Relo to Pitt from Chicago - HELP (Pittsburgh: real estate, house)

[greg42]

Just since it seem off everyone's radar, I lived in Mt Washington for a short time, though I have to qualify that with the fact that it was 10 years ago. Still, I don't think it has changed too terribly much. Mt Washington and Duquesne Heights can be fine, I think, for the most part. The nearer to Grandview Ave, the better (and more expensive) it'll be. You want to avoid the part that's way down the back side, to the south. Look at a map, and if you stick to the north and west of of the rounded line formed by Woodruff St coming on around across the eastern part of Virginia Ave, you should be fine. I never felt unsafe up there. But it did used to get noisy in the summer in the vicinity of Grandview. The main dig against this as a city neighborhood is that it's not as good for walkable shopping or dining. There are a few shops in the Shiloh St area. Over in the vicinity of the Duquesne Incline are all the restaurants that are up there for the city view, but you're not going to go over there too often for a regular meal. (Besides, the food is mostly mediocre, at least for the prices.) So you'd still be driving a fair amount. Not sure how that plays into your preferences.

If you'd prefer the option of driving less, you want to be aiming for more central east end neighborhoods. Friendship could be an excellent choice for that. Shadyside and Squirrel Hill are great choices too, of course, but most (not all) of Shadyside is going to be tough for a yard at that price. Friendship and Sq Hill are going to have more single family houses in your price range. Most of what is actually termed Garfield would not be appealing for residence, and Bloomfield is more close together with fewer to no yards in general. There are a few useful businesses on Penn Ave in Garfield, and more on Liberty Ave in Bloomfield, and you can walk to those, as well as some places in Shadyside, from Friendship. This may vary depending upon which end, which places and what you consider a reasonable walk. ;-)

[Sideblinded]

I moved from Chicagoish (Naperville, and a small town) to Pitt a few years ago. I love going to Mt. Washington, but the steep hills kind of creep me out. How do people get around in winter?

Yes I have been on the inclines!

We didn't seriously look at at homes other than Squirrel Hill, Point Breeze, Regent Square and I loved Shadyside but it is not really kid friendly. We have kids and are probably older than you though!

We bought in Squirrel Hill, and yes it is SO much less to buy here, than Chicago and burbs. You might want to consider south Squirrel Hill and parts of Greenfield also. We bought in "South" Squirrel Hill, near Minadeo school, and it it less expensive than "North of Forbes". We are only 6 blocks or so away from Greenfield.

[WhiteSox]

thanks for the info on mt. washington.....

waht are the "cutoff streets" for the greenfield neighborhood?

Im assuming that the closer to squirrel hill the better. Also assuming that in squirrel hill the closer to shadyside the better.

Also -any input on the slopes? I have seen a couple homes there with decent yards - some with double lots.

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by WhiteSox

Im assuming that the closer to squirrel hill the better. Also assuming that in squirrel hill the closer to shadyside the better.

It turns out that isn't necessarily the case. Greenfield is separated from Squirrel Hill by I-376 (aka the Parkway) and some topography, and really operates as its own little neighborhood roughly centered around Greenfield Avenue. In Squirrel Hill, it is true some of the nicest homes are in the "North of Forbes" area closer to Shadyside, but it is also desirable to be close either to the commercial district along Forbes and Murray or to one of the parks (Schenley and Frick).

Also -any input on the slopes? I have seen a couple homes there with decent yards - some with double lots.

So the South Side Slopes has gotten some buzz lately as the South Side Flats have taken off. Basically, the appeal to the Slopes is you can get some very nice views, and it is above the fray of the Flats while still being close (it is even walkable if you don't mind steps). As you note, you can also get a bit more land (whether it is flat or not is a different issue). Overall I think it is fair to say it is a neighborhood in transition and pricing is a bit speculative right now--not that the speculation is necessarily wrong.

[robrobrob]

I think you need to find a realtor that is familiar with Squirrel Hill, Point Breeze, Regent Square and Greenfield. Not all of Greenfield is nice. However, you probably need another realtor to help you with Mt. Washington. I have never lived there but it was understanding that Duquense Heights is nicer than Mt. Washington. Having a garage may make things tricky. Some older garages weren't built for today's cars. About your budget, I personally wouldn't spend 250,000 in Greenfield, Mt. Washington or Duquesne Heights but I would spend 250,000 in Squirrel Hill, Regent Square and Point Breeze.

[WhiteSox]

now this is the most important of all my questions.......

where will one (i doubt I will be able to), besides the comfort of my own home, be albe to watch a Bears game?

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by WhiteSox

where will one (i doubt I will be able to), besides the comfort of my own home, be albe to watch a Bears game?

In my experience most of the sports bars with multiple TVs are usually pretty accomodating about tuning one of them to whatever NFL game you would like. Back in the day, I watched a lot of Lions games at Silkys in Squirrel Hill (this was when they had Sanders, so I wasn't totally crazy).

[WhiteSox]

Originally Posted by BrianTH

In my experience most of the sports bars with multiple TVs are usually pretty accomodating about tuning one of them to whatever NFL game you would like. Back in the day, I watched a lot of Lions games at Silkys in Squirrel Hill (this was when they had Sanders, so I wasn't totally crazy).

Even with sanders - you have to be crazy to be a lions fan!!!

J/K

Quick question.... given the proximity to Middle Hill/Upper hill - is polish hill a place to keep away from?

[iwonderwhy2124]

Polish Hill is actually very quiet and safe. It is completely seperated from the Hill District. I have only ever seen white people there. A lot of young and artsy types are moving in there as well.

However, you should note that there is no business district in Polish Hill. There are only two bars and a deli.

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by WhiteSox

Even with sanders - you have to be crazy to be a lions fan!!! J/K

Yeah, I'm loyal to a fault.

Quick question.... given the proximity to Middle Hill/Upper hill - is polish hill a place to keep away from?

Polish Hill is actually quite distinct from the Hill (it is separated by a steep hillside and major road). The population is basically a mix of blue collar retirees, students looking for cheap housing, and a growing little base of artist-types. As the other poster said, it is actually quite safe, and although it looks a bit rundown it is actually a stable neighborhood. The lack of local stuff is a bit of a problem (although one of the local bars is pretty popular), although if you are a walker you can easily get to Bloomfield and Oakland.