College Grad Heading to Pittsburgh (West Mifflin, Mifflin: apartments, neighborhoods, to live in)

[dmbfan2007]

Hey people!

I'm graduating in May and I have a job in Pittsburgh. Specifically, I'll be working in West Mifflin, and I've heard that the "exciting" or young part of town is on the south end.

Regardless, I was wondering if you friendly folk could recommend some apartments, a specific area, or really just any tips. Thanks!

[BrianTH]

So Pittsburgh is a city of neighborhoods, and this map will help you keep track of where the neighborhoods are located (you can click on neighborhoods to get individual maps):

Pittsburgh Map

The South Side is indeed one of the most young and vibrant neighborhoods in Pittsburgh, and probably would be a good choice for an easy commute to West Mifflin. You can live in the Flats and be in the heart of the action, or in the Slopes and get nice views.

The other places you will tend to find a lot of young people and nightlife are in the "East End" of Pittsburgh where undergrad and grad students from Pitt and CMU often live. Shadyside and Squirrel Hill are two of the most popular neighborhoods in the East End, and both have large commercial areas with lots of bars, restaurants, and so on. The commutes would be a little longer but I wouldn't think they would be too bad (I am guessing you would want to go down to the Glenwood Bridge).

[Bong477]

What's your budget? If you're looking for urban areas with people your age:

Shadyside is in my opinion at least, the nicest urban area to live in Pittsburgh.
Squirrel Hill is second.
Southside is a little on the grungier side, which has some appeal & there is certainly plenty of stuff to do. The exception would be apartments at the Southside works which are pretty upscale and are kind of isolated from the rest of the neighborhood.