Neighbourhood Advice? (Pittsburgh, Butler, Whitehall: for sale, apartment, rental)

[Lost_In_Translation]

Originally Posted by eschaton

Squirrel Hill is hardly hip these days, but it's probably has the most functional neighborhood business district in the city. It's the only place in the city where there's a movie theater and a grocery store two blocks apart for example. The only thing it's really lacking in is nightlife (which the OP said they don't care about) and dining options if you want something besides Asian food, pizza, or a kosher restaurant.

South side works has the movie theatre and Aldis. Given how many businesses are close by, I think the works would be a great place for the OP.

[eschaton]

Originally Posted by Lost_In_Translation

South side works has the movie theatre and Aldis. Given how many businesses are close by, I think the works would be a great place for the OP.

True, I forgot about the Aldi in South Side - I was only thinking about the Giant Eagle. I think South Side would also work if they stuck to that side of the neighborhood, which has access to many more bus options which weave through the East End.

[PghYinzer]

Originally Posted by eschaton

True, I forgot about the Aldi in South Side - I was only thinking about the Giant Eagle. I think South Side would also work if they stuck to that side of the neighborhood, which has access to many more bus options which weave through the East End.

Why do they need bus access to the East End? Am I missing something in their post that stated that as a requirement?

[eschaton]

Originally Posted by PghYinzer

Why do they need bus access to the East End? Am I missing something in their post that stated that as a requirement?

It's not a requirement of course. But given they don't know yet where their jobs will be located, being somewhere that you can catch a bus to both Downtown and the East End is better than being somewhere where you can only catch a bus to Downtown.

[szug-bot]

Hmmmm, no, I would not suggest to the OP the South Side, even if they enjoyed the localized area near some amenities. I love the neighborhood, but I would be concerned the newcomer have more GREEN in and throughout the neighborhood. And generally a more placid environment.

Well, down near ALdi's, they do have nice mobility - the Birmingham (if/when it is completed), a zip down Carson to Homestead area / West Mifflin area shopping attractions....but South Side might be a bit much for some. I know I do not enjoy Carson Street underneath the summer sun.

[eschaton]

Originally Posted by szug-bot

Hmmmm, no, I would not suggest to the OP the South Side, even if they enjoyed the localized area near some amenities. I love the neighborhood, but I would be concerned the newcomer have more GREEN in and throughout the neighborhood. And generally a more placid environment.

Why? They didn't list that as a requirement.

Originally Posted by szug-bot

Well, down near ALdi's, they do have nice mobility - the Birmingham (if/when it is completed), a zip down Carson to Homestead area / West Mifflin area shopping attractions....but South Side might be a bit much for some. I know I do not enjoy Carson Street underneath the summer sun.

Carson's bar scene is a bit much, but it's one of the biggest/best business districts in the city. Highland Park really can't compare at all. I mean, I walk to Bryant Street fairly often when the weather is nice, but it's basically just a coffeeshop, a convenience store, a bakery, six restaurants, and another half dozen or so niche businesses you won't often frequent.

[Lost_In_Translation]

The other nice thing about south side is you can bike to downtown, waterfront, station square and Oakland relatively easily and soon it will have connectivity to north shore as well and the strip district, all without having to use city roads. I love the east end, but even it cannot brag that level of protected biking paths.

[HelloI'mPhil]

Those are all really good suggestions. Thank you very much to everyone who spent time to reply its really helpful.

________________

I'm thinking there are several little pockets that would suit what we are after.

South side (flats?) looks good actually. Affordable housing and it looks like you can get in and around the city a fair bit. Down to maybe Mount Lebanon area might be OK if it still has a nice city feel. I don't care about green and park so much I just want to be able to wake up and walk out the house to get a coffee.

Shadyside / Oakland / Highland Park areas on the west would work just a much bigger area so I'd probably zone in a bit.

Downtown up to Polish Hill?

The west more Aspinwal / Bellevue but it will be a bit quieter up there?

________________

I had a couple of follow up questions to zone this down a bit.

