Things we hate about Pittsburgh. (Philadelphia, Washington: commuting, metro area, area)

[Copanut]

Originally Posted by h_curtis

Not my cup of tea, but I figured someone might learn something from my intellect.

Don't break your arm.

[feanix]

Originally Posted by h_curtis

Would be hard pressed to think of anything at the moment. Steelers are winning, Pens are winning, beautiful snow on the slopes. Paradise. Of course for some it would be horrible. I would tell those people that are always miserable to move, but I am old enough to know that no matter where they live, they will always be miserable. I am also old enough to know that some are happiest in their own misery. Therefore, I am sure some live for a thread like this. Not my cup of tea, but I figured someone might learn something from my intellect.

Enjoy all!

Stereotyping isn't necessarily a sign of intelligence.

[gg]

Originally Posted by feanix

Stereotyping isn't necessarily a sign of intelligence.

There is a difference in stereotyping and observing. My observations seem to prove my statement. Watch the same people that are always negative or somehow put a negative spin on anything they can get their hands on. My statements were in hopes of helping those out that are lost in a negative world. Futile I know, but I had to try.

[feanix]

Originally Posted by h_curtis

There is a difference in stereotyping and observing. My observations seem to prove my statement. Watch the same people that are always negative or somehow put a negative spin on anything they can get their hands on. My statements were in hopes of helping those out that are lost in a negative world. Futile I know, but I had to try.

Observing indicates you are open to also learn from what you are observing so you must acknowledge it is possible to fit the criteria, move, and no longer fit that criteria. I'm not against stereotyping, I think it's actually quite practical, just that it's not always applicable and has to allow for an exception.

I was miserable in Pittsburgh. For years. I rarely had a kind thing to say about the city. I moved. I am happy. In the same quantity and quality as you are. Happy to a degree that I am finally able to see the city without that constant cloud of miserableness hanging over my head. It doesn't mean I still don't remember the negative things, but now I can balance it out.

I don't know why so many have issue with a negative (or positive) thread. I think they both have their place, but I have observed () there is often a condescending tone that is hard to miss in the negative threads. I guess negative threads don't just attract the negative out of negative folks but it attracts the negativity out of even those who claim positivity, optimism, and 1/2 full glass kind of folks. Personally I think I try to be positive but fact is I'm a pretty good mix of both so I tend to feel at home in either scenario. Not necessarily a complimentary view of myself, but hey, I'm a work in progress.

At the end of the day if we really want to help others, we should focus on saving one's self from our own limitations. (and that includes me in that statement...)

[Steelers10]

Originally Posted by h_curtis

I am not really going to read this thread, but will ad what I feel is my least favorite thing about Pittsburgh. Litter! There are two huge sources of litter in Pittsburgh. People that drive pickup trucks and throw things in the back like cans and whatever thinking that isn't littering. Then the pickup drives down the road and it blows out. I see it all the time. The second largest polluter are black people. Just drive up Negley Run Road and look at those back yards. Then drive into East Liberty and just see all the litter blowing around. It is amazing how they can live like that, but for some reason it is considered exceptable. Not sure why?

This is quite an odd comment. Pittsburgh is often considered the capital of Appalachia and is really the only metropolis of Appalachia. The term "Appalachia" is often met with derision because of the stereotypes of coal slag heaps, abandoned...well everything, and toothless people with poor grammar (see above). However, one characteristic of note is that Appalachia (including Pittsburgh) is not exactly a bastion of black people. Is there any metro area in Appalachia, including Pittsburgh, that is even 10% black?

There is a lot of filth in Pittsburgh but it never quite occurred to me that it was even a racial issue. If you drive around the region and can somehow pin the filth even secondarily on the black inner-city of Pittsburgh (which is where the vast majority of blacks in all of Appalachia live from north central PA down to West Virginia) I think your problems of hatred go beyond just Pittsburgh and it's physical environs. I just find the above comment infinitely interesting.

[Craziaskowboi]

The Pittsburgh MSA is 12% black.

[Steelers10]

Originally Posted by Gnutella

The Pittsburgh MSA is 12% black.

Actually it is Allegheny County that is 12% black. The incorporated city of Pittsburgh (which lies in Allegheny County) is 27% black. But remember, three times as many Allegheny County residents live outside of incorporated Pittsburgh than within. Accordingly, the Pittsburgh MSA is only 8% black.

Pittsburgh is the only large metro area in Appalachia thus the only place I have seen in Appalachia with a large black inner-city area. Once again, I find the previous comment interesting that someone would be racist enough to pinpoint the filth of the only notable black majority area in an entire physiographic province as opposed to just the general level of filth in the area.

