Would Crafton be a Good Fit for Me? (Lebanon, Munhall: top neighborhoods, for sale)

[Goodjules]

I keep seeing listings for beautiful old houses in Crafton that are in my price range. Crafton seems like a pretty place, but it doesn't seem to have much of a business district. Ideally, I'd like somewhere with a bustling retail area within walking distance from my home. What's life like in Crafton? BTW, it's unlikely that I'd be commuting to downtown. I work in the construction industry and general contractors typically have their offices in places where they can park construction vehicles. In other words, I don't know where I'll be working. At this point, commute distances aren't an issue.

[groar]

i'm not super familiar with that area but i did work in green tree for a bit - that area seems generally pretty car centric. green tree has an ok business district but it's not that walkable. carnegie has a nice little downtown area, i wouldn't exactly call it "bustling" though. same with dormont (maybe slightly bustlier). the most bustling business district around there is mt lebanon but that area is really pricey.

[Tinare]

Crafton to me is one of the best kept secrets in the area. I lived there for close to 10 years. It's really well located. It's less than 5 miles to downtown and has a multitude of ways to get there so that helps to make it easy to get anywhere in the area. I worked downtown, in the north hills and in Monroeville during the time that I lived there, and none of those were really bad commutes. It's convenient to 79 and the Parkway West as well. It's 10-15 minutes from the Crafton Station on the busway to Gateway Center downtown (and that's at rush hour).

It doesn't have much of a main street type business district, but I lived walking distance to the Crafton-Ingram Shopping Center so I frequently walked to the grocery store and pharmacy. I walked to the library all the time which is in the little "downtown" area near the busway, as was the place where I used to get my hair cut, and there's a cute little restaurant that is BYOB called Sarafinos.

Home

I'm glad I moved out before the donut shop opened because that would have been dangerous to my waistline.

Bing Local

There is also a business district on Noblestown Road. I used to walk there to my dentist. It was a bit of a hike from my apartment, but definitely doable from a lot of the neighborhood. It's shopping centers also, so not necessary set up to be pedestrian friendly, but there are sidewalks and you can access a wide array of businesses. So the neighborhood doesn't pop up as "walkable" in the sense of having a Main Street business district, but there are a lot of businesses that you can walk to in the neighborhood.

[Goodjules]

Tinare,

Thanks for all the details. What you describe matches the impression that I had when I was there one afternoon. I'm on the fence about it. While it isn't exactly what I'm looking for in a neighborhood, it's not too far off. The kind of home I want in the price range I want may sway me. I don't think I'd be unhappy there, but I may find that I'd want to move somewhere more urban in a few years. I've lived places not unlike Crafton for many years and I have been wanting to live somewhere much less car centric. I know that Crafton isn't like living in a distant suburb, but it also isn't like living in a city neighborhood. Decisions, decisions...

[robrobrob]

Originally Posted by juliegt

I keep seeing listings for beautiful old houses in Crafton that are in my price range. Crafton seems like a pretty place, but it doesn't seem to have much of a business district. Ideally, I'd like somewhere with a bustling retail area within walking distance from my home. What's life like in Crafton? BTW, it's unlikely that I'd be commuting to downtown. I work in the construction industry and general contractors typically have their offices in places where they can park construction vehicles. In other words, I don't know where I'll be working. At this point, commute distances aren't an issue.

I would look into Bellvue if you want old houses and a bustling business district. However, I would think that Crafton is a little bit nicer than Bellvue. Bellvue though is probably cheaper. Munhall also is fairly afforable and has a nice main street but the schools are lousy.

I guess it ultimately depends on your budget. On this forum people frequently want an nice old house in a walkable neigbhorhood. We really only have a handful of areas with signifigant business districts. Sewickley, Oakmont, Mt. Lebanon, Bellvue, and in the city Shadyside, Sq. Hill and Bloomfield. There are other areas with smaller business districts ... Regent Square, Aspinwall, West View, etc. that are still nice areas. Or we also have other areas which aren't that nice that have business district.

One thing to consider is that commute from one side of town to the other isn't really practical. So, you wouldn't want to live in Sewickley and work in Monroeville.

[Goodjules]

Robrobrob,
Bellevue is one of my top neighborhoods based on what I've seen online and from the info I've gotten from this forum. I haven't been there. I really need to visit again and explore. I also think the most realistic solution is to move to a small rental first to give myself time to get to know the city. It's just that I go online and see these wonderful homes for sale and I want to buy one site unseen and move in. Not the best idea. I should also find a job before I decide where to live.

[Tinare]

Yeah, I was going to suggest Bellevue, Dormont and Brookline as areas to consider for walkable business districts and affordable older homes close to downtown. I think renting for a while is the best way to go.

[Goodjules]

I saw a listing for a place on Bradford St. The realtor told me that it was a busy street by Crafton standards. Anyone familiar with that street? I do prefer quiet streets.

[Tinare]

I wouldn't call Bradford busy. It can be used as a cut-through street so it would have more cars on it than just folks who live on the street, but it's two-lane and it's not a main street like Noble or Steuben or Crafton Blvd. You wouldn't have big trucks going through and it's not a case where it's hard to cross the street for all the cars going by or anything.

ETA: It's a nice street as well. Well kept homes, though maybe a few rentals.

[Goodjules]

Originally Posted by Tinare

I wouldn't call Bradford busy. It can be used as a cut-through street so it would have more cars on it than just folks who live on the street, but it's two-lane and it's not a main street like Noble or Steuben or Crafton Blvd. You wouldn't have big trucks going through and it's not a case where it's hard to cross the street for all the cars going by or anything.

ETA: It's a nice street as well. Well kept homes, though maybe a few rentals.

Good to know. Thanks. It sounds fine. But, I really should rent before I buy. I must admit that I keep thinking about that house. Would it be crazy to get on a plane this weekend and come look at it? Yes it would. But then again, if it's the right house for me?