anyone live in aspinwall? (Pittsburgh, Indiana: rent, chapel, houses)

[stellar8]

Hi,
I have been lurking on this forum for a while now, contemplating moving my family to Pittsburgh. We have been researching neighborhoods and keep coming back to Aspinwall as the one that most closely matches what we are looking for. It seems like a nice community (we have been there). Just wondering if anyone can offer their opinions on what life is like there for a family with 2 small children. Specifically, I have heard that Fox Chapel can have a snobbiness factor that I am hoping to avoid, so I am wondering if that factor is also present in Aspinwall?
Thank you for any insight you can offer.

[Luv4ThePaws]

Good question! We have been contemplating the same thing and have gotten great feedback about Oakmont and Aspinwall. Search the Pittsburgh forum (at the top right of the main page) for "Aspinwall" and it will pull up threads relating to the topic. There have been many posts this week about it because many helpful people have replied to my questions!

[stellar8]

Thanks for the tip! Good luck in your search to find the right place for your family.

[nuwaver88]

I have lived in the Fox Chapel area all of my life so I am very familiar with Aspinwall. Aspinwall, is Fox Chapel's "town center" if you will. Actually, many of the affluent professionals and upper management of the early twentieth century lived in Aspinwall before Fox Chapel started to get developed in the 1920s and later. There is diversity in Fox Chapel School District and not all snobbery because there are lower to middle class people who live in Sharpsburg, Blawnox, O'Hara Twp., Indiana Twp., and Aspinwall itsef. Nobody less than upper middle class lives in Fox Chapel Borough for obvious reasons. Aspinwall tends to keep it's rents higher than some other places to keep a certain quality of life. Being directly across the river from the city, many have looked at Aspinwall while coming over to shop at the Waterworks etc, but have found it too pricey to either rent or own, so they may move to Sharpsburg. Some people may want a diverse neighborhood while others feel that a diverse neighborhood is one that is going downhill. That is subject to debate and it depends on the neighborhood. Anyway, Aspinwall is safe with middle class and upper middle class denizens in a very good and economically diverse school district. Not everbody is making over six figures in Aspinwall, but pretty much everybody works for a living and wants a good place to raise a family. There may be a snob factor at some of the pricey restaurants that cater to Fox Chapelites, but not in the day to day life.

[stellar8]

Thanks nuwaver. That was exactly the kind of info I was looking for!

[deathegg88]

As for Oakmont, I grew up and spent most of my life there. It's a wonderful little town. It has a great shopping district on the main drag (Allegheny River Blvd), and has some really charming houses.
The further up the hill you get, the more expensive the homes become. It's a bit farther from downtown Pittsburgh than Aspinwall, but hop on ARB and it's a few minutes to Pittsburgh.
Overall, a great place to raise a family.

[scottrpriester]

We spend a lot of time at the Waterworks plaza, and enjoy eating at Luma restaurant and my wife just discovered Aspinwall Beans and Cream and loved it. Aspinwall is probably one of the top areas we have talked about moving to. The town shopping and dinning area reminds me of a small Dickens like town, especially during winter. My biggest complaint about that area is how bad Freeport Road backs up with traffic, and at ridiculous times of the day.

[nuwaver88]

Originally Posted by scottrpriester

We spend a lot of time at the Waterworks plaza, and enjoy eating at Luma restaurant and my wife just discovered Aspinwall Beans and Cream and loved it. Aspinwall is probably one of the top areas we have talked about moving to. The town shopping and dinning area reminds me of a small Dickens like town, especially during winter. My biggest complaint about that area is how bad Freeport Road backs up with traffic, and at ridiculous times of the day.

I agree with the traffic on Freeport in front of the Waterworks. It is worse heading south/east. I wish they could have found a way to connect the mall to Route 28 while leaving. There is a Route 28 connection while entering from 28 North. The best thing to do while leaving the mall is to leave at the exit at the far northern/eastern side of the mall by GetGO and make a left and then another left onto Fox Chapel Road and get on 28 South past the BP. If you are only going to Aspinwall, you would not do this because the Aspinwall exit is at the far southern/western end of the borough at the Highland Park Bridge. It would be quicker to just rough it for the few blocks. Anywhere else, head north/east first before going south/west during peak traffic times.

[Hopes]

There's an Aspinwall exit one block from St. Margarets at the end of Lexington Avenue.

[nuwaver88]

Originally Posted by Hopes

There's an Aspinwall exit one block from St. Margarets at the end of Lexington Avenue.

I know, but if I am at the original part of the mall by Caribou Coffee, it is still much quicker to go left on Freeport between Dollar Bank and GetGo rather than sit in traffic and at lights in the vicinity of Giant Eagle and St. Margarets until I fght my way down to Lexington to access the Route 28 south ramp. Also, one cannot not get off at Lexington while heading south on 28. The only southbound exit to Aspinwall is at the Highland Park Bridge. It would make no sense to go almost to Sharpsburg and the double back to Aspinwall in this case. I only recommend people using the above mentioned quicker route if they are going to at least Sharpsburg or anywhere futher south on 28. I apologize if this thread is boring to some not familiar with the area.