Moving to Pittsburgh, 4 teens, big dog (visit, hills)

[Copanut]

If you are thinking about Ligonier, you might want to consider Zelienople, a good little town on the upswing just north of Cranberry.

[Hopes]

I was just thinking the same thing about Zelienople. I sent him a PM.

I think my last post was edited because I recommended towns outside of Allegheny County.

[LAMBSN]

I think Zelienople and Ligonier are great areas but you might want to consider these after you see where you are going to be working. Not sure of the commute time and traffic but form Ligonier, how much traffice or how long would it take if they are working downtown? With Zelienople, they can just come down 79.

Yes Crown Plaza Pittsburgh South is actually Bethel Park/ Mt. Lebanon but you are less than 5 minutes from Mt. Lebanon from there. Straight shot down Rt. 19 and you are in Mt. Lebanon! You can definitely check out Mt. Lebanon when you get there, since you will be minutes from it.

[Luv4ThePaws]

Thanks everyone! We can't wait to be there! This time tomorrow we will be getting close! Yay!

~Kari

P.S. Thanks for the PM, Hopes! My husband and I appreciated the extra info!

[Luv4ThePaws]

Sorry I haven't posted anything yet! We have been very busy applying to jobs (here and there) since our return and trying to do last-minute doctor's appointments before our insurance ends!! I just wanted to say that my husband and I appreciate all of your advice and we really enjoyed our quick stay. Oakmont was everything we hoped for and yes, the bakery was AWESOME!!! We did have trouble finding decent homes in our price range, but we did find a lot in Mt. Lebanon, which we were unsure about. We love the downtown part and the beautiful neighborhoods but we didn't realize Washington Rd. was such a main artery into the city and that it had so much traffic along it. All things to take into consideration but we LOVED your city so much!! My husband heard a few things back from jobs he has applied to in the area and nothing yet, although we will definately keep on trying! Beautiful city, AMAZING people and just a really good time. We are going back in June for the Royals game and we can't wait!!!!!

[Hopes]

The traffic in Mt. Lebo takes away the village feel you hoped to have.

I don't like Mt. Lebo and the entire South Hills because of the traffic congestion.

The South Hills and North Hills are like night and day when it comes to traffic.

I'm glad you had a chance to see some of the areas. I hope you find jobs soon.

[Luv4ThePaws]

Originally Posted by Hopes

The traffic in Mt. Lebo takes away the village feel you hoped to have.

I don't like Mt. Lebo and the entire South Hills because of the traffic congestion.

The South Hills and North Hills are like night and day when it comes to traffic.

I'm glad you had a chance to see some of the areas. I hope you find jobs soon.

Thanks Hopes!! You are so right about the traffic changing the atmosphere of Mt. Lebanon. We drove through beautiful neighborhoods and were so hopeful... Then each time we were let out on a busy road with cars going every which way. Let me just say, we would have been lost so many times without our GPS! We weren't expecting everything in Pittsburgh to be so compact and narrow and it was very confusing for us!


West View was nice (once we finally found it! We got all mixed up in the Laurel Gardens(?) area) but we just really didn't "feel" it. There was nothing wrong with it, per say, and it had a lot of affordable houses, but we just didn't care for the way it was laid out. Edgewood was kind of sketchy and I couldn't see myself walking our kids to the library or school one day. It seemed like one area would be great and then we would turn down a street and it felt like we were in an inner-city neighborhood. It was not what we were hoping for!

Aspinwall was a little too crazy for us. Besides San Francisco, I have never seen so many houses crammed together in such narrow streets! We only ventured into the neighborhoods right by the Waterworks shopping center so maybe there are houses that are roomier with bigger yards somewhere else. We talked to one lady who was out gardening and she said that she can hear her neighbor talking next door when she is in bed at night with the window open! Not our cup of tea, that's for sure! I couldn't believe the houses were so much for what you got!

Oakmont had the nicest, calmest feeling as we drove through it, both at rush hour and also during the early afternoon. The little shops were charming, the people we encountered were very nice and we loved that the elementary school wasn't in such a crazy area and more walkable for kids. But, the houses were outrageously priced for what you get! The ones we had seen on-line and were hopeful about were definately in the more run-down parts of town and closer to Verona (I think that was the town) which seemed to be a poorer, more fledgling town. We would have to pay into the mid to upper $200s, which we didn't want to do. We wanted to be able to put about 40-50% down to have a reasonable enough mortgage to pay for property taxes, insurance and for me not to work in a few years. Oakmont would be a stretch for us.

