I feel sorry for homeowners in Penn Hills...

[ian curtis]

buy a house that is off the bus route. stay way away from the 77B!

[Brookline_sylvia]

I vouch for the high sewage bills...I don't live in Penn Hills, but work with a few people who do, and I can't believe how high their water and sewage bills are - it's crazy!

Also, I agree with the poster who commented about Penn Hills being too far from downtown Pittsburgh (if you have a regular need/desire to go there). I know how the parkway can get, but have never traveled the Frankstown Rd. route during peak travel times...does it get backed up, too? Even if it doesn't, I guess, once you hit East Liberty and and Penn Ave. things would start to slow down. If you don't have to travel downtown (and the sewage bills notwithstanding), from what I understand it doesn't seem much different than many of the other Mon-Valley towns, like West Mifflin and Dravosburg, although personally, if I had to choose, I would select those areas instead.

[otters21]

Originally Posted by jennie61173

I live in Penn Hills and I have been there of 5 years. My neighborhood isn't too bad, expect for the two houses that are section 8. I think it's ridiculous that they put section 8 in middle class neighborhoods. That is the problem. I get up everyday and go to work why my neighbors up the street sit on their butt all day and sell drugs, blast music mid day and use profanity in the middle of the street. Oh, then they scream that all the white people in the neighborhood are prejudice. Give me a break

That is the type of trash that there should be zero tolerance for! There are very ones who are responsible for all the filthy decline in our neighborhoods all over America whether city or suburban. That goes for all races, but however and unfortunately many of those people are minorities. It is not skin color that is the problem it is the lifestyle and the racist attitudes.

[otters21]

Originally Posted by mr.davon24

You know your one to many a** whopping too late. My dad gave us beating we where bad. I thank him though all three of my siblings excaped the statitic of yound african americans. Back to the subject picture to me is a nice area to move. I can't speak for the school district though.

My siblings and I had our backsides beat by my dad when we stepped out of line and if we got hit by a nun in school ( I am Irish Catholic and went to parochial school) we recieved a second butt whipping at home for being direspectful in school. That taught us respect and seven out of my eight siblings and myself all turned out to be decent adults who are doing well for ourselves. As much as I was scared of my Dad when I was a child and teen I thank him for teaching me respect.

[PeterRabbit]

Rosedale is a nicer area of Penn Hills near Verona. Maybe that's where someone was talking about living and you could see the river. If you lived there you'd go down Allegheny River Blvd. to get to town. That would be extremely slow.

I was renting in Penn Hills the first time the high sewage bills came out. The Municipal Services office was filled with people complaining. One woman's bill was $43,000. They hadn't billed people for over a year. The mayor and manager hid and wouldn't see anyone. I moved.

Walmart and Target are/were supposed to locate in East Hills. I thought it was crazy years ago when Zayre's built a new store there when everyone else was fleeing.

[Brandon.]

blacks move in, home values go down

this is real estate 101

it is, what it is

[robrobrob]

blacks move in, home values go down

this is real estate 101

it is, what it is

It isn't that simple and you know that. For example, if a black doctor and his family moved in next to you that wouldn't be a bad thing. A more general statement and probably even truer is that when renters start to outnumber home owners property values start to go down, level off or not increase as greatly. Basically, a landlord is going to have different standard than a homeowner that lives in his house. Another point is that I think smaller suburban houses just aren't as attractive to buyers as they were in the 1950's or 1960's. Think about it it is pretty tough by today's standard to raise a family in a 1400 square house. Where do you put the sectional and the big screen tv. How about all of the toys that kids have now day. Where is the kitchen island, etc.

[otters21]

Originally Posted by robrobrob

It isn't that simple and you know that. For example, if a black doctor and his family moved in next to you that wouldn't be a bad thing. A more general statement and probably even truer is that when renters start to outnumber home owners property values start to go down, level off or not increase as greatly. Basically, a landlord is going to have different standard than a homeowner that lives in his house. Another point is that I think smaller suburban houses just aren't as attractive to buyers as they were in the 1950's or 1960's. Think about it it is pretty tough by today's standard to raise a family in a 1400 square house. Where do you put the sectional and the big screen tv. How about all of the toys that kids have now day. Where is the kitchen island, etc.

You got a point. Many of those 50s and 60s Split Levels, Cape Cods and Ranches are not very attractive in the first place. In the better neighborhoods,however where there are mainly homeowners , the houses had been fixed up where they can be cute and have some charm to them. Also having mature trees around them really helps with their appearrance. They were not very appealing when they were first built and they had that "cracker box" feel to them. In areas where there are many renters who do not care and there are hardly no trees the houses can get ugly looking quite fast. Any redeeming qualities they had are lost and once an area declines it will be very hard to bring it back. AS far as the homes built today are concerned they too have no charm and the newer suburbans areas will see decline within the next few decades. The decline is starting to show in neighborhoods built in the 70s , 80s and even in the early 90s.

[Drover]

Originally Posted by ian curtis

buy a house that is off the bus route. stay way away from the 77B!

Uhm... that was kind of a random way to dredge up a thread that had been dormant for a year....