Vacant Lawrenceville landmarks (Pittsburgh, Allentown, Baldwin: hardwood floors, houses, neighborhoods)

[ferraris]

Is there any precedent of other cities moving industrial businesses en masse?

[SteelCityRising]

Originally Posted by PghYinzer

Apologies in advance, but as you can tell, I am OVER the East End and all that it entails.

Would you mind elaborating a bit more upon this? Why the hatred towards the East End?

Also, I'm a college-educated male who works in a blue-collar position by choice, so please don't infer that I'm in any way trying to inhibit blue-collar employment in the city. I'm just watching in horror as my rent goes up (and up and up) with each successive year due to this supply vs. demand issue while median wages here remain stagnant. I just foresee more and more "working class" people being priced out of their apartments here to make room for more high-earning transplants being recruited by UPMC, CMU, Google, etc.

I work an average of 10-12 hours per day, six days per week, primarily within the East End, along with making my home here. I simply don't have much time to "expand my horizons" and frolic in the rest of the city as much as I'd like. I walk much more than many people do; however, with that being said outside the East End there really aren't many more walkable solid neighborhoods to be had. You really only have the eastern 1/3 of the North Side, east of I-279 (East Allegheny, Spring Garden, Troy Hill); Brighton Heights; Brookline; and Beechview that are still in the "affordable" category for first-time home-buyers outside the East End who desire walkability. Even then, Brookline has seen considerable housing appreciation over the past few years and will likely continue to experience more. Yes, I could buy a home in a non-walkable city neighborhood (i.e. Hays, Overbrook, Oakwood, or Lincoln Place), but then again what would be the point of living in the city proper at all vs. buying a home in a denser suburb like Millvale, McKees Rocks, or Wilkinsburg with greater levels of walkability (while also not compromising affordability)?

The city really needs to become more proactive in terms of infrastructural improvements to encourage more entrepreneurship in more neighborhoods with cheap housing and dormant business districts. Even just a new streetscape project can do wonders. I like what Brighton Heights has been doing in terms of trying to beef up and bulk up its own business district. That needs to spread to Allentown, Elliott, Sheraden, Carrick, and numerous other neighborhooods, too.

[I_Like_Spam]

Originally Posted by ferrarisnowday

Is there any precedent of other cities moving industrial businesses en masse?

you really can't force anyone to move to a specific location, although there is precedent to take private land for redevelopment under eminent domain.

The city would really have to improve the entire 51 corridor if that's where they want to get people to move their businesses to.

And of course, they'd have to convince and maybe buy out nearby residents who might not want to live near a 24 hour industrial enterprise. Some of the oldtimers might have chosen to Overbrook to move out of the inner city to get away from that kind of activity.

[Neckbeard89]

FYI, you can still buy a home in move in condition in bloomfield for less than 80k. save up 3 grand, get an FHA with max assist and pay like $450-500/month max after taxes and insurance.

[jay5835]

Originally Posted by Neckbeard89

FYI, you can still buy a home in move in condition in bloomfield for less than 80k.

Documentation, please.

[SteelCityRising]

Originally Posted by Neckbeard89

FYI, you can still buy a home in move in condition in bloomfield for less than 80k. save up 3 grand, get an FHA with max assist and pay like $450-500/month max after taxes and insurance.

Deals like that are just about extinct, though, especially when compared with even just five years ago. There is a house on Sapling Way I've had my eye on for quite some time, but the fact that it's been on the market FOREVER at such a dirt cheap price makes me think there's something wrong with it.

[Neckbeard89]

If you don't care about getting rich off of your property, and actually living in it, you can still find some deals. The real deals never hit the market (depending on what your definition of deal is). There is a property on mintwood or cabinet (not sure which is the address), 3 BR huge yard (by city standards) and completely gutted for 60k. people coil when they hear completely gutted, but if you are not afraid to watch youtube videos and learn how to hang drywall, refinish floors AND if you are not against using a reuse place like construction junction, you could make it a very livable place for less than you'd think

[Neckbeard89]

Originally Posted by jay5835

Documentation, please.

