Pleasant Hills, Brentwood, Scott Township?? (Pittsburgh, York: crime, motel, houses)

[HomerJ]

Hello and thank you in advance to any Western PA residents who might be able to educate me somewhat on the suburbs of Pittsburgh.
I currently live in New York and I'm looking to buy a home in a nice, safe, 'suburbian' (not city and not too rural) town relatively close to Pittsburgh. ( probably no more than about 35 minutes by car)
So far I seem to like Cranberry Twp, Upper St. Clair, Greentree but Im not too familiar with the lesser known towns around them. Would anyone have any information for me regarding Pleasant Hills, Brentwood, or Scott Township? I have seen a few nice houses there and would like some thoughts on those towns and any other reccomendations of other towns in the area. Looking to spend no more than about $155,000 on a 3 Bedroom. I have been visiting for many years (huge steelers fan) , so i know the area somewhat but not intimately of course. Any help would be greatly appreciated and you can feel free to email me. I'm not too interested in the eastern suburbs, I seem to be more familiar with the south burbs and the north-northwestern towns.

Thank you so much!!

[Tallysmom]

I grew up in Cranberry Twp, and was just back to visit my mom for a week in October.

Holy cow. And not in a good way. If you've been there, try to understand... That is so NOT the place I grew up in. It used to be SO rural. We had one pharmacy, with a soda counter on one side of the building and tack and feed on the other. (For those who don't know -- Tack is horse stuff -- bridles, bits, saddles, blankets....)

My mother told me Meeder's farm -- where we bought fresh picked corn every summer, and pumpkins and apple cider and field corn in the fall -- has been sold and will be razed for another drug store. I used to swim with my friend at the TouRest motel across from Meeders -- it's a Rite Aid....

We had to drive a half an hour to get to a big grocery store, in the North Hills. We bought our milk at Glen Eden Dairy, and our eggs from the egg lady, and Mrs Breckenridge down the road made fudge and sold it at her roadside fudge stand. A little father down the road was a gentleman who ran a antique store in the first floor of his old home... and he looked just like Colonel Sanders.

Where all the strip malls are popping up was all farmland.....

And more and more developments. Ick ick ick.

If I was going to move back there, I would look a wee bit past Cranberry, just over the Beaver County line -- a nice old upscale area called Bradford Park. It's the corner of Beaver/Butler/Allegheny Counties. Still nice and country-ish, taxes are lower than Allegheny, quick access to the shopping in Cranberry and Rtes 79/279 for easy access to Pittsburgh. Hit realtor.com and check in zip code 15005. There are some McMansions, but most of the houses in 150-200 range are in Bradford Park, and will say so in the description. It's not an incorporated area, so most search engines don't pick it up, but will hit the village of Bradford Woods, which is more expensive, and in Allegheny County.

Hope I didn't turn you off of Cranberry.... but I'm living in urban hell in California, and the thought of going back to that is just AWFUL.

[rd620]

I have always like the Mt. Lebanon area. It is an upscale suburban area that is safe and has many restaurants and shops and only 10 minutes to the city. The problem there is going to be price. You may find a nice older home (usually stone or brick in Mt Lebo) for that price but the taxes are still going to kill you. You can look in neighboring Castle Shannon but I have always thought of that area as congested and somewhat run down. Scott Twp. is nice ... maybe somewhere in between the two I just mentioned. These are all south of the city. If you want to travel a little further south you will find a much better deal as far as taxes go in Washington County. Canonsburg is about 25 to 30 minutes from the city and there are some nice areas there.

The Robinson twp area is West of the city near the airport. The area is growning and has plenty of shopping. It is safe but somewhat rural in some areas. Cranberry (North of the city) is nice and growing but I don't know a lot about it other than it is safe.

Monroeville is east of the city and may be an option for you.

[S6T1R]

Originally Posted by rd620

I have always like the Mt. Lebanon area. It is an upscale suburban area that is safe and has many restaurants and shops and only 10 minutes to the city. The problem there is going to be price. You may find a nice older home (usually stone or brick in Mt Lebo) for that price but the taxes are still going to kill you. You can look in neighboring Castle Shannon but I have always thought of that area as congested and somewhat run down. Scott Twp. is nice ... maybe somewhere in between the two I just mentioned. These are all south of the city. If you want to travel a little further south you will find a much better deal as far as taxes go in Washington County. Canonsburg is about 25 to 30 minutes from the city and there are some nice areas there.

The Robinson twp area is West of the city near the airport. The area is growning and has plenty of shopping. It is safe but somewhat rural in some areas. Cranberry (North of the city) is nice and growing but I don't know a lot about it other than it is safe.

Monroeville is east of the city and may be an option for you.

I live in Castle Shannon, i don't really understand congested, but also what do u mean by rundown? It's nothing fancy but it's a typical, safe suburb. However one time my dad was going up a hill (shannon has some steep hills) that is 15 mph speed limit at 30 mph and a cop that was hiding in someone's driveway busted him because parents were complaining that people were going too fast while their friggin kids were playing inthe middle of the street... The nice thing about castle shannon is that it is close to the T, the big transportation system that can take you to the city.

