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I notice that people in Pittsburgh are always asking where each other live. I love telling people that I live in McKees Rocks, and then waiting for the eyes to bulge and the tongue to lash out some criticism of the area. Then nothing pleases me more to reply, "Oh, really? I like McKees Rocks." That really gets them.
It's this same behavior that convinces me that (1) there are a lot of pretentious, judgmental, and classist people in Pittsburgh, and (2) there are a lot of sheep who just follow what everyone else is doing, without checking on things for themselves.
In this case, I think the inner voice might be saying, "Maybe McKees Rocks isn't as bad as I've always heard?" which they try to muffle with insults because they avoided the area, and are paying seven times as much to live in a more popular area.
Hey, it's nice to live in a neighborhood with a Big Lots, Eat n' Park, Aldi's, and Mancini's Bread within walking distance.
I don't kow too much about McKees Rocks, but I do know that they are revitalizing the Roxian Theater so they can have concerts there. That's a plus too.
I notice that people in Pittsburgh are always asking where each other live. I love telling people that I live in McKees Rocks, and then waiting for the eyes to bulge and the tongue to lash out some criticism of the area. Then nothing pleases me more to reply, "Oh, really? I like McKees Rocks." That really gets them.
It's this same behavior that convinces me that (1) there are a lot of pretentious, judgmental, and classist people in Pittsburgh, and (2) there are a lot of sheep who just follow what everyone else is doing, without checking on things for themselves.
In this case, I think the inner voice might be saying, "Maybe McKees Rocks isn't as bad as I've always heard?" which they try to muffle with insults because they avoided the area, and are paying seven times as much to live in a more popular area.
Hey, it's nice to live in a neighborhood with a Big Lots, Eat n' Park, Aldi's, and Mancini's Bread within walking distance.
Everyone in "real life" tried to steer me towards Shadyside. They had a STRONG aversion towards my original plans to settle in Mt. Washington (sending my love to 15211!), and even after I toured a home I LOVED in the admittedly still-transitioning Allentown area everyone still thought I was nuts. My father's colleague lives in Pittsburgh and teleworks, and he consulted her for advice. She said Mt. Washington was a "bad area." Is everything that isn't the East End, North Hills, Fox Chapel, or Mt. Lebanon automatically considered a "bad area" to many Pittsburghers?
I personally like McKees Rocks. I also liked Coraopolis. I had a preference for Dormont over Mt. Lebanon. I suppose I'm weird in that I'm a white-collar guy with a blue-collar personality. Blue-collars here, though, seem to be suspicious of my intentions. Just tonight at our little Holiday shindig in Polish Hill I tried introducing myself to people and finding a niche of sorts, and I got a hearty helping of cold shoulder for some reason or other (I mean, I'm not THAT ugly, am I?) I would get a sentence or two out of people, and then they'd see someone else they knew and would just scurry away from me mid-sentence. Nobody took the time to introduce me to anyone else, as I would have done in such a situation to try to make a new neighbor feel like a neighbor instead of a transient. It seemed like a nice time was being had by those who "belonged", but feeling unwelcome I went home after 20 minutes of standing around alone and looking creepy. Perhaps when the weather breaks and I'm more "visible" on my own cleaning up the tons of litter, leaves, weeds, etc. in the neighborhood people will be able to gauge better than I'm not a threat to them. I mean, people in Scranton weren't even that insular, and Scranton is a VERY "behind the times" city.
Have you had trouble making in-roads with your neighbors in McKees Rocks, AA?
It's this same behavior that convinces me that (1) there are a lot of pretentious, judgmental, and classist people in Pittsburgh, and (2) there are a lot of sheep who just follow what everyone else is doing, without checking on things for themselves.
I think it has more to do with the sheep mentality. This has been brought up on the board before, but I swear a lot of people around here live in a bubble and do not venture out or care to. Mainly because of the sheep mentality and the fact that Pittsburgh is far behind in the times. My mother still thinks Liberty Ave. is a "red light" district.
Don't get me wrong. I don't think McKees Rocks is the jewel of Pittsburgh or anything. There are neighborhoods I like a lot better. But the rustic and dilapidated industrial charm of McKees Rocks has really grown on me, mostly because it is unashamedly industrial-looking. Drive up Island Ave, or over the McKees Rocks Bridge, and look at the railyards, factory buildings, 1890s flophouses, millhouses, strip bars, and churches. It's really a sight to behold. It's seedy, it's gritty, it's mouldering, it's crumbling, it's rough and rowdy, but it's absolutely fascinating and full of character. Obviously, driving up Broadway is a completely different experience. This is a more traditional part of the neighborhood.