1. I'm wondering if someone who is well traveled can give me a sense of the Pittsburgh 'Downtown' area. Is it LA like? Quiet like Cleveland? Or sort of in the middle like say Minneapolis / Portland with plenty of shops / and activity?

2. Are the college hubs concentrate in particular conclaves? I'd just be a bit more wary or the apartments in these places because they could be an all night disco i'd like to avoid so i'd be looking more for a house in those areas.

[robrobrob]

Originally Posted by eschaton

Carson's bar scene is a bit much, but it's one of the biggest/best business districts in the city. Highland Park really can't compare at all. I mean, I walk to Bryant Street fairly often when the weather is nice, but it's basically just a coffeeshop, a convenience store, a bakery, six restaurants, and another half dozen or so niche businesses you won't often frequent.

To me the South Side, minus the South Side Works, is really just a huge strip of bars. I will defer to you about Lawrenceville but it seems as if it is becoming a strip of bars.

I think someone older and doesn't care about nightlife who wants a walkable neighborhood would love Squirrel Hill or Shadyside. With Shadyside you can even include parts of Friendship if you don't mind a further walk. For me Friendship would be too far but for others that might be "walkable."

Regent Square is nice but it is small. I haven't been to Point Breeze recently but it does have a few things. With Regent Square and Point Breeze the selling point is not the business district but the proximity to Frick Park.

In the burbs. Oakmont and Sewickley also have nice business districts. Downside to Oakmont is that it is on a hill.

[eschaton]

Originally Posted by HelloI'mPhil

Downtown up to Polish Hill?

I'm sure our local Polish Hill resident will chime in, but my two cents are the neighborhood has a lot of character, but might not be what you're looking for. It's old and urban, but only has a few walkable amenities (a dell/mini mart, a coffeeshop which serves brunch on Sundays, record store, comic shop, and three bars - some of which have local music. The "scene" up there tends to be youngish with a lot of punks. It's not really a rowdy place overall though.

Originally Posted by HelloI'mPhil

The west more Aspinwal / Bellevue but it will be a bit quieter up there?

Aspinwall and Bellvue aren't that close together. My mom lives in Aspinwall, it's basically and old-style streetcar suburb which has a fairly decent business district (or rather, two small ones which are pretty close together). Bellevue is also walkable, but it's a much more downscale area - I'm not sure I understand the recommendation. I'd consider it if I were a homeowner banking on the area eventually appreciating in value, but not to rent for a year.

Originally Posted by HelloI'mPhil

1. I'm wondering if someone who is well traveled can give me a sense of the Pittsburgh 'Downtown' area. Is it LA like? Quiet like Cleveland? Or sort of in the middle like say Minneapolis / Portland with plenty of shops / and activity?

Downtown Pittsburgh is fairly unique for an American city of its size because very little of it was demolished to make way for surface parking. It's still mostly a "working" downtown, but there are a lot of theaters downtown, an increasing number of hotels, and a pretty thriving bar and restaurant scene. Not really high-end shopping though - you need to go elsewhere for that.

Originally Posted by HelloI'mPhil

2. Are the college hubs concentrate in particular conclaves? I'd just be a bit more wary or the apartments in these places because they could be an all night disco i'd like to avoid so i'd be looking more for a house in those areas.

Student slum is mostly in Oakland. South Oakland is mainly University of Pitsburgh (Pitt) undergrads, and I wouldn't suggest anyone over 30 live there. North Oakland is more graduate student heavy and has lots of mid-century apartment buildings - but also a strangely high proportion of elderly people in condos. There's a large student contingent in parts of Shadyside, Friendship, and Squirrel Hill, but this tends to be more graduate students and/or those who attend Carnegie Mellon University. A lot of these students are international, which has really changed the character of some of the neighborhoods (e.g., Squirrel Hill has tons of Asian food because a large proportion of the renters are now Asian students). They really aren't rowdy areas at all, but given students have much lower expectations on apartments, you can find some landlords who cater to the student slum demographic.