For those who left PGH looking for greener pastures... (Pittsburgh: hotel, home)

[Caladium]

Originally Posted by Goinback2011

I've talked to other people who have never travelled out of SW PA at age 35 or 40.

There are people I know who rarely (if ever) even leave their neighborhood. It's like they feel if they have to cross a bridge, they'd be heading into "no man's land."

[fleetiebelle]

Originally Posted by Caladium

There are people I know who rarely (if ever) even leave their neighborhood. It's like they feel if they have to cross a bridge, they'd be heading into "no man's land."

I work with a woman whose first plane ride was when she was 40. Her family never traveled anywhere, even for vacation, that was more than a 3 hour drive.

But then I think of my parents who've both lived in Cincinnati their entire lives (their siblings as well) but they don't seem to be very provincial to me. They don't live with blocks of where they grew up, they travel often and attend cultural events, they have a wide variety of interests and hobbies. Staying put could be a plus or a minus, depending on how people live their lives.

[goodgirl49]

Originally Posted by Mugatu

I think that's a "chicken or the egg" scenario. Is she shallow because she's never been anywhere else? Or does she have no interest in going anywhere else because she's so shallow?

I think there's some people that just have no desire to go anywhere. I can't comprehend it, but I guess they are content with a simple life. It still blows my mind to meet someone that's lived their whole life, for example, in the North Hills, that has never set foot in the South Hills. I didn't even know how that is possible.

I've known plenty of people in Aliquippa or Beaver County who have never gone to Pittsburgh, or else have only gone maybe once or twice in their lives. My husband's aunt's husband had never traveled out of Allegheny and Beaver Counties until he was in his late 60's. I would consider him a simple person though, with very limited education who was an unskilled laborer his entire working life.

[Tallysmom]

That sort of thing happens EVERYWHERE. I've known people here that won't leave San Francisco -- why should they? It's a world class city. Yeah -- but if your part of this world class city is a five block radius, your world is still pretty small and provincial.

Had a coworker who used to whine about rarely seeing her parents -- and they literally lived across the bay, just over the bridge -- that she lived close to on the other side. I swear -- I saw my mother in Pittsburgh, 3000 miles away, more than she saw hers.... 15 miles away but over that bridge.

[EveKendall]

Agree with Tallysmom--this is hardly a Pittsburgh phenomenon. When I lived in NYC I met people in Queens and in the Bronx who had never been to Manhattan and had no desire to go there, ever.

[goodgirl49]

Originally Posted by EveKendall

Agree with Tallysmom--this is hardly a Pittsburgh phenomenon. When I lived in NYC I met people in Queens and in the Bronx who had never been to Manhattan and had no desire to go there, ever.

That's true out here in LA too. I once taught a class of 5th graders and I asked them if any of them had been to another country, and one boy answered "Downtown Los Angeles." To some people here in the Valley I guess that's another world. Pretty sad though.

[PreservationPioneer]

I would move and live in different cities, but owning my house is a huge disincentive for that! Not because it would be difficult to sell, but because it is so wonderful to own something, have it paid off, and basically live for free. The more I research places to move, the more I am turned off by the thought of paying at least $600 for a crummy studio, when I can live in my little row house for nothing except utilities and taxes.

[simetime]

I lived in Pittsburgh for over 20 years and moved to Atlanta, the cost of living is close depending on where you live but the diversity was better. The air quality in Pittsburgh is better and the lack of flying roaches (beetles) was a plus. I found that my degree in Health Policy Administration paid me better elsewhere. Next year I will be moving again proably to Hawaii, but I will always keep my house and property in Pittsburgh

[Katarina Witt]

Originally Posted by EveKendall

Agree with Tallysmom--this is hardly a Pittsburgh phenomenon. When I lived in NYC I met people in Queens and in the Bronx who had never been to Manhattan and had no desire to go there, ever.

Well, yeah. The person I was referencing lives in Colorado.

[Hopes]

Originally Posted by alleghenyangel

I would move and live in different cities, but owning my house is a huge disincentive for that! Not because it would be difficult to sell, but because it is so wonderful to own something, have it paid off, and basically live for free. The more I research places to move, the more I am turned off by the thought of paying at least $600 for a crummy studio, when I can live in my little row house for nothing except utilities and taxes.

That's why we haven't moved ourselves. We can't find a better deal than where we are now.