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Old 06-26-2012, 05:46 PM
 
7 posts, read 9,376 times
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Hi there--

My husband is an engineer applying for jobs in Pittsburgh. Looking to rent for the first year or so then buy.

We are a young couple with two dogs and we are trying to start a family.

We are looking for a relatively walkable neighborhood, dog friendly with decent schools, but the most important thing to us is the neighborhood be historic. We both have a passion for old homes.

Thank you all so much for your input. Looking forward to joining your beautiful city!
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Old 06-26-2012, 06:05 PM
 
367 posts, read 620,990 times
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In this city, schools stink no matter where you are, unless your kids go private... There is always Aspinall, it has a nice little downtown area and there are some great older homes there, but rentals may be limited. There are many walkable neighborhoods with great old homes in them throughout Pittsburgh. How much are you willing to spend? How "urban" are you willing to get, etc.
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Old 06-26-2012, 06:12 PM
 
Location: Charlotte
1,763 posts, read 3,282,009 times
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It really depends on your budget - there are plenty of walkable neighborhoods with older homes in Pittsburgh whether in city or outlying towns. (and not all city schools stink)
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Old 06-26-2012, 06:14 PM
 
7 posts, read 9,376 times
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Thanks for the response!

Our rental budget will be up to $1500 and when we buy we will probably look at around $250k.

We like an urban setting, but we aren't partiers and prefer to steer clear of a large undergraduate population.
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Old 06-26-2012, 06:17 PM
 
Location: Pittsburgh
7,541 posts, read 10,230,060 times
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The best answer really depends on where your job is going to be.

I could tell you truthfully that Sewickley is a lovely town that deserves consideration because of your needs, but if your job is out in Wilkins Township, the commute would be a real burden.

There are nice, historic and walkable communities throughout the Pittsburgh area, once you have your initial work location tied down, you'll be better able to narrow it down.

Traffic can be a real pain if there are multiple tunnels and bridges between where you are and where you want to be.
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Old 06-26-2012, 06:19 PM
 
7 posts, read 9,376 times
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OK, that makes sense. I will update when my H commits to a position. Thanks!
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Old 06-26-2012, 06:33 PM
 
Location: Pittsburgh, PA (Morningside)
14,362 posts, read 16,946,112 times
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The neighborhoods within the city of Pittsburgh with good neighborhood schools are (roughly speaking) Squirrel Hill, Shadyside, Point Breeze, Regent Square, Greenfield, Hazelwood, Glen Hazel, Hays, New Homestead, and Lincoln Place.

Shadyside and Squirrel Hill North would fit all your criteria, but these are also the most expensive neighborhoods in the city of Pittsburgh. Shadyside is a bit older construction (late Victorian for the most part) and has a much more notable student/yuppie vibe. Squirrel Hill North is mostly 1920s/1930s construction, and more of a family area, and has excellent access. Squirrel Hill South and Point Breeze both also have good schools, but lack good walking access to a commercial business district, although they retain good park access. Regent Square fits all your criteria, but only the city portion has good local schools, and the city portion is tiny. All of these are probably outside of your price range however, unless you find a real fixer-upper.

Greenfield is far cheaper, but it's mostly postwar suburbia and pretty ugly IMHO. This is even more true for Hays, New Homestead, and Lincoln Place. Hazelwood and Glen Hazel are economically depressed neighborhoods which have teetered on the edge of being ghettos, but have not quite fallen into this trap. Still, I wouldn't suggest living there.

Sadly, the safe neighborhoods with some of the best-retained old architecture - Highland Park, Friendship, Lawrenceville, South Side, parts of Bloomfield, and much of the lower Northside - have pretty "bad" local schools, although I have my suspicions it's mostly because the middle-class white people don't enroll, which lowers test scores. Regardless, there are magnet and charter options in the City, and given it would probably be six years until you'd worry about schools if you guys got pregnant right now, It might be worth it for you to pick a house you love, and only move if the schools become an issue if and when you become parents.

Outside of the city proper, some people rave about Sewickly and Oakmont, both of which are pricey and a bit more removed from Pittsburgh. Closer in, Aspinwall is a common suggestion for people with money, but somewhere like Sharpsburg might appeal if you want something more like a classic mid-Atlantic rowhouse neigborhood. If a streetcar suburb is historic enough for you, I'd seriously consider Dormont, which is within your price range, and great for commuting downtown, as it has access to one of the last remaining commuter rail lines in the Pittsburgh area.
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Old 06-26-2012, 07:09 PM
 
Location: Philly
10,223 posts, read 16,773,376 times
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Why not the north side? Old homes and historic, plenty of people with a passion for old homes, a park for young kids and dogs as well.

Last edited by pman; 06-26-2012 at 07:21 PM..
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Old 06-27-2012, 04:06 AM
 
20,273 posts, read 32,942,390 times
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I agree it makes sense to narrow it down once you know where the job will be.

I might note that if you don't have school-aged kids right now, and are looking to rent at first (a very good idea), then you don't really need to worry about schools yet. That's good, because renting with dogs can be a little tricky, and the more flexibility you have the better it will be. You may also find it will help to work with a real estate agent who handles rentals, and who may be able to help you negotiate a pet deal.
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Old 06-27-2012, 08:26 AM
 
Location: O'Hara Twp.
4,359 posts, read 7,506,011 times
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Very excited. For once someone doesn't want great schools only decent. Realistically this means we can recommend Ben Avon, Thornburg and a few other nice older neighborhoods that don't get any love on this forum.

But the OP also wants walkable, so then we are back to the usual suspects Lebo, Aspinwall and Sewickley. But we only need decent schools so that might mean Oakmont, Sq. Hill, Shadyside, Regent Square and Crafton.
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