advice for newbie moving to Pitt (Erie, Bellevue: apartments, rentals, crime)

[carfan11]

Hi, taking a job at fifth ave place.

advice on where to live and how to get to work

strong ties in erie area which I plan to visit once a week, so Im assuming something north of the city so I can hop on 79

how do get to work? do people recommend driving to work, if yes, what parking area is recommended.

any advice appreciated (budget would be 800-1000, car parking must)

thanks!

[Hopes]

If you want convenience at any price, the Stanwix Street Parking garage is the most convenient to access from the northern suburbs that is located near 5th Avenue Place. You just shoot across a bridge and go a couple of blocks down Fort Duquesne Blvdu, and you're at the parking garage. 5th Avenue Place is a block away. 5th Avenue Place has its own parking garage but it's not as convenient since you have to go a few blocks that are one way streets to get into the garage. The Stanwix Street garage is easier for getting in and out of downtown quickly.

If you want the most convenient affordable parking, the stadium parking is the best. It's easy to access from the northern suburbs, and there is a shuttle that drops commuters off a block away from 5th Avenue Place.

[I_Like_Spam]

The Parking Authority garage on 6th St. across from where the Fulton Theatre used to be is just $9.75 a day and just a block from your office from the Cecil Way exit of the garage. A lot cheaper than Stanwix St.

Its an easy access from the Ft. Duquesne Bridge as well, but you'd have to get in early to get a space there.

[fleetiebelle]

As far as where to live, what do you want? City/suburbs? Apartment/house? New/old? Do you have pets?

[I_Like_Spam]

West View, Ross, Avalon, Bellevue and Emsworth are all pretty good selections with easy access to I-79 or I-279 for the drive in as well as the drive to Erie.

A lot of apartments, almost all with parking in all of those communities.

[SlurmsMcKenzie]

I'd take a look west. Crafton, Ingram, and Carnegie all have stops along the west busway. I use the west busway from Crafton and can be downtown in 10 minutes, with the first downtown stop being a stones throw from 5th Avenue place. And access to 79 is really quick and easy from any of these towns. Rentals are affordable as well.

Edit: A month pass for Zone 1 will run you just under $100. This would be considerably cheaper than any available parking, provided you will be working 5 days a week. It'd especially beneficial if you can payroll deduct the bus pass pre-tax.

[carfan11]

what would you guys/girls recommend as far as transportation to work?
if I drive in, is there a lot of waiting in traffic?
its a typical 5 day a week 8 hr job.

Im coming from central PA, so traffic is not something Im accustomed to, but at the same token, Ive always driven to work so Im not sure Im comfortable giving up that autonomy

[Stijl Council]

Originally Posted by carfan11

Im coming from central PA, so traffic is not something Im accustomed to, but at the same token, Ive always driven to work so Im not sure Im comfortable giving up that autonomy

It doesn't have to be either-or, necessarily. If you pick a residence that's convenient to a bus route, then you could try riding the bus to see if you like it. If you don't like it, or if you have a particular reason to drive on a given day (say you want to head up to Erie straight from work, or you need to stay late to work on a project) you could always drive and pay by the day. Another consideration: does your job offer a transit pass and/or subsidized parking? That might tip the scales one way or the other.

You might also consider living somewhere near a T station; if you lived near the North Side station, you'd be convenient to 279 N and be within the free fare zone to get to work. I don't know how expensive rents would be near there, however, and it's a higher-crime area than some of the others mentioned. Even living somewhere in the South Hills near the T might make sense, though, even if there is a little tradeoff in terms of easy access to Erie.

[SlurmsMcKenzie]

If you commute in at 7-9, you will be hitting considerable traffic from the east or west. I'd recommend the T or bus via the busway. Either is a quicker and cheaper option.

[I_Like_Spam]

Originally Posted by carfan11

what would you guys/girls recommend as far as transportation to work?
if I drive in, is there a lot of waiting in traffic?
its a typical 5 day a week 8 hr job.

If you are going to drive in, the north is the easiest direction to do it from, as there are no tunnels from the north, and the parking garages are right off the ramp from the Ft. Duquesne Bridge. Parking is also easy (and cheaper) if you exit on the north shore, park in the stadium lots and take the LRT underneath the river and get off at the station across from 5th Ave Place.