What Pittsburgh can teach the rest of the country (York: homes, law school)

[UKyank]

Why has this thread gone on for 10 pages based on anecdotes of what people happen to see outside their windows or walking down the street on a particular day rather then posting some actual stats on all of the areas being argued about which are readily & easily available to link to.

[ElijahAstin]

Originally Posted by greg42

That's true I guess, although I wouldn't lump East Enders in with affluent suburban types in any way at all. It seems to me Sealtite is using an experience that is either local to the rural area he lives in or otherwise painted by the only people he knows or interacts with to draw wide conclusions about the entire metro area. The region as a whole has plenty of different types.

And speaking of Boston, does anyone think they're less healthy than Pittsburgh? But they must be, they have more world-class hospitals....

East Enders and affluent suburbanites both tend to be wealthier, more educated, and more physically fit than the rest of the metro, so yes, they can definitely be lumped together in that regard (politics is different, but while the affluent suburbanites are less aggregately progressive than the East Enders, but they still skew more liberal than the rest of the metro).

[UKyank]

Originally Posted by HeavenWood

while the affluent suburbanites are less aggregately progressive than the East Enders, but they still skew more liberal than the rest of the metro).

I either disagree with this assessment as a whole or have a different definition of affluent suburb around here.

[zman63]

Originally Posted by UKyank

I either disagree with this assessment as a whole or have a different definition of affluent suburb around here.

Surprise surprise. The statement was made by an indivdual that doesnt live here.

[UKyank]

Originally Posted by zman63

Surprise surprise. The statement was made by an indivdual that doesnt live here.

Where do they live?

[ElijahAstin]

Originally Posted by UKyank

I either disagree with this assessment as a whole or have a different definition of affluent suburb around here.

Originally Posted by UKyank

Where do they live?

I lived in Pittsburgh for four years and explored most of the metro. By the time I finished school, I found I knew more about the region than most of my native classmates (certainly not natives on this board ). Zman is just throwing around his pissy little ad hominem attacks because I'm better at finding data (note: NOT opinion pieces) that backs up my assertions than he is. I'll be back for my first of 2-3 annual visits in a couple weeks.

By affluent suburbs, I mean people from Mt. Lebanon, Sewickley, the Fox Chapel Area, Upper St. Clair, etc. Statistics directly back up the fact that people from here are significantly wealthier/more educated than the median metro PGH dweller (this is a very "well, duh" assessment). I've also found people from there to be more physically fit, though there no statistics available with regard to the matter. Finally, I've found people from these places to (on average) be more socially liberal than working- to lower-middle class in-city/suburban residents, along with conventionally middle class suburbanites. Not as liberal on average as East Enders, of course.

[zman63]

Originally Posted by UKyank

Where do they live?

He left for philly. The economy is rough in the burgh. Its apparent he doesnt know much about the region.

[sskink]

Originally Posted by HeavenWood

The region as a whole is no more represented by "hicks" than it is by East Enders/affluent suburban types (I personally think that if you fancy yourself as belonging to one group, it's silly to live in an area dominated by the other but hey, that's just me). But fortunately for people of both persuasions, there's plenty from either category.

I personally like the fact that the city isn't monolithically latte liberal the way, say, Boston is.

I hate this "liberal latte" crap. I can tell you firsthand from owning a cafe in this area that liberals are more likely to buy straight espresso or small cappuccinos (or black coffee) and conservatives by the big gulp lattes - with all the silly add ons.

From what I've been told by peers, that's the way it is in most NE cities.

[speagles84]

Originally Posted by zman63

He left for philly. The economy is rough in the burgh. Its apparent he doesnt know much about the region.

He was originally from philly (I believe). Very true. Our economy is horrible. Hopefully we can create as many jobs as Cleveland and Detroit one day. Heavenwood is a valued contributor to this forum. Gives a realistic opinion of our area and believe it or not, ACTUALLY backs up his assertions with facts and not Post gazette articles.

[ElijahAstin]

Originally Posted by zman63

He left for philly. The economy is rough in the burgh.

I go to law school in Philly because going to a prestigious school is imperative as far as getting high-paying firm jobs (and the like) go. I don't know if I could have gotten a job in the region if I had taken a few years between UG and LS. A friend of mine got a very nice gig working as a publicity writer for a South Hills bank ($60k starting, which is damn good for anyone straight out of school). Of course, unlike you, I opt for information that can be gleaned from reliable statistic sources over my own subjective experiences whenever possible, so I'm not going to claim that her experience is the norm (it almost surely was not). Most people fitting my academic profile (high GPA liberal arts major + extensive writing skills/experience) ended up with consulting-ish gigs in either Pittsburgh or a host of random third-tier metros. So who knows, really.

As far as legal work goes, I walked away from 2012 OCI with one offer from a mid-sized Philly firm. Besides Philly, I primarily targeted Pittsburgh, Delaware, New York, and New Jersey in that order. Legal hiring especially is tough these days and my grades were pretty middle-of-the-road. A friend of mine with somewhat higher grades got an offer from Jones Day PGH, but she turned it down for an NYC firm (where most of my classmates go). Depending on a whole bunch of things that are neither here no there, I might have an opportunity to lateral somewhere else in 2016. As someone who likes Philly and PGH both equally, I'd go wherever I got the better job. But enough about me.

Originally Posted by zman63

Its apparent he doesnt know much about the region.

Whatever you say, handsome. I've responded to your accusations, so you can now go back to talking to my ignore filter. But if someone quotes any compelling Post-Gazette editorial pieces you've posted, I'll be sure to give them a thorough read.

Originally Posted by sskink

I hate this "liberal latte" crap. I can tell you firsthand from owning a cafe in this area that liberals are more likely to buy straight espresso or small cappuccinos (or black coffee) and conservatives by the big gulp lattes - with all the silly add ons.

From what I've been told by peers, that's the way it is in most NE cities.

Haha, it's just an expression.

Originally Posted by speagles84

He was originally from philly (I believe). Very true. Our economy is horrible. Hopefully we can create as many jobs as Cleveland and Detroit one day. Heavenwood is a valued contributor to this forum. Gives a realistic opinion of our area and believe it or not, ACTUALLY backs up his assertions with facts and not Post gazette articles.

Thanks.

Yeah, I'm a suburban Philly native (think a cross between Mt. Lebanon and Fox Chapel, along with just a hint of Squirrel Hill ). I knew nothing about the city when I first started undergrad, but thanks to my penchant for exploring (and the car I was able to bring to campus), I explored the region far and wide over the course of my four years and gained a lot of knowledge of (and appreciation for) the place. Frequent visits help me stay in touch. I would never, ever pretend I know as much as geographically engaged (near)/lifelong natives plus longtime transplants like Hopes, Jay, Curtis (as long as it doesn't have anything to do with Jews ). Nonetheless, I think I manage to do ok.