Is it all hilly like that, Mommy? (Pittsburgh, Washington: house, neighborhoods)

[rwocmo]

I might be moving to Pittsburgh in the next year, and we are a couple of flatlanders who are a little disconcerted by the hills. I've been to Pittsburgh several times and felt a little claustrophobic. Nice town, but I'm wondering if there are any areas around that have a more wide-open feeling.

[scottrpriester]

Originally Posted by rwocmo

I might be moving to Pittsburgh in the next year, and we are a couple of flatlanders who are a little disconcerted by the hills. I've been to Pittsburgh several times and felt a little claustrophobic. Nice town, but I'm wondering if there are any areas around that have a more wide-open feeling.

I'm not sure how claustrophobic and hills relate.

[JoeLeaphorn]

Originally Posted by rwocmo

I might be moving to Pittsburgh in the next year, and we are a couple of flatlanders who are a little disconcerted by the hills. I've been to Pittsburgh several times and felt a little claustrophobic. Nice town, but I'm wondering if there are any areas around that have a more wide-open feeling.

Well, you won't find any plains around here, for sure, the glaciers took care of that. But if you head up North, around Cranberry, there are plenty of rolling hills that don't seem so mountainous.

And, personally, having grown up in the cornfields of the Midwest, I enjoy the hills and valleys, especially along the rivers.

[khyron]

Originally Posted by scottrpriester

I'm not sure how claustrophobic and hills relate.

Yeah I'm not sure if this is a topography thing, or a mcmansion farms versus row house neighborhoods kind of thing.

[Hopes]

I second the Cranberry area. If you get on top of a big hill, like near Middle Road in Hampton, you'll see more sky too. I believe Middle Road is the highest point in Allegheny County. Butler County has some flat sprawling areas with lots of farm fields. The same is available in Beaver County towards the Ohio line. And Washington County can be fairly flat compared to Allegheny County.

[Hopes]

Originally Posted by khyron

Yeah I'm not sure if this is a topography thing, or a mcmansion farms versus row house neighborhoods kind of thing.

It's topography. This isn't the first time I've heard this from midwesterners. They need to see large expanses of sky. It bothers them to not see the horizion at a distance.

[fleetiebelle]

That's interesting. The part of Ohio I"m from is fairly hilly like Pittsburgh, and when I go visit people elsewhere (like Utah or Florida or Indiana) I'm unnerved by the flat and unvarying landscape.

[Mugatu]

I grew up in flat Florida and I love the rolling hills up here. But the small towns west of the city like Oakdale, Imperial, McDonald, etc have a more open feel with lots of gently rolling hills and farmland. I biked the Montour Trail most of the way out there and there were several areas where I could see for miles.

[Tallysmom]

Originally Posted by scottrpriester

I'm not sure how claustrophobic and hills relate.

I get it. When you stand at the top of the hill and can overlook everything it feels wide open, but when you're at the bottom of the hill and look up it's rather looming....

I second Cranberry -- it's more gentle rolling hills, not the cliff sheer drop types of hills I've seen around Avalon and Ben Avon.

[guylocke]

That's interesting. The part of Ohio I"m from is fairly hilly like Pittsburgh, and when I go visit people elsewhere (like Utah or Florida or Indiana) I'm unnerved by the flat and unvarying landscape.

I second that. How very strange.