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I moved out here to Casper, WY from Edison, NJ about 4 years ago... August 2006, to be exact. So far I've liked it... but I realized real soon that the isolation of this town is really killing me.
Casper just gives me, what can only be described best as "Island fever". But not exactly. My main complaints about Casper, is there really is very little to do unless your REALLY into the outdoors. Thing is, it's pretty cold most of the year... and I hate being out in the cold.
Another complaint about this area, is it's just too far from my hometown where my parents, sisters and nephews live. Flights from Casper to Newark can be pretty expensive, since they involve switching planes (No direct flights there).
Yet another complaint, is... well I'm a 27 year old single guy.... and I do use online dating services... but I've found there are VERY few listings for single women in my area. This makes me have to seek women from farther away... and usually most women aren't keen on the idea of dating a guy from 300 miles away, when they can date a guy down the street (assuming they live in Denver, for instance). Also in this town, there just aren't very many venues for meeting single women. So this leaves me in a near-hopeless situation, where I end up going on dates... at most 2 times a year... IF I'm lucky.
Another issue, is the job market. While the job market here is pretty decent.... the diversity of jobs is terrible. It's a great market if your a welder, work in fabrication, repair, oilfield worker, mechanic, etc... basically it's a town for "tradesmen" and various other heavy industry types. But if you work in any other types of jobs... forget about it.
I just recently got my EMT-B certification, have had lots of experience in the private security field, and also work as a field inspector/contractor for financial institutions/data furnishers. My contract work isn't very steady at all, and pretty slim. It's just barely enough to live off of. There are no jobs in security really... and the only employer of EMTs (and not Firefighter/EMTs) is the Hospital.... and they aint hiring. So hopefully Pittsburgh's scenario is better.
These are the reasons Pittsburgh attracts me...
-Pittsburgh area has lots of cheap housing in the vicinity, many of it quite suburban and even rural in some cases.
-Pittsburgh's economy is quite stable, and is dealing with this recession much better than the rest of PA.
-Pittsburgh's economy is likely more diverse, with an accompanying job diversity.
-Pittsburgh, (obviously) is much closer to my family than my current location. This means I can see them much more frequently and with less travel expenses involved.
-More people = More women, more chances to get out and date more.
My questions are...
1. How likely is it that I can find an EMT job as an EMT-Basic in the Pittsburgh area?
2. What is the nightlife like in Pittsburgh? Is there lots to do? Are there many venues for singles?
3. I've seen on Wikipedia and other sources... that Pittsburgh's population is steadily in decline since the about 1950s. Is this trend continuing? I would hate to move somewhere that is going to end up becoming a Ghost city.
4. Property Taxes - I've heard people say to stay out of Allegheny county, since property taxes are astronomical compared to surrounding counties. However, this doesn't seem to be the case when I look things up on Zillow.
5. My budget for a home is anywhere from $30k-$60K. I have seen many houses in and around Pittsburgh within that budget... many of which seem very nice. Is there something I'm missing here? Or are houses in Pittsburgh Metropolitan area just... really low?
6. What are your average electric bills like? Heating bills (with balanced billing)? Water/Sewage/Trash-pickup? House insurance?
7. How bad are the winters usually? Is milder than NJ? Worse than NJ?
Last edited by JackC83; 12-26-2010 at 07:17 PM..
Reason: clarification
-Pittsburgh area has lots of cheap housing in the vicinity, many of it quite suburban and even rural in some cases.
Pittsburgh most definitely does have an extremely affordable housing stock. I was actually considering purchasing my first home in the Mt. Washington neighborhood of the city back in November for $45,000 at age 23. Sure, it needed cosmetic updates and a bit of TLC, but the "bones" were good, it had a ton of character, and it oozed curb appeal. You can find many great homes here for under $100,000.
Quote:
Originally Posted by JackC83
-Pittsburgh's economy is quite stable, and is dealing with this recession much better than the rest of PA.
I quit my lucrative job in Northern Virginia and moved cold-turkey to Pittsburgh on a whim to pursue my dreams. In just a few weeks I had two job offers, four job interviews, and had to turn down a few more interviews. There are tons of positions available in many fields in Pittsburgh for those who apply themselves and who don't consider themselves to be "above" some jobs. Granted I was earning a $50,000 salary in Northern Virginia, but given the cost-of-living disparity my standard of living has stayed reasonably near the same here while I earn roughly half as much.
