Relocating to Pittsburgh - with small children. (Lebanon, Upper St. Clair: sales, for rent)

[heartchya]

I would say it is safe to say that Cranberry has been accurately described. The school district is Seneca Valley. It does have a large problem with drugs. Which is probably shocking to some since most of those kids have the "good" parents who got married before they had kids. But anyways...

If you are drawn to Squirrel Hill then I don't think Cranberry is where you will want to rent for a year. I think Squirrel Hill or Mt. Lebanon would be a good fit for you. Both are walkable communities with things to do for young children. I also think there is a large MOMS group in Mt. Lebo which would be a good way for you to meet some other women/children.

I also saw you asking about Brighton Heights. It really depends where in Brighton Heights. Do you have a street name?

As for what you could do on your visit here. I would suggest Saturday morning visit to the Strip District, walk around Southside before the bar hoppers come out, kayak on the river ( you can rent kayaks under the Clemente bridge), ice cream at Oh Yeah in Shadyside, and if you want to be really touristy Mt. Washington and a ride on the incline.

I hope you enjoy your trip and come with an open mind. It is a great city with interesting neighborhoods. If you ever have any questions on kid friendly stuff to do feel free to message me. I have a 3 year old and we are always checking things out.

[jennifer7910]

What a great help you all have been! Sadly, we won't be able to make it this weekend since our oldest son just came down with a stomach bug. But my husband and I plan to come next weekend. So that'll give me more time to research and kinda get our ducks in a row before our visit. I think with all of your advice, I'm leaning toward Mt. Lebanon. It just sounds like we'd enjoy it more. Is it close to downtown and/or Squirrel Hill? Or maybe I should say, closer than a Cranberry commute?

Thanks again for all your help! And btw- what do you think is the best burger in Pittsburgh? I'm really curious now since someone replied that it was such a great debate!
Jen

[Joe Magarac]

The best burger in Pittsburgh, and one of the best and most Pittsburgh-y restaurant experiences that the city has to offer, can be had at Tessaro's in Bloomfield. It's a classic - owned by the same family for decades; has attracted regular patrons for decades; grinds and seasons its own meat per a "secret" recipe; will therefore make a rare burger because it knows where the meat came from; etc. If I wanted a hamburger and also wanted to experience Pittsburgh, there's no way I'd go anywhere else.

Having said that, a number of good upscale hamburger places have opened up here in the past few years. Winghart's in Market Square (downtown) is good, as are Burgatory in the Waterworks (near Aspinwall) and BRGR in East Liberty. Reviews online will tell you more about the pros and cons of each. If you skip Tessaro's - which you shouldn't - I'd think of these three as interchangeable for your purposes and just go to the one that's closest to the areas you are exploring when it's time to eat.

[Burghgirl17]

Originally Posted by Joe Magarac

The best burger in Pittsburgh, and one of the best and most Pittsburgh-y restaurant experiences that the city has to offer, can be had at Tessaro's in Bloomfield. It's a classic - owned by the same family for decades; has attracted regular patrons for decades; grinds and seasons its own meat per a "secret" recipe; will therefore make a rare burger because it knows where the meat came from; etc. If I wanted a hamburger and also wanted to experience Pittsburgh, there's no way I'd go anywhere else.

Having said that, a number of good upscale hamburger places have opened up here in the past few years. Winghart's in Market Square (downtown) is good, as are Burgatory in the Waterworks (near Aspinwall) and BRGR in East Liberty. Reviews online will tell you more about the pros and cons of each. If you skip Tessaro's - which you shouldn't - I'd think of these three as interchangeable for your purposes and just go to the one that's closest to the areas you are exploring when it's time to eat.

See, I would disagree with this. I think Tessaro's burgers are dry and bland (and I get my burgers medium, so it's not like mine are just cooked to death). I'm also not that picky when it comes to burgers - but I just never got this place.

I love Winghart's burgers - very juicy (to the point of being sloppy!). The atmosphere (at least at the downtown location) isn't great (especially for a family), but if the weather is good, grab a burger and sit outside.

Burgatory is great as well (they are building a second location in Robinson- can't wait). It is more of a gourmet-type place- they experiment with a lot of different meats and toppings. They also have GREAT milkshakes.

Haven't been to BRGR so can't comment.

I would also say that Ruth's Chris has a fantastic burger on their lunch menu.

[okaydorothy]

If you are looking at Mt. Lebanon ; also look at South Fayette which is close by. We just closed on a house last week in the South Fayette district and loved it. My son also has an IEP which is no problem at all. The kids loved the school. We will be living in Bridgeville ; cute little town.

[Hopes]

Originally Posted by jennifer7910

What a great help you all have been! Sadly, we won't be able to make it this weekend since our oldest son just came down with a stomach bug. But my husband and I plan to come next weekend. So that'll give me more time to research and kinda get our ducks in a row before our visit. I think with all of your advice, I'm leaning toward Mt. Lebanon. It just sounds like we'd enjoy it more. Is it close to downtown and/or Squirrel Hill? Or maybe I should say, closer than a Cranberry commute?

Also look at Aspinwall and Oakmont. Both are closer to Squirrel Hill than Mt. Lebanon. Cranberry's commute isn't bad because it has a major highway that's a straight shot. The Mt Lebanon commute can be gridlock traffic. So whie Mt. Lebo might be closer than Cranberry, it might take equal time to commute. With the construction upgrades on Route 28, Aspinwall will be the fastest commute to downtown, and it's a mere 10 minutes to Squirrel Hill.

[BrianTH]

Aspinwall is definitely way more convenient for Squirrel Hill (or the East End in general).

But for Downtown and the North Shore, Mt Lebanon has the T (our light rail system). So that's cool.

[gg]

Originally Posted by Burghgirl17

See, I would disagree with this. I think Tessaro's burgers are dry and bland (and I get my burgers medium, so it's not like mine are just cooked to death). I'm also not that picky when it comes to burgers - but I just never got this place.

I love Winghart's burgers - very juicy (to the point of being sloppy!). The atmosphere (at least at the downtown location) isn't great (especially for a family), but if the weather is good, grab a burger and sit outside.

Been to both these places more than once. I will tell you, years ago Tessaro's burgers were much better than Winghart's, but Tessaro's changed either ownership or management and it went downhill. I mean think about it, Tessaro's cooks their burgers over wood and Winghart's on a slab of metal. I always got my burgers med rare at Tessaro's, but a friend of mine in the restaurant industry told me Tessaro's changed and that used to be the place they went weekly. Not anymore.

Anyway, Winghart's is a good burger, but it can only be so good without cooking over a flame.

[Copanut]

Here's the deal on burgers.

ONLY FLIP THEM ONCE!

I make a burger better than anyone, and that's the key.

[gg]

Originally Posted by Copanut

Here's the deal on burgers.

ONLY FLIP THEM ONCE!

I make a burger better than anyone, and that's the key.

Can't agree. NEVER press down a burger, EVER! I cringe when I see idiot cooks do that. Some cooks do that at Five Guys and that pisses me off. Had one pressed down with no juice like that a couple years back and haven't been back. I always figured Five Guys had a pretty good reasonably priced burger for the well done crowd and pretty good fries, but that one pressed dry burger bummed me out.