We also checked out Sewickley which was very nice (but expensive for us!) and Squirrel Hill (did not like it at all!). Upper St. Clair surprised us the most since we kept hearing from transplants (my doctor is from Pittsburgh) and also on these forums how snobby people are there and how expensive it is. We were really surprised to see MANY houses in the $150k range with nice, larger lots than Mt. Lebanon and even some upgrades. That really shocked us! We were thinking about keeping that area on our list of possible places, but there is the whole South Hills traffic thing to think about. Not to mention the snobby people that I am sure do exist there! However, we spent some time at the Galleria and everyone was very friendly and there were lots of sweet elderly people and some kind younger moms whom I chatted with in the stores. So, who knows???

Hope this helps anyone thinking of relocating there! Thanks again Hopes and everyone for your help!!

[Hopes]

I'm not sure why USC suprised you about the pricing. It's the suburbs. You're going to be more house for your money in the suburbs. The village feel towns, like Aspinwall, Mt. Lebo, Sewickley will be very expensive. If you're willing to give up the village plan, we can recommend MANY suburbs with good schools. You will have no problem finding houses within your price range in the suburbs. As you can see, the suburbs in Pittsburgh aren't far away from the city or the small 'village' towns you were hoping to find.

[Luv4ThePaws]

We had just heard USC was very snobby, very expensive and pretty unattainable for people like us. To see houses cheaper and nicer than Mt. Lebanon was shocking! The two towns are so close to each other, we honestly had trouble even knowing which city we were in half the time, so USC wouldn't be that much farther of a commute than Mt. Lebanon. Pittsburgh as a whole is an over-whelming city for first-timers as the bridges, interstates and just people's general driving habits were confusing for us. There was also a lot of roadwork which slowed things down a bit and we are worried about the very hilly areas in wintertime. Seems like there would be a lot of treacherous ice to contend with. We are just trying to figure it all out and get it right so we don't ever have to move again!!

[Hopes]

Originally Posted by Luv4ThePaws

We had just heard USC was very snobby, very expensive and pretty unattainable for people like us. To see houses cheaper and nicer than Mt. Lebanon was shocking! The two towns are so close to each other, we honestly had trouble even knowing which city we were in half the time, so USC wouldn't be that much farther of a commute than Mt. Lebanon.

First, snobbiness doesn't necessarily mean expensive houses in Western PA. Second, expensive might have been the property taxes. Third, if you're willing to live in USC, there a many great suburban townships for you. If you don't like the congestion in Mt. Lebanon and the South Hills, you'll be happier in a township in the North Hills (not the township North Hills, but the region North Hills).

Originally Posted by Luv4ThePaws

Pittsburgh as a whole is an over-whelming city for first-timers as the bridges, interstates and just people's general driving habits were confusing for us.

We're special like that! Many Pittsburghers prefer back roads to the highways. It will take a while for you to learn how to cut across from one area to another, but that's the best way to get around in Pittsburgh. Sociologists have studied Pittsburgh because it's unique in that many Pittsburghers avoid tunnels and bridges and stay in their regions for the most part. If you chose the South Hills, you're more likely to spend most of your time in the South Hills. The same goes for the Northern or Eastern suburbs.

Originally Posted by Luv4ThePaws

There was also a lot of roadwork which slowed things down a bit.....

Nice weather is roadwork season. PennDot is perpetually working on our roads. That's another season back and side roads are a must!

Originally Posted by Luv4ThePaws

...and we are worried about the very hilly areas in wintertime. Seems like there would be a lot of treacherous ice to contend with.

Our road crews do a good job of clearing the roads. When the weather is bad, they're out in the middle of the night getting the roads ready for rush hour. They keep the roads clear into the evening. On the weekends, the main roads are done, but not as much attention is given to the side roads because people tend to stay home on the weekends, and they can save money by focusing the crews on the high demand times essential for business and school.

Pittsburgh really doesn't have very bad winters. We get a week or two of snow per year and only handful of days are truly treacherous. The snow belt is north of Allegheny County in Butler County. That's where the bad weather is. There's another snow belt down south. The South Hills gets worse weather than the North Hills. It's the weirdest thing. My husband used to commute from the North Hills to Washington County, and he was always amazed to see snow in the South Hills when there was none in the North Hills.

Originally Posted by Luv4ThePaws

...We are just trying to figure it all out and get it right so we don't ever have to move again!!

Like I said, Pittsburghers tend to like their regions. I prefer the North Hills because it's less congested with traffic. Most of the houses are farther apart in the suburbs too. The reason is because the South Hills is the older part of the county. The North Hills wasn't built up until the mid-1900s. Many of the townships farther out in the North Hills have only been developed in the past few decades. And there are still large expanses of areas in the North Hills where land hasn't been developed.

If you're into mall shopping, the North Hills has the mall with the high end shopping, along with the normal stores. The other malls don't have the stores Ross Park Mall has.