I Picked Pittsburgh. (Scranton, Butler, Duquesne: affordable houses, neighborhood, buying)

[mattjd]

Originally Posted by COPANUT

My guess is the term yuppie was given a negative connotation by someone working for minimum wage. Personally, I wish about 40 thousand yuppies would move into the Pgh area to jump start the economy.

Since you live in the "North Suburbs" why don't you lead the way and let me know how East Liberty is? That's the kind of neighborhood yuppies love, so you'll be around a lot of like-minded folks. Don't let us backwards hicks stand in your way of bringing Pittsburgh out of the dark ages!

[Copanut]

Sliberty ain't doing all that good. But, tearing down that apt building and getting rid of the circle is a step in the right direction.

This region is never going back to steel and manufacturing, well maybe when the Pirates win the World Series. We need an injection of capital to this region, and if it's yuppie money, who cares?

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by mattjd

You don't really believe that do you? I mean, you do know that the term Yuppie has a negative connotation, right? It doesn't simply mean any young, educated person. There is a culture that goes with that. I mean, you DO know this, right? You don't really think that any person under 35 with a BA is a yuppie, do you????

I know the term "yuppie" acquired a negative connotation in the late-1980s/early-1990s. Part of that was the feeling yuppies tended to support Reagan-Bush, and more specifically Reaganomics, for purely selfish reasons. People also seemed to object to the conspicuous consumption associated with yuppies, although in retrospect I have come to think that critique was a bit unfair: if you are young, single, and have a lot of disposable income, I now don't think there is a huge problem with having some fun buying stuff with some of that money.

In any event, as noted I know the negative sense of the term "yuppie" from that period. What I don't have a clear idea about is how you are using the term today.

[mattjd]

Originally Posted by BrianTH

I know the term "yuppie" acquired a negative connotation in the late-1980s/early-1990s. Part of that was the feeling yuppies tended to support Reagan-Bush, and more specifically Reaganomics, for purely selfish reasons. People also seemed to object to the conspicuous consumption associated with yuppies, although in retrospect I have come to think that critique was a bit unfair: if you are young, single, and have a lot of disposable income, I now don't think there is a huge problem with having some fun buying stuff with some of that money.

In any event, as noted I know the negative sense of the term "yuppie" from that period. What I don't have a clear idea about is how you are using the term today.

Ok, fine, you don't get it. That was obvious a dozen posts ago. I think it's pretty lame to drag out a topic to 30+ posts discussing the definition of what a yuppie is, as if it is even that difficult. I have no problems discussing/debating the issue, but when I find myself having to repost my points several times, and even after that people can't get them right, then it is clear that people aren't reading all the posts and the whole thread has become meaningless.

[alleghenyangel]

Why lump all young professionals into one category? You can't describe everyone in an age group the same way. I am a young professional who moved to Pittsburgh because I admired the historic architecture, affordable housing, and beautiful scenery and skyline. I moved here when I was 22, and not to be close to "Whole Foods" or because it was "hip." I could have moved anywhere I wanted -- I just happened to like Pittsburgh the best. And I knew it was a place I could see myself setting down roots and living the rest of my life.

I think there are a lot of people in this town who make broad generalizations about young people who live in the city. I think that is unfair. I have a job, I contribute to the economy, I appreciate Pittsburgh and the people who lived here before me. I'm not some egocentric jerk just because I wasn't born here. I just happen to like urban places and when I see large areas of the cities in ruins it makes me want to move in and start fixing it up. In the two years I have lived here, I have seen Lawrenceville become one of the most exciting neighborhoods in the city. Butler Street is becoming almost as "hip" as E. Carson, IMO. North side has gone from ghetto to the land of urban pioneers -- I have a couple friends restoring and living in Victorians in Manchester. Downtown has gone from dead after 6, to brimming with life and activity well into the evening.

Now I am buying an old Victorian in Spring Hill and getting ready to completely restore it. I think you should consider just how much young people may contribute to a city before you judge someone. Everyone is different.

[Copanut]

Originally Posted by alleghenyangel

I think you should consider just how much young people may contribute to a city before you judge someone. Everyone is different.

Like I said, we need about 40K of you.

[creepsinc]

"Yuppies" absolutely ruined San Francisco.

[soniqV]

How about everyone arguing the definition of a yuppie start a new thread called "Semantics." IMO the answer to this one is fully summed up by COPANUT's:

We need an injection of capital to this region, and if it's yuppie money, who cares?

We're in the age of technology. You can either foster that and welcome the changing culture or pine for the old culture of heavy industry and the community it created.

And I will never support the notion that gentrification of a neighborhood is bad because it drives out the poor. I have emapthy for the honest working poor, sure, but that's no reason to say a ghetto should remain a ghetto. Because also driven out are the crack dealers and gang members and welfare queens, to be replaced by those who, oh I don't know, might actually contribute to the local economy. And the people that actually own their homes get to see their worth go up and benefit from more and better public services.

...but what do I know, that's just my stupid arrogant yuppie opinion.

[Katiana]

I read the original link, and got into the discussion of the definition of "yuppie". Like Brian (!), in retrospect, I think we were too hard on the yuppies of the 80s-90s. They did a lot of good with revitalizing some old neighborhoods, both in Pittsburgh and here in Denver.

[bradjl2009]

Originally Posted by alleghenyangel

Why lump all young professionals into one category? You can't describe everyone in an age group the same way. I am a young professional who moved to Pittsburgh because I admired the historic architecture, affordable housing, and beautiful scenery and skyline. I moved here when I was 22, and not to be close to "Whole Foods" or because it was "hip." I could have moved anywhere I wanted -- I just happened to like Pittsburgh the best. And I knew it was a place I could see myself setting down roots and living the rest of my life.

I think there are a lot of people in this town who make broad generalizations about young people who live in the city. I think that is unfair. I have a job, I contribute to the economy, I appreciate Pittsburgh and the people who lived here before me. I'm not some egocentric jerk just because I wasn't born here. I just happen to like urban places and when I see large areas of the cities in ruins it makes me want to move in and start fixing it up. In the two years I have lived here, I have seen Lawrenceville become one of the most exciting neighborhoods in the city. Butler Street is becoming almost as "hip" as E. Carson, IMO. North side has gone from ghetto to the land of urban pioneers -- I have a couple friends restoring and living in Victorians in Manchester. Downtown has gone from dead after 6, to brimming with life and activity well into the evening.

Now I am buying an old Victorian in Spring Hill and getting ready to completely restore it. I think you should consider just how much young people may contribute to a city before you judge someone. Everyone is different.

You're the type people our city should look for! Spring Hill is a nice quiet neighoborhood btw.