Beechview: is there a catch? (Pittsburgh, Lebanon: apartments, rentals, homes)

[Copanut]

Originally Posted by BrianTH

Beechview strikes me as one of several neighborhoods that likely has a solid future in the long run, thanks to its good location, public transit access, and decent housing stock. But because there are so many neighborhoods like that in the City and inner suburbs, it may take a little while before it gets its turn as a "hot" neighborhood.

Personally, I think it will be the next Beltzhoover as more and more homes are converted to Section 8 housing.

[slamont61]

The largest issue by far is the fact that it's in the City of Pittsburgh Limits and that alone keeps young families from moving in. Young people well that's another story.

I doubt the hispanic tendancy has much to do with it considering most Pittsburghers have not been exosded to a large hispanic population.

[otters21]

Originally Posted by Agbor

I have noticed a slight influx of Hispanic people in Oakland..(outside of the University affiliated ones) within the last 4 years..there are 2 Hispanic grocery stores and I am hearing Spanish in the streets and
on the buses in the East End...there are 3 double-row houses on one street in Oakland with 3 Hispanic
families and there is also a Hispanic Mass in Oakland on Saturdays..Why Beechview was chosen to be
Hispanic I don't know..There was a Hispanic guy in Oakland once who tried to panhandle me for bus fare
and I spoke back to him in his own language...He was like "Ah!"

Oakland is a diverse area and has been for quite a while.

[otters21]

Originally Posted by COPANUT

Personally, I think it will be the next Beltzhoover as more and more homes are converted to Section 8 housing.

Not nescessarily. It seems of late Beechview is getting more positve posts. I myself has been through Beechview last summer and I did see only a few houses with sale signs ( many sale signs-white flight indication). Most of the people I saw were Caucasion. I believe it will survive.

[bradjl2009]

Originally Posted by otters21

Not nescessarily. It seems of late Beechview is getting more positve posts. I myself has been through Beechview last summer and I did see only a few houses with sale signs ( many sale signs-white flight indication). Most of the people I saw were Caucasion. I believe it will survive.

Oh Beechview is fine; move there. Those for sale signs were probably for typical reasons such as relocating, a death in the owner, etc and probably less for "this is a bad place, lets move while we can". Plus the more owners, the less renters.

[BrianTH]

For what it is worth, last I knew Beechview had lost much less of its peak population than Beltzhoover, the employment rate was higher, rents were higher, and so on. And the thing about Section 8 is that regardless of what you think the affects might be, there aren't enough vouchers to affect all of the neighborhoods like Beechview in the Pittsburgh area to a significant degree. So I guess I would wonder why would Beechview in particular experience a significant Section 8 affect.

[Hopes]

People don't seem to realize that there are also Section 8 houses in the best neighborhoods, in the best townships, and the houses are just as beautiful as all of the other houses in the neighborhood. It's not uncommon for moving homeowners, who either can't sell their home or choose to keep their homes as investment property (not everyone needs to sell a home to buy a new home), to apply for Section 8 approval because Section 8 is a guarantee of rental money. I have quite a few friends who have done this when they bought new homes. Rental money from Section 8 is paying off the mortages on their first homes, which will continually generate income in the future, plus the houses will continue to increase in value throughout the years. Their former neighbors aren't even aware that their tenants are Section 8 tenants.

[TRO Z]

IMO...Beechview with the T stops running from Westfield St all the way up Broadway (Incredible Access) to downtown & SH Village...Extremely affordable homes, low to no crime, active community group, numerous city employees call it home...I personally like the area...

The downside to Beechview is obviously the lack of sustainable retail stores, that business district is in shambles...I know alot of people want to blame Bernie Katz for that downfall, but in all reality where was he going to get the business to fill ALL those vacant store fronts...

To me Beechview is currently searching for it's identity...Searching so badly, that by having 100 Hispanics ( I don't know the exact number) in the neighborhood, all of sudden it's the new home for the Hispanics in Pittsburgh...WTF...

[Hopes]

Welcome back, Tro Z!

I don't know why anyone would care if an area accumulates some hispanics.

It's not like Pittsburgh is going to become southern California overnight, if ever.

[Copanut]

Originally Posted by Hopes

People don't seem to realize that there are also Section 8 houses in the best neighborhoods, in the best townships, and the houses are just as beautiful as all of the other houses in the neighborhood. .

Give me facts. Are they in Mt. Lebo, USC, McCandless, Sewickely?