Unique Dormont infill housing and other updates (Pittsburgh, Lebanon: sales, real estate)

[svband76]

Originally Posted by fjy3

Mike and Tony's is also coming to Dormont! They are taking over the Tom's Diner/Vasta building. They are currently gutting the interior of Vasta. I have no clue when they plan on opening. This is all very exciting news! I especially can't wait for Arsenal Cider House to open! Paulie's BBQ definitely isn't the best BBQ I've had, but it's not too bad. It's typical pub food, and it's kid-friendly.

I'm happy to see all the cool new businesses.

Knossos Gyros has been in Dormont over 40 years and is on Potomac Avenue. Wonder how Mike & Tony's will affect them. Not sure how many people eat gyros these days but Knossos is kinda dumpy anyway.

Dormont needs a healthier option. I wish something akin to Onion Maiden would open.

[SteelCityRising]

Originally Posted by zalewskimm

Dormont needs a healthier option.

Just be glad you have all the restaurants that you do. My neighborhood is more expensive than Dormont, and we still don't have even one restaurant.

[Knepper3]

Originally Posted by SteelCityRising

Just be glad you have all the restaurants that you do. My neighborhood is more expensive than Dormont, and we still don't have even one restaurant.

Well I guess I shouldnt feel bad then. We have like 2 soso bar/grill places, a decent bar/grill a little further, and a soso tapas place. I only like the 1 but at least there is something.

[SteelCityRising]

Originally Posted by Knepper3

Well I guess I shouldnt feel bad then. We have like 2 soso bar/grill places, a decent bar/grill a little further, and a soso tapas place. I only like the 1 but at least there is something.

Yes. We're looking to buy either this year or next year, and we'll be buying in a cheaper neighborhood with more walkable amenities. Polish Hill was a great neighborhood when it was cheap and had nothing to offer in terms of walkable commercial amenities. Now that it's expensive and still has nothing to offer in terms of walkable commercial amenities we're looking elsewhere.

I really wish Dormont was part of the city. I have a city residency requirement for my job, but I really love Dormont. I love the population density, the small businesses, and just the general vibe of the town being educated/progressive but not in a douchey/pretentious way like Lawrenceville.

[Knepper3]

Yeah the city requirement can be tough, I really wish they would open that up or provide some kind of relief if they are going to keep that especially with the transfer tax going up again this year. I kinda like Brookline, had a nice downtown and more diverse feel. For me I also liked it didnt feel as dense as Dormont. I love when we have clients looking there, I dont get over otherwise and loved Pitaland. Plus if you get the western edge of Brookline you are almost in Dormont

[fjy3]

Originally Posted by zalewskimm

Knossos Gyros has been in Dormont over 40 years and is on Potomac Avenue. Wonder how Mike & Tony's will affect them. Not sure how many people eat gyros these days but Knossos is kinda dumpy anyway.

Dormont needs a healthier option. I wish something akin to Onion Maiden would open.

I always tell my husband that Dormont needs something like The Quiet Storm, which was basically what I think Onion Maiden is similar to, albeit Onion Maiden is more metal. Opening a slightly interesting restaurant with vegetarian options is always a sign of an up-and-coming neighborhood. Allentown really reminds me of Garfield in the early aughts.

I think Dormont needs a bohemian, laid back family restaurant that serves vegetarian food. Anything mid-ranged, slightly cool, while still being family oriented would probably thrive. This is a very family oriented neighborhood.

Dor-stop and Eat n' Park do well for a reason. Nothing too pretentious or expensive. They aren't really that special, but they appeal to all sorts of people.

I really loved Onion Maiden, but didn't like the wait that much. My husband and I went there, and we waited a half an hour. We are too impatient to regularly wait. I don't care how cool a place is; we are old, impatient, and get hangry. Add a kid to the mix and it it's a disaster.

I do like gyros, but I agree something healthier would be nice. I will definitely order from Mike and Tony's on occassion. I REALLY love Rocchio's, but they are a take-out deli place—there's nowhere to sit down—and there's nothing my picky kid would eat (i.e. mac and cheese.) I highly recommend Rocchios for their hoagies, homemade chickpea and potato/macaroni salad, croatian cookies, and gelato. I heard that a beer distributor and Indian restaurant are going to open where Payless used to be in the plaza as well.

