My Top 5 Likes and Dislikes of the Burgh (Philadelphia, Pittsburgh: homes, neighborhood)

[gg]

One thing that is tough is the negative feel. Pittsburgh is doing pretty well and things are getting really quite good, but there are so many that still sing the blues. I guess that is a negative. On the positive, Pittsburgh seems to be attracting some businesses.

[SteelCityRising]

Originally Posted by jay5835

Does it? I've never perceived that there. I've never perceived a gayborhood (or its "feel") anywhere in Pgh, really.

5801 is probably Pittsburgh's busiest LGBT-oriented lounge/nightclub. I believe across the street and down a block (towards the intersection of Summerlea Street) is another gay-friendly bar. I've often seen same-sex couples holding hands on weekend evenings walking along this stretch of Ellsworth. My boyfriend, his gay roommate, and their somewhat bisexual roommate all live a block away on Alder Street. I'm aware of nearly a half-dozen other gays/lesbians who live in very close proximity as well. Perhaps "gayborhood" was too strong of a word, but it's in my opinion the gayest part of the gayest neighborhood of Pittsburgh (although I've heard the Mexican War Streets have a high concentration of LGBT individuals, as well as Lawrenceville and Regent Square).

Originally Posted by jay5835

That's just wrong. Even back in the '80s, Old Town always felt very rich, "rich" as in Upper East Side of New York, a feeling I've never picked up on in the War Streets.

I'm sorry. I should have elaborated that the architectural vibes are the same---old brick rowhomes and relatively narrow streets. Mexican War Streets are definitely middle-class whereas Old Town Alexandria is reserved for the affluent (or the house-poor wannabe affluent poseurs). It would be nice if Mexican War Streets had as many businesses as King Street in Old Town Alexandria.

Originally Posted by jay5835

Also try Wightman Street instead of Murray from Wilkins to the southern end of Wightman.

Yep. I forgot to mention this one. I have others as well (then again, if I share them publicly will they really be "shortcuts" anymore once everyone starts using them?)

Originally Posted by jay5835

It's especially idiotic this weekend. If they win tomorrow, going out will be insufferable until the Superbowl is over.
Maybe if you'd lived in DC, you'd've noticed Redskins fans a little more, but it was never anything like this. There's just so much more going on in DC, sports can only occupy a certain percentage of public imagination. Here, there's no limit.

I'm willing to tolerate it for the sake of bringing the city together; however, it's just irritating to me to have to pretend I'm in love with football when my two favorite sports---baseball and hockey---receive little love in return. People on here adamantly maintain that there are zillions of crazy Pens fans here, but all I see everywhere are Steelers fans hanging their tacky black and gold window curtains and their terrible towels. Where are these elusive Penguins nuts?

Originally Posted by jay5835

That's funny. I didn't really notice the litter. What bothered me visually when I first moved here were the electric and cable wiring going up and down the streets, and across streets, and up and down houses. I didn't know whether it was my neighborhood in particular (Dupont Circle), but I just hadn't noticed all those wires outside. Turned out they were mostly in alleys instead of on streets, and that close to the White House, the electricity must have been underground.

To be fair litter is apparently a Pennsylvania problem. My native Scranton/Wilkes-Barre had trash out the wazoo, too. It's worse in certain neighborhoods. Obviously the more affluent and upper-middle-class areas (Shadyside, Squirrel Hill, Highland Park, Friendship, Regent Square, Point Breeze, etc.) aren't too bad, but there's plenty of litter to be found in East Liberty, Homewood, the North Side, Polish Hill, the South Side, Mt. Washington, and other areas.

Back in Reston we had all underground utilities for aesthetic purposes, which was also nice to prevent power outages during inclement weather (whereas I've already experienced an overnight power outage here in Polish Hill and was nearly late for work). It wasn't "shocking" (get it? get it?) for me to see the mess of wires here in Pittsburgh because I grew up seeing them back in NEPA. Underground wiring would really improve Pittsburgh's visual appeal, but it's far too costly I'd imagine.

Originally Posted by jay5835

So many more grownups smoke here. Period.

That's still no excuse to be a pig. Use your in-car ashtray (or install your own). Empty the contents into the trash on occasion. The amount of cigarette butts on the roadsides here is obscene. I have no qualms if people wish to smoke, as I've always dated smokers, but why on Earth do smokers feel entitled to litter? Snuff your cigarette out and put it in your pocket.

Originally Posted by jay5835

Did you EVER get to DC?

Rarely. There wasn't rail service between Reston and DC due to the poor urban planning in NoVA. I could either drive in heavy traffic or take a bus to a train station. I'm aware you're talking about Wards 7 and 8 in SE DC, though.

Originally Posted by jay5835

But don't complain about the weather here. Or the Weather Kvetching Police will descend upon you.

Tell me about it. I love having four distinctive seasons, but where is the sun here? I guess I just moved here at the worst time of the year for Pittsburgh weather. If there's ALWAYS only one day of (partial) sunlight per week, as has been my experience so far, then I'm going to go crazy here.

Originally Posted by h_curtis

One thing that is tough is the negative feel. Pittsburgh is doing pretty well and things are getting really quite good, but there are so many that still sing the blues. I guess that is a negative. On the positive, Pittsburgh seems to be attracting some businesses.

