Hunting For a Place to Rent (Bellevue, West View: apartment, rentals, house)

[ProFiction]

First time poster, long time lurker...

I'm selling my house in Evans City and am looking to rent somewhere that puts me closer to my after-work activities. I frequent the city for entertainment and to see my girlfriend (in Squirrel Hill). I play hockey on Neville island and I work in Cranberry. Pretty much any North Side neighborhood would be the best fit for me, but I am also looking around at the Crafton/Fairywood area (easy access to 79 for work) and Bellevue, West View, and even Millvale (though I hate 28 with a burning passion).

I've been around craigslist a bit but I am wondering if any of you have any scoops on places either because you live somewhere you like with vacancies or because you're a landlord yourself.

Also feel free to offer general neighborhood advice! I am enamored by the 'Spring Troy Hill Garden' area Not looking for anything 'nice' and walkability definitely isn't something I care about much, though bus access is important (don't want a 10 minute walk to the closest stop). Also if I'm missing any areas that would be a good location (for instance, I just discovered how well the southwest end of town fits my criteria!), let me know!

Thanks

[Hopes]

What's your price range?

[ProFiction]

Ah, suppose I should have included that.

I'm looking for something 800/month and under.

[ferraris]

I'm a little thrown off by the the desire for bus access. Do you want to take the bus to work in Cranberry? To Neville Island? To Squirrel Hill?

Are you looking for a small house or an apartment? Are you including utilities in the 800/month?

[ProFiction]

My girlfriend will eventually move in and she takes the bus to work in the South Side (no drivers license or car)

Either house or apartment.

No, 800 does not have to include utilities.

I should have also mentioned that I have 2 cats.

[Hopes]

If she takes the bus from Squirrel Hill to Southside, she's already transferring downtown so you can live anywhere near a bus line.

[ferraris]

Hmm, your commutes will be competing against each other a bit. The North Side would work well for you, but the only bus from there to the South Side is the 54, which only serves a small portion of the North Side and takes 40+ minutes to get you to the South Side. If she works at or near Station Square she could take the T right over, though. It's also well connected by bike trails if that's her thing.

Really the South Side only has good transit access from Downtown, parts of the East End, and some of the southern neighborhoods. Downtown is too expensive for you probably; especially if you want to keep your car. The East End and Southern Neighborhoods would leave you with a pretty hefty commute...definitely doable; but I think it would get old quickly.

I'm not sure what to recommend here; It seems like one of you will have to compromise on your commute.

[ferraris]

Originally Posted by Hopes

If she takes the bus from Squirrel Hill to Southside, she's already transferring downtown so you can live anywhere near a bus line.

She may be transferring in Oakland, but you're right; if she is willing to transfer then a lot more options are available to OP.

[jea6321]

mt washington or duquesne heights might be a good fit for both of you.

with your two different locations of work, anywhere is going to be somewhat of a compromise.

[szug-bot]

if you are willing to buy, have you considered the Uptown area? now if you are not from a dense urban area, you might be, well, horrified. parts of it still look like a war zone. it is old, dilapidated, and run down. but there are people there buying/renovating to establish rentals.

i will not like to you - there are drugs there. a lower economic class and the issues that come with that (im not being rude, so please lets not detour the thread into something else). the area enveloped between Van Braam, Gist, the Boulevard of the Allies and Forbes Avenue seems an oasis of stability and tortoise pace renewal.

or, from the information provided, id say Bon Air and Beechview might be about the most perfect locations. both are served with the T (girlfriend), and not far from the liberty tubes, where your highway commute begins.

welcome to pittsburgh!