Relocating to Pittsburgh - Neighborhood Questions (Liberty, Highland Park: for sale, condos, townhomes)

[omarelo]

Hello all, my wife and I (late 20s, DINKS) will be relocating to Pittsburgh this spring; neither of us has ever set foot in Pittsburgh but are excited based on the stuff we have read on this forum and other websites.

We have been doing a lot of research online about the different neighborhoods in the city and are thinking the Highland Park / East Liberty area sounds like a great place to live. We really like the mix of old and new and the proximity to downtown and Highland Park.

Our biggest concern with a given neighborhood is safety. Should we have any concerns with this part of the city? Is Highland park safe to run in at night?

Thanks in advance, I am sure we will have more questions!

[omarelo]

After reading some more it seems that I may need to be a bit more specific; we were looking at the new development on N Euclid.

East Liberty's Historic Enclave: City Homes For the Next 100 Years

Are we able to walk to the Whole Foods to the south and highland park to the north safely?

[BrianTH]

That is an intriguing development, but it is still pretty transitional around there. I'm not one to be overly concerned about street crime, but if that is a big concern of yours I am wondering how comfortable you will feel walking around that area.

[gameguy56]

I've walked around there late at night after shows at the Shadow Lounge. It's not dangerous. But there's usually a beggar or two.

Same with during the day. I've never felt unsafe, but I'm not in East Lib all that often so take it with a grain of salt.

I will say that this appears to be a very good time to buy in East Liberty. Stuff just appears to be popping up there out of nowhere.

[onwardandupward]

You could definitely walk up to Highland Park without any problems, and walking down to Whole Foods during the day should not be much of an issue, but I would be cautious about walking that direction at night. A block over on Beatty Street there is a great stretch of historic stone townhomes, but it's a bit of an oasis - those couple of blocks around those areas, particularly in the direction of East Liberty Blvd. is still quite transitional. My recommendation would be to spend time there at all hours of the day before you make a commitment to buy, to make sure you're comfortable with the level of safety there.

[BrianTH]

By the way, I absolutely agree that East Liberty is on a rapid upward trajectory. On the other hand, it looks to me like they are pricing that development with that fact in mind.

[hongkyongnae]

so much depends on what you like in your neighborhood. quiet? night life?

east liberty is moving up, but is very busy and crowded at times.

if you want restaurants, walkable neighborhood, close to culture then you might want to try shadyside. very nice area.

and if that is too pricey look at squirrel hill. cheaper, lots of places to eat, close to Pitt and CMU for events...and right next to shadyside. 5 to 10 minutes by car away.

plus, both shadyside and squirrel hill are credible mass transit.

i moved to pittsburgh about 2 years ago and one thing that amazed me is how close everything is in this city. 15 minutes in a car gets you most places.

but here, so many folks think traveling from one neighborhood to the next is like traveling to the dark side of the moon.

good luck in pittsburgh. it is a nice city...and try the french bakery in millvale, it is fabulous. jean-marc chatellier, i think is the name.

[PreservationPioneer]

If you are interested in East Liberty (which not too long ago was the ghetto, and parts of Penn Ave still look like one, but this is expected to change over time), I would also check out Highland Park, Morningside, Friendship, and Point Breeze. These are more established (and just prettier) neighborhoods in the same general area! Lawrenceville and Bloomfield might also be to your liking, although the styles of homes in these neighborhoods are more modest (but charming!). I would drive around and explore before you make any neighborhood decisions.

[robrobrob]

That is a lot of money to spend on a house in East Liberty. The one thing that you have to understand is that it is on the far side of East Liberty away from all of the commercial development. In short this is a transitional neighborhood. If you want to walk to Whole Foods it would not be a quick walk. Basically, you are walking from one side of East Liberty to the other. In my opinion, Shadyside has basically expanded into East Liberty. A lot is going turn on whether or not the Penn Ave business district ever takes off. It hasn't yet but it may and right now it is sort of a barrier. I used to run home from town all the time when I lived in Shadyside but would rarely run at 9 or 10 at night (If I would I would run through Squirrel Hill and Regent Square, not East Liberty Highland Park). If I bought there I would probably do the same thing.

I would also look at Friendship. It is in a better position than that side of East Liberty because you have growth on two sides, the new Children's Hospital and the new commerical development in East Liberty. It is also much closer to Bloomfield and Shadyside two established neighborhoods. Alternatively, look on the other side of Stanton Ave. in Highland Park because there are some remodeled homes and condos there. There is condo in a rehabbed house on N. Negley that has been for sale forever. I am talking years.

[Bong477]

East liberty is still boderline hood. Its up and coming and may be all nice eventually, but I think you'd be a little nuts to pay over 200k for a house there right now.

I'd look more in Shadyside and Squirrel Hill which are nearby nicer, older more established neighborhoods. I think you'll be able to find something there in your price range.