I think Dormont has potential for much more than salons and pizza places.

[safak]

Originally Posted by SteelCityRising

Right. I have no idea why I would consider someone who buys a home for $30,000, puts $200,000 of work/labor into it, and then lists it for $550,000 would be "greedy".

This is actually a common mentality. I run into it all the time. If neighborhood houses sell for 250k on the norm, but someone picked up a foreclosure or sherrif sale for 40k, takes the gamble, does the work, then people think the discount should be passed onto them instead of paying fair market value and him earning his living.
Of course who am I to say these buyers aren't owed cheap and free stuff for being born.

[erieguy]

Originally Posted by safak

This is actually a common mentality. I run into it all the time. If neighborhood houses sell for 250k on the norm, but someone picked up a foreclosure or sherrif sale for 40k, takes the gamble, does the work, then people think the discount should be passed onto them instead of paying fair market value and him earning his living.
Of course who am I to say these buyers aren't owed cheap and free stuff for being born.

Bingo

However, those that have issue with the asking/selling price have the option of buying it for $40k, having the work done, and selling it for what they see fit.

Rather than price it high and have to deal with haggling, when I’m selling something, I fairly price it and if I get questioned about the price, I always ask if they negotiate the price at the grocery store, Starbucks, etc...

[Independentthinking83]

Originally Posted by Knepper3

Yeah it is not greedy, market will dictate price. No one is going to be forced to buy it. Does anyone really have a clue on how much $ was spent on it? This was designed as a top end property and it looks like every upgrade possible was built into it. This is new construction as well up to current codes. If they screwed up and overdid this then market will tell them, if it sells they did good. Nothing greedy, it's called business. Pricing is not based on fair, it is based on whatever people will spend. Just like any other business and they likely put many good small businesses to work doing this.

Originally Posted by jea6321

its also completely speculative to think the developer is making a killing. If said developer is not themselves the contractor, I can assure anyone that they have way more than 200k hard cost into these units. And if they are the contractor, they have employees to pay, subs to pay, permits, inspections, trucks, tools, insurance downtime(where they are still keeping their employees on to retain them) etc.

for anyone that thinks they can do carbon copies of these for 300k, I'm here waiting to buy as many of them as you can churn out. Let me know when they are ready.

Originally Posted by Knepper3

Yeah the city requirement can be tough, I really wish they would open that up or provide some kind of relief if they are going to keep that especially with the transfer tax going up again this year. I kinda like Brookline, had a nice downtown and more diverse feel. For me I also liked it didnt feel as dense as Dormont. I love when we have clients looking there, I dont get over otherwise and loved Pitaland. Plus if you get the western edge of Brookline you are almost in Dormont

Good stuff!

I am all for new housing and development. The more new construction they build in this county the better. It is up to date with codes and energy efficient.

There is a lot of old housing in a lot of city neighborhoods and suburbs that just needs leveled and started over. I am all for preservation, but there is a point where it is cost prohibitive.

The real estate transfer tax is a killer in the city. I am going to have to pay it when I sell this place. That’s why I am going to rent in the west end. That is a new upcoming area and I can leave at anytime. Plus the transfer tax looks like it is going to keep going up and up. There really is no benefit for suburbs like wilkinsburg to dissolve or merge into the city. Especially with this real estate transfer tax. Good lord. People think it is a good idea, but nobody can explain the benefits.

Pittsburgh is a majority renter city now anyways.

[_Buster]

Originally Posted by Independentthinking83

There is a lot of old housing in a lot of city neighborhoods and suburbs that just needs leveled and started over. I am all for preservation, but there is a point where it is cost prohibitive.

Its still really expensive to knock a house completely down and build new. a lot of times the structure is sound and can be preserved for less cost, and the outside walls will be higher quality than almost anything new except for the most expensive rebuilds. and people who buy in those areas tend to prefer that to a brand new house IMO/ That's why renos in the city are so popular.