Considering a move to PGH from New England: Beechview vs. Swissvale (Washington: rentals, house)
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
see, that's just it, and one thing about the character of Americans - we think everything we have s ucks.
Boston is wonderful, sure, but people talk about the Patriots, the amazing sports culture, fun stuff like that. When you visit, locals don't say "you know, our transit is terrible".
I feel this way about Philadelphia and Toronto - both cool cities, and people in Pgh. love both and rave about both. I think outside of the downtown core, Toronto is a sprawling, auto-dominated cluster. I hate it - but that is where my family tree has its...leaves, i guess. Not many visitors have need to go out into that area, and are oblivious to the city in its entirety.
I would make the same case for tourists who come here for a steelers or pirates game and rave about Pittsburgh. Sure, the inclines are cool, and the Point State Park and the waterfront areas of the Point are beautiful....but that isn't the entire picture.
OP, I applaud you for finding in Beechview what few people here do. Many Pittsburghers, in the city or the near suburbs, actually know WHERE this neighborhood is (I am concluding from a small sample size).
I lived in this neighborhood for a few years and thought it was beautiful, with its very lush vegetation and its roller coaster-like terrain. Many streets have nicely kept homes. There are a few crappy sub-areas, however.
There is a walking group that traverses those steep streets, and kids playing hockey and enjoying the spray park. It's been a few years, but while living in Beechview I observed a seemingly "normal" middle class demo there - the kind of people that would make you feel comfortable if they were your neighbors. And this 'middle class' was all shades - even a few from the east (nepalese?)
I must warn you - winter can be terrible there. Even when driving is not an option because of the snow, the slopes on the streets can make walking to the T a challenge. Please consider this - there are no railings along the sidewalks (as there are in some other south hills neighborhoods). It can get dicey after icy precipitation. And driving is dangerous in those same conditions.
Like others here, I am thrilled, in fact, that a newcomer would choose a city neighborhood that is not one of the elite (Shadyside, South Point Breeze, Downtown, etc.). Keep us informed on your decision.
Beechview >> Swissvale
As a 9 year resident of Brookline, I agree Beechview can be tough in winter. Brookline is right next door, and hillier than most neighborhoods but Beechview is a cut above. At least my little section of Brookline the streets tend to be well maintained, but even with that sidewalks can be messy since they are the responsibility of the homeowners. I wish the city would bring back the saltboxes so I dont have to use all of mine on other peoples sidewalks. Don’t let a few bad days of weather dissuade you though, just get yourself a par of YakTrax and you should be good to go.
SzugBot, thank you so much. As I said in the original post, the decision isn't likely to be immediate, but we are definitely in info-gathering mode and are heading out for another visit this month -- staying in Beechview once again.
As someone who was born in NYC and lived around the Boston area for several decades, I know what gentrification looks like, and I know what the loss of the middle class, the artists, the students, the elderly, and young/broke families looks like. It's empty, it's hollow, and it's damned boring -- and not anywhere I want to be. I've tried to make Boston my city for several decades, but it's always been just out of my reach financially -- now, however, the gentrification has accelerated so much that it's FAR out of my reach and I no longer even want what's on the other side of the store window.
I've toured through the Shadysides and the Point Breezes, and yes, they're gorgeous and impressive -- but I want a neighborhood that's comfortable, neighborly, and is built around transit. It was because of our focus on transit-friendliness that we found Beechview to begin with: my husband and I just took the trolleys and the busways and rode them, checking out neighborhoods as we went. The South Hills are gorgeous, but the fact that Beechview is actually a part of PGH (and not a suburb), is so close to downtown, and is so diverse speaks to us.
In terms of ice, we get our fair share here in New Hampshire -- and we know how to use YakTrax and even trekking poles when necessary. But thanks for the warning!
Last edited by drband36; 10-07-2019 at 07:59 PM..
Reason: formatting
In terms of ice, we get our fair share here in New Hampshire -- and we know how to use YakTrax and even trekking poles when necessary. But thanks for the warning!
