If hip is out, then Pittsburgh is just plain cool (Portland: job market, to buy)

[mattejb]

Originally Posted by ML North

Oh we talk about hipsters so much!

What follows hipsters is yuppies and they have a lot more $

[PreservationPioneer]

I don't think you have to make a lot of money to care about your property and live in a respectable way, whether you own or rent. What constitutes a lot of money is debatable. The days of buying a liveable house in a safe neighborhood of Pittsburgh for under $20k are long gone. But you could still do that somewhere like Donora, Sharpsburg, or Wilmerding, perhaps. And you could probably do it on 25-30k a year and have money left over, if you are good with money and spend practically and save (and do not have debt). If you're like me, you even have plenty of money left over to buy a new car and fix up your house with the savings.

I just wanted to make the point that some people may not make a lot at their jobs, but they still may be educated professionals who care about their surroundings and contribute to their communities!

[Caladium]

AA, I agree with you. I do like the fact that you can have modest means and own a home. I guess it just makes me a little sad to see this being used to draw the hipster crowd. I'd hate to see Pittsburgh turned into a clone of Portland, I like it the way it is. Plus, as I said earlier, in my opinion the hipster crowd can be a real financial drain on a city.

One thing I didn't mentioned earlier is the irony of how so many of these "cool" people talk about moving to a town because they want to live where the people are "authentic". The first few who arrive actually mean it (I think). Unfortunately, once they start flooding into a town the first thing they do is turn on the very people who actually are authentic.

Watch how fast they'll start trying to push out the yinzers. They push their "coolness" onto a neighborhood, driving out the vacuum cleaner repair guy and the shoe repair guy so that "cool" stores can open. Instead of embracing local customs, they get disdainful about most of the things the authentic people actually do. I feel sorry for the yinzers. They stuck with Pittsburgh when it went through hard times, and as their reward they're turned into an object of ridicule when new people start moving in, even though these are people who claim they want to live in a place where people are authentic.

I guess that's just the way many places evolve, and if that's what you guys want I'm happy for you and hope it happens. At the same time it makes me sad in some ways... and if evolving is inevitable, can't it be to a group of people who will stay when the city is no longer cool?

[SammyKhalifa]

Originally Posted by Caladium

You're right, I do like the fact that you can have modest means and own a home. I guess it just makes me a little sad to see this being used to draw the hipster crowd. I'd hate to see Pittsburgh turned into a clone of Portland, I like it the way it is.

One thing I always liked about Pittsburgh was how authentic it was. Hipsters say that, too... and the first few who arrive actually mean it (I think). Ironically once they start flooding into a town the first thing they do is turn on the very people who actually are authentic (in your case, the yinzers).

Don't get me wrong, I like some things about hipsters. But what I don't like is they push their "coolness" onto a neighborhood, driving out the vacuum cleaner repair guy and the shoe repair guy so that cupcake stores can open (or whatever the newest "cool" store may be. Instead of embracing local customs, they get disdainful because local customs usually aren't "cool". The yinzers stuck with Pittsburgh when it went through hard times, and as their reward they're turned into an object of ridicule by the very people who claim they want to move to Pittsburgh because they want to live in a place where people are authentic. I guess that's just the way many places evolve, but it makes me sad to see it happening in Pittsburgh.

It's the same story as people that move "out to the country" and just bring the suburbs along with them.

[PreservationPioneer]

I get what you're saying, Caladium, and I agree. I don't think we should put all of the blame under the "hipster" umbrella, though, whatever hipster means. I just feel that is a generalization. I'm sure there are people who identify themselves as hipsters (or are identified by others as such) who like the people around them and don't try to change the authenticity that makes Pittsburgh what it is. We could just as easily call these people "yuppies" and it would be true. You don't see many "yinzers" in Shadyside or Point Breeze...

[ML North]

Originally Posted by Caladium

Don't get me wrong, I like some things about hipsters. But what I don't like is they push their "coolness" onto a neighborhood, driving out the vacuum cleaner repair guy and the shoe repair guy so that cupcake stores can open (or whatever the newest "cool" store may be. Instead of embracing local customs, they get disdainful because local customs usually aren't "cool". The yinzers stuck with Pittsburgh when it went through hard times, and as their reward they're turned into an object of ridicule by the very people who claim they want to move to Pittsburgh because they want to live in a place where people are authentic. I guess that's just the way many places evolve, but it makes me sad to see it happening in Pittsburgh.

And in true hipster fashion, it's all very ironic. (Damn, I gave in.)

[Caladium]

Originally Posted by SammyKhalifa

It's the same story as people that move "out to the country" and just bring the suburbs along with them.

True indeed, and maybe that's one reason to like suburbs that are built in old cow fields (rather than seeing a bunch of suburbanites moving into and changing the personality of a small town). It's certainly not a unique situation, it just that it would make me sad if that happened to Pittsburgh.

[Caladium]

Originally Posted by alleghenyangel

I get what you're saying, Caladium, and I agree. I don't think we should put all of the blame under the "hipster" umbrella, though, whatever hipster means. I just feel that is a generalization.

Fair enough, and I agree.

[jay5835]

Originally Posted by Caladium

AA, I agree with you. I do like the fact that you can have modest means and own a home. I guess it just makes me a little sad to see this being used to draw the hipster crowd. I'd hate to see Pittsburgh turned into a clone of Portland, I like it the way it is. Plus, as I said earlier, in my opinion the hipster crowd can be a real financial drain on a city.

Enough with the hipsters, already. What you're describing is what happened to the Upper West Side (and elsewhere) in NY in the late 1970s, Santa Monica (and the rest of LA), and most US cities, including Portland itself, over the past few decades. It's nothing new.

Blame the medical profession if you must blame someone. It's a side-effect of its having increased lifespan and life expectancy over the past however many years.

[Caladium]

Originally Posted by jay5835

Enough with the hipsters. What you're describing is what happened to the Upper West Side (and elsewhere) in NY in the late 1970s, Santa Monica (and the rest of LA), and in Portland itself over the past few decades. It's nothing new.

I know, I've seen it happen in other cities. That's why it makes me sad.