More on Troy Hill please (Pittsburgh, Wall: rent, houses, neighborhoods)

[hoorayforjasper]

Hey all, I found a great house in Troy Hill, that if it were in the East End, would easily be double in price. I visited the property a couple times already, and I have a good feeling about it. I am looking for some testimonials on life in this area. I have already spoken to some people that do live or have lived in this area, including the owner of the property of interest, and it's mixed reviews. I would like to gather more info before I make this choice. I have a wife and 2 small children. Is this a good family area? I've gone up there to get a feel for the area, and it seems like just any other quiet Pittsburgh neighborhood. Please hold any lumped up Northside generalizations. I only want to hear from people who have experience with this neighborhood. Thanks.

[Joe Magarac]

The good: Troy Hill has been a stable neighborhood of homeowners for years and years. A Wall Street Journal was so impressed by it that she wrote a book called "The Women of Troy Hill." The homes are not fancy but are well built and well maintained; neighbors know and look out for each other; community groups (especially Most Holy Name Parish) add to the ties that bind.

The bad: Troy Hill has all the disadvantages of city living (small lots, high taxes, crappy services) and few of the advantages (i.e., there's no real business district, and it's hard to get to and from).

The ugly: The German families that have kept Troy Hill stable for so long haven't been having as many kids, and the kids they do have often live outside the area or in the suburbs. That means that outsiders (like you) are now able to buy homes in the neighborhood. That leads to tension when the outsiders are black: Racism dies hard in tiny Troy Hill

[steindle]

Keep in mind, that article is from seven years ago. A lot can change in the course of a decade, and a lot can be sensationalized by a newspaper.

Which is not to say that Troy Hill is the epicenter of tolerance and diversity, but it is an entirely different ballpark than it was at that time. A lot of young people are purchasing houses there and the fabric is changing, for both better (property values and safety improve) and worse (community connections weaken).

It's a good place to live if you want to drive pretty much any time you need to go somewhere (work, a business district, etc). Troy Hill's business district is attempting a revitalization with the assistance of the city, etc, but it's a relatively long way off. There is basically a convenience store, a bar, a bank, and a restaurant up there. And a whole lotta churches.

That said, it's just a jaunt down (terrifyingly steep) Rialto Street to Lawrenceville, a drive down Troy Hill Road (I think?) to the Mexican War Streets/E Ohio Street, it's close to 28, it's close to 279, etc. In terms of driving it's not bad. There's also a bus there -- the 6A? 6B? -- that could be convenient for commuting Downtown but it's very very infrequent.

[fleetiebelle]

Here's a recent article about Troy Hill from the City Paper: Sellin' of Troy - News - News - Pittsburgh City Paper

[hoorayforjasper]

I've seen both of these articles before, as well most other recent media attention on this area, so I guess I know a thing or two about the area itself, but any first hand information would be great. Regarding JM's comment, I'm sure there are some high tax properties in that area, but the property of interest has an annual tax of about $900 which I thought was pretty low. I'm aware that this could be a risk, but it comes down to the brain racking question that everyone goes through with homebuying. House or Area? And everyone wants the best of both worlds, but I need to make exceptions. And Troy Hill seems like a fair compromise for my standards.

PS Steindle, I know you! There was a discussion about this on "that other board"

[Tinare]

Originally Posted by hoorayforjasper

Regarding JM's comment, I'm sure there are some high tax properties in that area, but the property of interest has an annual tax of about $900 which I thought was pretty low.

A lot of folks who don't live in the city jump on the city wage tax and cry high taxes. However, property taxes in the city are lower, so there is a bit of a trade off that you can calculate for your own situation. I know that I looked at houses very similiar to mine in close suburb neighborhoods and the annual property taxes were double.

[Geeo]

Buy or rent Rick Sebak's "North Side Story." There's a piece on Troy Hill that's pretty good. It's like a little town in the middle of the city, but isolated from it because it's on the hill top. Great views, too.

[Copanut]

Originally Posted by Tinare

A lot of folks who don't live in the city jump on the city wage tax and cry high taxes. However, property taxes in the city are lower, so there is a bit of a trade off that you can calculate for your own situation. I know that I looked at houses very similiar to mine in close suburb neighborhoods and the annual property taxes were double.

That's not necessarily true. It all depends on the assessed value of the property. A home assessed in the city at 100K will cost you 2941 per year. That same home in McCandless will cost you 2329 per year. And the wage tax is only 1%.

[otters21]

Recently my husband and I were exploring neighborhoods in Pittsburgh and we came upon Troy Hill. We found two little corner taverns -one is called the Hilltopper and I think the other is called Billy's which serves food. Our experience has been very pleasant chatting with the locals and we did not feel the least bit unsafe. The area may have a gritty look about it but we found it to be charming with it's old school feel.

[Hopes]

Originally Posted by steindle

That said, it's just a jaunt down (terrifyingly steep) Rialto Street to Lawrenceville...

Are you talking about Pig Hill?

To the OP, I lived near the area many, many years ago. I consider it a safe enough neighborhood for anyone who has some common sense. I wouldn't hesitate to raise small children there, but I would move elsewhere once they were school aged or I would plan to pay tuition for private school.