give me neighborhood suggestions! please!

[elfgirl]

Well since we homeschool, the school district is not of the utmost importance...I'm more concerned with neighborhood safety and with people behaving politely and respectfully in public....and neighborhood stability. Things have really gone downhill where I am living now within the past three years or so and I don't want to move somewhere else only to have the same thing happen!!

[guylocke]

I would stay away from Belleview then. It's not terrible now, but it's definitely not heading in a positive direction. The price might be right, but I would be afraid of what it would be like in less than a decade.

I would say definitely look into West View and Shaler and possibly even some areas of North Hills. North Hills is really large and it definitely isn't all high-society by any means.

I think you would do right in West View in my opinion. It's a notch up in quality over Belleview, close by, and should still be comfortably in your range with tidy neighborhoods.

[claremarie]

Even though you are homeschooling, a good school district is important, because it will server as a "marker" for families who share your values. People who care about their schools also tend to care about their homes and neighborhoods.

[elfgirl]

claremarie, do you share boylocke's views about Bellevue?

I have seen some lovely houses on the realtor website there, at affordable prices, and it looks like it has some nice parks and a nice library, with a decent business district and some arty things springing up here and there....

boylocke, can you tell me a little bit more about what you mean by the area moving in a negative direction? It is right next to Avalon which I have heard is considered a "nice" area too...

I really appreciate everyone giving me their opinions and sharing their knowledge with me.... the sooner I get out of where I am now the better!!!

[claremarie]

Elfgirl,
My dad grew up in Bellevue, though the demographics have changed considerably over the last 60 years. The houses are affordable because they are older, and many are in need of some considerable work. However, others have been nicely renovated. You are right about the parks and the commercial areas, and my sense is that the area is on the upswing -- certainly much better than it was 20 year ago. I have relatives who live in Ross but joined Bellevue Pool, and they have no problem taking their young girls there. When I was attending North Hills HS in the 1970s, Northgate was a comparable district, but you can check the stats and see if that is still true.
If the weather is nice this weekend, why not drive over and see the place for yourself? People will be out and about, and you'll get a great sense of whether you and your family would fit in. You can also check out the shopping area, and the churches if your family attends one now.
While you're at it, you can visit West View and Ross Township.

[guylocke]

Well like claremarie said, it is getting to be a very old town and more people are letting it get old rather than renovating it. It's not a BAD town, don't get me wrong. I don't agree that it is on the upswing, though. My boyfriend who was born and raised in North Hills says it gets worse and worse and North Gate school district is really struggling. You can check it out, though, it might be just what you're looking for.

But if you want a fairly similar little town that is a bit better and in a better school district with better surroundings, I would look at West View. One of my closest friends is a native of Belleview and he certainly turned out more than fine! But he never has many nice things to say about his town and has said it's changed a lot just in his lifetime (he's about 22). Not in a good way.

Maybe there are certain pockets in the town that are on the upswing and that is what claremarie is referring to. That is very possible. You seem like you really have an interest in the town with a nice park and library. Go check it out! Maybe it'll be just what you want.

[elfgirl]

Thanks Boylocke I really appreciate your taking the time to chat with me about this!!! I will definitely go and check out West View as well, I am not familiar with West View at all and really haven't even heard much about it so it will be a fun adventure to to exploring around there! =-)

[trlstreet]

The northern portion of West View is very nice but I lived in the sourthen half last year (closer to North Hills stadium) and was not thrilled with it. Go north from West View on 19 and check out the town of Perrysville. It is small but seems like a nice place to me.

Bellevue to me seems like a fine town. It has a nice little business district. I would follow California Ave west from Bellevue and check out other towns in that direction, I believe the whole area is nice (gets pricey in some areas).

[kettlepot]

Elfgirl, if you make that weekend trip to the Bellevue, Avalon, Ben Avon and Westview areas please write us back with your thoughts on these towns.

I started a thread about 2 months ago http://www.city-data.com/forum/pitts...sburgh-me.html about just that area, because like you, I liked what I saw on realtor.com. The houses seemed like the cities had character, and the stats on crime were quite good. There was quite a variety of comment, some of it off-topic, but you might want to take a look in that thread too.

[chelez613]

elfgirl,

I just wanted to share my views of Bellevue with you considering that I actually live there. It is a great little borough right outside of the city limits. It is extremely convenient to everything because you have the choice to take either 279 or 65. You can get into downtown Pittsburgh in minutes. The area itself is definitely on the upswing. I bought my house 2 years ago for around $90k and now several houses on my street have sold for $130k to $160k this year. They are finishing condos at the old Grant School on Jefferson Ave that are selling for $165k for a studio to $375k for a 3 BR!! The business district is fabulous with coffee shops, several banks, a Hallmark, several great little restaurants, antique stores, and all kinds of little mom and pop shops. There are also many churches in Bellevue as well.

The houses are older but many are now being renovated. There are 2 beautiful parks, a great little library, and a nice swimming pool. The business district, 1 of the parks, and the library are all within walking distance of my house. The other park with the swimming pool is only a short drive.

The school district is struggling some with the middle and high school but the elementary school is excellent. I really believe that the district just gets a bad rap. My little sister graduated last year from Northgate and she had no problems at all. She is now in college and is doing very well.

I have never had an issue with any of my neighbors and they are all very polite. There is a real sense of community in Bellevue. There are always children playing and riding bikes on the side streets and they are all very safe.

Anyways, sorry if I rambled on but I have lived in Bellevue for 7 years now total and I just love living here and could not imagine myself anywhere else. The area is definitely not "depressed and stagnant". In my opinion, now is the time to move here because Bellevue is up and coming.

Thanks for listening,

Michele