Pittsburgh is as "hip" as you want it to be (York: lease, neighborhood)

[Awesomo.2000]

"hip", "progressive", "trendy" are all lame terms used by people who just graduated college and are still between that age of college and being a boring 30 something professional with no life. That is it. They graduate college and say, "Like totally dude, I need to go to Austin, its like totally hip there. The music scene is killler dude. I need a hip city, thats how hipsters like me roll man".

Most cities that define theirselves as "hip", come out and say, "Look at me, move here we are hip". Only college aged kids define and consider cities as "Hip", or "totally not hip". Most grown ups view cities in terms of affordability, livability, quality of neighborhoods, entertainment oppertunities, jobs, etc.

Everybody else is just way over analayzing this. What is progressive? I always here "Pittsburgh ain't progressive". Making progress at what? Redeveloping the city? We did/are doing that. Creating a atmosphere for new entrepreneurs? We need to do that. I know we arn't the Big east coast cities, or the "Hip" N.W. cities.

I never heard a real definition of hip, or what makes Philly more progressive than Pittsburgh? What progress is Philly making? I will admit that C.C. is fun to go out in on a friday night, and there are more younger people there. But it is a much larger city.

[nuwaver88]

This is my point. A great place to raise a family may be "hip" to some. I personally am hip to the affordability of Pittsburgh. Hip is as hip does.

[Johnny C]

Originally Posted by scottrpriester

My wife lived in Etna when I first met her (originally from Youngstown OH), and I will say, there is a definite change in attitudes in small border communities like that. I definitely would define those areas as "Yinzer" and "redneck". But thats what upsets me, because to me, "Pittsburghers" are those who live in the city. Communities like Etna are not in the city and should not be considered Pittsburghers.

This post makes no sense - you are defining Pittsburghers as those people who live in the golden triangle? What does it mean to "live in the city"?

To say that people from Etna are not Pittsburghers is laughable.

Back on topic - Pittsburgh dabbles in being hip from time to time (Green buildings, good parks, cultural district, ect.) but I would not go as far as saying that the 'Burgh is "hip". Give it some time, and we will see if this changes significantly.

[rubybelle]

Originally Posted by scottrpriester

I moved down from Erie almost three years ago. You want redeneck and unaccepting, try Erie.

I've lived on the east side of the city since I've lived down here. One of the comments I've made when people back home ask if I've developed the "yinz" accent is, people don't talk like that in city, at least on this part of town. And this side of the city is full of all sorts of ethnicities and lifestyles. This is mostly because of the universities. But I have yet to see any unacceptance towards different ethnicities around here, but I would say people on this side of town are more open minded, wordly and well to do.

My wife lived in Etna when I first met her (originally from Youngstown OH), and I will say, there is a definite change in attitudes in small border communities like that. I definitely would define those areas as "Yinzer" and "redneck". But thats what upsets me, because to me, "Pittsburghers" are those who live in the city. Communities like Etna are not in the city and should not be considered Pittsburghers.

The city of Pittsburgh is NOT rednecky!!! It's a real city through and through. True the areas around it can be seen like that, but the city its self, is definitely not one bit rednecky!!! We're not rednecky!!! Jeeeeeeeeeeezzzzzzzzzzz.

[CortlandGirl79]

LOL This question reminded me of something..............
YouTube - What is hip?

[fleetiebelle]

This post makes no sense - you are defining Pittsburghers as those people who live in the golden triangle? What does it mean to "live in the city"?

No, that's not quite it. I live in Beechview and work in Oakland and do most of my socializing and shopping within the city limits, so I feel like a Pittsburgher. When people used to ask me where I'm from, I'd say, "Cincinnati." Since I've lived and worked inside of the Pittsburgh city limits for almost 9 years, I realized that I'm not from Cincinnati, I'm from the Cincinnati suburbs, and there's a difference. I never voted in city elections, paid city taxes, etc, the way I do with Pittsburgh.

Most cities that define theirselves as "hip", come out and say, "Look at me, move here we are hip". Only college aged kids define and consider cities as "Hip", or "totally not hip". Most grown ups view cities in terms of affordability, livability, quality of neighborhoods, entertainment oppertunities, jobs, etc.

