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Old 10-16-2010, 02:41 PM
 
Location: Marshall-Shadeland, Pittsburgh, PA
32,606 posts, read 77,274,241 times
Reputation: 19071

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Quote:
Originally Posted by JEB77 View Post
RR - It's all good. You're a bred (if not also born) Pennsylvanian and you're now able to return to your home state and live in a less expensive area that needs to attract more young residents to continue on its current, positive trajectory. I hope it's everything you anticipate and more.

It won't change the fact that the DC area will likely remain more attractive to more people for the foreseeable future than the Pittsburgh area. That's actually a good thing for you, now that your job transfer came through, because it keeps the prices down. The less money you have to spend on housing, the more money you can save for other things or donate to charitable causes if you wish. But we could both publicize the cute little $94,500 house in the greater Pittsburgh area that you located on the NoVa sub-forum for weeks, and still probably not find anyone else who'd relocate to take advantage of the cheaper prices, because they'd still prefer to be in the DC area for some of the reasons that I mentioned, and others.
To be fair individual DC/NoVA experiences can and will vary. In my case I knew as a guy who loved historic traditional neighborhoods that Reston was the polar opposite of that. However, I told myself, naively, that it's worth living somewhere that I'm not comfortable because if my job is fulfilling enough then that alone will overpower my disdain for where I live and may help to make me love the area more. After a year-and-a-half I'm realizing that if it still doesn't feel like "home" by now then it never will. This is why I advise anyone and everyone who asks me on Facebook and elsewhere if they should move to NoVA to ask themselves if they'd still be happy there even WITHOUT the job offer in-hand.

It's roughly a 50/50 split between those who love it here in NoVA vs. those who hate it amongst my acquaintances/friends/colleagues who moved down here from PA. Those who love it more generally share the same characteristics: Aren't single, aren't living alone, don't mind traffic congestion, and prefer the suburbs. There are several others like me who resent places like Reston because they don't really offer a good "cozy" atmosphere or a sense of "place." I'm the sourest on this area out of everyone because atop this I was the victim of collusion amongst former friends who took advantage of my generosity in an unsavory manner best left undiscussed, and that led me to develop depression from the ensuing humiliation once it went viral. There will never be any resolution to that, so I can't say I also won't be happy to leave that behind.

NoVA offers a lot of strengths, but it also doesn't offer "something for everyone", which is what the cheerleaders on the NoVA sub-forum often tell people while I shake my head and challenge them toe-to-toe. I feel so numb now romantically and emotionally that I've chosen to stay single long-term. With that choice as a single person working for the Feds I'd NEVER be able to afford a home like that $94,500 one on my own here in NoVA (something comparable in the Town of Vienna or City of Falls Church would probably run around $450,000). Is that important to me? Yes. Why? I want to build equity. I want to be able to customize something. I want to be able to tend a sunflower garden, grow some tomatoes, cucumbers, and lettuce to make my own salads. I want to adopt a dog. I want to be able to decorate to my heart's content. I want to play some music on my front porch and invite some neighbors over to mellow out, chat, and enjoy some drinks. I have a 24-year-old ex-friend (one involved in the collusion) who just purchased a 1-BR condo in need of TLC in Seven Corners. My guess is that this is part of a long-term strategy to eventually build equity and trade up to something better, but I see no need to keep moving and "house-swapping" to get something nice here in DC by age 35-40 when I could have something nice in Pittsburgh by age 25. That's 10-15 years of living in DC in housing that's not your ideal just to try to "make it work." That $94,500 home IS my dream home, and if only I had the cash laying around for a down payment/closing costs I WOULD buy it RIGHT NOW.

Different strokes for different folks in the end. I see myself moving to Mt. Washington, becoming active in their neighborhood association, patronizing local businesses, volunteering more, etc. I see myself eventually buying up blighted homes in my neighborhood and others and then renting them out at an affordable price, trying to entice middle-class families back into the city they once abandoned. I've always been an idealist, and I'll always regret having that part of me I valued so much jeopardized through living in Fairfax County.
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Old 10-16-2010, 03:31 PM
 
20,273 posts, read 32,871,363 times
Reputation: 2910
Quote:
Originally Posted by RestonRunner86 View Post
This is only partially true. My particular Federal employer has a blend of "dead weight" and "star performers."
It was the same for me when I worked for a federal agency--and the good people usually worked quite hard because they would get all the real assignments. Meanwhile, my wife is managing a bunch of people, and she has to put up with underperformers because her company makes it hard to simply fire people. So I think you are exactly right about this not being a neat distinction between public and private employers.
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Old 10-16-2010, 03:44 PM
 
20,273 posts, read 32,871,363 times
Reputation: 2910
By the way, I have mentioned before I liked DC, so don't really feel any desire to run it down. But I do think it is worth considering that a lot of the current gap in the COL to salary ratio between Pittsburgh and cities like DC is relatively recent, and further that a lot of people were somewhat insulated from that growing gap because they were already property owners, and so their household wealth was able to rise up with the tide even if their incomes did not.

