Best Neiborhood (Pittsburgh, Mount Lebanon, Lebanon: rental, crimes, to buy)

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by steindle

This is a typically City-Data, clueless assessment. I guess it must be the "disrespectful" "druggie" "renters" repeatedly buying houses for $100k+ at a high turnover in Bloomfield right now.

Indeed.

Here is actual data on Pittsburgh's neighborhoods (Bloomfield is on page 33):

http://www.ucsur.pitt.edu/files/frp/...bruary2012.pdf

Some tidbits: 36.7% of the population 25 and older has a college degree, within that 15% a master's, professional, or doctorate. The owner-occupied percentage is 37.8%. 17.6% of households have incomes from $50k-$75K, another 7.4% from $75K to $100K, another 5.6% over $100K.

Bloomfield is definitely a very diverse neighborhood, with lots of renting students, old-school working class folks, and so forth. But it also has some well-educated, higher-income, and home-owning households.

[robrobrob]

Originally Posted by BrianTH

Indeed.

Here is actual data on Pittsburgh's neighborhoods (Bloomfield is on page 33):

http://www.ucsur.pitt.edu/files/frp/...bruary2012.pdf

Some tidbits: 36.7% of the population 25 and older has a college degree, within that 15% a master's, professional, or doctorate. The owner-occupied percentage is 37.8%. 17.6% of households have incomes from $50k-$75K, another 7.4% from $75K to $100K, another 5.6% over $100K.

Bloomfield is definitely a very diverse neighborhood, with lots of renting students, old-school working class folks, and so forth. But it also has some well-educated, higher-income, and home-owning households.

Can't figure out which side you fall on this. I would think that owner-occupied at 37.8% is troubling. Would you agree? Maybe the rentals are the ones turning over?

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by robrobrob

I would think that owner-occupied at 37.8% is troubling. Would you agree?

It really depends on the context. In the case of Bloomfield, there are a lot of modest places, and it is also very convenient for the universities and hospitals. In such situations a majority percentage of rental units isn't necessarily problematic.

[icantthinkofanick]

Im a young professional, I searched for a home in the east end for about 3-4 months (in the 150k range). Regent square / squirrel hill / point breeze would be my dream neighborhood but realistically I just couldn't afford what I wanted so I started looking elsewhere in Edgewood, swissvale, greenfield, swisshelm park, and morningside. Its really a big give and take. Each place had an advantage. Edgewood had bigger yards, and some awesome looking houses, morningside seemed nice and quiet. You guys would not believe the frustration level on just how quickly ANY house in the east end goes if it's priced right and in good condition. I got in multiple bidding wars. It's amazing how going through that a couple times shifts your priorities and how your dream areas can really fade away. To the original OP, pick a few areas to start, but really look at some of the neighborhoods you are so so about.

Even though I was against it at first because it seemed too gritty, I ended up in greenfield (which I also got in bidding wars for). For my money I got a house that requires almost 0 work, was plenty big, and has quiet living but is 5 minutes from the fun stuff :P (although it has a quaint little area for some shops) ..Also, the outside is OK, but the inside rocks. I'm actually loving it more and more.

Sometimes it's just the timing of these things that decides everything.

[BrianTH]

Sounds like you did well! After all, you live on the inside.

[Clint.]

Here's a map with a 3.5 miles radius; the blue marker is Heinz Hall. You can see a lot of territory there.

Originally Posted by Aqua Teen Carl

Pshh, this is City Data, only the East Side and the Great White North exists here!

Anyway, Brookline is gearing up for a major redevelopment for its main road (Brookline Blvd.) so it might be a good investment to get in there while you can.

