need particular insight on life in PIttsburgh (Wilkinsburg, Franklin: lawyers, neighborhoods)

[entropyconcentrated]

This is great information. And if these replies are any indication on the personalties of Pittsburghers, I am really looking forward to coming. Keep it coming.

I think the excitement of moving has us a bit anxious. The kids will not enroll until Fall 2012, so we do have plenty of time.

The Taylor Allderdice school sounds appropriate, since it would allow us to live in the city and seems to be highly regarding among the public schools. It is a bit unclear which middle and elementary schools are "feeders" into it. Can anyone point these out?

My hubby seems to like the Sewickley Valley Quaker school. I think that may be a bit too far though based on Google maps.

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by entropyconcentrated

It is a bit unclear which middle and elementary schools are "feeders" into it. Can anyone point these out?

I believe this is the latest:

http://www.pps.k12.pa.us/14311051817...iler_FINAL.pdf

It says:

Minadeo/Sterrett
Greenfield
Colfax
Mifflin

[Bong477]

If you care that there are a lot of people around that look like you, Pittsburgh may not be the best choice. If you don't really care about that too much just ignore the fact that you are a mixed race couple. Extremely few people here will care unless you live in one of a few economically depressed areas that you won't be looking in anyway. If you are both in medicine (doctors?), clean living, educated, make a decent income, etc just follow the same advice everyone else gets here because there is not any reason to do something different. If you want to live in the city, great... but don't feel like you have to avoid the "racist" suburbs because you'll probably find any of the more upscale burbs just as tolerant. Just don't expect to see a ton of middle and upper middle class black people here and even less who are married to asians.

[entropyconcentrated]

Originally Posted by Bong477

If you care that there are a lot of people around that look like you, Pittsburgh may not be the best choice. If you don't really care about that too much just ignore the fact that you are a mixed race couple. Extremely few people here will care unless you live in one of a few economically depressed areas that you won't be looking in anyway. If you are both in medicine (doctors?), clean living, educated, make a decent income, etc just follow the same advice everyone else gets here because there is not any reason to do something different. If you want to live in the city, great... but don't feel like you have to avoid the "racist" suburbs because you'll probably find any of the more upscale burbs just as tolerant. Just don't expect to see a ton of middle and upper middle class black people here and even less who are married to asians.

Please do not misunderstand.

We do not view homogeneity as an indicator of racism.

We simply prefer a diverse community (economically, ethnically, culturally, etc.).


We read what articles / blogs / forum posts state about the city. The message that comes across is not so good for the black community. And there is a small (for a major US city) non-black non-white population.


where will I buy ingredients for halo-halo & and lumpia


We have found that some communities collectively view minority populations through a narrow lens. Things like limiting access to gifted programs, "unwelcoming" attitudes to minority inflows to established neighborhoods, disdain for "mixed" couples, is just not a good environment for raising children. This is what we want to avoid. Some of what I read made it sound like this was happening.


But when I get the kinds of positive responses like in this forum, I am very encouraged that this will be a good move. We see that real energy is going into addressing in-migration, and poverty, only that more solutions are needed.

Talking with people (rather than reading blogs) like I am in this forum is very helpful. It shows a city full of pride and open arms to outsiders.

[Aqua Teen Carl]

Let me give you my own two cents:

- Pittsburghers won't care about a mixed couple. In general the people are more of a "live and let live" type and intolerance that does exist seems to only happen behind closed doors.

- The whole "diverse community" thing doesn't really exist in race here. You have white parts of town and black parts of town. But culturally (ideas, cuisine, values, etc.) the only real place for this diverse environment is on the East End.

- Allderdice is the only public city high school that's decent.

- Visit and spend some time here first before moving, this city isn't for everyone.

[Bong477]

Asian grocery stores are (reasonably) common throughout many part of the metro, but especially in the east end of the city (Squirrel Hill, etc). I assume you can find what you need for whatever you want to cook, but I can't speak first hand.

There is a lot of diversity in select areas (again mainly the east end of the city) but its not that the suburbs are intolerant, just you will end up living around a lot of people that are white. I don't think this is bad thing, but hey... I'm white, so I come at things with a different perspective. The asian population is expanding in many of the nicer suburbs, I would guess its largely due to the expanding healthcare/research/university economy and the fairly high numbers of asians in those fields. The suburbs aren't all generic chains and strip malls, there's some interesting cultural and culinary stuff there too but obviously its not as dense or common as in the city.

The assessment of the black community is pretty fair since, far as I know at least, anything that could be described as a black community is an impoverished (relatively) high crime area, but again, long as you are looking to identify with the community in general (and not specifically looking for a "black" community to be a part of) you will do fine.

[Hopes]

Originally Posted by entropyconcentrated

We have found that some communities collectively view minority populations through a narrow lens. Things like limiting access to gifted programs, "unwelcoming" attitudes to minority inflows to established neighborhoods, disdain for "mixed" couples, is just not a good environment for raising children. This is what we want to avoid. Some of what I read made it sound like this was happening.

