Any BALANCED Views of the State of the City? (Pittsburgh: house, layoffs)

[Awesomo.2000]

Originally Posted by wordzgirl

There have been plans for renovations for YEARS. I find it hard to believe that things have changed that much in eight months, especially in slow-moving Pittsburgh, but I hope so.

All of market square and fifth avenue are under construction. The buildings are pretty much being razed, and having the structure saved. They are building a lot of different things in it.

I never got the "Pittsburgh is slow moving" saying. Just because there is not Wal-marts, and new suburban developments being built left and right is a good thing. There have been MANY new restoration projects, and urban infill projects in this city right and left.

[Awesomo.2000]

so many people want us to be like the South East where we keep clear cutting more and more and building more and more suburban areas. (Although we still do it here like Wexford and Cranberry, but just not as much). This is not GOOD development.

[ScranBarre]

Originally Posted by Awesomo.2000

so many people want us to be like the South East where we keep clear cutting more and more and building more and more suburban areas. (Although we still do it here like Wexford and Cranberry, but just not as much). This is not GOOD development.

Agreed. Tract housing, Wal-Marts, and Taco Bells seem to turn on so many people, especially those in North Carolina, for some odd reason.

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by ScranBarre

A quick scan of the first page of this forum shows me that Pittsburgh is indeed a very polarized city. You have folks like londonbarcelona who are generally unhappy living here. You have folks like Katiana and Drover, who, while helpful and cheerful, have been living outside of the Steel City for far too long to still know it inside-out. You have people like guylocke and BrianTH who are unabashed Pittsburgh cheerleaders. Where are all of the level-headed impressions of the city? No optimistic sensationalism (i.e. Pittsburgh's job market being four times better than the national average) and likewise no trollish behavior (the recent comment made by a suspicious newbie about disliking PA because a Taco Bell he visited had bad food).

In Scranton I'm the lone cheerleader. weluvpa is the lone Debbie Downer. As expected he and I clash regularly, but most of the rest of the city's regular posters are quite fair-and-balanced, as FOX News would say, and all have proven to be quite helpful to the city's scarce newbies.

As I did in another thread on here, I'd like to pose a challenge. Can those who dislike living in Pittsburgh please post a list of five POSITIVE things about your fair city, and can those who like living in the city please post five NEGATIVE things to counterbalance your unabashed optimism? I used to be very Pollyanna about Scranton, but now I can recognize all of its faults while promoting its strengths. Surely Pittsburghers can do the same.

I think I get cast as an "unabashed cheerleader" just because I don't mind mixing it up with those who have mostly negative views of the city. But I am certainly up for your challenge, so here goes:

(1) Business taxes in the region are too high;

(2) The division of Allegheny County into so many municipalities is highly inefficient and creates inequities (e.g., with respect to public school funding);

(3) Personal taxes (including income, sales, and property taxes) in the region are often capricious and generally regressive;

(4) Overall there is far too much racial segregation;

(5) Too many people are focused on restoring Pittsburgh's past as opposed to creating a new future.

[wordzgirl]

[quote=Awesomo.2000;4463960]All of market square and fifth avenue are under construction. The buildings are pretty much being razed, and having the structure saved. They are building a lot of different things in it.

I never got the "Pittsburgh is slow moving" saying. Just because there is not Wal-marts, and new suburban developments being built left and right is a good thing. There have been MANY new restoration projects, and urban infill projects in this city right and left.[/Q

By slow-moving, I'm referring to the endless planning and talk that goes along with everything that happens in Pittsburgh, not the new suburban developments. For example, the city-county merger was talked about 50 YEARS ago, and they're still debating the pros and cons of that issue and wasting money doing studies, discussing the issue ad nauseam.

[dugdogmaster]

Originally Posted by BrianTH

I think I get cast as an "unabashed cheerleader" just because I don't mind mixing it up with those who have mostly negative views of the city. But I am certainly up for your challenge, so here goes:

(1) Business taxes in the region are too high;

(2) The division of Allegheny County into so many municipalities is highly inefficient and creates inequities (e.g., with respect to public school funding);

(3) Personal taxes (including income, sales, and property taxes) in the region are often capricious and generally regressive;

(4) Overall there is far too much racial segregation;

(5) Too many people are focused on restoring Pittsburgh's past as opposed to creating a new future.

I disagree with point 5. Pittsburgh and the region has been pivotal in creating this nation. Our regions history must be preserved and restored in order to move forward.

[Awesomo.2000]

Originally Posted by dugdogmaster

I disagree with point 5. Pittsburgh and the region has been pivotal in creating this nation. Our regions history must be preserved and restored in order to move forward.

I disagree in it, that if you take a look at other rust-belt cities Pittsburgh has done the best with moving forward.....................

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by dugdogmaster

I disagree with point 5. Pittsburgh and the region has been pivotal in creating this nation. Our regions history must be preserved and restored in order to move forward.

To clarify, I have no problem with Pittsburgh having a sense of its history, and very much agree it should be preserving its historical legacy in terms of architecture, cultural institutions, and so on. But we may disagree about some other things. For example, at its peak Pittsburgh was a top 10 city by population. Now the urbanized area is #22. Personally, I think Pittsburgh should not be trying to get back to a top 10 city, but instead should be focused on quality of life in the region. That is the sort of thing I had in mind with my fifth point.

[Awesomo.2000]

Originally Posted by BrianTH

To clarify, I have no problem with Pittsburgh having a sense of its history, and very much agree it should be preserving its historical legacy in terms of architecture, cultural institutions, and so on. But we may disagree about some other things. For example, at its peak Pittsburgh was a top 10 city by population. Now the urbanized area is #22. Personally, I think Pittsburgh should not be trying to get back to a top 10 city, but instead should be focused on quality of life in the region. That is the sort of thing I had in mind with my fifth point.

But I never heard anybody in this city saying they are trying to get to be number 10 again, and the quality of life here is good from what I and other Pittsburgh's believe.

[dugdogmaster]

Originally Posted by BrianTH

I think I get cast as an "unabashed cheerleader" just because I don't mind mixing it up with those who have mostly negative views of the city. But I am certainly up for your challenge, so here goes:

(1) Business taxes in the region are too high;

(2) The division of Allegheny County into so many municipalities is highly inefficient and creates inequities (e.g., with respect to public school funding);

(3) Personal taxes (including income, sales, and property taxes) in the region are often capricious and generally regressive;

(4) Overall there is far too much racial segregation;

(5) Too many people are focused on restoring Pittsburgh's past as opposed to creating a new future.

Originally Posted by BrianTH

To clarify, I have no problem with Pittsburgh having a sense of its history, and very much agree it should be preserving its historical legacy in terms of architecture, cultural institutions, and so on. But we may disagree about some other things. For example, at its peak Pittsburgh was a top 10 city by population. Now the urbanized area is #22. Personally, I think Pittsburgh should not be trying to get back to a top 10 city, but instead should be focused on quality of life in the region. That is the sort of thing I had in mind with my fifth point.

Quality of life in Pittsburgh and the region is wonderful, but could always improve. Why do you think it's almost always in the top of lists of "most livable"? Pittsburgh WILL NEVER again reach that height, of top 10 by population, it can't. It just can't expand any further. Where as other cities around the nation can gobble up land all they want practically