Suburb of the week: Franklin Park (Pittsburgh, McCandless Township: apartment, rent, chapel)

[eschaton]

Franklin Park is a triangular borough in the North Hills region of the Pittsburgh suburbs. It began its history as Franklin Township in 1823. Eventually modern day Marshall Township and Bradford Woods were incorporated out of it, causing it to lose land area, with the remainder of Franklin Township becoming Franklin Park borough in 1961 (originally there were advantages to suburban townships incorporating as boroughs, but this changed with later reforms to local government incorporation in the state).

Regardless, the story of the borough is fairly typical for the North Hills of Pittsburgh. Prior to WWII, the area was entirely rural. Soon after the war, however, the first subdivisions were built. There was a particularly strong boom in population during the 1980s, when the borough saw a 65% increase in ten years, but the borough has continued to enjoy double-digit growth in each decade since, and since it still has undeveloped property (particularly in the western portions of the borough) it can probably continue to grow at its low, suburban densities for several decades to come.

Franklin Park has no business district, unless you count a small highway retail and office park area in the north of the borough around I-79's Wexford exit. Indeed, much of the borough uses the Wexford zip code, with the balance using Sewickley or Pittsburgh zips, which (along with the residential nature of the borough) may be part of the reason why it is not well known outside the North Hills. Along with Marshall Township, McCandless Township, and Bradford Woods it is part of North Allegheny School District.

One interesting demographic tidbit is Franklin Park has developed the largest Asian-American community in the North Hills. In 2010 the northern part of Franklin Park was reported to be 13% Asian - by far the highest amount overall in the North Hills. My understanding is this population is roughly evenly split between East and South Asians, unlike in the South Hills, where the Asian-American communities are heavily South Asian.

[szug-bot]

Originally Posted by eschaton

In 2010 the northern part of Franklin Park was reported to be 13% Asian - by far the highest amount overall in the North Hills. My understanding is this population is roughly evenly split between East and South Asians, unlike in the South Hills, where the Asian-American communities are heavily South Asian.

Ah, that's right, a prof from grad school lives there. He is Chinese.
The collective IQ of Franklin Park is probably leaps and bounds ahead of the County average - and there is the ambient sound of a violin you'd hear as you meander down the street.

Castletown Court is beautiful. To me, still a suburban hell, but if someone dangled a house key and said "it's yours" for a place on that road, I'm going Clampett on you and heading to the hills...North Hills, that is, swimming pools, movie stars.

[jea6321]

Originally Posted by szug-bot

Ah, that's right, a prof from grad school lives there. He is Chinese.
The collective IQ of Franklin Park is probably leaps and bounds ahead of the County average - and there is the ambient sound of a violin you'd hear as you meander down the street.

Castletown Court is beautiful. To me, still a suburban hell, but if someone dangled a house key and said "it's yours" for a place on that road, I'm going Clampett on you and heading to the hills...North Hills, that is, swimming pools, movie stars.

Sturbridge is another very nice plan in franklin park. its tucked away off of Mcaleer road. This house is by far the largest and most grand one in the plan https://www.google.com/maps/@40.5676...7i13312!8i6656

[WhoIsStanwix?]

Originally Posted by jea6321

Sturbridge is another very nice plan in franklin park. its tucked away off of Mcaleer road. This house is by far the largest and most grand one in the plan https://www.google.com/maps/@40.5676...7i13312!8i6656

Just did a street view drive through there. Holy hell are there some ugly monstrosities. To each their own, I guess. I wouldn't call any of those homes "grand" in the traditional sense. Large, maybe. But not grand.

[Copanut]

If you live in FP, you get a sweetheart deal at the New YMCA.

[WhoIsStanwix?]

This is more along the lines of what I think of when I hear "grand", all in Fox Chapel:

158 North Dr, Fox Chapel, PA 15238 - realtor.com®

163 North Dr, Fox Chapel, PA 15238 - realtor.com®

Or you have these architectural gems:

710 Bending Oak Ln, Fox Chapel, PA 15238 - realtor.com®

1616 Powers Run Rd, Fox Chapel, PA 15238 - realtor.com®

And closer to the price range of Franklin Park, but still grand:

2 Twin Pine Ct, Fox Chapel, PA 15215 - realtor.com®

[jea6321]

Originally Posted by WhoIsStanwix?

Just did a street view drive through there. Holy hell are there some ugly monstrosities. To each their own, I guess. I wouldn't call any of those homes "grand" in the traditional sense. Large, maybe. But not grand.

the plan was built out in several phases over a long period of time. there is mid century modern through newer construction mcmansions.

the house I pointed to before may not be your or my style for that matter, but its definitely in line with some of the ones you posted as far as size and the grounds. Its much newer than those fox chapel ones though so doesnt have the historic details. it sold a couple years ago. the owners took a serious loss on it as they were the original builder and had WAY more into it than the 1.4M it went for.

https://www.zillow.com/homes/Edgewor...03_rect/17_zm/

[WhoIsStanwix?]

Originally Posted by jea6321

the plan was built out in several phases over a long period of time. there is mid century modern through newer construction mcmansions.

the house I pointed to before may not be your or my style for that matter, but its definitely in line with some of the ones you posted as far as size and the grounds. Its much newer than those fox chapel ones though so doesnt have the historic details. it sold a couple years ago. the owners took a serious loss on it as they were the original builder and had WAY more into it than the 1.4M it went for.

https://www.zillow.com/homes/Edgewor...03_rect/17_zm/

Touché. That house isn't what it seems from the road. I will concede that individual house is pretty "grand".

[prnlvsxy]

Originally Posted by WhoIsStanwix?

163 North Dr, Fox Chapel, PA 15238 - realtor.com®

Wow, the inside of this one is hideous! You'd think that someone that lives in that house might have some degree of good taste, but other than a couple of exceptions, most rooms in there are awful. And what's with the mirrors in the entryway? Straight from 1974!

[ferraris]

Originally Posted by WhoIsStanwix?

Touché. That house isn't what it seems from the road. I will concede that individual house is pretty "grand".

There is something just a little "off" about that house to me. It looks like a small office building that would have dentists & chiropractors as tenants. The inside looks more like a hall you would rent out for events than a "grand" house. It's not even the style of the house...just the implementation of that style...it's so big and empty feeling.