Reasonable commute (Pittsburgh, Highland Park, Penn: hotel, salary, lease)

[fleetiebelle]

The East End refers to the eastern city neighborhoods, not the eastern suburbs. If you enjoy suburban amenities, that's great, but Shadyside and Squirrel Hill do have many houses with yards, trees, and gardens. Another poster, dura, has been posting lots of pictures of the neighborhoods in other threads.

[Pictures] Squirrel Hill Neighborhood near Frick Park

[Pictures] Colfax Elementary School

[Pictures] Frick Park at Nicholson Street Entrance

You can see from her pictures that there is green all around.

[ainulinale]

Originally Posted by avanbroc

I actually do prefer to live in suburbs. The thought of city living makes me sick and I have a little one on the way. Its nothing against pittsburgh, I just need a little room to stretch. I understand that north hills is an easier commute but how much easier? We really like the place in Scott twp but I will be working physician hours and want as much time with my family as possible. Thanks a ton for the help.

Depends on where you are in the North Hills. That are is really spread out and covers larger ground than the South Hills, so even though the traffic should be much better, you might have a longer distance to drive.

[Mr. Mon]

Originally Posted by avanbroc

Isn't commuting from the east painful in terms of traffic? I heard that it can take forever to commute from monroeville/penn hills/etc to bloomfield. I'll live anywhere I can have something resembling a yard with no worries of graffiti on the walls. The shadyside/squirell hill/bloomfield areas did not fit that description from what I've seen. Shadyside/squirell hill are nice, but no yards. Bloomfield feels just too congested from what I've seen of it. I should mention that we are renting so affordability also comes into play. Thanks again.

For close by with a (some) yard and affordable rent I would look at Highland Park, Morningside and maybe Point Breeze. Bloomfield would defenitly be too dense for those who don't like city life. Scott Twp wouldn't be the worst for a South Hills commute, but you'd find faster commuts in suburbs such as Shaler, Ross and perhpas even Oakmont.

[BrianTH]

Neighborhoods near West Penn with yards would include Friendship, Squirrel Hill, Point Breeze, Highland Park, and Regent Square. By the way, these were all "suburbs" back in the streetcar days.

Offhand, it sounds like Highland Park might be the best bet for you: it is quite close to West Penn, but a little more "suburban" feeling, and relatively affordable.

By the way, when considering costs, don't forget to factor in the cost of your commute.

[avanbroc]

If it were up to me, I'd suck it up and live in an old home next toWest Penn. However, I have a wife and soon-to-be-born daughter. We are coming from a very small city in the south in a newer apartment complex. So we are used to no old house creeks and noises, and the solitude of the appalachian mountains. My wife will be alone at least once a week since I will have to be on call at the hospital. We are looking for somewhere that she feels really, REALLY comfortable. I think that the suburbs may be our best bet for that. And I know that the afore mentioned neighborhoods are not considered bad. Another factor in several of these neighborhoods is price. I will make a residents salary ($40k/yr) for 3 more years so the really nice sq. hill/shadyside apts are pretty much out of my reach.

I have been intrigued by the highland park area but read on these forums that parts of that area can be pretty "shady." Any thoughts on that? Thanks again to everyone for all the help. I look forward to moving up that direction, as the people I've met so far have been great.

[fleetiebelle]

Highland Park is next to East Liberty, which has a reputation for being rough, but East Liberty is undergoing a revitalization. There's a Whole Foods, a Trader Joe's, a Borders, and lots of new restaurants opening in the area.

Aspinwall is across the Highland Park bridge from Highland Park, and might be a good option for your family.

[Mr. Mon]

Originally Posted by avanbroc

I have been intrigued by the highland park area but read on these forums that parts of that area can be pretty "shady." Any thoughts on that? Thanks again to everyone for all the help. I look forward to moving up that direction, as the people I've met so far have been great.

Highland Park closer to Stanton Avenue might be construed as "shady" by someone not use to urban life. Closer to the park, especially north of Bryant is very nice and pretty quite. Rent for a nice place in the area could be high for the salary, but can be found.

[Pghtebbie]

Since I work in the industry:

I would suggest being closer to the hosp as opposed to far away, and here's why- there are hundreds (if not thousands) of spouses in the area similar to your wife. And they aren't living in the suburbs. I would imagine your wife is going to be quite lonely all the way out in the suburbs with only the "ladies who lunch". She has a much better chance of meeting other dr's wives being in the neighborhoods mentioned by Brian. All the residents I know at UPMC live in those neighborhoods.

Personally, I know many wives with kids at home, solely b/c they aren't allowed to work here (visa issues. Only given to the visiting spouse). Your wife will need to reform her support network, esp if she is going to be a first time mom.

Trust me, you will find a yard. You will have breathing room. And your wife will love it.

[PeterRabbit]

Oakmont is a very safe and friendly eastern suburb with an easy drive to West Penn. The fastest way (maybe 15 - 20 minutes) involves crossing two bridges and the slower way involves none (half hour or longer during rush hour, 20 minutes if no traffic). 9 miles. It's one of the finer Pittsburgh area communities and well worth checking out. All houses have yards. Police patrol constantly 24/7. Pop. is 7,000, very walkable anytime day or night.

Highland Park might freak you out. It's not as civil as everyone claims plus it's the city with 3% income tax. In the suburbs that's usually 1%.

[Dorian]

I agree with peterrabbit on oakmont. Oakmont is a nice neighborhood that kinda feels like a small town although it is in a major city. It has small shops, nice brick roads in spots, is quiet, and also has nice houses. I also agree with people that mentioned highland park. Highland park feels like a suburb in the city. In the right parts of highland park has nice houses with yards that would make you forget you were in the city of pittsburgh, but with a child on the way if you don't plan on moving again in the next few year your child would have to attend pittsburgh public schools and that is not good so I would suggest the eastern suburbs. Traffic is bad basically everywhere in pittsburgh during rush hour, so you should always try to avoid working and living on different sides of town especially if you have to cut through the city to get from one to the other. So that's why I say live in the eastern suburbs eventhough traffic is bad because you won't have to go through town and it won't really take that long. Neighborhoods like Monroeville(Big area with a mall and lots of shopping centers), Plum(quiet and more rural), Oakmont(everything metioned before), Fox chapel(on the other side of the river, pricey though), Springdale(little town, queit, can be pricey), or Aspinwall(nice little town). If you didn't like Bloomfield you probably wouldn't like Lawerenceville either, it is congested too.