People don't realize how good they have it here (hence the "boomerangs" that someone upthread referenced). The grass is always greener until you move to the coasts and get socked with outrageous housing prices, traffic congestion, status- and image-obsessed people, visually-unappealing sterile suburbia, etc. and then realize "Hey, Pittsburgh doesn't suck that much after all, does it?" I thought Scranton was nothing but a socially regressive pit where people were too resistant to change to ever let the area progress into something better. I left for the 'burbs of DC and soon realized how much poorer the quality-of-life was down there for those who aren't affluent and who don't think living across a highway from a big-box store and chain restaurants is "livin' the high life". People told me constantly how I'd never find a job here. I found a job very easily, and I'm in the process of securing a job in my field (at which point I hope to continue to work for my current employer on the weekends and/or one weekday if I can work a flex schedule at my office job).

[gg]

Reston, I don't know how you post like that? It is so direct. Cool!

[SteelCityRising]

Originally Posted by h_curtis

Reston, I don't know how you post like that? It is so direct. Cool!

It requires a little bit of copying-and-pasting, and it can be a little time-consuming, but I like being able to address someone's points individually like that. What you need to do is click "Quote" in the lower right-hand corner of a reply. When the text box comes up to start typing, you'll see something to the effect of:

Originally Posted by xxx

(Where that "xxx" is the person's screenname, and I believe the number after the semicolon is the reply chronologically on all of City-Data, which means there are over 17.5 MILLION replies on this forum right now!)

and

(This is generic and will be used all the time to close a reply).


Let's assume I type the following:

My name is RestonRunner86. I'm a jerk. My hair is from the 1990s.

To address each point individually you can click on the "Quote" button and then do this:

Originally Posted by RestonRunner86; (whatever that number happens to be---don't change it!)

My name is RestonRunner86.

Type whatever you want here to respond to that (i.e. "My name is h_curtis!")

Next?

Originally Posted by RestonRunner86; (that number again that will default here to give the reply #)

I'm a jerk.

Type whatever you'd like again here (i.e. "Yep").

Finally.

Originally Posted by RestonRunner86; (the number)

My hair is from the 1990s.

Type here (i.e. "Shave it off!")

[SteelCityRising]

^ Wow. I officially butchered that attempt at a tutorial! Sorry! Maybe somebody smarter than me like BrianTH or Yac can make it easier?

[Caladium]

Good explanation, RR. I use a slightly different approach that is easy (but maybe a little time consuming).

1. When you hit the quote button, what you get in the edit box looks like this:

[ _QUOTE=h_curtis;17534510_]Reston, I don't know how you post like that? It is so direct. Cool![_/QUOTE_]
(it won't have the underscores, I added them so you could see the code that you will see in the edit box.)

2. Highlight and copy it four or five times.

3. Go into each one and delete everything but the sentence you want to respond to. Make sure you do not delete these symbols [ and ]

4. Type your response after the part that looks like this /QUOTE]

5. If it doesn't work, odds are you accidentally deleted an [ or an ] You can go back into edit mode and put them back in.

[Blackbeauty212]

Originally Posted by RestonRunner86

-If people don't shut up about the Steelers I'm going to bash my head in! Today I had to hear "Here We Go" (the yinzers chanting "Pittsburgh's goin' to 'da Super Bowl!") several times on the radio, followed by some horrible remake of "Bennie and the Jets" on 96.9 BOB-FM to "Big Ben Will Beat the Jets" (or something to that effect) followed by ANOTHER horrible song! Where is the love for the Pirates and/or Penguins in this town? At least play something GOOD (i.e. "Black and Yellow") more often. I NEVER hear that on 96.1 anymore! There are "terrible towels", banners, flags, etc. all over the place. Yes, it's good that this helps to forge more of a "community cohesion"; however, I'm dreading how many cranky middle-aged male crybabies I'll have to deliver to on Monday if the Jets clobber us tomorrow afternoon. It's just a sport, people. Seriously. Stop elevating these people onto pedestals the way you do. What makes football so much better here than any other sport? Yes, I will be watching the game tomorrow with my boyfriend. Yes, I hope we win. So many here worry me though with their obsession. NOBODY ever mentioned the Redskins when I lived in North Reston.

.

I can understand an transplants disdain for 24/7 Steeler nation and to be honest I never saw what all the fuss was about until I lived in Philadelphia (just as passionate)....not just the Big cities, but PA as whole is all about Sports....The people of PA love their sports and that comes from having such a blue collar background.

Also not to mention for so long thru the steel days and the steel bust, the Steelers were the only bright side that Pittsburghers had to look forward to....the team is such a representation for the city and mindset back then...

Pittsburgh and Philadelphia are both top 5 sport cities, that's never going to change.

[BrianTH]

The Steelers are so big right now because they are in the playoffs and one win from being in the Superbowl. It is still just regular season in the NHL--trust me, when the NFL season is over and it is just hockey going on, the emphasis will shift to the Pens.

[gg]

Originally Posted by BrianTH

The Steelers are so big right now because they are in the playoffs and one win from being in the Superbowl. It is still just regular season in the NHL--trust me, when the NFL season is over and it is just hockey going on, the emphasis will shift to the Pens.

Agreed. I have performed at the Penguin's parade when they won the Cup and the turnout was huge! Would be nice to see both teams do it again, but they have a long way to go.

[raubre]

Originally Posted by jay5835

Does it? I've never perceived that there. I've never perceived a gayborhood (or its "feel") anywhere in Pgh, really.

I think that's the closest we have to a gaybohood. Two gay bars (5801 and Spin) and numerous gay owned businesses (not necessarily gay stores though.)

There isn't really a feel of a gayborhood in Pittsburgh because the bars, businesses and our homes are spread throughout the city.