would monessen, pa be a good move? (Sewickley: credit, loan)

[jay5835]

Originally Posted by phrozen87

my next door neighbors had a fit because we use to have pit bulls at the time. they tried to call cys and the town cops and everything else to try to get us to move out. so im trying not to make the same mistake because i would be buying instead of renting.

Hello Bully should know about breed-specific legislation all over W. Pa.

[Pghuser]

Stay away from there

[captainmidnight]

Just curious, but what is drawing you to Monessen since both of your jobs are at home? Do you have kids that are school aged? Do you need to be in that Mon-Valley area? I can think of tons of places better than Monessen.

[PreservationPioneer]

Depends on what you are looking for. Pros: Monessen is historic, extremely affordable, and probably reasonably safe. Cons: It's kind of out there, the economy is depressed, and the town is in ruins.

[I_Like_Spam]

Monessen is sort of a dumpy town, even for its bargain basement price.

There are a lot of small towns that are just about as cheap which didn't fall so far so quickly, so they aren't nearly as dilapitated.

[jay5835]

Originally Posted by alleghenyangel

Depends on what you are looking for. Pros: Monessen is historic, extremely affordable, and probably reasonably safe. Cons: It's kind of out there, the economy is depressed, and the town is in ruins.

I've never been to Monessen, but doesn't "the town is in ruins" kind of trump your pros?

[PreservationPioneer]

Originally Posted by jay5835

I've never been to Monessen, but doesn't "the town is in ruins" kind of trump your pros?

I don't think so. I can think of several city neighborhoods that are in much worse shape than Monessen that people champion on this forum (*cough* HAZELWOOD *cough*).

[PreservationPioneer]

Here is my photo tour of downtown Monessen:

Discovering Historic Pittsburgh: Monessen, PA

[jay5835]

Originally Posted by alleghenyangel

Here is my photo tour of downtown Monessen:

Discovering Historic Pittsburgh: Monessen, PA

That was downright depressing. I know you look at this stuff and see the beauty of (I think) what could be, or what once was, but all I see is what is never coming back. It's sadder than Springsteen's "My Hometown" and Billy Joel's "Allentown" put together.

The NJ town I grew up in changed demographically and ethnically, but it's still a viable community in which the streets are filled with stores and businesses. It's not the upscale place I knew as a child, but it's nothing like this. Downtown Monessen is even sadder than I imagined.

Thank you for posting the photos, nonetheless.

[PreservationPioneer]

Originally Posted by jay5835

That was downright depressing. I know you look at this stuff and see the beauty of (I think) what could be, or what once was, but all I see is what is never coming back.

It doesn't depress me, but I have a different way of looking at things. I like places like Monessen for the same reasons people like western ghost towns. The emptiness, the decay, the urban wilds are actually beautiful. I don't think everything has to be sparkling clean and restored to be beautiful. I actually find places like Beaver Falls much more interesting than, say, Sewickley, which has been completely polished and restored to an inch of its life. Places like Beaver Falls or Brownsville or Monessen just have character, which is something you lose when you gentrify or restore an area. However, I am always for revitalization and restoration, because otherwise the built environment will be lost due to demolition.

I really think people need to get away from the mentality that everything has to look brand new or be leveled for a parking lot.

And why do all of these towns have to "come back"? Maybe they are more interesting now than in any chapter of their past. A Starbucks on the corner and a Trader Joe's and upscale apartments don't make a place interesting to me.