what can u guys tell me about the neighborhoods in pittsburgh (Ross Township: real estate, low crime)

[pitt88]

im planning on moving to pittsburgh because of my job.i have a 12 year old son who is in the 7th grade,and we can't afford much so the's were the main areas i was thinking of. it needs to be close to downtown though.
1.homestead
2.south hills
3.bellevue
4.mckeesport
5.west allegheny
so what can you guys tell me about these areas. please warn me if they're high in crime,have a bad school system or anything else that's not good.thanks in advance

[SteelCityRising]

Originally Posted by pitt88

im planning on moving to pittsburgh because of my job.i have a 12 year old son who is in the 7th grade,and we can't afford much so the's were the main areas i was thinking of. it needs to be close to downtown though.
1.homestead
2.south hills
3.bellevue
4.mckeesport
5.west allegheny
so what can you guys tell me about these areas. please warn me if they're high in crime,have a bad school system or anything else that's not good.thanks in advance

1.) Homestead, generally speaking, is not a nice community in which to raise a child. It is part of the Steel Valley School District, which I believe is mediocre in terms of academic performance, at best. If you wanted to live near Homestead I'd check into Munhall, which is considerably safer yet also in the Steel Valley School District, or nearby Lincoln Place, a neighborhood in the City of Pittsburgh that is part of the Taylor Allderdice High School (the city's "good" high public high school) feeder pattern.

2.) The South Hills are a massive area. If you're on a tight budget I think places like Dormont, Mt. Lebanon, and Upper St. Clair will be out of your price range, as even if you find a real estate bargain the taxes will likely be on the exorbitant side. Within the city proper you'll have South Hills neighborhoods like Brookline and Beechview, both of which are convenient to Downtown (Beechview has a trolley stop and Brookline has its own little business district), and both of which have relatively low crime; however, I'm uncertain as to the prevailing public school quality there. I know Aqua Teen Carl lives nearby in Carrick and wasn't too impressed by the schools there.

3.) Bellevue (and nearby areas like Avalon and Brighton Heights) are probably your best bets of the places listed, assuming you can find something in your price range. I believe their school district is on the average side academically, crime is low, and you're convenient to Downtown. Avalon and Bellevue are small towns. Brighton Heights is an often-overlooked neighborhood within the city.

4.) While I have never been to McKeesport due to its distant location to Downtown (one reason to immediately cross it off your list) I've heard nothing but terrible things about this community. It has greatly declined over the years, crime has risen, urban blight has settled in, and the schools are a disaster. I couldn't in good faith recommend you raise a child in McKeesport, judging by all I've been told about the place.

5.) West Allegheny (also called West Deutschtown) is on the North Side of the city. Crime is relatively low here, but I don't think public schools are that great. If you want to live here, though, charter schools may be an option. You'd be walking distance to Downtown (or you can take the soon-to-be-opened North Shore subway station). Homes are generally more affordable than the neighboring Central North Side/Mexican War Streets (which one is it called, anyways?), but bargains are still becoming scarce here.

In lieu of the above areas where would I personally recommend to you?

1.) Sharpsburg: This town, while run-down in appearance, is still relatively safe (if you're not looking for trouble), has cheap housing, and is part of the Fox Chapel Area School District, which is amongst the best in the state in terms of academic performance.

2.) Blawnox: A bit more well-kept in appearance than Sharpsburg, and it's also in the Fox Chapel Area School District; however, Blawnox is also further from Downtown (but only by a few minutes).

3.) West View: A small town within the North Hills School District, which, while not generally considered as "good" as Fox Chapel is still a great school district from what I've heard. Crime is low, and you're convenient to both Downtown (I-279) and the McKnight Road shopping areas of Ross Township.

4.) Shaler Township: I'm personally not very fond of Shaler Township's built environment (lack of sidewalks, lots of 1960s-era housing, lots of parking lots, etc.) but it's a safe area with a decent (not great) school district and is also not far from Downtown.

5.) Ross Township: Between Shaler Township and West View. Part of the North Hills School District, if I'm not mistaken. Safe, convenient to shopping and Downtown. Very suburban.

6.) Brentwood: A decent, stable community in the South Hills. I believe there might be a Busway that runs in this general area, as my partner's colleague lives here and takes a bus directly to work in the Downtown/North Shore area. Housing will be cheaper here than in the more "posh" areas like Upper St. Clair, Mt. Lebanon, and Dormont.

