New Homes in Manchester (Pittsburgh, California: apartment, condos, crime)

[PreservationPioneer]

I see a trend where the neighborhoods that are being saved and reinvested in (Lawrenceville, Manchester, Deutschtown, War Streets, South Side Flats, etc.) are the core historic neighborhoods of the city. Those neighborhoods I listed are among the oldest in the city, and have most of the mid 19th century Victorian housing stock. If only we could add the Bluff/ Uptown to the list (another very old neighborhood).

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by alleghenyangel

I see a trend where the neighborhoods that are being saved and reinvested in (Lawrenceville, Manchester, Deutschtown, War Streets, South Side Flats, etc.) are the core historic neighborhoods of the city. Those neighborhoods I listed are among the oldest in the city, and have most of the mid 19th century Victorian housing stock. If only we could add the Bluff/ Uptown to the list (another very old neighborhood).

Yep, close to Downtown, some historic properties, also some infill opportunities--what's not to like?

You just need potential demand to be growing, and I personally think we are there.

[CortlandGirl79]

My question is, who would want to live on a brown field? Yikes! Sounds like a good plan, but i would have concerns.

[I_Like_Spam]

Originally Posted by CortlandGirl79

My question is, who would want to live on a brown field? Yikes! Sounds like a good plan, but i would have concerns.

The South Side Works apartments are on a brownfield, and so are the apartments on the Homestead waterfront.

I don't think that the developers see that as a problem in the marketability from past history in the region.

[FreightTrainRunning]

Washington's Landing and Summerset at Frick Park were brownfield sites too.

[ferraris]

Originally Posted by alleghenyangel

The Manchester civic group just restored seven historic homes in Manchester over the past year. There is an article about it (with pictures of the houses) in the latest PHLF magazine, or you can probably find it on phlf.org.

I'm guessing this is what you're referring to.

My guess is the new development (which is very beautifully designed to match the historic look of the neighborhood)

How could you tell this? The article the OP linked to doesn't give much information before it asks you to subscribe.

Originally Posted by BrianTH

Tons of potential there. And I do think we are going to see more and more of this in the upcoming years (people pushing more rapidly into disinvested neighborhoods than we are accustomed to seeing around here).

I certainly hope so. Increasing population doesn't help the city much if everyone just tries to cram into Shadyside and Squirrel Hill.

[BrianTH]

"Brownfield" is just a generic term for former industrial or commercial sites available for reuse. How much cleanup of the site is necessary before redevelopment can vary quite a bit.

Pittsburgh is actually well-known for brownfield developments, due to the projects already mentioned above.

Edit: Oh, and people are trying to pack into Shadyside and Squirrel Hill, but failing--those neighborhoods are more or less full.

[Aqua Teen Carl]

Originally Posted by BrianTH

Yep, close to Downtown, some historic properties, also some infill opportunities--what's not to like?

Drug dealers, people who damage personal property, abandoned houses, section 8 housing in close proximity, and the Manchester OG'z are a few things not to like.

[FreightTrainRunning]

Originally Posted by Aqua Teen Carl

Drug dealers, people who damage personal property, abandoned houses, section 8 housing in close proximity, and the Manchester OG'z are a few things not to like.

And re-building the housing in the neighborhood is how you mitigate those issues. Obviously there's a little bit of a leap of faith for the new homeowners that re-seeding the area will work but if you leave it a half destroyed waste-land, it's only going to get worse. And as I mentioned, I live a block away from Manchester and drive, walk, bike through there all the time and have had zero issues in four years. During the last presidential campaign I knocked on almost every single door in Manchester, Marshal Shadeland, Brightwood, N. Charles Street and Perry South and with one or two exceptions everyone was friendly and polite to me.

[gg]

That area has been struggling for a very long time and it just can't seem to get over the hump. How do you relocate all those bad eggs? Where? Lots of shootings and so many problems there. That Pennsylvania Ave., is a nice pocket, but what I drive to get there if I am coming from Allegheny West, isn't exactly nice. I would ride my bike through there anytime, but still wouldn't want to live there.