Affordable housing = Mission impossible

[ladyalicemore]

I just got back from a job related sojourn in Pittsburgh. It's gritty ... and nice. Lots of good universities. A diverse populace. (A plus for me.) Strong union and blue vibe and I like that, too. Intelligent news coverage on local TV. I liked it there.

[GeoffD]

Originally Posted by brightdoglover

Pittsburgh also has the medical/university infrastructure happening. Dunno about capital ventures, but getting a good job is a good bet in Pittsburgh. (Disclaimer- I lived there for two years before any positive changes and have to really think to see it differently. But if I had to live in a big city area, I'd consider Pittsburgh).

California gets a bit more than half of all private venture capital investment. $25+ billion out of just shy of $50 billion. New York and Massachusetts are a distant #2 & #3 at around $4.5 billion. Pennsylvania typically sees about $500 million. Carnegie Mellon University is an outstanding tech school but very few grads stick around. That's not where the opportunities are.

If you're not starting companies, you're not going to see the vibrant economic growth. You start companies with a core team of experienced people. Those people are everywhere in the Bay Area. Pittsburgh? Nope.

[GeoffD]

Originally Posted by brightdoglover

The "hub" system of trains is a real drawback. You can't get "there" from "here" with any ease. And the T has been neglected to the point of absurdity.

I rode the Fitchburg commuter train into North Station recently and was delighted. However, it was off hours, and it mainly runs for those who work "normal" business hours, Monday-Friday and there are few options outside of that. I gather the normal business hours are jammed.

The town of Littleton recently built a nice small station, replacing the bus-stop shelter in the middle of a field. Still not enough parking but very workable otherwise. No transportation to the station and it's not walkable, so still have to drive to get there.

Yep. The "all trains go to South Station or North Station" thing in Boston is a big problem. It's not Manhattan. Most of the jobs aren't accessible via commuter rail. I always thought there should be light rail in the median strip of 128 with public transportation from there to all the office parks.

The Massachusetts problem is that social service are eating the state alive. It's tough to fund infrastructure when 1/3 of the state budget goes to Medicaid and more than half goes to social services. It's tough to fix public transportation when that is going on. I'm hopeful that 20 years from now, self-driving cars will help with the traffic jam problem. If you had mostly computer driven car lanes, you could run traffic bumper-to-bumper at 60 mph in perfect safety. Combine that with some telecommuting and people wouldn't need to spend a million bucks to live 5 miles from the office.

[robr2]

Originally Posted by GeoffD

California gets a bit more than half of all private venture capital investment. $25+ billion out of just shy of $50 billion. New York and Massachusetts are a distant #2 & #3 at around $4.5 billion. Pennsylvania typically sees about $500 million. Carnegie Mellon University is an outstanding tech school but very few grads stick around. That's not where the opportunities are.

If you're not starting companies, you're not going to see the vibrant economic growth. You start companies with a core team of experienced people. Those people are everywhere in the Bay Area. Pittsburgh? Nope.

Now Geoff - don't go all bave on us. Do you really know that CM grads don't stick around?

Yes PA doesn't get the investment that CA, NY, MA but there is major investment in Pittsburgh around the AI and robotics industry. Would Google, Intel, and Disney open offices there if it wasn't worth being there?

[Boston_Burbs]

Originally Posted by robr2

Now Geoff - don't go all bave on us. Do you really know that CM grads don't stick around?

Yes PA doesn't get the investment that CA, NY, MA but there is major investment in Pittsburgh around the AI and robotics industry. Would Google, Intel, and Disney open offices there if it wasn't worth being there?

If I was ever to relocate from MA Pittsburgh and Denver are on the top of the list.

[timberline742]

Originally Posted by Boston_Burbs

If I was ever to relocate from MA Pittsburgh and Denver are on the top of the list.

Interesting split. I know people like Denver, except for how expensive it is. One of the draws of Pittsburgh is the affordability. I know a few people that have relocated there and while earning modest livings, live well. People seem to leave Denver (though it is a city of transplants) due to the cost. Both good spots though.

I'd probably go to Chicago myself.

[Boston_Burbs]

Originally Posted by timberline742

Interesting split. I know people like Denver, except for how expensive it is. One of the draws of Pittsburgh is the affordability. I know a few people that have relocated there and while earning modest livings, live well. People seem to leave Denver (though it is a city of transplants) due to the cost. Both good spots though.

I'd probably go to Chicago myself.

What I like about Pitt is if I needed to be home, I could hop in the car and drive back to MA. Being in CO would be isolating for me in that way. Pitt would probably be an easier transition because it is still within the Northeast megalopolis. Probably a place similar to Boston 20-30 years ago.

That being said, I have been really into personal finance lately, specifically extreme early retirement and a ton of people in the community live in Colorado. Some of their expenses like property taxes, utilities, insurance I could never come close to meeting in the Northeast. Plus it seems like a high quality of life place.

[00na]

I have 3 friends that graduated with Masters in Computer Science from CM in the last 5 years. None of them stayed in Pitt, and most of their classmates did not stay. They were all snapped up by high paying jobs elsewhere (Silicon and Seattle). When you have companies throwing money at you, it's hard to say no. 2 of the 3 are now trying to relocate to the East Coast because the cost of living in Silicon has gotten so crazy, but Pitt is not being considered at all.