7.) Forest Hills: A nice small town that happens to be part of the not-so-great Woodland Hills School District. Housing prices are relatively depressed due to the school district's reputation, but there is a great charter school (Propel) just up Yost Blvd. in Braddock Hills. The town is generally safe and has very active crime watches. One downside, though, is having to commute Downtown, as you'll be subjected either to the Squirrel Hill Tunnels (always a cluster-fluck due to poor long-range urban planning coupled with the lack of funding to fix it due to our terrible governor) or having to commute through Wilkinsburg and the East End on surface streets.

[Aqua Teen Carl]

Originally Posted by SteelCityRising

I know Aqua Teen Carl lives nearby in Carrick and wasn't too impressed by the schools there.

Just as an aside, elementary schools in the South Hills area are pretty good for the most part. I have cousins who send their kids to elementary schools here and their parents and kids have no complaints. High schools however are a whole different ballgame. Avoid them at all costs if possible.

[Lobick]

Originally Posted by SteelCityRising

5.) West Allegheny (also called West Deutschtown) is on the North Side of the city. Crime is relatively low here, but I don't think public schools are that great. If you want to live here, though, charter schools may be an option. You'd be walking distance to Downtown (or you can take the soon-to-be-opened North Shore subway station). Homes are generally more affordable than the neighboring Central North Side/Mexican War Streets (which one is it called, anyways?), but bargains are still becoming scarce here.

That's East Allegheny, regardless of what side of 279 it's on.

It's unclear to me if the OP means West Allegheny School District (Imperial, PA) or Allegheny West, but it's probably the former.

[SteelCityRising]

Originally Posted by Lobick

That's East Allegheny, regardless of what side of 279 it's on.

It's unclear to me if the OP means West Allegheny School District (Imperial, PA) or Allegheny West, but it's probably the former.

So there is no "East" or "West" Deutschtown---it's just "Deutschtown?"

[Lobick]

Originally Posted by SteelCityRising

So there is no "East" or "West" Deutschtown---it's just "Deutschtown?"

You can make that distinction in your head if you want for directions or to discuss the area but the City considers it a single neighborhood:

East Allegheny Map

and the terms East Allegheny or Deutschtown are used interchangeably.

Pittsburgh’s Deutschtown - an historic neighborhood revitalizing itself close to downtown

And with regard to the War Streets/ CNS distinction, all of the War Streets are in the CNS but not all of the CNS is part of the War Streets area.

[SteelCityRising]

Originally Posted by Lobick

You can make that distinction in your head if you want for directions or to discuss the area but the City considers it a single neighborhood:

East Allegheny Map

and the terms East Allegheny or Deutschtown are used interchangeably.

Pittsburgh’s Deutschtown - an historic neighborhood revitalizing itself close to downtown

So East Allegheny and Deutschtown are interchangeable and the Mexican War Streets and Central North Side are interchangeable. Are Allegheny West and Manchester two separate areas or are they also termed interchangeably?

[Aqua Teen Carl]

Originally Posted by SteelCityRising

So East Allegheny and Deutschtown are interchangeable and the Mexican War Streets and Central North Side are interchangeable. Are Allegheny West and Manchester two separate areas or are they also termed interchangeably?

They're two separate areas. It's all very confusing especially considering that whole area was considered a separate city (Allegheny City) at one point.

[Lobick]

Originally Posted by SteelCityRising

So East Allegheny and Deutschtown are interchangeable and the Mexican War Streets and Central North Side are interchangeable. Are Allegheny West and Manchester two separate areas or are they also termed interchangeably?

Don't necessarily want to hijack the thread with this but, quickly, Manchester and Allegheny West are distinct, adjacent neighborhoods with no overlap.

The War Streets are fully contained within the CNS but there are parts of the CNS, most notably east of Federal and north of Armandale (roughly) that are not. The MWS are designated historical districts (Federal & City) that aren't perfectly in alignment. Those areas are being expanded to include the Garden Theater block for tax credit purposes. I think the War Streets brand is used to market properties in parts of the CNS that aren't technically within the district, causing more confusion. Additionally, there have been tensions historically between the War Streets Society and the CNNC about the direction of the neighborhood, "gentrification" concerns, etc, so some in the CNS resist the War Streets brand.

[Herodotus]

Originally Posted by SteelCityRising

So East Allegheny and Deutschtown are interchangeable and the Mexican War Streets and Central North Side are interchangeable. Are Allegheny West and Manchester two separate areas or are they also termed interchangeably?

Allegheny West is a very small area, running from Ridge Ave, to Pennsylvania Ave., between Brighton and Allegheny Aves. It is cheap by no means. Everything west of Allegheny is Manchester.