Quote:
Originally Posted by JackC83
-Pittsburgh's economy is likely more diverse, with an accompanying job diversity.
Yes. Over 1/3 of city residents now possess at least a Bachelor's Degree, and, as such, the economy has been diversified. In addition to being a blue-collar powerhouse there are many opportunities here in higher education, health care, engineering, and even robotics. There are also many finance/accounting opportunities. Major employers such as Bank of NY Mellon, PNC Financial Services, and Federated Investments are often hiring.
Quote:
Originally Posted by JackC83
-Pittsburgh, (obviously) is much closer to my family than my current location. This means I can see them much more frequently and with less travel expenses involved.
Agreed. You can take Route 22 East to I-99 North to I-80 East right to Newark. This would probably be about a 6-hour drive. I can guarantee that Pittsburgh has easier air access to other areas than Casper.
Quote:
Originally Posted by JackC83
-More people = More women, more chances to get out and date more.
I can certainly say I've ratcheted up on the "dating desirability" scale since moving to Pittsburgh from Northern Virginia. I now have a partner after being alone for years.
Quote:
Originally Posted by JackC83
1. How likely is it that I can find an EMT job as an EMT-Basic in the Pittsburgh area?
Given the geriatric population here as well as the seemingly very high number of car accidents in the suburbs I would have to presume that job stability for EMT's would be pretty solid.
Quote:
Originally Posted by JackC83
2. What is the nightlife like in Pittsburgh? Is there lots to do? Are there many venues for singles?
The main drag for nightlife is Carson Street in South Side Flats. Station Square has some venues. I've never been bored here.
Quote:
Originally Posted by JackC83
3. I've seen on Wikipedia and other sources... that Pittsburgh's population is steadily in decline since the about 1950s. Is this trend continuing? I would hate to move somewhere that is going to end up becoming a Ghost city.
There are various factors that led to the decline, but I'm happy to report that the population loss seems to finally be bottoming out. Allegheny County is estimated to have grown in population from 2008 to 2009, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey. The first "whammy" to hit Greater Pittsburgh was the collapse of the steel industry. The economy took a while to recover, and during that time the area hemmoraged many people. More people are now looking to Pittsburgh as a cheap "big city". I moved here from the DC area because the Steel City offers all the amenities of a large city with a fraction of the price tag and congestion. I've been very happy here. You can also blame the suburbs for bleeding the city dry of its upper-middle-class whites who are afraid of the blacks. You can go to Fox Chapel and feel like you're in a Grey Poupon commercial or go to Homewood and fear for your life (as I literally did the other day while making a delivery to a housing project where I was threatened). After that experience I can see why nobody ever wants to deliver anything to Homewood---what a ghetto!
Quote:
Originally Posted by JackC83
4. Property Taxes - I've heard people say to stay out of Allegheny county, since property taxes are astronomical compared to surrounding counties. However, this doesn't seem to be the case when I look things up on Zillow.
I don't know where people get off whining about "astronomical taxes" here. Compared to where I grew up and adjacent areas of NJ and NY Pittsburgh's burden is much lower.
Quote:
Originally Posted by JackC83
5. My budget for a home is anywhere from $30k-$60K. I have seen many houses in and around Pittsburgh within that budget... many of which seem very nice. Is there something I'm missing here? Or are houses in Pittsburgh Metropolitan area just... really low?
Most homes in that range will require cosmetic updating, at the very least. I looked at homes in that range, and most were owned by recently-deceased elderly homeowners who were unable to financially swing maintaining their homes properly over the years but who were also too stubborn to move into nursing homes where they belonged if they could no longer upkeep their properties.
Quote:
Originally Posted by JackC83
6. What are your average electric bills like? Heating bills (with balanced billing)? Water/Sewage/Trash-pickup? House insurance?
Unsure as of yet.
Quote:
Originally Posted by JackC83
7. How bad are the winters usually? Is milder than NJ? Worse than NJ?
I'd say our temperatures seem to be cooler than NJ in the winter, as NJ is moderated a bit by the ocean. We also tend to miss many major coastal storms. For example, Atlantic City currently has about two feet of snow while I've had about an inch the past day or so here in the city. As a snow lover this is frustrating! We do get frequent lake-effect snow showers blowing down from Lake Erie, although areas to the north of the city tend to be hit the hardest.
