I am tired of hearing how great Pittsburgh is! (California: apartments, pros and cons)

[charisb]

Okay, y'all win. Everything is bad news. It is a terrible place with no economic opportunities. Meanwhile, all of my friends and I (all between 25 and 40 years old) have great jobs, are making decent money, opening businesses, buying nice houses, and starting families.
I don't want to be ageist but I really think some of the posters here are older people who either do not want to or are not able to see positive change. Sad.

[Caladium]

Originally Posted by charisb

Okay, y'all win. Everything is bad news.

Can't speak for anyone else, but FWIW I certainly wasn't trying to say that. Those who have been around a few years usually put me in the cheerleader group. I like Pittsburgh--always have--and I think there is a lot of positive growth going on there. One of the reasons I know so many Burghers is I've always recommended it as a place for people to consider moving.

At the same time, I'm a cheerleader but I'm not blind. Might as well be realistic about the challenges of the current economy. Don't take it as a diss on Pittsburgh, though-- almost every city in the US is going through the same things.

[Craziaskowboi]

Originally Posted by Caladium

I'm a cheerleader but I'm not blind. Might as well be realistic about the challenges of the current economy. Don't take it as a diss on Pittsburgh, though-- almost every city in the US is going through the same things.

Something that many Pittsburghers either don't realize or refuse to believe.

As for demographics, it's the six outlying counties that aging. The city of Pittsburgh has gotten younger since 2000, and the proportion of elderly residents in Allegheny County has decreased since 2000 as well.

[LillyJo]

Originally Posted by zman63

IMO the region is geared towards those that are under the age of 27 or those that are over the age of 45. This is reflected in the population numbers as the 27-45 age group is dwarfed by the over 45 population (3X) and the under 27 population is more than double. The issue with this is the 27 to 45 population are the ones in the "prime" earning years of their career. They will be paying taxes a long time, possibly starting a business, pushing a region to change and usually starting a family. Pittsburgh is missing out on those in their "Prime", because it seems to offer very little as far as economic opportunity to that age group.

I do see college grads getting an entry level job between 30-40K a year. The problem is by age 30 most of them are still in that pay range after working for 5-8 years in Pittsburgh and see no hope for further advancement. That is when they start to look towards other cities to further their career and eventually leave the region. This is reflected in the huge drop off in population.

There are also a lot of people hired for the hire wage jobs. Typically these jobs are filled with somebody in the 45 and older age group. As the demographic of the region is older it seems the hiring managers tend to hire that way for the better paying and management positions. Every now and then there is an exception, but most of the time this is the general rule.

You either get hired in Pittsburgh as a newly minted college grad for 30 to 40k a year and end up staying there forever or you move back to pittsburgh after the age of 45 and you are hired in higher wage job to spend the golden years of your life.

Don't most retirees move to areas where the taxes are low and the climate is good? Places like Florida, Georgia, and Texas? Pittsburgh does not have good weather and it does have high taxes. That doesn't sound like a place that older people would gravitate to for their golden years.

[Dfury7]

Im 22 and I have lived here my entire life. I started traveling at a young age up and down the East coast and I knew from then on that this city was not right for me. There is nothing horrible about the city per say. The cost of living is low,we have good hospitals,some good schools and a great football team but we lack in alot of areas that are very important to me such as...

-the weather is awful,this is one of the cloudiest cities in the country. even when its not freezing cold and snowing we get very few sunny days.

-the lack of diversity,the PGh metro was ranked the least diverse in the country this title speaks for itself.

-the small town mind state. compared to other cities of similar size and population Pittsburghers seem to have a very closed minded small town mind state where people tend to reject anything outside of what their used to.and in general Pittsburghers are some of the unfriendliest bunch of people I have come across,this could be due to the lack of sun and vitamin D but who knows....

Like the OP said I may be one of those grass is always greener guys but I have visited many cities in a few different countries no less that I would much rather live in. I never pictured myself living here for the rest of my life and I am finally making the necessary steps to relocate out of state for school school and hopefully never to return (other than visiting family of course).

Anyways thats just my take on the area,most people that live here seem to love it and thats great for them I just have never considered myself a proud pittsburgh native, I have always sought after a bigger and more vibrant setting to live.

