Possibly moving to Pittsburgh - need suggestions (McKeesport, Wilkinsburg: lease, neighborhoods)

[cambo4585]

Originally Posted by Hopes

I'd like to point out that it's very unlikely that your girlfriend will find a job as a pharmacy tech in the city. She'll be more likely to find a job in the suburbs.

What qualifies as a 'burb of Pittsburgh?

We've lived in suburbs pretty much our whole life. It'd be nice if we could live in the city. At least for the 8 months, it'd be a worthwhile experience I think. Short enough to know there is an end in sight if we hate it, long enough to know if its something we can really enjoy doing.

[cambo4585]

Originally Posted by Hopes

I see you edited your first post to exclude Monroeville and Greensburg as options. (Not cool.)

As I mentioned, your girlfriend is more unlikely to find a job in the city. She might end up working in the North Hills before working in town.

If you insist on living in the city, try to stay near Route 22 so you can access the turnpike at Monroeville.

Areas like Squirrel Hill and Regent Square would most fit your criteria.

I think the wisest thing to do is wait to see where your girlfriend gets a job.

That is the hard part. She is pretty unwilling to quit her current job (at a grocery store pharmacy) until she has something else lined up. She's certified as a pharmacy tech and has a degree in biology (waiting to goto pharm school).

So the most likely scenario right now, is that I move first, she comes up and lands a job, moves in afterwards.

This is pretty much the hardest way to go about doing this, but as all men know, most women are illogical in the way they do things.

[Hopes]

Originally Posted by cambo4585

What qualifies as a 'burb of Pittsburgh?

We've lived in suburbs pretty much our whole life. It'd be nice if we could live in the city. At least for the 8 months, it'd be a worthwhile experience I think. Short enough to know there is an end in sight if we hate it, long enough to know if its something we can really enjoy doing.

Monroeville is a suburb of Pittsburgh. Anywhere in Allegheny County is a suburb of Pittsburgh that's outside of the city limits. Even the surrounding counties are suburbs of Pittsburgh.

I'm not sure what you consider city living. Our downtown is fairly dead at night and on the weekends. Plus the rent downtown is fairly expensive for your budget.

There are very few pharmacies in the actual downtown part of the city. Pharmacies are located where people live---and that's in the suburbs and residential communities within the city limits.

I suspect that you would consider Squirrel Hill a suburb. It's technically in the city limits, but it's a residential area with tree lined streets. But it's within walking distance to Oakland where Pitt and CMU and our museum is located so maybe that's city enough for you.

The East End neighborhoods (the ones I mentioned previously) are the closest you can get to living in the city and having reasonable access to highways for commuting to Mt. Pleasant.

[Hopes]

Originally Posted by cambo4585

That is the hard part. She is pretty unwilling to quit her current job (at a grocery store pharmacy) until she has something else lined up. She's certified as a pharmacy tech and has a degree in biology (waiting to goto pharm school).

So the most likely scenario right now, is that I move first, she comes up and lands a job, moves in afterwards.

This is pretty much the hardest way to go about doing this, but as all men know, most women are illogical in the way they do things.

What's stopping her from beginning to fill out applications via the internet now?

[Hopes]

Everything excluding #89 in the middle are suburban townships in Allegheny County:

Allegheny County Municipality Map

#89 is the City of Pittsburgh.

Below is a map of what's within #89 above:



The skycrapers are in the area where the rivers meet called central business district.

[ctoocheck]

I don't think he's mentioned anything about living downtown...

Squirrel Hill, Shadyside, Regent Square, Highland Park, Greenfield, etc., and even places outside the City such as Bellevue, Edgewood, etc. would all be "city living" in my book. It's not Manhattan (if that is what you think makes someplace qualify as a "city"), but it is most certainly a city.

[BrianTH]

Getting everything on your list is going to be a trick, but if you are willing to sacrifice "modern" and want to be in (or virtually in--see below) the City, I would also suggest looking at the area in and immediately around Regent Square (ask me if you want more details on the other nearby neighborhoods not quite in Regent Square itself). There are some local places to take dogs, including Frick Park and an informal dog run made out of an old softball field in Whitney Park, and a decent number of younger people around. You'd be able to hop on I-376 already past the Squirrel Hill tunnel, and you should be able to find a 1-2 bedroom in your range (assuming one is available, that is).

By the way, in your position it might be worth your while to look in the parts of this area actually outside the City (so technically in Wilkinsburg, Edgewood, or Swissvale), because you would be paying a lower wage tax that way.

[Hopes]

Originally Posted by ctoocheck

I don't think he's mentioned anything about living downtown...

Squirrel Hill, Shadyside, Regent Square, Bellevue, etc. would all be "city living" in my book.

I think he'd think that's small town living since they're basically residential neighborhoods with tree lined streets.

For the record, Bellevue is not part of the city of Pittsburgh.

Bellevue is a suburb. It would be an insane place for him to live. He needs to stay to the East of Pittsburgh---in the East End part of the city or the Eastern suburbs.

[Copanut]

Originally Posted by Hopes

. Anywhere in Allegheny County is a suburb of Pittsburgh that's outside of the city limits. .

McKeesport is a suburb?

[BrianTH]

As an aside, I tend to think of places like Squirrel Hill or Regent Square as "semi-urban", precisely because they fall in between the more paradigmatic urban and suburban neighborhoods.