I'm for that. Most homes in Brookline are closer to the Cultural District, if that's an important feature for the OP (Pioneer down to the Liberty Tunnel and you're in town), than most places in the East End, plus you'd have more yard, parking, and home for your money. A place like Brookline doesn't have former Steel Baron homes like Point Breeze or trendy dense rowhouses like Bloomfield; mostly working class brick houses from 1930s-1950s. Most of them are in fair to good condition - the nicest ones are "cute" and picturesque...none of them really have the potential to be rehabbed to former grandeur because they were never really "grand" in the sense some preservationists/gentrifiers have in mind, but not many have fallen into disrepair either.

We can always use another invested and responsible homeowner!

[interested_burgher]

Originally Posted by BrianTH

Indeed.

Here is actual data on Pittsburgh's neighborhoods (Bloomfield is on page 33):

http://www.ucsur.pitt.edu/files/frp/...bruary2012.pdf

Some tidbits: 36.7% of the population 25 and older has a college degree, within that 15% a master's, professional, or doctorate. The owner-occupied percentage is 37.8%. 17.6% of households have incomes from $50k-$75K, another 7.4% from $75K to $100K, another 5.6% over $100K.

Bloomfield is definitely a very diverse neighborhood, with lots of renting students, old-school working class folks, and so forth. But it also has some well-educated, higher-income, and home-owning households.

It's one thing to own property there. It's another to actually LIVE there. When only 37% of the owners actually live there, that's not a good sign. The real estate is definitely valuable due to the proximity to town, the universities, and the hospitals. The only reason it's viable is that so many people in the area need short-term housing. But don't act like it's paradise to live there. Oakland's real estate is worth a lot as well, but who the hell wants to live there? You give advice to people to buy $100,000+ properties to actually live there long-term, which is preposterous. If you want to flip houses that's one thing, but don't advise people from out of town to buy there and live happily ever after.

[eschaton]

Originally Posted by interested_burgher

It's one thing to own property there. It's another to actually LIVE there. When only 37% of the owners actually live there, that's not a good sign. The real estate is definitely valuable due to the proximity to town, the universities, and the hospitals. The only reason it's viable is that so many people in the area need short-term housing. But don't act like it's paradise to live there. Oakland's real estate is worth a lot as well, but who the hell wants to live there? You give advice to people to buy $100,000+ properties to actually live there long-term, which is preposterous. If you want to flip houses that's one thing, but don't advise people from out of town to buy there and live happily ever after.

I think its worth distinguishing there are essentially two extremes in Bloomfield

1. The segment North and West of Friendship Park. This area is mainly considered Friendship unofficially, and shares the same characteristics. Brick homes predominate, most are detached, and the houses large, but not so huge as the mansions down towards Negley it's no longer feasible to convert back into single-family residences. Tons of yuppie families with young kids are moving into this area and buying.

2. The "siding warrens" south of Liberty. Tightly packed rowhouses. Were originally wood clad, but not a single wood house remains. Window openings lost all original trim, and were usually resized to some ugly proportion to try and appear "modern." Most face onto streets so narrow they're essentially alleys, with no parking. No one who isn't a local would want to buy these things, although if you're a young person and a renter they are fine.

There are some transitional areas, like the northwest corner near the Children's hospital, and the portion below Liberty but east of Millvale, where both kinds of houses are interspersed.

Still, for the most part, you're dealing with two totally different neighborhoods lumped into one by the City if Pittsburgh. So it's not surprising we see some muddled trends.

[BrianTH]

I agree there is a wide variety of housing units in Bloomfield, so a person thinking about buying in Bloomfield should make sure to check out any specific places and streets they might be considering.

But I trust we are past the notion that Bloomfield is one big drug-ridden hell hole.

[interested_burgher]

Originally Posted by BrianTH

I agree there is a wide variety of housing units in Bloomfield, so a person thinking about buying in Bloomfield should make sure to check out any specific places and streets they might be considering.

But I trust we are past the notion that Bloomfield is one big drug-ridden hell hole.

"Hell hole" are your words. However, if you look at crime reports, there is a robbery or burglary virtually every day in Bloomfield. I'm sure there are a lot of good people in Bloomfield, but there's a lot of bad that happens there as well.