Want to Move to Pittsburgh (Erie, Economy: crime, find a job, neighborhoods)

[dislikeflorida]

Hello,

I lived in FL for 7 long years and want to get out here fast. To much of my surprise, the civil war is still going on, people down here have this "you watch out for me attitude" and never met so many rude, stupid and strange people in my life. I am in my thirties and have lived in MA, KS, and in NJ so I know I can find a better area to live in that is not expensive and out of the SE. I would live again in MA, NJ but it is too expensive and KS does not have any water or mountain recreation. But, I would move back to KS if I find a job there since it is a better option than FL. FL seems to attract a lot of people from all these other "Red" states and yet, when thaey moved down here they get annoyed and surprised when they encounter normal Yankee people. With FL being a prime example, you CANNOT judge a book by its cover.

So I am considering Pittsburgh because I hear it is more laid back, the mountains and the Great Lakes are not too far and the snowfall is moderate. I am into hiking want to take up skiing and drive not to far into the country for an early Sunday morning drive. According to this website, there are more women in Pittsburgh than men which is a plus for me. I am white but don't really care about demographics and crime does not seem to be an issue here either. I plan to live in the burbs but will sacrifice to live downtown. I have a few Q's.

Is traffic bad overalll or just in some areas in PIT?

Are there many people into outdoor recreation?

Since PIT is losing people every year, are there at least some businesses that need employees such as Bookkeeping? Or the are the jobs disappearing along with the people. I don't know why PIT is losing many people but a little insight would help.

Thanks for your help.

[Pitt Chick]

Originally Posted by dislikeflorida

I don't know why PIT is losing many people but a little insight would help.

We have historically had a very large elderly population.
Those old people are dying off faster than our births and influx of newcomers.

[Geeo]

Sounds like Pittsburgh would be a good fit for you. There are a lot of people here who enjoy the outdoors. We have three rivers for water recreation. Mountains and skiing are an hour east. White water rafting an hour south. Lake Erie and beaches two hours north. Hiking everywhere. New trails in the city along the rivers. Lots of city and county parks. Lots of outdoors clubs.

Traffic not opressive, just bad during the rush hours. But you do need to know your path cause there's no street grid because of all the hills. Population loss stems from the exodus of people in their 20s and 30s during the collapse of the steel industry in the early 80s, but it seems to be leveling off. Economy is much more diversified now so we're not feeling this recession as much as the rest of the country. Unemployment is up of course, but nowhere near other areas like Charlotte or Atlanta or parts of Florida.

It's a nice place to live. A big city without a lot of the big city hassles. It's not the Garden of Eden by any means and it has the usual problems that any city has, but it's a comfortable place to be.

[Tinare]

Originally Posted by dislikeflorida

Is traffic bad overalll or just in some areas in PIT?

Are there many people into outdoor recreation?

Since PIT is losing people every year, are there at least some businesses that need employees such as Bookkeeping? Or the are the jobs disappearing along with the people. I don't know why PIT is losing many people but a little insight would help.

Thanks for your help.

Most natives will tell you that the traffic is awful. Anyone who has lived in another major city will tell you its not overall. The topography and the fact that it was a large city prior to the explosion of automobiles means that the highways are not wide and the city didn't have the luxury of being planned so much as evolving. Additionally the hills and rivers make for many bridges and tunnels that can create bottlenecks. However, the average commute time for downtown workers is probably about 40 minutes. East and South of downtown are tougher commutes to downtown than some neighborhoods to the West and the North. The Parkway East occasionally has seemingly unexplainable Sunday afternoon backups. That said, if you work on one side of town and live there as well, I don't think that there is one worse than another.

Outdoor recreation is a big draw around here, there's river recreation, lots of city, state and county parks, and skiing in the Laurel Highlands (which really serious skiers will say is not good, but if you are just learning, it's a good place to try it out). There's an organization called Venture Outdoors that promotes outdoor recreation in the area and sets up hikes, etc. which is a good way to meet people who are also interested in that. Their website is www.ventureoutdoors.org.