And I think college kids (or people just out of college) are used to living in homogeneous "young" "hip" areas. When you're in college, all of your neighbors and friends and colleagues are in college and are pretty much going through the same things you are. When you're a grown-up, your neighbors and friends and colleagues can be in all sorts of different stages of life, and that takes some getting used to. But just because you live next door to a retired couple doesn't mean that the city can't be whatever fun you need it to be.

[Tinare]

[quote=Johnny C;8106640]This post makes no sense - you are defining Pittsburghers as those people who live in the golden triangle? What does it mean to "live in the city"?

To say that people from Etna are not Pittsburghers is laughable. [quote]

What the OP means by "live in the city" means that you live within the city limits. i.e. are one of the 300 and some thousand folks who live in a city neighborhood, pay city taxes, elect city government, etc. Etna is a borough of its own, not part of the city of Pittsburgh proper.

Not saying I agree, but that's the context.

[Tallysmom]

Originally Posted by CortlandGirl79

LOL This question reminded me of something..............
YouTube - What is hip?

Reminded me of when Red ate some of Hyde's "special" brownies on That 70's Show... "Hip...hip...hip...hip...hipppa....."

I'm also with the other guy that says Pittsburgh's as hip as it wants to be... my creative outlet is quilting, and the 'burgh and it's surrounds has some fine independent quilting fabric stores and plenty of quilters. And at least one high end dressmaking fabric store.... which is WAY more than lots of places have.

[Awesomo.2000]

Originally Posted by Tallysmom

Reminded me of when Red ate some of Hyde's "special" brownies on That 70's Show... "Hip...hip...hip...hip...hipppa....."

I'm also with the other guy that says Pittsburgh's as hip as it wants to be... my creative outlet is quilting, and the 'burgh and it's surrounds has some fine independent quilting fabric stores and plenty of quilters. And at least one high end dressmaking fabric store.... which is WAY more than lots of places have.

Yeah, but quilting is not hip.

You got to look like one of these people to be labled "hip"



http://happyhourclothingco.files.wor...e-hipsters.jpg

photo found at Happy Hour Clothing Company


^The look sooooo "progressive". I bet developing robots for Nasa and the military like the professors at CMU do is how these guys roll.

[OyCrumbler]

Originally Posted by Awesomo.2000

"hip", "progressive", "trendy" are all lame terms used by people who just graduated college and are still between that age of college and being a boring 30 something professional with no life. That is it. They graduate college and say, "Like totally dude, I need to go to Austin, its like totally hip there. The music scene is killler dude. I need a hip city, thats how hipsters like me roll man".

Most cities that define theirselves as "hip", come out and say, "Look at me, move here we are hip". Only college aged kids define and consider cities as "Hip", or "totally not hip". Most grown ups view cities in terms of affordability, livability, quality of neighborhoods, entertainment oppertunities, jobs, etc.

Everybody else is just way over analayzing this. What is progressive? I always here "Pittsburgh ain't progressive". Making progress at what? Redeveloping the city? We did/are doing that. Creating a atmosphere for new entrepreneurs? We need to do that. I know we arn't the Big east coast cities, or the "Hip" N.W. cities.

I never heard a real definition of hip, or what makes Philly more progressive than Pittsburgh? What progress is Philly making? I will admit that C.C. is fun to go out in on a friday night, and there are more younger people there. But it is a much larger city.

Right on the money since it's those who "just graduated college and are still between that age of college and being a boring 30 something professional with no life" that are flocking to hip cities and not to Pittsburgh. Unfortunately, they also provide an educated and cheap labor pool and human capital that's great for pushing for new ideas (closely tied into the atmosphere for new entrepreneurs you mentioned) and reinvigorating the social and economic life of a city especially in regards to the highly lucrative "quaternary sector." Shucks.

Of course, it's an unfortunate feedback loop for Pittsburgh. If the city were able to retain a more significant percentage of the brilliant minds that cycle through Pitt, Duquesne, and CMU, then the city would become hip--if the city were hip, more of them would stay. Now if the city could get find a way to finagle this hipness or any way to keep these people in the city, then Pittsburgh could be on its way to a virtuous cycle.