-Pittsburgh area has lots of cheap housing in the vicinity, many of it quite suburban and even rural in some cases.
-Pittsburgh's economy is quite stable, and is dealing with this recession much better than the rest of PA.
-Pittsburgh's economy is likely more diverse, with an accompanying job diversity.
-Pittsburgh, (obviously) is much closer to my family than my current location. This means I can see them much more frequently and with less travel expenses involved.
Can't give you any advice but I just wanted to say good luck to you. I'm in a very similar situation. Very interested in Pittsburgh for the proximity to family (but not too close ), a large suburban/rural area manageably close to an eclectic downtown...and professional sports. Hope you have a successful transition if you choose to take the plunge.
Another cool thing about Pittsburgh... is that were I to move there, I'm likely going to get a lot of free furniture.
Since my sister is getting married pretty soon, she will be letting me have her old bed, tv, entertainment center, dressers/drawers, etc... that was all left behind at mom's house. Also my parents have updated lots of furniture around their home, and have lots of furniture they barely ever use anymore and would let me use. That doesn't even take into consideration my extended family that lives in NJ, that might be willing to donate a few pieces of unused furniture. In other words, I'd be able to furnish my newly purchased home and only have to pay for transportation costs =).
Another thing that is very awesome about living in Pittsburgh... is that I also have a dog. When I fly out of Casper, I also have to either 1. Pay to have my dog boarded at $10/day. 2. Pay to have my dog on the flight. This easily adds $100-$120 to my travel expense. Were I to live in Pittsburgh, since I'd be DRIVING to visit family, I could bring my dog along with me...
Also... were I to want to travel.... I could just drive to Edison NJ, let my parents watch my dog, and fly out of EWR.
So moving to Pittsburgh would really seem to be a real increase in my quality of life.
Someone different. This is off-topic, but I took the advice of others in the "turtle dove" thread and decided I couldn't "force" someone to like me. I had an AMAZING date yesterday---movies, Hokkaido buffet, casino, cuddling, etc.
What is Hokkaido?
What is the "turtle dove" thread? I'm new here... this was actually my first thread here.
Also... what did you mean by increased your "dating desirability"... care to elaborate what you mean?
Also... I'm curious... are there any good Indian restaurants in and around Pittsburgh?
Last edited by JackC83; 12-26-2010 at 08:43 PM..
Reason: edit
What is Hokkaido?
What is the "turtle dove" thread? I'm new here... this was actually my first thread here.
Also... what did you mean by increased your "dating desirability"... care to elaborate what you mean?
Also... I'm curious... are there any good Indian restaurants in and around Pittsburgh?
I like Tamarind, which has three locations. I go to the one on Craig Street. When my friend who loves Indian food comes to town, this is where we go. Tamarind
I've only eaten once at Prince of India, and it was the lunch buffet, so I probably shouldn't judge it so harshly, but I didn't like it. It wasn't bad, just boring. It's in Oakland, right between Pitt and the hospitals. Prince of India Restaurant & Tavern - Google Maps
Hokkaido is a Chinese seafood buffet on the way to the Waterfront from Squirrel Hill. It's a buffet, and I don't think restaurants put their best stuff out on their buffets. Lots of people like it, though. Hokkaido Seafood Buffet--Largest seafood buffet in Pittsburgh.
It's a great Asian-themed seafood buffet located in the Hazelwood section of the city near IHOP.
Quote:
Originally Posted by JackC83
What is the "turtle dove" thread? I'm new here... this was actually my first thread here.
(Dodging Yac for veering more off-topic). I had been trying to "court" a guy the old-fashioned way for approximately two months. I wanted him as my better half, yet he only seemed to view me as a friend with benefits. I was watching Home Alone 2: Lost in New York the other evening and saw the skit where Macaulay Culkin's character is offered two turtle dove ornaments and instructed to keep one for himself and give one to someone special because as long as one each possessed one of the turtle doves they'd be close forever. I posted a thread to see where I could find these ornaments here in Pittsburgh, hoping to give them to him as a gift for the same reason, but another moderator decided it was off-topic for the sub-forum and closed the thread.
Quote:
Originally Posted by JackC83
Also... what did you mean by increased your "dating desirability"... care to elaborate what you mean?
In Northern Virginia there were tons of singles, but most were pretty on the exterior while being downright hideous on the interior. Many singles in NoVA were smart, fit, sexy, etc., but many were also very selfish, ill-mannered, sex-obsessed, and hurtful. I was never good enough for anyone down there. Up here in Pittsburgh I've been viewed much more favorably. I'm not "beneath" everyone here the way I was down there.