I have never had a problem finding a job in Pittsburgh. I always hear that there are no jobs here, but every time I've wanted to change, I've found something. I've used agencies a lot. The ones that you don't pay, the employers do. Try doing some searching on the internet for that for your field and make some calls to test it out. They'll be able to tell you whether there are places hiring or not.

Oh, and I agree with the person above about the birth/death rate. Right at the end of the steel industry there was a big jobs exodus, but from what I understand, more recently it is that the influx and birth rate is not keeping pace with the death rate. That is slowing and expected to change in the next few years. We'll see though...

Good luck!

[lifepgh2op]

No, traffic is really not that bad. There are backups, but they are so predictable (same time, same place) that anybody that would actually care to get around them, could figure out an ALT. route. I've lived in a few other cities and traffic really is nothing compared to those places (and those places usually have better roads, more lanes, too). People will complain about it, such as my dad, a native Pittsburgher who still b*tches about Green Tree Hill on the Parkway West (I-279)...but it usually creeps at a slow pace and add maybe 10-15 minutes onto your drive if you don't find another route. Nothing like you probably experienced in parts of FL and NJ.

Lots of people into outdoor activities. Probably one of the very few cities where you can fish less than a mile from skyscrapers.

I actually quite often see bookkeeping jobs posted on Craigslist. pittsburgh all jobs classifieds - craigslist

Good luck and welcome to the Burgh!

[Copanut]

You should be in Pittsburgh today. Clear, sunny sky, sadly, doesn't happen all that often. If it was sunny year round and about 1 hour from the ocean, this place would be perfect.

Don't sweat the traffic, it's nothing compared to other cities. When I visit friends in Phoenix, Philly, and Boston, you have to plan your day around traffic, not here. Only during rush hour and even then it's not that bad.

Wish I could have played hookie today and watched the Buccos. Nothing like a few brew sitting in the cheap seats by the river.

[hbash00]

I also have a question about traffic.
My family is moving to Pittsburgh due to employment which will be in Cranberry Township, and was wondering how is the traffic if driving from pittsburgh (downtown) to Cranberry at rush hour?

[lifepgh2op]

Originally Posted by hbash00

I also have a question about traffic.
My family is moving to Pittsburgh due to employment which will be in Cranberry Township, and was wondering how is the traffic if driving from pittsburgh (downtown) to Cranberry at rush hour?

In the morning, you'd be fine since you're leaving the city and most of the traffic is coming into the city.

In the evening rush, there could be some slow spots but for the most part the Parkway North (I-279 N) is an easy ride as it was the last of the Pittsburgh highways to be built so there are more lanes, no tunnels, and there are HOV (high occupancy vehicle) lanes that you can use outbound at evening rush.

[toosie]

Pittsburgh may have voted for Obama but it's not a mecca of tolerance, nor is it cosmopolitan. It is still rather segregated and the Blue state-ness of it is in pockets. If like-mindedness is very important to you then you'll need some more feedback about the different neighborhoods. Overall, though, it is a laid back, friendly city, with enough diversity that you should be able to find your niche.

There's plenty of outdoor activities and people who are into that. We have lots of wonderful rolling hills but they aren't mountains. Skiiers from CO or the NE would scoff at the slopes within driving distance from here. Pittsburgh has more green space than any other metro area it's size (maybe larger metros too). We also have LOTS of overcast and below normal temp days though.

Traffic is bad for Pittsburgh during rush hours (which start early and end late) and around tunnels (mostly one in the east and two towards the south). Overall, Pittsburgh's "bad traffic" doesn't come close to real traffic like you'd find in DC, for example.

You should be able to find bookkeeping positions. We haven't been as hard hit by the economy in terms of jobs or housing. Banking, Technology, Health Care, Higher Education are our major industries.

Agreed with others - huge elderly population dying off and 20-somethings moving out.

Best to you with wherever you decide to hang your hat!

[bradjl2009]

I saw in the paper a few weeks ago with the new census estimates that the Pittsburgh metro ended up with -780 when looking at in mation migration; well below other years. It also said that births were up 1.1% and deaths were down 0.7%