Baltimore vs Pittsburgh (living, cost, state, better)
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Here is a match up that I have never seen before on here! Two metros of roughly similar size, 2.3 million for Pitt and 2.7 million for Balt.
I know both cities share somewhat of a similar history, being part of the industrial north and everything. And I admit, I know absolutely nothing about these cities. I have never been to them (well, I drove through Baltimore once) and I don't have any friends from them or who have ever lived there.
So, what should be include on the list of things to compare?
1) Cost of living
2) Scenery
3) Dining options and diversity of food
4) Weather
5) Crime? Regarding crime, lets go into detail about what specifics are. Maybe one city has an overall lower crime rate, but the other city is easier to avoid crime in because the crime is specific to certain areas).
6) New projects coming up. Is one city being gentrified and the other not?
7) How are the locals? Friendly? Standoffish? Is the population diverse and how so?
8) Out-door activities
9) Nightlife! How late can bars be open? Is it more of a dive scene? More of a rave/club scene? Pubs? Lounges?
10) Public transit
11) Museums, history, artsy stuff
12) Local economy? I see Pittsburgh has a lower unemployment rate than Baltimore, but both are pretty low by national standards and other posters said this is just a seasonal thing with Pittsburgh to be this low. Maybe some of you can go into more detail.
Feel free to add anything else you might want to.
AND ONE MORE THING!!!
One thing I don't like in a comparison of two cities is to say one city is better because it is closer to other cities. 98% of someone's time is going to be spent in their city of residence. Traveling off to other places is a rarity. Basically, what I am saying is that, yes, I know Baltimore is closer to D.C., Philadelphia, New York and I don't want that used to bias an opinion in favor of it over Pittsburgh.
Here is a match up that I have never seen before on here! Two metros of roughly similar size, 2.3 million for Pitt and 2.7 million for Balt.
I know both cities share somewhat of a similar history, being part of the industrial north and everything. And I admit, I know absolutely nothing about these cities. I have never been to them (well, I drove through Baltimore once) and I don't have any friends from them or who have ever lived there.
So, what should be include on the list of things to compare?
1) Cost of living PITTSBURGH : Pittsburgh's relative geographical isolation actually plays in its favor here for a change of pace. While Baltimore is relatively affordable compared to the rest of the BosWash/I-95 Corridor it is still more expensive than Pittsburgh, and it has nowhere to go but continue to get more expensive. If I'm not mistaken the people of Maryland have the nation's highest median household incomes, which means they can handle a modest annual increase in housing better than residents of most other states. A lot of people who work in DC (or the MD 'burbs of DC) and want an urban experience are now considering Baltimore, and that's only going to continue to drive up the price of housing there in the coming years. Pittsburgh has seen just about all of its gentrification occurring rapidly in one part of the city (East End) while most other parts of the city remain very inexpensive due to their relatively longer commutes to the "eds and meds" employment hub of Oakland within the East End.
2) Scenery PITTSBURGH : While I love Baltimore's Inner Harbor, the rugged topography, rivers, and lush greenery of Pittsburgh blows Charm City out of the water, in my opinion, of course. I get chills whenever I walk down to the "Point" where the Monongahela and Allegheny Rivers merge to form the Ohio River in Pittsburgh and survey the skyline behind the fountain. The inclined rail line is pretty cool, too, as it rises diagonally from the valley floor up a steep hillside to Mount Washington.
3) Dining options and diversity of food DRAW : Each city has a rapidly-expanding array of culinary options to appease any palate. Baltimore obviously is always going to blow Pittsburgh away in terms of quality and freshness of seafood, but, in my opinion, the recent influx of Asians and Asian-Americans into Pittsburgh has caused a restaurant boom of authentic Asian and Pan-Asian Fusion restaurants here that are superior to those in Baltimore. In terms of "fine dining" both cities' Downtown are replete with delicious offerings. Unless someone can convince me otherwise I think it's roughly a tie for this category.
4) Weather DRAW : Again, this one is as subjective as the above category, and my opinion may be off-base, but I happen to like the climate/weather in both cities. Pittsburgh is slightly less susceptible to natural disasters than Baltimore, but neither is particularly poorly-sited where they'd have to brace for catastrophic weather. Baltimore tends to be more humid and "muggy", if you will, in Summer. Pittsburgh tends to be HORRIBLY cloudy in the winter to the point where it feels like I only see the sun for a few hours per week in some stretches. Pittsburgh is relatively highly-elevated, and, as such, tends to be cooler than Baltimore. Nor'easters impact Baltimore much more severely than Pittsburgh, although Baltimore can occasionally be on the "warm/rainy" side, depending on how near to the coast these systems track, while Pittsburgh will always be on the cool/snowy side.
