Young professional females moving to the city! (Pittsburgh, Lebanon: apartments, houses)

[mjcm85]

My friend and I (both 24 year old females) are planning to move to the city within the next few months. We both currently live in the North Hills, but are ready to move out of our parents houses and get our own apartment.
We both will be working downtown. I work down towards the Point and she will be working uptown. We want a very safe, cool and hip neighborhood with cute little restaurants and shops and a less than 30-ish minute commute by bus or T to downtown. We want to spend about $700 to $750+utilities a month on a 2 bedroom apartment, but of course less would be better.

Throw out all the suggestions you have!

Thank you!

[ferrarisnowday]

Squirrel Hill, Shady Side, or Bloomfield would be my suggestions. All have decent restaurants and shops and are on the bus line for a relatively quick commute downtown. On your budget you can probably find a place in any of those three neighborhoods.

If shopping is key then I would look at Shadyside first. Go have a look on Walnut street for shopping and Ellsworth for eating / drinking.

[BrianTH]

Shadyside is a great choice for people working Downtown, but your budget might be a little tight for a decent 2BR there. Friendship can be a good alternative to Shadyside--just a touch more transitional but also less expensive.

Squirrel Hill is another good choice, although the public transit to Downtown isn't quite as good since you have to go through Oakland (although it might be better for Uptown).

Finally, I would suggest looking at my neighborhood, Regent Square: it has some express buses to Downtown that use the East Busway, a cute little commercial area fitting your description, and is a little less pricey for apartments than Shadyside or Squirrel Hill. Plus, if you live in one of the non-Pittsburgh parts of Regent Square, you pay lower income taxes.

[mjcm85]

Thank you so much! Those are some great places to start checking into.

[Bong477]

Agree with above suggestions.

[khyron]

Originally Posted by Bong477

Agree with above suggestions.

Seconded!

[Hopes]

Why hasn't anyone mentioned Southside?

[ajl777]

Bloomfield

[Copanut]

If you both work downtown 9-5 consider living along the T in the South Hills. I had a ball living in the Mt.Lebo-Dormont area back in the mid 80's. Some great local bars and you don't need a designated driver, just PAT.

[BrianTH]

The South Side and Mt. Lebanon/Dormont are both good options too. It really depends on where you want to be on the urban-suburban spectrum.