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Hi there, I’m a 30 year old black male with a newborn. I currently work in quality assurance in the automotive manufacturing industry. I’m moving sometime between now and next summer from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. I’ve done a ton of research on both of these cities. Pittsburgh has come out on top slightly in my comparisons. I’ve visited Pittsburgh twice and Cincinnati once. Both are very similar and extremely beautiful cities. The ultimate factors for me are the jobs, (warehouse supply chain, logistics; in the QA field) daycare costs, and quality of life. I love to walk, go to baseball games, go out from time to time, and just observe the natural beauty of where I live. Cincy is very hilly, but Pittsburgh has the hills, the rivers, bridges, tunnels. Absolutely Amazing.
I’m looking for opinions on these factors:
Cost of living/housing (cincy seems a little cheaper)
Jobs (manufacturing, QA. Pitt seems to have a stronger job market, but idk in my field)
People (both cities have definite racism issues I’ve noticed, and both lack a true Hispanic presence. All in all I’m looking for friendliness, hospitality, acceptance)
Public schools (cincy seems to have better schools, but I’m not sure though)
Family fun/best place to raise my family (Pitt comes out on top in my research)
Nightlife (both seem pretty much even)
Politics (I’m liberal minded basically. Pitt seems more progressive)
Natural beauty
Sports (who can go wrong with the pirates or reds)
I will visit both cities again soon and do more observations.
This is a big decision and I’m just looking for a little help. Any advice or input is fine. Sorry for the long post
I don't think you can really go wrong, to be honest. Maybe I'd give the edge to Pittsburgh if I had to choose one. But that's just because I would enjoy only being 2 hours from Lake Erie and the Allegheny National Forest if you ever wanted to go somewhere on the weekend. Though I'm sure Cincinnati has good recreation in the general area too.
Although, Cincinnati may be better for jobs. Cincinnati is growing while Pittsburgh is still shrinking (though it's certainly turned a corner). Cincinnati also benefits from nearby Dayton.
FWIW, Cincinnati gets 20 less inches of snow on average than Pittsburgh and has average high temperatures that are 3 degrees higher, if that means anything to you.
The Cincinnati metro has stronger midwestern and southern influences. The Pittsburgh metro has a stronger east coast influence while also having noteworthy midwestern and southern/Appalachian influences.
Both are great metros with urban and suburban options that should meet your needs.
I don't think you can really go wrong, to be honest. Maybe I'd give the edge to Pittsburgh if I had to choose one. But that's just because I would enjoy only being 2 hours from Lake Erie and the Allegheny National Forest if you ever wanted to go somewhere on the weekend. Though I'm sure Cincinnati has good recreation in the general area too.
Although, Cincinnati may be better for jobs. Cincinnati is growing while Pittsburgh is still shrinking (though it's certainly turned a corner). Cincinnati also benefits from nearby Dayton.
Thank you, those seem like nice areas to explore. Yes, I noticed that about the populations of both cities.
FWIW, Cincinnati gets 20 less inches of snow on average than Pittsburgh and has average high temperatures that are 3 degrees higher, if that means anything to you.
The Cincinnati metro has stronger midwestern and southern influences. The Pittsburgh metro has a stronger east coast influence while also having noteworthy midwestern and southern/Appalachian influences.
Both are great metros with urban and suburban options that should meet your needs.
Yes, I’ve noticed that about the weather. Coming from Wisconsin I hate dealing with so much snow, but there’s something about Pittsburgh that makes me not mind it lol. So weather won’t be a factor in my decision.
I’m loving the southern influences of Cincinnati. Gives it a good vibe.
Cost of living/housing: Cincinnati
Jobs: Cincinnati is growing
People (friendliness, hospitality, acceptance): Pittsburgh was has nicer people from my experience. Cincinnati can be cold and hateful.
Public schools: Cincinnati
Family fun/best place to raise my family: Pittsburgh city, Cincinnati suburbs
Nightlife: Tie
Politics: Pittsburgh. Cincinnati is socially conservative. Pittsburgh definitely feels more liberal although both have good protections for the lgbtq community. Both could do better reaching out to blacks.
Natural beauty: Pittsburgh
Sports (who can go wrong with the pirates or reds): Tie
Cincinnati is the growing more dynamic area. The metro area is much stronger than Pittsburgh's. I would choose Cincinnati based on your job opportunities and future outlook. Cincinnati's northern suburbs are clean, safe, with a very high quality of life. Mason, Montgomery, Blue Ash, West Chester are great family areas. My family used to live in Hyde Park, and it is awesome too. Oakley and Norwood are more affordable though. Pittsburgh, to me, has the stronger downtown, as everything is concentrated and easier to access than Cincinnati. Cincinnati's OTR has improved but the city still has some very sketchy run down areas in its downtown.
FWIW, Cincinnati gets 20 less inches of snow on average than Pittsburgh and has average high temperatures that are 3 degrees higher, if that means anything to you.
The Cincinnati metro has stronger midwestern and southern influences. The Pittsburgh metro has a stronger east coast influence while also having noteworthy midwestern and southern/Appalachian influences.
Both are great metros with urban and suburban options that should meet your needs.
Appalachian ≠ Southern
Appalachian culture is just as anomalous in the South as it is in the North.
Cost of living/housing: Cincinnati
Jobs: Cincinnati is growing
People (friendliness, hospitality, acceptance): Pittsburgh was has nicer people from my experience. Cincinnati can be cold and hateful.
Public schools: Cincinnati
Family fun/best place to raise my family: Pittsburgh city, Cincinnati suburbs
Nightlife: Tie
Politics: Pittsburgh. Cincinnati is socially conservative. Pittsburgh definitely feels more liberal although both have good protections for the lgbtq community. Both could do better reaching out to blacks.
Natural beauty: Pittsburgh
Sports (who can go wrong with the pirates or reds): Tie
Cincinnati is the growing more dynamic area. The metro area is much stronger than Pittsburgh's. I would choose Cincinnati based on your job opportunities and future outlook. Cincinnati's northern suburbs are clean, safe, with a very high quality of life. Mason, Montgomery, Blue Ash, West Chester are great family areas. My family used to live in Hyde Park, and it is awesome too. Oakley and Norwood are more affordable though. Pittsburgh, to me, has the stronger downtown, as everything is concentrated and easier to access than Cincinnati. Cincinnati's OTR has improved but the city still has some very sketchy run down areas in its downtown.
Thanks a lot for the feedback! I plan on living in the actual city of where ever I move. Not really a fan of living in the suburbs. I had enough of it in the Milwaukee area. Both cities are very awesome in my eyes. Still a very tough decision.
Pittsburgh is definitely more transit-oriented and walkable overall, and the presence of Carnegie-Mellon and Pitt give Pittsburgh’s urban core a vibrant, international flair. Pittsburgh also feels a lot more connected to the East Coast. One thing Cincinnati lacks compared to Pittsburgh and other old cities is identifiable ethnic enclaves (such as Bloomfield/Italian, Squirrel Hill/Jewish, etc in Pittsburgh).
Pittsburgh is definitely more transit-oriented and walkable overall, and the presence of Carnegie-Mellon and Pitt give Pittsburgh’s urban core a vibrant, international flair. Pittsburgh also feels a lot more connected to the East Coast. One thing Cincinnati lacks compared to Pittsburgh and other old cities is identifiable ethnic enclaves (such as Bloomfield/Italian, Squirrel Hill/Jewish, etc in Pittsburgh).
Thank you. Yes, i like the presence of those universities and what it brings to the city overall. I’m a definite fan of the walkability also.
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