5) Crime? Regarding crime, lets go into detail about what specifics are. Maybe one city has an overall lower crime rate, but the other city is easier to avoid crime in because the crime is specific to certain areas). PITTSBURGH : Assuming we're awarding this to the "safer" city, overall, it's really no comparison. Nearly all of Pittsburgh's violent crime is confined to a few select pockets where socioeconomically disadvantaged young black males target other socioeconomically disadvantaged young black males over drug debts, gang turf disputes, or "bein' disrespected" (a.k.a. "nonsense"). Typical middle-class people of all races know to avoid these areas like the plague and are extremely unlikely to be the victim of crime as a result. In Baltimore this also tends to be the case, however while there's just about ZERO spillover from Pittsburgh's bad neighborhoods into its good neighborhoods the same can't be said for Baltimore, where violence CAN and WILL spread from the 'hood into nicer adjoining neighborhoods from time to time. In other words, it's more difficult, on average, to be the victim of a violent crime in Pittsburgh if you avoid bad areas than in Batimore. Both cities have high property crime, as my own car insurance reflects.
6) New projects coming up. Is one city being gentrified and the other not? DRAW : Both cities are undergoing rapid gentrification in many areas. Pittsburgh has had a rental shortage for at least several years now, as its economy was growing DURING the Great Recession while developers were also unable to secure financing for new projects. As such a few thousand new housing units are either already under construction or will be in some stage of construction over the next two years. At least two new high-rise buildings are being built in Downtown Pittsburgh, and a third is a possibility if an anchor tenant can be secured. Certain neighborhoods like Shadyside, Point Breeze, and Squirrel Hill have always been desirable, but now other areas like Lawrenceville, the Strip District, Highland Park, the Mexican War Streets, and South Side Flats are booming. I'm admittedly not as familiar with what's happening in Baltimore, but I do know that city is also enjoying a renaissance with a lot of renewed interest in urban living, along with accompany projects. I don't think any Baltimore boosters are going to be able to convince me that their city is gentrifying MORE rapidly than Pittsburgh is, and vice-versa.
7) How are the locals? Friendly? Standoffish? Is the population diverse and how so? ??? : Not quite sure how to "score" this one since it's a variety of different questions. Baltimore is undoubtedly more diverse than Pittsburgh, which, up until the past decade, was almost exclusively black and white. In recent years the growth of Carnegie Mellon University, Google, and the University of Pittsburgh have attracted a ton of Asians here, but we still have almost no Hispanics due to our geographical isolation and lack of entry-level blue-collar opportunities. Pittsburgh's incoming immigrant population was recently concluded to be the most educated in the country because most available positions here that would appeal to them are white-collar and require a degree. I personally find Pittsburghers to be friendly, but then again I've only lived in other areas where people were deemed to be unfriendly. Pittsburghers were recently ranked as being among the most "courteous" drivers in the country. I've never encountered overt rudeness anytime I've been in Baltimore, though. If we had to quantify this, then it would be another "draw" where I think Baltimore is more diverse, Pittsburgh is friendlier, Pittsburgh's immigrants are more educated, and where Baltimore probably has better racial integration.
8) Out-door activities DRAW : Baltimore being located on the Chesapeake Bay offers many maritime recreational opportunities that Pittsburgh lacks. At the same time Pittsburgh is very close to numerous mountains for whitewater rafting, skiing, mountain biking, hiking, and rock-climbing. Of course you can always kayak on the rivers around Downtown Pittsburgh, but I'd much rather be on a party boat in the Chesapeake. This is certainly a draw.
9) Nightlife! How late can bars be open? Is it more of a dive scene? More of a rave/club scene? Pubs? Lounges? BALTIMORE : Pittsburgh's nightlife scene has been rather blase for quite some time. We have South Side's (in)famous East Carson Street, which is lined with dozens of bars and is great for a "pub crawl". We have a decent (not great) LGBT nightlife scene, mostly in Shadyside and the Strip District. Oakland, home to the universities, has some typical college dive bars. Most bars close at 2 AM here. I'm not aware of many places to go here for a "rave". There are some newer upscale lounges, wine bars, tapas bars, etc. Downtown to cater to the growing yuppie population there. I know little about Baltimore's nightlife scene, but I'm just presuming it's better than Pittsburgh's, which doesn't impress me much.