Making in-roads with my neighbors has been pretty easy. I have been invited to the McKees Rocks historical society meetings, but due to my work schedule I haven't been able to go yet. I'm looking forward to it. My immediate neighbors are extremely friendly. They are always making attempts to talk to me and get to know me better. I'm kind of reserved by nature, though, so I don't like to get too close to my neighbors.
One thing I will tell you about Pittsburghers (that I have noticed, at least) is that any kind of excessive enthusiasm (except for sports) throws them off. I used to loudly proclaim "I LOVE PITTSBURGH" to everyone in sight, but after getting weird looks every time I did that, it gradually became, "I like Pittsburgh a lot." They will usually ask you what you like about it, which is your turn to tout all of the positives of the city (in a subdued fashion). Pittsburgher's are kind of conservative in that sense. They don't get excited easily, from what I can tell.
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Originally Posted by RestonRunner86
Everyone in "real life" tried to steer me towards Shadyside. They had a STRONG aversion towards my original plans to settle in Mt. Washington (sending my love to 15211!), and even after I toured a home I LOVED in the admittedly still-transitioning Allentown area everyone still thought I was nuts. My father's colleague lives in Pittsburgh and teleworks, and he consulted her for advice. She said Mt. Washington was a "bad area." Is everything that isn't the East End, North Hills, Fox Chapel, or Mt. Lebanon automatically considered a "bad area" to many Pittsburghers?
I personally like McKees Rocks. I also liked Coraopolis. I had a preference for Dormont over Mt. Lebanon. I suppose I'm weird in that I'm a white-collar guy with a blue-collar personality. Blue-collars here, though, seem to be suspicious of my intentions. Just tonight at our little Holiday shindig in Polish Hill I tried introducing myself to people and finding a niche of sorts, and I got a hearty helping of cold shoulder for some reason or other (I mean, I'm not THAT ugly, am I?) I would get a sentence or two out of people, and then they'd see someone else they knew and would just scurry away from me mid-sentence. Nobody took the time to introduce me to anyone else, as I would have done in such a situation to try to make a new neighbor feel like a neighbor instead of a transient. It seemed like a nice time was being had by those who "belonged", but feeling unwelcome I went home after 20 minutes of standing around alone and looking creepy. Perhaps when the weather breaks and I'm more "visible" on my own cleaning up the tons of litter, leaves, weeds, etc. in the neighborhood people will be able to gauge better than I'm not a threat to them. I mean, people in Scranton weren't even that insular, and Scranton is a VERY "behind the times" city.
Have you had trouble making in-roads with your neighbors in McKees Rocks, AA?
Blue-collars here, though, seem to be suspicious of my intentions. Just tonight at our little Holiday shindig in Polish Hill I tried introducing myself to people and finding a niche of sorts, and I got a hearty helping of cold shoulder for some reason or other (I mean, I'm not THAT ugly, am I?) I would get a sentence or two out of people, and then they'd see someone else they knew and would just scurry away from me mid-sentence. Nobody took the time to introduce me to anyone else, as I would have done in such a situation to try to make a new neighbor feel like a neighbor instead of a transient. It seemed like a nice time was being had by those who "belonged", but feeling unwelcome I went home after 20 minutes of standing around alone and looking creepy. Perhaps when the weather breaks and I'm more "visible" on my own cleaning up the tons of litter, leaves, weeds, etc. in the neighborhood people will be able to gauge better than I'm not a threat to them. I mean, people in Scranton weren't even that insular, and Scranton is a VERY "behind the times" city.
Don't expect everything you want to happen overnight, or you're going to set yourself up for disappointment, and then you'll be typecasting blue collar folks in Pittsburgh just like you did white collar people in NoVa. The holiday party you described sounds like a gathering where a bunch of people who know each other, but may not have seen each other recently, saw an opportunity to catch up. That happens all the time in all sorts of settings and leaves some folks inadvertently feeling a bit excluded. It wasn't an official "Welcome RR to Paradise" party, and you'll be more familiar to at least some of them next time around.
