Latrobe questions (Pittsburgh, Greensburg, Ligonier: crime, how much, home)

[WesternPilgrim]

I have some questions about the city of Latrobe I hope some locals can answer for me.

1. How "walkable" is the city? By that I mean, is the city small enough to where you can walk just about anywhere from a home in the city limits?

2. How safe is the downtown area? Is crime or drug abuse an issue?

3. What's the neighborhood like around Holy Family parish church?

4. How much influence does St. Vincent College have in the community? Is it situated close to town? Do the students have a good reputation behavior-wise? Any "town and gown" conflicts?

5. Would you call Latrobe socially conservative, liberal, or middle-of-the-road?

6. How long is the commute to downtown Pittsburgh?

7. What are the classical and folk music scenes like in Latrobe? Is there a symphony orchestra? Chamber groups? Local folk or bluegrass bands? Are there music teachers in these genres?

Many thanks in advance!

[rockthecasbah121]

St. Vincent pretty much is Latrobe. Also, it is not walkable and atleast an hour to downtown Pittsburgh when there is zero traffic.

[ML North]

Originally Posted by WesternPilgrim

I have some questions about the city of Latrobe I hope some locals can answer for me.

1. How "walkable" is the city? By that I mean, is the city small enough to where you can walk just about anywhere from a home in the city limits?

From Depot Street to 982 along Lincoln Avenue is about 1.5 miles. Most of the city lies between those two points, so I would consider that to be walkable. You'll have access to a grocery store, a variety of specialty shops, bakery, post office, diner, pharmacy, etc.

Originally Posted by WesternPilgrim

2. How safe is the downtown area? Is crime or drug abuse an issue?

So long as you're not looking for trouble, you're not likely to find it. Latrobe has a very old-timey small town feel.

Originally Posted by WesternPilgrim

3. What's the neighborhood like around Holy Family parish church?

I will have to defer on this one. I'm most familiar with the hill (east of Lincoln Ave) or the area near the Hospital/Second Avenue.

Originally Posted by WesternPilgrim

4. How much influence does St. Vincent College have in the community? Is it situated close to town? Do the students have a good reputation behavior-wise? Any "town and gown" conflicts?

So I think Saint Vincent is technically part of Latrobe, but I'm not sure. Saint Vincent campus is located roughly 3 miles from the center of downtown Latrobe in an area which is much more suburban than the City itself. It's much closer to the big box shopping amenities along route 30, but visiting those places is easiest via car.

I think Saint Vincent has fewer than 2,000 students, many of whom probably live off campus, so it's not really a bustling epicenter of activity. Frankly, if you're not somehow affiliated or involved with the University, I don't think you'll notice much of a difference between the school year and the summer.

Originally Posted by WesternPilgrim

5. Would you call Latrobe socially conservative, liberal, or middle-of-the-road?

Probably more socially conservative.

Originally Posted by WesternPilgrim

6. How long is the commute to downtown Pittsburgh?

About an hour not including traffic.

Originally Posted by WesternPilgrim

7. What are the classical and folk music scenes like in Latrobe? Is there a symphony orchestra? Chamber groups? Local folk or bluegrass bands? Are there music teachers in these genres?

I'm not really sure. I haven't really been "plugged in" to the Latrobe arts scene in a long time, but I think you're more likely to travel to Greensburg or Pittsburgh for these types of things. There are a number of reputable music teachers who work out of the Volkweins store on Ligonier Street in downtown Latrobe.

[Pitt Chick]

Saint Vincent's is in Unity Township.

The symphony orchestra and the like are in Greensburg.
Seton Hill has a thriving music department.... your teachers would be there.

[ML North]

Originally Posted by Pitt Chick

Saint Vincent's is in Unity Township.

I thought that that was maybe the case. Thanks.

Originally Posted by Pitt Chick

The symphony orchestra and the like are in Greensburg.
Seton Hill has a thriving music department.... your teachers would be there.