10) Public transit BALTIMORE : Pittsburgh's one and only light rail line links the North Shore entertainment destinations (PNC Park, Heinz Field, Rivers Casino, Andy Warhol Museum, Carnegie Science Center, etc.) with the South Hills suburbs via Downtown. There's no rail service to the airport, in the far western suburbs, and there's no rail service linking Downtown (over 100,000 employees) to Oakland, in the East End, which has nearly 100,000 employees itself. The Eastern suburbs also have no rail connection. The same can be said for the Northern 'burbs. Baltimore is much more well-serviced by commuter rail, and many of the suburbs between there and DC are linked via rail. Pittsburgh's buses are also among the most expensive in the nation, and they have been subject to numerous service cuts in recent years because our Republican governor cut dedicated transit funding to Pittsburgh and Philadelphia.
11) Museums, history, artsy stuff PITTSBURGH : Baltimore undoubtedly has a better aquarium, along with the Jewelry/Antiques District(s), but Pittsburgh has a great aviary, an amazing conservatory, the Andy Warhol Museum, Carnegie Science Center, Children's Museum, Heinz History Center, Mattress Factory Art Museum, Pittsburgh Zoo, PPG Aquarium, the 16:62 Design District, Carnegie Museum of Art, Carnegie Museum of Natural History, ToonSeum, and many live/work artspaces. I'll give the edge to Pittsburgh here.
12) Local economy? I see Pittsburgh has a lower unemployment rate than Baltimore, but both are pretty low by national standards and other posters said this is just a seasonal thing with Pittsburgh to be this low. Maybe some of you can go into more detail. DRAW: Pittsburgh's current unemployment rate is just above 5% right now, which is superb. We weren't battered much at all by the Great Recession due to our economic diversity. We are home to major installations and/or HQ campuses for Dick's Sporting Goods, Rue21, FedEx Ground, American Eagle Outfitters, PNC Financial Service Group, Mylan Pharmaceuticals, Reed Smith Law Firm, BNY Mellon, Google, Intel, Disney, Apple, IBM, Range Resources, CONSOL Energy, Westinghouse, PPG, Heinz, UPMC, Highmark, Federated Investors, U.S. Steel, PricewaterhouseCoopers, KPMG, Deloitte, and many, many more, not to mention the University of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon University, Chatham University, Robert Morris University, LaRoche College, Carlow University, Point Park University, Duquesne University, etc. Baltimore has Johns-Hopkins University (and the associated major medical center) and many more that I can't think of right now, along with being proximate to the employers near DC. Both cities should be very economically-resilient.
Feel free to add anything else you might want to.
AND ONE MORE THING!!!
One thing I don't like in a comparison of two cities is to say one city is better because it is closer to other cities. 98% of someone's time is going to be spent in their city of residence. Traveling off to other places is a rarity. Basically, what I am saying is that, yes, I know Baltimore is closer to D.C., Philadelphia, New York and I don't want that used to bias an opinion in favor of it over Pittsburgh.
Interesting comparison. Thanks so much for starting this thread! My insight is above in RED.
Never been to Pittsburgh, but I can't imagine it being worse than Baltimore. Baltimore is a rather boring city once you leave the Harbor/Downtown. There is seemingly only one type of architecture there (rowhouses), some of which are downright ugly, burned out, or falling apart. There is little pedestrian traffic relative to other nearby cities, there is a persisting air of OLD--and not "old" in a good sense, "old" as in behind the times....
I was more unimpressed by Baltimore than any other city I've ever been to...
4) Weather Toss up (I like Pittsburgh, but Baltimore's winters are far more tame than Pittsburgh's)
5) Crime? Regarding crime, lets go into detail about what specifics are. Maybe one city has an overall lower crime rate, but the other city is easier to avoid crime in because the crime is specific to certain areas) Pittsburgh and by far
6) New projects coming up. Is one city being gentrified and the other not? Pittsburgh, Baltimore is definitely starting to turn around though
7) How are the locals? Friendly? Standoffish? Is the population diverse and how so? Friendly/Less Standoffish - Pittsburgh
Diverse - Both cities aren't incredible diverse
8) Out-door activities Tie, both have different advantages
9) Nightlife! How late can bars be open? Is it more of a dive scene? More of a rave/club scene? Pubs? Lounges? Tie, both have great nightlife for their relatively smaller/moderate size
10) Public transit Baltimore
11) Museums, history, artsy stuff Pittsburgh
12) Local economy? I see Pittsburgh has a lower unemployment rate than Baltimore, but both are pretty low by national standards and other posters said this is just a seasonal thing with Pittsburgh to be this low. Maybe some of you can go into more detail. Pittsburgh
PITTSBURGH - 10
BALTIMORE - 5
1) Cost of living: Pittsburgh is cheaper, due to population decline and slow growth.
