unit roughly 1/3 as expensive with a ~$30,000 salary.

There's definitely a growing divide between wealthy new Pittsburgh and impoverished old Pittsburgh.

I would guess that a lot of the expensive one bedrooms are occupied by couples.

[Sciulli]

Had to go to Ross Park Mall last night. My GF broke her iPhone screen so we went to get it fixed. Right off McKnight up to the mall there's a row of "luxury apartments" being built. Sorry but that has to be the most depressing place to live in a luxury apartment. McKnight road in that area is like retail/strip mall hell.

[mbw5100]

Originally Posted by Sciulli

Had to go to Ross Park Mall last night. My GF broke her iPhone screen so we went to get it fixed. Right off McKnight up to the mall there's a row of "luxury apartments" being built. Sorry but that has to be the most depressing place to live in a luxury apartment. McKnight road in that area is like retail/strip mall hell.

I think they're doing the same thing near that plaza at Settler's Ridge. Can't imagine who would want to live there.

[fleetiebelle]

Originally Posted by Sciulli

Had to go to Ross Park Mall last night. My GF broke her iPhone screen so we went to get it fixed. Right off McKnight up to the mall there's a row of "luxury apartments" being built. Sorry but that has to be the most depressing place to live in a luxury apartment. McKnight road in that area is like retail/strip mall hell.

And what's the benefit of living so close to all of those stores if you have to have a death wish to try to walk to any of them?

[norcider]

Originally Posted by fleetiebelle

And what's the benefit of living so close to all of those stores if you have to have a death wish to try to walk to any of them?

You aren't even allowed to walk to RPM. There are signs on the mall driveways, no pedestrian access allowed. This is the attitude that was just overcome in Wexford with the installation of sidewalks in the business district. Ross has got to get with the times and implement sidewalks and bike lanes.

[ferraris]

Generic high end apartments with hundreds of chain stores and restaurants in huge parking lots within a 10 minute drive are attractive to a lot of people. I'm not one of them, but I can see the appeal.