From El Paso, Texas to Pittsburgh.... (insurance, job market, neighborhoods)

[elias86]

I've been doing a lot of research about Pittsburgh. It looks like the population has been declining for the last 20 years or so. Why is this? I am from West Texas and I am looking into relocating to the Pitt. Any advice?

[guylocke]

It's not unlike many of the cities in the northeast. It was mostly caused from a manufacturing bust (steel for Pittsburgh). People had to leave to find work and the regions up here (Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Cincinnati, Buffalo, etc) are still recovering.

Pittsburgh's population loss has been extremely uneventful recently. But it still is declining. I think most anticipate population growth in the near future due to several other reasons. We shall see!

[elias86]

Being from Texas I really have no idea what to expect up there. I live in El Paso which is ranked one of the top 5 large cities in the country. Is Pittsburgh worth moving to? I work in insurance. Is there much of an insurance industry there?

[guylocke]

Is Pittsburgh worth moving to?

LOL! I'm sure for many people it would be well worth it. I imagine for some it wouldn't be worth it! Depends what you're looking for! Me for example, would have no interest at all living in a Texan city, but lots of other people do, obviously! Financing and insurance is a fairly large thing in Pittsburgh but I'm not sure if that also translates to a lot of available jobs.

We've had several people recently move from Texas to Pittsburgh, including BVH.

[elias86]

I guess I am just looking for some new opportunities in a completley new environment. A city with more culture, shopping, entertainment, colder, and faster paced. Im only 22 so I guess you can say I am looking for the hustle and bustle of a big city. Will I find that in Pittsburgh?

[BrianTH]

The big population loss occurred from around 1970 to 1990, most heavily concentrated in the center of that range (the early 1980s). That was almost entirely as a result of a dramatic contraction in the manufacturing sector. Incidentally, while this did happen in many industrial cities from around 1960 until 2000, Pittsburgh experienced a particularly sharp and severe population loss because of its high dependence on the steel industry.

Anyway, that 1970 to 1990 period is still having ripple effects today, even though the economy has stabilized: for example, the population loss was disproportionately concentrated among young adults (people without seniority or just entering the job market), which led to a relatively low birth to mortality rate in the subsequent period (meaning right up through now, and probably for several years to come). But from what I have seen, among younger people the population has pretty much stabilized, and may even be growing a bit again, and the next census should tell us a lot.

As for whether it is worth moving to Pittsburgh: I think the standard advice is to not move here until you have a job in hand (which sounds like good advice to me no matter where you are thinking of moving). Generally, if you can get a good job it is a nice place to live, particularly because housing is extremely affordable--even more so than in Texas, which is pretty affordable in its own right. Another nice thing about Pittsburgh is that it has a lot of cultural legacies for a city of its current size (universities, museums, performing arts, sports teams, etc.), largely thanks to its big city status in the recent past. It is also geographically interesting (with its hills, rivers, and parks), and partially as a result of the geography it has lots of neighborhoods with their own history, look, personality, shops, restaurants, bars, and so on.

But all that is somewhat subjective--some people like me really value the things Pittsburgh has to offer, others do not. So, I think the most helpful thing we can do is describe the place, and then if you are still interested you could visit and see for yourself.

[guylocke]

Hm. Well Pittsburgh isn't as large as most of the big cities of Texas. I think Pittsburgh definitely has far more culture, though, and personality. Maybe BVH can answer you more. If you are looking for new opportunities in life, then sure, go for it! If you are looking for major career opportunities, you may want to look into one of the booming cities. Pittsburgh is sorta slow and steady in it's own right, but the job market is tight. Then again, the boom towns have a whole slew of problems that Pittsburgh doesn't. It's all about give and take.

Pittsburgh is a north east city so we have beautiful four seasons and will be cooler than Texas, that's for sure! We have world class museums and theater. Downtown Pittsburgh itself is still very business-oriented, although changing! I live downtown and love it! There are several parts of town that I think you would find very exhilerating for a young man, including the Southside. I lived there for 2 years and loved every single second of it.

Pittsburgh is very affordable and might be a good option for someone like yourself, but make sure you have a job lined up before you move!

[guylocke]

Yeah what he said.

[fleetiebelle]

As for whether it is worth moving to Pittsburgh: I think the standard advice is to not move here until you have a job in hand (which sounds like good advice to me no matter where you are thinking of moving). Generally, if you can get a good job it is a nice place to live, particularly because housing is extremely affordable--even more so than in Texas, which is pretty affordable in its own right. Another nice thing about Pittsburgh is that it has a lot of cultural legacies for a city of its current size (universities, museums, performing arts, sports teams, etc.), largely thanks to its big city status in the recent past. It is also geographically interesting (with its hills, rivers, and parks), and partially as a result of the geography it has lots of neighborhoods with their own history, look, personality, shops, restaurants, bars, and so on.

nods in agreement

If you can, you should come and visit Pittsburgh if you're serious about moving here. If you see it and don't like the vibe, you can avoid yourself the hassle of trying to find a job here.

[elias86]

Any good nightlife? What kind of housing will I find downtown?