So it seems to me the question is whether all this is sustainable, particularly as more and more people start off in these areas without the same advantage of having bought property before the rise. Of course young people in particular can put up with a lot for a while, but eventually these issues may start wearing on them, particularly as they start looking to move on to later stages of life. But even then, businesses may be reluctant to relocate operations, at least while such younger people are only a minority portion of their labor force, and so on.

In other words, it is possible that a relatively recent gap like this could persist for some number of years, but with building pressure to resolve the gap slowly but surely accumulating, until finally a resolution starts occurring. Of course this gap could be resolved in many ways: maybe salaries will start climbing more rapidly in these high COL places, or maybe the COL will come down (e.g., there could be a much sharper relative decline in housing prices than as yet experienced), or maybe the COL in places like Pittsburgh will go up--who knows? But I don't think we can know for sure this increased gap really is permanently sustainable, at least not until it has lasted for considerably longer without any resolution.
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Old 10-19-2010, 11:13 AM
 
367 posts, read 619,897 times
Reputation: 129
So... Who thinks that Dormont would be a good place to live for two people who are in their mid 20's and don't have children and need to be on the other side of the the bridges and tunnels?

Is there a forum about any topic on any website that doesn't morph into something completely different than what it was intended to be?
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Old 10-19-2010, 11:46 AM
 
1,719 posts, read 4,168,589 times
Reputation: 1299
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rodeno View Post
So... Who thinks that Dormont would be a good place to live for two people who are in their mid 20's and don't have children and need to be on the other side of the the bridges and tunnels?
I would give this statement an affirmative.
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Old 10-19-2010, 12:15 PM
 
20,273 posts, read 32,871,363 times
Reputation: 2910
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rodeno View Post
So... Who thinks that Dormont would be a good place to live for two people who are in their mid 20's and don't have children and need to be on the other side of the the bridges and tunnels?
I would say yes.

Quote:
Is there a forum about any topic on any website that doesn't morph into something completely different than what it was intended to be?
I would say no.
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Old 10-19-2010, 06:48 PM
 
367 posts, read 619,897 times
Reputation: 129
Quote:
Originally Posted by brianth View Post
i would say yes.



I would say no.
lol
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Old 10-19-2010, 07:35 PM
 
Location: Mid-Atlantic
12,528 posts, read 17,443,200 times
Reputation: 10629
I worked in Oakland when I lived in Dormont, you can always find a shortcut.
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Old 12-06-2010, 06:52 PM
 
97 posts, read 164,632 times
Reputation: 67
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rodeno View Post
So... Who thinks that Dormont would be a good place to live for two people who are in their mid 20's and don't have children and need to be on the other side of the the bridges and tunnels?

Is there a forum about any topic on any website that doesn't morph into something completely different than what it was intended to be?
I live in Dormont. It's amazing. If you have kids you can't top the huge park, playground, and pool. The schools are also fairly good from what I understand. Our property taxes are not nearly as obnoxious as Mount Lebanon and our housing is cheaper. We have a very 'communal' feeling. People are friendly a-la 1950 with block parties and people who actually know one another's name. I really believe we are the Pizza capital of Pittsbugh - I have four pizzarias in three blocks. I work in town and take the T to work, 20 minutes. Top that, Oakland.

Dormont is very walkable and vibrant. Please check out the walkability score for you address of choice. Between the diners, the shops (books, novelties, pet), services (hair salon, pet grooming, taxes, karate) and the ability to get to a grocer and a full bakery - I don't know why people don't realize what a paradise Dormont is. Oh, and we do have a little bit of nightlife locally (the Apple in is a quaint spot, and Tom's is good drunk food), if you're looking to get to a club 15 minutes down to Station square by T. Never need a DD again.

So, yes, Dormont rocks.
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Old 12-06-2010, 07:34 PM
 
Location: Mid-Atlantic
12,528 posts, read 17,443,200 times
Reputation: 10629
Once again, property taxes are higher in Dormont.
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