The real feel for a neighborhood (Pittsburgh, Shaler Township: chapel, houses, neighborhoods)

[asdf]

I was wondering if anyone knew of any web resources (besides this forum)that could help people get a real sense of particular neighborhoods around Pittsburgh suburbs. Is there a place where one could call up the alpha mom of the community and get the low-down on info like ...."is the area fun and kid -friendly or too snooty or too remote"? We all know that the PSST results of a school don't give you the whole picture of a school.

I currently live in a community where, on paper, everything seems perfect. No one told me that there wouldn't be any kids around because most of them are in college, or sequestered away in private schools or over-involved in afterschool activities. I need to make play dates and then drive the kids instead of sending them out the back door to play with friends.

We are looking to move north of the city (Ohara/fox chapel, Indianna twp, Hampton twp are some of the areas we are considering). I would appreciate any info on these communities with respect to raising a young family there. And if anyone knows of any web links, they would be greatly appreciated.

[Hopes]

Originally Posted by asdf

We are looking to move north of the city (Ohara/fox chapel, Indianna twp, Hampton twp are some of the areas we are considering). I would appreciate any info on these communities with respect to raising a young family there. And if anyone knows of any web links, they would be greatly appreciated.

Fox Chapel will be more of the same of what you're already dealing with.

In Indiana, O'Hara and Hampton you MIGHT find a housing development where kids play.

Honestly, you need a solid middle class neighborhood for the type of environment you want. The upper class neighborhoods have kids with nannies, on arranged play dates, and at private schools. You rarely see kids playing in the streets in the upper class neighborhoods.

I recommend looking into Shaler Township. There's a large neighborhood called Birchfield where there aren't any busy roads within the immediate area. Even though the neighborhood is sprinkled with empty nesters, your children can safely walk to other areas of the neighborhood to connect with friends. Homes in the area range in age of being built in the 50s, 60s and 70s with some new streets with houses built within the last 10 years.

My girlfiend lives in Birchfield and she loves it. Elementary school aged children can actually walk to school. There are playgrounds, ballfields, hocky courts, and volley ball courts within walking distance too. This is the type of neighborhood where kids ride bikes in the streets and play paint ball or build forts in the woods. It's not littered with children, but there are plenty for your children to have friendships that don't require you to orchestrate their social lives.

The other option is to look for a NEW housing development with moderate priced houses. New housing developments haven't had a chance to decrease the child population with empty nesters living in the houses. If you stick with a moderate priced house, you're most likely to find a development were the other kids might be home during the day because both parents aren't needing to work in order to maintain a higher lifestyle.