Pittsburgh sounds like a dream come true... (Bloomfield, Jacksonville: apartments, rental homes)

[creepsinc]

Originally Posted by Minervah

First of all I want to say that I too am thinking about Pittsburgh for relocation and your answers to this OP along with my thread have been great for me as well.

Having said that I have to emphasize how true Katiana's statement is. I live in Portland OR. Right now it is a very popular place in which to move. People post on the Portland/Oregon forum talking about it being their "dream location." They ask for the moon as far as living conditions and expect it to exist. Some have visited here and have become enamoured of the beautiful scenery. They think this is their dream come true. But scenery does not pay the bills.

Portland has one of the highest unemployment rates in the country. Schools in the city are sub-par. Housing is expensive. Homeless people are everywhere. It takes money to live here comfortably. Some people move here and are successful; many are not. There is a steady stream of people moving away after finding that this was not the place they thought it would be.

There is a definite downside to every place. Anyone moving anywhere should visit first with their eyes wide open and shouldn't expect Nirvana no matter where they move.

Yeah, San Francisco sounded like a dream come true to me, and it was actually a very stressful place to live, and I was glad to leave. However, Pittsburgh lured me with the low cost of living and scenic beauty, and it's surpassed any expectations I had. It's been a true dream come true for me, as I own a beautiful home for literally half of what I was paying for a STUDIO APARTMENT in SF. It's all about not getting your hopes up, but everything's subjective. Also, I'm really not much of a football fan, and I've had no problems. It might be different for a fan of another team, though.

[Minervah]

Originally Posted by creepsinc

Yeah, San Francisco sounded like a dream come true to me, and it was actually a very stressful place to live, and I was glad to leave. However, Pittsburgh lured me with the low cost of living and scenic beauty, and it's surpassed any expectations I had. It's been a true dream come true for me, as I own a beautiful home for literally half of what I was paying for a STUDIO APARTMENT in SF. It's all about not getting your hopes up, but everything's subjective. Also, I'm really not much of a football fan, and I've had no problems. It might be different for a fan of another team, though.

Good point. The dream comes after you are where you should be when you know you should be there.

[Fiddlehead]

Originally Posted by Katiana

Thank you for saying that. On the Denver forum, lots of people are looking for their "dream location" as well. They are often surprised to hear that Denver has some of the same problems as their present location. I must say, the Denver people tend to be more upfront about it than on this Pittsburgh forum. Someone will post that they want a "slower pace of life", as if we are all hippies out there, and we set them straight right away. People are all the time wanting to live "off the grid". Ain't gonna happen! That kind of thing.

Amen. It seems people too often think that a change of location will completely change their life. That is just not true. Certainly, it can be a huge improvement, but no place is perfect. I would say that Oregon and New Mexico might top the list of "woo woo" dreamscapes. Seems like both forums are full of posts from new age types who claim that "all my life I have lived in ******, but I really feel my spirit was called to vibrate in the forests of Oregon (or "magical landscape of NM")." Then they find out we have traffic, rednecks, big box stores, crime, and all the other stuff that other places have. I agree Colorado is a fine state, but it has more than its share of sprawl and pollution to go with its mountains.

[Minervah]

Originally Posted by Fiddlehead

Amen. It seems people too often think that a change of location will completely change their life. That is just not true. Certainly, it can be a huge improvement, but no place is perfect. I would say that Oregon and New Mexico might top the list of "woo woo" dreamscapes. Seems like both forums are full of posts from new age types who claim that "all my life I have lived in ******, but I really feel my spirit was called to vibrate in the forests of Oregon (or "magical landscape of NM")." Then they find out we have traffic, rednecks, big box stores, crime, and all the other stuff that other places have. I agree Colorado is a fine state, but it has more than its share of sprawl and pollution to go with its mountains.

Fiddle, I couldn't have put it better. On the Portland forum if one says something negative about the city they are really taken to task. And if I hear the words "hipster," "vibe," "New-Age," "sustainable, "Organic" or "green" one more time I will throw myself off Mt Hood. And don't get me started on the "Crunchies!"

[Katiana]

Originally Posted by Fiddlehead

Amen. It seems people too often think that a change of location will completely change their life. That is just not true. Certainly, it can be a huge improvement, but no place is perfect. I would say that Oregon and New Mexico might top the list of "woo woo" dreamscapes. Seems like both forums are full of posts from new age types who claim that "all my life I have lived in ******, but I really feel my spirit was called to vibrate in the forests of Oregon (or "magical landscape of NM")." Then they find out we have traffic, rednecks, big box stores, crime, and all the other stuff that other places have. I agree Colorado is a fine state, but it has more than its share of sprawl and pollution to go with its mountains.

That made me laugh. The bold is said of Colorado, too. "the mountains of Colorado".

[Fiddlehead]

Originally Posted by Minervah

Fiddle, I couldn't have put it better. On the Portland forum if one says something negative about the city they are really taken to task. And if I hear the words "hipster," "vibe," "New-Age," "sustainable, "Organic" or "green" one more time I will throw myself off Mt Hood. And don't get me started on the "Crunchies!"

LOL! We had a really fun exchange on the Oregon board a few days back. Search "Jacksonville" and check it out.

[Minervah]

Originally Posted by Fiddlehead

LOL! We had a really fun exchange on the Oregon board a few days back. Search "Jacksonville" and check it out.

Bluebird's post was spot on! I hope neither Pittsburgh nor any of the less-hyped places I am looking at to move to don't go the way of towns like Jacksonville or cities like Portland. From what I gather Pittsburgh isn't heaven with angels but down to earth with ordinary mortals which suits me just fine.

[creepsinc]

Originally Posted by Minervah

Bluebird's post was spot on! I hope neither Pittsburgh nor any of the less-hyped places I am looking at to move to don't go the way of towns like Jacksonville or cities like Portland. From what I gather Pittsburgh isn't heaven with angels but down to earth with ordinary mortals which suits me just fine.

Better hurry. The Pittsburgh buzz has been growing over the past year.

Also, you can't be talking about Jacksonville, FL can you? Somewhere else, right? And what are crunchies?

[Tiger Beer]

Originally Posted by creepsinc

Yeah, San Francisco sounded like a dream come true to me, and it was actually a very stressful place to live, and I was glad to leave. However, Pittsburgh lured me with the low cost of living and scenic beauty, and it's surpassed any expectations I had. It's been a true dream come true for me, as I own a beautiful home for literally half of what I was paying for a STUDIO APARTMENT in SF. It's all about not getting your hopes up, but everything's subjective. Also, I'm really not much of a football fan, and I've had no problems. It might be different for a fan of another team, though.

I had an almost identical experience with San Francisco. It SEEMED like the ideal city for me - urban living, high asian population, condensed, better weather than what I'm generally use to, etc.

But living there...actually it was the EXPENSES of trying to pay rent each month, slowly going into more debt, the fact I had to pay a lot for parking, and get the car towed so quickly and easily, and a ton of little irks about the city, that I have no desire to ever make a 'go' of that city again.

-------

I also find it funny about the NEW MEXICO board, as I think I've read the same things as Fiddlehead has on that forum! People who decide that although they've never been there, some mystical aspect will magically occur if they can just get there, type of thing!

----------

I also THINK you guys are talking about a JACKSONVILLE in OREGON, right? I can't imagine the Florida one becoming a hyped city.

[Minervah]

Yes, Jacksonville in Oregon on the Oregon forum. People were talking about how it and Ashland have become too hip, too expensive and too populated in contrast to the nice little towns that used to be.

Actually I have a friend who moved from Portland OR to Jacksonville Florida and she is much happier there. To each her own.