I have priced YakTrax, but never bought them. I think because last winter really wasn't a winter.
As a 9 year resident of Brookline, I agree Beechview can be tough in winter. Brookline is right next door, and hillier than most neighborhoods but Beechview is a cut above. At least my little section of Brookline the streets tend to be well maintained....
that's a good mention - Brookline. It could be the OP doesn't realize that just across the valley is Brookline, a healthy, vibrant neighborhood.
Quick mention to the drband36 - the library in Beechview during the day is very cool. The women there are very nice - it is a friendly place, never crowded, but sometimes voices are a little loud. People might run in and out to check email or get a quick print out.
I've gone there for free parking to do business/work stuff in a jif.
It would probably not have any bearing on your impression of beechview, but the female staff there are cute as heck, too.
that's a good mention - Brookline. It could be the OP doesn't realize that just across the valley is Brookline, a healthy, vibrant neighborhood.
Quick mention to the drband36 - the library in Beechview during the day is very cool. The women there are very nice - it is a friendly place, never crowded, but sometimes voices are a little loud. People might run in and out to check email or get a quick print out.
I've gone there for free parking to do business/work stuff in a jif.
It would probably not have any bearing on your impression of beechview, but the female staff there are cute as heck, too.
While I would say, if you can't live in Boston's Brookline neighborhood, the next best thing is to live in the Pittsburgh one named after it but the transit is subpar. It is great for downtown workers, but I think after 8, it only runs every hour, only runs every hour on Saturday, and there is no Sunday service. From some parts of Brookline you can walk to the T in Beechview and also the West Liberty bus routes, but overall the 39 is the main service and if you are hoping to use it for weekend and evening events it can be limiting.
I wonder if the OP would do okay with Mt. Washington as well. There are still houses that come up in the $150,000 range within walking distance of the Mon Incline. It's not as reliable as the T of course, but downtown is like right there.
Hell, for that price range, South Side Flats might work for them (as long as they're okay with a rowhouse with no off-street parking). Obviously only surface buses, but it's still close to town, and there's lots of stuff within walking distance.
While I would say, if you can't live in Boston's Brookline neighborhood, the next best thing is to live in the Pittsburgh one named after it but the transit is subpar. It is great for downtown workers, but I think after 8, it only runs every hour, only runs every hour on Saturday, and there is no Sunday service. From some parts of Brookline you can walk to the T in Beechview and also the West Liberty bus routes, but overall the 39 is the main service and if you are hoping to use it for weekend and evening events it can be limiting.
PghYinzer, we'd noticed the deficit in transit for Brookline. On the upside, Brookline has so much in its own commercial district that there might be less need for travel. It's on our list, for sure. If Brookline ended up on the short list, it would be for a property very near Brookline Boulevard. Thanks!
I wonder if the OP would do okay with Mt. Washington as well. There are still houses that come up in the $150,000 range within walking distance of the Mon Incline. It's not as reliable as the T of course, but downtown is like right there.
Hell, for that price range, South Side Flats might work for them (as long as they're okay with a rowhouse with no off-street parking). Obviously only surface buses, but it's still close to town, and there's lots of stuff within walking distance.
Hi Echaton,
Mt. Washington and Duquesne Heights are also on our list; we've done some walking tours and liked what we saw. I'd still maintain that the light rail ride from B'view is faster to Downtown than the bus from MW or DH. It seems that one pays a premium for the neighborhoods' downtown view even if the property in question doesn't have the view!
The Flats, while a great place to hang out and enjoy the nightlife, seem a little noisy for our taste as a place to buy. Further, I'm a pretty serious gardener and so I'd like to have a bit of greenspace to tend.
I've grown increasingly fond of Beechview during my 9-year stint as a Pittsburgher.
