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Let me preface my recommendations by indicating I don't currently have children, but I have lived in the city (the westernmost end of the East End) for over three years and would ideally raise a family in an urban environment after a restless and boring upbringing in sterile suburbia.
In strictly alphabetical order, these are all of the places I'd consider living:
DOWNTOWN: Even just since 2010, when I moved here, our city's central business district has noticeably improved. With the impending completion of the new PNC HQ Tower, Market Square Gardens, and the redevelopment of the Civic Arena site (all probably done by 2015-2017) I foresee nothing but continued rebirth occurring here. I would buy a condo at 151 FirstSide, personally, where I could easily walk my children across the Smithfield Street Bridge to Station Square, where we could watch the dancing water fountain, eat at Hard Rock Cafe or Buca di Beppo, take a Segway or Just Ducky tour, cruise on the Gateway Clipper, ride the incline up to Mt. Washington to grab ice cream on Shiloh Street and marvel at the skyline views, or buy chocolate-covered insects at a specialty store in the "mall". We could also walk to Point State Park (with our Siberian Huskies) to run and play, gawk at the fountain, enjoy the Three Rivers Art Festival, etc. We could head to the Cultural District to see an off-Broadway show, such as The Sound of Music or a performance by the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. Around the holidays there's ice skating at PPG Plaza, along with gingerbread house showroom and the vendors at Market Square, not to mention Macy's. Once again public schools may be questionable; however, there's always the private or charter/magnet route if fiduciary obligations were not taken into consideration.
HIGHLAND PARK: We're blessed to have two vehicles, so we can take our demanding Dachshund to any number of great parks within a 10-15-minute drive. Nevertheless we prefer to drive to Highland Park just due to its sheer beauty. If money were no consideration I'd move my family to the top floor of the Parklane (the skyscraper in Highland Park) so we could enjoy great views of everything. We'd be able to walk to the anemic (yet improving) Bryant Street business district. Bus service up and down Negley Avenue or Highland Avenue is frequent and reliable. The zoo and aquarium are at your fingertips. It's a quick drive across the bridge to the Waterworks, where there is a movie theater, Barnes & Noble, T.J. Maxx, and more. Kids (young and old alike) really also seem to love Five Guys Burgers & Fries and Burgatory, both of which have Waterworks locations. I make deliveries to the Dilworth School, in the southeastern quadrant of Highland Park, pretty frequently, and the staff, parents, and kids I always see seem happy.
MEXICAN WAR STREETS: Lobick lives here and is raising (a) child(ren). I feel like being able to walk to the National Aviary, the Childrens' Musem, the Mattress Factory, West Park, and much more would be great assets for a parent. The historic architecture in this area is stunning, the topography is mostly flat (gently rising the further north you progress away from West North Avenue), and the neighborhood enjoys at least some measure of diversity---racially, culturally, and socioeconomically. The public school system may not be very desirable (I'll defer to North Siders on this), but high school-aged children could certainly walk back-and-forth to Downtown's CAPA, if accepted. With money being no object I'd plunk down $350,000 for a fully-loaded and renovated rowhouse in the heart of the Mexican War Streets and pay for private schools for my children, if necessary.
POINT BREEZE SOUTH: It's already been mentioned several times, but it's worth repeating. The Mellon Park splash park is easily-accessible, and both Frick and Schenley Parks are a quick drive (or bike ride) away. The neighborhood is mostly flat, which is conducive for all of those Point Breeze mommies who love jogging while pushing a stroller, walking their dog, and yakking absent-mindedly into their cell phones simultaneously. The business district is anemic---yet cute. Neither Pino's nor Point Brugges---the two main restaurants of Point Breeze South---are particularly kid-friendly, though. Point Breeze South houses the highest-earning census tract in the city (while also being quick walking distance to one of the poorest). With that being said crime doesn't really "bleed" south of Penn Avenue, and really not much south of the Busway overpasses anymore. Real estate is sky-high, but money is no object, correct? Public schools are average to above-average, and I'd feel fine sending my kids to them. Our new mayor lives here, which should ensure the neighborhood remains highly desirable AT LEAST for another four years.