And easy does it on the neighborhood beautification projects!! Taking pride in your own property and helping out neighbors is likely to be appreciated, but picking up too much of other people's junk or cleaning up near their part of the sidewalk may send a not-so-subtle signal that you basically think they are a public nuisance. If your new neighbors think you have an agenda to gentrify their neighborhood, and make it all pretty for the next batch of RRs to hit Polish Hill, my bet is that you'll really find out what a cold shoulder feels like.
Listen to Alleghenyangel. Slow and steady sometimes wins the race.
Don't get me wrong. I don't think McKees Rocks is the jewel of Pittsburgh or anything. There are neighborhoods I like a lot better. But the rustic and dilapidated industrial charm of McKees Rocks has really grown on me, mostly because it is unashamedly industrial-looking. Drive up Island Ave, or over the McKees Rocks Bridge, and look at the railyards, factory buildings, 1890s flophouses, millhouses, strip bars, and churches. It's really a sight to behold. It's seedy, it's gritty, it's mouldering, it's crumbling, it's rough and rowdy, but it's absolutely fascinating and full of character. Obviously, driving up Broadway is a completely different experience. This is a more traditional part of the neighborhood.
I, too, share your "decay fetish", so you don't need to justify any of this. I don't believe it's unusual at all to be able to see the charm of a place that is unabashedly proud of its blue-collar industrial heritage. I've seen the photos of your rowhome on your Facebook, and I think it is absolutely lovely. Somtimes less is more, and I really wish that minimalist trend would catch on. This nation has an unhealthy obsession with mass consumerism, conspicious consumption, and "super-sizing" everything. My 1-BR loft is small, but it's cute and works just well for 1 (or 2---fingers crossed!) people.
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Originally Posted by alleghenyangel
Making in-roads with my neighbors has been pretty easy. I have been invited to the McKees Rocks historical society meetings, but due to my work schedule I haven't been able to go yet. I'm looking forward to it. My immediate neighbors are extremely friendly. They are always making attempts to talk to me and get to know me better. I'm kind of reserved by nature, though, so I don't like to get too close to my neighbors.
I suppose I just have more insular neighbors here in Polish Hill. Nobody has come over to introduce themselves to me yet, and when I try to be assertive in introducing myself the reaction generally isn't well-received. I was a bit turned-off this evening that instead of eagerly introducing me to their friends, as I would have done to make the newbie feel more comfortable, the people I approached just left me and wandered off like mindless toddlers who just saw a shiny object. I went home. It's as if people feel as if they already have a large enough social network and are leery of expanding it any larger. I have roughly 1,000 friends on Facebook, and not only could I tell you intimate things about 90%+ of them but I'm also always eager to befriend more people. I guess there just aren't as many extraverted people in Polish Hill as there are in McKees Rocks. Hopefully my "hyping" of Polish Hill will change things for the better and get more "movers-and-shakers" to move here, too. There's two properties directly across Brereton Street from me that look like they're just dying for new owners; one has a "For Sale" sign.
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Originally Posted by alleghenyangel
One thing I will tell you about Pittsburghers (that I have noticed, at least) is that any kind of excessive enthusiasm (except for sports) throws them off. I used to loudly proclaim "I LOVE PITTSBURGH" to everyone in sight, but after getting weird looks every time I did that, it gradually became, "I like Pittsburgh a lot." They will usually ask you what you like about it, which is your turn to tout all of the positives of the city (in a subdued fashion). Pittsburgher's are kind of conservative in that sense. They don't get excited easily, from what I can tell.
I, too, have noticed this. People seem somewhat frightened or "amused" by my deep enthusiasm for the neighborhood and the city, and I don't understand it. Contrariwise when people were drooling over NoVA and beaming with pride about it I was the one who was puzzled there because there was nothing unique about that area---you can find similar suburban/exurban blobs replete with ugly tract housing and chain restaurants anywhere in the country. There's only one place like McKees Rocks. There's only one place like Polish Hill. These places are special, and people SHOULD take pride that they aren't the homogenized and sterile vinyl-covered particle-board wastelands that are overtaking the entire nation. It seems like much of the older parts of this area have severe inferiority complexes. Polish Hill is, in my opinion, one of the best neighborhoods in Pittsburgh. You can walk Downtown, to the Strip District, Lawrenceville, Bloomfield, or Oakland in about 30-45 minutes. You can even walk to the North Side for that matter, too. We're right on the Busway. We're right along Bigelow Boulevard. We have "French Fries" and wild turkeys. We have tight-knit events, such as tonight's Christmas celebration (which may have been a little TOO "tight-knit"). We have a beautiful historic cathedral-like church that dominates the neighborhood. We have Gooski's pierogies and a gay bar. It really infuriates me that so many people live in this area who HATE the area. I HATED NoVA. I left. Pittsburgh would be such a better place if the haters would move the hell out so fresh blood could move in to appreciate it the way it deserves to be loved.
