What's Bloomfield like? Specifically Little Italy? (Pittsburgh, Washington: apartments, rentals, crime rates)

[juliempdx]

We are looking at a few rentals on line in Bloomfield that have been completely renovated. Could any of you locals explain the area to me. How convenient is it to Pitt and UPMC Shadyside hospital? Also can you clue me in on Little Italy. Thanks a bunch

[ExPit]

Originally Posted by juliempdx

We are looking at a few rentals on line in Bloomfield that have been completely renovated. Could any of you locals explain the area to me. How convenient is it to Pitt and UPMC Shadyside hospital? Also can you clue me in on Little Italy. Thanks a bunch

There used to be alot goin' on around Bloomfield, a few great bars, alot of great Italian restaurants. It's close to Pitt, just across the Bloomfield Bridge, and close to Shadyside, just out Liberty Avenue. I always liked Bloomfield, better than say Lawrenceville which is down Liberty towards the Strip and downtown, and is undergoing its own kind of transition, but was pretty rough twenty years ago.

[BrianTH]

Most of Bloomfield is a working class neighborhood, with lots of woodframe rowhouses, although there is a part of the "official" Bloomfield that contains big brick houses (personally, though, I think of that area as part of Friendship). There is a nice commercial area along Liberty with lots of Italian places (hence the Little Italy reputation). It is close to Oakland and Shadyside, and indeed often what I would consider walkable (although the farthest parts of Bloomfield would be a pretty long walk), and there is bus service too.

Basically, it isn't one of the East End's most upscale neighborhoods, but it also never went through the same sharp decline as some other neighborhoods. A nice place there should be relatively affordable, and it is centrally located, so it would certainly be a place I would consider if I was looking at the East End on a modest budget.

[juliempdx]

do you know what the crime is like? Safe to walk around by yourself during daylight hours?

[ExPit]

Originally Posted by juliempdx

do you know what the crime is like? Safe to walk around by yourself during daylight hours?

The short answer is yes, but that's probably true for all of Pittsburgh, except for a few of the more dangerous neighborhoods: the Hill, Homewood and parts of the North Side. The thing about the East End, the nicer parts of the East End, in which I would include Bloomfield, Shadyside, Squirrel Hill, Point Breeze, is that you're surrounded, by other East End neighborhoods that aren't so safe, like Homewood, a large part of East Liberty, Garfield, Brushton, even the Hill District's not that far off.

I'm kinda new on this forum so I don't know what you've already posted about yourself, your needs, likes and dislikes, your background, etc, but sounds like you're a city person, which I always was too. I'll tell ya what, I lived for a few years on top of Mt. Washington, that neighborhood across the Mon River high atop the South Side, and it's kind of a nice compromise to the city life you'll find on the East End, more convenient to downtown and yet much safer.

[Drover]

A lot of Little Italy is quite dense with very narrow side streets and small-but-tall wood-frame houses on lots so small there's virtually no yard. It's old-school, working-class Pittsburgh.

Someone posted a couple pictures of typical Bloomfield residential streets over here.

[BrianTH]

As I recall, Bloomfield crime rates are comparable to other neighborhoods nearby like Oakland and Friendship. I'd feel safe walking around during the day, but at night I'd suggest the standard precaution of avoiding walking alone (particularly near the commercial area if there aren't a lot of people around at that time).

[juliempdx]

Originally Posted by BrianTH

As I recall, Bloomfield crime rates are comparable to other neighborhoods nearby like Oakland and Friendship. I'd feel safe walking around during the day, but at night I'd suggest the standard precaution of avoiding walking alone (particularly near the commercial area if there aren't a lot of people around at that time).

Hate to keep bugging you all but I was also wondering about East Liberty. There are some new apartments named Penn Manor that look very nice but I don't want to live there if it is in a bad area.

[juliempdx]

Originally Posted by juliempdx

Hate to keep bugging you all but I was also wondering about East Liberty. There are some new apartments named Penn Manor that look very nice but I don't want to live there if it is in a bad area.

Just to add to this Penn Manor is on the corner of Penn ave and St. Clair street. Ring a bell for anyone?

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by juliempdx

Hate to keep bugging you all but I was also wondering about East Liberty. There are some new apartments named Penn Manor that look very nice but I don't want to live there if it is in a bad area.

If I'm not mistaken, Penn Manor was one of several recent development projects primarily designed to help provide housing for former residents of the high-rise projects that were recently torn down in East Liberty (although I gather some of the units are being offered at market rates).

East Liberty in general is going through a real renewal as far as commercial spaces is concerned, with the addition of a new Home Depot, Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, Borders, and a bunch of other shops and restaurants. But I would currently hesitate to recommend it for actual residency--not that it is unthinkable, but there are just a lot of other places nearby in the East End that I would recommend first.