Looking at neighborhoods (Pittsburgh, Dormont, Liberty: apartments, rent, low crime)

[Basil04]

My husband grew up an hour or so away from Pittsburgh and wants us to move there. He's a huge penguins fan and we hate the heat where we are now.
I would like to know what neighborhood you would suggest or please direct me to another thread where the neighborhoods are laid out.
We're both 21, I'm a nurse and he's a mechanic. I would like to be near the more "hipster" area or at least the younger area with more college students. I would like to avoid the high crime rate areas and I'm willing to pay a higher rent to be in a nicer area.

[eschaton]

Originally Posted by Basil04

My husband grew up an hour or so away from Pittsburgh and wants us to move there. He's a huge penguins fan and we hate the heat where we are now.
I would like to know what neighborhood you would suggest or please direct me to another thread where the neighborhoods are laid out.
We're both 21, I'm a nurse and he's a mechanic. I would like to be near the more "hipster" area or at least the younger area with more college students. I would like to avoid the high crime rate areas and I'm willing to pay a higher rent to be in a nicer area.

Lawrenceville is the classic answer if you want a hipster area, but it's a bit more yuppie these days. Still, it will work for you if you can afford it. It's not really a college student area though - more an area for post-college young professionals. Students tend to stick more to Oakland and other student slummy areas.

Crime isn't going to be a serious issue in Pittsburgh anywhere which is desirable. I mean, yes, you'll occasionally have people steal things off your back porch or break into your car for loose change in some neighborhoods, but your chances of getting mugged or something are pretty slim.

[xdv8]

Originally Posted by Basil04

My husband grew up an hour or so away from Pittsburgh and wants us to move there. He's a huge penguins fan and we hate the heat where we are now.
I would like to know what neighborhood you would suggest or please direct me to another thread where the neighborhoods are laid out.
We're both 21, I'm a nurse and he's a mechanic. I would like to be near the more "hipster" area or at least the younger area with more college students. I would like to avoid the high crime rate areas and I'm willing to pay a higher rent to be in a nicer area.

Lawrenceville is the more "hipster" area of the city and younger. The East End is probably what you are looking for: Lawrenceville, Garfield, Bloomfield, East Liberty or Shadyside. Petty crime is everywhere in cities, but you wouldn't have any major worries in those neighborhoods.

What is your budget?

[Basil04]

Originally Posted by xdv8

What is your budget?

The average monthly salary of a nurse in Pittsburgh is around $5400. It really depends on what job my husband can find, but I would prefer to stay under $1500 a month for sure. That doesn't seem like to much of a limitation based on apartments.com.

[Basil04]

Originally Posted by eschaton

Lawrenceville is the classic answer if you want a hipster area, but it's a bit more yuppie these days. Still, it will work for you if you can afford it. It's not really a college student area though - more an area for post-college young professionals. Students tend to stick more to Oakland and other student slummy areas.

Crime isn't going to be a serious issue in Pittsburgh anywhere which is desirable. I mean, yes, you'll occasionally have people steal things off your back porch or break into your car for loose change in some neighborhoods, but your chances of getting mugged or something are pretty slim.

I guess we are post-college young professionals haha.
That's great to hear about the crime. We're near Jacksonville, FL and some areas there make me nervous.

[robrobrob]

Originally Posted by Basil04

The average monthly salary of a nurse in Pittsburgh is around $5400. It really depends on what job my husband can find, but I would prefer to stay under $1500 a month for sure. That doesn't seem like to much of a limitation based on apartments.com.

I would look at job listings on the UPMC site to figure out a nurse's salary.

[Paul2421]

Originally Posted by robrobrob

I would look at job listings on the UPMC site to figure out a nurse's salary.

Yeah using the average is pretty misleading as it takes into account all levels of experience.

[WhoIsStanwix?]

One thing that is going to be quite a shock is that if you want trendy/young urban neighborhood + newer construction rent, the price will likely be substantially higher than $1,500 for a 2br. You may be able to find something newer or more recently updated as a 1br. If you're ok with a little bit more dated, there are plenty of subdivided older houses and other older buildings that you can get into for that budget.

[fjy3]

Lawrenceville, Friendship, Bloomfield, Shadyside, Polish Hill, Squirrel Hill, Regent Square, South Side. These are the neighborhoods young professional folks live in. I'd say Lawrenceville is your best bet if you want a gritty, bar hopping, espresso drinking hipster vibe. It's certainly not what I'd deem "low crime," but nowhere within the city is without its issues. You will pay East End high rent prices, but you will be close to the hospitals, so no issue commuting to work. I personally LOVE Friendship, so I'd suggest checking it out. It's very charming and close to everything. I also have a soft spot in my heart for Bloomfield. It all really depends on your tastes, so check these neighborhoods out when you come to visit. I hated living in Lawrenceville, but I'm old and boring. Ha! Ha!

[svband76]

Come to Dormont. (Almost) lifetime resident. The new up and coming place to be. Classic old houses. Old movie theater. Health store. Diners. Park. The T. Walking to everything. parks. Etc. We need more youngsters. PM for more enthralling information