Relocating to Mt. Lebanon/Upper St Clair/Peters Twp (Pittsburgh: chapel, neighborhoods)

[JMJN8704]

Hello. My husband and I are looking at relocating our family to Mt. Lebanon, Upper St. Clair, or Peters Township. We currently live in a quiet, family-friendly suburb. We have heard that Pittsburgh is very similar to where we currently are, and that these 3 locations match our family's needs the best.

My biggest concerns are: length of commute to downtown, safety, and schools. I know all three areas boast fantastic public schools. Are there also private/parochial schools in the area? We would like to explore all of the options available in each place.

Also, what are winters like? We are used to the some of the worst winters in the country, but our area is extremely prepared. Are streets cleared pretty well in these areas? Do schools close often for weather? In Mt. Lebanon, with no bussing, what is it like for children in the winter? I'm not against a little character building, but we are used to seeing six to eight feet of snow at times so for us, bussing is a huge necessity.

Thanks for any insights you have.

[I_Like_Spam]

If a commute to Downtown is your key issue, then Mt. Lebanon has to be your choice.

Pittsburgh doesn't get 6-8 feet of snow at a time, 2-3 feet is a big amount around here. Mt. Lebanon has several grade schools distributed through the township and its high school is centrally located, no more than a 2 mile walk from the fringes of the district which is doable for teenagers.

[slamont61]

Lebo isn't an issue for winter walks to school. I made it through all the years without any weather related problems. It is also your best bet for an easy commute into town. For Schools, there isn't any better a place.

[raynist]

The T/subway originates from USC into town and is an easy commute, plus you are always able to get a seat. When I used to drive into town from USC it would take between 30 and 40 minutes depending on the time of the year (summers have less traffic-school out?). Can't go wrong in any of those places. Mt Lebo generally will have smaller property than USC which generally has smaller property than Peters. Peters will have lower taxes due to being in Washington county, the commute is longer though.

[JMJN8704]

Thank you very much for your responses. It's good to hear multiple viewpoints and reasons.

Are there private schools in the area in addition to the public schools?

[Sugar13]

There are also many other school possibilities. Hampton,North Allegheny and Fox Chapel are great. They are very safe. Family Circle Magazine had a great read about Hampton a while back.

[robrobrob]

Originally Posted by JMJN8704

Thank you very much for your responses. It's good to hear multiple viewpoints and reasons.

Are there private schools in the area in addition to the public schools?

I would think that few kids from the South Hills attend private schools. Parochials schools yes, independent private schools no. The older established independent private schools are in the East End, Fox Chapel and Sewickley.

Seton Lasalle, a Catholic high school, is in Dormont. Canevin is also a high school somewhere in the South Hills but I don't know where.

[ex-burgher]

If you were to go private, then you may want to consider living in the East End neighborhoods.

[hornet67]

The public schools in the communities you mentioned are all very good, so unless you absolutely require a parochial or other private school, I would stay with your local school district. You'll be paying for it anyway !

[SlurmsMcKenzie]

Originally Posted by robrobrob

Seton Lasalle, a Catholic high school, is in Dormont. Canevin is also a high school somewhere in the South Hills but I don't know where.

Bishop Canevin is in Crafton.