Here's one...comparing Pittsburgh to Richmond VA? (Philadelphia, Austin: hotel, homes)

[steindle]

I should also say that I was absolutely stunned by how beautiful and active Richmond is. It blew my stereotypes of Southern cities right out of the water.

[Caladium]

Originally Posted by Tiger Beer

It also seems more Democrat/Left-leaning, which I also like.

In some ways, yes. In other ways it is a very conservative area. Plenty of very conservative republicans (but also, plenty of democrats). Like northern VA, you will find a lot of diversity--in other words people from all political points of view regularly win elections and influence local politics. "Green" issues are surprisingly popular there, even with many of the more conservative groups.

[Caladium]

Originally Posted by Tiger Beer

Kayaking is something I've never done, but would love to try though. Seems like Pittsburgh probably has it too though?

Pittsburgh has kayaking, but it's not nearly as popular as it is down here in VA. For one thing, our season is much longer. I've already been out on the Potomac several times this year--up in Pittsburgh you can't really go kayaking until mid June. And Pittsburgh's rivers are just not that conducive to it (at least that's what I've heard, haven't tried it myself so I'm just going on hearsay. I hear there is some good kayaking to be found in some of the nearby parks, though).

[Uptown kid]

I don't know Richmond, but I've heard that it along with Norfolk, are a lot worse than Pittsburgh... Though Richmond is notably smaller so I doubt that it has more (as in actual numbers/neighborhoods opposed to uninterrupted miles) rough neighborhoods than Pittsburgh, simply because there are more neighborhoods in Pittsburgh.
In the City of Pittsburgh these are the places widely considered as top level bad to top level sketchy...

The East End:
-Dangerous for Pittsburgh's standards
1) Homewood North Mohler Street Projects, Brushton-Hilltop, "UpTown" Homewood
2) "DownTown" Homewood/"UpTown" Homewood/"Dallas-Inwood", Homewood
3) most of Lincoln-Lemington-Belmar (including the Lemington Heights Apartments)
4) "The East Hills Projects" (Phase II East Hills Apartments/Maple Ridge Apartments/Park Hill Drive Apartments, East Hills)
5) Larimer

-Avoid due to rampant gang activity and/or criminal presence
6) Garfield-"up the hill" (excluding the Garfield Commons Mixed-Income Apts)
7) parts of Hazelwood part of Hazelwood east of the train tracks (from Hazelwood Ave to E. Elizabeth Avenue & the area south of Mansion Street)
8) the Glen Hazel Heights Projects
9) the East Hills (excluding the nice part)/Brushton-Hilltop, "UpTown" Homewood

-Avoid due to gang activity or criminal presence
10) East Liberty Gardens Apartments
11) part of Hazelwood east of the train tracks (from East Elizabeth to Mansion Street)
12) part of Northern East Liberty (the area north of the boulevard- south of Hays Avenue- east of Highland Avenue)
13) Garfield Commons Mixed-Income Apartments

-Bad, but not too bad
14) Enright Court Townhomes/Omega Place, East Liberty
------------------------------
The Hill District:
Dangerous for Pittsburgh's standards
1) Bedford Dwellings Projects at Chauncey Drive
2) Addison Terrace Projects at Bentley Drive
3) Middle Hill & most of Bedford Avenue

-Avoid due to gang activity and/or criminal presence
4) Bedford Hills Mixed-Income Apartments at Memory Lane

-Bad, but not too bad
5) West Oakland's Kirkpatrick Street area
6) Lower Hill (the bad parts) & the southern end of Bedford Avenue
7) Oakhill "Mixed Income" Apartments' low-income section (the lower blocks of Burrows Street)
------------------------------
The Northside:
-Dangerous for Pittsburgh's standards
1) Northview Heights Projects
2) Allegheny Dwellings Projects

-Avoid due to rampant gang activity/criminal presence
3) Three Rivers Manor Apartments, Spring Hill-City View
4) Charles Street Valley/"Snapville"/part of Perry Central, Perry Hilltop
5) Cal-bride Place, California-Kirkbride (currently ranked in the category below, but I have reason to believe this area will become active again)

-Avoid due to gang activity and/or criminal presence
6) part of Perry Central/south of the Swindle Bridge area/Flowers Avenue/Langley Street area/Ridge Avenue area, Perry Hilltop
7) "Upper Manchester"
8) "Marshall-California"/most of Marshall-Shadeland
9) Allegheny Commons East Apartments, Allegheny Center

