Help please- relocating within 40mi of Pittsburgh

[CaptainObvious]

Originally Posted by NewBurg

Definitely get the stereotypes about pollution out of your head before deciding on wherre to live. Pittsburgh isn't the same city it used to be.. it's very clean, green, and one of the safer cities that you can move to.

I beg to differ. What you can't see is killing you.

According to the American Lung Association's annual "State of the Air" report, Pittsburgh ranks as the second dirtiest metropolitan area on both short-term and annual airborne particle measurement scales. Only Los Angeles' air is dirtier

you can read on... Soot soars in city, but smog drops

Captain

[CaptainObvious]

Originally Posted by MaryS80

Pollution in Pittsburgh isn't that bad, especially compared to what it used to be. In fact it's probably less polluted then most cities. \\. Pittsburgh is way less polluted in Dallas

In 2006 Dallas had 115 days of "good" air quality, 62 of "moderate, and 5 "unhealthy"

In 2006 Pittsburgh had 114 days of "good" air quality, 59 of "moderate", and 9 "unhealthy"

source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

The lady has family with severe allergies. Data goes alot further than "Pollution isn't that bad". If you check that EPA site, you can drill it down to air quality in specific areas too. It appears the Pittsburgh air is worst where you'd expect it to be...downtown and near the industrial centers. 40 miles out it appeared to be "average" when compared to other places across the country. That website might be a good resource for you.

Captain

[Tallysmom]

Originally Posted by CaptainObvious

In 2006 Dallas had 115 days of "good" air quality, 62 of "moderate, and 5 "unhealthy"

In 2006 Pittsburgh had 114 days of "good" air quality, 59 of "moderate", and 9 "unhealthy"

source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

The lady has family with severe allergies. Data goes alot further than "Pollution isn't that bad". If you check that EPA site, you can drill it down to air quality in specific areas too. It appears the Pittsburgh air is worst where you'd expect it to be...downtown and near the industrial centers. 40 miles out it appeared to be "average" when compared to other places across the country. That website might be a good resource for you.

Captain

The point the other posters are missing is the OP has a child who is severely compromised from chemo... that to me was the reason she was looking for the cleanest environment possible.

I think sometimes we react to "hot button" words and don't think about to whom we are saying things.

[MurphyPride]

Thank you all very much- I find it charming that people are so quick to defend their city and I find it very reassuring that someone would be kind enough to look up those statistics out of concern for my daughters health . I am looking forward to the move - my children are excited as well . Our hope is late December - we are dealing with a mini nightmare ( nothing like world hunger but worse than ugly shoes) of trying to find financing on under 50k for under 30 years . No one wants to loan 25-30 k for 10 years with 20% down - isnt that nuts? So we are considering owner finance as well , possibly renting so we can get a feel for the area. My oldest daughter (14) asked me to ask all of you who has the best girls softball league ?
You all seem lovely and I thank you for your kindnesses and consideration.
May God Lovingly Bless!

[kpoeppel]

Regarding the American Lung Association report, there was some issue with basing it on only one monitoring site in an industrial area. See the following article: FOUL! - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

If you are concerned about air pollution, a good rule-of-thumb is to stay out of the valleys. Sometimes pollution can get trapped there during certain weather conditions. In general, Pittsburgh's weather is pretty active and air stagnation isn't usually a problem. Texas generally has more problems with air stagnation than the northeastern U.S.

[kpoeppel]

MurphyPride,

Another thing for you to consider: due to the hills, it generally takes more time to travel 40 miles in western PA compared to TX or anywhere else in the midwest/great plains. PA has an older road network which was laid out long before the age of the automobile. These roads are not straight or on a regular grid (except in city centers), due to the hills. While Pittsburgh has far fewer total cars on the road than Dallas/Ft. Worth, the narrow winding roads, intersections that lack left-turn lanes, etc can cause quite a few traffic snarls.

Personally, I love the hills and intersting geography around Pittsburgh. The only downside is that it can mean longer travel times. You might want to look for a place in the 20-30 mile range of the oncology center, rather than 40 miles, unless you can find a house near an interstate highway.

[Shenandoah]

I live just outside of Ellwood City, and until last year, worked in downtown Pittsburgh. Depending on the time of day, it took me on average 40 - 50 minutes to drive to the Mellon Arena area.

Ellwood City really is a very nice small town, reasonable priced homes, nice small town atomosphere, friendly folks, and nice proximity to national parks, lakes, hiking, shopping etc. With an Episcopal Church, and a nice small hospital with good ratings. Pediatric Oncology fac, can be found within that one hour drive in either Boardman Ohio or Pittsburgh.

Other than that, if you want out in the country, in this area, and around New Castle, there's Shenango, Wilmington, Portersville. You would really have to speak with a RE Agent for the information on what those designations mean for New Castle. There are nice sections, and there are bad sections. Personally, for the cheaper taxes that you'll get in Lawrence County, within that one hour drive for either Pittsburgh (along with being an easy drive into town along I-79), or Boardman Ohio - I'd stick with the Ellwood City area.

blessings, Shen

[Terri1050]

One of the most beautiful and family friendly towns in the Pittsburgh area is Beaver. It is along the Ohio River, and has many parks, churches, and a gorgeous downtown. It's a dry town, with sidewalks, and tree-lined streets.
The commute to Pittsburgh is an easy 40 minutes, and the schools are top rated. The housing can be upscale and pricey along the river, but there are also older homes in and around your price range, I think.
It's like living in the 1950's, where everyone walks and rides bikes through the town. The town has a lovely public pool that all of the kids who live in town walk to. It is safe and quiet.
I hope this helps, and God bless you and your family.

Terri1050

[cranberry101]

check out the real estate in portersville. cheaper than cranberry. rural setting. great schools.