I'm sure you know how to search homes in 15224 under 80k. move-in condition means you can live in it. they're not perfect. these are homes that developers aren't able to "flip", but you can buy a house listed for 3 months for a little under list, do a purchase/rehab and pay interest only until its fixed. bring 3k to the table, have a combined income over 35k and a credit score above 680 and you too can live ina 3 bedroom house for less than you pay in rent!

[ferraris]

Originally Posted by SteelCityRising

Also, I'm a college-educated male who works in a blue-collar position by choice, so please don't infer that I'm in any way trying to inhibit blue-collar employment in the city. I'm just watching in horror as my rent goes up (and up and up) with each successive year due to this supply vs. demand issue while median wages here remain stagnant. I just foresee more and more "working class" people being priced out of their apartments here to make room for more high-earning transplants being recruited by UPMC, CMU, Google, etc.

I don't mean to come across snarky, but which is it? Are wages stagnant or are high earning transplants coming here? You can't really have both unless there's some sort of discrimination against current Pittsburghers.

Also, what is your take on rentals as long term housing? Personally I think that anyone in a rental situation should view it as at least semi-temporary. Do you think there should be rent control?

I work an average of 10-12 hours per day, six days per week, primarily within the East End, along with making my home here. I simply don't have much time to "expand my horizons" and frolic in the rest of the city as much as I'd like. I walk much more than many people do; however, with that being said outside the East End there really aren't many more walkable solid neighborhoods to be had. You really only have the eastern 1/3 of the North Side, east of I-279 (East Allegheny, Spring Garden, Troy Hill); Brighton Heights; Brookline; and Beechview that are still in the "affordable" category for first-time home-buyers outside the East End who desire walkability. Even then, Brookline has seen considerable housing appreciation over the past few years and will likely continue to experience more.

The real shame in the dwindling list of inexpensive walkable areas is that the walkability factor also dwindles. I ended up in Brighton Heights, and am generally quite happy with that decision, but it's not as walkable or central as say Bloomfield or Lawrenceville. Yet 10 or even 5 years ago I could have gotten a $50K home in those neighborhoods, and even the 5 or 10 year old version of those neighborhoods would be more bang for my buck in walkability. In another 10 years the $50K neighborhoods will be even less walkable than Brighton Heights (excepting possibly Hazelwood which may rapidly become walkable before prices catch up to it). In 20 years the affordable neighborhoods may not only be unwalkable, but also unsafe.

I've come to realize that the unfortunate, frustrating reality is that walkability is considered a luxury in our country. The public willl get up in arms about gas prices and roads, though.

Yes, I could buy a home in a non-walkable city neighborhood (i.e. Hays or Lincoln Place), but then again what would be the point of living in the city proper at all vs. buying a home in a denser suburb like Millvale, McKees Rocks, or Wilkinsburg with greater levels of walkability (while also not compromising affordability)?

I have the same hang-up about wanting to live in the city itself. The only other place I even remotely considered was Millvale and the "practically Troy Hill" part of Reserve Township. I realize that it's an arbitrary distinction, since we have so many non-suburban suburbs, but it's still something I care about.

The city really needs to become more proactive in terms of infrastructural improvements to encourage more entrepreneurship in more neighborhoods with cheap housing and dormant business districts. Even just a new streetscape project can do wonders. I like what Brighton Heights has been doing in terms of trying to beef up and bulk up its own business district. That needs to spread to Allentown, Elliott, Sheraden, Carrick, and numerous other neighborhooods, too.

Completely agree. Pittsburgh has many dormant business districts. I like that term by the way; It's much less negative than "dead."

[ferraris]

Originally Posted by SteelCityRising

Deals like that are just about extinct, though, especially when compared with even just five years ago. There is a house on Sapling Way I've had my eye on for quite some time, but the fact that it's been on the market FOREVER at such a dirt cheap price makes me think there's something wrong with it.

211 Sapling Way? That was actually the first home I looked at when i began my home search over a year ago! At the time a lady was living there and though she was cordial, she was also quite unhappy that she would have to move out. I didn't have the heart to put in an offer; after that I didn't view any tenant-occupied properties unless they were multi-unit with a vacancy. Though I see that it's vacant now; you should definitely take a look. It wasn't terrible. Definitely a very small alley house with no parking, and nothing really historic to speak of, but you can't beat the location. Hopefully they cleaned it up, there were major tobacco and cat stains when I viewed it.