2) Scenery: Tie. In terms of "natural" beauty, Pittsburgh. In terms of architecture, definitely Baltimore.
3) Dining options and diversity of food: Baltimore! Pittsburgh does not have a strong local cuisine, but there are a handful of good restaurants. The Indian food here is quite good. But Baltimore has a decent local cuisine and many more "traditional" options. BBQ is not exactly a treat in Baltimore.
4) Weather: Baltimore. Two words: polar vortex.
5) Crime: Pittsburgh, obviously.
6) New projects coming up: I don't consider gentrification a positive. There are lots of new projects coming along in Pittsburgh. Baltimore is probably doing a better job of expanding its transportation infrastructure. It's a tie, I guess.
7) How are the locals? Friendly? Standoffish? Is the population diverse and how so?: Baltimore. Pittsburgh is a reserved, mind your own business kind of place. People are civil, generally speaking, but not necessarily friendly. It is reactionary on racial issues. Baltimore is a more "southern" and "in-your-face" kind of place. The people are eccentric, loud, and chatty. In this respect it reminds me of my hometown--at least back in the good old days before it became the hip place to be. Maybe it's because of the weather. In terms of racial demographics, one city is predominantly white, while the other is predominantly black. Both lack Hispanics and Asians. On the other hand, more people move to Baltimore from other parts of the country. Almost 75% of the people in Pittsburgh are from the city or another part of Pennsylvania. This makes for a very insular place.
8) Out-door activities: Pittsburgh
9) Nightlife: Baltimore, at least in my experience.
10) Public transit: Baltimore.
11) Museums, history, artsy stuff: Tie. Pittsburgh might have the Andy Warhol Museum and the Carnegie, but The Walters and the BMA are solid.
12) Local economy: Tie.
I live in Pittsburgh obviously but also visit family in Baltimore a few times a year so here's my take on the two.
1) Cost of living Pittsburgh by far. MD taxes are a killer, many people now commute from Southern PA into MD.
2) Scenery Pittsburgh
3) Dining options and diversity of food. A tie though I really love some Maryland crab cakes.
4) Weather. To me Pittsburgh, I like winter and can't stand the heat and humidity so I find Baltimore in the summer to be a pain.
5) Crime? Regarding crime, lets go into detail about what specifics are. Maybe one city has an overall lower crime rate, but the other city is easier to avoid crime in because the crime is specific to certain areas). Pittsburgh, lower crime rate and much easier to avoid crime.
6) New projects coming up. Is one city being gentrified and the other not? I'd say a tie I see good things being done in both cities.
7) How are the locals? Friendly? Standoffish? Is the population diverse and how so? I'd say they're both about the same. I think Baltimore people are probably the friendliest of the cities along the BosWash corridor. I think it's a tie with being diverse because Baltimore has a much larger black population, but Pittsburgh whites come from many more different ethnic groups than whites in Baltimore and whites in Pittsburgh retain more ethnic enclaves than those in Baltimore.
8) Out-door activities Pittsburgh
9) Nightlife! How late can bars be open? Is it more of a dive scene? More of a rave/club scene? Pubs? Lounges? Tie
10) Public transit Baltimore
11) Museums, history, artsy stuff Tie
12) Local economy? I see Pittsburgh has a lower unemployment rate than Baltimore, but both are pretty low by national standards and other posters said this is just a seasonal thing with Pittsburgh to be this low. Maybe some of you can go into more detail. Tie. Baltimore gets help being close to DC and along the coast IMO.
10) Public transit BALTIMORE : Pittsburgh's one and only light rail line links the North Shore entertainment destinations (PNC Park, Heinz Field, Rivers Casino, Andy Warhol Museum, Carnegie Science Center, etc.) with the South Hills suburbs via Downtown. There's no rail service to the airport, in the far western suburbs, and there's no rail service linking Downtown (over 100,000 employees) to Oakland, in the East End, which has nearly 100,000 employees itself. The Eastern suburbs also have no rail connection. The same can be said for the Northern 'burbs. Baltimore is much more well-serviced by commuter rail, and many of the suburbs between there and DC are linked via rail. Pittsburgh's buses are also among the most expensive in the nation, and they have been subject to numerous service cuts in recent years because our Republican governor cut dedicated transit funding to Pittsburgh and Philadelphia..
The cuts by PAT have been happening every few years long before Corbett was in office so it isn't exactly fair to blame it all on him. It was so bad for PAT back in the mid 2000's they were seriously considering and almost implemented a plan that would have cut ALL weekend and holiday service and ANY bus service after 8 PM.
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