[Copanut]

Originally Posted by charisb

Okay, y'all win. Everything is bad news. It is a terrible place with no economic opportunities. Meanwhile, all of my friends and I (all between 25 and 40 years old) have great jobs, are making decent money, opening businesses, buying nice houses, and starting families.
I don't want to be ageist but I really think some of the posters here are older people who either do not want to or are not able to see positive change. Sad.

I see just the opposite.

[Caladium]

Good morning Copanut, I see you're up at 4:30 like me. Just wondering what Pittsburgh is like at this hour. Are people out and about, going for an early morning jog or walking the dog? How about cars in the street, people going to/coming home from work? Are there deer out wandering about? Are people out shopping at the grocery store (and is this when they really start wearing the pajamas?)

Tying this into the topic of the thread, is the liveliness (or if it's quiet, the peacefulness) of Pittsburgh at 4:30 a.m. one of the things that make it a great city? If you wake up at 4 and just gotta have a cup of coffee, where would you go, and is it a great place?

[Copanut]

Originally Posted by Caladium

Good morning Copanut, I see you're up at 4:30 like me. Just wondering what Pittsburgh is like at this hour. Are people out and about, going for an early morning jog or walking the dog? How about cars in the street, people going to/coming home from work? Are there deer out wandering about? Are people out shopping at the grocery store (and is this when they really start wearing the pajamas?)

Tying this into the topic of the thread, is the liveliness (or if it's quiet, the peacefulness) of Pittsburgh at 4:30 a.m. one of the things that make it a great city? If you wake up at 4 and just gotta have a cup of coffee, where would you go, and is it a great place?

Zonked out early last night, before the TEN o'clock news, sucks to get old. Nice and quiet in the Great White North, even the deer are sleeping. At least I'll get a good start on the day.

[FreightTrainRunning]

Originally Posted by Dfury7

I'm 22 and I have lived here my entire life.

-----

Anyways thats just my take on the area,most people that live here seem to love it and thats great for them I just have never considered myself a proud pittsburgh native, I have always sought after a bigger and more vibrant setting to live.

Then, you should move there. I love it here but if it doesn't work for you, find your home. I don't know too many classmates of mine from my highschool in Jersey who stayed in our hometown. One of the few that do live there spent twenty years living in Paris before moving back home (with his French wife). It's a big world out there, no reason to stay here and complain. Go forth and explore.

[szug-bot]

Originally Posted by Dfury7

Im 22 and I have lived here my entire life. I started traveling at a young age up and down the East coast and I knew from then on that this city was not right for me. There is nothing horrible about the city per say...

-the weather is awful...

-the lack of diversity...

-the small town mind state...

Anyways thats just my take on the area....

you will probably take this the wrong way. its not meant to demean your opinion.
at 22, you think you understand EVERYTHING. when you travel and are really impressed with a place, you are seeing it AS A TRAVELER. people there welcome you. you are happy to be away from home, seeing other sights, and so forth.

but you dont experience the day-to-day...trust me, i had shangri-la idealized visions of: my parent's province in europe, northern va, New Jersey (suburban NYC), toronto, Los Angeles, Seattle.....NONE of these places is perfect. NONE are without people that are not peculiar, or have annoying perspectives, NONE are overly friendly. ALL are traffic jammed, have poverty, wealth, drug problems, history, and post-modernism.

my point is that its the individual's character make up that makes him love a place or dislike it (within reason - anyone who CAN will leave, say, camden new jersey, or duquesne, PA).

i do not believe pittsburgh is "small town minded". first, is that a bad thing that people want to hold on to what they know? in other countries, we'd admire them for that (there are people that strive to preserve the french language, the antiquities of greece and italy, the perservation of their culture from North American, British, and now Chinese influence). but here, its a negative. why?

but sure, pittsburgh is "small-town minded"....if you live like you are in a small town rather than the busy mid-sized city is is, with its multitudinous offerings of experiences to be had (no, seriously).

i happen to think there is a nice balance between provincialism and progressiveness here.

id encourage you to go, though! if i were 22 again, i would have gone to live in NYC or Buenos Aires for 2 years!