Older Gay Man with a lot of questions (Pittsburgh, Highland Park: real estate, house)

[Kenny48]

I am currently living in the Tampa Bay Area of Florida, and I am planning an eventual move to somewhere more to my liking. I really do not like Florida. Too hot and definitely too spread out.I have lived here sixteen years too many! I moved here because my parents were here, and I was an only kid.
I want a change of seasons, and have narrowed it down between Portland or Pittsburgh. I have lived in quite a lot of places from NYC to Honlolulu and San Francisco, I also lived for over ten years in Seattle! I know little of the rest of the country although I have driven across it more than a few times. I was only in Pittsburgh once, and did not really see a lot of the city. What I did see however, I liked. In looks, it is similar to Portland, hilly and green. As a gay man I know Portland is gay friendly and it answers my needs, except for the cost of living. I have been there many times. It would also mean a longer move. So I would like to find out more about Pittsburgh.

I love walking, how pedestrian friendly and accessible are the neighborhoods of Pittsburgh? Are there many green spaces such as large parks to explore? Bike trails? State parks and trails nearby? The thing I hate most about where I currently live, is you need a car to get anywhere. Nothing is nearby, including grocery stores and the beaches are miles away. Everything is in strip malls, spaced miles apart. I like a wide variety of choices in both my foodstuffs, as well as restaurants ( ethnicity ). I really hate chains! I have traveled a lot and love Europe, and American cities that are like European cities. So how are the neighborhoods of Pittsburg? That is all the stuff I am really interested in. Have never been interested in spectator sports. However I love bike riding, and kayaking. Strangely, I can do that here where I live ( but you have to drive to get there ). However, there are no museums, or places of interest nearby no music or theatre. I understand that Pittsburg has museums, as well as an excellent Botanical Garden and of course the Pittsburgh Symphony. So I guess what I am asking is, could an aging Gay man with my interests find Pittsburg, enough to keep him busy in his later years? Also are those neighborhoods where I might want to live, affordable?

[groar]

pittsburgh is kind of medium pedestrian/bike friendly. it would be a lot more bikeable if it wasn't so hilly. the public transportation is decent. there is a local chain that kind of has the monopoly on grocery stores, but there are a few local groceries.

the east end is probably the area most suited to your taste. shadyside, point breeze, east liberty, and regent square are pretty bikeable/walkable. squirrel hill is very walkable but as the name implies, a bit of a slog to go anywhere on a bike. there are a lot of grocery stores in the area, although the only one that's not a chain is a large co-op. there is a nice produce market in squirrel hill. there is also a large, lovely, wild park, frick park. schenley park and highland park are the two other big parks in the east end, and both are nice.

honestly though, i've never been to portland but i hear it's extremely pedestrian bike friendly, which pittsburgh is not. we're working on it, but with narrow, steep streets and drivers who aren't expecting to see bikes, we've got a ways to go. portland is also a lot more progressive than pittsburgh. if i had a choice between the two, based on what i know right now i don't know which i'd pick. as i've said, i've never been to portland, i might turn out to hate it. who knows.

i seriously doubt pittsburgh is as cool or has as much to do as portland, but it's a nice city and there is a good deal of cultural activity, diverse restaurants, etc. and it is REALLY affordable. the downside is that the property taxes can be high, but with the price of real estate it really doesn't matter much.

for instance, this is what you can get for $130,000 in pittsburgh (in a nice neighborhood, but one where taxes are high):
Regent Square Real Estate - 622 WHITNEY 1, Regent Square, PA, 15221

i doubt you could find anything comparable for that price anywhere in portland.

[BrianTH]

So Pittsburgh definitely has lots of neighborhoods like that. The highest concentration is probably in the East End, where Pitt and CMU plus several other universities and cultural institutions are located, giving the whole East End a sort of overgrown college town feel. The East End has many largely pre-WWII walkable neighborhoods, some with their own commercial areas, plus several very large parks with lots of trails. Downtown is also an increasingly attractive place to live given your interests, although it is just in the initial stages of redevelopment as a residential area and so lacks some amenities (the most commonly cited being the lack of a regular grocery store). There are also other neighborhoods we could list, some more urban, and some suburbs but with small urban cores. Finally, Pittsburgh is conveniently located to a lot of outdoor recreation options, and in fact the rivers are themselves a nice amenity if you like water recreation.

