Is Pittsburgh in a good or bad geographic position? (Lancaster: hotels, live)

[BrianTH]

Chicago-bound HSR from DC, Baltimore, and Philly will pass through Pittsburgh (and of course there are bunch more cities in the Great Lakes region). From NYC they could either go the northern route through upstate NY and then along the lakes, or the southern route through Philly and Pittsburgh. I'd guess the southern route will be available considerably before the northern route, but you never know.

Edit: Oh, and the CSX National Gateway project, which got a good chunk of stimulus funds, is going to increase Pittsburgh's importance as an intermodal center. Inland waterways are also likely to get increased freight share in response to higher fuel prices (they are very, very fuel efficient). Finally, of course being located in the center of the Marcellus Shale play is a notable fact about Pittsburgh's location.

[Johnland]

Personally, I love Pittsburgh's geographic loaction. I currently live in Tampa, and cannot wait to relocate back to Southwest PA. I love it's four season climate versus the basically two seasons here. Florida winters are mild, but summers can be violent. The high winds, the flash heavy rains are extreme. Then there's the hurricane threat added to that. Yes, I realize nine people out of ten disparage Pittsburgh weather...but after years of hot sun, I dream of Pittsburgh's milder, cloudier weather (again...I know this is not conventional thought).

Pittsburgh's location gives it its uniqueness. I have family in Philly and NYC, and they think of Pittsburgh as somewhere 'out West'. Yet, it is only a day's drive to the East Coast.

As for not being near larger cities, look at Philly. While Philly may derive some benefit from being 90 miles from NYC, I think it may suffer more from being in its shadow.

[Katarina Witt]

Originally Posted by Johnland

Personally, I love Pittsburgh's geographic loaction. I currently live in Tampa, and cannot wait to relocate back to Southwest PA. I love it's four season climate versus the basically two seasons here. Florida winters are mild, but summers can be violent. The high winds, the flash heavy rains are extreme. Then there's the hurricane threat added to that. Yes, I realize nine people out of ten disparage Pittsburgh weather...but after years of hot sun, I dream of Pittsburgh's milder, cloudier weather (again...I know this is not conventional thought).

Pittsburgh's location gives it its uniqueness. I have family in Philly and NYC, and they think of Pittsburgh as somewhere 'out West'. Yet, it is only a day's drive to the East Coast.

As for not being near larger cities, look at Philly. While Philly may derive some benefit from being 90 miles from NYC, I think it may suffer more from being in its shadow.

Well, every city's location is unique. Many places other than Pittsburgh have 4 seasons; I'm not sure at exactly what latitude that kicks in. Pittsburghers love to claim they don't have hurricanes, tornadoes, etc, but its climate does have its drawbacks. Pittsburgh is isolated from the east coast by the Alleghenies, and going west, after Cleveland, the next big city is 400 miles farther west, Chicago.

[Citypoot]

But we ARE close to a major city. We're within 6 hours or so of New York City, 4 or so of DC and Baltimore, 5 of Philly, 6 1/2 of Charlotte, 4 of Buffalo, 6 of Indy, 5 of Cincy, 3 of Columbus, and about 2 1/2 of Cleveland.

Sorry but, in a country with isolated specimens like Denver, Salt Lake City, Portland, San Antonio, etc...that isn't too bad. I just rattled off 10 cities large enough to support pro sports franchises that are between 2 1/2 to 6 1/2 hours from Pittsburgh, including the largest city in the country.

And the idea that Pittsburgh "is a tier down" and "doesn't carry regional weight" like other cities is pure myth.

Pittsburgh is a top-25 metro in population, and is the largest city in Appalachia.

Again, top-25 in population of any city in America, and #1 in Appalachia.

Simply put, for Central and Western Pa, all of West Virginia, Western Maryland, and Southeastern Ohio, we are the city that represents them.

A better point made was the person who said that unfortunately, since Pittsburgh is so close to about 10 major cities, young job hunters often leave Pittsburgh seeking work in any one of those 10 cities less that are half day drives or less away, because Pittsburgh is still a long weekend convenience, holiday convenience, emergency convenience, etc for them.

In other words, it might be BETTER for Pittsburgh if it ACTUALLY WAS isolated, because then we wouldn't have to fend of 10 other significant American metros less than 6 1/2 hours away when our young people look for jobs.