I don't really consider it all that much different from Brentwood as far as the house choice and safety. I have also lived in Brentwood, which is fairly nice. Some people that live on pyramid avenue (like right next to Carrick) said they have heard a gunshot before, but meh only like one or two times. Any way you slice it it's still not dangerous at all. Moderator cut: linking to competitors sites is not allowed gives Brentwood on a scale from 1-10, 10 being highest crime, 1 being lowest, a 2. Agreed. Some real nice homes are found closer to the side nearest Baldwin/Whitehall it seems, but there are some nice ones too look out all throughout (ex: though owned, and i think it might be a landmark, a 7 bedroom, 108 year old home on brownsville rd. close to the school which the owners bought for $100,000, then again, don't know how they got it or what they needed to do with it, but still, houses aren't terribly expensive in Brentwood.) Brentwood really is a walking community, all the kids walk to school(no buses), and you'll see lots of people walking around. You can walk from one side of Brentwood to the complete opposite side easily. The town square on Brownsville road is excellent, located close to Baldwin/Whitehall, it has a Giant Eagle, a few nice restaraunts, and more. The park is also nice, although Brentwood's field looks like crap. Pfft, so does Heinz Field... but that's a different story. It also isn't really that far from the city. Technically, it is the first suburb coming out of the city (which kinda begins with Carrick/Overbrook). So that's Brentwood.

[HomerJ]

exactly the type of information I am seeking, thank you. And anyone have any info on Greentree and Crafton?? I have noticed there is a Greentree boro and a section referred to as Greentree City. It seems Greentree city is in the Pittsburgh school district whereas Greentree boro is part of Keystone Oaks. Is that the only difference? Or is one neighborhood nicer/safer or just more desirable than the other?

I believe Crafton borders Greentree. I have seen some negative comments about Crafton and Crafton Heights through these forums. Anyone have any strong opinions about these towns? Thanks much

[rd620]

Originally Posted by S6T1R

I live in Castle Shannon, i don't really understand congested, but also what do u mean by rundown? It's nothing fancy but it's a typical, safe suburb. However one time my dad was going up a hill (shannon has some steep hills) that is 15 mph speed limit at 30 mph and a cop that was hiding in someone's driveway busted him because parents were complaining that people were going too fast while their friggin kids were playing inthe middle of the street... The nice thing about castle shannon is that it is close to the T, the big transportation system that can take you to the city.

I don't really consider it all that much different from Brentwood as far as the house choice and safety. I have also lived in Brentwood, which is fairly nice. Some people that live on pyramid avenue (like right next to Carrick) said they have heard a gunshot before, but meh only like one or two times. Any way you slice it it's still not dangerous at all. Moderator cut: link removed gives Brentwood on a scale from 1-10, 10 being highest crime, 1 being lowest, a 2. Agreed. Some real nice homes are found closer to the side nearest Baldwin/Whitehall it seems, but there are some nice ones too look out all throughout (ex: though owned, and i think it might be a landmark, a 7 bedroom, 108 year old home on brownsville rd. close to the school which the owners bought for $100,000, then again, don't know how they got it or what they needed to do with it, but still, houses aren't terribly expensive in Brentwood.) Brentwood really is a walking community, all the kids walk to school(no buses), and you'll see lots of people walking around. You can walk from one side of Brentwood to the complete opposite side easily. The town square on Brownsville road is excellent, located close to Baldwin/Whitehall, it has a Giant Eagle, a few nice restaraunts, and more. The park is also nice, although Brentwood's field looks like crap. Pfft, so does Heinz Field... but that's a different story. It also isn't really that far from the city. Technically, it is the first suburb coming out of the city (which kinda begins with Carrick/Overbrook). So that's Brentwood.

Sorry my entry S6T1R. It was a little confusing. I think Castle Shannon is nice. I was really refering the the Library Road/RT 88 area. It is a main artery through the suburb and I find it really annoying to get around because of the constant traffic. I was also refering to it being a little run down but that is only compared to Mt. Lebanon and Scott TWP where I think the homes have been a little better maintained. In all fairness though the houses in that area, particularly Mt. Lebo tend to be a little more charming because they are mostly stone and don't show their age as much. Castle Shannon is for the most part a nice place and I wouldn't count it out as a place to live if I were moving.

[tysgm]

Originally Posted by HomerJ

exactly the type of information I am seeking, thank you. And anyone have any info on Greentree and Crafton?? I have noticed there is a Greentree boro and a section referred to as Greentree City. It seems Greentree city is in the Pittsburgh school district whereas Greentree boro is part of Keystone Oaks. Is that the only difference? Or is one neighborhood nicer/safer or just more desirable than the other?

I believe Crafton borders Greentree. I have seen some negative comments about Crafton and Crafton Heights through these forums. Anyone have any strong opinions about these towns? Thanks much

The difference is the schools. Keystone Oaks is better than Pgh. Public school system. Negative comments about Crafton are correct.

[Country_Girl_23]

Greentree is right next to Dormont but in the city of Pgh so the schools are Pgh. Greentree boro is also part of Greentree. I lived in Crafton. It is nice but very noisy. Too close to Robinson, Robinson is turning into McNightmare (McKnight Road) so congested and always traffic.

i would say Pleasant Hills better than Crafton or Greentree. I lived in Lincoln Place which is right next door to West Mifflin and Pleasant Hills. All are beautiful there, homes are around the prices you want. Heck you can even find some 200K homes worth 155k there too. I went to school with a lot of friends from Pleasant Hills, even dated a guy from there. lol

I am hoping to move back home around that area such as Lincoln Place, West Mifflin, Pleasant Hills or even Jefferson Hills.

[Seaharbour]

And more and more developments. Ick ick ick.

I hear you on that!!! I had seen this in other areas that we had resided over the areas but we had not seen North Hills in a while, one reason why i did not even consider the area, cause the crime from the northside has to go somehwhere...eventually, yikes! Sorry to hear that Tallysmom, I know that Bradsfordwoods is beautiful, we thought of looking there, but it was too far of a commute to work, no major byways to where we had to go!