When we're finally ready to pull the trigger and buy our first home Beechview is at the top of our list. I *must* live in the city as part of my job requirement, and there are very few walkable, transit-friendly, safe, and AFFORDABLE (by Pittsburgh standards---not national standards) neighborhoods left within city limits. Beechview is one of them. Brookline was in 2010 when I moved here, but many homes now go for well north of $150,000 or even $200,000 whereas you can still find nice small older homes in Beechview for ~$100,000. I'd also rather live within walking distance to the "T", too, than the one Brookline bus for reducing my car-dependency and carbon footprint. I can take the "T" almost directly to my office. My partner can take the "T" to Gateway Center and then take a corporate shuttle to his office in the Strip.
Beechview is stable. I don't foresee it "booming" anytime soon the way the South Side Flats, East Liberty, Strip District, or Lawrenceville have at different times or the way places like Polish Hill or Garfield may in the near-future, and that's perfectly okay. Another restaurant or two (delicious Chicken Latino Peruvian is on its way there as I speak and Chip and Kale just opened for gourmet vegetarian meal kit delivery) and maybe an expanded IGA grocery store, and then Beechview ticks off many boxes that most of we working-class urban-dwellers seek.
Beechview doesn't get discussed often on here because it's not a "hot" neighborhood. There is limited (re)development occurring; there is always limited real estate inventory available; and there's just no "buzz". It seems like the city council representative for Beechview (Coghill) is a bit of a dud, but maybe he'll find his footing in his second term the way my own councilor (Gross) has finally started to have more of a voice now that she's won a second term after being quiet as a church mouse in her first term.
My thoughts on Swissvale? It's fine. I'm not as enamored with it because about 1/3 of the borough is still sketchy with occasional violent crime; its Downtown is a dud; it is located outside the city limits; and it's a long car-free haul on transit to get to Downtown vs. Beechview. Even then if you wanted to transfer to another bus Downtown to go elsewhere that's a long slog after already taking the East Busway all the way in from Swissvale.
I've grown increasingly fond of Beechview during my 9-year stint as a Pittsburgher.
When we're finally ready to pull the trigger and buy our first home Beechview is at the top of our list. I *must* live in the city as part of my job requirement, and there are very few walkable, transit-friendly, safe, and AFFORDABLE (by Pittsburgh standards---not national standards) neighborhoods left within city limits. Beechview is one of them. Brookline was in 2010 when I moved here, but many homes now go for well north of $150,000 or even $200,000 whereas you can still find nice small older homes in Beechview for ~$100,000. I'd also rather live within walking distance to the "T", too, than the one Brookline bus for reducing my car-dependency and carbon footprint. I can take the "T" almost directly to my office. My partner can take the "T" to Gateway Center and then take a corporate shuttle to his office in the Strip.
Beechview is stable. I don't foresee it "booming" anytime soon the way the South Side Flats, East Liberty, Strip District, or Lawrenceville have at different times or the way places like Polish Hill or Garfield may in the near-future, and that's perfectly okay. Another restaurant or two (delicious Chicken Latino Peruvian is on its way there as I speak and Chip and Kale just opened for gourmet vegetarian meal kit delivery) and maybe an expanded IGA grocery store, and then Beechview ticks off many boxes that most of we working-class urban-dwellers seek.
Beechview doesn't get discussed often on here because it's not a "hot" neighborhood. There is limited (re)development occurring; there is always limited real estate inventory available; and there's just no "buzz". It seems like the city council representative for Beechview (Coghill) is a bit of a dud, but maybe he'll find his footing in his second term the way my own councilor (Gross) has finally started to have more of a voice now that she's won a second term after being quiet as a church mouse in her first term.
My thoughts on Swissvale? It's fine. I'm not as enamored with it because about 1/3 of the borough is still sketchy with occasional violent crime; its Downtown is a dud; it is located outside the city limits; and it's a long car-free haul on transit to get to Downtown vs. Beechview. Even then if you wanted to transfer to another bus Downtown to go elsewhere that's a long slog after already taking the East Busway all the way in from Swissvale.
SCR, thank you so much for the insights. There is just something about Beechview. The lack of buzz doesn't bother us -- or rather, it isn't really even a factor. B'view checks our boxes.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