That's not Pittsburgh. You're coming from California where there is intense racial tension is cloaked in political correctness. Most Pittsburghers don't care what other people do, who others are married to, etc. Pittsburghers are more of a "as long as it doesn't interfere with my freedom" do what you want. In California, everyone is pressuring everyone to be a certain way. In Pittsburgh, people are free to be whomever they want.

Asians are viewed as very high achieving and successful in our region. I can't imagine why you would think that your children would have limited access to gifted programs. That just doesn't happen here, especially in the suburbs.

If your children are already gifted in California, they will likely be in the gifted program in Pennsylvania. There are standards that are followed. If your children meet those standards, they will be in the gifted program. You might have to fight the district, just like every parent, even white parents, who have to fight for proper placement via taking the initiative to ask the district to test their children. If you follow the procedures detailed by law and meet the criteria, your children will be in the gifted program.

What you're reading is that our lower class black population struggles. I don't see people holding them down. There's a mindset within their community. Successful black will tell you that they are their own worse enemy (Bill Cosby got crap for saying). They're not being kept from gifted programs. They have the "I'm not playing the Man's game" mentality. This is in part due to being self segregated, never knowing anything different than the culture in their neighborhoods. Maybe they're not in the gifted program because their parents aren't fighting for them to get into it like other parents do. I don't know. But I don't see what's happening to the lower class black population as even remotely comparable to what the children of two medical professionals will experience.

[entropyconcentrated]

Originally Posted by Hopes

In California, everyone is pressuring everyone to be a certain way. In Pittsburgh, people are free to be whomever they want.

...

I can't imagine why you would think that your children would have limited access to gifted programs. That just doesn't happen here, especially in the suburbs.

So true about CA!



All my kids, except the youngest, looks much less asian than black. (skin tone, hair, etc.) And they have all kinds of friends, including indian, latino, you name it. But they do "look black" if that makes any sense.

I work very hard with all of them to ensure they are performing at their best in school. I also push them to take advantage of every challenging program available (provided it fits their interests/personality).

I just want to avoid a situation where their looks will make it an upward battle to get services. The spouse feels I am being silly.


You know, now that I've written that I am starting to realize that reading a bunch of negative press is not healthy. My apologies if anyone is offended.

I know I know I have nothing to worry about.

[entropyconcentrated]

Originally Posted by Aqua Teen Carl

- Visit and spend some time here first before moving

Good idea. We could come for about a week next month during my next interview.

Does anyone know if the schools allow visitors? I could let my boys spend their days in classes.

[Hopes]

Originally Posted by entropyconcentrated

I work very hard with all of them to ensure they are performing at their best in school. I also push them to take advantage of every challenging program available (provided it fits their interests/personality).

Are they gifted? Or are they being pushed by you? There's a difference. IQ weighs heavily for getting into a gifted program, not just achievement.

Originally Posted by entropyconcentrated

I just want to avoid a situation where their looks will make it an upward battle to get services. The spouse feels I am being silly.

I'm a mother of two young adult white children who were very intelligent and gifted. I had to fight tooth and nail every inch of the way for my children to get services. That's just the way it is, regardless of race. And they got services because I followed the procedures and they qualified. Yours will too.

I've been advising you to go with a suburban school district that matches your income bracket. Think about it. Your children will stand out as stellar as minorities in a suburban district. In city school, where they are physically blending in with the lower class minority population, it probably would be more likely they would be overlooked.

Regardless of where you choose to live, you'll have to fight the fight every parent fights for their children to get services. Your children have an advantage---a mother who pushes them, doesn't give up on them, and who will fight for them.

The last sentence of my last post sums up my thoughts: "But I don't see what's happening to the lower class black population as even remotely comparable to what the children of two medical professionals will experience."

Originally Posted by entropyconcentrated

You know, now that I've written that I am starting to realize that reading a bunch of negative press is not healthy. My apologies if anyone is offended.

I know I know I have nothing to worry about.

You didn't offend me. I'm a direct person. I'm not saying your children won't experience any prejudice. I just don't believe your children will have the same experiences as impoverished black children. It's really unfair of you to lump them together. You're actually being prejudice. And I can't understand it because you and your husband married either other. You are clearly people who are open minded about race. That just doesn't mesh with your desire to have your children identifying with a specific race. Granted, I'm white so I have NO IDEA what I'm talking about. It just seems that you are judging your children by their appearance. Upper middle class and affluent black families generally move to the suburbs so their children can learn to assimilate and achieve to the level of their parents achieved. It seems you're looking at this all backwards by wanting diversity, wanting to identify with a specific culture. I'm only basing this on my experiences with successful black suburban families from the 1960s through today. That's not how they achieved success. It would be different if Pittsburgh had a strong upper middle class and upper class black neighborhoods. But Pittsburgh doesn't have that. Most of Pittsburgh's upper middle class and upper class black families live in the white suburbs. I think it would be a detriment to have your children identifying with the impoverished black population.