Harrisburg vs. Pittsburgh (Oakland: middle-class, employment, universities)

[davckid]

Which city would you recommend to relocate too? What city is better for raising children, cost of living, and over all nicer "more to do" location...In your opinion, if you were me, which location would you choose? Thanks

[ki0eh]

Pittsburgh is certainly much larger and it actually seems that the cost of living a middle-class lifestyle might be less due to generally lower housing prices. Harrisburg is closer to larger cities than Pittsburgh is. Harrisburg is warmer and sunnier. Pittsburgh has major league pro sports and well known universities. Both have traffic due to way too few lane miles on the roads, major highways necking down to one lane. It might be a little easier to escape to the woods and certainly closer to the shore from the city limits of Harrisburg vs. the city limits of Pittsburgh but there's still great hiking and whitewater within an hour or so of Pgh. Employment is probably easier to find in many fields in Harrisburg than Pittsburgh.

[DowntownHarrisburg]

To me, Pittsburgh always seemed like "the city that was". It feels as if they built up this massive downtown with skyscrapers and mass transit, and then everyone just left. Maybe that isn't actually the case, but that's what it feels like whenever I visit.

[wpipkins]

Originally Posted by DowntownHarrisburg

To me, Pittsburgh always seemed like "the city that was". It feels as if they built up this massive downtown with skyscrapers and mass transit, and then everyone just left. Maybe that isn't actually the case, but that's what it feels like whenever I visit.

Was it on a Sunday! Of all the mid sized cities, Pittsburgh has one of the highest downtown working populations. More people work in downtown now than at anytime in its history (140,000). Downtown Pittsburgh also has the second lowest office vacany rate next to NYC. This does not include Uptown / Oakland.

[steelers#6pa]

thats because pittsburgh is a city of neighboorhoods with there own buisness districts downtown is not the place to be on the weekend.. sure its still better then harrisburg's downtown any day of the week.

[steelers#6pa]

i suggest the o.p asks people on the Pittsburgh forum about Pittsburgh , you'll have alot more options of things to do in pittsburgh in my opinion, and i used to live in hbg for a long time

[ki0eh]

Originally Posted by steelers#6pa

i suggest the o.p asks people on the Pittsburgh forum about Pittsburgh , you'll have alot more options of things to do in pittsburgh in my opinion, and i used to live in hbg for a long time

I do think a lot of the active posters on the Pittsburgh sub-forum don't even check the general PA forum - they talk about things like PLCB privatization and Marcellus Shale on the city forum not the state. So that's good advice to post also in the Pittsburgh sub-forum.

[Kit624]

I would say as far as things to do probably Pittsburgh. Harrisburg has proximity to Philly and DC, but it's too far (In my opinion) to utilize the amenities of a large city on a regular basis, maybe once ever few months, unless you want to be driving all the time.