Quote:
Originally Posted by JackC83
Also... I'm curious... are there any good Indian restaurants in and around Pittsburgh?
Pittsburgh most definitely does have an extremely affordable housing stock. I was actually considering purchasing my first home in the Mt. Washington neighborhood of the city back in November for $45,000 at age 23. Sure, it needed cosmetic updates and a bit of TLC, but the "bones" were good, it had a ton of character, and it oozed curb appeal. You can find many great homes here for under $100,000.
I quit my lucrative job in Northern Virginia and moved cold-turkey to Pittsburgh on a whim to pursue my dreams. In just a few weeks I had two job offers, four job interviews, and had to turn down a few more interviews. There are tons of positions available in many fields in Pittsburgh for those who apply themselves and who don't consider themselves to be "above" some jobs. Granted I was earning a $50,000 salary in Northern Virginia, but given the cost-of-living disparity my standard of living has stayed reasonably near the same here while I earn roughly half as much.
Yes. Over 1/3 of city residents now possess at least a Bachelor's Degree, and, as such, the economy has been diversified. In addition to being a blue-collar powerhouse there are many opportunities here in higher education, health care, engineering, and even robotics. There are also many finance/accounting opportunities. Major employers such as Bank of NY Mellon, PNC Financial Services, and Federated Investments are often hiring.
Agreed. You can take Route 22 East to I-99 North to I-80 East right to Newark. This would probably be about a 6-hour drive. I can guarantee that Pittsburgh has easier air access to other areas than Casper.
I can certainly say I've ratcheted up on the "dating desirability" scale since moving to Pittsburgh from Northern Virginia. I now have a partner after being alone for years.
Given the geriatric population here as well as the seemingly very high number of car accidents in the suburbs I would have to presume that job stability for EMT's would be pretty solid.
The main drag for nightlife is Carson Street in South Side Flats. Station Square has some venues. I've never been bored here.
There are various factors that led to the decline, but I'm happy to report that the population loss seems to finally be bottoming out. Allegheny County is estimated to have grown in population from 2008 to 2009, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey. The first "whammy" to hit Greater Pittsburgh was the collapse of the steel industry. The economy took a while to recover, and during that time the area hemmoraged many people. More people are now looking to Pittsburgh as a cheap "big city". I moved here from the DC area because the Steel City offers all the amenities of a large city with a fraction of the price tag and congestion. I've been very happy here. You can also blame the suburbs for bleeding the city dry of its upper-middle-class whites who are afraid of the blacks. You can go to Fox Chapel and feel like you're in a Grey Poupon commercial or go to Homewood and fear for your life (as I literally did the other day while making a delivery to a housing project where I was threatened). After that experience I can see why nobody ever wants to deliver anything to Homewood---what a ghetto!
I don't know where people get off whining about "astronomical taxes" here. Compared to where I grew up and adjacent areas of NJ and NY Pittsburgh's burden is much lower.
Most homes in that range will require cosmetic updating, at the very least. I looked at homes in that range, and most were owned by recently-deceased elderly homeowners who were unable to financially swing maintaining their homes properly over the years but who were also too stubborn to move into nursing homes where they belonged if they could no longer upkeep their properties.
Unsure as of yet.
I'd say our temperatures seem to be cooler than NJ in the winter, as NJ is moderated a bit by the ocean. We also tend to miss many major coastal storms. For example, Atlantic City currently has about two feet of snow while I've had about an inch the past day or so here in the city. As a snow lover this is frustrating! We do get frequent lake-effect snow showers blowing down from Lake Erie, although areas to the north of the city tend to be hit the hardest.
Nah , there about the same. As for the snow you get more in the Burgh then NJ due to the lake affect squalls blowing down. You also get western snow storms which can be 3x the size of a Noreaster. Wind Chills are worse in the burgh then NJ due to Canada being so close.
Someone different. This is off-topic, but I took the advice of others in the "turtle dove" thread and decided I couldn't "force" someone to like me. I had an AMAZING date yesterday---movies, Hokkaido buffet, casino, cuddling, etc.
Glad to hear that!
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), a large suburban/rural area manageably close to an eclectic downtown...and professional sports. Hope you have a successful transition if you choose to take the plunge.