It really infuriates me that so many people live in this area who HATE the area. I HATED NoVA. I left. Pittsburgh would be such a better place if the haters would move the hell out so fresh blood could move in to appreciate it the way it deserves to be loved.
I've always understood that the Scotch-Irish influence was substantial in Pittsburgh; if that's the case, you may want to rethink what the local "hating" really means before you graciously extend an invitation to current residents to "move the hell out."
Sometimes people who've lived in an area for a long time and actually like it still purport to hate it, as a defensive mechanism. If they say they hate it first, they can protect themselves against others, particularly outsiders, who might otherwise beat them to the punch. That doesn't mean they really hate it, and it certainly doesn't mean you're welcome to hate it, either, because you're a newcomer. Nor does it mean you'll earn their respect by professing to love the area because, by proclaiming your complete and undying love for the area, you've conclusively demonstrated you don't know - and probably will never learn - the local rules of engagement.
If that's a correct diagnosis of how a fair number of Pittsburgh feel about their town, the best way to earn their trust is to quietly demonstrate over time that you think it's actually OK, or even more than OK.
Of course, sometimes people who profess to hate an area just have a totally off-the-charts, irrational, emotional, "get-out-of-my-way-before-I-get-really-angry" hatred of an area. Kind of how you go on about NoVa all the time, to be honest. The kind of hair-trigger venting that makes most of the guests at the virtual dinner table roll their eyes. But my guess is that this isn't how many of the so-called Pittsburgh "haters" actually feel about their town.
Don't expect everything you want to happen overnight, or you're going to set yourself up for disappointment, and then you'll be typecasting blue collar folks in Pittsburgh just like you did white collar people in NoVa. The holiday party you described sounds like a gathering where a bunch of people who know each other, but may not have seen each other recently, saw an opportunity to catch up. That happens all the time in all sorts of settings and leaves some folks inadvertently feeling a bit excluded. It wasn't an official "Welcome RR to Paradise" party, and you'll be more familiar to at least some of them next time around.
Please don't put words in my mouth. I didn't intend for tonight to be "all about me" via a "Welcome RR to Paradise Party". I'm just saying that I was taken aback by the lack of formal socialization skills so many here tonight did exhibit (and, no, one need not be college-educated or white-collar in order to not be rude, as many of those types, too, are just as guilty). On Tuesday I am the "glue" that is bringing my one friend from Highland Park, her friends from Shadyside (whom I've met), my prospective better half, and his friends from Shadyside (whom I've met) together to expand all of our social networks via karaoke. I plan to do so with tact and will introduce everyone to everyone and make sure things go well so we all have a good time. You mean to tell me you wouldn't have felt akward if you kept trying to introduce yourself to people only to have them instantly wander away mid-sentence to talk to others while pretending like you were never even there? As I said it was like dangling various shiny objects in front of toddlers and watching them ricochet mindlessly from object to object. I'm single, so I didn't have the luxury of having anyone else accompanying me. I ended up awkwardly texting most of the time by myself before going home, where I now sit. There's a potluck dinner at the rec. center near me on Tuesday evening. I'm going to show up there with a dish, try introducing myself again, and I'm going to hope that there won't be a side dish of "cold shoulder" or I'll be leaving again.
The white-collar folks in NoVA did deserve my typecasting because I found it to be reprehensible that so many would put themselves and their own interests---financially, vocationally, educationally, etc.---above everyone else around them. Many were career-obsessed---not "career-minded". I had one person who colluded to harm me internally tell me he'd do what he did again if he thought it would get him ahead in life. They used the excuse of being "too tired from commuting" to justify coldness in public. I can recall unpleasantness on that sub-forum when I ground the ax for so few returning my pleasantries and greetings when I'd go running because some people were "too busy" (supposedly legitimately) to return those greetings. The fact that people think they are too busy/too important to just say freakin' "Good morning", even with a fake-smile, to a passer-by who offered it to them first, didn't give me a good impression of NoVA's white-collars. I'm not going to mug or rape you if you say "Good morning" to me as I run by you soaked in sweat.