POLISH HILL For as overlooked as my current neighborhood is it does offer a lot of great things for a young family. I live a few doors uphill from West Penn Park, which has a spray fountain, skate park, large swimming pool, rec center with a gym, playground, baseball field, walking track, etc. It is very underutilized. Lili's Coffeehouse has some great dinner options on Wednesday nights, along with great brunches and quick bites, especially if you're a vegetarian or vegan, which a large portion of the neighborhood is. There's a comic book store, if your kids are into that. There is talk of turning the former Immaculate Heart of Mary School on Paulowna Street into a community center where artists can collaborate and offer seminars and classes. The Strip District and all it has to offer is a quick walk away. Downtown, Shadyside, Oakland, Lawrenceville, and Bloomfield are all accessible within 5-7 minutes via car. You can take the 54D bus to either the North Side or South Side (via Oakland), and there's a Polish Hill stop on the East Busway to link you to either Downtown or the rest of the East End. Taking the kiddos to a Pirates game would be a breeze by hopping a bus to Downtown on the Busway and then the free subway ride, which the kids would love, over to the North Side station. Real estate is becoming very expensive here due to the city's housing shortage; however, if money were no object I'd buy a "hidden" house in the tucked away part of Polish Hill on the WESTERN side of the 28th Street Bridge, below Frank Curto Park and above the Strip District. There's a nice luxury home that is (was?) on the market on Stockholm Street for over $500,000. I believe elementary-aged children go to Woolslair Elementary School, which is about to close, so I don't know what the public school situation would be like after that. Winchester Thurston is ten minutes away, if necessary, as are Central Catholic and Oakland Catholic.
SHADYSIDE: People in Squirrel Hill keep proclaiming that Shadyside "isn't family-friendly", but I don't see why it wouldn't be. No, there aren't many parks/playgrounds; however, just about everyone in Shadyside has a yard large enough for a trampoline, swingset, sandbox, and other kid-friendly amenities. My partner used to live near Alder & Lehigh, and there were several younger families around him who all seemed to be happy. Shadyside has THREE business districts, all of which are an easy walk to anyone besides those living in West Shadyside, who are much closer to the South Craig business district. These business districts do house "bro" hangouts like Steel Cactus, LGBT hangouts like Spin and 5801, coffeeshops out the wazoo, art galleries, and various bars catering to 20-something floozies, but they also house a few ice cream parlors, banks (with lollipops!), specialty markets, toy stores, pet stores, etc. Now that Shadyside is in a better public school feeder pattern I don't foresee any real advantages Squirrel Hill has over it besides the three mentioned above by EveKendall (and even then I think the Squirell Hill Giant Eagle sucks compared to what's nearer to Shadyside).
SQUIRREL HILL NORTH: No offense intended to those living south of the magical boundary that splits the neighborhood in half, but it's neither fun nor easy to be pushing a stroller or walking with toddlers/young children up and down steep hills to access anything useful (same goes for Greenfield). Personally I like the business district on Forbes between Shady and Murray and on Murray down to about Beacon Street. Once you start heading down the hill, though, between Beacon and Forward on Murray the caliber and cohesion of the business district just seems to change---for the worse. Yes, there's a second Starbucks, a board game store, a great Indian restaurant, and a few other perks down there, but by and large people don't like to "stroll" the hill on Murray Avenue whereas when we enjoy the rare "Squirrel Hill date-night" on a warm Friday evening Forbes Avenue's sidewalks are jammed with pedestrians. The northern part of the neighborhood enjoys proximity to a great library, the theater, a non-Jewish house of worship (since, believe it or not, everyone in Squirrel Hill isn't Jewish), a police station/fire station, pizzerias, a multi-restaurant delivery service (shameless plug), flat topography, and easy access to either Frick or Schenley Parks. South Squirrel Hill is fine, too, but if money wasn't a consideration I'd be less inclined to buy there. The public school system in Squirrel Hill North is fine, despite what h_curtis thinks, and Jews are harmless!
Love the descriptions, SCR, and you're absolutely right about not needing to be afraid of "the Jews"--we don't bite! (unless provoked ).
They are both nice. I find Sq Hill more family friendly. Also when we were looking it seemed easier to get a house with a garage in Sq Hill. Sq Hill is also closer to Colfax (shorter school bus ride or walk to school).
What do you mean by top end houses being nicer in Shadyside? Seems like both locations have a good supply. The problem with the top end houses in these areas is that the housing stock is old, and some of the nice ones haven't been properly maintained (or have been poorly renovated).
Personally speaking, we end up eating with our kids in Shadyside way more than Squirrel Hill. Our daughter loves to go to Mad Mex and then get ice cream at Oh Yeah! And we can get soy cream there (I'm vegan, and my wife is lactose intolerant) which makes it ideal.
I would't mind a house with a garage, provided it had access off a rear alley and no one could see it. My wife has said before she considers a house having a garage a bad feature overall.
I'm a fan of old houses. Victorian era is ideal, but some of the ones from the 1920s are okay. Squirrel Hill just doesn't have many houses like this. Even the stuff of that vintage tends to be built more estate style, or in forms like Tudor which don't really appeal to me.
Admittedly though, Shadyside has been far more "remuddled" than Squirrel Hill. Some of the changes people have made to the houses there are shockingly bad, given the amount of money in the neighborhood. Some of it happened during the "bad decades" where it was undesirable except as a student area for CMU, but some are more recent as well.
