Anybody in the Pitttsburgh move from Buffalo? (Pittsburgh, Allentown: house, job market)

[jeepin4us]

We've always liked Pittsburgh, it has lots of the things we liked about Buffalo but the weather, economy & culture are better! Looking for a comparison on COL, traffic, jobs, etc. So any "Buffaloians" out here??

[RyanR]

I moved from Buffalo to this area many years ago.

I currently don't reside in Allegheny County (the County that has the city of Pittsburgh in it) but an adjoining.

The weather temps are a little warmer and definitely less snow. The bad part is there's a lot more ice. In Buffalo, it got cold and stayed cold so you wouldn't get constant freeze/thaw cycles. Around here, it happens all the time so there's more days of ice.

It's hilly terrain. Makes driving, walking, biking... a little more difficult compared to flat ground.

Because of the hills and rivers, I'm going to say traffic is worse here. You don't have as many open highways near the city (like the 190, 290 and 90). Roads into the city are more like Kensington and Scajaquada. Exception is I-279 out of Pittsburgh to the North. It's a bigger city so that makes traffic worse as well.

Cost of living is pretty close I think. Housing may be a bit more here but the taxes should be a bit lower than NY so I think it's close to being a wash. Pittsburgh is in Allegheny County which has higher taxes compared to adjoining counties which are pretty close to the city. Gas prices in PA are cheaper than NY.

Haven't checked the job market in either city but from reading around, Pitt is rebounding faster than most other urban areas.

Would I ever leave this area to go back to NY? Not a chance.

[youngabe]

I lived in Pittsburgh my entire life but have a good friend who lives in Tonawanda, NY. Buffalo kind of has a special place in my heart. I really like the architecture there. The food scene is great too. Pittsburgh is just much further ahead of the "revitalization curve" than Buffalo is.

Driving around Buffalo is an utter breeze next to Pittsburgh. As RyanR pointed out, the terrain and smaller population make Buffalo a lot easier to navigate.

[SteelCityRising]

Originally Posted by youngabe

I lived in Pittsburgh my entire life but have a good friend who lives in Tonawanda, NY. Buffalo kind of has a special place in my heart. I really like the architecture there. The food scene is great too. Pittsburgh is just much further ahead of the "revitalization curve" than Buffalo is.

I agree with this assessment quite a bit. Buffalo is where Pittsburgh was in the late-1990s---the tail-end of its downturn. While I think Buffalo has a bright future ahead of it there's no way to argue that Pittsburgh doesn't already have a decent head-start.

[cheezit34141988]

Whole family is from Buffalo and spent my summers on Elmwood and in Allentown for most of my teen life. Still visit once a month or so.

[Gee Whiz]

I could go for a Beef on Weck about now. That is a Buffalo specialty, along with wings. Where can I get one near Pittsburgh?

[Copanut]

Originally Posted by Gee Whiz

I could go for a Beef on Weck about now. That is a Buffalo specialty, along with wings. Where can I get one near Pittsburgh?

You can't.

[Gee Whiz]

It looks like Wexford Ale House has Beef on Weck.

[Herodotus]

People always want to declare Pittsburgh and Cleveland twins, but I've always felt that the vibe in Buffalo reminded me of Pittsburgh more than Cleveland's does.

[bluecarebear]

I lived in WNY. Would I move back to NY? Yes. In a heart beat. One of the most beautiful states in the country. The cost of living is holding me back. The Great Lakes cities (Buffalo, Erie, and Cleveland) are their own beast. Midwestern with a twist. Pittsburgh isn't like them at all. In fact, most people from that area hate Pittsburgh.

One big difference is there is so much to do in the winter in NY. Here the people shut down for 4-5 months. I joked with a TX friend about how people hibernate in Pittsburgh so that he would understand. That makes the winters much worse than WNY.