Pittsburgh visit, very disappointed (York, McKeesport: apartment, rentals, chapel)

[Renaldo5000]

Check out Bridgeville.

[Tallysmom]

Originally Posted by jimmyev

I agree with you on suburbs, but have to disagree on the 'country.' In the country a kid is only limited by their imagination. I remember acres of endless forest, bushwacking hundreds of trails, playing in the creeks, tracking animals, and exploring the ruins of houses, factories, quarries and mines. By the time you're in high school, all that exploring pays off because you know dozens of secluded places for keg parties and deer roasts. I suppose it wasn't very safe, but it was cool.

And drugs. Even back in 1977, I was weird non drug kid, practically an outcast. If it hadn't been for my parents and strong family ties(two much older sisters who had been there, done that and were determined their baby sister wasn't going to), I'd have been coaxed into drugs like most of my friends.

My point being is that when you have children you need to RAISE your children... don't expect them to grow up on their own -- no matter where you settle.

[PreservationPioneer]

I just have to say something. I think it's wonderful how many people came to the defense of Pittsburgh in this thread. It shows you that some people here do actually love their city. Maybe the tide of negativity is finally turning. Most rust belt cities are lacking this kind of pride, and if Pittsburgh can regain the kind of pride it had decades ago it will continue to be a great and beautiful city.

[caroline2]

Most of the defenses did not reflect well on Pittsburgh, though. It was a "with friends like these..." thread, and gave the impression that you have to have a decay fetish to like living in Pittsburgh.

[Aqua Teen Carl]

Originally Posted by caroline2

Most of the defenses did not reflect well on Pittsburgh, though. It was a "with friends like these..." thread, and gave the impression that you have to have a decay fetish to like living in Pittsburgh.

Good point, I've noticed precisely this from browsing this forum. The people I know offline that love Pittsburgh for every reason other than it's "rust belt charm" I've seen time and time again here. Never have I heard offline that people love Pittsburgh from cramped row houses, aging infrastructure, and dumpy looking neighborhoods (and we DO have our fair share).

I guess all the people that do love Pittsburgh for those things all post in the same forum.

[BrianTH]

Rust Belt Chic may well be catching on more outside of Pittsburgh than inside.

[PreservationPioneer]

Originally Posted by Aqua Teen Carl

Never have I heard offline that people love Pittsburgh from cramped row houses, aging infrastructure, and dumpy looking neighborhoods (and we DO have our fair share).

That's all very subjective. Some people would pay an arm and a leg to have their own "cramped row-house" in the South Side Flats or War Streets, and everyone's idea of "dumpy neighborhoods" is different. To someone used to new neighborhoods in, say, Orlando, the whole city may look "dumpy."

[Citypoot]

Aqua Teen Carl,

It cuts both ways. The same 100 year old blue collar neighborhoods that give Pittsburgh a "dumpy decaying look" in some areas, bred the same 100 year old white collar neighborhoods in Squirrell Hill and Shadyside and Point Breeze that resulted in stunning turn of the century mansion archetecture that you're just not going to find in "newer" cities. Not to mention, without Pittsburgh's age, you're not going to get things like a 150 year old gothic cathedral church downtown next to a 1980's spired skyscraper 2 blocks from a 2005 LEED certified spaceage looking convention center across town from the footprint of a fort from the 1700's that essentially determined if America would be an English or French speaking nation.

For some odd reason, Pittsburgh gets singled out for "decay criticism", yet when a city like New York City has a sidewalk where you past a homeless bum, a puddle of urine, and a 1935 water main that ruptured making a feces fountain, it's considered the "rugged anything goes charm of the Big Apple".

Plus, Pittsburgh has a lot of those "dumpy looking" neighborhoods, which while not exactly eye-candy, are a heck of a lot safer than better LOOKING neighborhoods in Miami and L.A. and Dallas, where you're actually 10 times as likely to get shot.

No city has it all. Even when you have a city with wonderful weather, almost all newer buildings, and low crime, such as San Diego and Honolulu, there's a catch (in their cases exorbitant living costs and rampant homelessness).

So if seeing some drab 40's era union neighborhoods in your commute is a dealbreaker, so be it...but if you have your car stolen someplace else, pay 500,000 dollars for a 3 bedroom house, can't find a job, and have almost no city spirit in its residence...don't say you weren't warned. I'm sure a lot of Pittsburghers that left for grass-always-greener reasons, are now looking at our unemployment below the national average, our rapidly beautifying downtown area, our 100,000 homes that would cost 300,000 in many metroes its size, weather where Christmas looks like Christmas and summer looks like summer, fall looks like fall and spring looks like spring...and are starting to wish maybe they could rethink their leaving.

[rhondee]

Originally Posted by alleghenyangel

Great post, but did you have to make that last minute dig at McKees Rocks? I realize it's equivalent to Pittsburgh's version of Newark, but have you ever seen the views from Norwood (the McKees Rocks neighborhood up on the hill/mountain)? Nevermind, you all have convinced me to take pictures.

I agree alleghenyangel. I have worked with some of the greatest people from the Rocks and Stowe/West Park over the years.And some streets there are very quaint with nice homes and cute little restaurants and businesses

[PreservationPioneer]

Originally Posted by Citypoot

So if seeing some drab 40's era union neighborhoods in your commute is a dealbreaker, so be it...

Everyone is so down on Pittsburgh's older blue-collar neighborhoods. They love the neighborhoods with the mansions, but anything with modest housing is considered shabby. Personally, I find the smallest 1800's worker's row-house just as romantic as the imposing, stately homes of some of the East End neighborhoods.

I wonder if you have to be from somewhere else to appreciate it, though. I've noticed people are very territorial, and snobbish, about neighborhoods. We should prize every neighborhood for its own unique identity. The affluent neighborhoods are very beautiful, that is true. But the blue collar neighborhoods are overflowing with character. You can feel yourself in the footsteps of the immigrants who lived and worked there a century or more ago. It's cool. I wish more people could see it. Then again, Lawrenceville, Bloomfield, South Side Flats, and the Strip are all very popular, and all were largely blue collar areas originally.