I'm a fan of old houses. Victorian era is ideal, but some of the ones from the 1920s are okay. Squirrel Hill just doesn't have many houses like this. Even the stuff of that vintage tends to be built more estate style, or in forms like Tudor which don't really appeal to me.
I am shocked--shocked I tell you--at the number of people who include a dislike of hills in your decision making. SCR, you are a young whippersnapper who should be happy to do some hill walking! Living in South Squirrel Hill has kept me fit without need of a gym and if I may say so myself, I have a pretty good pair of legs for a 40 year old woman as a result. After years of running in my neighborhood I kicked ass in the Philly marathon a few weeks ago. That being said I would take my millions to Murdoch Farms.
I am shocked--shocked I tell you--at the number of people who include a dislike of hills in your decision making. SCR, you are a young whippersnapper who should be happy to do some hill walking! Living in South Squirrel Hill has kept me fit without need of a gym and if I may say so myself, I have a pretty good pair of legs for a 40 year old woman as a result. After years of running in my neighborhood I kicked ass in the Philly marathon a few weeks ago. That being said I would take my millions to Murdoch Farms.
I routinely do walk up and down steep hills and DO love the exercise. I'm just picturing the typical Pittsburgh mommy hoofing it up Negley hill with a stroller in one hand and shopping bags in the other not appreciating the "challenge" quite so much.
I routinely do walk up and down steep hills and DO love the exercise. I'm just picturing the typical Pittsburgh mommy hoofing it up Negley hill with a stroller in one hand and shopping bags in the other not appreciating the "challenge" quite so much.
Hills are your friends ...
I actually ride/run up Negley on way home from gym quite often, and to be honest you don't see many people at all walking up/down there. But not all South Squirrel Hil streets are that steep by an means. Its just mostly nicely undulating around Wightman, Beacon, Hobart and there are families with strollers and shopping walking around there all the time.
Quote:
Originally Posted by EveKendall
Living in South Squirrel Hill has kept me fit without need of a gym and if I may say so myself, I have a pretty good pair of legs for a 40 year old woman as a result. After years of running in my neighborhood I kicked ass in the Philly marathon a few weeks ago. That being said I would take my millions to Murdoch Farms.
Congrats on the marathon. Training on those squirrelly hills helped your kick ass time, I'm sure
Personally speaking, we end up eating with our kids in Shadyside way more than Squirrel Hill. Our daughter loves to go to Mad Mex and then get ice cream at Oh Yeah! And we can get soy cream there (I'm vegan, and my wife is lactose intolerant) which makes it ideal.
I would't mind a house with a garage, provided it had access off a rear alley and no one could see it. My wife has said before she considers a house having a garage a bad feature overall.
Shadyside has 3 disjoint business districts (Walnut, Highland, Ellsworth). The thing with business districts in Sq Hill and Shadyside is that if you live in one it is fairly easy to drive to the other (plus all the retail in East Liberty). I'd prob look more at location's impact on commute to school/work than access to retail. Do you let your daughter eat the free kids meal ice-cream brownie at Mad Mex and then get her ice cream at Oh Yeah too?
The two big selling points of a garage are protecting your car from the elements (weather, other street parkers), and having a good place to store all your family's outside toys (balls, gardening tools, bikes, sleds, scooters, etc.).
I'm just picturing the typical Pittsburgh mommy hoofing it up Negley hill with a stroller in one hand and shopping bags in the other not appreciating the "challenge" quite so much.
If there is such a thing as a "typical Pittsburgh mommy" it's news to me. (Similarly, while we know lots and lots of families raising kids in Point Breeze, I don't know any who "love jogging while pushing a stroller, walking their dog, and yakking absent-mindedly into their cell phones simultaneously.")
As much as I like the idea living in a million dollar house on Bennington and sending my kids to St. Edmunds, Shadyside or Ellis I am not sure that I would want that if both parents worked. We both work and love it that my kids go to school with kids from the neighborhood. A friend lives near Bennington and told me that there are a lot of kids around there but they are all one income families. At the same time, money as no object also means that you better be prepared to join the right country club so your kids can hang out with their friends over the summer. Just because you make a nice living doesn't mean you are going to get into the right club either.
So, I would probably live a little more modestly in the Fox Chapel Area. Send my kids to the public schools in elementary school and evaluate the situation again when middle school rolls around.
At the same time, money as no object also means that you better be prepared to join the right country club so your kids can hang out with their friends over the summer. Just because you make a nice living doesn't mean you are going to get into the right club either.
Parents don't need to be members of a club for their children to hang out with their friends of parents who do. Their friends invite them to the clubs. I promise.
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