[rhondee]

Originally Posted by feanix

I was miserable in Pittsburgh. For years. I rarely had a kind thing to say about the city. I moved. I am happy. In the same quantity and quality as you are. Happy to a degree that I am finally able to see the city without that constant cloud of miserableness hanging over my head. It doesn't mean I still don't remember the negative things, but now I can balance it out.

I don't know why so many have issue with a negative (or positive) thread. I think they both have their place, but I have observed () there is often a condescending tone that is hard to miss in the negative threads.

Your level of misery while living here could have been entirely due to the neighborhood you happened to live in while being here.
It would be interesting to see if your whole experience would have been different if you would have been able to live in the neighborhood of your choice in or around Pittsburgh. The whole city comparisons lose accuracy when opinion and experience are based on living in neighborhoods that wind up not being on a comparable level in the first place.

At any rate, I'm happy for you that your move turned out to be the right choice after all and that it is working out well for you.

I agree with your comment in regards to condescending attitudes accompanying the negativity.I suppose the motive for that is by adopting that attitude will help prevent opposition.
I certainly have beefs about living here but overall it has worked out well for me. It certainly doesn't mean I ,among others who have shared a more positive experience,walk around wearing rose tinted glasses.

[feanix]

Originally Posted by rhondee

Your level of misery while living here could have been entirely due to the neighborhood you happened to live in while being here.
It would be interesting to see if your whole experience would have been different if you would have been able to live in the neighborhood of your choice in or around Pittsburgh. The whole city comparisons lose accuracy when opinion and experience are based on living in neighborhoods that wind up not being on a comparable level in the first place.

At any rate, I'm happy for you that your move turned out to be the right choice after all and that it is working out well for you.

I agree with your comment in regards to condescending attitudes accompanying the negativity.I suppose the motive for that is by adopting that attitude will help prevent opposition.
I certainly have beefs about living here but overall it has worked out well for me. It certainly doesn't mean I ,among others who have shared a more positive experience,walk around wearing rose tinted glasses.

I lived in Penn Hills & McKees Rocks for a good portion of my years as a child and adult in Pittsburgh. I will say the neighborhood most definitely contributed to a more negative lean than positive, but it was much more than just my neighborhood. I also think that if I didn't have children to raise in these neighborhoods I would have likely been less affected. I don't want to paint the entire city based on my experience and much of what bothered me is not limited to Pittsburgh only. For me it was a combined effort that just wore me down over the years. Another contributor was my husband relocating to the city to be with me after growing up in Southern California. He was unhappy as well. He felt the city had a lot of ethnic and race prejudice much of what was said to him under the impression he was white. All of our combined annoyances just stacked up until even a beautiful skyline couldn't make either of us stomach another month.

I don't hate Pittsburgh. I think it's a beautiful city with much to offer. It just didn't offer it to me any longer. I actually enjoy seeing the city through another's eyes as it gives me another perspective that I enjoy whether negative or positive. I think the only time I ever find myself annoyed is whenever either side is fully discredited. No city is all great or all bad, but I think you and I likely have similiar views in this regard. I find myself hanging out in this forum because where I live now the forum is pretty quiet. There's not much to write about. Most people like it here, but some don't, and we're a lot smaller (150,000 abouts IIRC). We're a college town but there is so much to do IMO that makes it much more than just a college town. It's nice to go ice skating in the town square for $ 1.00 or $ 2.00 all day if you bring your own ice skates. To have no area in town that I feel unsafe in. To see the mountains when I step outside. To have a safe place to raise my kids that fits my income (which is really the biggest motivation) better than Pittsburgh did.

And just because I feel this way it doesn't discredit anything regarding the positive aspects Pittsburgh (nor does a million negative threads). None of what I say or someone else feels can take away from all the positive Pittsburgh offers thousands of other people. That's why I can't understand why negative threads, or someone having issues with Pittsburgh irritates anyone (or vice versa positive threads don't discredit negative experiences one has had). While I'm no longer there I have family and a son still in the burgh so it is still relative to me.

Thanks for the well wishes! I do love it here, but it's funny I have a neighbor who, coincidentally, moved here from Dormont, PA. She can't stand it here and can't wait to get back to Pittsburgh. She thinks it sucks here. So there ya go. What I consider paradise, she considers hell (and vice versa), and we've lived in both places, lol!!!

[gg]

Originally Posted by Gnutella

The Pittsburgh MSA is 12% black.

What is MSA?