Brighton Heights (Pittsburgh, York, Wilkinsburg: best neighborhoods, crime, townhouse)

[trlstreet]

Is Brighton Heights a good place to live. We have moved to York, Pa but are considering making the move back to Pittsburgh. We'd ideally like to move to Sq. Hill/Regent Square/Greentree area, but are also looking at neighborhoods w/ less expensive homes and better access to a northerly commute. Brighton Heights seems to have nice, low priced homes close to Riverview Park, one of our favorites. Does Brighton Heights have a decent business district? Is crime high in the neighborhood? We are also taking a look at Observatory Hill.

[Hopes]

Brighton Heights is a safe neighborhood as far as city neighborhoods go. You'll have no problem walking around there at night. I don't feel as comfortable about Observatory Hill.

My sister's husband is from Brighton Heights. After they married, they made a fortune on all four houses they bought in the area. Each one was purchased for under 25k and sold a year or two (once only 7 months) later for a huge profit. The least they made was 70k. The most they made was 100k. They didn't even do much work on the houses. They just tore out all the old carpeting, repainted everything and made minor repairs. Only in one house did they install a kitchen. Just one tip: buy a brick or stone house.

There's a business district in neighboring Belleveu. It's nothing special, but it has pharmacies, grocers, and stuff like that.

[trlstreet]

Thanks for the info. I am amazed at how low the housing prices have remained in Pittsburgh. I know it will not last forever once more start discovering the city.

[birghtonheightshopeful]

I quickly made a username after reading this thread. I am moving to Brighton Heights with my soon to be wife and we are purchasing a townhouse in a neighborhood which is pretty private and in comparison with 12 other homes we saw in Pitt, a quiet location. We are nervous about the crime. Is it really that high in the north of Pittsburgh?

[Hopes]

Although Brighton Heights is technically a north side neighborhood, it's not really "north side." It's a safer part of the northern city neighborhoods because there is a huge ravine separating the areas. I'm sure there is crime, but everywhere has some crime. I consider Brighton Heights a very safe city neighborhood. I never worried about visiting my sister after dark or walking a few blocks at night. My sister never had one problem with crime throughout their many years living there. I think you'll like it there.

[kettlepot]

Hopes or anyone, what is it that makes Observatory Hill less desireable crimes wise? It would seem that being in a hill neighborhood of great looking old houses would have kept it as a pocket of nice. What's gone wrong up there? I ask because the houses have been temptingly attractive.

[fmullner]

This may not be what you want to hear, but I would be very careful when buying on the north side, regardless of where it is. I don't know why the crime in Observatory Hill is high, but it's always been like that. Perry Hilltop is the next hill over and it's the same way. The North Side suffered the same crash that the rest of Pittsburgh and W. Pa. did, but it hasn't recovered like the rest of city has. Maybe it's due to the fact that it's removed from Downtown, Pitt, CMU, and the other colleges that have been the motive forces behing whatever revitalization has gone on. I don't really know.

Kettlepot--don't be fooled by your own logic. There are lots and lots of places in and around Pittsburgh with beautiful homes that are not good areas. Wilkinsburg, Clairton, Homewood, and the Mexican War Streets are some that come to mind. Maybe in 15 years Observatory Hill will be OK, but right now is too early to take that chance.

As for Brighton Heights, I don't know a lot about the neighborhood, but I hear that it's generally a good place to live. The thing that's always puzzled me is that since it's so close to the city line, why not buy a house five minutes further out and save yourself a lot of money and hassle? Only the City has that 3% wage tax...

[Chautauquast]

We still appreciate the white flight of the sixties.
My neighbors are wonderful (they mow our grass and we shovel their snow) and our traffic-stopping house is paid for!

Within walking distance of both downtown and Riverview Park, what's not to love?

Inner city, few amenities (for now) and cheap cheap cheap!

[Hopes]

Chautauquast, why are you posting about Perry Hilltop in the Brighton Heights thread?

[TRO Z]

Brighton Heights is one of the safest and best neighborhoods in the N.Side... A few City Police Officers live in that area and love to keep their patrol cars parked in the driveway..

Affordable housing, close to downtown, friendly atmosphere...Little to no crime problem over there since they tore down the projects and sent most of the trouble makers to St Clair Village...

People in Brighton Heights are funny, I actually had one of the tenants tell me, she wont let her daughters go over to the N.Side...As if Brighton is it's own entity..