Perhaps this is just indicative of a larger societal trend where people are losing the art of formal socialization and communication because they have become too dependent upon technology? In NoVA I would become disgusted at the number of people who'd whip out their fancy Smartphones and start texting/Facebooking/e-mailing/"checking in", etc. a storm while waiting for food to arrive, completely oblivious to the people around them who were hoping to socialize. I WILL have a bad impression of you if I say "Good morning" to you and you don't return the greeting (don't lie and tell me THAT many people in NoVA were either deaf, non-English-speaking, or mute). Humans are progressively becoming more and more di-s--t---a----n-----t from one another. As technology gets "smarter", we're getting dumber. I don't like that. The fact that the old "art" of "CATHY: Hey Judy! Nice to see you! This is Paul. He just moved in down the block" followed by "JUDY: Hi Paul! Nice to meet you!" is now lost on our society doesn't concern anyone besides myself, apparently? Surely I'm not the ONLY one who still does that in social settings?
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Originally Posted by JEB77
And easy does it on the neighborhood beautification projects!! Taking pride in your own property and helping out neighbors is likely to be appreciated, but picking up too much of other people's junk or cleaning up near their part of the sidewalk may send a not-so-subtle signal that you basically think they are a public nuisance. If your new neighbors think you have an agenda to gentrify their neighborhood, and make it all pretty for the next batch of RRs to hit Polish Hill, my bet is that you'll really find out what a cold shoulder feels like.
If there's litter adorning public right-of-ways you can bet that I'm going to be out there with a trash bag and some gloves to dispose of it properly. Ditto raking leaves, pulling weeds, sweeping sediment along the roadsides, etc. Polish Hill is a geographically compact neighborhood, and one person could make one hell of a difference in just one full-day's effort. Implying that someone should keep the neighborhood looking unkempt just because some of the "old guard" that wants to hold the city back may feel "threatened" or "offended" by his or her altruistic efforts to improve the community isn't something I'm going to agree with. You can either adapt to change, or you can become part of history. I don't see any "charm" in stepping over a broken beer bottle en route to work Downtown or seeing a catch basin half-clogged with old leaves. If God gave me two arms, two legs, and a healthy disposition, then by golly I'm going to utilize those assets to my fullest ability. I wonder how many people actually WALK places the way I do? I wonder how many people who regularly use the 28th Street Bridge as a shortcut realize that the concrete has worn away on it to the rebar in many alarming spots? If you traverse the city on foot, then you can see the problems that those who only drive/bus may miss.
There's a difference between "gentrifying" (which can push established residents out of their long-held homesteads as they are priced out) and "maintenance" (which SHOULD be done very regularly to show that you have pride in where you live and that you aren't a slob). I don't want to see a Starbuck's and a Benihana open in Polish Hill. In fact, if that happened I'd move to McKees Rocks! We have a few independent businesses, and they are great! We don't need fashionable lofts or condos. What we DO need is to identify what we currently have and figure out how to make it shine. Perhaps I'm just arriving in the city at its bleakest point of the year, but I just have this strong "itch" to sweep, weed-pull, pluck litter, etc. right now (sadly, though, the weather hasn't been cooperating). I LOVE the look and feel of this neighborhood, especially how it is all oriented around our massive church, but instead of looking weathered it can look well-polished (WITHOUT losing its charm or becoming "yuppified"). I don't want to bring gentrification to Polish Hill. I just want to make the neighborhood, in its current state, perfect.
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Originally Posted by JEB77
Listen to Alleghenyangel. Slow and steady sometimes wins the race.
