What are Pittsburgh's peer cities?

[Katarina Witt]

Originally Posted by SteelCityRising

Meh. I didn't leave you the snarky rep comment, but I will say St. Paul was a close runner-up for me when I was trying to figure out where to start my life over when the Northern Virginia rat race chewed me up and spit me out in 2010. Like it or not the Twin Cities rank VERY highly on many livability rankings. They're progressive on social issues like same-sex marriage and marijuana legalization (the Twin Cities dominate MN's politics more than Philly + Pittsburgh dominate PA's politics). They're very literate. They have amazing health care offerings and abundant recreational opportunities. Violent crime is much lower than it is in Pittsburgh (trust me when I tell you this has been an awful summer for crime in the Steel City).

There's an old saying that goes "if you've got it, then flaunt it". Pittsburgh edged out St. Paul for me because while both cities have great historic architecture and a largely walkable built environment (not to mention being almost the exact same size) I wouldn't be able to hack MN winters; the distance from the Twin Cities to my family in Scranton/Wilkes-Barre is too vast; and the cost of housing is incredibly expensive for a non-coastal major metropolitan area. Otherwise, no offense intended to Pittsburgh's cheerleaders, I'd MUCH prefer to live in the Twin Cities.

You should go live there. You'd fit right in. Rah-rah Minnesota! J/K!

[SteelCityRising]

Originally Posted by Katarina Witt

You should go live there. You'd fit right in. Rah-rah Minnesota! J/K!

I don't know why you'd feel so threatened by MN's reputation. If anything your current state of Colorado has the honor of emanating a much more favorable aura to many more Americans. Oh, and Denver's not as cold as St. Paul, either, so it certainly has that in its favor.

[Katarina Witt]

Originally Posted by SteelCityRising

I don't know why you'd feel so threatened by MN's reputation. If anything your current state of Colorado has the honor of emanating a much more favorable aura to many more Americans. Oh, and Denver's not as cold as St. Paul, either, so it certainly has that in its favor.

Who said I was threatened? I surer than H*** don't want to live there! I find their rah-rah Minnesota, boo Wisconsin, etc, etc, parochial and annoying.

[Violetgoblin6]

Cincinnati. The hills, types of folks, river(s), size. In fact the 1993 movie "Airborne" was set in Cincy and the skateboard scenes were filmed in Pittsburgh. My dad loves that movie...the hills! He and I love cities with hills (Cincy/PB/SF) and they are sorely lacking in Philadelphia.

[_Buster]

Originally Posted by Violetgoblin6

He and I love cities with hills (Cincy/PB/SF) and they are sorely lacking in Philadelphia.

Go to Manayunk in Philly, it looks just like many parts of Pittsburgh.

[Violetgoblin6]

Manyunk!


You're a great mind reader! I got lost coming back from Atlantic City and ended up in University City and then took the expressway to the TP (I live in central Bucks Co.). Drove past Manyunk and thought of Pittsburgh. I do not drive in Philly if I can help it (drove in LA though, go figure!) so it was my first look at what has evolved into the "in" place to live, especially for twenty something professionals. My dad used to talk about the hills and the area being a "dump" when I was a child in the 1980s. It certainly seems to have changed! Fun fact: my father's old neighborhood: Chestnut Hill, is the highest point of Philadelphia county.

[Herodotus]

Originally Posted by _Buster

Go to Manayunk in Philly, it looks just like many parts of Pittsburgh.

I chuckled the first time I saw Manayunk. It would fit seamlessly into the Pittsburgh area.