Cheap housing in safe neighborhood in Pittsburgh (York, State College: real estate, cheap apartments)

[SAhmed1022]

Hi all,

I've been reading through many of the Pittsburgh forums on here and they're very helpful.

I'll be moving to Pittsburgh in August to attend graduate school at Univ of Pitt.

Let me give you a brief background of my living experiences. I grew up in a very nice quiet neighborhood in Bronx, NY. I completed high school in York, PA, and I am now completing my Bachelor's Degree in State College, PA. So, I really don't have much experiences living in a city like Pittsburgh, and to be honest, I'm quite nervous. I'm 21 and I'm a woman, so I'm constantly paranoid about being safe in public.

Another thing about me is that I don't have rich parents, so I basically have to live on my own and work while I go to school. Because I'll be working on a graduate degree, working 40 hours and taking 19 credits won't cut it anymore, so its really important that I find a super cheap place to live.

I know I may be asking too much, but I really would like to find a cheap studio apartment that is in a safe neighborhood. Because I can't afford a car, I would have to rely on public transportation to school (University of Pittsburgh) and work (wherever I find a job, most likely at UPMC), so there may be a good number of nights in the week where I'd be coming home late. I don't mind commuting up to 25 minutes if I have to.

Any ideas on safe locations, cheap apartments, good managements, etc would help.

Thanks everyone!

[PeterRabbit]

Bloomfield is fairly safe and probably possible to find a cheap place that you'll like. Maybe 3 miles to Pitt. A main road goes through the town. Check on craigslist.com

[PeterRabbit]

$365 1 bedroom, 1 bath...efficiency that is close to Busline and Oakland
Close to Everything

$425 Furnished studio
Furnished studio

$390 Newly Remodeled Efficiency
Newly Remodeled Efficiency (broken link)

Friendship area near Bloomfield is okay. Others know the area better than me so ask if you find anything interesting. There may be other areas too that I'm not aware of.

[BrianTH]

Polish Hill might be one good option. Although a bit rundown-looking, is very affordable and quite safe, right around the corner from Oakland, and it has long been a popular option for grad students at Pitt looking for very inexpensive housing. There is also direct bus service to Oakland, but the one hangup is that I am not sure how late that bus runs.

Another suggestion would be Highland Park. Again, it is pretty safe, pretty affordable, and popular with Pitt grad students living on a tight budget for that reason. It may be a little more expensive than Polish Hill, but there are a lot of bus routes to Oakland so it might be better for a person using public transit.

A third option I would mention is my area, Regent Square, and the area to the north (sometimes called Park Place or Frick Park). Once again it is safe and affordable, and has long been popular with Pitt grad students (in fact, I moved out to Park Place when I was a Pitt grad student, living without parental support). Again there are some major bus routes to Oakland.

[By~Tor]

Our Real Estate agent was telling us that Lower Lawrenceville is also up -n- coming, like Polish Hill will son be...... it looked livable, to my eyes, and it's close enough to Oakland & Pitt as to be doable...

I think younger people looking for cheaper rent prices need to consider that they will likely be doing a bit of "Urban Pioneering", if they really want to score a sweet deal... Pittsburgh rents, even in the "good" areas, are nowhere as high as in places like New York or Chicago, so think in relative terms when looking at rents... if you rent a $500 a month place, that means a part-time job can more than pay for it, in many cases...

Think about public transportation accessibility, the location and stock of nearby groceries and nightlife (always important to the college crowd!!!). Chances are, you could live a bit farther from the University, still ride a bike there (if you enjoy challenging hills), and have everything you want in a community, cheaply and without too much drama!!!

[zip95]

Originally Posted by PeterRabbit

Bloomfield is fairly safe and probably possible to find a cheap place that you'll like. Maybe 3 miles to Pitt. A main road goes through the town. Check on craigslist.com

That's fiction, the reality is that bloomfield is not safe by Pittsburgh standards.

Neighborhood Crime Stats

WPXI Article

[suzeeq521]

I had a lot of issues with crime when I lived in Bloomfield. Very little directly, but the criminal element was there.

However, it wasn't nearly as bad as when I was in Greenfield.

I currently live in Lawrenceville, in the up & coming part. Here is where I have had the least amount of exposure to crime/the criminal element. However, it is getting expensive fast. I am already looking, in case I have to move and find something more affordable (I believe I will be priced out of the rental market in my direct area within the next year.)

[fleetiebelle]

I have a friend who has lived in Lawrenceville for less than a year, and she's had her car broken into twice, the car was sideswiped once, and there was a domestic violence murder/suicide around the corner from her apartment. I don't know if she's just unlucky, or if that's a sign of the neighborhood.

[SAhmed1022]

Thanks everyone for responding!

So it looks like these are the following neighborhoods that many would recommend:
Bloomfield
Friendship
Polish Hill
Highland Park
Regent Square
Lawrenceville

It looks like all these areas are pretty much neighboring each other North of Oakland. Thats definitely a good thing!

What is the bars/clubs population in these areas? I'm not much of a person that goes out, and I'd feel much safer in areas where there aren't many drunks.

Thanks again everyone! All this help is very much appreciated... I'm getting such a good feeling about Pittsburghers!

Also, thanks for reminding me of Craig's List, PeterRabbit. I can't believe I didn't think of that!

[Mr. Mon]

Lawrenceville can be fun but I don't believe that there is any direct bus access to Oakland from there.

Highland Park and Regent Square are probably the "safest" on your list, but they are not always known to be cheap. It still wouldn't hurt to look.

Bloomfield is not bad, and likely cheaper than Highland Park or Regent Square. If you're really concerned about crime you could always try staying closer to the Frienship side of the neighborhood where it is "percieved to be nicer". Direct access by bus can be an issue here as well.

And Greenfield is not crime-ridden, the general rule is the closer you are to the park, or Squirrel Hill, the nicer the neighboghborhood.

And lest you think it's not possible, cheaper one bedrooms can be found around Murray Ave. in Squirrel Hill.