Ah yes. Seton Hill does have a nice arts program.

[Pitt Chick]

Originally Posted by ML North

Seton Hill does have a nice arts program.

They also have an amazing performing arts center off campus near the Palace Theatre.
Top notch facility.

[Mtl-Cns]

I can probably help out here with Latrobe. One side of my family is from there and still lives there, and I have always visited rather frequently.

1 -As far as your walkability question, it certainly is walkable because it's surprisingly flat and it is compact. The problem is, I don't know what you'd walk to. I don't want to sound cynical, but it's pretty much a ghost town. It's a shame because it has nice infrastructure and at one time was quite vibrant. Outside of the library, a few banks, and a dollar store there isn't really much at all in downtown Latrobe. It's a shame because of course it wasn't always like that. It had been declining since the 80s, but once the Wal-Mart moved onto Route 30, that was pretty much the nail in the coffin. Sadly it could be a really cute town with a lot of vibrancy.

2- Drugs can be a problem. I had a family member who lived very close to the area you're describing and once day the SWAT team showed up and invaded her next door neighbor's house. Turns out they were running a meth lab in the basement. This of course is anecdotal, but I'm sure you can find statistics somewhere on the internet. I'm sure drug use is no more prevalent there than it would be in any city though.

3- The neighborhood around Holy Family church is no better/worse that most of the town. The nicest part of Latrobe is above Lincoln Avenue though, what they refer to as "the hill."

4- St. Vincent students really have no reason to come into Latrobe (as like I said before, there is nothing to do there.) You would only run into them at Sheetz, Dino's or Sharkey's, the latter two of which are on Route 30.

5- As far as politics go, I'd say that Latrobe is pretty middle-of-the-road. Since a lot of the older generation has died off, I'd say it's surprisingly headed more towards the conservative side, as has been the trend in Westmoreland County. The problem is that it was once a very vibrant town. As the older generation has gone, along with a lot of the job opportunities that used to be there, along with a lack of amenities, housing prices and demand for it hasn't really risen much. Every time I go there, it's noticeably more "red-necky" because it's so affordable. I realize that makes me sound like an elitist, and I don't mean to be at all, but I can't think of another appropriate word to describe it. And I'm saying "red-necky" in the least judgmental way possible, because I figure to each, his own. I just don't know how else to describe it.

6- The commute to Pittsburgh would pretty much be a nightmare. When I go to visit my family, if I leave during rush hour, it can honestly sometimes take me an hour and a half to get there. It can be very frustrating. The sad thing is, Latrobe is still an Amtrak stop. If we had better train service, it would be a 40 minute ride. Way faster than you could ever drive. But the trains are only one per day, at inconvenient times. I really think that reliable frequent train service to Pittsburgh is one of the only things that would ever be able to turn Latrobe around.

7- Finally, any culture you would have in Westmoreland Country like music scenes you were asking about would be found in nearby Greensburg. You're best option in Latrobe would be to go to the American Legion to see a polka band.

I just want to finish this by saying that I love Latrobe dearly. I'm sad to see what's happened to it over the last several decades. I realize how negative this post sounds, but I'm just trying to be honest.

[ML North]

Originally Posted by Mtl-Cns

4- St. Vincent students really have no reason to come into Latrobe (as like I said before, there is nothing to do there.) You would only run into them at Sheetz, Dino's or Sharkey's, the latter two of which are on Route 30.

Except to go to Falbo's! But I guess that may technically be in Lloydsville.

[Mtl-Cns]

Originally Posted by ML North

Except to go to Falbo's! But I guess that may technically be in Lloydsville.

Very true! I'm a Jioio's fan myself, but I'll take Falbo's in a pinch!

[ML North]

Originally Posted by Mtl-Cns

Very true! I'm a Jioio's fan myself, but I'll take Falbo's in a pinch!

Ah, I don't eat the pizza, but I do like the bar. It's like the Southside for Saint Vincent kids, but it is a decent bar.