Thunderbird expansion plans cause drama in Lawrenceville (Pittsburgh: lofts, attorneys)

[SteelCityRising]

Since Polish Hill lacks its own business district for some reason or other we routinely head to Lawrenceville to dine out, imbibe, dance, bowl, and window-shop. I am ecstatic to hear about the Thunderbird's expansion plans! I'm also shocked by the opposition to other recent projects. Industry, for example, has become one of our favorite local haunts, and it is a very upstanding business. Why must so many residents of Lawrenceville be so opposed to change and progress? The city was never designed to be a "quiet" place. It's designed to be lively, vibrant, and cosmopolitan. If you want your peace and quiet then move to Cranberry Township where your cul-de-sac lot is large enough to shield you from the sheer horror of interacting with neighbors.

[Evergrey]

Originally Posted by SteelCityRising

Since Polish Hill lacks its own business district for some reason or other we routinely head to Lawrenceville to dine out, imbibe, dance, bowl, and window-shop. I am ecstatic to hear about the Thunderbird's expansion plans! I'm also shocked by the opposition to other recent projects. Industry, for example, has become one of our favorite local haunts, and it is a very upstanding business. Why must so many residents of Lawrenceville be so opposed to change and progress? The city was never designed to be a "quiet" place. It's designed to be lively, vibrant, and cosmopolitan. If you want your peace and quiet then move to Cranberry Township where your cul-de-sac lot is large enough to shield you from the sheer horror of interacting with neighbors.

Right on! Love Industry, btw.

[SteelCityRising]

Originally Posted by Evergrey

Right on! Love Industry, btw.

We had some great meals last week at Industry and were even able to awkwardly be in the background as a film crew shot scenes for an episode of a new television series. My burger was delicious, and I'm glad I upgraded to a side of buffalo chicken mac & cheese. I ordered a Red Bull vodka, and the server (bartender?) was QUITE generous with the vodka as I was snookied off just one drink! It's just maddening to think that unfounded concerns and apprehensions from neighbors nearly dashed this successful business from even opening its doors, much in the same fashion as there is now similar opposition to the Thunderbird.

News flash: The entire East End is exploding in growth. The Iron City Brewery site, which straddles the border between Polish Hill and Lawrenceville, will soon be home to a hotel, offices, condos, and retailers. A new hotel is going up on Baum Boulevard, just blocks away from the impending opening of a new Aldi. The Cork Factory Lofts are in the process of expanding kitty-cornered across Railroad Street. The Buncher Company will soon be transforming the majority of the Strip District riverfront into housing. Polish Hill, which is currently facing a housing crunch, is planning a small mixed-use development in the core of the neighborhood on the site of a devestating fire. East Liberty is preparing to welcome new apartments in the Highland and Wallace Buildings, along with street-level retail space and eventually even a movie theater around the corner. Highland Park continues to welcome new small businesses. Construction is perpetual in Oakland. The gentrification is occurring so rapidly that I've now decided to purchase my first home in the North Side, either in Marshall-Shadeland or Fineview, in early-2013, because I've been priced out as a young professional.

I really wish those in the "old school" neighborhoods like Lawrenceville and Bloomfield who oppose any and all progress would move out. You don't necessarily even need to leave the city. Hays feels more rural than most outer suburbs, for example, and is not likely to gentrify in my lifetime.

[jay5835]

Originally Posted by SteelCityRising

Why must so many residents of Lawrenceville be so opposed to change and progress? The city was never designed to be a "quiet" place. It's designed to be lively, vibrant, and cosmopolitan.

Lawrenceville was "designed" to be housing for workers in local factories. "Lively, vibrant, and cosmopolitan" are values hipsters brought to the neighborhood. You know, hipsters. Those people you hate.

Originally Posted by SteelCityRising

We had some great meals last week at Industry and were even able to awkwardly be in the background as a film crew shot scenes for an episode of a new television series. My burger was delicious, and I'm glad I upgraded to a side of buffalo chicken mac & cheese.

"Buffalo chicken mac & cheese." If that doesn't sound like hipster food, well you can just stuff me into a pair of girls' jeans.

You make me laugh. You really, truly do.