-Bad, but not too bad
10) "Hoodtown," Central Northside (as of 2013)
11) Marshall-Shadeland- from Woodland Avenue to Ingham Street
12) "Northern California-Kirkbride"
------------------------------
Southern Hilltop Neighborhoods aka the Southside:
-Dangerous for Pittsburgh's standards
1) Beltzhoover
2) "Northern Knoxville"

-Avoid due to rampant gang activity/criminal presence
3) Arlington Heights Projects (by default in reality next level)
4) most of Mt. Oliver, PA
5) most of Allentown
6) the beginning of Arlington

-Avoid due to gang activity or criminal presence
7) Southern Knoxville
8) most of Arlington
9) parts of Northern & Southern Carrick
------------------------------
West End Neighborhood aka the Westside:
-Avoid due to immense gang activity/criminal presence
1) Mountain-View Apartments, Crafton Heights

-Avoid due to rampant criminal presence
2) Goodwill Plaza Apartments, Sheraden

-Avoid due to gang activity or criminal presence
3) East Sheraden- mostly east of Bergman Street

-Bad, but not too bad
4) Fairywood (excluding the Emerald Gardens Apts)
5) most of Elliott east of Lorenz Avenue

Again what I'm saying is: Richmond has fewer bad areas because it's a smaller city, but overall those areas are far more dangerous...

[Tiger Beer]

Originally Posted by Herodotus

The Fan District is fabulous, it's one of America's great urban neighborhoods. Church Hill is not as gentrified, but has many beautiful old houses. The closest large city to both is DC, but Richmond is 100 miles away, vs 240 for Pittsburgh. Of course Pittsburgh is quite a bit larger than Richmond, so some of the things Richmonders have to go to DC for, Pittsburghers can get at home. Truthfully, Richmond is hard to beat for a city down south. It's not quite as charming as Savannah and Charleston, but is far larger than either, and while it has crime issues, it's not on the same planet with crime ridden New Orleans. Louisville's a pretty nice place, but it's more of a South/Midwest mix, as opposed to the others, which are purely Southern.

Always nice to hear you chime in, as love all your photo threads on the skyscraper forums, plus here. I always quickly identify with exactly your viewpoint and such with cities and the beauty of cities.

Richmond does seem like one of the most overlooked cities in the South, by far.

[BarqCider]

only city close to richmond that tops richmond in unsafe would be baltimore.

[Mr. Mon]

Having lived in both, it's very hard to compare the two cities as they are nothing alike in both built form and character. The west end of Richmond is vaguely like Mt. Lebanon, but that's really because they are around the same demographics and vintage of housing, although the west end might be more affluent. Richmond has some achingly beautiful, and highly walkable neighborhoods that Pittsburgh just can't touch. However, it is correct that crime is a much bigger problem and unlike Pittsburgh it doesn't stay in the "bad" neighborhoods. Richmond also has issues with racial strife and associated gentrification that Pittsburgh hasn't experienced. And as an aside, as much as I enjoyed living in Richmond I find people that I deal with professionally in Pittsburgh to be a little more down to earth and genuine despite having that northern edge.

As for the comment about the rivers, The James was used for transport and not so much for heavy industry like our Three Rivers. Also, I believe the James is the only place in the US where one can white rafting through an urban area.

[Tinare]

Originally Posted by Caladium

Pittsburgh has kayaking, but it's not nearly as popular as it is down here in VA. For one thing, our season is much longer. I've already been out on the Potomac several times this year--up in Pittsburgh you can't really go kayaking until mid June. And Pittsburgh's rivers are just not that conducive to it (at least that's what I've heard, haven't tried it myself so I'm just going on hearsay. I hear there is some good kayaking to be found in some of the nearby parks, though).

I don't kayak so I don't know, but why would that be? My office window faces the Allegheny near the launch area for Kayak Pittsburgh, and one day last week there were so many kayaks on the river, my co-workers and I were wondering what was up. I know crews are out rowing early every morning, so why would kayaks have to wait so late?

[Caladium]

^^Safety rule. You're supposed to wait until the water temp plus the air temp equals 100 or more.

[Tinare]

Oh, well we're there now, and looks like we have been for May. And we're at average temps for this time of year. Were you guessing when you said mid-June? I was just trying to reconcile such a late date with the fact that I see kayaks on the river much earlier than that. I know that Kayak Pittsburgh is open weekends in May and opens all week at the end of May, but I think that's mainly a function of summer stuff opening up fully after Memorial Day anyway.

Upper St. Clair Crew