Moving from NYC to Pittsburgh Area - Possibly...... (Ross Township, McKeesport: appointed, real estate)

[By~Tor]

Okay. Here's the situation:

My gal & I are looking to get out of NYC and into a more affordable city, so we can buy a house and start a family. I'm 40 & she's 35.

In NYC, the cheapest CONDO we con find in a decent area within commuting distance is about $300K, which is certainly NOT in our ballpark. Through prior divorces and child support, my credit is so screwed, that I can't even be ON the paperwork, when we buy.... it will only harm the creditworthiness and raise the cost.

So, she will be the only buyer, even though I will certainly be paying my fair share of the monthly mortgage, etc... just, as a "silent partner", if you will....

We've looked into Rochester, NY and found it to be very affordable, and I even had a good job offer at a hospital there, in Environmental Services (I have 15+ years in Facilities Maintenance Management), but she wasn't so sold on moving to Rochester..... so now, we're looking at Pittsburgh.

I've perused City-Data's wealth of info, all of which is a few years outdated, and figure that if I wanna' get to know the area, I should "ask the locals", which is you guys!...So, here goes, and all help is appreciated:

* Just how good/bad IS the local economy, in regards to Administrative work and/or Facility Maintenance? What are average salaries for Executive-level Admins?

* Housing: - What would the median price range be for a 3BR house, in a decent (READ: "low-crime") section of the city or near suburbs?

* What neighborhoods or areas should we stay AWAY from, when looking at living in the city?

* Our ancestry includes Irish & Hungarian. Are there neighborhoods geared more towards immigrants from those countries?--I ask, because her parents may move as well, and they're old-world Hungarians, who would feel comfortable being surrounded by other Hungarians, if possible.

* ANY OTHER INFO you might be able to offer would be appreciated!--Thanks!

-Mike & Anita

[kpoeppel]

If you're looking for affordable housing, you're in luck. The massive national housing bubble didn't hit here, thankfully. It's quite possible to find a 3BR house in a safe, older middle class area for 75-100k.

The main downside to Pittsburgh is the economy. To be fair, it is doing better than many other "Rust Belt" cities. Unfortunately, our job growth rate significantly lags the national average. By some statistics, there has been near zero job growth since 2000.

A "fair and balanced" (as far as I know) take on the local economy can be found here:
Pittsburgh's Future: Economy

On a happier note, the main areas of job growth are in health care and education, which have seen strong growth. UPMC (University of Pittsburgh Medical Center) is one of the premier employers. So if you had a job offer at a hospital in Rochester, it is possible that you could get a job offer at UPMC or one of the other area hospitals. I assume that universities would also need facilities maintainance managers. You could check for jobs at Carnegie Mellon, Pitt, Duquesne (pronounced "due-cane") University, etc. There are several smaller universities in the surrounding region as well.

I'm not an expert on which areas are safe/unsafe, but I have heard (on this forum) that the following towns should be avoided: McKeesport, McKees Rocks, Homewood, Braddock, Homestead, Wilkinsburg. Within Pittsburgh itself: Manchester, "The Hill", East Liberty.

Other forum members will know better about specific neighborhoods. Speaking of neighborhoods, Pittsburgh is known for having many distinct ethnic neighborhoods that have preserved their unique immigrant cultures. There are probably a few strongly-Hungarian neighborhoods in the area. Someone else might know which ones, I do not. The Irish are a very large immigrant group and are found throughout the region. It wouldn't suprise me if there were a few strongly-Irish neighborhoods, though.

[claremarie]

I don't live in Pittsburgh anymore, but always suggest that those looking for affordable neighborhoods in a good school district consider Ross Township and West View, which form the North Hills School District. These suburbs are the "first-line" townships immediately north of the city of Pittsburgh. You can easily find a nice 3 BR house in Ross or West View for well under $200. Look in realtor.com or another real estate search engine for zip codes 15229 and 15237. I grew up there, my parents still live there, and it's very safe. Easy access to downtown and Oakland, plenty of shopping.

[OutaFL]

I moved to Pittsburgh from Florida a few months ago - love it. There are all kinds of neighborhoods, and just about all are a good price compared to overpriced coastal cities. Of course like anyplace, there are some bad, some good neighborhoods. Just be careful whose advice on here you listen to. Some people on this forum have suburban values bordering on the agoraphobic, others have more progressive city-embracing outlooks. Many neighborhoods have the best of urban AND suburban aspects.

[By~Tor]

Originally Posted by OutaFL

I moved to Pittsburgh from Florida a few months ago - love it. There are all kinds of neighborhoods, and just about all are a good price compared to overpriced coastal cities. Of course like anyplace, there are some bad, some good neighborhoods. Just be careful whose advice on here you listen to. Some people on this forum have suburban values bordering on the agoraphobic, others have more progressive city-embracing outlooks. Many neighborhoods have the best of urban AND suburban aspects.

I'm not aversed to living in the gritty city, so long as the neighborhood's safe, there are good groceries closeby, and the housing is affordabe (under 150K...).

[likepgh]

Shortly after moving here, my wife and I noticed a bumper sticker that read "Proud Hungarian-American Democrat." Where else are you going to find that?

[Hemingway]

I moved from the NY/NJ area, about 4 yrs ago. The reasons were affordability, and quality of life....I haven't been disappointed. It IS affordable, although it isn't HUGELY less expensive to live here (except for housing of course). We have seen a substantial savings with things like, car insurance, electric and (home heating) gas, car registration and licensing etc. Food is generally a bit more here as is gasoline, and property taxes are a bit painful, saved only by the low price of the properties. I'm just trying to give a real life comparison you.

As far as quality of life...getting in and out of the city is a BREEZE, in fact traffic on the whole is a breeze! Back in Jersey, we all have loooong difficult commutes, 2 hours each way was pretty standard.....here I would guesstimate that 1/2 hr or less is standard. No Lincoln Tunnel, No GWB, no Throgs Neck or Whitestone...Even just to get to a show or dinner in the city was a PITA. Now, I can leave my house (Which is surrounded by farmland)at 6 pm and be in my seat for a 7 pm show at the Benedum. (I actually did that). No I'm not trying to convince you to come to the 'burbs, just giving you a comparison.

There are wonderful little neighborhoods surrounding downtown...my niece just moved into one---just be warned, alot of the houses in those neighborhoods look like #$@^ from the outside, but are total hidden gems on the inside. If I was young and single, I would be there in a heartbeat!

You definitely need to make several trips to get the 'lay of the land' and see which area suits your needs---get a realtor (don't be concerned with a 'hard sell') ask for all the details of any given area, ie, tax millage, cost of utilities, public transit service etc-most will love showing their town to a 'newbie'. Be specific in your questions...I found that since most people are native to the area-they don't realize that things may be different here than what you are used to....property taxes and wage taxes (both took me a while to figure out) come to mind.

Good Luck!