Pittsburgh has been in steep decline for generations. When are we supposed to finally stop the "slow and steady..." outlook and identify that tough decisions need to be made and changes need to occur to make things better? When the city embarrassingly drops below the 300,000 mark in population? My native Scranton was overrun by armchair-quarterbacking Debbie Downer naysayers, and now look where it is now---highest unemployment rate in the state, rising crime, red ink, rapidly-declining population, a population that is averse towards higher education, increasing blight, etc. Pittsburgh doesn't have to be Scranton, Flint, Youngstown, Gary, Camden, etc. Likewise it doesn't have to be Boulder, Arlington, Bethesda, Ithaca, Minneapolis, Seattle, etc. It can just be Pittsburgh; however, why is it such a "crime" to NOT want to stare at weeds, litter, piles of gunk lining the streets, etc.? I AM going to get my push-broom and start sweeping the roadsides. I'm going to start pulling weeds. I'm going to start picking up litter. I'm going to make a push for a community garden. I would even think a little bronze pierogi statue somewhere in the neighborhood would be cute. I'd like to see the decaying old school building behind the church (along Paulowna Street) renovated into low-income housing for the elderly. I'm going to really try to make this neighborhood a place where the "old guard" can see is finally back to its heyday glory. If that's so "bad", then TOO BAD. I do NOT want to see Pittsburgh devolve itself into Scranton when it is already light years ahead of it. Scranton is EXACTLY what happens when you give those averse to change power.
I've always understood that the Scotch-Irish influence was substantial in Pittsburgh; if that's the case, you need to rethink what the local "hating" really means before you graciously extend an invitation to long-time residents to "move the hell out."
If you don't want to see your neighborhood succeed, then what value do you serve other than being an impediment to progress? "Moving forward" doesn't necessarily mean turning Brereton Street into the next Walnut Street in Shadyside or Murray Avenue in Squirrel Hill. Advancing one's neighborhood could be as simple as picking up an errant cigarette butt. The latter is what I'm talking about. If doing so "threatens" people, then I make no apologies for that because wanting to keep litter and grime around to keep housing prices depressed is very selfish towards your neighborhood and city at-large. I dare someone to try picking a fight with me if they see me cleaning out catch basins or sweeping a sidewalk near city-owned property. I truly do triple-dog-dare them.
Everyone should want to serve as a "goodwill ambassador" for their neighborhood. I have done nothing but uptalk Polish Hill AND Pittsburgh on my Facebook for a while now, and it's working. Another friend of mine tonight sent me a private message on Facebook saying he's planning to move to transfer to another Federal agency and move to the city in Spring 2011 after seeing how positive my transition has been (I know this may surprise you and the other NoVA cheerleaders, but there are a TON of "silent" people who have sent me DMs on here or who have otherwise reached out to me to let me know they agree with my assessments of NoVA but are too afraid to chime in). If every resident of Pittsburgh was this extraverted, passionate, and "excited" about where they lived, then instead of crumbling (yet beautiful) homes they'd all be lovingly restored. Small businesses (like that hardware store on East Carson in the South Side) wouldn't be closing due to lack of business. The city wouldn't always be in dire financial straits due to having to pay for adequate services with an inadequate tax base. The city could be repopulated, yet it wouldn't have to become congested and it wouldn't have to become "yuppified." I would NEVER want Pittsburgh to become a large version of Reston or Clarendon.
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Originally Posted by JEB77
Sometimes people who've lived in an area for a long time and actually like it still purport to hate it, as a defensive mechanism. If they say they hate it first, they can protect themselves against others, particularly outsiders, who might otherwise beat them to the punch. That doesn't mean they really hate it, and it certainly doesn't mean you're welcome to hate it, either, because you're a newcomer. Nor does it mean you'll earn their respect by professing to love the area because, by proclaiming your complete and undying love for the area, you've conclusively demonstrated you don't know - and probably will never learn - the local rules of engagement.
I don't follow this at all, nor do I see the value in why I should play into this "game" of passive/aggressiveness regarding my city or neighborhood. The "old-timers" can kvetch about their neighborhood, say they hate it, but really love it when the time comes to protect it from we rabble-rousing "outsiders", who, ironically, are not allowed to speak ill of it due to some silent and unspoken "rule" dependent upon a sliding scale of longevity? That sounds a lot like Scranton, and we all know how well Scranton is (or isn't) doing right now on various fronts due to these insular mind games. It sounds like a sheer waste of time to pretend I hate a place I love, just as it was gut-wrenching to pretend I loved an area I hated (NoVA) just for the sake of hoping to fit in. Isn't it counterproductive to go against your values?
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Originally Posted by JEB77
If that's a correct diagnosis of how a fair number of Pittsburgh feel about their town, the best way to earn their trust is to quietly demonstrate over time that you think it's actually OK, or even more than OK.