[eschaton]

Originally Posted by SteelCityRising

If you want your peace and quiet then move to Cranberry Township where your cul-de-sac lot is large enough to shield you from the sheer horror of interacting with neighbors.

The people who complain, by and large, could never afford to live in Cranberry. They are old-timers, people who've been here for decades, if not their whole lives. You know - the much derided (by you anyway) yinzers.

Of course they like some improvements to Lawrenceville. They're happy there aren't junkies in their neighborhood any longer, or hookers on the streets. But they see Butler Street filling up with businesses which have no relevance to their lives. They remember when half the houses on their street were unoccupied, or had carless seniors, and parking anywhere was a breeze. Thus the gentrification of Lawrenceville has been a really mixed bag for them.

Still, I do wonder why the people who dislike the way it's changing don't just move. Most of the old-timers left own their houses outright, and could easily sell them for $100,000 to $150,000 with no major improvements and buy a house in Shaler (or a similar somewhat downscale suburb) which is larger with a driveway. It would probably be a ranch or split-level too, which means less stairs, which a lot of older people like. It's not like anyone is actually trapped in their homes given how hot the real estate market is.

Originally Posted by Evergrey

Right on! Love Industry, btw.

We tried going in there once on a date night. It was horribly crowded (standing room only) and people were screaming, although it might have been because there was a Penguins game on. Either way, it didn't seem like our crowd. I don't get out like I used to now that I'm a dad, but when I go out in Lawrenceville in the evening, it's to Round Corner Cantina, 80s night at Belvidere's, Remedy, or the Brillobox (dunno if that counts, its arguably in Bloomfield).

A lot of people in the neighborhood opposed Industry Grill (and delayed its opening for a year) because:

1. It was way bigger than any of the gentrified bars here already.
2. I think the owners also have bars on the South Side, and they worried it would draw the South Side crowd (which so far seems to stick to Double D's Saloon).

[aw_now_what]

The opposition to Industry Grill was because the owners' track record consisted of running bars on the South Side that had significant histories of LCB violations (and fines and operating suspensions)- significant enough that all three Lawrenceville community groups (United, Stakeholders, and Corporation) pitched in to pay for a lawyer. It was about their actual track record rather than fear of drawing a South Side type crowd. Like it or not, popped-collars ain't illegal yet.

*****

If one looks at the comments on Nextdoor Lawrenceville, the opposition to Thunderbird expansion is based more on geography than how long people have been in the neighborhood. There are lifelong residents who live many blocks away who are all for it, and at-least-somewhat affluent newcomers who live close by who fear it would detract from their quality of life.

*****

SteelCityRising posted:
"The Iron City Brewery site, which straddles the border between Polish Hill and Lawrenceville, will soon be home to a hotel, offices, condos, and retailers."

No it won't.

At least, the community groups from Lawrenceville and your well-regarded Polish Hill Civic Association strongly suspect that Collier Development does not actually intend to carry out any of the fairly odd "master plan" that was paid for partly with public money, and only participated in the planning process to craft a legal argument for demolishing at least half of the site's historic buildings. Please see the letter they sent:

http://www.phcapgh.org/documents/Iro...etterFinal.pdf

[joco]

So can we legally park in the rite aid lot? It's huge! Is it even still open? Last time I tried to go to belvederes there was nowhere to park at all. And go thunderbird!

[jay5835]

All this talk of hipsters, I woke up dreaming I was on the L train in Williamsburg, and then the F train, and then I got off in the LES and I was in an episode of L&O.

Oh, and SCR, if you want to see hipsters, watch Girls on HBO. Better still, if you want to see gay hipsters, watch the webseries, The Outs (I would provide a link, but I got semi-busted the other day for providing a link to something). Just Google The Outs yourself, and there you'll be. You don't need a subscription, or to pay anything. It's free. The Outs.

[gg]

The Thunderbird is a crap hole if you ask me. Last time I was in there minding my own business some moron "regular" tried to pick a fight with me. Some call him the indian or whatever. If that moron represents who goes to that place, I feel expansion wouldn't be a good idea at all. It is a real dump.

[Moby Hick]

Originally Posted by h_curtis

Last time I was in there minding my own business some moron "regular" tried to pick a fight with me.

Does that happen often to you? Establishing the base rate is important for determining if the information is relevant to the bar.