The mentality that Pittsburgh is "isolated" comes more from the fact that it's on the west side of a mountain range that the eastern seaboard metroplex is on the east side of, but people forget, we're not talking the Himalayas here. We're talking the small 2 to 4 thousand foot Appalachian hills that only take about 2 hours to pass through. And it's not exactly "wilderness". Significant towns like State College, Harrisburg are in them. It's just silly. Is Cincinatti which is about 4 1/2 hours from Cleveland, less "isolated" than Pittsburgh is from cities 4 1/2 hours away like D.C. and Baltimore, just because the terrain between them is flat rather than hilly?

If ANYTHING, I think it's a plus that the drive to Pittsburgh has some nice vistas and pretty mountain landscapes rather than just bone-flat corn fields.

This whole thread is so silly. If I leave Pittsburgh tommorow morning around worktime at 7 or 8am, I could be to 10 significant American metros by mid-afternoon including the largest city in the country, and this thread is about how "isolated" Pittsburgh is. Weird.

[Aqua Teen Carl]

Originally Posted by Citypoot

This whole thread is so silly. If I leave Pittsburgh tommorow morning around worktime at 7 or 8am, I could be to 10 significant American metros by mid-afternoon including the largest city in the country, and this thread is about how "isolated" Pittsburgh is. Weird.

Exactly. The thing is that the city just "feels" isolated in one way or another. It may even be that Pittsburghers purposely isolate themselves for whatever reason. That may explain why people from here go on vacation in Erie and Ocean City, Maryland instead of checking out some amazing cities that are in driving distance.

You never hear people from here going to places like Washington, DC for a weekend even though it's a very short drive.

[Mugatu]

Originally Posted by Aqua Teen Carl

Exactly. The thing is that the city just "feels" isolated in one way or another. It may even be that Pittsburghers purposely isolate themselves for whatever reason. That may explain why people from here go on vacation in Erie and Ocean City, Maryland instead of checking out some amazing cities that are in driving distance.

You never hear people from here going to places like Washington, DC for a weekend even though it's a very short drive.

Yeah, I also find it odd that Pittsburghers seem to limit themselves in their vacation destinations. It seems like if they are driving, they often stay in state or close to it. And if they fly, they ALWAYS go to Florida or the Outer Banks. It's funny, when I hear someone at work is going on vacation, I joke and ask them "what part of Florida are you going to?" But 4 out 5 times, that's exactly where they are going. lol

In my 4 years since moving up here, I've visted Niagara Falls, Toronto, Detroit (for the auto show) and DC by car, all on 3 days weekends. NYC and Chicago are next on my list. Yet some of the people I work with that have lived here all their lives have never been to those cities.

I grew up in Florida where it's a good 7 or 8 hour drive to the nearest major out of state city, Atlanta. So I appreciate Pittsburgh's proximity to all these other great cities and don't find it isolated at all.

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by Katiana

and going west, after Cleveland, the next big city is 400 miles farther west, Chicago.

Looking west, Columbus is under 200 miles from Pittsburgh, Detroit and Cincinnati are under 300 miles, and Louisville and Indianapolis are under 400 miles.

And although actually just a bit east of north, Toronto is about 320 miles. Buffalo is about 220, Rochester about 280.

[BrianTH]

By the way, I do think many East Coast people see Pittsburgh as being farther away than it really is (and for that matter so do many Great Lakes people). I'm not sure why that is the case--I suspect it is a combination of culture, topography, transportation habits, and so on--but I do think it helps explain why we haven't yet had a flood of people from the East Coast looking for cheaper housing.

[South Range Family]

Many people died trying to take Pittsburgh. Many more died trying to keep it. Somebody must have thought it was a pretty important location.

[pman]

Originally Posted by BrianTH

By the way, I do think many East Coast people see Pittsburgh as being farther away than it really is (and for that matter so do many Great Lakes people). I'm not sure why that is the case--I suspect it is a combination of culture, topography, transportation habits, and so on--but I do think it helps explain why we haven't yet had a flood of people from the East Coast looking for cheaper housing.

I think it's mainly geographical. pittsburgh is ~5 hours from Philly which gets you as far as providence or richmond. I also think there isn't a compelling reason to visit (though PNC Park's relative bargain and stellar reputation brings in swarms of Phillies fans who, in my experience, increasingly leave with a positive impression of the city). I think a high speed rail connection would change the way Pennsylvanians travel and solidify Pittsburgh's connection with the east. It's also worth remembering, before southwest airlines, it was very expensive to travel to pitt (US air monopoly at both ends of the state). that distance has shrunk as airfares declined and now new megabus service to ny, philly, and harrisburg. what's the actual drive time to toronto?