I refuse to curb my enthusiasm. Sorry. Nobody knocks Normie for being so "rah rah NoVA", do they? Why should I get knocked for being "rah rah Pittsburgh?" Normie loves NoVA, and she garners people's respect for her solid and firm commitment to enhance its image and further its status. Why is it not "okay" for me to do the same with Pittsburgh? Normie loves NoVA. I don't. I love Pittsburgh. Apparently others don't. If you're telling me I'm going to always be the "odd-man-out" here for actually LIKING the place where I live, then that's just the way I'll have to be, then. If Pittsburghers feel "threatened" by civic pride (that doesn't directly involve the Steelers), then I feel sorry for them. They have a LOT to be proud of.
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Originally Posted by JEB77
Of course, sometimes people who profess to hate an area just have a totally off-the-charts, irrational, emotional, "get-out-of-my-way-before-I-get-really-angry" hatred of an area. Kind of how you go on about NoVa all the time, to be honest. The kind of hair-trigger venting that makes everyone at the virtual dinner table roll their eyes. But my guess is that this isn't how many of the so-called Pittsburgh "haters" actually feel about their town.
We get it ad nauseum already. You and several other NoVA boosters have been posting on here to try to deflate my affinity for Pittsburgh because you all still resent the fact that I could never "love" NoVA the same way you all did and engaged in so many arguments/debates on that sub-forum. Different strokes for different folks. I didn't like NoVA, and nobody was going to be able to convince me otherwise. Instead of being a hypocrite, living in an area I hated for no logical reason while bashing it mercilessly, I moved, which should have delighted you all, as I'm now going to be RARELY posting on that sub-forum, giving it back to the cheerleaders. Fern is moving to Maine. Alan moved to Kentucky. Others who sent me DMs are moving out, too. I could no longer withstand living in an area that would spend a half-billion dollars to subsidize sprawl in exurbs like Gainesville while inner suburban transit needs went by the wayside due to "lack of funding"---talk about idiotic macroeconomic priorities to give preference to building out vs. building up (very characteristic of a "red" state to favor new development over reinvestment in existing infrastructure). I encourage those in Pittsburgh to do the same and leave if their heart is no longer here, for the sake of their own health and those around them. Is it difficult? You betcha. Is it possible? Yes. I did it. I left friends behind. Guess what? I've made new friends. I was always searching for love in NoVA, but I never found it. I've found it here. I left a mind-numbing and unsatisfying job that was commensurate with my degree, but I'm confident I'll be at least underemployed here to enough of a degree where I'll be able to sustain myself. I left an area replete with chain restaurants and cul-de-sacs (and little else) and came to an area that has not only those but also square mile after square mile of uniqueness, charm, soul, and character (without the DC/Old Town/North Arlington yuppified sticker shock).
. The city could be repopulated, yet it wouldn't have to become congested and it wouldn't have to become "yuppified." I would NEVER want Pittsburgh to become a large version of Reston or Clarendon.
Here's the problem. People associate the Starbucks/Gap/Yoga Center/ Whole Foods yuppie stuff, and pricey upscale condos, with healthy neighborhoods. There are a lot of yuppies who would not consider living in a neighborhood that didn't have the sense of "I can walk and get a frappucino, dressed to the nines, and live the rich beautiful life." Blue collar neighborhoods aren't necessarily conducive to this status-quo, keeping up with the Joneses, lifestyle. You could NEVER intimidate or outclass your friends by living in Braddock or Homestead or Allentown. That is the primary reason these places aren't popular -- the stigma, the snobbery, the sheep syndrome.
The sad thing is that neighborhoods only gentrify in Pittsburgh when the yuppie Starbucks/ Gap/ Yoga Center/ Whole Foods franchises, and upscale condos, are added. Look at downtown. Look at East Liberty. Look at the South Side Works. There is a belief that the only neighborhoods worth investing or living in or fixing up are the ones with modern upscale developments-- catered to the rich and upper middle class. There are a few exceptions -- Lawrenceville, West Deutschtown, and to an extent the Strip District (although the strip has relied on the upscale condo and apartment element).
Take neighborhoods like Bellevue or Crafton, for example. These are gorgeous neighborhoods that still have very affordable homes. You never hear these neighborhoods recommended to new Pittsburghers, though, because they aren't "yuppified" like the East End.
Last edited by PreservationPioneer; 12-03-2010 at 09:22 PM..
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That's a plus too. 
