Tell me about Pittsburgh (York, Lebanon: real estate, crime, houses)

[veggieck]

We are considering a move to the Pittsburgh area from NJ. NJ taxes and real estate are extremely high. I have been looking in the Mt. Lebanon area and have found some interesting older homes; I've investigated the taxes which seem to be lower than NJ. Can anyone tell me what this area is like? Crime? Friendliness of people? Outdoor activities... any snow sking in this area? Job opportunities... especially in this economy. I am in the health industry and my husband is retired USMC.

[ExPit]

Originally Posted by veggieck

We are considering a move to the Pittsburgh area from NJ. NJ taxes and real estate are extremely high. I have been looking in the Mt. Lebanon area and have found some interesting older homes; I've investigated the taxes which seem to be lower than NJ. Can anyone tell me what this area is like? Crime? Friendliness of people? Outdoor activities... any snow sking in this area? Job opportunities... especially in this economy. I am in the health industry and my husband is retired USMC.

Hi, how are you? I don't live in Pittsburgh anymore, but I was born and raised there and if I ever go back, which I do consider, Mt. Lebanon would be my choice. It's suburban, but a fifteen minute drive into downtown and I'd say it's on the quaint, cosmopolitan side, for Pittsburgh. I don't know where you live in Jersey, but don't expect to find New York or even Philly in Pgh., even the East End of Pgh., probably the closest you'd get to that big East Coast city feel.

I guess you've checked the RE market pretty well, then you know that you can get a lot more house for the money anywhere in Pgh than you can in most places. If you're looking in Mt. Lebanon, you know you can get a real nice house for two or three hundred K. What can you get in most parts of New Jersey for that kind of money? Not much, I'd guess. Right?

Mt. Lebanon might look real green, almost rural on Google Satellite, but it's not; a lot of areas in Pgh, even urban areas may look that way, because a lot of it is very hilly and not so easy to build on, so you have some areas in the inner city even, neighborhoods some might call a ghetto that have a lot more space between houses and commercial buildings than you'd find most places, but don't expect to find outdoor activities around there. Now if you are asking about the entire Pgh region, then yes, plenty of it. Seven Springs Resort is the first ski-resort that comes to mind, and that is about an hour, I'm guessing, from town. There are others, and a lot of lakes, etc. Morraine State Park, North Park, and more...

I think you'll find the crime in Mt. Lebanon is negligible, that whole area of the near South Hills, Greentree, Dormont, Castle Shannon, Baldwin, is all pretty safe, though of all those mentioned, Mt. Lebanon is the nicest. As far as friendliness, Pittsburgh has the reputation as one of the friendliest major cities in the country. It's still a major city. Can't go strictly by how many people still live in the city proper, (300 some thousand), or in the metro, (a million and change): a big drop from what it was even when I was growing up there. Point is, at one time Pgh was one of the top five to ten cities in the country in population and importance and the remnants of that past are still there...

The one slightly negative thing I will tell you, and this may not concern you given your criteria, but the one thing I never liked about Pittsburgh is you feel like you're in the middle of nowhere and you are! Now that might be a plus for you, and I can see the allure, but coming from Jersey, which I know can be a little rural in places, you're still on the Eastern Seaboard and in Pgh you definitely are not, and it feels that way. A few years ago I drove from CA to Pgh and realized for the first time Pgh's geograpy, it is it's a town in the woods, like Oz, the way it is surrounded by alotta space, but you may want that...

Good luck

[gameguy56]

Originally Posted by ExPit

Hi, how are you? I don't live in Pittsburgh anymore, but I was born and raised there and if I ever go back, which I do consider, Mt. Lebanon would be my choice. It's suburban, but a fifteen minute drive into downtown and I'd say it's on the quaint, cosmopolitan side, for Pittsburgh.

Yep, and you can catch the T light rail to downtown if you work there.

Originally Posted by ExPit

A few years ago I drove from CA to Pgh and realized for the first time Pgh's geograpy, it is it's a town in the woods, like Oz, the way it is surrounded by alotta space, but you may want that...

Good luck

Yes, ha! And Pittsburgh is the emerald city.

[veggieck]

thanx for the great info

[dugdogmaster]

There's skiing near by in the Laural Highlands at Seven Springs. It's about an hours drive from the city.

[sr1234]

If you are from NYC, Philly, or NJ, then you will LOVE Pittsburgh.

[fleetiebelle]

If you are okay with not seeing sunshine from November to April and weeks where the temps do not get past twenty degrees

So, really not that much different than Boston, NYC, or Chicago weather.

[veggieck]

All good info... thanx everyone....jax1129~ thanx for the heads up on Cranberry Twp. Katiana~thanx for the skiing info. Really appreciate the housing info from ExPit... all very helpful.