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Old 04-12-2013, 04:25 PM
 
Location: roaming about Allegheny City
654 posts, read 940,487 times
Reputation: 655

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Quote:
Originally Posted by juliegt View Post
I found the Beechview property you cited earlier today, and I must say, it's quite nice. It's not brick, but being a handsome folk Victorian, it's my kind of house, nonetheless. It's a little big for me, though.
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Old 04-12-2013, 04:28 PM
 
Location: roaming about Allegheny City
654 posts, read 940,487 times
Reputation: 655
Quote:
Originally Posted by SteelCityRising View Post
I'm most familiar with this property and will defer to others more knowledgeable about Munhall and Beechview for the others. This is located just over the border of the city's Swisshelm Park neighborhood in the Borough of Swissvale. The good? You're slightly closer to walk to the anemic business district of Swissvale. The bad? You're in the Woodland Hills School District (bad) whereas Swisshelm Park is in the Taylor Allderdice feeder pattern for Pittsburgh Public Schools (good). Being childless you may not care all that much, Hip Priest, but that could affect resale value down the road for you. I wouldn't really consider this property to be all that "walkable" at all, though. It's quite a walk to either Edgewood Town Center or the business districts of Squirrel Hill or Regent Square (albeit you may be able to walk to the latter more easily by taking a trail through nearby Frick Park). It looks like this house requires a great deal more of work other than just a few cosmetics. Safety? Swisshelm Park is the safest neighborhood in the city, and I think the part bordering it in Swissvale is just as safe.
Thanks for the info on the property, SteelCityRising. I do not, however, think I have the skills to fix up that house. The architecture is okay, but it's not really my cup of tea.
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Old 04-12-2013, 05:21 PM
 
Location: roaming about Allegheny City
654 posts, read 940,487 times
Reputation: 655
Quote:
Originally Posted by ebyrnes View Post
HipPriest, I live at 1200 Superior Ave, and would be happy to tell you the block and area in general; it is racially mixed, and working to middle class. Parts of the neighborhood a few blocks away are very poor (white and black, and I only say that because of a different thread) and has a fair amount of drug related crime. If you stay away from that type of activity, most likely you will be perfectly safe. I used to get home from work after midnight, and never had any scares or close calls. We've taken precautions and I'm pretty street savvy, but I don't feel scared here - and I say this as a white woman who is less than 130 lbs.

The neighborhood has a very active community group: Brightwood Civic Group. And New Hope Church (Welcome to New Hope) is very invested in the neighborhood as well; in fact, the head of the church lives on my block.

The area is well served by the 15, 16, and 17 buses. Kuhn's Grocery store is right in the neighborhood, and while not the greatest, it isn't horrible, either. You can walk to the gorgeous cemetaries, or to Riverview Park. It is very easy to get to bike trail into the city, and there is a kayak launch close by as well.

I encourage you to keep an open mind about Marshall Shadeland, and I'd be happy to answer any specific questions you have - the good and the bad.

e
Is the part of Superior down by Ohio River Blvd bad? It's difficult to tell, especially since the quality of the images is so poor, but it looks pretty rough on Google.
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Old 04-12-2013, 08:29 PM
 
461 posts, read 745,186 times
Reputation: 411
It looks rougher than the upper part of Superior, but is not crime ridden. Only you can decide how comfortable you would be living there, but by and large, Pittsburghers are going to leave you alone if you don't mess with them. IIRC, you've lived in NYC so I"m sure that you've got street smarts and the ability to get along with all types of people.

How about the lovely craftsman across the street from me: 1203 Superior, Brighton Heights, Pennsylvania 15212 (MLS# 950075) - Coldwell Banker Real Estate Services - PittsburghMoves.com. I know that you want a Victorian, and this is above your price but maybe there is room for negotiation.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Hip Priest View Post
Is the part of Superior down by Ohio River Blvd bad? It's difficult to tell, especially since the quality of the images is so poor, but it looks pretty rough on Google.
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Old 04-13-2013, 06:58 AM
 
Location: Pittsburgh, PA (Morningside)
14,361 posts, read 16,879,345 times
Reputation: 12390
This house just went on the market. It's on my street. I'm not going to lie it doesn't need a ton of work, but an old man who drives a golf cart around the neighborhood has been living in it ever since I moved here, so it's habitable in the broadest sense. The house is quite...interesting...and kitschy if you get close to it. Heh.
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Old 04-13-2013, 10:27 AM
 
Location: roaming about Allegheny City
654 posts, read 940,487 times
Reputation: 655
Quote:
Originally Posted by ebyrnes View Post
It looks rougher than the upper part of Superior, but is not crime ridden. Only you can decide how comfortable you would be living there, but by and large, Pittsburghers are going to leave you alone if you don't mess with them. IIRC, you've lived in NYC so I"m sure that you've got street smarts and the ability to get along with all types of people.

How about the lovely craftsman across the street from me: 1203 Superior, Brighton Heights, Pennsylvania 15212 (MLS# 950075) - Coldwell Banker Real Estate Services - PittsburghMoves.com. I know that you want a Victorian, and this is above your price but maybe there is room for negotiation.
I'll have to investigate the area when I visit again. I'm not ruling it out, but it's not a first-choice neighborhood (no offense). I hope things turn around there, though.
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Old 04-14-2013, 01:34 AM
 
781 posts, read 1,612,706 times
Reputation: 293
Trust your realtor. If you are not in town ready to buy..relax. You have gathered a ton of information from some really nice informed posters here.
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Old 04-14-2013, 09:37 AM
 
Location: roaming about Allegheny City
654 posts, read 940,487 times
Reputation: 655
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sideblinded View Post
Trust your realtor. If you are not in town ready to buy..relax. You have gathered a ton of information from some really nice informed posters here.
I'll try to relax, but it's not easy. Being a first-time home buyer, this entire process is new to me. Furthermore, this will be the largest purchase I've ever made, and in the end I don't want to have buyer's remorse. Moreover, although I've been to Pittsburgh several times, I've never lived there; therefore, I don't know really all that much about the city; that's why I'm a bit nervous about where to buy a home.

I've decided to make a few compromises in terms of the type of house/neighborhood I want to live in. I will not, however, compromise on safety; if I'm dead or rendered incapacitated from a stabbing or shooting, how then can I enjoy my nice new home or my progressive new city?
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Old 04-14-2013, 10:06 AM
 
Location: roaming about Allegheny City
654 posts, read 940,487 times
Reputation: 655
I've seen a number of very attractive turn-of-the-century houses in Sheraden selling for very little. Why is this? Is Sheraden a bad neighborhood? I don't know anything about the area. If it's decent--that is, if it's safe, fairly walkable, and convenient to public transport--perhaps I should consider it. I would appreciate any input.
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Old 04-14-2013, 10:17 AM
 
Location: Pittsburgh
7,541 posts, read 10,203,280 times
Reputation: 3509
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hip Priest View Post
I've seen a number of very attractive turn-of-the-century houses in Sheraden selling for very little. Why is this? Is Sheraden a bad neighborhood? I don't know anything about the area. If it's decent--that is, if it's safe, fairly walkable, and convenient to public transport--perhaps I should consider it. I would appreciate any input.

Sheraden has been on a decline for more than a decade, it would be a place for a real urban pioneer. From the Pittsburgh Crime Map, the areas east of the park are the most problematic with gang crime.



Like every neighborhood, there are still orderly, peaceful streets in the area- but the area's bad rep would hurt resale values.


You'd be better off looking at Esplen, which is just as inexpensive but has grocery shopping within walking distance in the Rocks Plaza.
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