Bradford Woods/Franklin Park? (Pittsburgh: houses, YMCA, school district)

[mjd]

Hello. My family is looking at a possible relocation to the Pittsburgh area and we are starting to look at possible areas. Can anyone provide any information about Bradford Woods or Franklin Park as far as safety, accessibility, type of area, etc.? We would like to have a little bit of space as far as a lot (not right on top of the next house) with a yard for kids to play. Also, would be nice to be near some shopping, but not necessarily tons of big box retail - just enough for day to day needs. It would be nice to be near things for the kids - a nice library, recreation center, etc. A coffee shop for me would be a big plus!

Thanks alot!

[claremarie]

Franklin Park is very safe, and because many of the houses were built back in the 1970s when kids still played outside, you can easily find houses with yards that are not right next to their neighbors. There is a brand-new YMCA there with state of the art facilities. Northland Public Library is not far, and there is plenty of shopping. Ross Park Mall, on the border of Ross and McAndless Townships, has just about every store you could want, and will even be getting a Nordstrom's. The Pine Creek shopping center has a large grocery store, Target, and a Cineplex. Not sure about the coffee shop, since I lived in Pgh long before Starbucks, but you can check the Starbucks website for nearby locations. The North Allegheny school district is well-regarded, if a bit large. Franklin Park is located near the Interstate that goes downtown, and the traffic is not bad.