My brother and sister actually live in Portland, and we have remarked in the past how there are some similarities between Pittsburgh and Portland along these lines. The thing is that housing in Pittsburgh is just relatively inexpensive, so housing even in the most desirable central locations tends not to be too bad by normal city standards--that is really the primary reason we chose to live here (we got a great house in a nice walkable neighborhood in the East End for a fraction of what we would have expected to pay in most cities). But if you give us a rough budget we can help explain your options in more detail.

[TechieTransplant]

As far as cycling and the hills...if you are an avid cyclist, the hills are a welcome challenge and strengthen you in to a better rider. If you are just a casual cyclist, like riding around the block every once in a while, they will be tough. Pittsburgh has a strong on and off road cycling culture, one reason I moved down here.

I believe Portland was recently rated the most bike friendly city in the US. I do agree that Pittsburgh has a long way to go, but I disagree that automobile drivers aren't expecting to see cyclists. When I'm not riding myself, I see cyclists everywhere, especially on the east side of the city where I reside.

Frick Park is our back yard, and my sanctuary. 560 acres of wilderness in the city. Can't beat it. And no, you don't have to get in your car to get places. Pittsburgh natives, however, enjoy sitting in traffic to go nowhere and don't take the time to find alternate routes to their destinations.

[groar]

yeah, you get used to the hills. but it's pretty daunting to start biking on pittsburgh streets, and you have to know which ones to avoid (although that's true in every city). my sister lives in philly and bikes everywhere - she works in a bike shop, goes on cross country bike trips, etc, and she was intimidated by biking in pittsburgh.

[tmorrisn]

I think it really depends on how important these things are to you. There are bike trails and areas that are walkable. There are also neighborhoods with good (non-chain) restaurants. There are beautiful parks and some cultural activities. So you get some of what you're looking for (kind of bike friendly but not really, kind of walkable but only within a few neighborhoods, kind of diverse restaurants) but with a much cheaper price tag than Portland. I guess I would ask how important weather and being on the east coast is.
I really like living here - I think if you look hard enough, Pittsburgh has a lot of grassroots kinds of things that allow you to do the things you want. For example, drivers are not bike friendly here, but there's a huge number of active cyclists and they are well connected (bikepgh.org) and plan rides around the city - there are also several clubs for cycling. You just have to dig a little deeper to find people with your interests. There are a good number of great restaurants too - they are just nestled deep within a lot of mediocre ones so if you dig, you can find them. And of course the same goes for any night life or culture.
I'd keep my search definitely within the city limits (or just outside) and stick to the East End. I live within walking distance to Frick Park and it's great! Good luck with your decision.

[Geeo]

In answer to your questions, yes, yes, yes, and yes.

I think you would find Pittsburgh to your liking. The East End neighborhoods (Shadyside, Squirrel Hill, Point Breeze, Regent Square, Highland Park) have a good percentage of gay people of all ages, there are good restaurants, walkable neighborhoods, good public transportation, nice parks, good shopping, grocery stores, and book stores. Pittsburgh has a thriving cultural life, from the Symphony, Ballet, Opera, and Public Theatre in the downtown Cultural District to small theatre, dance, and galleries in other neighborhoods. Lots of bikes these days (many more than even a few years ago), miles of riverfront trails, and kayaking on the three rivers. The city also has more than 125 gay organizations that include sports, social, volunteer, and political organizations. Welcome!

[Kenny48]

Thanks for all your feedback. I will definitely plan a trip to check it out more. I am leery of East Coast cities, as I lived so long on the West Coast. Down here in Florida they like to call it, the "Left Coast". I worry about my political leanings getting in the way. They definitely do here in Florida. I forgot to mention that, but that is what I meant by "diversity". I am also used to a much more diverse ethnic population. Here it is very segregated, even in this day and age.

[BrianTH]

Pittsburgh in general is more old school blue collar Democratic than new school progressive (if that makes sense to you), but again parts of the East End are pretty darn progressive. As for ethnic diversity, the truism is that Pittsburgh is mostly black/white diverse and less diverse with respect to other ethnicities, although again you can find pockets of broader diversity. We also do have a lot of de facto segregation, with again some exceptions (basically, there are always exceptions in Pittsburgh to any general rule because we have so many distinct neighborhoods).

[jimmyev]

This region is excellent for four-season hiking with the right equipment. It's a big reason why I moved back from the Gulf Coast. And neighborhoods are real neighborhoods, with sidewalks leading to grocery stores and restaurants. Even in the outlying river towns. And the towns (boros or whatever) are way way cheap.