Biggest Italian population (Pittsburgh, Ross Township, Latrobe: crime rate, big house, neighborhoods)

[AndrewA47]

What city in the Pittsburgh area has the biggest Italian population?

[dugdogmaster]

Cities I'm unsure of. I know where I live north of the city is pretty heavily populated by us Italians. The Bloomfield neighborhood in Pittsburgh, however, is known as Pittsburgh's Little Italy.

[AndrewA47]

How is the Bloomfield area like on a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being very very nice, and 1 being ghetto.

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by AndrewA47

How is the Bloomfield area like on a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being very very nice, and 1 being ghetto.

I'd give it about a 5 or 6 (with no grade inflation), meaning an average grade. It is in a nice central location with a great deal of new development in the area, and it has a lot going on in its "downtown" stretch. But it is very much a "working class" neighborhood (e.g., the dominant local housing style is wood-frame rowhouses). The crime rate is not terrible by objective standards, but it is somewhat higher than the safest East End neighborhoods.

Basically, it is a pretty good choice of neighborhoods if you are looking for something affordable in the city within walking distance of a lot of restaurants and shops. But by my standards there are several nicer neighborhoods in the East End--of course, they also tend to be more expensive places to live.

[pinetar10]

i believe latrobe has a large italian population

[AndrewA47]

Originally Posted by BrianTH

I'd give it about a 5 or 6 (with no grade inflation), meaning an average grade. It is in a nice central location with a great deal of new development in the area, and it has a lot going on in its "downtown" stretch. But it is very much a "working class" neighborhood (e.g., the dominant local housing style is wood-frame rowhouses). The crime rate is not terrible by objective standards, but it is somewhat higher than the safest East End neighborhoods.

Basically, it is a pretty good choice of neighborhoods if you are looking for something affordable in the city within walking distance of a lot of restaurants and shops. But by my standards there are several nicer neighborhoods in the East End--of course, they also tend to be more expensive places to live.

What are some of the "nicer" east end neighborhoods? And how would they compare with a place like Ross Township, where I have found several very nice homes for under $200,000, which is the most I am looking to spend.

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by AndrewA47

What are some of the "nicer" east end neighborhoods? And how would they compare with a place like Ross Township, where I have found several very nice homes for under $200,000, which is the most I am looking to spend.

Ross Township is somewhat difficult to compare to the East End, since Ross is pretty suburban, and the East End is more urban (or what I would call semi-urban, since it is mostly made up of former "streetcar suburbs" that have been absorbed by the city). Ross was also mostly built up in the post-WWII automobile era, whereas many of the East End neighborhoods are more historic, some with homes dating back to the 19th Century. But I am really not too well-equipped to talk about Ross in detail, as opposed to the East End, so I will describe the latter a bit and if you are interested we can follow up.

In the East End, the nicest neighborhoods include Shadyside and Squirrel Hill, both pretty expensive and maybe mostly outside your budget. Other nice residential neighborhoods that are a bit more affordable include Point Breeze (although parts are as expensive as Squirrel Hill), Regent Square, and Highland Park. I'd say you could take a look at what is available in those neighborhoods within your budget and see what you thought.

Then you have some more transitional neighborhoods--places with good affordable housing stock in nice locations on the way up. For example, Lawrenceville is one of the hottest markets in the city right now, and it has a lot of historic brick rowhouses. Much of Lawrenceville should be in your price range. Friendship, which is right next to Bloomfield, has a lot of great big houses, but the ones in your price range might need some work. Morningside is apparently another solid neighborhood between Lawrenceville and Highland Park, although frankly I don't know too much about it. Polish Hill is kind of an interesting neighborhood right across from Bloomfield (via the Bloomfield Bridge): it is a bit rundown right now, but the location (and often the view) is excellent, and it is starting to get some young family and artist-types moving in.

I am sure I am missing something, but that is a quick overview of the East End neighborhoods I would recommend people check out. Again, though, it is pretty different from Ross (although neighborhoods like Highland Park or Regent Square have a somewhat suburban feel).

[AndrewA47]

BrianTH, thanks for all your insight. I've looked at the east end neighborhoods and I found a couple nice homes in the Morningside neighborhood. But there was nothing that compares to what I found in the Ross Twp, West View area in the price range I am looking at. I mean, I have found homes that are much smaller similar versions of the house in the movie Rose Red...all brick, and with the ivy, and nice bushes. Houses like these where I live right now (Detroit area) go for between 300K and 700K. So unless somebody can say something bad about that area, then I think that's where I am going to end up.

[AndrewA47]

Originally Posted by pinetar10

i believe latrobe has a large italian population

Thanks for responding, but it looks like Latrobe is too far from Downtown Pittsburgh, where I will be working.

[Mr. Mon]

Nothing really wrong with Ross Twp. at all. It's not too far from Downtown and the housing stock is solid and not too expensive. However, their school taxes are high, and it is pretty suburban and has no sidewalks if that's an amenity you're looking for.

Morningside was a traditionally Italian neighborhood and the neighborhood Catholic Church still celebrates the feast of St. Rocco with a parade through the streets. The housing stock is older than in Ross so alot of the cheaper houses will require at least a minimum amount of work. I've heard that most the nicer houses there are selling within a week or two of going on the market, which is fast in Pittsburgh's housing market.

Either choice is perfectly fine.