Gay couple moving to Pittsburgh (Penn: car registration, homeowners insurance, home)

[Jakiss9]

How much does the real Pittsburgh resemble the one portrayed on QAF? I know it was filmed in Toronto. Just curious. Thanks.

[Joshbarblahblah]

Originally Posted by Jakiss9

How much does the real Pittsburgh resemble the one portrayed on QAF? I know it was filmed in Toronto. Just curious. Thanks.

The Pittsburgh on QAF is not very similar to the real one. We do not have a gayborhood like they do - it is true that there are slew of gay bars on our Liberty Avenue, but it is not a gay ghetto like shown on the show.

I was struck by how similar some of the neighborhoods on QAF look to our own - Melanie and Lindsey's house could have been in Morningside, for example...but that's pretty much where the similarities end.

[Jakiss9]

What area (or areas) of Liberty Avenue have the most concentration of gay businesses? Also, is there anything resembling "The Liberty Diner"? Thanks.

[fleetiebelle]

Originally Posted by Jakiss9

What area (or areas) of Liberty Avenue have the most concentration of gay businesses? Also, is there anything resembling "The Liberty Diner"? Thanks.

Most of the gay bars are in the 900 block of Liberty. The diner is totally fictional.

[Lex142]

I just bought a house in Oakmont.......really nice people, and pretty close to downtown

[pxdjr]

All of the conversation here has endorsed east and north of Pittsburgh as most gay friendly. In you opinions, does that basically rule out west and south of Pittsburgh (Avalon, Bellevue, Observatory Hill, Carnegie) as viable gay-friendly options with gay-friendly neighborhoods? Understanding, of course, that there will be pockets of intolerance everywhere you go, but what is the general perception of the south and west areas?

Thanks!

[BrianTH]

There are all sorts of neighborhoods in pretty much every direction, including some upscale but fairly liberal areas toward both the south and west (e.g., Mt. Lebanon to the south and Sewickley to the west both went significantly for Obama in the 2008 general election). So I would personally hesitate to draw any sort of general conclusions along those lines--with almost all such issues in Pittsburgh, you really have to go neighborhood by neighborhood.

[creepsinc]

Originally Posted by pxdjr

All of the conversation here has endorsed east and north of Pittsburgh as most gay friendly. In you opinions, does that basically rule out west and south of Pittsburgh (Avalon, Bellevue, Observatory Hill, Carnegie) as viable gay-friendly options with gay-friendly neighborhoods? Understanding, of course, that there will be pockets of intolerance everywhere you go, but what is the general perception of the south and west areas?

Thanks!

Observatory Hill borders Ross Township, which is due north of Pittsburgh, which means it's in the north part of the city, not the south or west. Also, my new next-door neighbor is gay. Glad I could help.

[Geeo]

I think Pittsburgh is fortunate not to have a gay ghetto; I never liked them myself. In a town like this (and most others around the country), there are neighborhoods with high concentrations of gay people, and there are neighborhoods with a sparse gay population. From the friends I have who live in what would be classified as "traditional family" suburban neighborhoods north, south, east, and west, they have NEVER been the subject of harassment or violence. Most straight families love having gay people as neighbors because we have this trendency to maintain and improve properties, thereby increasing property values. And there are lots of gay couples with children now who live in the suburbs for the same reasons straight people do. I like not being segregated in a certain neighborhood. Gay people are as varied in lifestyle as straight people. Most gay people live in cities like Pittsburgh, Cleveland, St. Louis, Omaha, Phoenix, and Minneapolis - not San Francisco or New York.

[pxdjr]

Thanks for the info. I'm coming from the east-central Florida area (very conservative - many would say oppressively so), and my partner and I are moving soon. The exact destination is dependent on where the job offer comes from, but Pittsburgh is definitely in the running. I've been doing as much research as possible here (city-data.com in general and in the blogs specifically) and on realtor sites to glean as much info as I can about the suburbs and townships.

To be very honest, the housing prices in the Pittsburgh area, in and out of the city, are fascinatingly reasonable when compared to here in Florida (even with the housing crash we've experienced), albeit Pittsburgh has high property taxes. But when you add the property taxes together with the very reasonable home prices, you're still getting out cheaper than you would be in Florida!

My eyes are going to the more affordable options in Avalon, Bellevue, Crafton, and Observatory Hill, but that doesn't really mean much until we're able to come up and visit the area and really check things out.

Anyone know any good gay realtors?

Plus, any insight y'all may have (southern accent there! - don't laugh, though; y'all have your colloquialisms, too. It took a number of posts on a number of threads for me to understand what a "yinzer" is!! ;0) about additional expenses to expect in the area/state, like car inspections, registration costs, utility costs, things like that, would be appreciated! Is there a homestead tax break in PA? In Florida, we have a homestead tax break that takes off a certain portion of the taxable value of the home (between $25K and $50K) for Florida residents so the property taxes don't bloom out of control over period you own your home.

A bit off the original topic, but this gay man needs some info!

Thanks!