intro post: relocating from brooklyn to pittsburgh (York: extended stay, fit in)

[kolk]

i've been lurking around this forum for the past six months or so, after having stumbled upon pittsburgh as a viable place to relocate. and i figured it was high time to create a username and introduce myself, ask questions, and hopefully participate in the conversations going on here.

i'm 23 and live in brooklyn. i'm originally from outside frederick, maryland and went to new york for college. my boyfriend and i have decided to move to pittsburgh for the next chapters of our lives.

new york is what it is, and anything and everything can and has been said about it, but for me it stopped being what i'd wanted it to be after about five years. the kind of creative urban lifestyle i'd been imagining, where one can work and play and (most importantly) live, does not exist in new york unless you're willing to give up something huge--like free time or living space--or unless you have a trust fund. after graduating college and experiencing hour-long commutes on overcrowded subway trains to an uberstressful work environment and a monthly rent that's twice as much as a pittsburgh mortgage payment, i'm ready to get the hell out.

we've visited pittsburgh a couple of times and were pleasantly surprised to find that the city lived up to the expectations we'd been harboring during all our research. the geography of the city is striking, and the combination of grit and greenery lends the kind of character we're looking for. and the first evening we drove into the city, heading to the north side to crash with some couchsurfers, i stopped by a bar to pick up some beer and had the most genuine impromptu conversation with a bartender i think i've ever had.

without going into personal details, i discovered i'd likely be bringing in similar levels of income that i do presently in new york, but my expenses would basically be halved. that, with the addition of the ability to buy a house in a burgeoning, walkable urban neighborhood (you guys, it's crazy), has pretty much sealed the deal.

aside from craigslist, do you have any other recommendations for finding a house sublet rental for a few months until we're settled with jobs and ready to buy a house? have any of you had experience with month-to-month sublets?

so thanks for all the threads with so much information; in a couple months' time pittsburgh will be gaining a couple of liberal environmentalist cat-loving brooklyn homos.

[Chichappens]

Extended Stay Living | The Apartment Alternative | InTown Suites Corporate Accommodations-Pittsburgh, PA-Fully Furnished and Equipped Short-Term Apartments Corporate Housing - BridgeStreet - Corporate Apartments, Temporary Housing, Extended Stay

its a great city and i lived in a few coporate apts before moving to Southside, I lived in Sunnyside ny and NYC and you will find dah burgh a great place culturally and the people are AWESOME!

[AaronPGH]

Welcome to 'burgh guys. You're really going to enjoy your next few years.

[Hopes]

I can't help you with month-to-month rentals, but I wanted to share that it's sometimes easier to find rentals by driving around and looking for 'for rent' signs.

[gameguy56]

Originally Posted by kolk

without going into personal details, i discovered i'd likely be bringing in similar levels of income that i do presently in new york, but my expenses would basically be halved. that, with the addition of the ability to buy a house in a burgeoning, walkable urban neighborhood (you guys, it's crazy), has pretty much sealed the deal.

People will say "but it's Pittsburgh!" Just ignore them, they'll be paying half their rent for 2x the space in an awesome urban walkable neighborhood

[BrianTH]

As an aside, Pittsburgh right now reminds me a lot of Brooklyn in the early-90s (I graduated from college in 1993 and a bunch of my college friends moved to NYC, and I used to do a lot of road trips to see them).

Anyway, we have a house, our former residence, which we rented out through a real estate agent. She does a lot of whole-house rentals for people new to the area, and in our case negotiated an initial 6-month lease (we have since kept extending with the same tenant). I believe she said she has done even shorter terms as well. So if you would like her contact information, just PM me and I will pass it along.

Edit: Oh, and Pittsburgh is arguably the best place in the country if you are looking for reasonably-priced historic, walkable, centrally-located neighborhoods in a larger city. That is certainly a big part of why we decided to settle here.

[Geeo]

Welcome to Pittsburgh, guys! From your post, I think you're going to fit in nicely in whatever neighborhood you decide on. You'll be able to afford a higher standard of living than you ever could in New York. Lots of available housing that you can fix up on your own in walkable neighborhoods. And yes, you'll continue to strike up conversations with perfect strangers everywhere - it's just that kind of place. Don't be surprised if you're invited to Sunday dinner by an old-fashioned grandmother who thinks you need some home cooking.

[robrobrob]

You might find it interesting, there was an article in today's Post-Gazette about a couple who chose to move to Pittsburgh because they liked the city not because of jobs or family. Anyway, welcome to the Burgh.

[kolk]

Originally Posted by gameguy56

People will say "but it's Pittsburgh!" Just ignore them, they'll be paying half their rent for 2x the space in an awesome urban walkable neighborhood

you know, i haven't really found people to be so dismissive. my responses have been "what's in pittsburgh?" with a legitimate curiosity or just "oh, cool." i think the sense that new york is unlivable in some ways is pretty relatable with younger, freshly post-grad kids, unless they're hungry for a specific career path that requires them to be in the city.

[kolk]

Originally Posted by BrianTH

As an aside, Pittsburgh right now reminds me a lot of Brooklyn in the early-90s (I graduated from college in 1993 and a bunch of my college friends moved to NYC, and I used to do a lot of road trips to see them).

really interesting. what parts of brooklyn in the early '90s did you hang out in? have you ever been to the gowanus canal and the streets abutting it? i love the look of the grassy, overgrown empty lot, the aging brick buildings, the bridges and warehouses. i'd say that's aesthetically my favorite part of brooklyn, and that's what's drawn me to pittsburgh.

Originally Posted by BrianTH

if you are looking for reasonably-priced historic, walkable, centrally-located neighborhoods in a larger city

nail on the head!